#and a tornado hit close to me so i went without power for two days

[formerfbiagentbatman]

Mental stress and physical pain is a bad combo

[radiant-flutterbun]

Mason’s Brightside Part 2

   Part 1

“No Mason, weird dreams are not a symptom of the herb I gave you last night,” Alaria sighed “If you had listened to me you would know the opposite is true.”

    “No dreams is a symptom?”

    “Yes and so are dehydration headaches so make sure you drink lots of water.”

Alaria shooed Mason outside of the healing den and he nearly crashed into Corkscrew, a spiral.

    “Watch where you’re going!” Corkscrew snarled.

    Mason ignored him and went to get something to drink, his mind however was still thinking about that dream. He’d never been a vivid dreamer. Something about it was so unnatural.

    Evan came up to him later in the day and he described the dream to him.

    “Weird right?”

    “Yeah but sometimes a dream is just a dream. Don’t read too much into it.”

    “But it felt so real!”

    “You sure it’s not… Ya know your mind playing tricks on you?”

    Mason glared at Evan “It wasn’t that.”

    “Sorry, sorry I didn’t mean to imply…” Evan coughed “Maybe you’re just not used to a good night’s sleep is all.”

    Mason thought about that for a moment “That… Ok yeah that I can believe.”

    The next night he was given the same herb from Alaria and he found himself right back at the Emperor’s Wake.

    “Good to see you again Mason,” It was the tundra. They were sitting beside him, so close that Mason could feel their fur on him “Are you on your way?”

    “I-” Mason began and then he snarled “What are you doing in my head?”

    The tundra looked back at him calmly, “You can thank our local dreamwalker for that.”

    “Dreamwalker…?”

    “You’ll be waking soon. I don’t have time to explain. Please come here to the Emperor’s Wake. I’ll explain everything. It’ll be much easier in person, I promise.”

    Mason was about to speak when he found himself awake, sunlight danced across his room. 

    He began to pack his things. It didn’t take long. Being formerly dead, he didn’t have any personal belongings from his world. All he had were just a few art supplies Flare had been kind enough to give him, a simple dagger, a water canister, a few snacks and a blanket. Everything fit neatly in a bag he wrapped over his shoulder.

    He trotted down the stairs from his room and into the clan lobby. He made his way to the main exit when Evan found him.

    “Where are you going?” He asked, seeing the bag.

    Mason sighed “The Emperor’s Wake.”

    “What? Isn’t that where that monster is?”

    “Yep.”

    “And you want to go there?!”

    “Correct.”

    “Why?”

    “Because that’s where the dragons in my dreams told me to go.”

    “So you’re just going to listen to random dream dragons now?”

    “See this is why I was trying to avoid you.”

    Evan looked hurt “You were planning on leaving without telling me?”

    “Because I knew this would happen! I knew you wouldn’t understand! Listen, I've been here before. I know that whoever these dragons are, they're not going to get out of my head until I do what they want me to do.”

    “Hey no offense Mason but the last time you listened to some... thing in your mind you ended up hurting a kid.”

    Mason snarled “He wasn’t just a kid. Don’t oversimplify what Muerto is.”

    “I’m just saying, if you knew that was Match speaking to you, would you still have done the things you did?”

    “Yes. Match is just another self centered god, but at least me listening to him, capturing Muerto, weakening him. Getting him to spill his dirty little secrets. At least that did something! You would have rotted away to nothing and we would have all been trapped in that horrible place until we died. I got the gods’ attention. I changed things!”

    Evan took a deep breath “Ok. Yeah you’re right. But I also don’t have to like what we had to do to get where we are now. Maybe this time we can take some time to think about what we’re getting into before we have to hurt anyone?”

    “We? You want to come with me?”

    “I don’t like the idea of being near that monster, but I hate the idea of letting you go alone even more.”

***

    Mason waited for Evan to pack his things. Like him, it wasn’t much so they were off on their journey soon enough. Evan felt bad leaving without a word so he took the time to leave a note for Nike.

    The two took off and soared over the Sunbeam Ruins in the direction of the area now known as the Emperor’s Wake. Mason had a map with him to help him keep track of their journey. As he flapped his wings he noted how natural flight felt to him. It was strange to him how quickly he picked up the skill. His original body was not one designed for flight and never in a million years would he have guessed he’d eventually become a dragon. Sepulchral had taught him to fly after he had entered the Dragon Planet. Sepulchral was a good teacher, and unlike all of the other Selcouth creatures that were brought to Sornieth, Sepulchral actually had wings back in their world, making him uniquely experienced with flight. But even with such an excellent teacher, Mason felt like he shouldn’t have picked up the skill quite so quickly. It only made it more frustrating that relearning to draw was not as natural to him.

    “Sorry about planning to take off without you,” Mason said after a few miles of silence.

    “Hey, it's cool. No big deal,” Evan responded.

    “What were you going to tell me the other day, by the way? I didn’t mean to brush you off like that. Sorry again.”

    “Oh that?” Evan laughed nervously “That was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

    Mason glanced at his friend “Alright…” He thought about pushing the subject, but decided to let it go.

    The two flew in silence until it got dark. They camped out in a secluded pine forest for the night and took off again when it was morning. 

    Their flight was uneventful until they flew over a patch of land that was scarred in an unusual way. Most of the Sunbeam Ruins were filled with rolling fields of grass and green pine trees dotted with ruins from a forgotten era. But this patch of land was blackened and dead. It was not burned like a fire found it, rather it looked like a perfect circle of the land just shriveled up and died. Below structures that were not ancient ruins were crushed and destroyed like a tornado ran through the community.

    “What do you suppose happened down there?” Evan asked.

    Mason shook his head “Nothing good probably. Let's keep moving.”

    It wasn’t long before the land began to look more like what Mason saw in his dreams. There were tell-tale signs of destruction, but not quite like the shriveled dead land they had just passed. Mason searched the ground below him and nearly stopped mid flight. There on top of a hill covered in ruins was the same rugged tundra that had spoken to him.

    Mason landed beside them with a thud and Evan landed more gracefully beside him.

    “You!” Mason snarled.

    The tundra smiled and waved “Mason! So good to see you in person. And oh look! You brought a friend.”

    “Why were you in my head? How do you know who I am? What do you want with me?”

    “Holy shit,” Evan was ignoring the tundra and instead his eyes were fixed on the horizon “It’s real.”

    Mason heard a roar and looked up. There in the distance was the rampaging beast, the Emperor Luminax. It was even more horrible than it was in his dreams.

    “Terrifying isn’t it?” The tundra asked, following Mason’s gaze.

    “It’s just… Hard to believe it’s real.”

    “I know. Seeing your first Emperor… It makes you wonder what’s real and what’s fake. But that thing is real alright. It’s destroying lives and the gods are doing nothing about it.”

    Mason snorted “Yeah that sounds about right.”

    “Ah, don’t like gods do you?” The tiny bug dragon from Mason’s dream landed on top of the tundra’s head “I knew this one would fit in well!”

    Mason peeled his eyes away from the undead creature in the distance “Ok, no more talking until you two explain why you were in my head.”

    “Ah that would be Karyu’s doing,” The tundra addressed the bug sitting on their head.

    “How dare you!” Mason lunged forward to swat the bug, but they quickly flew away. Mason ended up hitting the large tundra’s antlers instead. Mason’s hand stung and the tundra glared at him.

    “Maybe instead of threatening my friend, you could sit down and listen.” The tundra shoved Mason to the ground. Mason tried to get back up, but stopped when the tundra gave him another glare.

    Karyu flew back onto the tundra’s head and pointed at Mason “That one tortured a kid god, so I guess I shouldn’t really be too surprised. Still, he has use here.”

    Mason’s eyes widened “How did you-”

    “My name is Perryn,” The tundra cut Mason off and smiled “I’m an Emperor hunter, and my friend Karyu here is a dream walker.”

    “And demigod!” Once again Karyu took off from their perch on Perryn’s head. They circled in the air and as they landed they began to transform. Before Mason’s eyes the little bug dragon grew in size. They spun so fast it forced Mason to blink and with that one blink a new creature was standing where the bug disappeared. Its body was unmistakably human to Mason, but it still had some of the bug features of its dragon form. Antennae sprung up from Karyu’s head and insectoid wings from their back. They wore a long robe and their long purple hair touched the ground. They were still small, Perryn towered over them and so would have Mason if he had been standing, but they were no longer squishable. 

    “My mother is the goddess of dreams for this world, and lucky me, I’ve inherited some of her powers,” Karyu walked up to Mason and poked his snout. He snapped at their fingers “You have the most fascinating dreams out of everyones’ I’ve walked through. So many memories are mixed with yours. Some juicy ones too!”

    “No. You didn’t.”

    “It’s just a shame that lately you haven't been dreaming much. I’m guessing insomnia? Well that’s no good for me or my pals here at The Guild of Osiris! I was afraid if your sleeping patterns continued I would have lost contact with you! And that would have been a real bummer.”

    “Which is why Karyu had to bring me into the picture,” Perryn said “We needed you to come here before they lost contact with you and they thought you would listen to me and not them.”

    “And I was fucking right!” Karyu grinned and then leaned close to Mason and whispered “I just thought Perryn would be more your type. I’m gorgeous, I know, but I’m taken.”

    Mason just stared at Karyu. He opened his mouth and then closed it like a fish out of water.

    “Yes. Karyu was right!” Peryn shouted and then coughed “And now you’re here like we were hoping. Karyu has seen a lot of things about you from their dream walking ,which I know may be awkward and invasive-”

    “You don’t think?” Mason found his voice for a moment.

    “But Karyu has a knack for finding those who are perfect for helping our cause. Mason, is life uncertain to you? Maybe you’ll make a good Emperor Hunter.”

[theycallmebecca]

February Ice Storm

It just occurred to me that I hadn’t really told you guys about the experience I had back in February with the ice storm that nailed us and knocked out power for us for 3 days but people in my city for up to 10 days.

Originally, I had planned to turn it into a drabble and I actually started it, but it wasn’t exactly something I wanted to revisit. Mentally, I wasn’t in a good place thanks to anxiety and an emotional rollercoaster of what’s going to happen.

I know I shared bits and pieces of what had gone down, but this a more in-depth account of my experience from the ice storm that hit Oregon Valentine’s weekend of this year.

Let me preface this by saying that we knew that we were going to get an ice storm... but it was the worst ice storm we’ve had in a long time. And it did an astonishing amount of damage that we are still trying to recover from a month and a half later. Driving around, it looked like a tornado had ripped through and knocked down trees randomly. With as many trees that fell, it’s shocking how many didn’t.

The storm hit Friday night, February 12th, and it was just cold. Then about 3 am, the power went out. I know this because that’s when I suddenly found myself in the complete dark (no alarm clock, etc.) I didn’t think much of it and went back to sleep.

I was rudely awaken a few hours later by the sound of trees cracking and crashing to the ground. Let me tell you, that is a terrifying experience.

Knowing I still didn’t have power, I put on multiple layers and tried to make myself comfortable. However, by this time, it had started to warm up so there was lots of trees cracking all around me. Which was great for my anxiety.

Neither was the fact that the power outage had taken out the cell phone networks in my area. More on that in a moment.

Then I heard some neighbors outside, so I went out to talk to them and saw that a large limb from the pine tree by my building, was practically laying on my car. Some guys walking past, assured me that it was just on my car and not in my car.

It was cold, so I went back inside and tried to distract myself. But my main source of distraction, aka my phone, wasn’t really an option to me. And I could not access any of the music I would normally use to help myself relax when my anxiety is acting up.

I finally found a place in my apartment where I got good reception... by the sliding glass door that over looks the backyard where one tree had already uprooted itself and where more trees could easily come crashing down.

Anxiety is being amazing at this point. I’m sure you can tell.

Especially when on top of the trees cracking... I got the beautiful thunking of ice dropping out of trees as it warmed up. And we’re talking like chunks of ice as big as baseballs!

It was about that time that I heard a crack that was too close for comfort and knew, without a shadow of a doubt that the limb had broken and it was on my car. Two steps out my front door confirmed my fear, but when I tried to go see how bad it was, I heard the cracking of limbs and had to run back to the safety of my apartment as more limbs and ice baseballs dropped.

I was able to text my parents and asked if someone could try and come get me. They live parallel to me across two major roads, so it wouldn’t be a long trip if they could make it a little later once it had warmed up some more.

While I waited, I packed some stuff and tried to read, but it honestly was just too much.

And as annoying and little brother like as my brother-in-law can be, I have never been so happy to see him as I was that day when he and my mom showed up to get me.

By that time, I was flinching at every little noise that seemed to echo through my small apartment. And it was just becoming way too much. Even as I write this, the memory of that morning has me crying because I was too scared to cry on that day.

While he was waiting for me, my brother in law looked at my car and saw that the branches were resting on it, but the car looked ok.

The short drive to my parents house was shocking with the number of trees and power lines that were down. Also shocking was how many trees that didn’t land on houses. We did see a couple of cars smashed by trees though. And street lights were out every where.

I was very happy when we got to my parents house which is bigger than the building with 8 apartments that I live in. Their backyard is full of pine trees and they had lost a lot of limbs and stuff, but with everyone else there, you couldn’t hear the noises that had ramped up my anxiety.

Once I was there, the rest of the day passed relatively easy. I was with my family and that helped calm my anxiety because I knew I was in a safe place. We ordered pizza from a place that still had power. My brother in law built fires my parents fire places and my mom and I played dominos by flashlight. I also got some reading done.

Then I slept in my parents guest room... and the bed isn’t comfortable and the house was probably in the 45F range.

Sunday morning aka Valentine’s Day was warmer than the day before and my mom and I drove to my apartment to see what we could do about the limb on my car... only to find that someone had already pulled it off and chopped it up. We confirmed that my car was ok and the only damage to it was that my $5 license plate frame had been broken and the corner of my license plate was bent.

After that, we drove out to a grocery store that had power for some food, more logs for the fireplace and coffee... that my mom had to stand in line for 20+ mins to get.

When we got back to their house, we found a flurry of activity happening as my parents next door neighbor had rented a giant generator the day before to keep his house going and offered to let us plug some extension cords in so we could charge stuff, use small appliances and use a small heater.

So our Sunday afternoon was spent with our phones plugged in and a small space heater barely keeping us warm. But it was an improvement from the day before.

Then my uncle showed up. He’s been going back and forth between living with his ex girlfriend and living with my parents. With him at my parents house and knowing that my own apartment was still above 50F and therefore warmer than my parents house, I opted to sleep in my own bed that night.

So after getting pizza for dinner again (🤢) my mom dropped me off at my apartment for a cool night.

I started in my living room knowing that my back wouldn’t like 10+ hours in my bed and I actually got some light from a lamp by plugging it into my computer’s battery backup, which really did raise my spirits a bit.

But eventually I ended up in my room with the door closed, knowing I’d be able to lock in more heat that way. And it did work... but it was still a long night.

Because of no power and the fact that I’ve been working from home since March 2020, I told my boss I was taking the day off. At that time, the power company still still quoting power back on Monday. For me, they were even saying early Monday.

But my apartment was still cold and dark when I woke up. Which meant I cleaned out my fridge and freezer and then took my laundry out to the laundromat by my mom’s office that had power and heat.

So I took care of my laundry and then was going to head back to my parents, until I decided to see if Office Depot had any sales going on with laptops. And I ended up driving across town to buy one in case I needed to find some place to work other than my apartment for a couple days.

After that, I went to my parents house and watched a movie with my niece while power crews worked outside. I was still hoping they’d be able to get the power and internet back up so I wouldn’t have to drive to work Tuesday, but it wasn’t looking good.

By 5:30, I knew even if the power did some how come back on, I was still going to be without internet, so I left my parents and went to the grocery store for things to make a lunch that didn’t require a fridge since I still didn’t have that. And they were operating on their backup generators and actually stopped letting people into the store as I was checking out.

That evening, I played on my new laptop a bit and chatted with friends since my cell network was almost back up to speed, but I was in bed when the power came back on around 10 pm. And you sure as hell know I got out of bed and turned on every light switch just because I could!

I slept much better than night and did end up going into the office the next day for a partial day, but when I got home I had internet again.

For me and my family, we were without power for some 56 hours or so. But we had family friends and coworkers who went a good 10 days without power.

We don’t get storms like this and we were not prepared for it to be as bad as it was.

But the biggest take away for me is now necessarily how dependent I am on technology to entertain me... but for how to help me get through a rough situation.

Other than seeing a few members of my family once a week, I’ve been relatively on my own for the last year. And it’s been my “pocket friends” that have been my saving grace, my connection with the outside world. They’re the people that I turn to when I’m having a problem. And I was almost completely cut off from them for two whole days.

Add to that the rain storms and other anxiety reducing sounds that I’ve come to depend on. With the networks down, I couldn’t access any of those coping tools either.

My anxiety was the worst that Saturday morning than it has been in a long time. But by Monday evening, I was so tired emotionally and physically that I was just a mess. The roller coaster of the unknown was the worst part. You could make plans... but without power, there were things you just couldn’t do.

All in all, it was a once in a life time experience. As in, I don’t want to experience it again. Ever.

I think it will be a long time before a power outage doesn’t trigger anxiety within me. Because this last one was rough.

And now that I’ve relived this all in hopes that it might help me recover a little from what happened, it’s time for me to try and get some sleep. Probably shouldn’t have written this at night.. but oh well.

[thelastspeecher]

Best Revenge AU - Skins and Stones

Wow, a title that’s actually kinda clever for once.  What a rare occurrence!  Anyways, here, have Junior getting his power in the Best Revenge AU and thus resulting in his world effectively getting turned upside down.

——————————————————————————————

              “We’re gonna need to dig out Junior’s child leash for Emory,” Stan said to Angie.  He, Angie, and the kids were at the park, enjoying some fresh air and letting the oldest three run off their extra energy.  Angie looked over at Emory, who, along with his twin Emmett, was a few months old.  She raised an eyebrow.

              “And you can tell that how?” she asked.

              “He’s got that same devious look in his eyes.” Stan held up his son.  “See?”  Angie laughed.  Junior ran over.  Stan set Emory back down.  “Hey, kiddo. Done on the playground?”

              “Yeah.  Can you play some soccer with me, Dad?” Junior asked eagerly.  Despite being eight years old, his power hadn’t manifested yet. Thankfully, he didn’t seem bitter about it, even after Danny and Daisy’s powers came in when they were toddlers.

              “You got it!  Think you can handle the boys on your own, Ang?” Stan asked, already getting up. Angie rolled her eyes.

              “Ya say that like I haven’t watched twins before,” she scoffed.  Stan kissed the top of her head.  “Go play a match with yer son.”  Angie pulled the family’s soccer ball out of the stroller and handed it to Stan.  “Junior, don’t go easy on him, okay?”  Junior grinned.

              “Wasn’t plannin’ on it, Ma.”

              “Let’s see how many goals you can score on your dad, eh?” Stan said, following Junior to the flat patch of grass they used to play soccer on.  “Go long.”

              “Wrong sport,” Junior said, but complied, walking away from Stan.  Stan set the soccer ball on the ground.  “Any day, old man!”  Angie laughed.

              “He sounds just like ya, darlin’!” she said to Stan.

              “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Stan said.  “Ready, Junior?”

              “Yep!  Hit me!”

              “All right.”  Stan kicked the soccer ball.  The second his foot came into contact with the ball, Daisy shouted from the playground.

              “Junior!”

              “Yeah?” Junior said, turning to see what his sister wanted.

              “Wait-” Stan started.  Before he could do anything, the soccer ball collided soundly with Junior’s face.  “Junior!” Junior fell to his knees.  “Shit!”  Stan rushed over.

              “What happened?” Angie called.

              “He got hit in the head!” Stan shouted back.

              “Oh, shoot!”

              “Junior, you all right?” Stan asked, crouching next to his son.  He put his hand on Junior’s shoulder.  “You gotta look at me, kid, so I can see the damage, okay?”  Junior looked up.  Stan gasped.

              “What?” Angie asked, joining the two.  “Is his nose-”  She gasped as well.  “O-oh.”

              “What?!” Junior squeaked.  “What’s wrong?”

              “I- uh-”  Stan stared at Junior’s stone-gray skin.  “…I don’t know.”

              “Is my nose broken?  It doesn’t hurt-”  Junior touched his face.  His eyes widened.  “What’s wrong with my skin?!”

              “Nothin’, dear, nothin’,” Angie said quickly.  Stan ran a hand through his hair.

              “Angie, I’m not opposed to making the kid feel better, but I don’t think we should lie.”

              “No, it’s not-”  Angie smiled at Junior.  “Yer power came in, honey.”

              “Huh?”

              “I recognize it.  Look at yer hands.”  Junior did as he was told.  He gaped. “You have the ability to turn yer skin to stone.  Very useful to protect ya from things like gettin’ hit in the face with sport equipment.”

              “Whoa,” Junior whispered, still staring at his hands. “How do I…”  A shimmer passed over him, accompanied by his skin returning to normal.  “Whoa!” He looked up, grinning ear to ear. “I’m a super!”

              “You sure are,” Stan said.  He ruffled Junior’s hair.  “Go play with your sisters for a bit while your ma and I talk about this, okay?”

              “Yer gonna have me get some lessons on my power, right?”

              “Of course,” Angie said.  “Now, go play with yer sisters.”

              “Got it.”  Junior jumped up and ran over to the playground to join his sisters.  Stan and Angie stood.

              “Where are-” Stan started, looking around.  His gaze landed on the stroller, sitting nearby. “…Did you put the boys back in the stroller before you rushed over here?”

              “They’re infants, Stan.  I couldn’t leave ‘em unsupervised.”

              “I know, I was just surprised you managed to do that so fast.”

              “I’m quick on my feet,” Angie said, putting her hands on her hips.  She sighed. “So.  Junior’s power…”

              “Yeah, there’s nothing like that in your side of the family, is there?” Stan asked.  Angie shook her head.  “Shit. It’s from Max.”

              “Yessir.  His grandfather and one of his older brothers have it.  They call it ‘stone skin’.”

              “Clever,” Stan muttered.  Angie frowned at him.

              “That ain’t the attitude I want to hear right now, okay?  Junior’s got a power what we can’t help him with!”

              “Is it really that bad?  I mean, his skin just turns into rock sometimes.  It’s not like you and Lute making tornadoes before you were toilet-trained.”

              “Just ‘cause he can’t cause natural disasters on accident don’t mean that he can get away without trainin’,” Angie scolded. “He can’t be turnin’ into stone randomly!”

              “He’ll figure it out.  I mean, I did.”

              “Why would we force him to figure it out on his own when we can find him a teacher?”

              “Because the only person who could teach him is Max,” Stan snapped.  “Remember? The man who abused you?”

              “Bethany has been keepin’ an eye on him fer me. Since leavin’ the hero life, Max has been gettin’ his life together.  Becomin’ a better man.”

              “Angie…”

              “One or both of us can be there during every lesson,” Angie said firmly.  “Max knows full well that we can both take his ass down if he so much as gets a toe out of line.”

              “Maybe there’s someone else who can-”

              “There isn’t.”  Angie met Stan’s eyes.  “You know Junior needs lessons.  And you know Max is the only person we can trust to teach him right.”

              “Fine,” Stan spat.  He kicked the ground.  “We’ll get hold of Max and make him teach his biological son how to use his power.”  He groaned.  “Fuck!”  Angie crossed her arms.

              “I know yer not happy, but-”

              “Angie.  We have to tell Junior the truth.”

              “Pardon?”

              “He’s gonna figure it out!  He’s got a power that isn’t from your family and isn’t from mine and a complete stranger is gonna have to teach him how to use it!”

              “I-”  Angie stared at Stan in horror.  “Oh, no. Yer right.”

              “God, Max is just- he’s gonna slip right in and take over my job as Junior’s dad.”

              “No, he’s not.”

              “Yes, he will.  He’ll tell Junior he’s his real dad-”

              “No,” Angie said firmly.  “He won’t.”  Stan looked at her.  “I’ll contact Max and explain that Junior has a power from his fam’ly that he needs help controllin’, but say that he can’t tell Junior ‘bout their relation.  All we’ll tell Junior is that he was sired by my ex-husband, who I left ‘cause he didn’t treat me right.”  Stan nodded.

              “Sounds good.  I mean, I wish this wasn’t happening.  But it’s the best option.”

              “Yep.”  Angie leaned against Stan.  He put an arm around her shoulders.  “That’s a conversation we can save fer home, though.”  They watched Junior, Danny, and Daisy playing on the playground, their excited shouts carried by the wind.  “We don’t need to ruin their fun trip to the park.”

              “Yeah,” Stan said dryly.  “We’ll just completely ruin his life later.”  Angie elbowed him roughly.  “Ow.”

-----

              Stan closed the door to the nursery.  On his way down the hall, he poked his head into Danny and Daisy’s room to check in on them.  Their nightlight offered a faint glow in their room.  Thankfully, they appeared to be asleep.  He finished walking down the hall and entered the living room.  Angie and Junior were sitting on the couch together.

              “Boys are down,” he said, sitting on the other side of Junior.  “The girls are asleep.”

              “Good,” Angie said.  Junior kicked his pajama-clad legs.

              “Why are you lettin’ me stay up past bedtime?” he asked curiously.

              “We have somethin’ to tell ya,” Angie said. “And we figured that it would be best to tell ya when yer siblin’s were asleep and couldn’t hear.”

              “…Oh.”  Junior looked back and forth between Stan and Angie.  “Am I- am I in trouble?”

              “No, little bean,” Stan said firmly.  “You’re not in trouble.  There’s just…”  He sighed heavily.  “I’m gonna cut straight to the chase.  You got your power today.”

              “Yep!”  Junior grinned, showing off the gaps from his recently lost baby teeth.  “Stone skin, right, Ma?”

              “Yessir,” Angie said, stroking Junior’s straw-blond hair. “Did ya notice anything…odd about yer power?”

              “Well…”  Junior furrowed his brow in thought.  “It’s different from my sisters’.  Actually, it seems different from all the powers on your side of the family, Ma.” Angie nodded.

              “That’s right.  You didn’t get it from me.”

              “Then I got it from your family, Dad?” Junior asked Stan.  It felt like someone was squeezing Stan’s heart.

              “You got it from your dad, yeah.”  Stan put his hand on Junior’s shoulder.  “But not from me.”  Junior frowned.  “Bean, technically, I’m your stepdad.  Your ma got pregnant with you before I started dating her.”

              “You- you’re-”  Junior stared at him.  “You’re not my real dad?”

              “Junior, you have two dads: the one that made ya and the one that raised ya,” Angie said.  Junior looked down at his hands.  “Sweetie?”

              “I-”  Junior looked at Angie.  “Who- who was the dad that made me, then?”

              “My ex-husband.”  Angie ran her fingers through Junior’s hair.  “I was married ‘fore I met Stan.  But it went sour and I had to leave fer my own safety.  I didn’t know it, but I was pregnant when I left. With you, little bean.”

              “Does he know?” Junior asked quietly.

              “Your biological father knows about you,” Stan confirmed.  “He saw you when you were a bit younger and connected the dots.  You look like him, after all.”

              “Yeah,” Junior mumbled.  “I guess- I guess I know why I don’t look like you, Dad.”  He frowned.  “Why didn’t you tell him about me right away?”

              “It wouldn’t have been safe,” Angie said softly. She took a deep breath.  “He actually- he actually hurt me when I tried to leave him.”  Junior’s eyes widened.  He stared at Angie in horror.  “Don’t tell no one, honey.  Yer dad – Stan – is the only other person who knows.”

              “Why didn’t you tell the police?” Junior asked.

              “It’s…complicated.  When yer older, I can maybe tell ya more.  But right now, I’m tellin’ ya all that ya should know.  Okay?”  Junior nodded.  “Yer adult fam’ly members know the truth ‘bout yer parentage.  But none of yer cousins or siblin’s do.”

              “I sure hope Emory and Emmett don’t know,” Junior mumbled.  Stan chuckled.  “So…you’re tellin’ me this ‘cause I woulda figured out that I didn’t get my power from either of you?”

              “Basically, yeah,” Stan said.

              “Would you have told me the truth if I got one from Ma’s side of the family?”

              “Not at this age,” Angie replied.  “But when ya got older, yes.”  Junior nodded slowly.

              “Am I…am I gonna have to meet my other dad?” he asked.

              “Only if ya want to.”

              “I don’t,” Junior blurted out.  Stan felt a weight he hadn’t realized he was carrying leave his shoulders.  “If you had to leave him and lie to him to be safe, Ma, and he hurt ya on your way out, I don’t want anything to do with him.”

              “That’s perfectly fine,” Angie said.  Junior nodded vigorously, tears standing in his amber eyes.  “If ya ever change yer mind-”

              “I won’t.”

              “-I’ll set up a way fer ya to meet,” Angie continued, ignoring the interruption.  “But right now, we want to keep ya happy and healthy.  Right, Stan?”

              “Duh,” Stan scoffed.  He put an arm around Junior’s shoulders and squeezed. “Junior, you know you’re my kid, right? Doesn’t matter where you came from or who made you.  You’re Stanley Stanford Pines Junior.  My son.” Junior sniffed loudly.  He leaned against Stan.

              “I- I know, Dad,” he said in a quavering voice. Stan kissed the top of Junior’s head. “Can I- can I go to bed now?”

              “Sure thing.  If you have any other questions or wanna talk about this more, you let me or your ma know, got it?” Stan said.  Junior nodded.  “Good. Want me to tuck you in?”

              “Y-yes, please,” Junior squeaked.  Stan scooped Junior into his arms and carried him to his room, right next to Danny and Daisy’s.  Angie followed.  She watched from the doorway as Stan carefully tucked Junior in.

              “Good night, little bean,” Stan whispered.  He kissed Junior’s forehead.

              “Night, Dad,” Junior replied.  Stan walked back to Angie.  He turned off the light.  Angie closed the door, then promptly leaned against it.

              “Oof,” she muttered.

              “Hey, I think that went pretty well.”

              “Oh, it definitely did.”  Angie groaned.  “But I think it gave me a few gray hairs.”

              “Nah.  I’m gonna go gray way before you, Ang, and I’m not gray yet,” Stan said dismissively. Angie chuckled.  “I could use a drink, though.  Do you want one?  Wait, you’re breastfeeding.”

              “Yes.  I am. But the boys can get by on the stuff I pumped and froze until the alcohol leaves my system,” Angie said firmly. “I’m gettin’ alcohol tonight.” She cocked her head, smiling at Stan. “Aw, like how we met.”  Stan laughed.  “Want to serve me up some whiskey?”

              “Only if you grab the bourbon.”

              “Deal.”

[emmy-writes-sometimes]

Summer Storms

You and Sebastian are moving in together, finally, but are forced to face a childhood trauma that you were hiding from him.

-

           It was a childish fear and you knew it. Of all things to be scared of at the age of 23, storms shouldn’t have been one of them. But it was. You were absolutely terrified of them. And it really didn’t interfere much with your daily life except in the warm, Georgia summers that were a potential breeding ground for tornadoes and the lightning storms that shook the ground. You weren’t even really there during storm season; you were always back in L.A. or New York. This summer, though, there was no escaping. You were shooting in Atlanta from June until August, and you were with your boyfriend, Sebastian, in the new house you were fixing up that for some reason didn’t have a basement for storms.

           “I think it’s supposed to storm later, we should move the cars into the garage,” he said as he walked in carrying two gallons of paint, one in each hand. He was re-painting the kitchen cabinets and had just gone to Home Depot at 8 AM on a Saturday. You shrugged it off, hoping the storm wouldn’t be too bad.

           “Yeah, sure, just give me the keys and I’ll do it,” you volunteered. Your plan was to be alone for most of the day, to shut yourself in the office or organize the bedroom or something to keep your mind off of the fact that there was a tornado warning later. You hadn’t told Sebastian about your fear, even in a game of truth or dare when you’d been dared to disclose your biggest fear. You’d lied and said it was cicadas, which wasn’t too far off base. Basically, you were scared of summer in any southern state.

           Sebastian handed you the keys to the cars and you went out to move each one into the garage, ignoring the wind that was starting to pick up. The old house’s wind chimes were loud and proud on the back porch, and you just tried to ignore them. You’d begged Sebastian to get rid of them, but he said they added character, so you kept them. He wasn’t wrong. You just hated hearing how bad the wind was. It started pouring just as you pulled his car into the garage, and you had to run back inside.

           “Well, now that you can’t go work in the garden, you mind helping me paint?” He asked you as you walked back in. He saw a weird look in your eye, but he knew that moving into an old house like this one was overwhelming. He didn’t think anything of it.

           “Yeah, sure.” You wanted to be alone, but maybe being with him during a storm would be good. You could concentrate on him and the painting instead of the howling wind.

           “You can grab a t-shirt from the dresser if you want, I brought some old stuff to paint in.” You nodded and walked across the squeaky hardwood floors into the bedroom that the two of you shared. You held your hand to your mouth when a particularly bad rumble of thunder rolled over the house so you wouldn’t squeal, and after waiting ten seconds for the lightning to hit somewhere else you were walking back into the other room.

           Sebastian put on his playlist of 80’s music almost as loud as it could go, watching you as you sat down on the big tarp and started getting out the paint rollers. For a while, you were able to forget about the storm. He would tell you a dumb story or a stupid joke and you would laugh, or you would sing to Mighty Wings or something. But the storm kept getting worse, and you kept getting more and more uptight.

           “You okay?” He asked. You had looked over at your phone to see that the storm was really getting bad, even though you’d avoided looking out of the windows on either side of you. “Alexa, turn down the music!”

           “I’m fine,” you lied. Another clap of thunder hit, and lightning right after. It was close. Too close for comfort.

           “What, you don’t like storms or something?”

           “It’s dumb,” you shrugged. “But I’m looking at the radar and it’s saying there’s a tornado watch, so maybe…” You were interrupted by what sounded like it was in the backyard, even though you knew it wasn’t. “Jesus Christ.”

           “You’re literally shaking. Are you sure you’re okay?”

           “I’m fine.” You dipped the roller back in paint and continued painting, looking for any spot you’d missed to take your mind off of what felt like your impending doom. He kept you talking, just about stupid things, because he saw that you were actually freaked out. Another few minutes later both of your phones chimed with weather alerts. Sebastian’s eyes widened.

           “Okay, it is getting pretty bad.” He wiped his phone on his t-shirt. “I’m gonna go shower off and then maybe…”

           “You’re not supposed to shower in a storm,” you pointed out. He looked at you a little funny. They must not get bad ones up in New York because he’d obviously never heard that before.

           “That’s just an old wives’ tail, babe. It’s fine. You can come with me if you want.”

           “Sebastian, I’m not having-” You were cut off by another loud clap of thunder. “Jesus Christ.” Just as you spoke, the lights flickered. You put the roller in the paint tray, sighing, and got up. You walked into the bedroom and got a blanket, went to his tool box and got out a flashlight, and sighed.

           “What are you doing?”

           “Going to the safe place. If I’m right, they’re going to tell us to in a few seconds.” Sure enough, his phone lit up again. “Don’t open the fridge. If the power goes out we have a full day before stuff starts to go bad as long as we don’t open the fridge.” Sebastian smiled a little.

           “How do you know so much about storms?”

           “Where am I from?”

           “Kansas?” He asked. You nodded. You went to the weird walk-in linen closet in the hallway, opening the blanket up, and sat down. “Maybe we won’t get blown into Oz,” he said as he sat down beside you. He was obviously joking, but it didn’t sit right with you.

           “How about we not joke about getting blown away when we’re in a house with no basement?” Your voice was literally the only sound in the house for a minute. You jumped when Sebasatian’s arm went around your back and pulled you close to him. It took him a minute, but he finally realized, and when he did his eyes widened up.

           “Are you scared of storms?”

           “Yeah,” you admitted. “It’s stupid and childish and… But I’m afraid of them, okay? It’s part of the unresolved childhood trauma that we haven’t talked about yet.” You were half joking, half not. He’d told you a lot about his childhood, but he didn’t know much about you. Just that you escaped and went to the city after high school and kept auditioning until you got the job with Marvel four years ago, where you’d met. You’d only been together for a year and a half, so the conversation hadn’t really come up yet.

           “What do you mean? Babe, you could’ve told me earlier, and…”

           “I never told you how my uncle died, did I?” You looked over at him and he shook his head.

           “No, you didn’t. You just said…” You sighed and cuddled a little closer as the storm kept rolling through. The cell was right over the neighborhood, but the weather app had said it wasn’t going to turn into a tornado. Thankfully. Now that he knew you were scared he held you a little tighter, even though he was uncomfortable with his back against the linen shelf.

           “They said it wasn’t going to turn into a tornado and it did. He didn’t get to the shelter fast enough because he was trying to get the cat. A piece of the roof collapsed on him and he died. Nobody found him for two days because everyone else’s house was wrecked. That’s why my family ended up moving, because the house was just destroyed.” Your eyes were filling with tears. “That’s why I’m scared, okay? I’m just scared of how fast it is. It’s like a train whistle just coming at you and it’s so loud and you don’t even know how long it’s going on because it feels like forever. And then you just have to hope it doesn’t pick your house over the neighbor’s.”

           “Why didn’t you tell me you were so freaked out?” The power cut off and Sebastian looked around, but you were used to the power getting cut by storms at that point. The house popped and settled as the air conditioning turned off. “I would’ve…”

           “I thought it was dumb and childish to still be afraid of something that happens all the time. And it never came up because we’ve never lived here before together in the summer.” He ran a hand through your hair.

           “It’s not stupid. It’s real and you’re allowed to be scared of something like that. Especially if it literally killed your family. Don’t ever think that’s stupid, babe, ‘cause it’s not.” You nodded, still not wanting to look up at him. “Any idea how long the power will be out for?”

           “Mine’s been out for ten minutes. It’s been out for three days. We just have to report it with the power company online.” He nodded.

           “Well, it sounds like it’s blowing over now. I’m gonna go get some candles and another flashlight, okay? Just stay here.” He released you and started making trips around the house, pausing whenever thunder came. He came back with two pillows on one trip, then a board game on another, and then another blanket for you to sit on. You set them up in the hallway against the wall, knowing it was okay to come out of your shelter at that point, and waited for him to come back. He came back with a bag of your favorite chips and a bottle of water that hadn’t been in the fridge. You had reported the outage and the power company said it could be out all night, but it could come back in an hour.

           “Is this distracting enough for you?” He said as he sat down with a lighter. He lit candles surrounding the two of you and sat across from you, taking off his shirt because the house was probably eighty-something without the air on. And he opened up the board game he’d gotten out to keep you entertained.

           “A little.” You let him deal out the cards and started playing the game with him, listening as the storm finally passed on through. When it was far enough away, you sat back a little, releasing all of the tension in your body, and you could tell that he was smiling at it. He was just trying to get you to stay distracted until everything was over. When it finally was, he stood up.

           “It’s light enough out now, I’m gonna get back to painting. You wanna join?” You nodded and he helped you up, and the two of you moved all of the candles onto the kitchen floor. The power eventually came back on, but another storm rolled through that night. That time it was just a storm, though, and Sebastian was holding you so tightly that even if it turned bad you were sure you wouldn’t blow away.

A/N: Unresolved childhood trauma for the win, am I right kids? I’m sorry it’s so short but I hope you like it!

[tare-chan]

Iduna, Elsa, Anna, and the 4 spirits

After several days of contemplating the story line of Frozen 2, I think I finally get the whole story. Well… this is still categorize as theory though, but as always, I will share my thoughts here.

I think Iduna and Gale’s roles are very important as the base story for Frozen 2

And I’m amazed how the animators managed to portrayed the spirits as ‘human’ as possible, with their distinctive recognizable traits. 

Spoiler… spoiler….

Iduna, as a Northruldan, seems have a very close relationship with Gale, the wind spirits. (Gale seems like the kinder, easy going and friendlier spirits, who also very agile, and loves to play). We can see how they played around in the past sequences. Gale even help Iduna saves a boy, who actually was the “enemy”, and pushed them to safety, out of the forest border (I think the ‘ah-ah-ah’ calling voice is how Iduna ‘talks’ to Gale). I believe, even tough Gale was also trapped inside the forest, being “a” wind, he (I assume the spirits are all a “he” for my convenient writing purposes, btw) able to check on Iduna from time to time. Thus he can sense that Iduna has 2 daughters, one of whom, possessed the special “keys”, to lift the curse, as a gift for the good Iduna has done in the past. Gale didn’t exactly know which of the two daughters has the power tough.

Now the movie itself didn’t show how Iduna and Agnarr met, but from the trailer, we did see that Gale seems also playing with Agnarr. I presume, from that brief interaction, Iduna could tell that Agnarr was different from his Father (more on the curious side, rather than on the fear side, when interact with magic), and Gale agreed with her. Now, for the sake of drama, what if Iduna was the daughter of the Northuldran leader that was killed by Agnarr’s father? This will emphasize Iduna’s good deed even more, IMO. I wished the movie would showed us a little more of Iduna and Agnarr encounter. Anyway, from those tiny tidbits we get from the movie, I could assume that Agnarr didn’t remember who his saviour was. And Iduna choose to keep silent and prefer to build their relationship the ‘slow burn’ way. And of course (for the sake of the story) at the end, Agnarr choose Iduna to be his queen. 

That until the first Frozen incident, that make Elsa need to be isolated. As the mother, Iduna have always known that Elsa is special. And obviously it really pained her to see her eldest daughter “suffer” because of her power, instead of embracing it. But even though she’s a Northuldran, it didn’t make her understand what the spirit’s good deed right away. I even think that Iduna actually forgot and never thought of it. Until the night her husband decide to tell a story about an Enchanted Forest, and she was asked to sing an old lullaby, that the “eureka” come to her mind, The brief scene of memories at Athohallan, where Iduna finally want to confess something to Agnarr, which he reply with ‘I’m listening’, make me believe that it was Iduna’s idea for them to travel North, to find Athohallan, in order to understand Elsa’s power and what purpose it held, so that Elsa will not suffer anymore. Because I believe, deep down in her heart, Iduna knows that whatever power Elsa has, is for great and good purpose. And of course, as every mother in this world, she only want the best for the daughter, and if to understand the purpose of Elsa’s power she have to travel North and face danger itself, she will do it. As good husband, of course Agnarr won’t let his wife travel alone, and went with her.

Unfortunately, the Nokk didn’t feels them worthy to step foot at the Athohallan, and drowned them. (I see Nokk as the more powerful, strict, by the book, will perfectly do his job, as the guardian of Athohallan. Thus only they who managed to survive his brutal test are allowed to step foot at Athohallan). But, being the place for spirits, Iduna’s spirit managed to get there in a way. And she finally understand what Elsa’s power is needed. Then her spirit wait, and in one way, start to send ‘voice signal’ to call Elsa to go to Athohallan. 

The message was never delivered though, as Athohallan was a mystical place. That is until, Elsa unleashed her power in large scale (the eternal winter, the “Let it go” sequence). Such enormous power can be sensed by the spirits. And Gale might be the one to take action. After all, I presume he can sense Iduna’s call (the very same, very familiar ‘ah-ah-ah’ call). And starting from the end of Frozen 1, in 3 years time, he keep pushing the call towards Arendelle, hoping it was heard by whomever the message was sent for. Somehow, I feel Gale did this behind other spirit’s back (particularly Nokk, whom I see as the “leader” and the most “strict” of them all). 

Thus he always checks from time to time, whether someone answered Iduna’s call. Somehow he can senses Iduna’s daughter. And because Anna is portrayed to inherited more of Iduna’s trait, I think Gale assume Anna would be the one who answered the call. There’s a scene where a wind carries a maple leave tickles Anna’s shoulder, when she was walking towards Olaf. And then the wind also whirled around Olaf. I think, it’s Gale sensing the two daughters of Iduna. (With Olaf carrying Elsa’s ‘magic’ sense), And that he is expecting someone to react to the call.

And then, one night, finally Elsa answered the call, and activated the rune crystals (Into The Unknown sequence). This summoning of the runes outside of the enchanted forest, enraged the spirits, and they intent to find whomever responsible for conjuring the runes, outside of the forest, without full knowledge of how to respect/use the power of the runes. On the other hand, Gale sense this as the sign he was waiting for. And being the spirit himself, he actually knows what need to be done to repair the past mistakes (destroying of the dam), and what will be the consequences (destruction of Arendelle). Considering his friendship with Iduna, and that those people lived in Arendelle were her beloved subjects, he took action. Unlike other spirits who immediately retract their powers, Gale pushed all living being outside of Arendelle (we clearly see him pushing Sven out of his stall), towards the higher ground. 

Somehow, I think the one Elsa sensed as good (”Whoever calling me was good. My magic can sense it”) was Gale that has been delivering Iduna’s call. Elsa’s magic could sense Gale, because it came from the same source. Much grander, and different kind than Grand Pabbie’s, which make him didn’t managed to decipher the signs, even from Frozen 1, despite his good intention. But Pabbie’s managed to understand how grand the scale is, which leads him to warn Anna.

Then the main cast embark to their journey, and arrive at the forest’s border. The barrier open upon Elsa’s touch, under the spirits’ command. I guess, the spirits’ want to know who dare to conjure the runes, at the same time curious as why the person outside of the forest managed to do so, at the same time they want to test whether the person worthy of such power. Because, they must already know about the ‘bridge’/ the fifth element, that was needed to repair the past.

The first spirit to greet the group is of course, Gale, who’s very excited to finally able to ‘meet’ Iduna’s daughters. He even pushed the group to walk faster, cause he can’t wait any longer to greet them. Upon viewing that there’re actually 5 of them, he’s confused to decide which one of them possess the ‘key’. We can see how curious he is, as he often come and go near the group. Gale is not alone at this time. Bruni is also shown to be very curious at this outsider who step foot in their forest (and of course the Northruldan also sneaking around them). For a moment, these spirits move around Olaf, cause he’s the one ‘radiating’ magical sense for being an animated snowman. (Yes, including Nokk. As stoic as he is, he can’t stop his curiosity to see who are these people. But when he was met face to face with Olaf, he’s so surprised that he neigh and fled XD)

At certain point, Gale became impatient,and decided to swoop them up in a tornado, making this his ‘trial’, to see who actually hold the special ‘key’. I can see that Gale meant no harm when swooping the group up. The branch that nearly hit Anna wasn’t meant to hurt her. And lucky for him, at this time Elsa’s react to protect her sister, and thus confirming that she’s the one Gale’s been searching for. Thus he ‘spat’ the other party, and start the real “trial” to see how strong Elsa is. While at the same time, he’s trying to give as many message as possible to Elsa, which leads to the making of ice statues. Gale redeem Elsa’s worthy immediately of course. She’s Iduna’s daughter after all :) We can see his friendly trait right after the ‘trial’ has finished. He prank Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, did an extra prank for Anna (whom he see really looks like Iduna), and did tiny prank to Elsa (cause he respect her). 

During this time, Bruni was watching from the side. Then the gang encounter the Northruldan, and explain to them.  He watched all the scene before him as quiet as possible. But then, Yelena said ‘We only will accept what the nature choose’. This clearly surprised him. (It’s kinda like “when you’re dozing off in class then suddenly the teacher point of you” kind of surprise) Thus his power blow out of control. Bruni panicking. And it cause the flame to grow even larger. I see Bruni as the ‘youngest’ of the spirit, and thus has less control of the flames, even more so when his emotion are not in control. Kinda like Elsa was in frozen 1. 

Elsa senses this in away, and even though perhaps she thought this is the trial of the flame (which I think Bruni will said so if asked, so that he doesn’t look like he didn’t have full control of the flame), she accept the challenge, and put down the flames and even run after Bruni until he was trapped and has nowhere to go. But then, Bruni see that Elsa meant no harm, and in certain way, understand his current position (often misunderstood). And even further, Elsa’s the only one who could hold him (and her hand felt nice and cold). He befriend Elsa immediately. And so are the Northruldan.

During the camp, at night, we see how the Earth Giant came to the camp. From the conversation, this event is unusual. That’s because the Giant also sense Elsa’s power, and curious to see what cause the disturbances in the soil of Enchanted Forest. Somehow, I see the Giants as the slower type of spirit (slow in movement, and slow in deduction ability, just like the trait of earth). He’s slow in sensing Elsa’s power entering the forest, and slow in reacting to it, and couldn’t care less when at the end he didn’t managed to find the source, that they went off just like that. 

The sisters saw this from different perspective, and decided that to not endangered the Northruldans, they decide to continue their journey right away. Lead by Bruni and Gale. Gale then showed the sister, the wreck of their parent’s ship. And by Elsa’s power, they finally know what happened to their parents, albeit a very horrifying truth that is. This leads Elsa to go and challenged Nokk by herself, and pushed Anna to ‘safety’. 

The Nokk trial is, IMO, the most difficult and brutal trial Elsa have to conquer. Afterall, he’s a perfectionist, and very confident in his prowess, that he even ‘look down’ towards Elsa.

Never before we saw a ‘princess’ being drowned, thrown, splashed by giant waves, and dragged around under the sea, like Elsa before. And I love how badass Elsa was portrayed in this scene. (Apparently this scene already thought from the very beginning by the story creator, and what shaped the whole movie story. Amazing!). And when Elsa managed to tame the Nokk, is the moment that Nokk acknowledge her power, and thus pledge his loyalty to serve Elsa in fulfilling her destiny, and keeps her safe. After the trial, Nokk accompanies Elsa and help her reach the Athohallan, bow, and wait for her. (Horse is a very loyal animal after all). When Elsa’s thawed and thrown to the sea, he immediately took action and took Elsa to safety. This picture really shows Nokk loyalty towards Elsa (he deliberately keep Elsa’s face above water, so she wouldn’t get drown. But unfortunatelly this concept art didn’t make it to the movie). And then Nokk gives all his power to take Elsa to Arendelle as fast as he can, so that Elsa could stop the tidal wave. This Nokk development is my favorite :D 

Meanwhile, Anna’s encounter with the Giants make her the ‘conqueror’ of the earth element. After standing up from her grief (which is my favorite Anna moment in the whole movie, that make me really proud of her), she took action by ‘manipulating’ the Giants to fulfill her goal. Now the Giant’s reaction is interesting to see. At first noticing Anna, his reaction was like “oh, so this is the one disturbing the peace! Get out! Get out!!”. Thus the Giants chase Anna (and Kristoff and Sven) around, throwing boulders. They even target Anna when she was standing at the dam. But noticed that the moment they understand what Anna make them do, and see that they nearly put Anna’s life in danger, they stop. Being one of the spirit, they must’ve known that the dam need to be destroyed, to restore peace and fixed the past. They really stop mid-throwing. And the look at their faces, it’s like “Oh…. ooohh… so that’s what you’re trying to do…. Oops… didn’t meant to hurt you”. (Like I said, they’re slow ^^;). And by the end of the movie, when Anna reunited with Elsa, we saw the giant standing there with his ‘guilty’ face, bowing towards the sisters, as if saying “Sorry……” (Awww…..)   

I love how subtle the connection between Iduna’s past, the sisters bond, Elsa’s power, and the characterization of the nature’s spirits being portrayed in this Frozen 2. Even tough I need more time to contemplate this connections (and certainly the younger kids wouldn’t be able to grasp yet), which make Frozen 2 “harder to chew”, this make me love the movie even more. I think I’ll watch it again in the cinema XD.

anyway, if you managed to come to this end, Thank you for reading my super hella long theory. Sorry for grammar mistakes. I hope you understand what I’m trying to say, and hope to hear more from you and all Frozen fans out there :)

[neocityfics]

2096: Zodiac

Chapter: Intro < ❝  Prologue ❞  > Chapter One

➥ Chapter List

Genre: Cyberpunk inspired, mafia-esque, not-so dystopian, angst

Pairing: Doctor! Taeyong x Reader [Sprinkle of other pairings tbd]

Summary: 2094, the disaster happens. The richest become richer with their reddened backs turned, the people around you growing more and more tired, and a certain Dr. Lee plans to change it all. Lucas unknowingly pulls you into the frenzy, and you become part of this confusing and painful process. You catch yourself floating between the conflict of twelve gangs and a world where circuits begin replacing flesh.

Warnings: Moderate cursing, death, heavy events similar to real world situations

A/N: Throughout the writing, there’ll be links (indicated by ▶ Ambience) for a more immersive experience. These are YouTube links, so it may be difficult to switch between YouTube and Tumblr (especially for those unable to have video pop-outs on mobile), so please keep this in mind. I’m also working on a Spotify playlist. I really hope you enjoy my first published piece!

▶ Ambience

The sea of neon purples, pinks, and blues drowned out whatever background activity filled the hustling life of the city. Light harshly touches the exterior of small shops endlessly lining the streets. Though full of living people, it always seemed a bit lonely. Everyone for themselves as it had been before the disaster happened, before life became even harder and resources scarce. Half the world is gone, but for whatever reason, humans continue to persevere. This strength is a unique feat, but it comes with consequences. With the remaining 3 billion people left on Earth, only the Eurasian continent remains the only habitable land thus forcing people to squeeze in tightly. It’s like this everywhere-- tiny housing, famines, and the overgrowing hunger to hold power and wealth much as we did before. The rich stay rich, the poor stay poor.

Life’s tough in Neostone. With hundreds of thousands of people and little food, restaurants struggle to keep open with enough to sell. Fresh water sources and land were replaced with tall housing structures and corporate buildings. Most have to work two or more jobs. Education is non-existent and relies on parents teaching kids different skills through child labor. Further industrialization in the little space the planet has left led to bouts of acid rain from overworked factories. The world’s leaders morph into the same guise: ties stained with blood, suits the product of cheap labor showed off status, and their white-gloved hands tightly gripped heavy silver suitcases. Corruption still plagues the broken systems that hang over society, sustained from before the disaster happened. It seems like we’ll never learn.

Sure, it’s difficult to get by day to day without much, yet the communities outside the wealthy rich businesses were tight-knit. Everyone knows each other’s names. People often trade food scraps for little luxuries to feel any ounce of happiness. Friends hang out near street food vendors where most people are, begging for any kind of calorie. While life in Neostone is tough, the citizens depend on each other for care, not anyone from above. 

I don’t think of it much-- how different life would be if the disaster didn’t happen, if the world had never been touched by so much chaos. I knew it’d be the same, that I’d end up still struggling to get from morning to morning. Even with the big drop in population, we live as sardines squished together under a layer of plastic that suffocates us. Nothing has changed. I lost everything.

Though the neons felt like home and they were all I’ve known for the past couple of years, I do remember who I was before this all went downhill. Fresh in college with a mind set on (major(s)/minor(s)), and although uncertain of the future, I was ready to break free from family and understand what it means to live a good life. Debt would hit me hard on my head but I was certain to find ways to pay it off without burdening others. Between jobs and school, I felt like there was a purpose for my movement, for my existence, to be a small gear of a clockwork world. For three years, I managed to get stuff done and become my own separate identity. I never felt more myself for the longest time. One more year to go, I said to myself as my third year comes to a close. But fourth year never came. It happened. The start of summer into my last year in college was the best time I’ve had in my life. During an internship in Japan, I’d gotten a handle of how it was in the real world as part of the workforce. A month into the most enjoyable moments of my life came the disaster.

▶ Ambience, Ambience

I watched the television screens throughout the subway, making my way to my 9am train when the static and distortions of color accompanied the shaking ground beneath me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as the news shifted to an emergency alert. All of a sudden, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, building collapses, and tsunamis were destroying the western hemisphere. The disaster was inexplicable, the most spontaneous event in the history of Earth. I hid in the nearest shelter in Tokyo as realization hit how horrifying everything was. Buildings toppling left and right, people being crushed beneath the debris, splatters of fresh red on the broken bits of glass and metal heaps. That was a day of absolute terror. Within twenty-four hours, half the world was gone. My heart sank as the disasters settled throughout the world, and the news focused on the western hemisphere where I had lived most of my life. That part of the world was gone. My family and college friends were gone. 

And I was left alone in Japan.

But the world didn’t change. The same evil corporate heads enforced the same evil policies and practices. The same tired faces dragged their tired bodies until no end just to, at the bare minimum, survive. No matter what form the world took, this was our fate until we went extinct. The only thing that changed perhaps was how many of us were kept in that system, and that the system favoring the wealthy became stronger. So the cycle continues.

▶ Ambience

With the scraps of money I had left on my name and picking up little jobs, I was able to get into a micro apartment. The government was eager to take advantage of the situation and make just enough housing to keep people happy and off the streets, but also enough to ensure some people couldn’t get out of the vicious system so labor was cheap. My space is dingy at best and quite small, but it’s all the comfort I have. Not a day passes where I’m not grateful for a private place to sleep, do business, and let myself feel at ease. Others aren’t so lucky, sleeping behind their food and merchandise stalls or in the nooks and crannies of back alleys. Weeks passed into months where my body ached from overwork, the same for the people I’ve been surrounded with and worked alongside. It’s only been two years since everyone had to rebuild what’s been lost, but it looked only slightly different in Neostone where Tokyo had once been. Only the mega cities were somewhat unscathed by the disaster, and businesses collectively chipped in to remodel them. Rural and suburban areas were either flooded or full of toxic waste.

People from all races and backgrounds who survived into the aftermath of the disaster poured into the cities. I was kindly taken into the dangerous but welcoming community of downtown Neostone, where cooking and selling food in addition to helping at clinic became my new life. At the clinic, I met someone I familiarized myself with to be comfortable and close enough. Having someone around lifted up my motivation. Going by Lucas, a name he adopted to fit in with the rest of downtown Neostone, he worked assiduously the same shifts as me at Pearl Park Clinic. Besides weekends, Lucas and I leave for work together as he lives just a few rooms down in the complex. While working at the clinic down on East Row, he comes to visit for a bite at the street food stall that keeps me busy half the week. Throughout getting to know him within two years, he revealed he also lost family he was close with-- a younger brother and sister who by the sound of his stories were needy brats that he loved so much. It hurts to know they’re gone like my friends are. I was glad I could relate to him and also be someone to lean on. On a roller-coaster of life’s tests, Lucas and I know we have each other’s back.

▶ Ambience

Today was like most days, another Friday morning. The green flash of LED at 7:00am with a loud beeping, a quick splash of cold water against my face, clean clothes, and a quick bite of fruit. The same mindless routine guides me out of the door of the room and down the hall. From my room, 716, to Lucas’s room, 718, was only a few meters away thanks to the tiny size of rooms. I knock once, twice, then thrice, but no reply. Strange. I’m used to Lucas whipping the door wide open at the slightest sound of my footsteps to poke his head out and greet me loudly. Should I knock again? Call him? My hand gravitated towards the doorknob, uncertain if we’re on the kind of terms where I can barge in whenever. “Lucas,” I decide to start softly, “I’m here now, we can leave for the clinic.” No reply. Maybe I’ll text him. Unlocking my phone, a smile cracked on my face as a photo of Lucas and I hanging out with some other friends posed in front of our favorite ice cream shop flashed across the screen. No red numbered badge on the messaging app. Today feels a little bit unusual. Typically, he texts when he needs help or won’t be at work. Inhaling in, I choose to try the knob in which a turn and a push of the door unveils the dark, musky room. A room with no Lucas. Noticing the tension in my face and shoulders, I relax them and try not to think of anything bad that could happen to him. Maybe he needed to stop somewhere before going to work. Maybe he’s just out to get groceries and whatnot. Maybe he’s just busy doing something else. I trust he’ll get back to me soon, but the weird pit in my stomach bugged my thoughts.

Down the long winding halls, unlocking my phone seemed all I could do, the worry taking over. My pace quickened. It’s 8:00am, the clinic starts up at 9:00am. It’s a long walk through a rather sketchy part of downtown, but it's one I’ve mastered throughout the couple of years and certainly made friends in. Reaching the staircase, my breath was noticeably shallower. This was always the worst part. It took much time and energy just to get to the first floor. Upon stepping into the lobby, I swiftly pick up an umbrella from the community box set near the entrance and begin my path out. The clerk at the counter peaks over his rather raunchy motorcycle magazine, riddled with messy yellow text, and he subtly waves at me. I send the gesture back, taking my leave from the complex. Rain besets Neostone often, the overcast weather permitting low fog and grey clouds to lurk the bubble that is downtown. Chatter and noise blend together from all sides with the rushing waters eagerly greeting storm drains and early risers setting up their stores. In comparison to the staircase, the lengthy walk to the clinic is always a breeze, and it helps calm the nerves as I ready myself for a busier pace of day. Every five minutes, I unlocked my phone again to see if Lucas had contacted me. Still no sign of him.

▶ Ambience

After what seems like the longest walk of my life, some staff of the community medical clinic greet me and provide a list of my duties right away. 9:00am right on the dot. I take in what needs to get done, reading off the slightly crumpled paper between my fingers. Towel laundry… Disinfect beds in the North Wing… Prepare a warm epsom salt bath for patients in the East Wing… Always busy on Fridays when the work week is over and people live out their less-than-safe life decisions. Less work, more injuries, and more patients. A voice sharply interrupts, “Hey! Where’s Lucas? You two always arrive here together.” My heart sank. So he isn’t at work. Where could that man possibly be?

Tension grows but a sigh leaves my chest as I formulate some sort of response to the nurse, “He might be sick, I’m not sure where he went. Usually he tells me, but I’m sure he has his reasons.” The lady nodded and clicked her tongue as if irritated. A pause before I ask her, “Why, are we short-staffed today?” She gives a vexed nod again, taking her leave as another staff member urges her towards a patient. Stupid question. We always are understaffed. Located on the intersection of Bear Walk and Oak Lane as suspension railways weave between buildings, Pearl Park Medical Clinic threw itself into one of downtown’s busiest and most dangerous areas. Crimes being committed everyday that send people into the clinic, drunkards finding their way through the doors to spew anger uncalled for against the staff, and the homeless just asking for a pillow or blanket while they sleep outside as they’re reminded of the cold, hard pavement soaked with rain. Of course, we must treat everyone’s needs… and wants in some cases. Only a couple dozen of us work the two-floored piece of the tall establishment which also houses struggling law firms, compact grocery stores, beauty salons, and wireless carriers. This place is a mini mall, but not for the faint-of-heart mall goers. Murder, sabotage, and sickness run rampant. However, it’s the place Lucas and I call home. From Tuesday to Friday, from 9:00am to 8:00pm, my hands pruned from washing equipment and fabric constantly, legs moved to and from wing to wing to prepare stations, mind boggled by the surprising sights of Neostone’s everyday life. The dirty white walls, gowns, and noise make me feel rejuvenation each time I clock in for shifts. Home. A place of belonging. Everyone accepted me in, even as a seemingly insignificant part of the operation. For Lucas, he tells me so often as if I forget easily, it’s a dream come half true.

Lucas aspired to be a doctor. It was his lifelong desire to help others, fascinated by how many times the human body tested the limits and broke them, and how he could save someone’s life. That was his purpose. Unfortunately, he fell into the same boat as I did, not being able to finish college because of the disaster. As per hiring policy, Pearl Park requires employees to be degree holders in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or any other related field. Lucas was studying biochemistry with a neuroscience minor. Beyond impressive were his grades by what Lucas boasts to me, though I can’t confirm since the disaster destroyed his documents. In his third year, he already started planning his senior capstone project with research on the nervous system of several types of animals. We bonded over doing labs, the silliest or most dreadful courses we sat through, and how the university dining food sucked and ripped us all off. But it was a waste. In this new society, formal higher education is not important. Some schooling still persists, but they’re limited to small, dusty, singular classrooms led by underpaid teachers. Families tend to force children into work as it’s deemed more beneficial in learning practical home economics rather than mathematical theories, ethics, physical sciences, and so much more. The mindset of the remaining world focused on survival versus getting jobs of higher pay and better conditions. No one could blame us when authority breaks and the top 1% fully turn their back on you. Despite being turned down for medical practice, Lucas still wholeheartedly accepted the situation and embraced helping out in the clinic. Here and there with a bit of discreteness, Lucas does patch up some patients with bandage, disinfect cuts, and give advice for those with physical pain. Might I add, he’s quite popular with the patients as well, handsome and charming as he is. I’ll admit to it, I’m jealous of how he lifts everyone up in the toughest hours. Shortly after he joined, my arrival a week later brought him joy knowing I was stuck in the same sticky situation he was in. His passion could be seen a mile away. On the other hand, I just needed this job to keep myself afloat like everyone else.

I snap back to reality when one of the doctors, Dr. Lee who made a beeline towards one of the stations, bumped my side. Asshole, I think to myself. He’s head of the Pearl Park operation, so I don’t feel the desire to cause trouble by reprimanding him. This job allows me to hang onto my existence and sanity with my apartment, I couldn’t afford to lose it. His voice booms suddenly, startling nearby staff, “Is Lucas not here? I need him to help.” His voice trails off and erupts again, “With surgery preparation on Monday,” he swivels his head to one of the lead nurses, “We’re doing a skin graft for a severely burned person.” Despite the cold aura, his face contorted with concern and urgency. The patients put complete faith into him as he’s been a well-known medical practitioner since before the disaster. My imagination briefly ponders the severity of the injury as if I haven’t seen my fair share of nasty burn wounds. Shoulders shudder for a moment, and then I begin towards the North Wing where my first duty awaits.

▶ Ambience

Phew. That might’ve been the longest shift of my life. All day, the image of Lucas constantly itched at the back of my mind. It was difficult to focus, but I managed to get through the hours until 8:00pm. With my feet aching from exhaustion and a slight headache from lack of food or water, I decide to pay a visit to my other favorite place: East Row’s finest Chinese street food, Electric Egg. In my innermost thoughts, I’d hope to see Lucas there, munching away on tea eggs. That was his go-to snack after shifts at the clinic. Being on your feet all day does quite a bit of damage and leaves the stomach to growl, to fight for a delicious energy replenishment. When I arrive, one of my coworkers greets me cheerfully, shouting and waving my name as I draw closer, much to my embarrassment. “Sicheng,” my voice laced with laughter, “how’s business!” Our most common exchange, with the most common reply. With a hardy laugh, he shoots back, “The everyday thing, you know. Slow.” Sicheng’s smile invites me towards the side of the stall as he prepares what he knows are my regular dishes of choice. “Xi’an pancake and sesame tang yuan, coming right up!” As if on cue, my stomach beams in excitement and I lay my hand on it to feel the grumble, making Sicheng to laugh. “How’s work by the way, and where’s Lucas? I have his tea eggs already here.” I glanced to the side of the cart Sicheng worked away at, and indeed Lucas’s tea eggs sat prettily in a mug, waiting to be eaten.

I sigh, turning Sicheng’s grin into a straight line. He’s observant and knows how to read the room well. After a pause to gather myself, I sit down on a stool facing Sicheng and begin to tell him my worries. “I’m not sure if maybe I’m overthinking this, but Lucas always tells me if he’s not feeling well enough to work or go out somewhere. But he was gone this morning, he wasn’t in his room when I left for the clinic. He didn’t show up to the shift, and so many bad things could’ve happened, especially in the area we’re in. I’ve been checking my phone the entire day, but I’ve gotten no resp--”

“My tea eggs! You’re the best Sicheng, I really needed this after a long day, oh my god. You guys have no idea, my belly’s been howling!”

I froze. I know that voice too damn well. Anger immediately boiled within me, and it burst like the hot oil that hits Sicheng’s arms as he cooked. “You. Piece. Of. Shit,” I whipped my entire self around to face the tall man who unsurprisingly turned out to be Lucas with his disheveled hair framing his stupid little face. “Did you not see your call log? It’s just me, me, me, me, me, and oh guess who… me!” The tone in my words frightened even me, even more so realizing both Lucas and Sicheng’s widened eyes. I earned some dirty looks from customers as well. Nevertheless, I was pissed.

Lucas’s heightened shoulders steadily fall. “Hey, I’m sorry… Something really urgent came up, and it’s very personal to me. I hope you understand. I should’ve told you as soon as it came up.” His jaw clenches, his fists tightening their grip against the counter as he sternly looks at me across the food stall. I shake my head and roll my eyes, gaining a scolding expression from Sicheng who’s confusion was written all over his face. Deep within me, I know Lucas is sincere.

I start back up, loosening my voice to become gentle, “Eat your tea eggs, please. They’re getting cold and Sicheng prepared them for you early.” Silence followed, then the chewing noises from Lucas hungrily devouring his food. Maybe today was a hard day by the looks of it. Lucas took care of his appearance, so it was a shock to see him in a seemingly vulnerable state. His eye bags seem bulging and darkened, a sign of a sleepless night. Unsure of what to think, I let go of my displeasure and chip away at my pancake and rice balls. After satisfying our hunger, Lucas and I bid Sicheng a goodbye and head back to our apartment complex. The walk is painfully awkward.

▶ Ambience

This feeling is nice. To have Lucas back as we go through our nightly routine of washing our faces and brushing our teeth in a tiny community bathroom. Our mannerisms seem slightly less stiff, and though minimal, it takes a huge weight off my shoulders. He’s back and I feel secure again. But he doesn’t bring up anything about earlier. I’m about to comment on his long-sleeved shirt as he’s the biggest heat anti in the world, refusing to wear anything that isn’t a muscle tee. But the rough emotions rattled us both, so I drop it from my list of questions to ask. We get ready for bed in silence, only starting to discuss things when we finish up and plop on the floor of my apartment. I tried to figure out if I was uncomfortable from the cold floor or for the conversation that might unfold. Since Lucas has been excruciatingly quiet, I take the initiative, “I sent so many messages and calls today. Do you know how worried I was?” Disappointment heavily coat my concerns. “This isn’t like you, I was seriously going to lose my mind. Please… can you tell me what’s going on?”

It pains me to see him looking like he’s kicked down again from having an already bad day, but I needed answers. He’s the person I trust the most in the life we have now. His chest inflated and quickly deflated. “I’m about to show you something. It might freak you out.” He tugs at the ribbed cuff of his left sleeve. A tattoo? Perhaps a little smiley face or some unconventional design placed oddly on his arm that he wanted to cover since we work at a clinic? Though tattoos are normalized on staff... Or an injury? Whatever it is, I just want to know whatever he’s hiding. “Promise me you won’t make a big commotion, I will explain.”

Without much thinking, I grow irritated at him for dragging this out, so I reach for the end of his shirt and pull it up quickly, unveiling the truth. My body and mind go rigid at the sight, unable to process whatever this… contraption was. “Lucas… what the hell is this,” I ask, alarmed, taking in the faintly glowing circuits and tiny sparks of blue electricity lighting up and down tubes that poke in and out of the machinery. From his shoulder down to his fingers, metals and screws and wires replace his flesh. After a long minute of examination and curiosity, I turn my attention back to Lucas’s face which expressed great worry, fear, and uncertainty. “Is this the reason you were gone today?” He gently shook my hand off and swiftly covered his arm with his shirt again. With a dejected look, he takes his eyes off mine and pins them on the dusty floorboards. His arm is no longer human.

“Dr. Lee from the clinic.”

[artificialqueens]

i’m putting out my hand, you don’t wanna hold it (gigi x nicky) - ella

a/n - The aftermath of an almost relationship between the Nicky and Gigi post-show. Kind of a ‘what if they also had a branjie moment in s12’. Anyway, first angst AND first fic that’s over 2k words, yay!! Thank u to my amazing perfect beautiful beta @pink-grapefruit-cafe for correcting my tenses (as always) :> this is also posted on ao3, and feel free to hit me up here @dawningofdrag. Hope this was a decent comeback 💗

-

‘it’s weird seeing us flirt on national television’

Gigi’s heart skipped a beat when she heard her phone ding from the coffee table in front of her, already knowing who sent her the sudden text.

It was cold. It was the middle of March and the nonexistent heating of her apartment caused her fingers to shiver as she reached for her phone. The blankets that wrapped around her shoulders fell off as she reached out, feet kicking out of the bundle of fabric and placing themselves on her carpeted floor.

The latest episode of drag race had just finished airing, the commercials that came after it playing on Gigi’s flatscreen and it’s overproduced audio filled the small confinement of her living room. Their blatant flirting in untucked had just played on-screen mere moments ago, and the 22-year-old could already hear the intense screaming of the fans in her head. She turned off her notifications for Twitter and Instagram before the episode even aired, aware that the second the moment Nicky grabbed Gigi’s hand was televised everyone would go batshit crazy.

She opened her phone, tapping away until she got to her most recent text, the blue, red, and white heart next to the sender’s name all too familiar. Probably a little too familiar for Gigi’s liking.

It was the first time Nicky texted her since they spent summer together in LA last year, and the text preceding Nicky’s most recent one stung in a way the younger queen didn’t necessarily find appealing. The romantic nicknames and pink heart emojis brought back memories the American would rather forget.

-

“You’re beautiful,” Gigi whispered into the French queen’s ear, arms tightly wrapped around Nicky’s neck. The feeling of her bare, sweaty skin on hers elicited a loud moan from her swollen lips. “Fuck- right there-”

The empty hotel room Gigi called home for the past two weeks was now dim, the lamp by her bedside table the only source of light they had bothered to keep on. The plain white sheets were barely hanging onto the corners of the thick mattress they laid on, tank tops, vintage tees, and colored pants discarded by the foot of the bed. Hungry grasps and a desperate need for touch caused Gigi’s hotel room to look like a tornado passed through, but she didn’t mind. She was willing to clean up the mess they had created if it meant feeling the way she currently did, pressed tight to Nicky’s chest.

Their non-stop flirting on set the past two weeks had finally turned into more than just dirty jokes and accidental hand touches. Gigi had teetered on the edge of the limit she had set for herself for a while now, Nicky standing on the imaginary line with her.

But the second Nicky locked lips with her after the first elimination, the self-control she prided herself in turned nonexistent. The older queen had cupped her cheeks and leaned in and before she could stop herself, Gigi kissed back. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around the french queen’s waist, holding tight and wishing the feeling she experienced once their lips met would last longer than the few seconds it lasted.

It all happened so suddenly. The hand holding, the kiss, the three hickeys on her collarbone Nicky created in the empty set bathroom before they rode the van back to the hotel. Gigi felt like she was dreaming with how quickly their relationship had escalated the past six hours. Before she knew it, their naked bodies had collided and fuck, it felt good.

Nicky moved quicker as she placed her hands on Gigi’s shoulders, her thrusts, powerful and quick. A loud whine escaped Gigi’s lips as she threw her head back into the pillow. The queen on top of her leaned down and claimed her with dark bruises on her prominent shoulder blades to accompany the ones left on her skin hours ago. Gigi writhed and moved underneath her, the collision of Nicky’s skin with her own enough to almost drive her over the edge. Her long nails dug into the older queen’s back as she savored in every movement Nicky’s hips made.

“So fucking good-” She heard Nicky exhale, her tan hands clutching her waist. Gigi looked up to meet her dark eyes, a shiver running down her spine. “So fucking beautiful.”

-

‘I know its kinda weird lmao’

Gigi set her phone down to take a deep breath, pulling back the fleece blanket around her, trying to find some sort of solace in the heat it provided. The thoughts of Nicky overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, crashing and breaking and ruining the sandcastle wall she’d built to protect herself. God, Nicky was going to be the death of her.

The thousands of memories she had shared with Nicky came in so quickly, and Gigi was pretty sure they didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. Every waking moment she spent with the French queen replayed in her head, rolling like they were the videos in her camera roll she would find herself watching at three in the morning when she’s had too much to drink.

She heard her phone buzz, pulling her out of the trance she found herself in. She slowly moved to grab the phone that laid screen-side down, toying with its clear case before she found the courage to pick it up and read Nicky’s response. She took a deep breath and opened it.

‘do you miss it?’

“Fuck.” Gigi let the curse slip through her lips, mind going a million miles a minute.

-

“Why do you have to go back to New York?” Gigi whined, still not bothering to let go of her tight grasp on the older queen. Her words slurred a little, her droopy eyes meeting the French queen’s dark brown ones. “I wanna spend more time with you-”

It was chilly, the late-night breeze probably a bit too strong for Gigi who’d only worn a denim jacket and a vintage tee. The stars shone brightly above them, sky clear from the clouds that would soon arrive in the fall. She looked down at her hand that was wrapped firmly around Nicky’s, and just like that, she was warm. The interlocking of their fingers was enough for the low temperature of night to no longer bother her.

She looked at Nicky, and she thought about how she shone just as much as the clear, bright stars of the California summer.

The alcohol had hit her over an hour ago, the normal filter she’d put her words (and sometimes if needed, even her thoughts) was currently non-existent.

They had just spent a full night out in Los Angeles getting drunk at Showgirls and eating their body weight in greasy bar food. There was not a single regret in their minds. Well, none for the time being.  Those would probably come in the late morning.

All of a sudden, Nicky stopped in her tracks, turning to face the younger queen who stood next to her. She lifted her hands, trailing them up the pale queen’s body before cupping Gigi’s cheeks. She had drunk a little more than she planned on and it prohibited her ability to think before she did anything.

She pressed a kiss on the taller queen’s forehead, then her nose, and finally a longer, lasting one on her lover’s glossed lips. “You’re cute when you’re drunk. Do you know that?”

Gigi couldn’t hide the giggles that erupted from her mouth, looking away as her cheeks flushed. “You’re cute too.”

-

She stared at the blue cloud on her phone screen for longer than she’d be willing to admit, sitting back down as she thought of a way to reply without sounding… weird? bitter? desperate? The heavy feeling in her chest intensified the longer she thought of a reply.

Her emotions went haywire and she could already feel her fingers tremble. Her breath deepened with every inhale, bottom lip between her pearly white teeth. The loud commercials that played from her TV turned to background noise, the sentence displayed on her phone screen causing her focus to shift.

Maybe she was angry. Maybe she was furious.

But she missed Nicky. She missed Nicky more than she wanted to, and Gigi didn’t think she could deny that no matter how hard she tried.

They had ended whatever they had almost a year ago, but Gigi still found herself missing the way Nicky’s arms felt around her when they slept. Gigi missed the way her tan skin would shine under the bright California sun when they would sneak off to the beach after a long day of lounging around in the American’s shoebox of an apartment. She missed the way her dark hair would smell, the scent of her musky perfume that reminded her of the mornings where they held each other until the heat of the season pushed them away.

After what felt like hours of contemplation, Gigi finally responded to the text with simple words. She couldn’t bring herself to add more to it, afraid that saying too much could lead the conversation to places she didn’t want to go.

‘i do’

Gigi waited by her phone for a reply, her eyes constantly checking to see if her home screen had lit up to display her lock screen and the time. She got up to leave her finished glass of wine on the kitchen sink, attempting to distract herself from the reply she so anxiously waited for.

She jumped when she heard her phone go off, her hands reaching to grab the device like her life depended on the words written in Nicky’s response.

‘i miss it too, sometimes.’

-

Gigi thought of making Nicky lunch before she had to leave for New York.

She wasn’t a cook by any means, she never really enjoyed it simply because it was more work than purchasing food from the restaurants down the street from her apartment. But it was a special occasion, and the American thought there was no harm in a simple romantic gesture. She was head over heels anyway, and according to her judgement, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

She whipped up a pretty little sandwich for the older queen who was smoking a couple of cigarettes on the pathetic excuse of a balcony Gigi possessed in her apartment. Nicky sat on the one chair she could squeeze into the tight space, tan legs resting on the metal railing that was slowly getting colder the closer they got to fall. The younger queen took a couple of photos of the cross-cut she had carefully plated on one of the many three plates she possessed, posting the dish on her story before walking to her bedroom where the balcony jutted out across her unmade bed.

“- no it’s not! You know I’m not ready for that shit.” She heard Nicky exclaim from the balcony.

Gigi slowly walked up to her, watching her flick the ashes from her second cigarette into the vintage marble ashtray the younger queen had bought for Nicky when she heard she was coming. Gigi let a soft smile paint her glossed lips, more than excited for the reaction she could possibly acquire from the New York native.

“Of course we aren’t serious, Kandy.” Nicky scoffed, dragging a long inhale of the smoke as it filled her lungs and left it just as quick. “I don’t do the whole relationship thing, takes too much effort.”

“I just came here to have some fun! Let me hook up and have fun in peace, you bitch.” Nicky snickered, waving around her hands as she talked as if the person on the other side of the phone was right in front of her.

Gigi felt numb.

-

‘but i’m not ready for what you want and you know that.’

She had moved to her bedroom by the time the next message came to flash itself on Gigi’s phone screen. It was dark now, dim yellow fairy lights the only thing illuminating the cozy space in the dark winter night. She tried to distract herself even more from the blue cloud that littered her brain as she busied herself before bed. She didn’t bother replying the first time, fully aware where the conversation was leading to. She didn’t want to go there. Not yet. Gigi didn’t believe she was ready for it.

Her fingers still shook like they always did when she was too emotional, the quiver of her hands evident when she went to brush her teeth. She laughed it off the second she noticed, instead, focusing on the rest of her nightly routine that she deemed more important than the second text which was waiting on the bed she used to share. More important than the sinking feeling in her chest she tried to convince herself wasn’t there.

She had settled into bed before reading the latest text but her desperate attempts to keep her feelings at bay were failing her.

The grip on her black phone tightened, her manicured fingers hovering over her phone’s keyboard unable to conjure up a proper response. She felt a lump in her throat form as she held back the tears that sat by the edge of her light brown eyes, and she remembered the time she cried the same tears only months before. “Fuck you, Nicky.”

Gigi’s voice cracked as she whispered, gritting her teeth in order to suppress the great anger that was dying to leave her chest and into the phone in front of her. She couldn’t breathe, her vision blurred from the tears that were collecting in her eyes. She found herself choking on the sobs she held back, so she dropped the phone on her green comforter.

Fuck, she wanted to call her.

She wanted to call her and beg for another chance. Her fingers itched, wanting to pick up the phone once more and tap the call button. It was a risk that Gigi herself didn’t think she should take, but her brain lingered on the thought for a while. She knew she was getting desperate for the queen on the other side of the phone, and denying it didn’t help her at all. Fuck, maybe if they met again, if they spent another summer together in California, if her lips lingered a second longer on hers, it could change Nicky’s mind.

But instead of saying so, she replied.

‘i know.’

-

“What are we, Nicky?” The question left Gigi’s lips before she had realized it.

Nicky had ignored her since she heard the loud clatter of a plate dropping itself on the dresser by the balcony door.

The atmosphere inside the small apartment had changed drastically in the matter of milliseconds. Gigi scrubbed on the dishes harder than she usually did, closed the bathroom door much louder than normal, and you could hear her dismayed grunts when her hair didn’t sit on top of her head the way she wanted it to. Nicky had finished packing, rolling her large purple luggage by the front door when Gigi spat out the words she dreaded to hear.

“I have to go-” She avoided Gigi’s gaze like it would hurt her if they met eyes. The American walked closer to the smaller queen in front of her, picking at the skin around her thumbs to ease the myriad of thoughts that ran through her head a mile a minute.

“Nicky, please.” She spoke softly, but it was as if she was alone in the room. Nicky still refused to look at the younger queen and reply no matter how long she seemed to wait.

“Answer me,” Gigi spoke much louder now, her pain still somehow passing through the tough wall she tried to put up with her second request at a reply. She felt like screaming.

The room fell silent, Nicky not even daring to move. It was so quiet Gigi could hear the faint rumble of a motorcycle from the roads close by.

“Please.” Her voice cracked, eyes bloodshot from holding back in the tears that were itching to flow. She allowed only a single tear to stream down her face, fingers shaking as she subconsciously wrapped her hands around her lean frame. Gigi closed her eyes.

“You said you don’t want anything serious but you held me when I told you I was cold.” She called out, finally harboring the strength to keep talking.

“You held my hand when we walked around Sunset and you told me about your dreams when we ate breakfast.”  She continued, the tears from her light brown eyes now everflowing as she couldn’t find the willpower to hold them back any longer. Gigi wanted to stop talking in case it got her into waters so deep she wouldn’t be able to resurface, but she kept going.

“Gigi-“

“You wouldn’t come to California for me if you didn’t want me the way I want you.”

Gigi could start to feel the thick humid air that accompanied the coming autumn season, a heavy feeling on her shoulders starting to build up and cause her shoulders to slump.

She scoffed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, already feeling the quiver of her hands as she brought them up. “For the past two weeks, we’ve spent every second together and only now do I realize-”  

Gigi took in a shaky breath. “- you’re fucking playing with me.”

“I am not-”

“But you are!” The brunette let out a laugh, bloodshot eyes meeting Nicky’s for the first time since the phone call. “I’m just some toy, huh? You think you can come and go whenever you please and you expect me to not get hurt?”

“I didn’t want you to get so attached-“

“Bullshit, Nicky.”

They stared at each other for what felt like hours, neither showing signs of backing down now that Nicky finally had the courage to face the younger queen. She grasped the handle of her luggage tightly, knuckles turning white at how hard she was holding onto it.

“I’m young, but I’m not fucking stupid,” Gigi whispered through her tears after an eternity of silence. She met the older queen’s eyes one last time before she watched her tan hands reach for the front door.

Nicky opened the front door and left.

-

‘you’ll find someone out there who will want the same thing you want, i promise.’

Gigi hated Nicky.

She hated Nicky with every fibre of her being, the pain and anger consuming her every thought when her brain would bring back their warm summer memories. She wanted nothing but for the pain to leave her exhausted soul and transfer itself to Nicky, make her experience the heavy emotions she’d carried on her back ever since Nicky had left to go back to New York. She felt her blood boiling at the thought of the way Nicky knew where to hold her when she needed to be held-

The way Nicky knew exactly what to say at any given moment, no matter the circumstance.

The way Nicky would press a kiss on her forehead and suddenly everything she worried about disappeared.

She hated Nicky, but fuck, she loved her too.

Gigi loved Nicky. She missed her, wanted her, loved her. And that was all she needed to stop hating her.

It was four in the morning when Gigi finally replied.

‘what if i want that someone to be you.’

[medievalmonk]

Full Circle Pt. 1

(The full text is over 11,000 words, so I’ve split it up for those who don’t want to read it on AO3.)

Wyatt is due to come for his first visit to Earth; instead, Exxo shows up without him.

Loki’s son has been stolen, and you’ve collapsed into an impotent mess.

He and Thor board the Corsair to go after Wyatt, and Loki slowly realizes his feelings for you are stronger than he would admit.

Loki and Thor were preparing for Wyatt’s imminent first visit. After finding out about Loki’s heritage because his son now exhibited some of the same traits (namely unusual strength for a four year and occasional blue patches of skin), you’d agreed to letting him spend several weeks with them at the Tower.

You set strict restrictions that if anyone from SHIELD dared to touch your son, there would be dire consequences and Wyatt would never be able to stay there again. Loki would have to visit him on the Corsair, or not at all. 

All of the Avengers agreed to that and Tony especially assured you that he would do everything within his power to keep SHIELD out of the loop. If it meant that Loki stayed behind if a mission came up, then so be it.  

You didn’t stay long, you simply teleported to the Tower with Wyatt in your arms, then checked for his safety before leaving him and Emmi with Loki. You knew that if you remained on Earth too long, SHIELD would eventually show up, so you didn’t want to give them a chance at stopping you. 

You counted on Loki, Thor and Tony to keep SHIELD out of the picture during this visit; if things went well, he would be allowed to visit again. 

— —

“Sirs,” Jarvis got the princes’ attention. “The promenade.”

When the brothers went out onto the balcony, they were perplexed to see Exxo standing alone. She seemed very upset and anxious, causing Loki’s mind to race. 

“Something’s wrong,” he murmured to Thor. “Where’s my son, Exxo?”

“She needs you,” Exxo replied, near tears. “Wyatt...is taken.”

“What?” Loki demanded.

“The ship is near, and Samel waits to transport us back,” she replied. “Will you come?”

Loki strode to her side, daring Thor to refuse him. 

“I’ll come with you, as well,” Thor told him. “Jarvis, please tell Stark that we’ll be back once this is taken care of.”

— — —

When they arrived on the Corsair, they were greeted by Samel and several other crew members, who quietly nodded at them. The atmosphere on the ship was heavy with sorrow and anguish, which affected every crew member. Loki immediately recognized that you were broadcasting your emotions, and that something terrible had happened. 

“Where is she?”

“I’ll take you.”

“How long has he been gone?” Thor asked, while following your first mate. 

“Two weeks-“

“And you’re just now coming for me?” Loki interrupted. 

“We chased them when he was first taken,” she replied. “I tried to convince her that we needed help, but she was determined to find him on her own.”

Her explanation didn’t cool Loki’s temper at all, and she knew it. 

“I have mutinied in order to come for you. I trust you will remember that once she finds out what I’ve done.”

If Exxo was telling him that you had no idea what was going on, then things were bad. He grew uneasy when they were led toward one of the cargo bays and not your quarters or the bridge. 

“She has not eaten or slept since he’s been gone,” Exxo continued.

The closer they got to the bay, the worse the mental effects were. Samel had accompanied them as far as the bay door, and then waited outside. After entering and closing the door, Exxo motioned with her hand. 

The bay was large and mostly empty, leaving you plenty of room to pace. The few items in there levitated in place, and Loki was shocked to see that you still had the Sparrow onboard, and that it also floated several feet from the deck. 

The brothers watched for several minutes before Loki finally walked forward. He called your name gently then tried one of his pet names when you didn’t acknowledge him. You continued to pace, while lightning surrounded you like a personal tornado, and your hands tore at your hair. 

Loki said your name again once he got closer, and this time you stopped to look at him. The lightning faded but your eyes continued to glow purple. Now that he’d gotten a clear look at you, his concern grew. It was obvious that you were weak from the strain, and from the lack of sleep and food. 

“I will deal with you later,” you snarled at Exxo. 

Loki took that moment to grasp you by the arms and shake you firmly. You tried to shrug free, but lacked the strength. 

“She only did something that you should have done from the start,” he said, firmly. 

“I c-can’t find him, I can’t find him…” you whispered, brokenly. 

“I will help you,” he responded, before pulling you close and holding you against his chest. His hand gently caressed your head, then before you could react, he cast a spell that knocked you unconscious. The heavy atmosphere on the ship immediately lightened, giving the crew relief. 

The items that had been floating hit the deck with a crash; when the Sparrow settled heavily on the flooring, Exxo feared that the damage would extend to the Corsair’s outer hull. When she opened the bay door for Loki, she also told Samel to inspect the floor and to get help to make any needed repairs. 

Loki lifted you into his arms, then followed Exxo when she led him and Thor back to your stateroom. When he placed you on the bed, he reinforced his spell to ease you into a deep sleep that would last for at least a day. After removing your boots, he covered you up before retreating to the main room where Thor and Exxo waited. 

“I am glad you’re here,” Exxo told him quietly. “Not just for Wyatt, but for her. She is very close to losing control, and I’m afraid of what will happen then. She’s already destroyed two ships during her hunt, and that’s not like her at all.”

Loki poured wine for himself, then the others before sitting back in his chair. Exxo had a tray with food delivered, in hopes that you could be coaxed into eating something. 

“Now, tell us what happened,” Loki said.

Before she could begin, though, they all heard a noise from the other room, and then were shocked to see you stagger to the doorway. Loki’s spell should have put you out cold, but here you were, glaring while leaning against the door jamb. 

Loki swore softly while he got to his feet in order to stop you. He ignored it when you tried to push him away, then you fought when he pulled you against him again. Your hands clawed at his back in an attempt to make him release you, causing Exxo to jump to her feet when your fingertips started to glow. 

“No! Don’t you - don’t you…” your voice faded as he once again put you under. 

“Exxo, please set course back to where Wyatt went missing. I’ll have to stay with her to make sure she sleeps. Thor, will you have her fill you in?”

“Of course, Brother,” Thor replied.

“This way.” Exxo was more than willing to get out of the way and let Loki deal with you. 

After they had left, Loki took his wine glass with him into the bedroom to check on you. Unbelievably, you were beginning to move again as you fought against his spell. He finished his drink, then laid down beside you and pulled you close. 

“It’s alright,” he whispered softly before kissing your temple. “Rest now, we’ll find our son.”

At his reassurance, you trembled, but then began to relax as Loki continued to speak to you while again strengthening his spell. 

Wyatt….my son...my son…

Your mental voice was soft in Loki’s head, and the anguish he felt from you made him tighten his hold. He was able to keep the spell strong for several hours, until he dozed. He woke later when you started moving again. You had escaped his embrace and were trying to get up, but he pulled you back against him. 

“No, please don’t...please…” you begged as he arranged himself against the headboard and put you between his legs so that he could hold you against his chest. 

Loki could hear the seams in his shirt sleeve popping as you twisted the material in your fist while trying to break free.

“I won’t if you will be still and rest,” he murmured, once again caressing your head. “Just be still.”

He ran his hand up and down your arm to sooth your trembling; you finally let go and sobbed against his neck, releasing control for the moment. Loki continued to speak softly, his hands gentle, until you did go to sleep.  

Just as he laid his head back against the wall, he was slightly startled when an animal jumped on the bed. They stared at each other for a few minutes. 

“Hello, Boo,” Loki said, cautiously.

Boo meowed softly before walking along Loki’s leg so that he could look into your face. He then started purring quite loudly after he crawled into your arms where he could curl up on you and partially on Loki. Once he was settled, your hand instinctively reached out to touch him. 

After the Flerkin got still, Loki could feel the vibrations from the purring; he found the sound soothing and knew that it would help you to relax. Boo angled his head so that he could shift his gaze from you to Loki, and his eyes were half closed. 

Loki conjured a small pillow so that he didn’t disturb you or Boo and put it behind his head. He soon drifted off to sleep with Boo keeping watch. 

— — 

The next morning, Loki woke to find that no one had moved at all, other than now both your hands circled his bicep as if you were afraid of losing him. Boo moved once Loki stirred, and he padded to the foot of the bed before curling up. 

When Loki’s hand caressed your head, you woke with a start, your breath catching with a soft shudder. He didn’t release you, just held on until you had your wits about you. 

“It’s alright,” he said, softly. 

He put his hand over yours when you reached up to touch his cheek, then turned his face slightly so he could kiss your palm. 

“Why don’t you go shower while I have food brought? You need to eat,” he asked.

“Not hungry,” you replied, closing your eyes. 

You didn’t want to face the day without Wyatt, knowing that your son was in danger and that you couldn’t get to him. Loki held you for a while longer before scooping you up to carry you to the bathroom. 

He set you onto your feet, then reached into the shower with one hand while keeping you steady; once the water was warm enough, he undressed you since you wouldn’t do it yourself. You swayed unsteadily, with your head hanging down.

“Step in, you’ll feel much better.”

You gave a small shake of your head before Loki cupped your chin in order to look into your eyes. He could see that you were near exhaustion, despite having slept for several hours. 

Finally, he took matters into his own hands. You barely stirred when his clothes disappeared, but you did resist slightly when he pushed you into the stall, then forced you under the spray of warm water. 

Loki wet your hair thoroughly before gently shampooing it, then rinsed it while taking care not to get the lather in your eyes. When he soaped your skin, his fingers found and released the tension in your neck, shoulders and back. 

Once finished, he wrapped a warm towel around your body before toweling your hair. He dressed himself, dried you off, then helped you into a fresh gown. You staggered slightly when he led you back into the bedroom, then into the living area. 

Loki pulled you into his lap as he sat at the dining table, which held a tray of fresh food. He surmised that Exxo must have monitored your stateroom so that she could have it ready. 

“I don’t want it,” you told him. 

“Then sit still while I eat,” he replied, while pouring wine for you both. 

You accepted the glass that he put into your hand but didn’t drink, then you simply ignored him. 

“You’re not going to be in any shape to help Wyatt if you don’t keep your strength up,” he finally commented, with a sigh. 

He felt you shudder before your shoulders started trembling. Your hands tightened on the wineglass, threatening to crush it before he quickly took it away. 

“They will all pay...I will make them burn,” you whispered, as tears brimmed in your eyes. 

“And I will help you,” he murmured, his voice hardening. “As will Thor and Exxo.”

“Exxo…” your voice trailed off as a tear slowly slid down your cheek. “I’ve mistreated her...and my crew…”

“I’m sure they will forgive you. You know that they will fight to the death for both you and Wyatt, don’t you?”

“I don’t know why they should.”

“I can think of many reasons why they would,” Loki replied, his hand running up and down your back soothingly.

“Thor’s here?”

“Yes, he’s with Exxo on the bridge. She tells me that it will take several days to reach the planet where our son went missing, so I want you to spend the time resting and eating.”

— — —

You agreed to stay in your stateroom for the next few days, while Loki remained with you to make sure that you ate adequately and rested. You couldn’t turn your thoughts off, though, and found yourself reaching out to listen for any trace of Wyatt’s presence. 

The action did keep you from fully regaining your strength, but there wasn’t much that Loki could do about that. He couldn’t keep you under a spell that was intended to make you sleep as you kept breaking out of it. He also didn’t want to antagonize you by continuing an attempt to control you that way. 

While Loki was otherwise occupied, Thor stayed on the bridge with Exxo. She had told him what happened with Wyatt and Emmi, who was with him when he disappeared. 

During one of the few times that you allowed your son to leave the ship, he and Emmi went missing. Wyatt had begged to go to a candy shop that was only a block away from where you and Exxo were conducting a business arrangement. So you had agreed to it, and sent a couple of men with them as protection. 

Your client had insisted on meeting you face to face, something which you rarely did, in order to discuss the terms of a bounty that had been offered to you. Exxo normally handled these, but you were going to be at the space port anyway, so you thought it might be a good opportunity to give the man an opportunity to say that he had met personally with “Kepptinn.”

He was disappointed of course when you never removed the mask or spoke to him directly. Exxo was amused as always, since so many had tried to get a good look at you or to hear your voice. 

During the meeting, you’d suddenly felt a stab of terror from Wyatt and Emmi, and had jumped to your feet in a panic. You grabbed Exxo’s arm and teleported with her to their location; they weren’t there but the bodies of the two crewmen who had escorted them were. 

You then teleported with her directly to the bridge of the Corsair, after recalling the few crew members who were still planet side.

You heard Wyatt calling for you, then nothing. You could tell that he was getting further away until he went quiet, making you realize that he had been silenced. 

You could just barely feel him once you started after them, then they were gone. You chased them through several jump points, but couldn’t catch up before you lost touch with Wyatt. 

That was when Exxo took command, because you simply lost it. You furiously destroyed two ships that got in the way of your search after they had challenged you for entering their territories. 

After that, you took to roaming the ship, not sleeping, not eating, and showing up in places that you rarely visited, until you ended up in the cargo bay with the Sparrow.

You never knew that Exxo had set course for Earth and Loki until he was on the ship. 

— — —

You were asleep when the ship reached the port of the planet from where Wyatt was taken. Loki watched over you, kept the stateroom quiet, and the lights dimmed while Boo slept curled up against your neck. 

Loki sat in a corner, waiting for you to wake up on your own. The last few days had been rough, with you fighting sleep and not wanting to eat. Your powers had gained strength over the last several years, making him aware that you could be very dangerous if pushed. 

When you stirred enough to wake Boo, Loki silently walked toward the bed to sit beside you. After a couple of minutes, you took a deep breath and sat up slowly. 

“We’re here,” you whispered, while rubbing your eyes. 

“Yes,” Loki replied. “After you’ve showered and eaten, we will go to the bridge and get an update from Exxo and Thor.”

You surprised him when you nodded without argument. 

— —

Later, when Loki brought you to the bridge, Exxo waited for an explosion of your temper. She stood and moved away from the captain’s chair, while she watched you warily. 

“Exxo.” You motioned with your hand for her to follow you to a spot where you could speak privately to her. 

“Kepptinn?” She asked, when you said nothing for a couple of minutes. 

“I ask your forgiveness for the way I’ve treated you...you were right to get Loki,” you said, softly. “And the crew...I will understand if anyone wants to leave the ship.”

“No one wants to leave you, Kepptinn,” she replied, firmly. “We are going to help you find your son. All of us.”

You hastily wiped tears away before pressing your forehead against hers briefly. She laid her hand on your forearm and squeezed gently. 

“Alright, let’s find the trail,” Loki said, when you and Exxo returned. 

“We should start down there,” you replied, motioning to the planet. 

“You are going to stay on the ship,” Loki told you. “Exxo and I, and some of the crew will go down and start asking around. We can't have you losing control and killing everyone.”

“I could do that from here if I wanted,” you responded, angrily. 

“That may be so, but you won’t,” Loki replied. “If anyone down there knows where Wyatt is or who took him, they may panic and do something drastic.”

“Exxo has already put out feelers to some of her contacts from the Ravagers.” Thor joined the conversation. “Messages are starting to come in, so we will go through them from here.”

You wanted to fight them all on this, but you saw their logic. The people on the planet had never seen Loki, and were less likely to be guarded in his presence, and would not know that he was capable of seeing through lies. 

“Alright.” You finally gave in with a nod. 

“Stay here,” Loki told you one final time before he and Exxo left the bridge. 

You sank into the captain’s seat tiredly, then smoothed Boo’s fur when he jumped into your lap. He stretched out, all the while purring loudly. 

“Play the messages.” 

— — — 

After Loki and Exxo left the Corsair to go planet-side, you and Thor sorted through the messages that had come in. No one had any concrete information, just a few hints of rumors, but they swore to pass anything forward if they felt it was important. Ravagers didn’t tolerate anyone that dealt in children and they would help in any way possible. 

Stakar Ogord had taken a liking to you even though you hadn’t yet joined the Ravagers’ ranks. He had an immense network of contacts and informants who were put to the task of listening out for any word of a child stolen from his bounty hunter mother. 

“Nothing,” you murmured, near tears. 

Boo meowed softly at you before resuming his nap in the crook of your arm, where he had stayed for the entire time. You ran your hand along his back several times to soothe him and you. 

“We’ll find him,” Thor assured you, softly. “Loki will not give up, nor will I.”

While waiting on Loki and Exxo, you stared at the large screen in front of you that displayed the planet below. Idly, you mentally reached out to the vast population just to listen and to pass the time. It was difficult controlling the noise from the thoughts of so many inhabitants, but you’d practiced enough that the act no longer gave you severe headaches. 

Thor watched, noting that your eyes were closed but you would move your head slightly from side to side as if following something. The fingers on one hand rubbed the arm of your chair, causing Thor to realize that you’d done that so often that you had worn grooves into it. 

While you were quiet and still, your thoughts turned back to the day that Wyatt and Emmi had been taken. Something about it felt wrong, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. 

You were still listening when Loki and Exxo returned to the bridge. Exxo motioned for Loki to be quiet, as did Thor. Silently, Loki watched until you took a deep breath. 

“Exxo.”

“Kepptinn?”

“That day, when we were discussing that bounty...how long ago was that?”

“Almost three weeks now, Kepptinn,” she replied. 

“We never made an arrangement, since we left so suddenly. Has he contacted us since?”

“No,” she said. 

“And it was so urgent that I had to meet him in person, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” she responded. 

Your chair turned slowly so that you could look at her and at the brothers. 

“I rarely leave the ship,” you told Loki. “When I do, I keep Wyatt with me, or very close by, along with Emmi. Except on this day. He wanted to go to a sweets shop, and I let him.”

Exxo gasped as she realized what you were getting at. “A pretense?”

You looked toward the screen again, thoughtfully. Then your fist came down hard enough on the chair’s arm to jar Boo, who complained loudly. You immediately soothed him again while looking back at Loki. 

“He’s no longer on the planet. I didn’t read his thoughts, except on the surface, and that was a mistake,” you told him, your voice breaking. “Your son is missing because of me.”

Boo meowed again when you moved him off your lap in order to stand. When Loki reached for you, you sidled away with a shake of your head. 

“Exxo, find that man.”

Before Loki could say anything, you teleported off the bridge. He looked at Exxo in alarm while she quickly drew up a computer screen. 

“She’s in her cabin,” she said. 

The Flerkin gave a low growl before he, too, disappeared. Exxo sighed, relieved to have just a little piece of the puzzle, but she also knew that you held on by a thread, and if that thread broke, there wasn’t much that could be done to stop you. 

“Does he always do that?” Thor asked. 

“The Flerkin?” She said. “He usually stays with Wyatt, but now...he follows her. We should hope that Boo isn’t present when we find out who took Wyatt.”

“Why’s that?” Loki asked. 

“Because he will eat them.”

— — —

When Loki entered your stateroom, you were pacing again, making him concerned about your state of mind. Exxo had conveyed her worry about you, and he could see her point. Boo watched from the foot of the bed and meowed periodically.

“Pet…” he blocked your path while he reached for you.

He was caught by surprise when you slammed both fists into his chest with enough force to stagger him two steps backwards. 

“You should have been here!” You shouted, angrily, then slammed your fists into him again. 

You then started throwing punches, causing him to move quickly to pin your arms down even as he pulled you against him. He was grateful that you weren’t throwing lightning around and he now knew that you were far stronger than he suspected. 

“You should have been here!” You screamed, while twisting in his grip, determined to break free. 

He tried to hold on without hurting you, but you were fighting so hard that he was sure you’d have bruises. 

Your nails raked any part of him that you could reach: the backs of his arms, his ribs, and his back. His shirt gave way in places, so he quickly changed into his light chest plate with leathers to protect his back. 

“Easy,” he whispered in your ear. 

“You should have been here,” you told him, before breaking down and sobbing against his neck. 

He put one hand on the back of your head and held you tightly when the strength left you. When your tears were spent, you attempted to pull away but he wouldn’t let go. Instead, he sat down on the bed and pulled you close. 

“I-I’m sorry - that wasn’t fair to you..” 

“It’s alright, I understand,” he murmured.

“No, it’s not fair to say that to you. I had no right, since I put you back on Earth and left you there.”

You slowly raised a hand so that you could stroke his cheek. Loki smiled softly when your thumb ran across his mouth, then leaned in when you pressed your lips to his. 

“Forgive me,” you whispered. 

“There is nothing to forgive,” he responded. 

“I’ve missed you,” you said then. 

“I have missed you as well, pet,” he replied, before kissing you again. “Now, did you hurt your hands?”

You shook your head even though he carefully checked to be certain that you hadn’t broken anything. When finished, he stood before kneeling at your feet to pull your boots off. You nearly balked when he motioned for you to lay down, but obeyed when he joined you. 

“I don’t think you need this right now.” You tapped lightly on the armor he still wore. 

“Right.” Loki quickly exchanged it for a dark green silk shirt. “Better?”

“Much.”

Once you were comfortably settled against him, you took his hand and interlaced your fingers with his. His other hand caressed your shoulder while you both remained silent. 

“Now, tell me about this meeting, and the man that you spoke to.”

After you told him what happened and what you knew about the man, Loki squeezed your hand before raising it to his lips. He continued to hold it until you pulled away so that you could undo the top two buttons of his shirt. 

Then you stroked his throat before sliding your hand into the opening and across his collarbone. Your eyes drifted closed as you felt and heard Loki’s breathing, along with his heartbeat, under your cheek. 

I love you.

He’d never reciprocated the sentiment, and had only told you a couple of times that he cared for you, although you knew that he loved Wyatt. So you weren’t expecting any type of response; you were content to have his affection. 

You were almost asleep when he spoke so softly that you barely heard him. 

“I love you, too.”

He’d said it: he loved you. It surprised you so much that it took more than a few seconds for your brain to completely register his words.

He also called you by your true name, which you hadn’t heard in a long while. No one on the Corsair knew it, nor did any of the Ravagers’ bosses. Loki rarely used it, opting instead for his pet names for you. You found yourself wishing that he’d say it more often. 

— — —

While you and Loki were resting, Exxo had Thor help her send out messages asking for the whereabouts of the man that had met with you regarding that bounty. She also sent a message directly to him, apologizing for the abrupt departure and asked if he still needed to hire someone. 

Boo appeared back on the bridge and promptly curled up in the captain’s chair, all the while giving Exxo the side-eye. She snorted softly but let him be. 

“You know that I’m second in command,” she told the Flerkin, while pointing a finger at him. 

Boo chirped softly while he stretched before curling up again. The tip of his tail flicked slowly until his eyes closed. 

Exxo shook her head as she returned to her computer station. “He’s an insolent thing.”

Thor glanced back at Boo. “How would such a small creature eat something more than double his size?”

“Believe me, you don’t want to know. Let’s just say it’s a messy affair,” she replied. 

“But Wyatt is safe with him?”

“Yes, otherwise Samel wouldn’t have brought him onboard when he was a kitten. Wyatt was taught to be careful, and Boo has not so much as hissed at him.”

“That’s good to know,” Thor said, relieved. 

Before Exxo could comment further, the computer gave an alert that someone was hailing them. She put the call onto the larger forward screen, then was surprised to see that it was Stakar Ogord. 

“Exxo,” he nodded slightly. 

“Stakar,” she replied. “Any news?”

“We may have something; where’s Kyrie?”

“She’s resting right now. Wyatt’s father is here with us. This is Thor, his uncle.”

The men nodded slightly to each other before Stakar continued with the purpose of the call. 

“We haven’t found Wyatt yet, however, we do have the location of the person you met regarding the bounty,” he told her. “Currently he’s on Reumion. I have several small ships keeping an eye on him. If he leaves the planet, they will follow as best they can and report back.”

“We will set course immediately,” she replied. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Stakar replied. “How is she?”

Exxo paused before answering. “Not good. The sooner we find Wyatt, the better.”

“Agreed,” Stakar responded. “Several of us will meet you there.”

With that, the screen went blank.  Exxo sighed deeply, going limp in her seat after she ordered the pilot to set the new course. She debated calling your stateroom to advise of the news, but felt that you likely needed the rest, and she didn’t want you to get keyed up again. 

“Let her rest,” Thor said, as if reading her mind. “So, ‘Kyrie?’”

Exxo smiled at his confusion. “She took that name when Stakar pushed her during their first meeting. He refused to call her ‘Kepptinn.’”

Thor grinned when she laughed softly. He’d always had a soft spot for you, even before the lab accident with the Power Stone. He’d taken up for you several times when he felt that the SHIELD scientists were mistreating you. 

They were silent for a while, then Exxo had some food brought to the bridge. She wouldn’t leave until she was able to inform you of Stakar’s report, and she thought that Thor might also be hungry. 

— — —

While you slept against his side, Loki remained awake. When you moved restlessly or whimpered, he would occasionally rub your arm or neck soothingly so that you would settle. 

Once Wyatt was returned to the ship, he considered what would happen next. He wasn’t certain whether Wyatt would still be safe, and he knew that you were unlikely to return to Earth voluntarily. 

If he left Earth, it would be considered an escape since he hadn’t finished the terms of his exile from Asgard, although that concerned him not at all. He didn’t have a way to escape, unless he was able to convince you to liberate him again. 

You had brought him back after the first excursion due to the fact that he’d chosen to save his own skin rather than keep you with him. He regretted that immensely, and would change what he’d done if given a chance to undo it. 

Loki especially regretted the fact that neither of you had known about Wyatt beforehand. He hadn’t thought that the two of you were compatible enough to have offspring, and he also assumed that the Power Stone mishap would have made you incapable of having children. 

So much for that, he mused. 

He also knew that bringing him back to Earth was the only thing that you could have done at the time. It was punishment for abandoning you, but also was to keep him safe and so that you would know where he was. Loki saw the wisdom in that, even though he didn’t like it. 

Once you had put him back in the Tower, SHIELD agents questioned him until he stopped cooperating. They wanted to know where you were, and whether he could lure you back. 

Loki was relieved that SHIELD couldn’t get to you or his son, and that you wouldn’t be returning to Earth anytime soon. He was okay with that and he trusted you to keep Wyatt safe. 

He glanced toward the window, and watched the stars for several minutes until it dawned on him that the ship was moving. Loki started to get up, but stopped before he woke you. He wanted an update, but didn’t want to disturb you, since it was hard to convince you to sleep. 

You woke a while later, sitting up groggily while rubbing your eyes. When you glanced over at Loki, you found that he was asleep. Although you didn’t want to wake him, you did have to get up, so you were careful when crawling off the bed. Once you left the bathroom, you went to the table for something to drink, and did a double take when you realized that the ship was moving. 

“Exxo?” You activated a communication screen and spoke softly. 

“Kepptinn,” she acknowledged. “While you were sleeping, Stakar contacted us. They’ve found Fayard’s ship at Reumion, and have it under surveillance. I’ve set a course, and Stakar will meet us there.”

“Good.” Your eyes glittered, and Exxo could see just the faintest tint of purple. 

“They haven’t seen Wyatt,” she cautioned. “He may not be on that ship.”

“If he knows anything about our son, I will know,” you responded. 

— — —

By the time the Corsair reached the dock at Reumion, Fayard’s ship had left. He hadn’t been gone very long, so Exxo followed the trail provided by Stakar and your ship rapidly gained on him. 

You were in your chair on the bridge, with Boo occupying one of the arm rests. Your fingers anxiously rubbed into the grooves on the other side while waiting on the other ship to come into view. 

When the ship was just a tiny speck on the forward screen, Boo sat up abruptly and hissed. He then disappeared from the bridge, causing Loki and Thor to jump slightly. 

“I-I can sense Emmi,” you told them softly. “But Fayard’s getting ready to hit a jump-point.”

“And Wyatt?” Loki asked, after he came to stand behind you. 

You were silent for several minutes while you carefully reached out to Emmi. You cautioned her not to react when you spoke to her, then asked about Wyatt. 

“He’s there…” you responded, with your voice breaking. “They’ve drugged him.”

Loki’s fury rose, along with yours, that someone would dare to lay a finger on your son. You touched a button on your console, then directed Samel to get the Sparrow ready to launch. It was much faster than the Corsair and could easily follow Fayard’s ship. 

“Loki, you and Thor take the Sparrow and follow him. Boo is already there, Emmi says. He will guard Wyatt until you get there.”

“And what are you planning, pet?” Loki asked, his keen gaze on you.

“I’m going after my child, once I disable that ship.”

“You’re not going alone,” he told you while taking hold of your arm. “Thor can follow in the Sparrow but I’m going with you.”

“Fine,” you replied, knowing that you could leave him behind when you teleported, if you chose to do so. However, you also realized that it wouldn’t be fair to him, plus there would be consequences if you did that.

So you stared at the screen again, listening to the mental thoughts of the other ship’s captain. Then you targeted the ship’s engines by telekinesis, causing them all to fail so that it would slowly grind to a halt. 

“Exxo, have Samel come to the bridge, then you can go with Thor while Loki and I go directly to that ship.”

She looked at you worriedly; she could tell from your stance and expression that you were in a destructive mindset. 

“Stakar is almost here -“ she started, but was interrupted. 

“I’m not waiting on him.”

“As you wish, Kepptinn,” she replied. 

Before you could leave, though, a signal came through from the other ship. 

“Voice only, Exxo, no visual,” you told her. “You speak to him.”

She followed your direction and opened the channel.

“Fayard?”

“Ahh, the first mate of the famed Kepptinn,” the man greeted her, sarcastically. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You have something aboard that doesn’t belong to you,” she replied. 

“Don’t you mean ‘someone’, my dear?”

Exxo muted the channel as Loki wrapped his arms around you, holding on tightly when your eyes and fingertips started glowing. Thor jumped up to help him, while Exxo and Samel stared at you in consternation.  

“Don’t,” Thor whispered. “Let him talk.”

Thor took your hand when you looked at him with tears brimming your eyes. 

“What do you want?” Exxo asked, opening the channel again. 

“I want to see the face of the bitch that killed my brother, and then appropriated his ship,” was the reply. “With no masks between us. You tell her that, and tell her that I’ll be waiting.”

With that, the transmission was cut. You then struggled to get Loki to release you, but he wouldn’t. 

“Let go! I will kill him!” You screamed in anger and frustration. “Let go of me!!”

“Listen to me,” Loki said, firmly. “Be still and listen or I will knock you out.”

“You wouldn’t!” You sobbed.

“I will. Now listen,” he responded. “I have a plan.”

— — 

When the Sparrow approached Fayard’s ship, Exxo contacted him and let him know that Kepptinn was coming aboard. Exxo piloted the small ship close enough, then you teleported to the other ship to meet Fayard. 

“Ah, Kepptinn, welcome aboard,” Fayard greeted you, still sarcastically. “I’m sure I told your mate that I wanted no masks between us.”

“As you wish,” you replied, before deactivating your mask. 

He studied you silently for a long time, and you met his gaze without fear or unease. When he slowly approached you, you remained still until he felt he was close enough.

“So young,” he commented, eyes skimming over you. “It hardly shows that you’ve had at least one brat.”

He stayed just out of arm’s length, thinking himself safe, and missed the slight purple flare of your eyes.

[whatamievendoingherern]

TALKING TO EXPLOSION BOY (BNHA)

Cat: Lil floof and if you squint, angst

Agender! Reader was nervous about their internship with Thirteen already, but throw in the sparky porcupine? Anxiety maxed out. But surprisingly, he just isn’t as explosive as usual. (Reader has a fire related quirk)

Y/N remembered when they first decided to try out for cross country.

It was the summer before 8th grade when they vowed to make themself into a person they could like. Their sister had given them a ride to the school, they’d retied their sneakers about fifteen times on the way, and they’d practically had a death grip on that poor plastic water bottle.

They’d been so nervous that they refused to get out of the car. They remembered knowing absolutely nobody on the team, feeling so socially inept because they hadn't talked to anybody all summer. It wasn't until their sister reassured them that they finally found themself unlocking the door.

That's what they thought internships were gonna be like.

But rather than the hellish experience their middle school self endured, it was quite different.

They chose to intern with Thirteen to learn how to use their quirk in rescue scenarios. Thirteen, who they’d recently learned went by xe/xyr pronouns, was a pretty nice person, who took their wall of awkwardness and formality into consideration.

Y/N was finally letting the wall drip down a bit, allowing Thirteen to see their real personality. And the acceptance was nice.

That's why they didn't really mind it when Thirteen said xe needed to drop by Best Jeanist's agency. Something to do with the author and plot lines.

So they followed Thirteen through the building, politely smiling at the passersby they happened to make eye contact with. The two stopped at a door in the building, pushing it open, and just like that feeling of finding someone you know in your home town, Y/N felt like they’d been smacked with frying pan.

Bakugo and Y/N made eye contact from both sides of the room, a silence as his hair sprung back to its normal state.

Oof.

If the rest of the Bakusqud were here, Y/N probably would've been able to sneak in a laugh under Mina, Sero, and Kaminari’s cackling, but alas that was not the case. And despite the self destructive ramblings of Y/N’s rather common mental breakdowns, they valued their life.

Best Jeanist sighed as though this weren't the first time this occurred, flicking his comb into his pocket. "Thirteen." He said in greeting. "What brings you here?"

"I just need to do some touch ups on the paperwork for the collab takedown we did last week. Turns out the villains quirk wasn't energy mutation." Xe replied, while Y/N suddenly begun to wish they had Hagakure's quirk instead as Bakugo’s eyes burned into their skull.

"Is that your intern?"

Uh oh.

"Yep," Thirteen said, pushing Y/N forward much to their dismay. "They’ve got quite the quirk."

Best Jeanist hummed in response, having been there in the stadium. He remembered sending them an invite to intern with him after the festival, but he supposed they were searching for something specific.

"You two are in the same class right?" Best Jeanist asked. Y/N stiffened as he acknowledged Bakugo's presence. Without waiting for a response, he carried on, "You two stay here. Thirteen, the reports in my office."

And despite every cell in their body yelling at the two to stay, the door closed behind the two leaving both Bakugo and Y/N in immediate discomfort.

Silence.

Y/N looked around the room at anything and everything except for Bakugo. They spotted a chair, the only other one in the room placed right across from the blonde porcupine.

With an internal groan, they shuffled over to the chair, sitting uncomfortably still as they pulled out their phone. They stared at the screen, pretending to be doing something while attempting to negotiate a ceasefire with the whatever deity above was listening.

Whatever I did to deserve this, I am so sorry. It'll never happen again, bro, just get me tf outta here rn before my soul skrrt skrrts from my body-

Oh no, now their nose was itchy. The temptation was there, but the risk of drawing attention was even greater. Were they gonna sneeze? Were there tissues in here? Jeez did hearts always beat so loudly? And what is up with the whole breathing thing? It sounds like there's gonna be a whole goddamn tornado-

"Hey. Depressed Flambé."

Y/N hesitantly looked up from their screen, wondering if they placed their funeral plans in an obvious enough location. Top left drawer of their dresser, beneath their will. Dang they forgot to write if they wanted red camellias or white camellias. Surely class 1-A would know they were a red camellias type of lad. And they had to change the song from "Thriller" to "E-Girls Are Ruining My Life", ya know, get with the times-

"I know you're avoiding me. Your damn phone isn't even on." Bakugo's brash voice said, and they suddenly felt like dropping an anvil on their head.

Y/N gave a smile that may as well have said, "I've been caught" and tucked the phone into their pockets where their hands could fidget out of view.

Silence.

Depressed Flambé, Y/N pondered.

They hadn't thought they had a nickname, they figured since they had barely interacted with him all year that they were in the clear.

Guess not.

Their thoughts and the room stayed radio silent for a bit before they hesitantly spoke up, "Trying out a new hair style?"

"Mention it to the rest of 1-A and I’ll kill you!" He barked defensively, huffing when he saw them flinch almost unnoticeably. "He won't let me patrol with him until I 'reform my appearance' or some bullshit like that."

Y/N nodded, though they didn't really see much difference. He was intimidating either way, one just made him look a little more idiotic. "Some bullshit sounds about right." Y/N replied, trying to let themself relax.

Bakugo seemed content with their response, and once again the two fell into silence. And just like a hand reaching out, they felt their voice wanting to come out, to keep talking, but maybe he didn't want to. Maybe it'd be better to take the chance and have no regrets later? But what if he just told them to shut up? They probably would never get over that. It was probably best if they-

"How's your internship?" Bakugo asked, clearly uncomfortable with asking the question. He wasn't even making eye contact which was supposed to be Y/N’s thing.

By the author's grace, was this the power of those behind the divine fourth wall?

"It's good!" Y/N said, a little too quickly for their liking.

Stupid social anxiety.

"Um, Thirteen's trying to teach me how to use my quirk in rescues." They added slowing their words, before their voice lowered into a murmur. "I just kind of wish I knew that they don't really teach fighting techniques."

"Well why don't you teach yourself?" He asked.

Why do you have such good hearing, they thought. "I mean I tried a while ago, but I wouldn’t know where to start."

"Is the phone you were using to avoid me just for show or can you actually use it? Just look some up or walk yourself to a library."

OML THIS IS A HISTORICAL MOMENT HE GOT THROUGH A SENTENCE WITHOUT CURSING OR INSULTING ANYBODY IM SO PROUD OF YOU, BRO, WE NEED TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION- "I guess that make sense." Y/N replied, sheepish but surprised.

They really thought it would be like that first day at cross country. Like everyone would be looking at them, judging them, ostracizing them. But it was all their head, just as it was then, just as it was now.

There was a gap of (you guessed it) silence, but this time it was less awkward, more...comfortable.

"It's too bad, Best Jeanist, isn't what you thought he would be." Y/N said.

He hummed in response.

"It seems more like he's trying to change you than train you." They thought aloud.

"It's annoying. I wish he'd finish this damn haircut, so I can skip to the fun part, and kick somebody’s ass."

Y/N snorted audibly. "If it's about getting it to stay, I think I can help."

Bakugo raised an eyebrow, which before may have had them thinking they were on his kill list, but now not so much. "You do hair?"

"I mean, I take care of mine almost every morning, and I'm pretty good with gel at this point so why not?" They shrugged.

"Hurry up then, I don't want to have to do this for any longer than I have to."

"Your hair is surprisingly soft."

"Shut up, Flambé!"

"Seriously, what conditioner do you use?"

"I WILL BLOW YOU UP RIGHT NOW!"

•••

"Thanks for stopping by Thirteen, it's been nice." Best Jeanist said, as the two stepped out of his office.

Thirteen replied. "No problem. See you around."

The two turned to the other duo and though neither visibly shown it, the surprise remained present.

"Did you do his hair?" Thirteen asked in mild confusion.

Best Jeanist was past the point of mere confusion, he was borderline baffled. "You fixed it?!"

Y/N tucked away a comb granted by the author, "Magic."

"Are we gonna patrol now or what?" Bakugo asked, a grin tugging at his lips.

Even though it looked borderline evil, Y/N was still pretty proud they made him smile. Even if he looked like he was about commit a homicide.

A/N Feel free to hit me up via anything if you have any requests. Whether it’s headcanons, scenarios, or different pronouns lemme know! I really like writing these and wanna make everybody feel ✨comfy✨💕

[cousinmarcustalkswrestling]

Best NXT Matches of 2020 - The Top 5

5

DIY vs Moustache Mountain - Worlds Collide

Man that Worlds Collide card was great. This was a simple tag team dream match between two awesome tag teams that have never really crossed paths. Crazy talented Tyler Bate has some silky smooth wrestling sequences with Gargano and Ciampa that makes me clamor for singles matches with both of them. Ciampa and Seven have a funny posedown where Seven bows out before he officially hold his L. Its a fatphobic moment, but I ain’t gon trip. It’s a playful babyface tag match until Ciampa remembers that he’s a psychopath and he decks Seven with a forearm. Repentant babyface Gargano joins Ciampa and superkicks Bate and from there this match takes off with high octane action and some creative sequences.

Ciampa and Gargano tear into Bate and Seven gets the hot tag in a fun reversal of how they usually do things. Gargano hits the Final Beat DDT at the same time that Ciampa hits the Widows Bell DDT. Bate goes for a flying back elbow on Ciampa, but gets V Triggered out of the sky. There’s a great sequence where Gargano tilt-a-whirls into Gargano Escape on Bate, but Bate counters to the Airplane Spin, but Gargano rides him back down into it. Ciampa locks in a double armbar on Seven and we got a flashback to DIY vs Revival at Toronto. Bate and Seven escaped the stereo submissions and we get a fun double airplane spin. Bate accidentally rebound clotheslines Seven and they have a sweet moment where Seven protects Bate from Meeting in the Middle. They coldcock DIY though and land a sweet Burning Hammer/Flying Knee combo on Ciampa. In the end, DIY kills Seven with Meeting in the Middle and end this dream match.

4

Finn Balor vs Kyle O’Reilly - NXT Title - Takeover 31

Kyle O’Reilly being in the main event of a Takeover was a pretty far out idea, but one torn shoulder and a seemingly unplanned 30 day turnaround between Takeovers has made it so. Balor beat Adam Cole for the vacant title on September 8 and O’Reilly won a Gauntlet Eliminator for the title shot two weeks later. NXT’s always succinct video packages edged Kyle babyface and boiled him down to a dude who just really loves wrestling. And wrestling is exactly what we get. Not just wrestling, but some of the best pure wrestling of the year.  This is a great display of matwork, pacing, and psychology. This reminds me of Shingo vs Ibushi from the G1, where they could easily go full throttle all action, but instead they’re way more patient and we still get a great match from it.

Kyle has an awesome performance here as his selling is super sympathetic, while his work attacking Finn’s arms and legs is vicious. Finn, in my favorite Balor incarnation as The Prince, appropriately responds with his own nasty offense. In particular, one spinning kick looks like it ruptures Kyle’s spleen. Kyle goes for a cross armbreaker at one point and there’s a great sequence as we get a close up view of Balor’s fingers unlocking one by one until Kyle locks the armbreaker all the way in. Kyle legit breaks Finn’s jaw with a running knee in the corner and shortly after that, Finn ends it with the Coup De Grace. The ending was a leeeeetle too sudden and out of nowhere for understandable reasons. It definitely feels like they had a 4-5 more minutes to really build to their ending. No matter what, its an excellent wrestling match that basically sealed Finn as NXT’s male wrestler of the year and elevated Kyle to another level.

3

The Broserweights vs The Undisputed Era - Tag Team Titles - Takeover Portland

You know that point in long-ish tag matches where there’s a hot tag and everything breaks down and everything is just super entertaining chaos. This match is like that from the start and its awesome. There’s a relentless amount of double teams, nearfalls, nearfall saves, and momentum shifts. I had the very sneaky suspicion that one of the Broserweights were gonna turn on each other. The match kinda supported my theory because there’s moments where Dunne accidentally hits Riddle & moments where Riddle accidentally hits Dunne. Throughout it all, the Broserweights win this tornado of a match and take the tag titles. This was by far the best tag team match I saw this year. Unfortunately, the pandemic forcing Dunne to England and Riddle’s sexual assault allegations and call down to Raw broke up this team and completely derailed NXT’s tag team division for the entire year.

2

Candice Lerae, Toni Storm, Dakota Kai, & Raquel Gonzalez vs Shotzi Blackheart, Io Shirai, Rhea Ripley, & Ember Moon - War Games Match - Takeover War Games

Once the Charlotte experiment was over, the women of NXT were featured more and more on TV and emerged in the fall as the best division in the world that carried the show while the fellas were affected by injuries and weird direction and stuff. Shotzi and Candice lead their stacked teams to this WarGames match that felt like a violent feather in the cap of a tremendous year for the ladies.

Ember & Dakota start things off and have a great five minute segment showing off their chemistry before Shotzi comes in. The babyfaces having the advantage is an odd decision, but they work pretty simply and Dakota is crafty enough to not make it a weird dynamic where she turns herself face. Big Momma Raquel is next and things get ugly for the faces. Rhea is next and has a great staredown and brawl with Raquel. Toni Storm is next and she chooses violence bringing in numerous kendo sticks and takes off the turnbuckle pads. The action is brutal, creative, and constant and very rarely feels phony or choreographed. There’s a required Tower of Doom spot and a lot of weapon shots. Io Shirai is next and she wants to introduce more weapons, but Raquel keeps her out with a few hard big boots. Io dropkicks a chair into her face, but Toni locks the door to keep Io out. Candice Lerae is finally in and she has Indi Hartwell take out Io so the heels keep their handicap advantage, but the match can’t officially start without Io. In one of the funniest spots of the year, Io climbs to the top of the cage puts a garbage can over her head and leaps onto everybody.

With the match officially started, we get a bunch of super entertaining action. Rhea and Io have some awesome tag team moves, Ember hits Dakota with a crazy Eclipse two chairs, Shotzi sentons Candice off a ladder onto chairs. Its an awesome blend of skillful wrestling, creative spots, and brutality. In the end, Raquel catches Io going for a super rana and powerbombs her through a ladder to secure the win for Team Candice. An awesome spectacle of lady excellence.

1

Io Shirai vs Rhea Ripley - Women’s Title - November 18

Io Shirai had an incredible year as Women’s champion and saved the title from the terribly booked Charlotte reign, by being one of the most consistent performers in the world and having great matches with the every name worth a damn in NXT. Rhea’s momentum from early this year was severely damaged by her disappearance after her loss to Charlotte Flair, but she slowly recovered, had some damn good matches and before you know it, she had all her swag back. It makes sense for this to be a big match up, but the unique thing about it is that Io Shirai took the initiative to call out Ripley. That instantly gave their match a very different dynamic that they play into and we got one of the best matches of the entire year.

Io’s brings the aggressive mentality of her challenge to the match and goes right after Rhea. She gets the best of her with her athleticism until Rhea yanks her into an electric chair drop on the apron. Even when she’s being overpowered though, she never alters her approach and she never sticks and moves. Staying in the pocket with Rhea is a dangerous proposition, but Io is just that crazy. Io slips out of a superplex attempt and delivers a sick German suplex from the turnbuckle. As great of a powerhouse that Rhea is, her bumping and selling is brilliant and she really puts over Io’s damage. Rhea gets extra angry after booting the hell out of Io, but Io snatches her left arm and goes crazy trying to disable Rhea and limit her power.

Rhea is still strong lady and gets a superplex and her reverse cloverleaf while still selling the arm, but when she goes for the Riptide, Io brilliantly counters to a cross armbreaker. Rhea escapes and decapitates Io with a clothesline, but Io counters another Riptide attempt to a spike DDT. In the awesome final sequence, Io catches Rhea on the apron with a sunset flip powerbomb THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!! Rhea is a dead woman, but she manages to drag her corpse in the ring, but as soon as she crawls in to beat the count, Io crushes her with a moonsault to the back and ends this classic match. Great unexpected psychology, great selling, great finish,. The Ladies of NXT just got better and better as the year went on and this is probably their crown jewel example.

[queen-of-deans-booty]

Abandon All Hope: Final Part

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 1,911

Warnings: typical supernatural violence, language, angst, blood, you know the usual

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. Any and all comments on these are appreciated. I really want to hear what you guys think about this one!

Feedback is the glue that holds my writing together.

Tags at the bottom

“That's my girl, you're okay, honey,” Ellen whispered to her daughter as she held her.

Jo wasn’t looking too good, and you were trying everything you could not to break down here and now. You’ve been using your magic to heal the wound, and it’s been working, but her body has been drained of so much blood that even if the wound was closed, she wasn’t going to make it.

“Now we know where the devil's gonna be, we know when, and we have the Colt.”

“Yeah. We just have to get past eight or so hellhounds and get to the farm by midnight.”

“Yeah, and that's after we get Jo and Ellen the hell out of town.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“What about a stretcher? I can use my magic to conceal them from Meg or whoever looks at them,” you suggested.

“I'll see what we got,” Sam said, turning to leave when Jo stopped him.

“Stop. Guys, stop. Can we, uh, be realistic about this, please? I can't move my legs. I can't be moved. My guts are being held in by an ace bandage. We gotta—we gotta get our priorities straight here. Number one, I'm not going anywhere.”

“Joanna Beth, you stop talking like that,” Ellen choked up.

“Mom. I can't fight. I can't walk. But I can do something. We got propane, wiring, rock salt, iron nails, and everything else we need.”

“Everything we need?” you wondered.

“To build a bomb, Y/N.”

“No. Jo, no, that’s crazy!”

“You got another plan? You got any other plan? Those are hellhounds out there, Y/N. They've got all of our scents. Those bitches will never stop coming after you. We let the dogs in, you guys hit the roof, make a break for the building next over. I can wait here with my finger on the button, rip those mutts a new one. Or at least get you a few minutes' head start, anyway.”

“No, I—I won't let you,” Ellen cried.

“This is why we're here, right? If I can get us a shot on the devil—Dean, we have to take it.”

“No!” Ellen shouted, looking at Dean. “That’s not—”

“Mom, this might literally be your last chance to treat me like an adult. Might wanna take it?” she coughed.

Ellen starts sobbing, and you let tears fall from your eyes at the realization that Jo isn’t going to see tomorrow… and Ellen might not either.

“You heard her. Get to work,” Ellen sniffled.

Wiping the tears from your eyes, you and the Winchesters set out to make the bombs, filling them with nails and rock salt for shrapnel. All of those bombs took time, and it was night fall when you finished. Sam takes Jo’s hand while Dean strings the wire to the button she will hold.

“Okay, this is it. I'll see you on the other side. Probably sooner than later,” Dean chuckled humorlessly.

“Make it later,” she sighed.

Dean puts the button in Jo’s hand. She didn’t like this even though it was necessary for survival. He kissed her forehead meaningfully before pulling away. Ellen came back and took a seat next to her daughter. Mother and daughter stared at one another before Ellen smiled.

“Mom, no.”

“Somebody's gotta let them in. Like you said, you're not moving. You got me, Jo. And you're right, this is important. But I will not leave you here alone.”

“Ellen,” you got tears again.

“Get going now,” she sniffled.

“Ellen!”

“I said go,” she urged. The tears wouldn’t stop leaking from your eyes even as you forced yourself to walk away. “Dean? Kick it in the ass. Don’t miss.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he nodded.

“I am so sorry,” you whispered.

Ellen got up, unchains the doors, sweeps away the salt line, opens the propane tanks, sits back down next to Jo, and hugs her. Dean forced you out the back door even though you didn’t want to. As you were climbing down the fire escape, you were sobbing quietly. Jo was your only good girl friend, and Ellen was like a maternal figure in your life. It was hard knowing you were leaving them in there to die. As soon as your feet touched the ground, you three began running down the alley. When you got far enough, the hardware store exploded, and you turned to watch it burn.

“JO!!” you screamed, but Dean covered your mouth before anyone else could hear.

“Come on,” he urged.

He had to force you to follow them before you could follow on your own. You kept your sobs quiet as you ran to the farm and through bushes. When you arrived at the scene, dozens of men stand in the field, their attention on something you couldn’t see.

“Guess we know what happened to some of the townspeople,” Dean noticed.

“Okay, last words?” Sam asked.

“I think I’m good,” Dean nodded.

“Yeah. Me too.”

“I love you both so much,” you blurted out, wiping away the dried tears.

“Here goes nothing,” Dean breathed heavily.

Sam got up and walked out in the open with a shot gun even though it wouldn’t do any good on the Devil. Dean took your hand and led you across the way to have a bit of surprise on him.

“Hey!” Sam yelled, approaching Lucifer. The devil turns and drops the shovel in his hands. “You wanted to see me?”

“Oh, Sam, you don't need that gun here. You know I'd never hurt you. Not really.”

“Yeah? Well, we’d hurt you,” Dean grinned, coming out in the open.

You trailed behind with your eyes glowing bright blue and magic swirling around your hands. Dean pointed the Colt at Lucifer and shot him point-blank in the forehead. The angel fell to the ground, but none of the men surrounding you do anything about it.

“Is that it?” you asked.

After a minute or so, Lucifer took a deep breath and sat up.

“Owww,” he complained. The hole in his head started closing as he stood up. “Where did you get that?”

Lucifer had a look of murder in his eyes, and when he approached Dean, you knew he was going to hurt him. Without thinking, you rushed in front of Dean just as Lucifer’s fist came up to punch Dean. Your hand made contact with his, but a layer of magic separated the two kinds of flesh. Your eyes only glowed a brighter blue the more magic you exerted on the archangel. He was impressed you could do this, but he knew he was more powerful than you were.

“Even locked away in a cage, Amara is still a pain in my ass,” he chuckled.

He used more of his strength to knock you to the ground, and he still managed to punch Dean right into a tree which knocked him out. He walked away from you, and you scrambled over to Dean to help him.

“I’ll deal with you later,” Lucifer growled.

“Dean? Dean!” you panicked, putting your blue hand to his forehead.

His skin absorbed the magic you gave him, and he opened his eyes as soon as it did its thing.

“Now, where were we?” Lucifer chuckled. Sam watched with a horrified look as he picked up his shovel once more. “Don't feel too bad, Sam. There are only five things in all of creation that that gun can't kill, and I just happen to be one of them. But if you give me a minute, I'm almost done.”

Lucifer goes back to digging in his hole, and Sam looked at you to make sure his brother was alright. When you gave the nod of approval, he focused back on the angel.

“You know, I don't suppose you'd just say yes here and now? End this whole tiresome discussion? That's crazy, right?”

“It's never gonna happen!”

“Oh, I don't know, Sam. I think it will,” Lucifer goes back to digging. “I think it'll happen soon. Within six months, and I think it'll happen in Detroit.”

“You listen to me, you son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I'm going to rip your heart out!”

“That's good, Sam. You keep fanning that fire in your belly. All that pent-up rage. I'm gonna need it,” he grinned.

Sam visibly calmed down, looking at the townspeople still all around him.

“What did you do? What did you do to this town?”

“Oh, I was very generous with this town. One demon for every able-bodied man.”

“And the rest of them?”

“In there. I know, it's awful, but these horsemen are so demanding. So, it was women and children first. I know what you must think of me, Sam, but I have to do this. I have to. You of all people should understand.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Sam asked, and Lucifer dropped the shovel.

“I was a son. A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved. Idolized, in fact. One day I went to him and I begged him to stand with me, and Michael turned on me. He called me a freak, a monster. Then, he beat me down all because I was different. Because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, Sam, any of this sound familiar? Anyway. You'll have to excuse me. Midnight is calling and I have a ritual to finish. Don't go anywhere. Not that you could if you would.”

Lucifer turned to the hole he dug and began chanting as did the demons around him. Sam rushed over to you and Dean, and you helped the older brother sit up.

“Now repeat after me. We offer up our lives, blood, souls to complete this tribute,” Lucifer chanted, his disciples repeating after him.

One by one, the demons flash gold and fall over, dead. You and the Winchesters looked at Lucifer like he murdered an entire town—oh wait, he did.

“What? They're just demons,” Lucifer shrugged, going back to stare at the mass grave.

The ground starts to rumble, but Castiel appeared next to you three. He placed his finger on his lips to signal to you to be quiet. He used his abilities to teleport all three of you out of there and back at your dad’s house.

All of this, and Ellen and Jo died for nothing.

The glasses from Ellen and Castiel’s drinking competition are still on the table. The TV is on, showing a tornado with a caption that reads, “STATE OF EMERGENCY, Paulding County" and "KOUA 16".

“Just received an update that the governor has declared a state of emergency for Paulding County, including the towns of Marion, Fetterville, and Carthage. The storm system has reportedly touched off a number of tornadoes in the area,” the TV reporter announced.

You, Dean, Sam, and your dad all gather around the fireplace. After you told your dad what happened and how Ellen and Jo died for nothing, he didn’t say anything about it. How could he?

“Death tolls have yet to be estimated, but state officials expect the loss of life and property to be staggering.”

Your dad held a copy of the picture that was taken earlier. No one could bear to even look at the damn thing, so he tossed it into the fire and just watched it burn…

Like the rest of the world will do.

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[seriouslyblacklikemysoul]

An Ephemeral Eternity in Seven Parts - Steve Rogers x Reader

MASTERLIST Word Count ~ 3.7k Warnings: Gifs aren’t mine. My English. This part contains a bit of Bucky x reader too.  Part I Part II PART III She had made up her mind. She wanted to finish her mission with a twist in the end. She had been living in Bucharest for quite a while, getting used to the simple people, to the easy life while at the same time she was looking for him. Her memory had fully recovered and even though she wasn't proud of the things she did, that was her past and she owed to herself to make a change. She decided to find him and make sure everything was okay. Her plan worked but it all blew up when someone pretended to be the Winter Soldier and took down King T'Chaka. She knew it wasn't Bucky. He was done with all of that. And she knew that much because they had been together that exact moment.

Bucharest had been nothing but beautiful to her, with its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life. It wasn't that hard going back to not depending on Stark's money. She had gotten a job, a small apartment and she actually liked it there, thinking that maybe she could stay a while. She had been walking down an old and narrow street going back to her place after her shift when she had bumped into someone. "Îmi pare foarte rău" she had immediately offered but her accent wasn't that great which was the reason he had looked up to her face with a soft smile ready to say that it was okay, when he had seen her and had stayed still. Her eyes had widened and she had to force her mouth shut. He was about to turn away and make a run for it. "Please don't go" she had breathed out as fast as she could. It had made him halt and weigh his options as he had scanned the entire street for any back up. Slowly, he had relaxed and looked at her, still in shock. "What are you doing here?" he had asked her in a low voice. She had really hoped for a different scene. She had rolled her eyes at his behavior. "Yes, I am alone here. Yes, it's good to see you too. And thank you for asking, I am fine" she had sneered in a fake playful tone and raised her eyebrow. He had huffed in annoyance, but he knew she was right.  "Fine, fine. You found me, now what do you want?" he had tried again. He knew he wouldn't sake her off. She had always been stubborn and never gave up. She had facepalmed without even caring about the few people who were passing by. "A drink, a rooftop and you're gonna join me" she had concluded, leaving him no choice. 

After that, they had hit it off. She had even made him an offer; he would teach her Romanian and she would help him any way he needed. At some point after she told him she was a Stark, her grandparents had come up. He had admitted that they were his mission once. He had thought she would be furious at him but she knew, better than anyone that he wasn't the one who killed them and quite honestly didn't care that much. Although her father would.  It was late at night or early in the morning, she wasn't sure and she didn't quite care. They were gazing the sky from her balcony and the view was pure and beautiful. Her apartment was on the top floor and she would take advantage of that fact whenever she had the chance. It had been a long day and she needed to lay off some steam. He had been in a weird mood, like he was waiting for the next bad thing to happen for a while. The air was chilly but they didn't mind, both of them lost in their thoughts and in their beers. "I didn't expect this when I came here" he admitted, a soft and cautious smile made its way to his pink lips. She looked at him in the same gingerly way but with a warmer smile.  "Am I such a boring person?" she joked and gasped in fake agony which made him laugh. It was genuine, rich and melodic - he should laugh more. He rolled his eyes at her manners but he was truly thankful for her presence - she made everything seemed easier.  "You're perfect doll" he whispered before he could think what he was saying. He hoped she didn't pay attention to his words, just for once because he was definitely not ready for that. He knew about Steve and her feelings for him. All the masks and facades were off once she realized he remembered Steve - she forced him to face his actions, his memories and even tried to help him with the triggering thing, as he never wanted to go full on Winter Soldier ever again, with her mind powers. Even though she discovered a way for him to remain himself in all cases, she wasn't sure she could do it without injuring him in a permanent way but she promised she wouldn't stop trying to come up with something better. "Sorry, what was that? I had zooned out a bit" she told him with an apologetic tone. She had heard him loud and clear but she wasn't even close to ready for that, so she decided to spare them both the awkward moment.  "It's late. Maybe we should get some rest" he tried to save whatever was left to be saved. Little did they know fate was a complicated thing. She nodded in agreement and walked into the apartment. He was going to offer to leave and she was going to arch her eyebrow, criticizing his ability to decide correctly. It had happened more times than they could remember and therefore they had this rule; if it was after midnight no one left. It was going to be... Different. 

 Things were happening way too fast for her to register everything. One moment she had eyes on Bucky and the next she had to run to his place, only instead of finding him alone, she found Steve too.  "Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they're not planning on taking you alive" Steve told him before she walked into the room through the back door. "That's smart. Good strategy" Bucky answered coldly. Both of them, turned around when she cough on purpose. Steve's eyes popped out for a moment. "Shut up James. What are you doing here Rogers? Weren't you in London, screwing her niece?" she fired at them. Bucky was left disturbed and Steve pulled a face. Thankfully, she realized that they had been compromised and acted fast, shielding them with her powers, a soft lilac color between them and the door. "This doesn't have end in a fight, Buck" Steve tried again, ignoring Sam in his ear. "It always ends in a fight" Bucky prepared himself for the collision.  "You pulled me from the river. Why?" Steve pushed back and she saw the determination in his blue eyes. "I don't know". "Yes, you do".  "Shut it and get down" she intervened, throwing Steve's shield on the grenade that flew through the window.  "Go" they both said to her and for a moment they looked at each other with a single question in their eyes. Before she could do anything else, Steve grabbed her and threw her out of the window. ”You ass" she screamed on the top of her lungs before she landed on her feet. Her mind was screaming 'run and hide' but she wasn't going to listen to reason. She had to be were Steve was. She had to find them and so she knelt down and touched the ground with her hands, using her abilities to track them down. She felt the energy of the earth trembling inside her and she sent out a vibration through her slender fingers but it was already too late. She felt nothing but strangers, not a single clue to where they had gone. She took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You ass" she repeated to herself thinking about how stupidly brave he acted. Trying her best to remain in control of her powers, she used her ultimate weapon; her mind skills. She wanted to believe that after all the bad things that had happened during her stay in Sokovia, something useful might have come out of it. She asked the first person she bumped into if she could use their phone. He picked up almost immediately. "How did you find this number?" Tony asked shamelessly making her question her patience once again. "I need a ride, Tony. To wherever you are" she cut to the chase without even thinking about it. There was no time to waste. He took a moment and she could almost hear his sarcastic comment coming up but hats off, he swallowed it. "Tineretului park, ten minutes. You and I ... we need to talk" he ominously told her and hung up. He knew where she was and he hadn't even tried to contact her. That hurt her a lot more than she would have imagined.

Once she set foot on that ugly building her senses tensed and her guard went up in a microsecond. Soon enough she was accompanied by a guard that led her to Tony. Steve was there - not so surprising anymore. That man turned up wherever she was. She opened the glass door and entered the secluded room, while the two of them were fighting yet again. "She's not a US citizen" Tony was about to hit Steve and she could see it so clearly. "Oh, come on, Tony" Steve saw through him. "Tony, come on. You can't mean that" she intervened, both of them suddenly acknowledging her. Steve's eyes softened, something that didn't go unnoticed by Tony who squeezed his.  "They don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction" he went on, making her temper snap.  "She's a kid!" Steve raised his voice at the same time she was about to- but she was going to say something totally different. She grew silent as if someone had punched her in her chest. Wanda wasn't that much younger than her and it hit her like a tornado. Had she been a kid to him all that time? "Give me a break! I'm doing what has to be done . . . to stave off something worse" Tony yelled, momentarily losing his cool too. "That's not the way to do it" she faintly informed him. She knew that her feelings towards Steve wasn't their first priority but she needed to know. "You keep telling yourself that" Steve said disapproving his decisions. He placed down a pen and commented dryly. "Hate to break up the set" as he left the office when one of the monitors was showing Bucky. She had no idea what to do but she before she could storm out and follow Steve, Tony halted her demanding a conversation. "So, did you screw them both? They sure look at you like they want to" he commented dryly but somehow she just puffed. "I am not you Tony. And this is not about them, it's about us. I can't be with you in this one. It's just not right, dad" she finally told him. It didn't matter if he wouldn't listen. "You not signing the Accords or you helping them? Because yes, they are not right" he retorted using sarcasm as a defend mechanism. She moved closer to the door, not wanting to play any more games. "Listen, I would never have signed those, not after the things I've seen and done. And I am helping them because they are right. Bucky didn't bomb the UN thing in Vienna. He was in Bucharest. We were in Bucharest. But you already knew that, right?" she looked at him in a way that made him reconsider. He had a daughter and he had been an ass; he knew that. He rolled his eyes and focused on the pens. "Fine, fine. Just tell me this. Is Capsicle that important to you?" he asked her but he saw just how much in her eyes. She took a moment - nothing had changed. "He is" she finally admitted - to herself mostly. She needed to hear herself saying it out loud. They were exhausted but they both had keep fighting for what they believed. She left him alone as she tried to locate Steve but not a moment later all hell broke loose. Shivers run down her spine and she could sense the fragile state of everyone she cared about. She knew where she had to go and made a run for it. It was always day like this one she had to pretend she didn't feel, to play the great role that HYDRA made her play for the first time only problem was, she wasn't the same person any more. She had changed and it affected everything. He affected her in the most enticing way. She remembered the first time she felt that different squeeze around her heart and even though she knew it wasn't technically an organ that could feel emotions, she ignored her common sense and got lost in his eyes.

It was late, she knew that but it didn't stop her from softly nudging him. He was leaning against the glass door frame, looking outside, not a single light was turned on. He wasn't startled, if anything, when he turned to greet her, he was somewhat happy she had found him. He offered a small feeble smile but at least it was a real one and that mattered most. She took in every little detail of his face in the dead of night and without using her voice, she told him it was going to be okay. He had a bit on green in his baby blue eyes, his brows were knitted together when he thought too hard but he looked tired - not just physically, she didn't even know if that could happen, but that kind of emotional exhaustion that made it difficult to pull through.  “I learnt to hold my self longer than I wanted to” she said to the scenery that unfolded in front of her eyes.   “I’ve dealt with pain alone, so no one could use my wounds and scars against me" she went on as she had his full attention and she didn't even know it. She winced in the mere memory but she didn't regret it- maybe she would have preferred to learn the lesson without so much torture but still... "Did it work?" he asked her, still not looking at her. He felt her energy vibrating through the thin air that separated them. She smiled and turned her face towards his with sadness in her eyes. "All it took was one pair of eyes and everything I thought I controlled came crushing down" she admitted without holding back her insecurities. He saw her for who she was- beautiful, ethereal, dangerous and powerful but soft and gentle. What a different way to exist, he thought.  "I have no idea what kind of influence I actually have on people, or to what degree I’ve actually affected decisions people have made or the way they think about things. And I just want to be the most positive force I can be, because I know how absolutely crucial that is. And I’m trying really hard to be the inspiration and the hope that people might need but it's hard to appear all positive when... well you're not" he found himself telling her without any kind of masks on. To him, that was the most intimate moment he ever had. She understood that much, he was an easy one to read. She rested her head on his shoulder without asking for permission as she felt him all tensed for a second.  "Oh I know. You're good with people Steve, I've told you that. And you want to be that positive fucking little unicorn because it's who you are. Not the best soldier, no you are not a follower, you're a leader, but a unique person" she half whispered, her words softer than feathers. He was utterly captivated by her even though she was a Stark.  "I am not a positive fucking little unicorn" he mocked her in playful way she hadn't seen before. She gasped in shock. "Golden Boy swears. That's the stuff. Oh, you're so much sexier now" she joked too but somewhere between those blurred lines, she knew she would admit everything if he asked her. He tried to laugh silently but the vibrations gave him away. Slowly, he placed his arm around her waist bringing her closer to him. He gave her enough time to step away if she felt uncomfortable but she didn't. Her breath was in harmony with his. They stayed in silence in the dark, looking outside, wishing they were stars, far away and so beautiful in their tragedy.  "I know what you're doing. You don't have to. Not with me" he told her after a while, softly making her turn to his face with a puzzled look. Facing her was so much more difficult than simply holding her. "And what is that?" she genuinely asked him, not even considering the possibility of such an answer. "You made people believe that you are just fighting everyone’s demons away when in reality, you were making them your own. You don't have to do that for me, doll" he tenderly breathed, not knowing when or how did his hands cup her face. She was deliberately waiting for her mind to give her an answer but that never happened. And so, she listened to her heart. "How can I not?" she airily asked as she stepped back to look at him. He realized his hands were still craving to hold her. There was something about the night he liked more - maybe because he felt free to be who he was, or maybe because she was there. It took him a while to answer and that made her think she had over-stepped her boundaries. She was about to walk away, when he reached for her wrist, spun her around and kissed her. Many people had tried to kiss her before, that... that was different. It had meaning. His lips were soft and almost unsure of his actions but his hands were steady and strong, one cupping her face and the other wrapping her closer. She tasted the sweetness in his mouth along with a faint hint of smoke and she smiled in the kiss. She had been craving that moment a long time. 

She saw him with Sam and ran towards them. Red emergency lights were flashing all around them. There were many agents slumped on the floor. All of them out cold. She knew it. "Help me. Help" a quirky voice told them. Steve looked at her in relief. At least she was okay. She found Zemo in a heap inside the chamber. Steve was hot on her heels. "Get up" he barked as he grabbed Zemo and shoved him against the wall.  "Who are you? What do you want?" he asked him repeatedly. "To see an empire fall" he finally said with a glorious smile. As Sam entered, Bucky swung his fist and smashed through the wall.  Bucky grabbed Sam by the jaw and threw him at the open pod. Steve lurched into the fight and landed a punch which Bucky barely felt. She felt as if all air had left her lungs. Bucky kicked Steve out of the chamber as his punch went through the elevator door. No matter what Steve did, Bucky wasn't there. "Stop" she screamed as loud as she could, letting her powers fly from her fingers to stop Steve from falling down the elevator shaft. They were chasing him, trying to control the damage but he was stronger. She found him blasting bullets to her father, stunning him. They never saw eye to eye, but that was a whole other level. Sharon rushed to Bucky and for the first time she actually liked the blond woman. He flipped Sharon head over heels and smashed her onto a table when she wrapped her legs around his neck and placed her hands on his head, using her manipulation powers. He stopped for a nanosecond and then slammed her onto the floor. T'Challa came from nowhere and kicked him off. She saw that they were fighting but didn't stay around. He wasn't going to be there for a long time, he would knock them out and flee.  She decided to use Tony's gift. For the first - and last - time. She was always wearing it around her wrist like a bracelet but it was so much more than that. She climbed to the top of the building and pressed the small button. The bracelet expanded into a suit; an armor not very Iron Man-like. After all, he had designed it for her, cleverly leaving her hands uncovered for her to use her powers, the soft leather hugged her body perfectly while the reinforced metal parts of the suit covered her chest and back. What Tony didn't exclude were 'the hovering thingies' as she called them, enabling her to actually fly. Bucky marched up to a blue chopper and pulled the lock off the door. Steve rushed outside and run toward the rising chopper while she had just landed on the roof, surprising them. Steve made a crazy leap and grabbed the landing gear as he started to pull hard and the chopper struggled to gain height. The chopper dragged him onto the weak looking mesh framing the helipad. She kicked off and flew around it, landing the perfect amount of power to knock it to the roof. The rotor-blades were smashed to pieces and Steve ducked as the tail swung around. The chopper was there, twisted on the mesh at the edge of the pad. She tried to prevent it but Bucky's arm smashed through the glass and he grabbed Steve by his throat. She twisted his arm away from Steve but as she tried to untangle them, the chopper fell into the river. She stopped her fall centimeters away from the water with her suit and once she saw Steve surfacing with Bucky, she dived down and carried them both out.

Taglist: @accio-rogers​ @coffee-with-orion​ @moli1497​ @stydia-4-ever​ @smilexcaptainx​

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE SERIES: My Favorite One Piece Arc with Steve Yurko

  I love One Piece and I love talking to people who love One Piece. And with the series going on 23 years now, there is a whole lot to talk about. As the series is about to publish its 1000th chapter, a true feat in and of itself, we thought we should reflect upon the high-seas adventure and sit down with some notable names in the One Piece fan community and chat about the arcs they found to be especially important, or just ones they really, really liked.

  Welcome to the next article in the series "My Favorite One Piece Arc!"

  My next guest in this series is Steve Yurko, co-host of The One Piece Podcast, a podcast with a subject you can probably guess. He's also a former storyboard artist for Rick & Morty and is currently working for Netflix Animation. As a ride-or-die Sanji fan, Steve chose the Baratie Arc, where Luffy and the gang run into an East Blue restaurant with a cool chef that loves to cook and kick.

  A note on spoilers: If you haven't seen the Baratie arc yet, this interview does contain major plot points. Watch the Arlong Park arc starting RIGHT HERE if you'd like to catch up or rewatch!

    Dan Dockery: So a friend tells you, "I'm done with the Syrup Village arc and I'm not sure if I want to watch this next one. I think I might be tapped out on this whole One Piece thing. In one sentence, how do you get them to stay and watch the Baratie arc?

  Steve Yurko: The Baratie arc laid down the foundation and created the formula of the One Piece arc as we know it.

  That's pretty good!

  Yeah, I’d say that, when I first started it, One Piece was my third favorite. I was more of a fan of series like Shaman King and Naruto, but after Baratie, things shifted. It was a turning point for me. I would hope that it would do the same for anyone who’s, say, previously apathetic towards the series.

    How old were you when you first read it? Or watched it?

  It feels weird to say this, but my introduction to One Piece was Chapter 1. Like Dragon Ball Z, the first episode I can remember watching was, like, Yamcha training on King Kai’s planet, and I’d get Goku and Yamcha confused and stuff, because I had just dived in. So for me to start a story like One Piece from the beginning is kind of rare. I was 15, I think.

  So, we're jumping into Baratie, and we first see the guy with the brass knuckles, Fullbody. He's trying to act cool on a date and he's being mean to everyone else. And then we have Sanji being typical Cool Sanji and Fullbody acts up and Sanji just tears through him. How did you react? Did you know immediately that you'd like this waiter?

  Well, I don't want to alarm you here, but my first thought was “Sanji’s cool!” I’d seen images of him before, and I saw his black suit and blond hair and I figured, “Oh, another crew member, probably. Looks distinct enough.” So I often have to look back and wonder “Did I like him because of his edgy coolness?” but I think now it’s because there were more layers to him. Like, he definitely stands out from the other Straw Hats, but he also has this distinct fighting style with cool reasoning. He’s a cook and he doesn’t want to bust up his hands trying to punch people in the face, so he uses his feet. So, he does like these cool capoeira kicks, which only gets better as they go along because I feel like so many anime characters, the stronger they get, the more they start to fight the same with fast volleys of punches and laser blasts. So Sanji’s kicks are a great way to differentiate himself from the main cast and other anime heroes. 

  So, then we have Luffy, he shows up by damaging the Baratie. Enter: Zeff. Full disclosure: In my infinite naivete when I first watched One Piece, I thought Zeff was going to be the new crew member. And then I thought Gin was going to join the Straw Hat crew. And then when Sanji finally joined, I was like, "This guy? Really? Dark horse candidate over here."

  You didn’t know yet?

    I guess I hadn't watched the first ED yet — when the crew slowly shows up and stands beside one another.

  You saw Usopp’s silhouette appear and thought, “Eh, I’ve seen enough.”

  "That must be all of them."

  It happens.

  So, you meet Zeff, and you learn about Sanji and Zeff's relationship, and we get a big One Piece flashback. What do you think of that? Because it would become a staple of the series to kinda pause, see what happened to an important guy, and then come back.

  Such an incredible story and so gruesome and terrifying. Sanji’s original flashback is so underrated because it could happen to anyone! Like, you’d have to go out of your way to get stranded on an island, but going days and weeks without food or any real comfort? I think people underestimate how traumatizing that would be. And then Zeff losing his leg because he hacked it off for food, it’s brutal. Just thinkin’ about that, I feel it in my shins. Because that almost happened to me with a minor injury. I let a minor injury get infected, and I could’ve been close to losing a leg.

    Wait, what? Gahd.

  I was doing box jumps at a gym, and my shin hit the corner of this wooden crate.

  Yeah, those things have no give in them.

  Absolutely. And at the time, I thought it was just this dark spot on my shin. And I figured it was, ya know a bruise. So I let it be. And then I picked at the scab and I realized “Wow, that’s a little deeper than I thought. I guess I’ll go to the doctor if it gets worse.” And I kept going to the gym, wearing pants over like this open wound. And my left leg is so swollen. So I went to two different doctors, as the first one did tests and then sent me to another one. And when this doctor saw me, the look on her face said “Oh, this is bad.” So I laughed out loud about how dumb I was and the doctor turned to me and said “This isn’t funny. This IS SERIOUS.” It had gotten infected with bacteria and it was spreading, and she just took a sharpie and drew around the infected area, and gave me antibiotics and was like “You have to keep this elevated, and if the redness goes outside of this line, go to the hospital.” But luckily, I recovered, even though the doctors were like “Honestly, we thought you’d go to the hospital.” So when Zeff severs his foot with a rock, how does anyone not feel that? 

  Do you think that's one of the reasons Luffy is fascinated by Sanji at first? His mentor, Shanks, lost his arm and was cool about it. Zeff lost his leg and was cool about it. Basically twins.

  That’d be an interesting conversation that we never got to see. Just two dudes talking about how weird it is that both their father figures did that, with only Luffy thinking it’s cool. 

    Don Krieg's ship gets blown in half by an incomprehensibly cool character, Mihawk, the first Warlord to appear in the show. You see Mihawk arrive — what is your reaction to him? Because it's not a case of "The villain of the villain is my friend," but rather "Oh, he did that to the villain? I hope he does not do that to us, as that would suck."

  It’s almost like the good guys meeting the bad guys, and then a tornado comes in. But here’s the thing: I missed the issue of Jump where Zoro fought Mihawk. So I assumed that Zoro had just won. The greatest swordsman in the world shows up and Zoro beats him. Boom. The climax of his character arc has been achieved. Nothing left for Zoro. 

  He just did it.

  I didn’t find out until so much later that Zoro lost. I wasn’t quite aware of what made for a captivating story yet. At that time, an obstacle appears, an obstacle gets taken out, ya move on. I almost want to apologize to Mihawk. 

  I love how One Piece does this though. They do it with Smoker and Aokiji and the like. It reminds me of The Witcher III when you go off the path a little bit, and you're at a Level 4 and then a Level 39 Gryphon swoops down and decapitates you. It keeps the "power levels" interesting.

  Luffy starts up Breath of the Wild and goes right for Calamity Ganon. But Mihawk is like the analogy for the Grand Line. He represents it, without revealing too much. Mihawk is like a Pizza Hut demo disc of danger.

  I really like that. And no one knows, to this day, exactly how powerful he is. Over 20 years later, and we're still wondering how he matches up against Shanks or Blackbeard or whatever. One Piece has so many characters where Oda hasn't shown his full hand in regards to them, yet we're totally emotionally invested in them. That's good storytelling.

  He’s doing something right. And I love that Mihawk has a little character arc here, too, where he shows up nonchalantly slicing up Krieg’s ships, probably doesn’t expect much, and then he’s taken aback by Zoro’s gusto, because he hasn’t seen anyone like that in a while. And he slices Zoro down. But he respects him, when in the beginning, he clearly didn’t respect anyone around. Mihawk wants to see him be better and try to take him down one day. For him to willingly build someone up like that is rare. Like Frieza wouldn’t do that.

    So, Don Krieg — what were your opinions of him at the time? Because he's a really bad guy surrounded by more morally grey guys like Mihawk and Gin.

  What I like about the East Blue saga is that every main villain is an antithesis of Luffy and what makes Luffy a truly great captain. Buggy is all about treasure. Kuro is about ambition and the fortitude to be a pirate. Krieg is about might and strength, and Krieg thinks he has both of those because of his weapons and armor. But Luffy has willpower and ambition and doesn’t let the world change his views. Luffy is incorruptible whereas Krieg is willing to poison his own crew when stuff starts going south. Krieg isn’t fondly remembered, but he really serves his purpose in the story.

  So, after Krieg is defeated, Sanji turns down Luffy's offer to join the Straw Hat crew. Now, he knows this is a bad idea. He's not gonna find the All Blue floating around on the Baratie. Why doesn't he go immediately?

  Well, he knows it’s a bad idea but he’s completely misinterpreting Zeff’s sacrifice. He feels that since Zeff sacrificed his leg, he has to repay him by working for him indefinitely. But the reason that Zeff did that was because he wants Sanji to live on and chase his dream. That’s why Zeff took pity on him in the first place. He’s an older, worn-down man now, and he stopped chasing his dream. And now he wants to see Sanji or someone get a win. It lifts his spirit to see Sanji and live kinda vicariously through him. 

  So, the second time I ever cried over One Piece was during Sanji's goodbye and Zeff's "Don't catch a cold." The first time was when that little dog was trying to protect his dead owner's shop in Orange Town, but that's a different story. But this shot of Sanji on his knees thanking Zeff with all the cooks surrounding them is so iconic, and Sanji's acting like it's a gift that Zeff gave him that Sanji could never repay, while as you said, Zeff just wants Sanji to be happy. What did you get out of that? I assume that you're a human with human emotions.

  I cry every time I watch that. When I first saw it, I was like “How? How is a series this good?” And there’s so much to that ending sequence. Because the Baratie is built on this rough, angry masculinity. Just these dudes being mean and fighting each other and customers all the time. There’s never a time or a place for lending a shoulder to someone else. No emotional embraces of any kind. Just everyone berating everyone. No one can open up — just stupid man babies. And then you get to this moment where Sanji is leaving and they’re all trying to be cool while playing it off. Especially Zeff, who can’t give a legitimate goodbye, but rather a “Don’t catch a cold.” But there’s so much to that statement and the facade crumbles. All these grown men start bawling. 

    I've never thought about it that way. There's all these little hints of kindness, like feeding the bad guys, and it's a masculinity powder keg. And then Sanji, in an ultimate display of putting his heart out there, bows to the man who saved him and the keg explodes. That's really cool.

  ONE PIECE LIGHTNING ROUND!

  Favorite One Piece character?

  Sanji

  Favorite One Piece villain?

  Enel

  Favorite One Piece moment?

  March to Arlong Park

  Favorite Straw Hat Crew pairing?

  Luffy and Zoro

  Favorite moment of the new Wano anime arc?

  Soba Mask’s debut

  If you could eat one Devil Fruit, what would it be?

  Whatever Kanjuro’s fruit is

  Moment that made you cry the hardest?

  Sanji leaving the Baratie

  Moment that made you cheer the loudest?

  Straw Hats at the Tower of Justice standing across from Robin

  One Piece location that you'd like to live in?

  Whole Cake Island. Ya eat well, ya know, you can survive Big Mom

  Favorite fight scene?

  Sanji vs Mr. 2, of course

      Stay tuned for the next installment of "My Favorite One Piece Arc" as we speak with Botchamania creator Maffew about his favorite One Piece arc: Alabasta!!

        Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

By: Daniel Dockery

[superheroconfetti]

Let It Rain Part 1/?

Pairings: Chris Evans x OFC

Warnings: PG-13 - Little bit of language

Word Count: 4497 (Yes, I talk a lot)

Author Notes: Debating continuing this. First attempt at a Chris fic, so we’ll see how it goes! :) 

The news had been warning us of the fall storms rolling in over the weekend for almost seven days in advance, a wicked bout of weather was headed our way and it made me nervous. Normally, I’d be fine, but being in a house that wasn’t ours, with my fiance’ on the other side of the country, made me more out of sorts than normal. 

Chris had gone back to California for a few weeks of press for his new movie, leaving me at our place outside of Atlanta. It had been much easier to pick up our lives and move here, where the majority of the last Avengers movie was being filmed. The house was only rented, a giant, three story Victorian place, tucked back outside of the city limits. I’d fallen in love with it, over Facetime, when he’d been looking and taken me through a tour of the property. Secretly, I’d begun to wonder, over the months we’d spent, if he’d fallen in love with it enough to buy it when filming ended. He’d always said how relaxed he felt, coming home from sixteen hour days of filming, knowing that he could actually let his guard down and escape when he wasn't on set. I had to admit that it was beautiful here and I wasn’t sure that I’d mind staying, if he wanted to. 

Opening the front door, I took a peek outside, the sunshine bright and way too hot for the middle of November, even in the South. The air had a volatile sort of quality to it, that I could already feel and I sighed, twisting my engagement ring on my finger. Even from California, Chris had been keeping an eye on the weather reports, adorably keeping me updated when there was any change. I let him, not bothering to mention that I was keeping a better eye on it, possibly than even he was. Rain and wind, I could handle, but the talk of tornados, scared the life out of me. 

Raised up north, storms like these were definitely not a common thing for me. Chris had been filming in Atlanta long enough over the years, to barely bat an eye at the mention of severe storms, but this time, he even seemed worried. I’d just settled in a chair on our porch, watching the dried leaves whip through the lawn at a hurried pace, when my phone beeped from my pocket. I scooped it up, smiling to see a text from him. 

I’d tagged him in my contacts as “Captain”, forever snickering over it when I received a notification or phone call from him. Chris hadn’t noticed until he’d been looking in my phone for a picture he’d wanted one afternoon and realized what I’d done. He’d simply groaned and rolled his eyes, smirking good naturedly but I had a feeling that he liked it more than he let on. 

Ry, you’re watching this shit right? I’m starting to get worried about you, baby.

I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face before answering him. It was better to do it now, he’d worry if I took too long, getting back to him, especially on a day like today. 

I’m watching. Little bit scared. I admitted. It’s way too hot out for November, feels weird outside.

Fuck. His one word message came back and I knew he was frustratedly running his fingers through his hair. He’d let it grow again while filming and I was secretly hoping that he’d wait awhile to cut it again. You know I’d be there if I could.

I know. But you have work to do, babe. Being in LA is important right now. I imagine you don’t even have a break in your schedule, even if you wanted to.

No… Even his text messages sounded exhausted and with more than a week to go, I could tell that he was already done. As much as he loved the movie, the fans, his fellow cast mates, the press always made him tired. He was much happier at home, hanging out on the couch, with Dodger, watching sports and zoning out. I didn’t mind those times because they were far and few between and I knew he desperately needed them. 

It’ll be fine, Chris. I assured him. As worried as I was, he still had a job to do and he needed to focus on that.  I’ll be alright. Hopefully it just turns out to be a bunch of rain.

Just, keep in touch, okay? Be careful?

Whatever you say, Captain. I teased him gently because I knew it would make him smile.

Never gonna live this shit down, am I?

I knew he had rolled his eyes, but was still laughing. My phone beeped again, this time with a photo attached and it was a picture of him, with his hand over his face, shaking his head. One bright blue eye peeked between his fingers and it made me smile.

You’re cute, Evans. Go do your job. I’ll see you sometime next week, babe.

He’d typed out a quick I love you and I did the same, before shoving my phone back into the pocket of my shorts.  There was a whine at the screen door and I looked back to see Dodger watching me, pawing at the handle to be let outside. Normally, Chris would have taken him, but with the crazy hours of a press tour, he wouldn’t have the time to care for him and so he got to stay at home. Completely useless as a guard dog, he just wanted to be near anyone who would pet him for hours. 

“That was your dad…” I scratched behind his ears when I opened the door and he sped outside, down the front steps and into a pile of leaves I’d raked up the day before. “He misses you… too…”

Dodger just looked at me with a doggy grin, cocking his head and looking so much like his owner that I had to laugh. 

“Oh man, we’re a mess without him, aren’t we?” I giggled, sitting back in the chair. Soon enough, Dodger tired of the leaves and came to curl up at my feet. I ran over his fur with my bare toes and he relaxed enough to start snoring. It was cute and I took a video, sending the short clip off to Chris. I didn’t know when he’d get a chance to look at it, but it seemed to help him when he was away to have a little bit of home. 

His response was quicker than I’d expected and he was either sitting in the back row of an interview, not paying attention or he was on a break. 

God, I miss you two. 

Miss you. 

There wasn’t another reply and I sighed, checking my phone for the weather for the millionth time. The forecast hadn’t gotten any worse, but it hadn’t gotten any better either. 

I sat for awhile longer, feeling the wind pick up and start to whip the leaves around, tree branches outside the house starting to shake more than before. The sky was slowly getting darker, thick clouds moving in. Even Dodger knew something was happening as he picked his head up, anxiously, looking around and whining.

“Just a storm, buddy.” I tried to comfort him, but he stuck to me like glue as I went back inside, pacing and looking anxious. 

Making dinner for the both of us, kept my racing thoughts and Dodger’s whimpering to a minimum as we settled in. Usually an “everyone eats at the table” kind of person, I just didn’t manage it when Chris wasn’t home. I curled up on the couch with a bowl of pasta and chicken, throwing pieces of it to Dodger, to keep him busy. He seemed content to lay on the couch next to me, happily chowing down on his bone and the occasional treat. 

It was already dark when the rain began to pour and I flipped on the television, watching the weather closely. Our area was due for several threatening hits over the next few hours and I sighed when they reported that watches and warnings were already scattered all over the west side of the city. We were in for a long night.

Thankfully, with a reminder from Chris, I’d already charged my phone and my laptop, in case of a power loss. He was so much more used to this weather than I was. Earlier, he’d told me to put a pair of gym shoes, a jacket and Dodger’s leash somewhere I could easily grab them, in case of a real emergency. It was sweet that he was worried from across the country, but the fact that I’d had to make contingency plans did nothing for my nerves.

The rain came even harder and then the wind, so sharp I could hear it howling outside without even opening a door. A loud crack made me jump and Dodger whimpered, racing to hide under the dining room table. 

“Some help you are.” I muttered, rolling my eyes. The noise had come from the back of the house and I went to investigate, seeing that one of the giant willows in the backyard, was missing a few of its heavy branches. A bright burst of lightning showed me just how close it had been to taking out the double glass doors. At the same time I breathed a sigh of relief, a rumbling blast of thunder was loud enough to practically feel down to my toes. 

“Jesus Christ.” I muttered, swallowing hard. I was on my way back to the living room when the house was plunged into sudden darkness, with a pop and a sizzle as the power went out. Dodger was whimpering, probably still under the table and I worked my way back to the center of the house, with the flashlight on my phone. The dog nearly tripped me when he recognized someone familiar, instantly glued to my side, refusing to move. 

“Shhh, it’s okay…”I rubbed his fur, trying to soothe him, but I knew he could tell how on edge I was and it didn’t help him at all. “Oh where the hell is your dad when we need him, huh? Sunny freakin’ California, there’s no tornados there. Only earthquakes. I would so take an earthquake right now.” 

We’d just made it back to the couch, huddled in our own respective balls when a bang, with the volume of an explosion happened. I recognized the tinkle of glass hitting the wooden floor and bit back tears. Now the worry was real and all I wanted was Chris there to tell me everything was going to be okay. Dodger began barking madly, as if he was attempting to scare off whatever had broken the glass. “Fine time to be a guard dog now…” I hissed at him, knowing he wasn’t paying any attention. Glancing at my cell phone, I didn’t have any bars of service and really started to panic. 

“Ok, Dodge, come on buddy, let’s go get your leash. We gotta go downstairs.” I had never been so happy for Chris’ suggestion about the shoes and a small backpack of essential items. Grabbing all of it and shakily clipping Dodger’s leash to his collar, we worked our way down to a small closet, hidden at the bottom level of the house. Chris and I hadn’t even known it was there until about a month after we’d moved, finding it one day when we’d been goofily exploring every nook and cranny of the place. 

Dodger continued to whine and pace in the small space, giving me very little room to do much else but sit on the floor and try to calm down. It was hard to do, when the only noise was the pounding rain and wind, strong enough to take out every tree on the property. I tried to send a message to Chris, my hands shakily punching in letters, but when I tried to send it, it failed every time. 

“Dammit, dammit…” I whispered, swallowing hard. “Okay, buddy. We’re gonna be alright, it’ll be over soon.” The dog didn’t seem comforted and I think I’d said the words more to reassure myself than him, but he put his paws on my knees, nosing insistently at me as if to check if I was in one piece. For being quite a bit bigger than a lap dog, he always seemed to end up there anyway and I put my arms around his neck, hanging on. His leash was still wrapped around my hand, so that I could hold onto him if needed. If there was one thing I knew would break Chris’ heart more than anything else, it would be to lose his dog. 

We sat in silence for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, the dog’s tail swishing forlornly against my side. Another explosion like noise and slam from upstairs nearly brought tears to my eyes, I was really beginning to hate how loud this storm was, wondering how much damage was being done to the house. The noises continued though and I suddenly was on high alert, unsure if I’d locked the doors. Being outside of the city and rather secluded, I’d never given much thought to being bothered. If the massive amount of foliage didn’t fend off any unwanted visitors, the mile long winding driveway down to the house would have. Dodger often sat outside, guarding it and waiting, especially when Chris was gone, as if he refused to move until he saw his owner come back. 

 What sounded like footsteps, and quick ones, creaked across the floorboards above us and Dodger yelped quietly, trying to lunge out of my grasp. “Hey! Stay here!” I murmured, pulling him close. He only whined and wriggled more, desperate to see what was going on. Another slam and more footsteps thundered down the stairs, closer to our hiding spot. There was a voice and it took me a long moment to process that somehow, the voice knew my name. 

“Ry? Dodge? Rylee!” It was full of panic and worry, but Dodger’s answering bark drowned out the next words. The door to our hiding spot flew open and the dog darted away before I could grab at his collar. Thankfully, he hadn’t gone far, joyfully pawing at the person standing there. 

“Rylee? Baby, holy fuck, are you okay?” 

Chris. Oh my God. I didn’t know why he was there or how he’d even managed to get to us, with the storm going on outside, but I’d never been happier to see him. 

“Hi…” I stood up, tears finally falling, more out of relief than anything else as he pulled me in tightly against his chest. “How...why…?”

“Shhh. shhhh…” he murmured,  brushing his hand over my hair. He was soaking wet, flannel and t-shirt clinging to him. “It’s okay.”

“Chris, you’re soaked.” I immediately worried, when I realized he was drenched, brushing my hands over his arms. “Honey, what happened?”

“Can’t get down the driveway…” he shook his head. “Like three trees down, I walked.” 

“Are you insane?” I breathed. “How did you even get here?” 

“Airport wasn’t grounded when my flight came in. Made it right before the storms hit. I’ve been trying for almost two hours to get to you. Traffic is a nightmare, the interstate is a parking lot, I about got out and walked from there. Thank God, you’re alright.” He cupped my face as he spoke, earnestly looking me over as well as he could in the dim light.

“We’re fine, we’re fine.” I assured him. “Scared out of my mind...but Chris, the house…”

“Is a mess.” he frowned. “There’s glass everywhere, I’m guessing a tree came down in the back.”

“It sounded like a bomb went off.” I admitted, putting my arms around his waist, just hanging on.

“We’ll deal with it tomorrow, when we can see what the damage is. God, do you know how scared I was? Opening the door and stepping on glass, with you and Dodge nowhere in sight?” His thumbs gently wiped the last of my tears from my cheeks.

“I tried to text you, but the service was out. When the glass broke, I grabbed his leash and my shoes and came down here.” 

The corners of his mouth turned up in a relieved smile. “You really did that?” He seemed surprised, as if he didn’t think I’d listen to him, about making a small pile of essentials. 

“Chris, you asked me to. Of course. You know I love Dodge as much as you do, there’s no way I’d let him get hurt.” 

“I don’t want you hurt either…” he breathed, pulling me close again. I suddenly didn’t mind that he was completely drenched and that being against him was slowly soaking my clothes as well. He fiercely kissed my forehead, lingering for a moment, before pulling back. We both listened for a moment, the wind and rain not sounding nearly as powerful as it had before. 

“Do you think it’s over?” 

“I hope that was the worst of it.” he sighed, tugging his fingers through his hair, turning around in the dim light to call for Dodger. “Come here, buddy.” 

The dog had been impatiently sniffing around the bottom level, somewhere he rarely went, but was next to Chris the second he called him. “Stay here with him for a second, I’m going to check things out…”

“My very own, real life superhero.” I teased him and he chuckled, squeezing my hand before disappearing back up the stairs. 

For awhile, I listened for his footsteps, slowly moving around on the floor above. It had been a good twenty minutes before he returned, the outline of his frame, glowing dimly in the light of his phone screen. 

“How bad is it?” 

He frowned and I realized just how exhausted he really was. Hoping for a good night of sleep and to wrestle with the dog and a few decent meals, he’d come home to the storm of the century and a torn up house. 

His arm came around me, pulling me against his side. It wasn’t until then that I realized he’d found some dry clothes, but his skin was still cold. “The window is gone.” 

“What? Oh no…”

My heart was broken a little bit. The giant stained glass window in the bedroom was what had sold me on the house. Chris had taken pictures of it and then shown me on a FaceTime conversation. The brightly colored, delicate pieces of glass, had been put there with such care, an intricate garden of flowers. There’d been more than one morning that I’d woken up before Chris, watching the sunshine come in, flashing pale bursts of color across his skin as he slept. 

“I’m sorry, babe. I know how much you loved it.” He murmured, pressing a kiss to my hair. “Maybe there’s a way to get it redone.”

“We only have another month here.” I said. “I can’t imagine that it could get done that quickly. The owners would probably just replace it with regular glass.” 

“I’ll talk to them.” He assured me, brushing a quick hand over my hair, tugging playfully at my ponytail, something he’d done since the day we’d met. 

I nodded, breathing in the comforting smell of the detergent I’d washed his tee in and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“It’s only for three days.” He said, quietly. “I gotta go back. They rearranged the press schedule to add more overseas interviews. But I told them I’d be back and got on a plane. They know me well enough now to know that I’ll be there when they need me.” 

“I’m glad you’re here.” 

“Me too…” he took in a deep breath. “Why don’t we try going back upstairs. If we keep Dodger in the living room and the kitchen, he’ll stay out of the glass. The hallway got hit too, those doors got punched out.”

“Oh my God.” The amount of damage in such a short time, scared me. We’d been walking that hallway only moments before the glass had come down and the fact that I’d seen the first round of branches outside was even scarier,. 

“It’s okay, Ry.” He put me behind him as we climbed the stairs back to the top level, still holding onto my hand. “It can all be fixed. I’m just glad you and Dodger are alright.” 

The wind and the rain still pounded the house, but not nearly as loud as earlier. I jumped when the lightning flashed, causing Chris to chuckle softly. “If we had somewhere to sleep, I’d make you forget all about this ridiculous storm.” 

Pulling back, I blinked up at him, confused, until I realized that the stained glass wall had probably exploded inward, shattering all over the master bedroom. 

“Oh no, really?” 

“Really.” He sighed, dragging his fingers through his hair. “We’re gonna be picking up glass in there for awhile.” 

“Way to spend your days off. I’m sure that’s exactly what you wanted.” I groaned. “That’s okay, you’re going to relax. I’ll get everything taken care of and cleaned up.” 

“Look at you, taking charge.” He smiled, tucking a strand of hair back from my cheek. “Kinda hot.”

I blushed, but even in the dark I knew he could tell. 

“Look Ry, was cleaning up from a storm what I planned to do while I was back home? Not even on the top ten of my list, but I’ll be damned if I just hang around, while you fix things. That’s not how this goes.” 

“Chris, you need time to decompress for a few days. You’re always exhausted after a press tour.” 

“Fine. I’ll relax.” He finally gave in, but not before the edges of a smile turned his lips. “As long as you do it with me.” 

“You’re sly, Evans.” I shook my head, trying not to laugh. “Why don’t we pick up this discussion tomorrow once we can check out the damage. ” 

He nodded, his hand coming up to brush fingertips over my cheek. “You know what?”

“What?”

His voice had lowered a couple of notches as he stepped in closer. “I haven’t even gotten to kiss you yet. That’s even more of a problem than broken windows.” 

I realized that he was right and smiled a little, wrapping my arms around his neck to bring him down closer to me. “I missed you, Chris.”

“Mmm, me too babydoll.” he sighed, before taking a quick nip at my bottom lip, then fusing his mouth to mine. Fingers tangled in my ponytail and I finally relaxed into him, forgetting all about the weather raging on around us. He didn’t pull away until Dodger whined, pawing at us impatiently for some attention. 

“Hey buddy, I missed you too…” he crouched down with a grin, ruffling his fur, the two getting into a wrestling match in the living room, even with the barest of lighting. I let them go, knowing they both had a little extra adrenaline to work off. As always, the wrestling match ended up with the dog sitting on Chris, as he practically cackled with infectious laughter. 

“My boys.” I snickered, just enjoying the feeling of having my little family in one place.

“He’s a goof.” Chris chuckled, finally shoving him off and joining me on the couch. The rain was down to a harsh drizzle and I flicked through the weather app on my phone, looking for an updated forecast. In an attempt to save the battery while the power was still out, I shut it down rather quickly. “I think the worst of it is over. The rain isn’t going to stop anytime soon.” 

“God, I didn’t realize how tired I was until I sat down.” He pressed his lips to my shoulder, sighing against the fabric of my sweater. “We can sleep?”

“I’ve just got blankets in the guest room.” I bit down on my lip. “All the pillows are in ours.”

“Mmm, don’t care.” he nuzzled again, clearly exhausted. “We’ll figure it out. I’ve spent three weeks in hotel beds without you, no way in hell am I doing it again until I have to.” 

“Sounds fair.” I reached up, running my fingers through his hair. “Come on, before you fall asleep right here.” 

‘Here is nice too.” he mumbled, breathing in deeply. “I’m not gonna make it in there if you keep doing that.” 

“God knows I’m not strong enough to get you off this couch.” I giggled, shifting out from under him, as he immediately slumped into the space I vacated. “Christopher, come on, five more minutes.” 

He groaned and sighed, but finally managed to get up, following along behind me. Dodger trailed after us both, seemingly confused as to why we’d settled in the guest bedroom, but he parked himself and his stuffed lion on the floor anyway. 

Chris stretched, then flopped onto the bed with a thud that shook the mattress, not even bothering to kick his shoes off. I tried to hide my giggles but he heard me anyway and suddenly there was a balled up t-shirt flying at my head. I batted it away, still snickering and he only made a face, barely visible in the dim light.

“Stop laughing.” he mumbled, before rolling onto his stomach, head pillowed on his arms. For a moment, I couldn’t help admire, watching the way his large frame was stretched out, taking up more than half of the bed. He was always in shape, but extra muscle rippled after a movie shoot and the shadows only seemed to highlight it more. 

My daydreaming was interrupted by his soft snore and I had to stop myself from giggling again. God, he was cute. Somehow, I managed to pull his sneakers off his feet without waking him and took a blanket from the closet, tucking it around his body so he wouldn’t get cold. I grabbed another for myself, before laying down next to him and he mumbled, sleepily, before throwing an arm over my waist to pull me in closer. He was always warm, something I never was and it was nice to have him there. Rest didn’t come easy without him, even though we were used to being apart. 

Sweetly, he nuzzled even closer, brushing his lips against my hair. “Love you, Ry…”

I knew he wouldn’t remember it in the morning but I pressed a kiss to his shoulder anyway, murmuring the same. The wind and rain were still coming down and we’d deal with the damage to the house in the morning, but for that moment, my little family was safe and home and that’s all I needed.

[another-sonic-blog]

That Makes Us Two: Chapter 8: “I love you”

The travel back to Hedgehog Village was a quiet one. It took them two days to get back in which they both took turns to sleep and pilot the Tornado. Amy did most of the piloting of course since she was in Shadow's body, she didn't rest much. However, out of courtesy, Shadow took her place once in a while.

They arrived at night. And Shadow was way too exhausted to do anything.

"Let's switch bodies tomorrow morning, at the cave," Shadow said as he entered Amy's home, and threw himself at the sofa. "This would be the last night I am going to enjoy sleeping."

"Alright.", Amy agreed immediately. Amy was acting differently, and Shadow noticed this. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am not sleepy so I am going for a run."

"..."

Shadow didn't want to fight it. It was more than over now. The faster they got over it, the better.

He watched Amy walk past the door, never looking back at him. However, she made a stop on the door, "If I am not back by the morning, meet me at the cave,"

Then she left.

.

.

.

Amy kept running, she didn't have a place in mind to go, she knew that she was running just to feel like she could run away from her problems.

Even with all the power in the world, she still didn't have a chance to fix anything.

She finally reached the beach, the moon was splendid, the waves were strong yet beautiful. The crashing of the waves was soothing enough that's what she needed at the moment.

She closed her eyes and let the breeze hit her face.

Everything was going to be fine.

Just fine.

Who the heck was she lying to?

Nothing was fine, tomorrow morning, would be the last time she would see Shadow.

Tomorrow is the last time she would see that hot-headed, stubborn, evil hedgehog and she would finally have her body back.

So, why wasn't she happy?

The answer was there.

But she didn't want to admit it.

She couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it.

She couldn't believe... that she was in love with Shadow the Hedgehog.

She was in love with that hot-headed, stubborn, evil hedgehog.

Shadow was right from the beginning. Amy didn't love Sonic. She was so used to following Sonic and thinking that she was in love with him that eventually, she didn't realize her feelings for him were gone long ago.

Now there was nothing more but to subside her feelings.

But how could she?

How could she forget Shadow when he was so caring, kind and gentle?

But she had to.

There was nothing she can do, but to forget.

.

.

.

Shadow didn't even remember falling asleep. It was strange enough, but it felt nice to be back on his body even if it was just a dream. He was walking in the middle of nowhere.

Everything was white.

No beginning nor end, just white.

"So, Amy Rose it is then."

Shadow turned around as soon as he heard her voice. Not even once after she died, he was able to see her. Not a picture, not even in a dream.

But there she was.

Maria.

"You are not the type to stay this quiet, Shadow. Maria smiled as she moved around him, taking a good look at him.

"You won't say anything?"

"This is not real...you are dead," Shadow mumbled to himself.

"Wow, how harsh, you don't have to remind me,"

"Maria, I am so-"

"You are going to waste your time with apologies?" She stood up in front of him, smiling and Shadow was still to shocked to react.

They stared at each other eyes for a few seconds and that's all they needed. The worries went away, his heartbeat regulated and he finally had the answer to his questions.

"Shadow...be happy."

.

.

.

    Shadow woke up exalted, he looked everywhere around the room. First thing first, Amy wasn't there, and it was already morning. He rushed out of the house with all pieces of the broken Purple Gem in a bag and ran where the cave was.

Shadow felt motivated, he was going to get back his body and he would tell Amy everything.

Everything.

He finally made it to the cave and as he entered, he saw Amy waiting for him.

But she wasn't alone.

"Old man," Shadow greeted the old red echidna. The man who raised him, the one who taught him how to use Chaos Control.

"You thought that I would be ignorant enough to believe you?"

The old red echidna, leader of Emerald Island came out of the shadows. "I need to make sure you come back and marry my daughter,"

"I know that old man, " Shadow walked towards Amy and the Leader. "I just need to go back to my body and we will be on our way,"

Shadow pulled out the bag were the rocks remained. He placed them on an elevated flat rock, the same one in which the Purple Gem used to be.

"Are you ready?," Amy asked Shadow as she approached him.

"Yes,"

They began to build the gem and looked at each piece trying to figure out where each piece went.

"You know," Amy began, "The first time I saw the Gem, there was something encrypted on it, "If in front of me war unfolds, I'll curse both until love is found,"

"That's a warning, actually" The Leader approached them, his expression changed and both Amy and Shadow listened. "It is self-explanatory, if you fight in front of the Purple Gem, it will break and curse you. You will switch bodies with the one you hate until you both find a peaceful resolution,"

"All of this because we fought? We fight all the time, that didn't fix anything," Amy added.

"Oh, seems like you both still don't know..." The Leader began to help them fix the Purple Gem, four pieces were together and the last one was in his hand, ready to be placed at the top. "This is a curse, after all, love was found but never said, therefore...you two must never see each other again,"

Amy and Shadow were confused, they wanted to ask more questions but The Leader had already placed the last piece on the Purple Gem.

The gem glowed brightly, fusing with every single piece, finally creating the Purple Gem.

Shadow grabbed Amy's hands and their eyes met, both of them glowing as they exactly knew what was going to happen.

Shadow had not time, once again he failed to express his feelings.

And he was going to pay a terrible price for it.

"Amy, Amy I love-"

And then,

it happened.

.

.

.

Amy woke up, the sun began to set already. Se had been asleep for hours now and had a headache.

Amy looked at her own body, pink and lots of pink.

She was back to her own body.

"Shadow, we made it! We are back to our bodies!" Amy said in excitement as she looked around the cave.

But not one was there,

The purple gem was gone

and she was alone.

"Amy, Amy I love-"

Amy began to sob at the sudden realization. If she had only more confidence to express her feelings, if she wasn't so afraid... then maybe...Shadow and her...

She covered her mouth to stop herself from crying. Nothing matter now, Shadow was gone, off to marry someone else.

She was never going to see him ever again, just like they promised.

Sobbing and without comfort, Amy whispered what her heart wanted to say for so long.

"I love you, Shadow."

.

.

.