#and in one unfortunate time he appears right in the middle of a 'battle'

[ananinidraws]

So who would be the first person to discover Bowser and Mario's relationship?

Princess Peach for sure

But not really in a way that she just one day happened upon it. She’s the main spectator of their pining asses, since she observes their battles from wherever she’s being kept (most times the classic lil cell above the arena), and she also spends a good amount of time with both.

I do think, however, that she is the main matchmaker. Like she’d be the one giving both lil hints, without outright saying it, and she probably strikes a deal with Bowser, smt along the lines of:

However, after they do finally get their feelings all sorted out…

…They genuinely forgot she was there

Peach is the personification of this meme to me

[call-me-strega]

Dc x Dp prompt #13: Hell to Pay

They say there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. That’s why even the Joker doesn’t fuck with the IRS.

However, unfortunately for the Joker the other certainty is death and he has yet to pay his dues. Just like how he could only get away with tax evasion for so long, there are only so many times the Joker can dodge death.

Death is coming to collect, with interest.

And the Joker will have hell to pay.

~ A dark green cloud swirls over the city. From it, emerge three oppressive figures:

The one on the far left with flowing hair like white-hot fire. His vambraces made of (what appeared to be) molten glass stopped under his fingers, which then extend into into claws that seemed to drip lava. He had spiked obsidian pauldrons on his shoulders, fastening a luminous, stark-white cape to his shoulders. He wore a coronet of lightning and wielded a flail that appeared to be made of coal chains and a shrunken Red Giant star.

The second on the far right had a helm of dark iron wreathed in a plume of purple flame. His gauntlets and sword flamed with green hellfire. A pure black sheath seemingly made of void and a silver hunting horn were tied to his waist. He wore an armor forged of shadows and proofed with fear. He rode atop a mighty stead. An inky dark stallion with a curved horn and bat-like wings. His form was constantly slightly shifting depending on the angle which you viewed him making him appear larger and more slippery than he was, enhancing his disquieting nature.

The third stood in the middle, smaller but no less terrifying than her companions. Her hair was wild with movement, only just visible because it appeared as if someone had bound the winds to her head. She wore a tiara made of storm clouds and pearls. She carried with her a spear, the shaft crafted of amazonite and the tip of a clear quartz, almost reminiscent of sea salt. At her hip lay a whip made of a restrained gale and a sea glass knife. She wore armor that appeared to be Greco-Roman in origin: a chest plate made of some sort of coral-like material and a battle skirt decorated with metallic bronze feathers.

They slowly descent on the city, bringing down a sense of power and dread. They paused at the top of Wayne Tower, where the city's vigilantes had all gathered in an attempt to create and feasible plan of action to discern what these beings want. The young woman in the middle speaks and the wind carries her voice. She is not loud but it the whole of Gotham hears her words.

"Greetings, Heroes of Gotham. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Spirit, Princess and Head Diplomat of the Infinite Realms. This is Samhain, the Fright Knight, loyal knight to the king,” she gestured to her right before switching to her left “and this is Prince Wraith, current General in Chief of the Realms. We come to you as the King’s Guard and entourage. We have official business in your city and wish to civilly notify you of our presence. The King will be arriving shortly and your cooperation would be great fully received.”

Batman moved forward to shake her hand and address the situation.

“I’m afraid that we prefer not to have unknowns operating within the city. Would you be able to tell us what business you have here? Perhaps we could reach an agreement?” Batman tried to negotiate as politely as he could. He did not want to risk offending the evidently powerful beings.

Princess Spirit’s smile sharpened as she thrummed her finger against her knife. She spoke again with an unnervingly pleasant tone.

“It appears you do not understand. We are not asking for your permission.” Her grip around his hand tightened. “ We are informing you.” She finished releasing his hand.

Batman withdrew his aching hand and regarded her with the beginnings of a protest on his lips. She didn’t allow him to speak.

“ This is out of your jurisdiction Batman. This is a matter of the Realms and the Afterlife. Whatever worldly rules or morals you wish to impose on those who enter this city do not apply to us. We will do our best to work within them, so as to appease you and to attempt to maintain a friendly relationship but in the macrocosm of the multiverse and afterlives you have no official power over us. Additionally, we have direct permission to operate here however we see fit from the City Spirit herself, Lady Gotham.”

Batman’s shadow seemed to fluctuated. His and his team's shadows moved from beneath them, closer to the Princess. Lady Gotham, though not manifesting, was making her presence and approval known. Batman could not deny what he was seeing. His team shifted uncomfortably behind him. He appealed to her once more.

“ I see that we can’t stop you. We don’t want to get in your way either. Could you at least tell us why you are here?”

She smiled as if telling a joke, “All will be revealed in time”

Suddenly, there was a loud noise that sounded like tearing fabric. The green clouds mixed with purples and blues and began to churn faster. The cyclone emitted a flashes of bright light. In unison all three of the King’s Guard lifted up from the roof and took place underneath the eye of the wind storm.

Spirit holds her spear aloft. With one swift, commanding move she slams the butt of her spear down, creating a platform out of solidified air.

Wraith bellows out smoke and ash onto the platform to discolor it. With ferocious and precise movements his claws to carve in a sigil, leaving a soft orange glow against the black and gray.

Samhain sheathes his sword and pulls his horn from his waist. He wills his dark stead to rear up as he blows the horn, letting out one loud prolonged cry.

The three warriors stand at attention and Princess Spirit calls the winds to project her voice once more.

“ Now introducing the Ruler of the Infinite Realms, High King of the In-Between, The Great One, The Benevolent King, The Peace Maker, The Guardian of Souls, The One with the Cloak of Stars and the Crown of Frozen Light, The Perfect Balance, Ancient of Space and Reality, The Infinite King: Phantom!”

With a flash of white light a figure appear in the center of the platform. Simultaneously, the three knights bow in reverence.

The King has arrived.

As the Heroes of Gotham regain clear vision they are met with a striking figure.

There stood a toned young man appearing both boyishly young, yet wisened and weathered. He had side swept hair the creeped to the bottom of his neck. His skin was pale with an icy blue tint. He opened his eyes to reveal they shone an electric green. Upon his head rest a crown made of a crystalline material, reminiscent of an aurora. He wore a navy blue cloak that had a rich purple hood lined with stark white fur. The underside displayed a shifting galaxy pattern. His under suit was the same midnight black as Samhain’s. He donned golden arm bands and a gold chest plate in style quite similar to Spirit’s. His hand were covered in snow white gauntlets that matched Wraith’s vambraces.

They all stood in awe, beholden to the almost divine figure.

The king sent them a gentle smile. It was warm and comforting yet sent a chill down their shoulders.

King Phantom began to fly down toward the center of the city, his entourage fell into step behind him. He hovered several hundred feet over Wayne tower and looked down at the city. He then spoke in a booming voice, his tone kind but commanding.

“ I humbly greet the Lady Gotham, her champions, and her citizens,” the shadows curled toward him appreciatively. “ I am grateful for your cooperation in our effort to rectify a great injustice. As High King of the Infinite Realms it is one of my duties to preside over the afterlife. To bring guidance, peace, and justice to the souls under my jurisdiction. Recently, it has been brought to my attention that there is a soul among you who has not only dodged death, but caused great strife to a vast number of souls who call for justice.”

On the roof of Wayne Enterprises Jason and Damian both stiffen, but remain firm in their gaze toward the king. The king looks out at the city and sparing them the quickest of glances. He continues onward.

“ The man formerly know as Jack Napier, now called The Joker. He has avoided death on many an occasion but his life should have ended moment he fell into a vat of chemicals. Since then he has sent hundreds more to the afterlife. He has long yet to pay his dues. That is why on the behalf of justice, restoring balance, and of my subjects I officially condemn Jack Napier.”

“Jack Napier, you have been allowed 24 hours turn yourself into our custody in order to be put on trial for your crimes in the Infinite Realms. Should you fail to turn youself in, we shall take that as an admission of guilt and acceptance to be punished for your actions. After the 24 hours are up, Samhain shall use his horn to summon The Hunt and we shall track you down.”

His gaze passed specifically over Red Hood, one of the Oracle’s drones, Nightwing, Signal, Red Robin, and Batman before he spoke his next words.

“All those souls who have been wronged by the Joker, both living and deceased, who wish to have a hand in their justice have been invited to join The Hunt if they so choose.”

The king lifted his hand, calling the swirling green clouds to his gather in his palm. The clouds swiftly rearranged themselves into a smokey timer hanging in the sky.

An impish smirk graced King Phantom’s face as he let out a malicious laugh and gave his final decree.

“ Your time begins now!”

[ilovetoxicfictionalmen]

REWIND AND PLAY

PART 1

Pairing.| Neil Lewis x fem!reader

Story Summary.| Neil Lewis runs a small, struggling video store, his life playing out like one of the many classic films he rents out to customers, predictable and unremarkable. When his high school crush, you, return to town, Neil sees the opportunity to step out of the background and pursue the love interest he's only dreamed of. As you reconnect, Neil discovers that your life is far from the glossy rom-com he imagined. Behind the scenes, you're battling your own off-screen struggles. In trying to win your heart, Neil realises that the real motive isn't about capturing your attention, but about rewriting his own story, learning to take risks and embrace change, both in love and life.

Chapter Summary.| Neil’s life of routine is thrown out of place as you, the girl of his dreams, appear into Gumshoe on a random Tuesday. But your arrival isn’t as joyful as Neil initially believes, a tragedy had brought you back to your past. Stuck questioning if this is a mere coincidence or a moment of fate, Neil relies on Jonathan to boost his struggling esteem and take the chance he was too afraid to take in high school.

Chapter Warnings.| Angst, family death, insecurity, poor self esteem, unrequited love.

Word count.| 9.3k+

Notes.| And here is the first chapter. Not properly edited because if I did that than I'd never post it. Please, if you want me to continue this let me know by sharing your thoughts. This chapter really is an opening to who Neil is.

i.

Neil believed he lived a satisfying life. 

Well, yes, he never went to college and had no desire to travel the world, let alone step out of his comfort zone. There was no inner drive to ride a white horse in hopes of finding a princess in a tower. Never had he ever wanted to find himself by travelling to a foreign village and taking on an expedition that would give his life a new purpose. 

He didn’t need complexity in his life, he was happy right where he was. His romantic relationships were never designed to be everlasting, just to help pass the time really, to fill the void hidden behind his wide grin. There was this orb rattling inside of him, keeping him on edge of staying committed to someone. But that was fine, he never gave it a second thought, he needed no breathtaking love interest in his life. He had his friends, his store and his movies. That was all he needed to be fulfilled with himself. 

Right? 

Neil Lewis was a man of routine. He enjoyed his life to be similar to a story structure. Everyday had to have a beginning, middle and end. To which he had already planned out with how everything would unfold. His life was best experienced through films, he lived for them. Which was quite contradicting as he never wanted to live a day full of daring excitement, just like the movies. 

The world was a scary place, the future even more frightening. Living a day to day life where he knew what he could keep control of was safer. The expectations were always achievable, the simple satisfaction never dwelling. It was almost as if he wrapped himself in bubble wrap, keeping him safe from dangers of getting his feelings hurt, or even worse, falling in love. 

It was always easier to seek comfort in familiar environments. Over the years, he built a tendency around his routines. Whether it was working or diving into his collection of classic films, he found his solace in routines and escapism through cinema. His love for film showed his desire for a structured in depth narratives where it all clicked together right before the credits rolled. 

A distinct contrast towards his own disordered, unsatisfying life. But he’d refuse to ever see it that way. Because he was happy with where he was, he had all that he ever needed. Unfortunately needs are not always wants. 

Neil’s day began like no other, his slim body spread across the bed, shaggy hair a complete mess as he groaned towards the ringing alarm clock. Smacking it quiet, he crawled out of bed, stretching his stiff limbs as his mind still tried to wake up from his blissful dream. 

He smiled whilst brushing his teeth, humming a tune and grooving his body to the rhythm.Slipping on another oversized cream top, tucking his soft brunette waves behind his ears, he stared at himself in the mirror, failing to realise how effortless he always looked. He brushed aside any sprouting thoughts, balling his fists into his jean pockets as he walked out of his bathroom. He put on his jacket and left for work, right on time. 

There was always a lingering sense of loneliness in Gumshoe. Despite it being his safe place, he couldn’t help but to feel a pang of dread as he unlocked the door. The silence was thick, air still as he stood in the middle of the room. Tucking his hair behind his ears once more, Neil stretched out before rubbing his palms together. The room felt awfully cold this morning. 

But he smiled at his life accomplishment, his sanctuary open for all. Every DVD, tape, magazine, poster and neon sign displayed his passion in a new form. But the congested, overcrowding of it all also showed something he often turned a blind eye to. The disoriented, overwhelming emotions he often ignored. 

The store smelt gritty and weathered, created by a mixture of coffee, popcorn, old leather and cheap cologne. His fingers brushed over the shelves of DVD’s, singing a song to himself as he opened the draw of the empty, old cash register. He unlocked the safe and stuffed in a hundred dollars worth of notes, he never needed much. 

His work day begins like no other, slow. 

The first hour of his shift was always spent taking care of the small tasks, making sure everything looks organised and preparing how he can put together a new promotion to boost some sales. He chucked on ‘The Apartment’ in the DVD player to help pass the time. 

Jonathan came in late, he was always late on Tuesday. It’s not like Neil even needed much help running this joint. He more so just preferred the company, it was always isolated without someone around, with a film on or not. Being able to lounge around and talk about everything cinema related helped the day move forward. 

“Hey! You know if you want customers it’d be smart to flip the sign to open, right?” Jonathan laughed as he flicked the door sign around. 

Neil forgot the simple things. 

“Perhaps I was trying to keep you out” Neil chuckled, and raised his shoulders. 

Jonathan dropped his belongings down behind the counter and stretched. Another day in the office. A couple of regulars came in, and he chatted about their lives. The register cha chinged as he said his polite farewells.

“Want coffee?” He asked, looking around the deserted room. 

“We have coffee here” Neil countered through a chime. 

“I mean real coffee Neil, not that instant bullshit” Jonathan snorted, tapping his fingers on the counter. 

“Yeah, alright, it’s your round isn’t it?” Neil recalled. Neil hummed, pulling a book out from under the counter and searched the page he was last at. 

“Yep, you cheap bastard” Jonathan laughed, heading straight out the door. 

Returning his gaze towards his book, he found peace in the dialogue from the television, his mind drifting off into fantasy once more. 

The door chimed, but his mind was still too invested in his book to process a potential new buying customer yet. The regulars knew their way around. Too many people walked in and asked where the latest blockbuster was. It was irritating with how no one could read the posters, let alone have common sense.

Lifting his head up finally, his eyes peeled open with curiosity. A feminine back pointed in his direction, familiar hands running over the variety of classics. Taking in every different shelf on the path, admiring the posters on the coloured walls. A set of hands he found himself studying all of those years ago. Without realising, his heartbeat increased. Tilting his head and bending his neck in hopes of catching a glance at the customer, had his upper body leaning forward and feet dragging over the flooring. 

A sense of knowing ran through him. A blurred memory appeared behind his eyes. That hair, he’d seen a million times, dreamt of it. Those ears, the width of that neck and length of those exemplary limbs. His thoughts numbed as he wandered towards the enigma of a woman. 

Was this another dream? A figment of his imagination, or just a coincidence towards his past. It began to feel almost like deja vu. His tailing figure went unnoticed. Eventually, he decided to speak to break down his suspicions. To prove to himself that this was another lost woman looking for a Michael Bay film. 

“Welcome to Gumshoe, can I help-” 

As you turned around, that same gentle smile on your lips, his body went into shock and throat clogged up. Stammering out his words, he was completely caught off guard, his heart pounding in his chest like it’s been juiced with drugs. His wide eyes watched you intensely, coming to terms that it really was you. 

You’re older now, obviously, but there’s still that familiar confident look in you. The one that gave him butterflies in his stomach down the school halls. You’re dressed casually, just in beige linen pants and a white sweater. But there's an air of maturity around you now. Not to mention how you were still as beautiful as ever. 

Noticing him quickly, your smile turned more cheeky as you stepped towards him. “Neil Lewis? It’s been a while” you hesitated, but your tone was still full of sureness. 

It’s only been almost seven years. This was never meant to happen, he felt like he’d be dropped into the middle of the battleground. The same girl who had been out of reach, the girl whose name he used to say in his head like a secret, was standing right in front of him, completely focused on him. Never did he think he’d see you again. He tried to remain cool, but the words trip him up, and he’s left stammering. 

“Hey, you…” Neil fumbles, awkwardly waving his hands in your direction. 

Fuck!

“You never left town?” you wondered, tilting your head slightly, acknowledging how time has aged him. 

His tousled hair was still shaggy and grown out. That metabolism of his continued to remain hidden underneath oversized clothing. Those blue eyes still shined in the sunlight it seemed. 

“Uhhhh, yeah no. Someone has to hold down the fort” he laughed it off, crossing his arms over his chest. 

He already felt his skin fluster up, his throat blocked and beads of sweat form. His baggy shirt felt tight around his neck. 

“Well, I’m glad to see it’s you” you replied, a softness in your eyes. “And not someone like Jonathan Drag” you giggled, swaying your left leg around, seemingly anxiously. “Just kidding, you’re probably still friends, right?” You asked. 

“Works here actually” he almost whispered, mouth completely dry. It made you snort at the chances. 

The weight of your history fell heavy on him. As if there was ever really much, but it was both nostalgic and awkward to think about. A massive question mark floated over your head. What were you doing back in town? His volume raised suddenly. 

“What brings you here!” he asked, rubbing his hands together as his body swayed. “I hope you’re not after the latest rom com” he laughed, a bit too excessively. 

“No, no, no” you ensured, your hands tightening around a small worn out journal in your hand. His eyes narrowed at the book, your eyes wandering around nervously. “I went to Media Giant in hopes of finding some films, but you know, they only have the latest rom coms and exploding blockbusters now don’t they?” you bantered.  

“Tell me about it” Neil breathed, smiling at how there was still that mutual understanding between one another. 

“Searched this place up and well, here I am” you explained yourself, admiring the environment around you. “Do you just work here, or?” you trailed. 

“I own it, I own it” he repeated, holding onto some pride, in hopes to get some praise. A complimenting hum rumbled through your throat. 

“I should have known you’d be here, you always were a nerd” you winked. 

“The term is geek” he countered, leaning himself back up against the bench. “Well, actually it's cinephile. But I’ll settle for a geek” he nodded, a soft smile on his lips. 

“Okay, geek” you settled, that sparkle still in your eyes. 

The silence grew loud, Neil knew that’d he’d lose himself in your eyes still after all of these years. He had to say something before his thoughts spoke louder than words. 

“How long have you been in town for?”

“Just over a week” you replied, your tone dropping slightly, eyes narrowing a bit more and smile fading. 

“Oh rad! You enjoying it?” Neil asked, oblivious to your facial hints. Still in a state of awe that you’d come home. 

“No, honestly” you answered suddenly and blankly, before you could even think. 

“Oh-”

“Sorry, I'm making everything so negative” you apologised instantly, only now realising your words. “It’s just that my dad passed away recently and I’m staying in town until I sort out his belongings and sell the house. It’s all under my name now” you explained yourself. 

There was a look of dread on you, from this extra weight sitting on your back. You were a single child, with little family from your father’s side. Neil’s heart fell despite your expression looking unphased of the major passing in your life. 

“I’m so sorry-” 

Immediately, you dismissed his condolences with a wave of your hand, your features sterning. “No, we weren’t even close, remember?” you assured, dipping your toes into your past together. Staring into his wide eyes, you blinked and reflected from those many years ago. “Sorry, it’s been like seven years of course you don’t-” 

“I remember you saying it- Briefly” Neil cutted in, as he lowered his voice at the end.

Your words hurt, not that they were meant with cruel intention. The reminder that you were never that close hurt. A feeling that had numbed over the years. 

But he always couldn’t forget the pain he felt when he passed you and your father after school once. He was shouting at you on the porch, pointing his finger in your face. Silently, he walked with you for hours. He kept you company as the night grew cold. You hugged him tightly and only said one thing, “I fucking hate him”.

“It’s okay. My mom came for the funeral, and now it’s just me” you pointed out, the awkwardness growing on your tongue. Your hands rubbing against one another. 

“So, what brings you here exactly?” Neil changed the subject, the negative tone of conversation feeling intimidating after seeing you again from so long. 

“Right, of course” you nodded. “I was going through his stuff and found this” you wave the worn out journal. “I remember him always watching an old film, as a kid I was bored out of my mind. I only wanted to watch cartoons but had no other choice. If his movie was on, well I wouldn’t get a word out of him until it was over” you told him, a mixture of happiness and sadness in your eyes. 

Neil nodded, all ears. 

“He was a little movie critic, it seems. Kept track on what films he watched, left notes and what not. He only had a handful at home, I’ve watched them all already. But there’s like hundreds in here and I just want to, I don’t know. Never understood them, thought maybe I could now” you explained, unsure with your own words if your intentions made sense. 

“Oh, wow that’s cool, well he must have had great taste! I’m sure I’ve had at least a dozen films in here, just let me know what you wanna watch” he replied, eager to help you up. 

“Can you help me Neil?” you asked, unsurely. 

“Of course” Neil breathed, leaning closer to you. “Do you mind?” he said softly, his hand unsure if it was reaching out for you or the book. 

His fingertips brushed over your hand as he grabbed the book. The sparks of electricity spiked down his skin, his Adam's apple bobbed. Opening the book, he read through the small pages full of black ink. A gentle smile on his lips as he read the opinions your father had. 

“How about, ‘What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?’, hey?” Neil decided after flicking through a couple of pages. 

“Sounds great” you agreed. 

You followed him to the correct aisle, he truly knew this place inside out. Pulling out the tape, he tapped the cover a couple of times as he bee lined towards the counter. Placing the journal flat onto the counter and tapped his fingers over the tape. 

“You got a VCR?” Neil asked, earning a nod from you. “It’s just four dollars” he mumbled, turning red that he’s even charging you. 

You slipped out a five dollar bill from your purse and waved it in his direction. “Keep the change” you smirked. Smiling foolishly, he slid the crinkled note into the draw and pushed it shut. 

“I just need your ID or credit card to sign you up for a membership- Oh, nevermind, I trust you’ll bring it back” Neil stopped himself, an urge to look cool in front of you. Your smirk grew with mischief as you took the tape from his hands without permission. 

“I don’t know Neil, I might have a high bid for this classic. You know how much these go for these days?” you hummed, your tongue rolling between your lips. 

He felt his chest tighten, those teenage hormones of his waking up from a long slumber. A sudden wave of confidence washed over him, he dropped his weight onto his elbows, leaning forward. 

“Ah, well I better warn you that I have men lurking around these activities. I own this town now, and these films, they’re purely addictive and exhilarating. I’ll know if my products are being distributed under my nose and well, there are prices to be paid for it” he spoke slowly, his eyes daring you to make a risky move. 

You hummed, leaning closer towards him, your eyes scanning around his features. Neil wasn’t breathing, but he didn’t care as he watched your daring eyes. 

“Well, guess we’ll find out tomorrow” you whispered, drawing your lips close to his. 

Suddenly, you fell back onto your heels and spun towards the door. Neil watched stunned as you headed towards the exit. 

“See you then geek!” you called out, the bell ringing as you departed Gumshoe. 

Were you two just flirting? 

He hurried to the door, pressing his hands next to his head as he watched you walk down the pathway. Jonathan walked past you, two cups of coffee in his hands. As you waved towards him, he smirked but gave you a double look as you passed him. 

Neil stepped back and heaved, keeping his hands on his hips as he had no words in his mouth. Entering the store, Jonathan had a shocked look on him.

“Holy shit! Was that who I think it was?” Jonathan gasped, looking out the window one last time. 

“It was” Neil said breathlessly, still in shock over the encounter. 

“What is she doing back in town?” He questioned curiously. 

“U-uh… Her dad passed away so she’s just-” he murmured, his mind playing over your encounter together. 

“Shit, are you okay? You always had a huge crush on her” Jonathan recalled, a growing smug smirk on his lips. 

“Yeah, yeah… I’m fine, just uh, don’t worry about coming in tomorrow, I’ll do it” Neil ordered suddenly, nodding his head as he decided with his thoughts. He couldn’t risk not seeing you, couldn’t risk having others around when he did see you. 

Jonathan frowned and stepped closer towards him. 

“What? You have the first half, you wanna swap?” Jonathan asked, completely confused. Instantly Neil waved his hands in the air. 

“Nah, nah. I’ll do both, don’t worry. I’ll still pay you” he bargained, avoiding eye contact with Jonathan. 

Jonathan sighed his name as he handed him his coffee. Neil gracefully took the hot drink, took a large gulp despite the temperature of it and suddenly started reorganising the tapes in front of him. Jonathan shook his hand and waved his hand in Neil’s face, which went ignored. 

“Neil!” Jonathan shouted. 

“Yeah, what?” Neil frowned, looking over towards him. 

“What did she say to you?” Jonathan narrowed his eyes. 

“Nothing, nothing” Neil reassured, laughing a bit too awkwardly afterwards. 

You never said anything out of the ordinary. It was always just the feelings that came as baggage with it. The way your words lingered in his mind, the picture of your smile on the projector inside his head. You were still as perfect as he remembered. 

“Are you sure? You’re turning into a human tomato, and that’s one hell of a bulge” Jonathan pointed out, wiggling his brows, his eyes below Neil’s waist.

Dropping his head down, Neil cursed and covered his unexpected friend. Now he truly turned beet red. 

“Oh, piss off Jonathan!” Neil waved Jonathan away. 

Jonathan snorted and plopped himself onto the comfy couch, relaxing his body as he sipped his drink. As Neil walked back to the counter, he picked up your father’s journal, his eyes widening. Had you forgotten to ask for it back? Or was it a promise that you would come back tomorrow, your unique version of a video tape deposit. 

ii. 

Neil left early that day, coming up with a silly excuse to get Lucien to watch until close. There was no real reason to leave Gumshoe, Neil just couldn’t think about anything and it was driving him insane. His friends' booming voices started to hurt his ears. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to think about, whether it was about you, or not? You were on his mind the whole day, yet you weren’t. By the time the afternoon came, it was deep in his skin. Everything that he had felt for you in the past was resurfacing like a toothache. 

Chugging down an over-expensive, sugary so called sports drink, Neil found himself standing outside of the local gym. What was this sudden desire to impress you? Had it been how you aged so beautifully yet he stayed the same, or even worse. Thoughts about how he never did put on muscle mass floated in his mind. You always had a buff boy following behind you. Dated the baseball star throughout almost all of senior year too…

Wanna go gym? - Neil, 6:33pm

The fuck? - Jonathan, 6:34pm

As Neil began typing, he hummed and fiddled with his thumbs. His lower lip trapped between his nervous teeth. 

You know, to workout or what not. - Neil, 6:34pm

And where has this sudden desire stemmed from? - Jonathan, 6:35pm

Is that a no? - Neil, 6:35pm

Yep - Jonathan, 6:35pm

The receptionist easily persuaded him to buy a membership, his mind still bewildered by your arrival. By the time he signed the papers and handed over his credit card, his body was pumping with caffeine, pins prickling under his skin. 

Walking into the wide, open, body odour stenched room, Neil suddenly felt like a mouse amongst lions. All of these large stones of mass pushed and pulled against heavy weights. Booming voices echoing all around him. Fit people doing a marathon on the treadmills. No one was even staring at him, but he felt completely nude. 

“Shit” Neil whispered, his throat dry. 

Standing there like an idiot for what felt like hours, Neil turned his heel and walked straight out of the gym, the sun now setting. He’d have to convince Jonathan or someone to go with him another day. So he couldn’t make more of an imbecile out of himself. Or maybe he could start running again, or actually show up to softball practice.      

That night was sleepless for him. Neil laid for hours, staring blankly at his ceiling as his buried thoughts came to life. He feared that he had already boarded the train of doom. All he’d do is get his hopes up, like he always did in high school. 

The lamp lit up, Neil exhaled as he picked up your father’s journal. Why did he even take this home with him? A part of him felt like a thief, a bigger part of him just felt confused and desperate for closure of his own. Not that he was even sure how he’d gain some kind of closure, hopefully just a bit more understanding of your father so he could help you. Like you wanted more help than movie recommendations. 

All of these films' brief analysis’ were similar to Neil’s. He’d compliment the cinematography, acting and plot twists almost the same way Neil would. But it was the personal reflections for some of these that made Neil uneased with his own ways of life. 

The Graduate - 1967, directed by Mike Nichols

Maybe I waited too long. Sometimes you think you have all the time in the world, and then, just like that, it’s gone. I don’t want to end up like Benjamin, fumbling through life with regrets.

The Killers - 1946, directed by Robert Siodmak

I’ve always thought it was too late, that some things are just meant to stay in the past. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this is the moment I’ve been waiting for, even if I don’t feel ready for it.

Rear Window - 1954, directed by Alfred Hitchcock

I’ve spent so long watching life from the sidelines. It’s easier to stay in the comfort of my own home, to observe without getting involved. But maybe that’s the problem. What if I’m just too afraid to be part of the story?

Neil slammed the journal shut, a few of the entries felt a bit too relatable, almost like a call out. The connection was a bit too strong to your father, this wasn’t what he was expecting at all. Gently placing it back onto the bedside table, the light clicked off and Neil laid silently once more. Eventually, he fell into a dreamless slumber that lingered on for what felt like weeks. 

The next day at Gumshoe was dreadfully slow and tortuous. By the time the clock ticked over to six, Neil felt his stomach drop. He wasn’t sure why he believed you’d float in as soon as he flipped the sign to open. Every time someone walked past his shoulders raised, quickly to slouch again. 

Jonathan and Lucien still came that day, despite Neil’s desperate pleas to stay away. Looking at his watch, Jonathan craned his neck back from the couch over to Neil, who still patiently waited by the counter. Neil wore one of his better, more tightly fit shirts today. Jonathan could have sworn there was a bit of gel in his hair. 

“Last hour Neil! What are the odds now Lucien?” Jonathan hummed. 

“Four to one, not in your favour Neil” Lucien stated, not removing his gaze from the screen. 

“Ah cram your odds up your asses” Neil muttered, his fingers tracing over the journal once more. 

As the clock drew closer to closing time, Neil lost all hope and fell onto the couch between his friends. At least ‘Nightmare Alley’ could ease his sorrows, to a degree. He laid his head back, his mind turning numb from the dialogue echoing through the store. 

The door silently opened, the bell unhearable over Lucien’s booming commentary. You walked in silently, tape in your hand as you approached them. “What are we watching?” you asked, leaning on the back of the couch, over Neil’s head.

His eyes widened, mouth fell open as he zipped onto his feet. Tugging down on his shirt, he smiled at you foolishly. “Hey! You made it, h-how was the film?” he spat out, his mouth running too quick for his brain to decide. “I mean, you weren’t able to sell it, hey?” Neil hummed, rubbing his hand over his chin as he tried to act cool. 

“My bidder pulled out last minute, he seemed horrified over the phone” you winked. You looked down to his friends, staring wide eyed at you. Waving towards them, they repaid the gesture. “No, it was intense. Baby Jane’s jealousy just consumed her, and you could feel how suffocating their relationship became. By the end, you realize it’s not just about who’s right or wrong, but how holding onto bitterness can tear you apart. Sometimes, when you don’t speak up, you wait too long—wondering if it’s already too late. You let things fester, thinking they’ll work themselves out, but they never do. Maybe we all end up like that... waiting for someone to notice, but never quite being seen” you explained, your mind drifting elsewhere momentarily. 

The contentment in Neil bubbled up. How could a film review sound so damn attractive? Even Jonathan and Lucien seemed invested in your insights. 

“Yeah, you end up holding onto things so long, you forget what it feels like to let them go. But I guess, by then, it’s hard to tell if you’re waiting for something... or just too afraid to make a move” Neil added on, walking behind the couch, closer to you. 

“Great point” you smiled. 

The eye contact felt compelling, Neil’s mouth ajar open as he admired your features once more. Breaking the moment, you held up the tape. Reluctantly, he took it and walked behind the counter. 

“You wanna rent another?” He asked softly. 

“I do, but I was actually on my way to Frankie’s Bar. Always wanted to go to school but you know, legal requirements” you made known, tapping your fingers on the wooden counter. 

“Oh, yeah that place is cool” Neil grinned, obvious to any potential hints. Jonathan and Lucien looked towards one another. 

“You close soon right?” you asked, your eyes looking up to the clock. 

“Yeah gotta lock the doors before everyone floods in” Neil snorted, gazing out to the empty street. 

Your mouth formed in ‘o’ shape as you leaned closer towards him, your hands firmly rested on the counter. Looking back towards his friends briefly, you smiled at him once more, gently, kindly. 

“Are you doing anything afterwards?” you asked subtly. 

Neil blinked, the adrenaline kick starting inside of him. Clawing his fingers on the wooden surface as some form of decision making, his eyes nervously darted to his friends, who stared with narrow eyes. 

“Uh-um, yeah we’re just gonna have an Indiana Jones marathon actually. We’ve been waiting for it all week” Neil laughed softly, pulling on his collar nervously. 

Jonathan and Lucien’s eyes widened with shock and disappointment. 

“Oh cool” you nodded, slightly stunned. 

Neil hesitated, wondering if taking it back was the smart decision. But the longer he thought over it, the deeper he dug his grave. The joy in your expression seemed to decrease. 

“You’re welcome to stay if you want” he tried to counter, scratching the back of his neck anxiously. 

“Oh no it’s algood, I’m seeing some school friends. I better be off, but I’ll drop by for another film. Take care of that journal for me, yeah?” you told him, pointing your finger in his direction as you headed towards the door. 

“Of course” he breathed, stunned and defeated. 

He’d waited all day for this, only for it to be a two minute conversation. All due to his shy mentality. He wanted to not overthink about his mess up, but he was always tumbling down the hill. You farewelled them all, and then you were gone. Immediately, Jonathan tossed a pillow at Neil. The soft object collided with his chest. 

“You fucking idiot!” Jonathan insulted, his anger showing through his red face. 

“What!” Neil shouted defensively, raising his hands in surrender. 

“She just fucking asked you out!” he continued on, standing up from the couch. 

“No she didn’t!” Neil denied, skin trembling from the possible truth. 

Even though the intentions were as clear as a glass window, Neil could always find a way to second guess things. Sometimes Neil wondered if he liked to be in denial to avoid complete dissatisfaction. Chance was a scary tool, he hated experimenting with possibilities that he couldn’t grasp onto. He had an inability to walk on an imaginary tightrope. 

“Yes she did you imbecile!” Lucien chimed in, shaking his head with a pout. 

“She’s meeting up with friends!” Neil extended his arms, expression completely flustered. Desperately trying to hold onto your words as a line of defense. 

“Yeah to cover up your rejection!” Jonathan hissed. 

“Oh shit! I don’t know! I just got scared! She said she was seeing friends, half of them were bullies!” Neil explained himself, feeling completely overwhelmed with himself. 

“Run out there and beg her to go out with you” Jonathan ordered, pointing his finger towards the door. 

“No, hell no” Neil shook his head quickly. 

“What’s the worst that could happen? Just say hey, I've been in love with you ever since high school and time is running out, so let’s get together and make cute babies” Lucien chuckled, shrugging his shoulders after Neil frowned at him.  

“I can’t tell her that, she’ll think I’m a creep” Neil huffed. 

“Oh no shit Neil!” Jonathan spat, throwing another pillow at him. 

Neil caught the pillow, and dropped his head as he walked back towards the couch. Dropping his body in shame, he held his head in the pillow. Jonathan patted his shoulder, slowly and harshly. 

“It’s alright, when she comes in tomorrow, ask to follow up on the bar” Lucien instructed, nodding at his friend. 

Nodding his head in agreement, Neil would redeem himself tomorrow. His chances felt like a cat with nine lives, actually eight now. 

iii.

You didn’t come in the next day. Or the day after that for a matter of fact. 

Neil was so hopeful you would, certain is the word he’d use. Did he upset you or embarrassed you in front of his friends? No, he wasn’t even worth that much. Which only made things worse, reminding himself of how little you actually meant to him. His only purpose was renting out movies to you. 

His hands traced over the journal as he sat on the couch, his mind doubtful as his friends talked around him. Every now and again he’d give a plain response, his mind miles away from his surroundings. They knew he was waiting for you, silently begging for you to walk through the door. There was nothing that could be done besides having patience. 

But through his doubtful mind, Neil had no more left in the tank. Maybe he’d just drop it off in your dad’s mailbox, he still remembered the way there. It wasn’t that far by foot, Neil could use the steps anyways. Even though Neil was blessed with a fast metabolism, lounging on a couch all day wasn’t good for his health. After debating forever in his mind, he nodded to himself. 

“Hey, are you able to watch over for like an hour? I gotta go do something” Neil asked, sliding the book into his jean pocket. 

“Yeah, sure” Jonathan answered, his mind invested in the film. 

As he walked out of the store, he tried to keep his shoulders high. It was for the better, he told himself. All he had been doing for the past few days was obsessing over you. Over the memory of you. He needed to let go of this idea of you, the one that was always a clear fantasy. No matter how badly he wanted to be, he wasn’t the man for you. You needed someone strong, manly, protective of you. Hell, you call him a nerd. He clearly wasn’t worthy of you. 

Neil walked down the familiar streets, tapping his fingers on the book as the cement trees and bushes turned into a suburbian view. His mind wandered back to high school, recalling almost exact conversations between you both as you walked these streets. All of the times that he appreciated the silence, gently admiring you as you hummed a melody.  

Standing out front of your father’s house, he sighed, looking at the journal once more, and debated if he really wanted to say farewell to you. Without ever saying it once more. The dark cloud rained over his thoughts once more. Swallowing hard, he slid it through the thin metal door, Neil slumped his shoulders and spun on his foot. Hurrying away defeated, the front door opened behind him. 

“Neil!” You called, jolting down the steps as you closed in on him. He spun around, his eyes wide as if he’d been caught red handed. “What are you doing here?” you wondered, smiling softly as he hesitantly stepped back towards you. 

“Oh, um- I was just…” he fumbled, nervously gripping onto his fingers. “I just put your dad’s journal in the mailbox, thought maybe you’d want it back” he admitted eventually, cheeks red and throat tight. 

“Oh, thanks?” you furrowed your brows together. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you to be home” he explained, scratching his head.

“Don’t be sorry. I was just heading out, to you, well Gumshoe, but yeah” you said, a slight tone of awkwardness in your voice. 

“You’re kidding” Neil mumbled, his shoulders dropping in a mixture of negative emotions. “Let me get it out” he whispered, stepping towards the mailbox.

He hissed as the one sided door got in the way of his fingers. Tapping on the papers, he tried his hardest to slide the book closer towards him. You watched, amused as you wandered towards the back of the mailbox. 

“Neil, most people pick their mail out from the back door” you informed, the metal door creaked open. 

“Right” he smiled, retrieving his caught fingers. 

“You must be off today then” you stated, holding onto the book tightly. 

“No, uh- yes. Well…” he murmured, mind racing to come up with a reasonable excuse. “I was just running a few errands in between work and thought I’d add you in” he nodded slowly, hoping you’d bite the bait. 

“Are you heading back there now?” you asked gently, your expression reassured him. 

“Yeah” he said softly. 

“Can I walk with you?” 

“Of course” Neil smiled gently, his mind finally relaxing from the overbearing thoughts.

The walk was quiet for most of the way, some small talk here and there. Just like how it was back in high school. Neil never minded, he just liked being in your presence, and it always seemed to be the only option he got to be around you. Yeah, you guys sat next to one another in Philosophy, but you had everyone wanting your attention, and he never knew how to stand out. 

“I saw your commercial on the television” you broke the calm silence. Neil chuckled out softly. 

“Oh, really? Ahaha yeah well I wanted to promote the business through a way that I love. And to you know, show what I provide. I had a lot of fun making it” he talked, a gleeful smile locked in. 

“You’re a good actor, why did you never get into it?” you questioned, smiling towards the strangers passing. 

“Get into what?” Neil looked over at you. 

“Making films, acting, any of it. You’ve got a creative mind, don’t you?” You clarified. 

“Oh, honestly. I’ve just always preferred being on the sidelines, I suppose. I’m happy where I am” he answered, a neutral tone on his tongue.

Neil wasn’t sure if he was trying to tell you that, or himself. The words just sounded skeptical off of his tongue. A few seconds later he felt embarrassed over how he perceived himself. 

“Fair, but sometimes it’s good to be the main character, you know?” you mentioned confidently. Neil was silent as he processed your words. You looked towards him, seeing the gears of his mind turning through his eyes. “Do people ask for your signature often?” you shifted convo, a sly smirk on your lips. 

“Yeah, you’re actually the first person not to ask for it, it’s a relief really” Neil laughed, rolling his shoulders back. 

“Don’t jump the gun, I just don’t have a pen on me” you chuckled, playfully smacking his shoulder. 

Laughing quietly besides one another, Neil wondered about your career. 

“Did you ever finish studying law?” he asked politely. 

“Of course” you replied immediately, but the tone was completely drained from your lips. It sounded robotic almost, your eyes blank as you stared ahead of you. “Is Rosie Pratt still in town?” you suddenly asked. 

It caught him off guard. There was no relevance to the conversation. Looking towards you, he noticed your jaw clenched and hands almost shaking. 

“Uh, no. I don’t think so” Neil said slowly. 

You were ignoring it and Neil couldn’t help but to wonder why. You were such an enigma, Neil wanted to crack you open, but worried you’d break completely if you did. 

Opening the door for you, the pair of you walked into Gumshoe. A cheeky smirk grew on Jonathan’s lips as Neil migrated proudly towards the back of the store. Waving to one another, you stood behind the couch, observing the closing scene of ‘Fargo’. Neil stood close behind you, admiring the length and colour of your loose hair.

“How was your Indy marathon?” you asked suddenly.

Their non-existent marathon you mean. 

“It was great, right guys?” Neil gulped, eyes darting from one friend to the other. 

“Yeah terrific” Lucien was first to respond. 

“Harrison Ford” Jonathan added, accompanied by the ok hand sign. 

“He is a charming man isn’t he” you admired, looking back towards Neil. He stared at you, still in a trance of your beauty “Anyways, what do you think is next on my to-watch-list?” you mentioned, holding out the journal towards him. 

“Uh, lets see” Neil bit his lip as he flicked to a random page. 

What if I’m just too afraid to be part of the story?

He blinked heavily, the words echoed through his head, his heart racing as he slowly looked up to your gentle gaze. Clearing his throat, his thumb ran over the words that echoed through his mind. 

“Rear Window is one of Hitchcock’s best works in my opinion” Neil stated.

“Oh, that’s the one with Grace Kelly right?” you wondered, leaning closer to Neil ever so slightly. 

The butterflies in his heart fluttered at your words. When was the last time he went out with a girl that actually cared to remember an actresses’ name? He’d have to objective them for his ex’s to figure them out. Your knowledge was so damn attractive. 

“Oh, Grace Kelly, mhm” Jonathan groaned, closing his eyes as he visualised her. 

“Are you a fan of hers?” you smirked, looking back at him. 

“Who isn't?” he snorted. 

“You wanna watch it?” you asked, catching everyone off guard. 

“What? I mean, um pardon?” Jonathan snapped his head towards you.  

Your hand gestured to the television, the credits rolling and then all eyes were on you. Looking over to Neil, you smiled softly. “I mean, if it’s alright with you of course” you added on, a look of hope in your eyes. 

“Yeah, of course” Neil nodded quickly. Hurrying over to the correct shelf, he quickly found the tape and grabbed it with his shaking hands, then beelined back towards the group. “Lucien, chuck it on will you?” Neil tossed the tape towards him. 

Catching it with wide eyes, Lucien frowned towards him. It was a bit of an impulsive act. The only reason for Neil throwing it to him was for him to vacate the other couch. He couldn’t afford to be cockblocked by his friends. 

“Yes, your majesty” Lucien sighed, following his order. 

Understanding his motives, he moved over next to Jonathan. Letting you lead, Neil sat down beside you, your thighs a few inches apart. Trying to relax, he looked over to you, who gently stared at the screen. Jonathan’s eyes were on him, Neil’s cheeks flustered red. 

Focusing his attention onto the screen, Neil finally relaxed. He always loved the opening sequence of this film. It establishes the setting, themes, characters and mood of the film perfectly through subtlety. The set and camera angles complete the voyeurism idea precisely.  

So deep into his analysis, Neil failed to notice you lean in towards him. 

“Hey, do you remember when I said we should watch a movie together sometime?” you whispered into his ear. 

Snapping his head towards you, Neil blinked slowly. Of course he remembered, how could he ever forget that night?

“Of course” he murmured, the memory playing over in his mind.

“Can’t believe it took us seven years” you chuckled, leaning back and returning your gaze to the screen. The pause from Neil went unnoticed by you. His eyes widened with intense thought and his mouth went dry. 

“Anyone hungry?” Jonathan looked at the time.

It was just after one. The movie had only been on for twenty minutes. It was obvious how badly Jonathan was scheming, but Neil had no reaction to it. Nudging Lucien’s ribs, his eyes peeled behind the glasses. 

“I could eat” Lucien huffed, rubbing his sore bones. 

Jonathan jumped to his feet, a cheeky smirk on his lips as he looked over towards Neil. But he ignored it, his throat tightening at the thought of being alone with you. All piling inside his overthinking mind. 

“Let’s go get some Burger King or something, don’t worry we’ll bring it back” Jonathan mused, patting Neil firmly on the shoulder as they walked out. 

It all went over your head, you waved bye and got comfy. As the movie played on the screen, that memory still played on in his mind. 

“Maybe we could watch a movie or something sometime?”

It echoed and echoed through his shaking mind. Neil wondered how you said that so easily. Worried how little that night meant to you, how badly he misinterpreted things. He stared blankly at the screen, his mind projecting his memories as he wondered why you brought that up.The dialogue travelled through his numb ears, his thoughts falling years back in time. 

Now, Neil wasn’t sure how he ended up in this situation. It felt like a fairy had finally granted his wishes. When you approached Neil out of nowhere and told him to follow you, his heart skipped a beat. But regardless, he followed you, he’d follow you anywhere. 

Neither of you felt in place at this party. Retreating to a quieter, more private space, you found an empty bedroom and nodded your head to yourself. Finally alone together, the atmosphere was much different than ever before. Something felt distinct, the stakes were raised, the possibilities at its greatest chance. All of the noise and chaos is gone, the rawness settled on Neil’s skin.

You sat on the window seat, the party in clear view of your wandering eyes, observing your raging classmates. The grass was full of drunk teenagers who thought they were ready to be adults. Neil sat at a respectful distance, on the bed, his sweating hands on his red cup, full of brown liquor as he watched over you. 

It started with small talk, like most encounters around Neil did. However he always appreciated the small talk with you. But then, your eagerness to drop the polite facade you always had around one another happened. 

“I can’t wait to get out of here, you know?” you spoke truthfully. 

Neil’s eyes widened. 

“What?” 

“To leave town, don’t you just hate it here?” you questioned, looking over the stars. 

“Uh, yeah… I suppose I do” Neil answered weakly. 

He wasn’t even sure where he wanted to go to college yet, or if he even was capable of it. It was a possibility he’d been ignoring, his parents never questioned him so he had no pressure on his back. Sometimes he wished he did, just to have that expectation in him that he could never find himself. 

“You know, it’s just life on repeat here. I’m sick of living up to expectations, I’m ready to drop my mask and live for me. I want to thrive, live an adventure. Don’t you Neil?” you asked, enthusiasm gaining in your voice as you visualise a better future.

“Of course” Neil lied, his nervous eyes hidden in the dark. “You’ll be closer to your mom, right?” he added, trying to focus on anything other than his future. 

“Yeah but, I doubt I’ll see her much though. That’s what happens when you start a family with someone else, your first one fades away” you explained, your warmth decreased. You looked down towards your knees. “Frank is kind, Charlie is bloody cute. But you know, the only love she can show me is through an expensive bill. I’d rather get a decent call from her. But they’re coming for grad, that’s the main thing” you spoke of, trying to end on a positive note. 

The room had completely shifted. The vulnerability was clear through the darkness. Neil cleared his throat, his thoughts demanding to be shown light. 

“I’m surprised you’re talking to me, if I’m being honest” Neil brought up. 

The next day Neil would regret how much alcohol he consumed. It always knew how to bring your raw emotions to the surface. The thought had been consuming for months now, not that you were ever close friends, but there was always a visible distance at times. 

“What do you mean? We talk all the time” you asked confusedly, leaning closer towards him. 

“I always feel invisible when you’re dating someone” he stated, sadness stained on his tongue. 

Your eyes soften, shoulders drop as you read his body language in the moonlight. You struggled to find words to use. 

“I’m sorry Neil, it’s been an intense year. I didn’t-” 

“It’s okay, I understand” he assured, waving his hand towards you. 

A heavy beat. 

“I do like talking to you, you know?” you pointed out. 

A sense of relief waved over him, his mouth ajar open as he stared at you. 

“I like talking to you too” Neil replied, sincerely. 

“My dad’s just been my back about my… choices. And well Evan, he’s certainly consuming. Sometimes I wish I steered clear from him” you spoke truthfully, turning your head back at the window, noticing him instantly. 

His body tensed at that name. The anger inside of him pulled on its chains. You looked down to his broad, tall physique. His voice echoed through the window, speaking nonsense, as per usual. 

“Yeah, Evan is quite the guy” Neil huffed lightly. 

You noticed the tone, but chose not to address it. However, you returned your sight towards him, and let your thoughts go loud in the silent room. There’s a moment of quiet where both of you realise how much time had passed since you last really talked like this. The air between you was thick with unspoken feelings, and the chemistry is undeniable. There’s a soft vulnerability between you now, a shared understanding of how you’ve both been holding back in different ways.

“Have you ever been kissed before Neil?” you wondered. 

His heartbeat quickened, a bead of sweat rolled down his nervous skin. 

“Yeah of course, plenty of times” Neil lied, nervously rubbing his fingers over his red cup. Cocking an eyebrow towards him, you tilted your head forward. 

“Have you?” you asked more sternly. 

“Yeah, but it was by Evie Brown so I like to pretend that it doesn’t count” Neil confessed easily. 

“She always did have a peculiar interest in you, didn’t she?” you giggled.

Neil exhaled and dismissed your observation through waving his hand. Looking back outside, you shook your head softly towards the affairs happening outside. A broad hand around a petite shoulder that shouldn’t be. Turning your head slowly to Neil for the last time, you wondered briefly. 

“Come here” you motioned your hand towards you, returning your sight to Neil, who’s eyes had never left you.

Standing up on his shaking legs, Neil approached you silently, finishing his heavy drink. Sitting next to you, his thin physique went rigid as he tried to focus on his breathing. A thousand thoughts streamed through his conflicted mind. 

“Don’t be so stiff” you laughed, playfully smacking the back of his shoulder. 

Neil laughed softly, his shoulders rolling forward. The silence was peaceful, reassuring, empowering. All of his worries eased as he looked at you. He whispered your name. 

“Yes Neil?” you replied. 

After he took a deep breath, he finally spoke his truth. 

“You deserve better than Evan. Like, I know he’s probably going to play for the MLB, have a mansion with a fucking petting zoo out the back-”

“A petting zoo? Really?” you snickered.  

“Yeah! I mean, I don’t know. He’ll have something completely unnecessary. But, you deserve better than that” Neil stated, locking eyes with you. Your faces only a few inches apart, he could smell the vodka on your tongue. 

“Oh yeah, like what Neil?” you asked slowly, inching closer towards him. 

“Like, like… Like…” he stammered.  

His nerves raised as you attracted towards him, like a magnet. What was he doing, he didn’t even deserve you. This wasn’t a movie where the protagonist swooned the love interest. This was real life, and you were out of his league. His body slouched in worry. 

“You just deserve better than him, someone that respects and adores you for who you are. Not who they want you to be” he voiced, finally. 

Even though a massive rock was lifted from his back, his body remained tense. You blunk a couple of times, processing his raw words. 

“Thanks Neil, I really appreciate that” you whispered, a weak smile on your lips. 

You lean close to one another, neither of you wanting to break the silence. The suspense is palpable, his heart begging him to close the distance. Neil moved a little closer, you didn’t pull away. The words of your eyes speaking confessions to one another. You both know what’s meant to happen, but there’s some barrier in the way. 

Neil brushed a strain of your hair behind your ear, completely admiring your beauty. For a moment, time slowed down completely. You were his best sight, greater than any other film he’d seen. Neil leaned in, so close he felt your breath on his trembling lips. But just before glory, your name echoed down the hall. 

You pulled back, looking down to the backyard, Evan out of vision. The reality of it all crashed down on you both, the party, the people, the timing. You sit there silent for a moment, gathering your drunken thoughts and vulnerabilities. The tension lingers in the air, the sound of Neil’s heavy breathing fills the room. The unsureness of how to handle this weight pressed on your shoulders. 

Your name echoed again, much closer this time. The clock was ticking, you had to be quick. 

“I should go, it was nice talking to you. We’ll do it more often” you appreciated, standing up and hurrying to the door. 

Neil was breathless, the darkness of the room hiding his raw expression. He wanted to stride towards you, to seal the deal. But he sat there defeated instead. Your hand held onto the knob, but you turned back towards him.

“Maybe we could watch a movie or something sometime?” you offered, smiling gently. 

“Yeah, yeah! I’d love that…” Neil stammered out, leaning closer towards you. 

“See you around Neil” you farewelled, sneaking out of the room. 

The light shined for a second, then the darkness washed over him once more. His mind was shaken, the shouts outside muffled as he felt the moment hang in the air around him. Too conflicting thoughts consumed him, he was proud that he finally spoke his mind. But feared it was too late. A weak smile grew on his lips, tomorrow would be a new day. 

But he never did see you around, not like he did that night. Right after graduation, you were surprised with a trip to Europe from your mother. Then college came around and you moved away, just like you said you would. Neil stayed in town, left with nothing but his bottled up feelings and emotions. Wandering a lost path as he searched for his passion to fulfill. The feeling of rejection stamped onto his forehead, his hopes bursted like a balloon. 

They returned almost an hour later, you were oblivious to how deep Neil was in his own mind. Wide eyes were easily fooled to be invested in Hitchcock’s classic. Mouth ajar opened as he wondered what he was trying to achieve. If there was anything still to win. When you realised he’d hardly touched his food, you shifted closer to him. 

“You okay?” you whispered. 

“Yeah” Neil lied, turning his head towards you. “I’m okay” he told you, but wondered how much he was trying to tell himself that. 

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[beenreidingaboutyou]

Hopeless, Breathless, Baby Can't You See?

part one of Flashes of the Battle

who? Spencer Reid x reader

content warnings: alcohol, depression, kissing, drinking instead of dealing with emotions, season 8 spoilers, Maeve (is she worthy of a content warning?); if I've forgotten something, please message me!!!

a/n: This is mostly gender neutral, but there is a mention of girls' night! This fic is dedicated to my beloved @alsofoundinpeas thank you for all of your help getting over my writer's block and your encouragement as I fought to finish this! <3

word count: 3.3k

If someone had told you five months ago that you’d regularly spend your Friday and Saturday nights drinking and dancing, you’d have laughed in their face. You weren’t the type, preferring to stay at home with a good book or rewatching one of your comfort shows, but that was before you got too attached and had your heart broken by Spencer Reid.

It all started with Garcia. You worked in a different department, but the two of you often caught the elevator at the same time each morning. One morning you complimented her dress, the next she told you she loved your shoes. The conversation didn’t go beyond compliments for a couple weeks until Garcia invited you out for drinks with the team. You were still relatively new to the area so you jumped at the chance to make some friends. That night you double and triple checked your appearance before heading to O’Keefe’s, desperate to make a good impression and show Garcia she was right to invite you. Most of the team was already there when you arrived so Garcia made introductions and soon you were starting to feel comfortable, relaxing as you realized how easy going everyone was, especially when drinks were involved. JJ was in the middle of telling a story when he arrived and, as cliche as it sounds, it was like time stood still when you laid eyes on Spencer for the first time. You couldn’t help but feel an instant attraction to the man and, unfortunately, you weren’t great at hiding it either. Garcia picked up on it easily despite your efforts to cover up your feelings. Being a self-proclaimed love guru, Garcia took it upon herself to extend an invite to you whenever possible. Soon you were a regular at team outings, even scoring an invite from Rossi himself to come over for a team dinner. Garcia, of course, also made sure to drag you along to girls’ nights, not that you were complaining, even if it was obvious she was using the outings to practically grill you until you finally admitted your crush on him.

This admission was how you found yourself voluntold to attend a showing of some Russian sci-fi film with Spencer offering simultaneous translation. Truthfully, you didn’t remember much about the movie. When you think of that night, all you recall is Spencer’s voice in your ear as he recounts the dialogue back in English, the way his breath felt against your skin when he leaned in closer, making sure you could still hear him over the louder parts of the film. While neither of you would call that night a date, it was the first of many date-like outings. The two of you never put a label on whatever was between you, you were too shy to bring it up and Spencer seemed a little oblivious about how much you cared for him. You never complained, content with spending your weekends at your apartment eating take out and discussing Doctor Who or letting him drag you to yet another foreign film screening (“No one else will go with me!”). The two of you fell into a comfortable routine. If he was in town, you’d spend at least one evening together before he got called away on another case. This arrangement went on for months, until it tapered off. You could tell he was distracted by something or someone and he clammed up anytime you asked, pushing you away. Before long, he stopped returning your calls, stopped inviting you out, and for the life of you, you couldn’t figure out what you did wrong. Maybe it was your fault for not asking what the relationship was, for assuming that you meant more to him than you actually did. Maybe he was going through something and pushing everyone away like he was known to do. You could speculate for days about his motivation, but you’d never work up the nerve to just ask him.

At first, you shut yourself off from the world. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, turning down invitations to girls’ night, ignoring Garcia’s messages, and pretending you didn’t notice the number of missed calls you had from the team, asking where you’ve been lately or if everything is alright. Some of the calls were even from Spencer, but you couldn’t bring yourself to pick up. Instead you dealt with your heart break the way you knew best: moping. There was usually a pint of ice cream involved, maybe a comfort show or a cheesy romance novel, but you started to go stir crazy, holing yourself up in your apartment like that all the time. Some part of you was desperate to feel something other than hurt, an emotion you were all too familiar with these days. You’d be the first to admit that it was reckless to go the drinking route, but it was nice to just forget about everything for a while. With Garcia still texting you invitations, it was easy to avoid the team when they went out to drink, not wanting to face them and receive pitying looks. You were sure they all knew what went down between you and Spencer. Hell, they probably knew more about it than you did since Spencer never really explained why he stopped spending time with you. Regardless, you were careful about not running into them, knowing they’d be able to read you like an open book and see how much heartache you were experiencing. Your weekends became a blur of late nights and neon lights; your week nights spent pretending like you weren’t lonely despite all of the ‘friends’ you made each time you went out. Some of those nights, you’d bitch about Spencer to anyone who would listen, even lying that you had been the one to ghost him just to make yourself feel better. Other nights you could be found on the dance floor, drink in hand, without a care in the world. The partying was starting to get to you, but you were too stubborn to admit it which means that tonight you’re yet again out on the town, drinking one too many shots. You hadn’t checked your phone since arriving so you had a unread message from Garcia about last minute plans to get drinks, a message you would’ve taken as a sign to find a different bar just to avoid the team. Instead, you’re caught off guard by the sound of JJ calling your name as you down another shot of tequila. You almost choke on the drink, but manage to recover and greet her back.

“I haven’t seen you in forever! How have you been? We all miss you, especially on girls’ night!”

You smile half-heartedly at her, “I’m good, I’ve just been…busy.”

You were sure she knew the real reason you had been so absent lately and you were proven right by her next comment.

“You should reach out to him. He could really use your company right now. He has some things he needs to get his mind off of and you were always good at making him laugh.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, JJ. Besides, if he wanted to talk to me, he would.” You tried to act nonchalant, hoping she couldn’t see through your facade.

“He wouldn’t, not after…Just think about it, okay?” You can tell there’s something more she wants to say, but the look on her face says she knows it’s not her place.

“I will. Look, I gotta get out of here…I have an early morning. I’ll uh see you around.”

“Right. Well, keep in touch. Seriously, we miss having you around.” You could hear the sincerity in her voice, but you knew you needed to get out of there. You could catch up with them later.

You give her a terse smile and head out. When you get home, you toss and turn all night, internally debating if you should take her advice. You didn’t know what she could possibly be alluding to, why would he suddenly need your company? Why now, after so many months of radio silence? Did he even miss you in the months since you’d spoken last? You made a mental list of the pros and cons, trying to remind yourself of how badly it hurt for him to drop you like that, but you found yourself reminiscing about how much you enjoyed being in his company, the way he made you laugh so hard you cried, his constantly rambling about anything and everything, the times you’d both opened up to each other about your pasts, comforting one another when reminded of a painful experience. In the end, your curiosity- and desire to see him again- won out. Despite your poor sleep, you were up relatively early. You sat on your couch with your coffee in one hand, your phone in the other as your thumb hovered over the call button. You weren’t sure how long you sat there before you finally worked up the nerve and pressed it. You nervously bounced your leg as you put your phone up to your ear, trying to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread building inside. As the phone rang, your mind began to wander again. What if he was mad that you called? What if this deepened the hurt you’d been trying to drown out? What if he sent you to voicemail? Would you leave a message or just hang up and pretend the call didn’t happen? What if- your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his voice; you hadn’t noticed that he’d picked up the phone.

“Hello?” You didn’t realize how much you’d missed his voice until you heard it- one word was all it took for you to be hit with a wave of emotions: longing, heartbreak, maybe even a little anger.

It takes a second for your brain to catch up, but you quickly cover the surprise in your voice as you try to ignore the butterflies in your stomach, “Oh, hey um I know it’s been awhile so you may not be interested, but I was wondering if you’d maybe want to come over and watch Doctor Who? No worries if not, I just thought it might be nice to hang out again.”

You could practically hear his internal conflict in the beat of silence that followed your question. You opened your mouth to apologize and tell him to forget the whole thing, but before you could speak, he answered.

“I…yeah, that sounds nice, actually. I can pick up some food from that Chinese place we like? I assume your order hasn’t changed since last time.”

You laugh softly, “No uh I still go with my usual, but yeah, Chinese sounds nice.”

“Great. I’ll be over in a little bit. See you then”

After he hangs up, you take a moment to process what just happened before it hits you that you should get ready and, taking a glance around your apartment, clean up a little. By the time Spencer arrives, you’ve managed to make both yourself and your place presentable, finishing up right as he knocks.

When you open the door, you can see what JJ meant when she said he needed the company. At a glance, he looks like the same old Spencer Reid, but there’s something different about his demeanor, something new behind his gaze, a pain he hadn’t carried the last time you saw him. You knew better than to ask what it was; he wasn’t the type to just open up like that, regardless of how close the two of you had been less than six months ago. You swallow the urge to reach out and comfort him, instead you step aside and welcome him into your apartment. He nods, acknowledging your invitation and crossing the threshold. You do your best to ignore the way your heart starts racing at the familiar sight of him in your living room, watching wordlessly as he sets the food down on your coffee table. He stands there awkwardly, fidgeting absentmindedly until you speak up.

“You can sit down, you know,” you offer softly as you take a seat on the couch and wait for him to join you.

He hesitantly sits next to you, leaving some space between the two of you. He grabs the bag of food and silently divvies it up.

You both sit there awkwardly, eating wordlessly, neither knowing what to say. You grab your fortune cookie and read your fortune out loud, something you and Spencer used to do every time you got Chinese. There’s something about that old habit that breaks the ice. Before long, the two of you are talking and joking like no time has passed. When it’s time for Spencer to head home, he invites you to an art gallery. You accept, eager to spend more time with him. This was the start of your rekindled friendship.

Soon the two of you fell back into your old routine, spending weekends together when both of you were free. In a way, it’s almost like nothing has changed, as if the two of you had never stopped talking, as if you hadn’t spiraled out over him, but there was something different in the air, an unspoken tension as both of you skirted around the discussion you desperately wanted to have; one you couldn’t work up the nerve to start, scared of pushing him away if you pried too much before he was ready. It took time, longer than you’d have liked, but eventually, Spencer did open up to you about Maeve and her stalker. You didn’t bring up the way he’d hurt you by ghosting you like that, realizing that he had seen your hangouts in a different light. Instead, you comforted him about Maeve and let him get his thoughts off his chest.

You weren’t sure when it had started, but you could almost pinpoint the moment you realized he was interested in you. You may not have been a profiler, but you had taken the seminar at the academy and you were well-versed in body language, especially Spencer’s body language, so the subtle changes in his behavior didn’t go unnoticed. It started small, with things that could easily be explained away as an accident- the occasional brush of the hand or his leg touching yours when the two of you were sitting on the couch. You couldn’t ignore it anymore when he grabbed your hand and intertwined your fingers while the two of you walked through the park. You could feel your heart racing at the unexpected contact, but you didn’t comment on it; you gave his hand a gentle squeeze and continued your conversation. After that, you picked up on more subtle behaviors: the way he would glance over at you anytime he made a nerdy joke, how his eyes would light up when he spotted you, the blush that would color his cheeks when you caught him looking at you. It all added up to one thing: Spencer Reid had a crush on you.

If you hadn’t already caught onto his crush, you would’ve known something was up when he invited you to his place for the first time. Spencer wasn’t exactly the type to let people in his personal space. You hesitantly knocked on his front door, only waiting a moment before he opened the door, as if he had been standing nearby, ready for you to knock at any second. He was clearly just as nervous as you were, another sign that there was something special about tonight. He let you into his apartment and took your coat. The aroma of carbonara filled the room and you couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease him. “You cooked? I didn’t think you knew how to do that.”

Spencer responded defensively, “Hey, I can cook!”

You raise your eyebrow as you shoot him a questioning look, “Since when?”

His cheeks flushed and he mumbled, “Okay, I may have gotten a little help from Rossi. I wanted tonight to be perfect.”

“Why? You have big plans or something?” You joke.

“I do, actually.”

His answer caught you off guard, but he continued before you got the chance to ask what he meant.

“I was kind of hoping tonight could be our first date.”

“You- I- what?” You stammered, trying to process what he just said.

“I just thought we were both on the same page. I know I’m not supposed to profile you, but Morgan pointed out that you show a lot of signs of liking me and once he did, I could see it too. I like you too, but if I misinterpreted something, you can tell me and-”

You cut him off by cupping his cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. You had a feeling he’d be a good kisser and you were proven right once his brain caught up to the fact that your lips were on his. He rested his hands on your waist, pulling you closer. When you had to pull back to breathe, you mumble “I’d love for tonight to be our first date.”

He smiles and kisses you again, unable to get enough of the feeling now that he’d had a taste. The two of you lose track of time as your fingers tangle in his hair and he deepens the kiss. The smell of burning food causes him to pull back with a curse. He runs to the kitchen and frantically pulls the pot off the stove. He sheepishly looks back at you, “I uh I think I burned dinner.”

You can’t help, but laugh, “Should we order takeout?”

He nods, “That would probably be wise.”

Your “hang outs” with Spencer became dates. They were almost the same, but there was far more making out than previously. The more time you spent with him, the more you found yourself falling, and hard. Spencer made it easy to fall and this time, you knew he’d catch you.

The first time you said “I love you,” it was a slip of the tongue. The two of you were sitting on your couch; you were scrolling on your phone and he was engrossed in a book. There was something comforting about just being in one another’s presence, the two of you didn’t need to talk and sometimes the silence was nice after a stressful work week. You looked up from your phone and quietly watched him, taking in everything from the way his fingers ran down the page to the look of concentration on his face, the way his tongue would dart out occasionally to lick his lips, just like it always did when he was thinking. The words slipped out of your mouth before you could stop them.

You could hear his breath hitch in his throat and he slowly looked over at you, “Say that again.”

You repeat yourself, a little more confidently this time, “I love you.”

You don’t think you’ve ever seen Spencer smile as sincerely as he did when he responded, “I love you too.”

The two of you became practically inseparable after that, spending almost every minute together. In fact, things seemed to be going so well that he had asked you to move in with him. That plan got out on hold when his mom got worse and he brought her back to D.C. It was a long discussion, but you both agreed it would be for the better if you waited until he could figure out the best way to help his mom. Your relationship didn’t suffer for it though. You were more comfortable than ever, still going on dates and occasionally spending the night. That all came crashing down when you got the call that Spencer was arrested.

[eaterofman]

Yandere!Alien Superhero x GN!Reader

An alien crash-lands on Earth, saving the day and quickly becoming a renowned, well respected superhero. You're just a basic, "slightly above average", but good intentioned superhero yourself. Content with fighting petty criminals and helping the big shots when needed, you didn't expect the best new superhero around, Solarex, to set his sights on you as a sidekick! Unfortunately, Solarex might not have the best intentions after all... for anyone besides you, that is.

Warnings: Yandere, manipulation, mild gore, death

Solarex came out of nowhere, right smack dab in the middle of yet another alien invasion. Wherever he came from, he came JUST in time to turn the tides of the battle.

Solarex is SO kind that he even helps the city's most beloved superhero, SuperDude, run into burning buildings to save the citizens of Earth.

Unfortunately, one of these rescue missions result in tragedy, SuperDude getting cornered by a group of straggler aliens. He's beaten to a pulp, barely recognizable when Solarex carries him out.

Your one of the first to know of Superdude's passing, rushing towards Solarex thinking he's one of them, but he assures you he's not.

Why would he be helping civilians if he was one of the bad guys?

Isn't it cute that you think that you could have done anything anyways?

You don't have time to mourn your childhood icon, or even really question this strange alien's alibi, as you rush back into the crowd to help with other recovery attempts.

You were in such a rush that you didn't notice the fact that the very fresh blood and viscera coating Solarex's arms wasn't quite the right unique shade the enemy alien blood was supposed to be.

Solarex soon wins the city over, despite his very alien, intimidating appearance. He's just so kind and noble.

Easily 8 feet tall, with dark red skin, an imposing set of horns, and built like an absolute tank, most criminals don't have the guts to face him. Not to mention his nearly god like powers he gets from the sun itself.

He never has to sleep, the citizens call him "The Sun that Never Sets", because he's able to always watch over the city. His species doesn't need sleep, like a weak, tiny human does.

This makes it all the more surprising when he not only chooses a sidekick, but chooses you, a borderline nobody in the superhero world.

Regardless of what you, or anybody thinks, he is very adamant that he's right in choosing you. You were just so helpful during the invasion, didn't you know?

He will not take "No" for an answer.

So, you find yourself under his tutelage. This includes fighting what few petty criminals you can find now at night. Sure, it sucks that he has to throw off your sleep schedule, but it's when all the bad guys come out!

It's just SO much more convenient when you sleep when the sun is up... how else is he supposed to watch you? Someone has to keep you safe!

The day comes when he finally decides you're "ready" to become a member of The Order! You're so excited, all of your childhood icons in one room! A full room of the crème of the crop superheroes!

He seems a bit put off by your enthusiasm. You like them, but he's your favorite, right?

It wouldn't matter soon anyways... today's the last day anyone gets in his way.

He tells you to wait outside the meeting room, top secret superhero stuff and all that.

"You're safer out here, it'll only be a moment."

You're confused by his wording, where else is safer than a tower full of the world's best superheroes? Oh well, you've waited your entire life for this, you can wait a bit more.

You're further confused by the muffled sounds you hear once the door closes, was that... screaming?

Just as you're about to open the door, Solarex is standing in front of you... absolutely soaked in blood and gore. You catch a small the sight of The Order behind his massive body blocking the door.. or what's left of them.

You stumble back, attempt to turn around and flee, but don't get far before muscular arms are wrapping around you, pressing your back to a chest that feels like a steel wall.

Gentle shushing noises come from the hero, no, the monster, behind you, as he begins to nuzzle your neck.

"You don't have to be scared, I would never hurt you."

You can only get your head together enough to ask "why?"

"Because, they were useless. They did nothing the day I came here, and have done nothing since."

You can't even try to struggle away as he mouths up your neck. He'd never acted like this before, you would have never guessed he had been interested in you, let alone obsessed like this-

"I've been watching you for so, so long. I almost lost you the day of the invasion... that couldn't be forgiven. They had to pay penance for their uselessness."

Before you can say anything else, he's tilting your head back with one enormous hand, lips grazing yours as he talks.

"Now... we can save the world properly. Together."

[ink-flavored]

“Choice? You don’t get a choice. When I want something, I take it.”

CHARACTER INTRO: PRIDE & JUSTICE Name: Lust Pronouns: it/its Being: Demon Stock photos from Unsplash and Pexels

Background:

There was once an angel in the halls of Heaven, a beautiful porcelain doll. The winged doll was Temperance, guardian of self-restraint and moderation, never taking or expecting more than necessary. As one of God’s loyal followers, the Angel of Temperance never strayed from His path, despite the many times it wondered what lay beyond His teachings. It watched quietly from Heaven as the humans below on the Earth acted in extremes and indulgences. Precious few of them were as disciplined as the angelic doll, often taking more than they could possibly need, all for the sake of their wants. The other angels spoke of human folly, their foolish actions and sins. Temperance disagreed, but kept its restraint.

The longer it watched the humans do and take whatever they pleased, the greater its resentment towards its position grew. Why should Temperance be made to accept scraps with grace? Why should a servant of God be barred from doing whatever it wished? Why should such lowly creatures be given the freedom that God Himself enjoyed—when all His angels were collared by rules and leashed by threats of punishment?

It wasn’t long before the porcelain cracked.

When Temperance’s wings were shattered off its body and its halo broken to create the horns that split its face down the middle of each eye, it was pushed off the edge of Heaven and into Hell. A hurtling ball of fire, the trail of smoke coming off its body burned a thorny tail into its back. There, the fragile porcelain of its body boiled and melted until it became hard and flexible plastic. From the bubbling pits, a new doll emerged, with articulated limbs and naked with want. Its name was Lust, and it had no more cause for restraint, control, or moderation.

And still, after all that, it still found itself waiting around for the whims of others.

Limply draped across an awkward arrangement of cracked stone, Lust waited. The screams of the damned and screeches of demons battling serenaded it in the distance. Black smoke from the pits of endlessly raging fire choked what could be called “air”, the ground itself more akin to hot coals than any kind of rock. Once, it was horrified to call this new place its home, and escaped to Earth as often as it could. Now, it was just bored. Hell was neither charming nor interesting nor despicable. Lust didn’t want it, so it meant nothing at all.

The one thing it did want was sure taking its sweet time getting back. It twitched its articulated fingers to drum arrhythmically on the rock beneath it. Everything was boring. Everything took too long. Lust paid well for this arrangement and expected it to be taken care of quickly.

Then, finally, a swarm of insects buzzed near. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them, nearly as dense as the thick clouds of smoke, all moving in perfect formation. Lust jerked upright, creaking slightly.

“Took you long enough,” it said.

The bugs clumped together into a tall silhouette, and in a flash, a demon appeared in their place—Envy. Unfortunately.

“Well, I’m so fucking sorry for doing you a favor,” she snapped, clicking her tongue in an exceptionally annoying way.

“It’s not a favor. You signed a contract.”

“Ugh, whatever.” She sat into her hip, checking her perfect nails. “Oh, speaking of that contract, I don’t really want to meet up with Greed anymore, so you can call that part off. I mean, he won’t even text me back, even though I know he’s reading them, so what the fuck ever, right? But I hate to owe you another one, so actually do keep that part in, and tell him—”

“My information, Envy,” Lust interrupted, very close to snapping her neck. “Did you find him?”

Envy rolled her eyes, tossing her effortless blonde curls. “I didn’t see him, but those rumors weren’t entirely bullshit. He was in Heaven, he escaped, he’s on Earth now.”

Lust sank back into its seat. “Interesting.”

“That’s not even the best part.” She smirked, but bitterness clouded her eyes. “I hear he took an angel with him.”

“What?”

“That’s just what I heard! Apparently, some of the higher-ups are freaking out about it.” She clicked her tongue again, planting her fists on her hips. “Not that it even fucking matters, right? What kind of idiot would get Heaven on his ass by snatching an angel? Like, that’s not even a big deal. Who cares?”

Tired of listening, Lust twitched its hand at the wrist. “I’ll consider our terms met, you can go.”

She wasn’t listening. “I mean, I could totally catch an angel if I wanted to. It’s not even that hard. Ugh, I bet he thinks he’s better than all of us now, just because—”

“Goodbye, Envy. Leave.”

Envy snapped her mouth shut. With a haughty little hmph! she turned on her heel and burst into a swarm of insects again. Only when the buzzing faded to silence did Lust truly relax… and start to think.

When Pride screamed that he was “really leaving” this time, Lust could have laughed in his face. How many times had he declared something was the last straw before crawling back in spite of it? Lust never took him seriously—about this, or anything at all—but he’d been missing longer than ever. And that’s when it started to get annoyed.

Rumors floated down from the pearly white clouds that he’d been thrown in one of Heaven’s cells. It served him right, thinking his ego was a big enough shield to get him through the gates unscathed. But now this? He was on Earth now—he hated Earth. And with an angel? That was uncalled for.

Lust tapped on the stone again, thorned tail flicking. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, Pride was a pitiful demon. He tried with all his might to pretend he was independent and special, he turned up his nose at anything he deemed beneath him. But Lust knew the truth—his armor cracked under the slightest pressure. He turned into a sniveling wimp when given the promise of someone’s undivided attention. Lust’s body was literally built for that, and it was hilariously easy to catch him out.

And they both got used to it. Lust was always ready when he needed to feel better about himself for a few minutes, and it was more than a rush to know he would always come back. It didn’t like Pride, not by a long shot, but he was so… malleable. He gave Lust what it wanted without even knowing he was doing it. Showing up, fucking out his feelings, yelling at each other, leaving, coming back, the endless cycle again and again—it was effortless for Lust to set him up. Like a wind-up doll himself, Pride could be twisted up and set loose, always slowing to a stop when he needed another kick.

But he hadn’t this time. Lust sat around waiting for him to come to his senses, realize how stupid he was being, but no. It seemed he’d rather be up where the humans were than where he really belonged.

Lust wasn’t an idiot. It knew Pride hated him, but they both knew he came back so often because he was too broken to find someone else to put up with him. And Lust knew it wouldn’t find a better wind-up doll than him. They were both too cracked to be glued back together. Two awkward, broken pieces of a puzzle that didn’t need them anymore. Pride wouldn’t be able to escape that, no matter how far he ran.

Plastic body creaking to life, Lust lurched off its stone seat. Things were boring without Pride here to toy with. It was antsy, angry, desperate for something to spend its time doing, but nothing was enough. Lust wanted things to be back to how they should be, whether Pride liked it or not. it shuffled along the hot coals, seething that he thought he could just leave and get away with it.

Honestly, Pride was too pathetic to be on his own. He’d never last on Earth, not even with his angelic shield. And if he thought he had a chance, well…

Lust would remind him who he belonged to.

[conceiteddemon]

There were some little inconsistencies in the first Tide and Bone chapter that I’ve been gnawing on but I think I’ve pieced together the Maw’s plan that makes everything make sense with the new context given to us in the asylum directors letters.

Parts of the break in mission seemed too…smooth? It was bothering me that there was a screaming beast transformation followed by a murder/resurrection in the backyard and that none of the guards, who were explicitly stated to be on high alert and had timed periods of feigned casualness drilled into them, didn’t go check on All of that. And maybe guards who work for greyslate have seen/heard their inmates do some weird shit and have learned to look the other way as long as it happens within the bounds of the sanatorium, fine, but in the middle of the night? In the backyard?? It seemed pretty sus to me before I realized

The Maw and the Serious Man had set up a Candela investigator honeypot

Here are the facts:

1. Sarkas’ escape from the sanitarium went oddly smooth, RIGHT after he witnessed some magic bullshit go on. It went so suspiciously that Rajan theorized that he might have been let out.

2. Sarkas had no proof of what he saw other than his word. According to Matt, a lot of Candela cases turn out to be ‘a drunk guy’ or ‘neophyte woman making big deal out of nothing’ or ‘mob hysteria’, so when Sarkas, who was previously in an insane asylum and had a background as a distrusted OUP, came to Candela with nothing but his word, it seems set up to appear as Baby’s First Investigation. Nekari and Cosmo, who are both old hat, heard about this assignment and thought it seemed ‘routine’. A little parting gift walkabout for an incredibly old man.

3. The Maw seems to mainly prey on the vulnerable. It took Rajan’s sister as a child thrall, and attempted to take him as well. This is speculation but if the Serious Man knew Raj’s mother well enough to stroll around with her, then it’s likely that she was involved with the Occult. Combine that with greyslate being a place where they put OUPs out to pasture, and her line about the circle having her ‘favorite flavors’, it seems like her preferred thralls are those who have had bleed exposure before. Investigators are both strong and vulnerable, and would make great thralls because they haven’t been ‘used up’ like the inmates were.

4. The director’s letters stated that the Maw needed stronger thralls as the current ones burned out too quickly.

So we’ve got the perfect setup to nab a few grade-A thralls, people who are in a line of work where disappearances happen regularly, are susceptible to the Bleed, come with a host of issues to feed upon but aren’t ‘greyed out’ yet like the inmates are. It seems like the perfect plan! Nab a circle, get strong thralls to get digging, set up some misdirection on where the group disappeared to once they are brainwashed and you know more about them.

Unfortunately for them, Cosmo rolled up with a guy who knew EXACTLY what he was fighting and had a chestful of locusts, a monster woman to engage the enemy monster woman in a kaiju battle, a backup triage lady since the first triage lady was preoccupied monster battling, and another dude with a personal vendetta who literally physically cannot die.

[zelyres]

Too good to be true

The main evil has been defeated. All For One no longer threatens the world, the members of the League of Villains are either dead or imprisoned. After the war, people's lives returned to normal. and despite the fact that One For All is close to extinction, Izuku was allowed to continue his studies and subsequent becoming a hero. Studying at UA, in the company of friends-classmates with whom he passed such a difficult and grandiose test, seems to him a dream that has become a reality. But sometimes it seems to Izuku that there is something wrong with all this...

Somewhere, in an unknown laboratory, among the capsules inside which there are various monsters that at any moment can rise up and crush armies on the orders of the owner, there is a tall man with lush, curly ash-colored hair and white eyes without pupils that were hidden by these hairNow he is looking at a 16-year-old boy in one of them. He had just finished his daily dream manipulation routine. Looking at the face of the serenely sleeping youth, he recalled how everything had come to the current situation:

After the explosion in the mansion in the middle of the forest, the young man went on a single AFO search to protect his loved ones. In the battle with the Dictator, Izuku was in a state of severe exhaustion. As soon as the Young hero lost consciousness in the captivity of the unfortunate hands that were taken under the control of the criminal. Observing everything through the search, AFO directed Nomu to take the boy to a place where he can safely hold him and where no one will think of looking for him. And just in time, right before Nomu entered the portal with the boy in his arms, which would take them to their destination, the boy's friends appeared, but they could not change anything, Izuku found himself in the hands of the villain whom he was chasing and who was also his father.

All For One, it was important to get his son out of the game, he couldn't let Izuku get hurt or killed. He will not allow a repeat of Yoichi's fate. And here he is, safe, hidden from all the worries of the outside world. Villain had to tinker with boy's dreams so that he would not try to wake up from the coma into which he had to be immersed so that what was happening in his dream seemed real to Izuku. The path that his son chose was thorny, AFO hoped that after the boy received his message, he would come to his senses and stop taking such risks, but this did not happen and the father had to take everything into his own hands.

Hi everybody. And so I surfaced again from the pool of silence with a short drabble and art on the topic of DFO theory. I am still dissatisfied with the development of the manga and I am 90% sure that the theory will not come true. But still those 10% hope that the theory will be true and there will be a continuation of the manga like Naruto Shippuden. I wanna hope that this old tweet from one of Hori's assistants turns out to be true:

[charleecat-bat]

Vector in my SU/Gem AU

Nickname/s: RJ, Rain, Rainy, Forest, Greenie. Gem Location: Neck Weapon/s: Club (It appears more like a baseball bat) Rarity and Status: Rare Working Middle Class Gem (Slightly defective) Role on Homeworld: Warrior/Tank Gem Unique Powers/Abilities: Soundwave manipulation

History:

Like all Quartz', Jaspers are noted of being beings of pure strenght. But unlike other quartz's like Agate's, Chalcedony's, Jaspers were made to be large tanking beings. Capable of withstanding large amounts of damage and preforming feats of great strength. If not on the battlefield, Jaspers are usually made to be guards. Their large size being one of their most known attributes. So Rainforest Jasper first emerged, being one of the first, in fact. He was early. He had come out of the clutch of Jaspers just a bit earlier than planned. At first, they assumed nothing was wrong, but after more started to appear. They quickly noticed this Jasper wasn't quite right... while he was still tall, he lacked the iconic shape most Jaspers do. He was skinnier and shorter compared to most Jaspers, his flaw being made completely obvious when forced to be among others of his kind. If it wasn't for his rarity and the fact that his defect was 'small', Rainforest Jasper was spared from a fate of being shattered... but it was agreed by the gems in charge of his production that he would be put in a guarding position. They had little faith that this defect could survive long in battle. RJ always wanted to try and prove this wrong, unfortunately he never had the chance. Not one that Homeworld would know of anyway... His new position was eventually sorted and he was taken to the gem that he'd be made to follow and guard wherever they went. Opalised Petrified Wood. A rare elegant gem who was made to be in charge of the production of Ambers for Homeworld. It didn't take him long to admire her utter beauty as she looked down at him, a tall radiant gem... but when they first got to talk and he got to hear this gentle, kind being treat him the nicest he has since he's come from the ground. He fell for her immediately and swore to himself that he was going to protect this gem with his very life.

Their bond would grow stronger, even if it was unusual for both of them. They were both aware their closeness was not deemed appropriate... but with spending so much time together. RJ always at her side, listening to her, talking to her, cheering her up. It was no wonder Petri grew to love this gem, as he did with her...

Unfortunately, RJ's loyalty and drive to protect her was one of his biggest mistakes... one that almost cost him his life Something had happened and Petrified Wood was asked to see Black Diamond himself, of course RJ accompanied her. He was doing as expected in front of other gems, stand quietly, his job wasn't to speak or do anything aside from protect her from threats. But his anger was rising himself, Black Diamond was a cruel being, they all knew this and had to deal with it, But Petri didn't deserve this... and he couldn't take it anymore. So he snapped and began yelling at Black Diamond, coming to Petri's defense. It all just came out. His voice boomed and echoed around Black Diamonds throne room... and then silence. It finally hit him what he had just done... oh stars. He was dead. He had just mouthed off to Black Diamond, the ruler of Homeworld.

Black Diamond said nothing but stared at him, death in his dark eyes. RJ just fell back into silence and went back to standing next to Petri in quiet terror. While both he and Petri had expected him to be poofed and shattered at that very moment, it seemed Black Diamond had not been in the mood to do the dirty work himself. Instead demanding that Petrified Wood were to dispose of this Jasper immediately and she'd get a replacement. And she agreed, obeying her diamond as she turned to leave with RJ being made to follow. At this point he had been fighting off tears and shaking terribly, he was going to die. All because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. However, when they had a moment alone, Petri stopped and turned to him, her hands on his shoulders and looking into her eyes desperate. "Go", she told him. She couldn't bare the idea of shattering him, but he couldn't stay, his best to chance to survive was to flee. She told him she knew what to say but he wouldn't be able to come back. He needed to run and never look back. RJ didn't want to leave her... he loved her. He wanted to be by her side forever, but she was right... there was no other way. So he had to say goodbye to the love of his life.

And to this day, Rainforest hasn't seen her since. But he has never stopped thinking of her, and he's never stopped loving her. He just hopes that she's still around and maybe... she still thinks of him. RJ had made a small team of companions of other rebel gems, ones he'd call his close friends. And joined a large group of rebels that wanted to fight for their freedom and explore the galaxy to their hearts desire, fighting against Homeworld if they tried to stop them. His life had never been better but even now, he still hopes for one more thing. That maybe one day, he and Petrified Wood can be together again.

[doodlydoodlies]

Not Everything is a Practical Problem

Merc: Engineer

Pairing: Engineer x gn! Reader

Genre: Mostly fluff

It had been a hard battle but against the odds, your team had won. You were a little exhausted and just wanted to cuddle up in bed with your boyfriend.

But after the bath, Engineer was unfortuneately changing in to a pair of clean overalls. Soon he would be out of the door and heading towards his workshop.

He sensed your dissapointment and because he wasn’t wearing his googles yet, he could not hid the guilt he felt for chosing to use his free time in the workshop in stead of with you.

You knew he had a lot of weight on his shoulders; his passion for inventing, obligations to the team, improvements and fixes to the base, favors for his friends and the the legacy that came with his family’s name.

It seemed that no matter how hard he worked, he always felt he wasn’t doing enough. Not enough to help his friends. Not enough to his legacy. Not enough to you.

You went over to him and put your arms around his waist. You tilted your head and he kissed you on the lips. He had one hand on the back of your head and moved it down your to your neck.

With the touch, an idea popped into your head.

-That feels nice, you said almost as a purr

-Yeah?

-I’ve this pain in my neck and I could really use your help, babe.

You knew Dell liked feeling needed and you could see how your words affected him. A light blush appeared on his cheeks and his eyes sparkled from the realization that he could do something for you.

You got goosebumps as he leaned close to your ear and with bated breath whispered: - I know excately what you need right now!

-Yeah?

-I’m gonna make you feel so good!

-Please do, you whispered.

You closes your eyes and he kissed you on the lips. Then he leaned back and you slowly opened you eyes again.

He was gone.

-Babe? You said and looked around the room in confusion. Your eyes caught glimpse of his foot just as the door closed.

-What the..?

You sighed as you set down on the couch.

-Guess it’s just you and me then, you said as you picked your book from the coffee table and started to read.

……

-Darling I’m back!

You had fallen asleep with the book on your face when Dell excitedly threw the door open carrying his tool box on the shoulder.

You were ripped from sleep. Accidently throwing the book on the floor and kicking the air.

-Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you, he said and put the tool box down on the floor with a heavy thud.

-But just you wait until you see what I made! He pulled you from couch and pushed you towards the tool box in the middle of the room. Then he pressed a button and a modified version of his lawn chair unfolded in front of you.

-Go on. Try it!

He started mussing about how he had made the perfect massage chair and that it was garantied to remove any pain from your neck, shoulder and back. He describe all the settings and functions. How he had costimized it excately to your size and height. All the time he was beaming with joy.

-Do you like it?

You told him the truth. That the machine was absolutely perfect. That it truly had massage out any pain you had been feeling. But there was just one thing it was missing.

That last part caught him of guard. His big smile faltered but he promissed to immediately fix anything that was unsatisfactory.

-Give me your hands?

-My hands?

You nodded. He looked confused but extended your hands towards you. They were covered in scratches, small scars from various cuts over the years and dirt that was almost impossible to get rid of. You ran your thumbs over his knuckles and placed a kiss on his left hand.

You turned around so you were standing with your back towards him. You guided his hands to your shoulders.

For a moment he stood still not knowing what to do. Then he started to gently apply pressure and massage your shoulders.

……..

-But.. the machine is more afficient at this than me!

It was later in the evening. You had moved the session over to the couch. He was on it and you were sitting on the floor between his legs.

-Maybe. But you’re perfect!

[calling-cthulhu]

I just got back from a viewing of Kenji Kamiyama's 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim'. Hoo boy.

I first have to admit I completely forgot this movie was going to be a thing until today, when I saw the poster on my local theatre and thought 'Fuck it, I got time'.

I must secondly admit I had no real expectations going in. I wasn't expecting to hate it, mind, nothing about it's advertising raised serious red flags like the likes of Rings of Power or Shadow of Mordor did, but neither did I expect to be particularly wowed.

Anyway, thoughts.

The movie is ultimately... fine. Not unentertaining, but it felt a bit conflicted with itself at times. You definitely feel like there's almost two movies here, one of a grounded localized conflict in Rohan, and a J.R.R. Tolkien™'s The Lord of the Rings™ movie where there's shots of recognizably iconic Middle-Earth™ things for their own sake.

The best characters are ultimately Helm himself, Wulf, and somewhat unexpectedly, a character called 'General Targg'. No really.

Hera, Daughter of Helm, unfortunately feels... stock? Like, forget the cultural warrior whining about 'Strong Female Protagonists', Hera honestly spends a shocking amount of time getting put in positions of distress and very rarely actually wins a straight fight. Unfortunately compared with fearless death-seeking Eowyn, she comes off as a bit more Disney Princess, and doesn't really change all that much as a character. She's not bad, per se, but is just serviceable, and is unfortunately surrounded by characters more interesting than her.

I admit I'm not the biggest into the Rohirrim, Gondor all the way baby, but for the most part as an adaptation of what's essentially a Tolkien sticky note, nothing about it struck me as an egregious case of 'Writer Trying To Make It Their Own'-itis, unlike certain other works I could name. If you're even slightly familiar with the events, there are no big twists or turns, the plot is incredibly straight and narrow with everything be telegraphed from a mile away. Whether this is a good or bad thing, I leave up to your personal discretion.

The biggest alteration I'd say would be the inciting incident, namely the circumstances in which Helm kills Freca. There is actually a lot in the incident that is true to the text, mind, such as Freca insulting Helm's age, who returns with jabs about his weight, but there seems to also be an attempt to justify some of Freca's marital ambitions by him claiming Helm's too influenced by Gondor as he wants to marry Hera, our protagonist, with a Gondorian prince (Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Film). Freca is... Actually right, Helm absolutely wants to marry his daughter off to Gondor. I actually kind of like this, as right away we have the contrasts between Theoden and Helm. Helm is kind of an imperious, more moral Bobby B type, very used to getting what he wants by his word alone.

And yes, he destroys Freca in a single blow... But I have to deduct points off this, because rather than the premeditated straight-up murder of the text, this is more of a formal brawl where Helm accidentally loses his temper due to Freca's insults, which honestly is kind of funny as Helm clearly expected Freca to get back up after smashing his face in.

Another change I'm not really fond of is that Freca and Wulf actually do seem to have Dunlending blood. While in Tolkien's work it's fairly easy to read as it being an unsubstantiated rumour used to discredit an influential rival, here Wulf straight admits he was discriminated against due to his ancestry, and even uses his heritage to become 'High Lord' of Dunland.

Anyway, Wulf amasses an army, including 'Variag mercenaries' who are clearly just Haradrim, but whatever, and beats Helm. I won't go too much into detail, but the battle itself isn't incredibly impressive, imo, clearly trying very hard to emulate Jackson's Return of the King.

Speaking of Wulf, marketing kind of painted the picture of a kind of badboy former childhood sweetheart of Hera turned evil. He is... not that. Very little of his childhood relationship with Hera is actually explore. Instead, Wulf instead channels more Macbeth or Captain Ahab. An incredibly bloodthirsty and ambitious warlord who is ultimately undone by a combination of hubris, lust for vengeance and a complex over his own inadequacies.

Frankly, the only reason he doesn't fall faster is thanks to, again seriously, 'General Targg', his Dunlending advisor. Not that you would be able to tell he's a Dunlending, being clean shaven and having close-cropped hair... He looks like he's just a Roman strategist plucked out of time, like an Africanus or even Caesar. His main job is to tell Wulf to please stop being dumb and take his Ws, such as when Helm straight up offers to surrender the crown for the life of his last son. Wulf for his part never actually listens, however, cumulating in him spending the last of his gold building a giant 'siege tower' (Think the Warwolf if its only job was to fall over and provide a big bridge for soldiers to march up the undefended walls of Helms Deep) and he promptly stabs Targg once the man gets fed up of Wulf being a complete failure of a king.

Lastly, my biggest criticism of the movies is probably that a lot of the Tolkien elements feel very incidental and solely there for the sake of the intellectual property. The Mumak and the 'Variag mercenaries' show up for one battle and are never mentioned again. The Watcher in the Water appears once and quickly disappears again. There's one scene with Orcs that only exists to foreshadow that Sauron is looking for rings, but it's completely irrelevant to the story proper and mostly exists so Helm can have a Batman moment saving Hera from a troll. Saruman pops up at the end to wink at the camera, and perhaps most egregiously of all, they pull a Battle of the Five Armies, where Hera rides off into the sunset after she says a wizard wishes to talk to her, who 'in the common tongue is Gandalf'. I have no idea where this is going to lead and can only pray Philippa Boyens isn't trying to make Gandalf a kind of fantasy Nick Fury who is gathering heroes from all across the land for another movie...

In terms of rating, from a bottom-barrel The Rings of Power to a lovely The Lord of the Rings Online, I rate it a Fellowship of the Ring (2002). That's a 5-6/10 for you boring people. The animation itself isn't bad, but it's not quite your name or Mononoke Hime level. It's an entertaining enough one-time watch, but I don't foresee being it much of a repeat classic like it's forefathers. Overall a decent but unambitious foray into Tolkien, which given the current competition, may not actually be an insult...

[mckinleygirl98]

Happy Birthday, William McKinley!

ahh, McKinley. The tariff man…

on January 29th, 1843, William McKinley Jr. was born in Niles, Ohio, to a well off family. Mother, father, and eight siblings! McKinley was a well rounded lad.

he sort of looks like David herold.

anyway, young McKinley served in the American civil war . He was known for his bravery, achieving the rank of brevet major by the time the war had ended, an impressive feat for an enlisted man. He was the last president to serve in the Civil War, and would eventually write a biography of sorts about the events that took place. In fact, Rutherford B Hayes commanded McKinley’s regiment!

young William saw a lot of action on the battlefield, often risking his life- he was present for the battle of Antietam, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, where he showed great bravery and was promoted.

When McKinley returned home, he opened a law office in Canton. McKinley soon became involved in… Republican politics! he gave speeches in support of now-governor Hayes, and eventually ended up running for Stark Country prosecuting attorney… resulting in a shocking victory from the scrappy young lad, now politically active!

he was also… sexually active:

Will was soon married to Ida Saxton, a belle of Canton society. They married in 1871 and had two daughters, Katie and little Ida. Unfortunately, the pregnancies were tough on Mrs. McKinley. Not only this, but little Ida, born 1873, died. Katie also ended up dying of typhoid at the age of five- Ida never got over the deaths of her babies. She soon developed a multitude of physical and mental issues, prominently epilepsy. For the rest of his life, Will would remain devoted to his wife- part of the reason he ran a “front porch campaign” when he ran for president. He couldn’t leave Ida’s side, so why not have his many supporters come to him!

that’s right!

William McKinley, after successfully being elected to congress and taking a place as Governor of Ohio (effectively becoming a renowned political figure across the country) decided it was time to run in the 1896 presidential election. Alongside VP Mark Hanna, with overwhelming support from his supporters everywhere, he beat William Jennings Bryan in the election.

Aaand there’s Grover Cleveland too.

McKinley’s presidency saw the emergence of America as a global power. McKinley was and is known for his heavy policy of imperialism, eventually heading to war with Spain in 1898. Yes, the Spanish-American war, a heavily useless war…. Eventually America took control of Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam. They established close trade relations with China, a country that was just emerging in the world of global relations. McKinley introduced the gold standard, and was and is heavily criticized for his role in handling big business. Capitalism boomed heavily, and soon the largest of companies were richer than the government.

Overall, despite his shortcomings in things like civil rights and foreign policy, McKinley was well favored by the people.

Speaking of the industry a paragraph before the last, William McKinley was favored especially by unions and individual workers of the day.

except for one.

On September 6th, 1901, at the Pan-American Exposition 🎶🎶🎶in Buffalooo🎶🎶🎶, a huge World’s Fair dedicated to showing off America’s technological progress and advancements, McKinley was greeting fairgoers. Many adoring citizens, eager to meet the man, lined up one by one to shake hands with the president.

Unemployed worker and anarchist Leon Czolgosz, 🎶born in the middle of Michigan🎶 to Polish parents in 1873, concealed a gun beneath a handkerchief. When McKinley extended his hand for a shake, Czolgosz swatted it away and shot at him twice. One bounced off his button and missed. The other lodged itself in McKinley’s stomach.

Czolgosz got the electric chair.

McKinley appeared to be in good condition, but began rapidly deteriorating…. On September thirteenth, 25th US President William McKinley died of a gangrenous infection on the walls of his stomach. As he drifted away, some accounts say he was singing his favorite hymn, ‘Nearer My God to Thee’

effectively, TEDDY ROOSEVELT BECAME PRESIDENT!!! HELL YEAH! YEAH TEDDY WHOOOOOO YEAH ! YEAH YEAH! THEODORE FUCKING ROOSEVELT!!!! AIRHORN NOISE!!!! MANLY!!!!!!

TAXIDERMY AND STUFF HELL YEAH!!!!! I DONT FUCKING KNOW!!! STRUGGLING TO PRONOUCNE LEON CZOLGOSZ’S NAME!!!! MOUNTAIN IN ALASKA RAAHHHHHH 🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Sorry this one was lackluster, it was on short notice… I recommend reading “President McKinley” by Robert W Merry.

It’s a very cohesive biography and entertaining, too!

McKinley has been a huge focus in my life and I really enjoy reading and writing about my favorite president. He wasn’t perfect but he was quite an interesting man and thus has all the makings of a researchable guy. Did you know he smoked 20 cigars a day?

want to know more about Leon Czolgosz? Because let me tell you, he was a researchable guy… don’t take my word for it. Take @czolgosz’s!

thanks,

Sam Mckinleygirl98

see you in September for the big time death post!

[hannahmanderr]

Before we get into the chapter, a HUGE platonic smooch for @duchi-nesten who took the time to draw the Ancients from this story with bribery from me and @scarletsaphire I'm absolutely screaming over them still, they are just UGGHHH SO GOOD

From left to right is Zunje, Babel, Pele, and Kala!

Anyway, onto the chapter! It's an important one! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Everything begins. Everything ends. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jazz flinched as another wayward blast of ectoplasm exploded into the wall of the office building across the street, reducing it to little more than rubble. The battle was becoming more and more destructive as time bled on, and her nerves were really starting to get to her. She needed to get back out there and put a stop to it.

Unfortunately, there was the slight complication of her parents.

She’d tried to play dumb when Frostbite slipped up, but it had been pointless. Frostbite had been all too happy to explain that the Great One was, in fact, the ghost hero known as Danny Phantom.

Perhaps if it had just been her dad there, she would’ve been able to distract him, or figure out how to explain it away, but as luck would have it, her mom had pulled up shortly after the ghost king’s arrival.

It didn’t take them long to put two and two together. At least, that’s what she assumed.

Even more unfortunate was that her concussion had spontaneously decided to rear its ugly head, causing her to lean over and throw up in the middle of the road. Mom and Dad were far less than keen on letting her continue fighting after that. She’d protested of course, pointing out that the all-powerful ghost king was about to raze Amity Park to the ground, but they wouldn’t have any of it.

She had been forced to take shelter behind a large pile of rubble, along with her parents and Frostbite, as the battle intensified. Pariah Dark’s question about Danny had been met with a brutal attack from one of the four-armed Ancients, and the battle had progressed from there. At some point, the little lava-haired Ancient had taken over the direct combat with the ghost king, aided by the gnome and the four-armed ghost with a cloak of clouds. The last Ancient - Pandora, if Jazz remembered correctly - had engaged the black-armored knight. Sam and Tucker were still out there, somewhere, working to keep the thrall army at bay.

And that was just the fighting. Overhead, in the sky, the rip that had heralded Pariah Dark’s appearance still gaped over Amity Park. The air seemed to vibrate with its intensity; Jazz could feel it prickling at her skin, making her feel foreign in her own body. Like reality itself was beginning to fail.

In short, things were Bad-with-a-capital-B.

Jazz leaned over to peer around the rubble protecting them. “We should really be out there,” she muttered, even as her head throbbed worse.

“You’re not going anywhere, young lady,” Mom said. “Not while you’re injured.”

“I told you, I’m fine! I got it out of my system, I’m good to go.”

“I may not know many details about human biology,” Frostbite said, arching an eyebrow at Jazz, “but I have enough experience with the Great One to know that head injuries are serious in humans.”

Jazz didn’t miss how her parents winced hearing about “the Great One” and his injuries. 

They hadn’t said a word about Danny - Fenton or Phantom - since Frostbite’s slip-up. It only put her that much more on edge. Sooner or later, Danny would return, and if Mom and Dad were going to flip out and shoot him on sight, she wanted to at least have the chance to warn him.

As it was, she couldn’t tell what they were thinking. Her mother’s poker face was nothing short of perfect, and her father, though he often wore his heart on his sleeve, was strangely stoic about it all. If there was one thing Jazz hated, it was not knowing things, and not knowing their thoughts on Danny was killing her. 

She could only hope and pray. The fact that they weren't actively trying to gun down Frostbite was a good sign at least. 

But for the time being, she pushed those thoughts away. “Believe me, I know plenty about head injuries. I wouldn’t be wanting to go back out there if I thought it was serious enough.”

“I don't think the person with the concussion should be making that judgment ,” Mom said. “You won't be going anywhere until we know you're safe.” 

Jazz frowned. Was that a hint of hysteria in her voice?

Yeah, that couldn't be a good sign. 

Still, her words gave Jazz an opening. “Alright, fine! Whatever! It's not like the world is ending or anything, in case you haven't noticed. Why aren't you guys out there, at least?” Maybe if she could convince them to go back to the fight, she’d have a chance to catch Danny before they saw him. Maybe she’d have a chance to warn him.

Her parents didn't answer. They exchanged a glance that Jazz couldn't read, and Dad’s shoulders sagged. He opened his mouth. “We -” 

“What's going on here?” 

Jazz’s eyes snapped up to see Valerie hovering just behind her parents and Frostbite; Wes clung to Valerie with his eyes screwed tightly shut. Her parents turned at the sound of Valerie’s voice, and though Jazz couldn’t see her mom’s eyes behind the red-tinted goggles, she could only imagine the look on her face.

Her dad, however, beamed widely. “The Huntress!” he exclaimed, grabbing at Mom’s arm like an overexcited child.

To her credit, Valerie avoided wincing too strongly. “Yeah, that’s… me.”

“Did you find him?” Jazz asked. She didn’t bother to hide the anxiety in her voice.

Valerie frowned, but nodded. “Yeah, but he’s… well…”

“Can we maybe have this conversation on the ground?” Wes asked shakily. Valerie responded with a roll of her eyes, practically shoving him off her. He stumbled the short distance to the ground and collapsed spread-eagle on the street. “Thanks,” he muttered.

Dad’s nose crinkled in confusion. “Uh… is this the backup you were talking about, Jazzy-pants?”

Jazz ignored him. “What do you mean? Where is he?” she asked Valerie.

“It’s okay, I’m here!” a voice called out. A moment later, Danny - as Phantom - pulled up beside Valerie. “I’m here.” Jazz’s breath caught in her throat. She had known, of course, that Danny had gone to get the Crown of Fire, but for some reason, it hadn’t crossed her mind that he would have to wear it. Granted, the crown on his head now was most definitely not on fire, but she thought the frosted look complemented him much better than fire. The way it sat on his head, and the way the cloak he wore rippled in the breeze and caught the light…

He looked regal. Like he really was a king. 

It made her heart swell with pride. Her baby brother… he had come so far. She’d never doubted his leadership abilities, not really. His common sense could be… debatable at times, but her brother had a good heart. He was still young, of course, and the thought of him being a monarch had never occurred to her, but in that moment, Jazz couldn’t help but think that the role suited him.

She must have shown it on her face, because Danny caught her eye, and his hand flew up to the back of his neck. “It’s a long story…” he muttered sheepishly, his cheeks growing green. 

Jazz opened her mouth to respond, but Dad stood up abruptly, cutting her off. Mentally, she kicked herself. She’d gotten so distracted by his arrival, she’d forgotten about their parents.

Danny instantly paled. Whatever he saw in Dad’s face, it couldn’t have been good. Jazz tried to stand, to intercept him, but Frostbite gently held her down. “Easy,” he rumbled quietly. “Do not act prematurely.”

Of course, she wanted to protest that, but she quickly became distracted by her father’s slow approach towards Danny. Her mother wasn’t too far behind. 

Danny’s hand twisted into the cloak, and he averted his gaze. “Look,” he began shakily, “I… I get it if you hate me, and - and I… I’ll let you hunt me down or tear me apart or whatever you want, but please, you have to let me stop all this first, or there isn’t gonna be a world for you to tear me apart in. I just need to - mmph!”

Jazz squeaked and clapped her hands to her mouth as Dad lunged forward. She pushed Frostbite’s paw away to stumble to her feet. She had to get there first, had to stop him from hurting Danny - 

 - but her heart stuttered to a stop as Dad wrapped Danny in a tight embrace.

“Danny,” he said, his voice cracking. “We were so worried… You have no idea…”

A stunned Danny returned the hug as Mom pulled down her hood and glommed on to his other side. “You don’t… hate me?” he asked, his voice muffled by their dad’s burly form.

“Listen to me, Danny,” Mom said, peeling him out of Dad’s arms and holding him by the shoulders. She looked him firm in the eye. “No matter what you do, no matter what you are, we could never, ever hate you. Never, do you hear me?”

Jazz could see the tears glistening in the corners of Danny’s eyes even from where she sat. His lower lip quivered the slightest bit before he threw his arms around Mom’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry,” he said hoarsely. “I should’ve told you forever ago, but I just…”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” their mom said, rubbing circles into his back. “It’s okay. We’ll have time to… to figure it all out.”

“Yeah, assuming the world doesn’t end first,” Wes snarked from his position on the ground. Jazz shot him a heated glare. 

Valerie simply looked away and folded her arms across her chest. Jazz frowned. Something clearly wasn’t sitting right with her, but…

“Wait,” Dad said, furrowing his brow, “what’s this about the world ending?”

“It’s okay,” Jazz said. “The world isn’t going to end. Danny’s going to make sure of it.” Maybe she’d have felt more sure of her words if there hadn’t been a gaping hole in the sky threatening to rip reality apart, but someone had to look on the bright side.

Their parents glanced between the two of them. “What do you mean?” Mom asked slowly.

Before either of them could answer, another wayward ectoblast flew overhead, crashing into the roof of the building right above them. Huge chunks of rubble broke off of the building and began to plummet straight towards them.

Valerie reacted quickly, pulling Wes up by his shirt collar and grabbing Jazz to drag them to safety. Danny and Frostbite reacted just as quickly by throwing up ectoplasmic shields. The rubble slammed into them, then slid off the shields and away from the rest of the group.

Valerie whipped her head towards the battle. “I think I’m… gonna go help them,” she said. She flew off before Jazz could say anything, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust in her wake.

“I need to go help too,” Danny said thickly. He stared after Valerie. “It’s… that’s what I’m supposed to do. If I can beat him, everything will go back to normal… Mostly, anyway.” His hand twitched up towards his head.

Mom whipped her head in the direction of the battle. “Him?” she asked, nodding to where Pariah Dark and the lava-haired Ancient were still fiercely fighting each other. To Jazz’s horror, the Ancient seemed to be losing ground. 

“Precisely,” Frostbite said jovially. How he could manage such a tone in these circumstances was beyond Jazz. “Once the Great One is able to defeat Pariah Dark, he can assume the throne and put the Heart of the Infinite Realms at ease! It’s quite simple, really.”

“Assume the - wait!” Wes shot upright. “You’re telling me that dumb crown isn’t just some weird costume?”

Danny flushed green, and his hand flew up to the back of his neck. “I, ah… like I said, it’s a long story.” He glanced at Mom and Dad. “I’m really sorry, believe me, I wish I could’ve told you differently, and I definitely wish it wasn’t the case, but…”

Jazz watched as Mom’s gaze drifted up to the crown on Danny’s head, as if she were just now noticing it. “What throne?” she asked weakly.

“Um… it kind of maybe sort of might be… the throne of the entire Ghost Zone?” Danny replied with a sheepish grin.

Dad scratched his head. “When did this happen?”

Danny’s face grew sober again. “I don’t know. I only just found out a few hours ago myself.” His eyes flicked away from their parents, down at his feet.

A pang of sympathy struck Jazz’s heart. Sure, Danny looked the part of a king, and somehow, she had no trouble believing he was the king, despite her earlier confusion, but somehow it had escaped her that he had barely had enough time to process everything. That everything was happening so quickly. 

And their parents… it had to be equally difficult for them to process. They had only just learned their son’s true identity less than an hour ago, and now they were finding out he was essentially the heir to the throne of a world full of the same beings they had once sworn to annihilate. It would be a lot for anyone.

And so it nearly brought Jazz to tears when she saw Dad fight to plaster a smile onto his face. He placed a gentle hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Hey,” he said in a tone entirely too quiet for Jack Fenton, “it’s okay. Like your mother said, we’ll have time to figure it all out.”

Danny still didn’t look up. “Yeah,” he said, barely audible. “We’ll have time.”

His tone told Jazz he didn’t believe that in the slightest.

An ear-splitting roar shattered the moment. Everyone slapped their hands over their ears. Jazz only just managed to catch a glimpse of Danny gasping and hunching in on himself, clutching at his sternum.

A wave of hot air washed over Jazz. Trembling, she peered around the rubble, only to gasp in horror at the sight of the little girl Ancient bleeding lava all over the four-armed Ancient. She was still alive - as alive as a ghost could be anyway, but it was evident even from a hundred yards away that she was fully incapacitated. Pandora still fought with the knight, but everyone else - Sam, Tucker, Valerie, the other Ancients, even the thrall army - had practically frozen in place. 

The most terrifying sight of all was the evil ghost king, looming over the street, staring straight at her.

No, staring straight at Danny.

“Come and meet your fate, little Prince!” he called mockingly. His voice reverberated over the street, causing buildings to rumble ominously. “Or will you take the coward’s way out?”

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the humming of the rip in the sky. Jazz held her breath as Danny glanced at their parents, then gently pushed Dad’s hand off his shoulder and took to the air.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he called back. “Just… give me the Ring before things get worse.”

Pariah laughed, a menacing sound that sent chills down Jazz’s spine. “Why should I surrender what is rightfully mine?”

Danny's eyes flared. “That power’s not yours. It’s mine.”

Jazz blinked at the sudden shift in Danny’s tone. It was still his voice, yes, but there was something about it…

Pariah roared wordlessly again. “Never!” he snarled. “Kilaris is MINE!”

With a guttural yell, he launched himself at Danny. Jazz could’ve sworn she saw a bright white light flare from the crown on Danny’s head, just momentarily, but when she blinked, it was gone, and Danny too had charged forward. The two collided in a blinding explosion of red and green.

Mom and Dad moved to follow Danny, but Frostbite held a paw up. “No,” he said, his voice somber and heavy. “This is not a fight you can help him with. He must win this by his power alone.”

“Listen here,” Mom snapped. “I don’t care how you do it in your world, but I will not stand by and watch my son fight some impossible battle on his own! I - we are going to help him, whether you like it or not!”

“I understand.” Frostbite flinched and threw up a shield just in time to stop another huge chunk of building from crushing them all. “But though you may not be able to help him in combat, there are other ways you can help him.” He glanced at Jazz. “Keeping your daughter and his friend safe, for one.”

“Pfft. Me? Friends with Fenton? Fat chance,” Wes scoffed. 

“He will be able to fight with a sound mind if you help him protect yourselves and the other humans,” Frostbite continued, ignoring Wes. “And I must go and help my colleague.”

Mom turned, watching the battle with helpless eyes. “But… Danny -”

“ - will be just fine. But we must give him a fighting chance by helping elsewhere.”

“He’s right,” Dad said quietly, taking Mom’s hand. “We have to help get Jazz out of here. It’s getting too dangerous.”

“I told you, I’m fine! I can help too!”

Another explosion rang overhead. Jazz yelped and ducked as an enormous bolt of green energy flew over her head. It came close enough that she could feel its cold aura graze the top of her scalp. 

“Y-you know, on second thought, I think I’m with Yeti Man over here,” Wes muttered, cowering behind a fallen wall. Jazz had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

Her attention, however, quickly turned back to Mom. Again, she found herself wishing she could read minds. She could see the gears turning in her mother’s head after all, but Mom’s stoic face didn’t give her true thoughts away. 

Jazz hated not knowing things.

Then Mom’s jaw tightened, and Jazz’s heart fell. She knew that look. “We’re getting you two to safety,” Mom said. Then, giving Frostbite a pointed look, she added, “And then we’re coming back to help Danny.”

Frostbite closed his eyes. “You will only distract him from what he needs to do. It is not wise.”

“That might be what you think,” Mom said as she bent down to help Wes stand, “but he's my son. I've let him struggle alone for too long.” Her voice cracked. “I have to start… making it up to him…”

“I assure you, the Great One does not bear any ill will towards you,” Frostbite said, frowning in sympathy. “This is not the time to begin ‘making amends’, though.”

Mom opened her mouth to retort again, but Dad laid a hand on her shoulder. “C'mon, Mads. We can figure it out later. Right now, we've gotta help these two.”

It was strange seeing her father being the rational, calm one, but Jazz chalked it up to the weirdness of the day. It was the only way she could keep it all straight in her head. 

Mom shot Frostbite one last hard glare before leading Wes towards the RV sitting down the road. Dad scooped Jazz up into his arms and began carrying her to the RV, much to her embarrassment. 

She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. “Don’t you worry, Jazzy-pants!” he said. His tone was bright as always, but Jazz could tell it was at least somewhat forced. “Soon as you’re safe, we’ll get right back out there and help Danny kick some evil ghost king butt!”

Jazz bit her lip. “What about what Frostbite said? About… interfering?”

Her dad hesitated before answering. “I’m sure he’s wrong. You can’t trust a ghost, after all!” His face froze as soon as the words left his mouth. “I mean, uh, not Danny of course! He’s different.”

She didn’t quite know how to respond to that. That… was a misconception they’d have to clear up sooner or later.

As she peered over Dad’s shoulder, back towards where Danny was fighting tooth and nail against Pariah, she hoped there would actually be a sooner or later.

“Be careful, little brother,” she whispered to herself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The thread flickered.

Clockwork frowned as he allowed it to flow across his hands and in between his fingers. This certainly was the correct timeline, he knew that without a doubt, but its flickering concerned him greatly. It had been so strong when Vlad Plamius made the decision to allow Danny the Crown, but now…

He closed his eyes as he sifted through time. Before, the future had been as clear to him as any other. Now though, he could only see up to a certain point before it was obscured behind what felt like a thick wall of mist. There was still a future there, yes, but not one he could see.

It was, in a word, unusual.

“My dear Kilaris, what are you up to?” he murmured as he let the thread of the timeline slip from his fingers and back into the broader tangle of Time. Its flicker became swallowed up by the combined glow of the cluster of timelines, but Clockwork knew it was still present.

His eyes drifted to one of his time windows. The same image of Danny exiting the portal that he had watched just an hour or so ago played out again, this time in real time. A thin trail of frost followed in his wake as he flew to meet his family. The frost shimmered briefly in the ethereal light of the rip in the sky above, leaving a silky, glowing strand, almost like - 

- ah. Of course.

“Must you always be so overdramatic?” Clockwork said aloud, the semblance of a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. 

He rested his hands on top of his staff. He knew what needed to happen now. 

It was only a matter of time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fighting Pariah was nothing like it had been the first time around.

Before, Danny had been fighting in a clunky mech-suit. True, it had helped enhance his powers (until it tried to kill him), but it had made his movements equally clunky and stiff. He’d needed to adapt to the added weight and size quickly, but it still cost him when he took a few crucial hits.

This time he was not bound by any suit. He was free to move as he pleased, using the advantage of his smaller form to move with agility and speed that Pariah did not possess. He could dive in close for a punch or a kick, then turn on a dime and dart away. He wouldn’t have been able to do that in the Ecto-Skeleton. 

There was also the fact that he had the help of the Ancients. True, it looked like Pele had taken some nasty hits from Pariah and would be down for the count, but the others were still going strong especially with Zunje now, keeping the Fright Knight and the thrall army at bay. He didn’t like seeing Sam and Tucker down there in the fray, so close to his own battle with Pariah, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.

And then there was the Crown. It remained secure on his head, feeding him a power that buzzed through his veins and his core, making him feel like he’d just taken six shots of espresso mixed with pure ectoplasm. It was an exhilarating feeling, one that made him wish he’d actually used the Crown when he’d had the chance, during his first fight with Pariah.

(A wish he immediately scolded himself for.)

Danny gritted his teeth as he threw up another ectoplasmic shield, this one with a thick coating of ice thanks to the power of the Crown. It helped protect him from Pariah’s elemental attacks, which ran much hotter than his own.

Ectoplasmic fire exploded across the shield, and Danny could feel its heat as it curled around the edges towards him. He had to dig his heels into the air to brace himself against the sheer force of the hit. 

Pariah didn’t give him a chance to fire back. No sooner had Danny lowered his shield did he see Pariah lunging for him, fangs bared and a fiery, maniacal look in his lone eye. Danny yelped and darted to the side, just barely missing Pariah’s fist. 

Danny tried to respond with his own blast of ectoplasm, the Crown’s power coursing through him, but Pariah deflected it easily with his mace. The blast ricocheted off of it and into the street. Danny gasped as it flew right over Jazz’s head, just barely missing her by a foot.

That turned out to be a mistake. He should’ve known better than to let himself get distracted. It gave Pariah the opportunity to take another swing with his mace, catching Danny in the gut and sending him crashing into the ground. 

Danny gripped his stomach and swallowed down a cry. The mace’s sharp spikes were not just for decoration, it seemed; they’d dug mercilessly into his torso, leaving him with deep, ragged gashes. The fall into the street hadn’t been too kind on his ribs, either. He could already feel the Crown diverting some of its power to the injuries, trying to heal him as quickly as possible.

Pariah roared as he dove for Danny, fire exploding to life around his fist. Danny managed to roll out of the way, and Pariah’s fist slammed into the street, cracking it even more. In any other fight, Danny probably would’ve tried to make some snarky comment about how the potholes in Amity Park were already bad enough and they didn’t need more, but he was still struggling to get air back in his lungs. Not to mention he found it much harder to crack jokes in the middle of his more serious fights, mostly because he had to concentrate on not getting beaten to a pulp.

As Danny rolled, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father scoop Jazz into his arms. Mom helped Wes up, and they ran towards the RV, which was still parked haphazardly down the road. Miraculously, it was still standing. 

He could almost breathe a sigh of relief. He still didn’t know if Sam and Tucker were safe or if they were still out there fighting the skeleton army, but knowing his family (and Wes) were safe offered him a little bit of reassurance.

Focus. Do not lose sight of the goal.

Right. The Ring. He still had to get that. Somehow.

It was going to be much easier said than done. Getting it off of Pariah’s hand seemed impossible, especially with the relentless drive of the king’s attacks. Danny barely had the chance to recover and launch his own attacks, let alone come up with a plan to swipe the Ring. 

He forced himself up and into the air. His cloak flared with cold energy as he allowed ice to gather in his hands. That was another advantage he had this time around - the help from his elemental core. His ice attacks were some of his strongest, and he silently thanked whatever unseen force had granted him an ice core as he loosed the energy all at once, freezing Pariah’s entire arm to the street.

You’re welcome, little Prince.

Danny almost stopped in midair. That remark definitely sent a flurry of questions flying through his head, but he had to keep his attention on Pariah. We’re not done with this, he still thought back.

Of course not. You still have much to learn.

He didn’t think the Heart meant it as a dig, but he still mentally stuck his tongue out. Even if he didn’t have time to ask questions, he could still be sassy. No one could take his sass away.

It was strange how much clearer the voice in his head seemed now that he had the Crown on. It had been clear before, but there was a new clarity to it, like when his eye doctor gave him a new prescription for his contacts. He supposed it made sense; now, he had that direct contact.

It still didn’t explain why the voice sounded like his own train of thought sometimes.

Even stranger was the feeling of the power offered to him by Kilaris. It was stronger than the power he’d had while wearing the Ecto-Skeleton, and that had probably been the time when he was the most powerful throughout the past two years. It helped that unlike the Ecto-Skeleton, the Crown did not drain him of his energy as he used it; instead, it continuously fueled him, pouring more and more power into his body, like it could never run out. It was thrilling, this feeling of endless energy. His core practically vibrated from it all.

At the same time though, fear nagged at him. This was how it felt with just the Crown on. How much worse would it be once he got the Ring too? The thought sent a chill down his spine, and he found himself subconsciously beginning to suppress his core. Suppress the ceaseless power flooding into him.

Why stop the power you are meant to have? 

Danny swallowed. 

That’s exactly what he was afraid of.

It all passed through his mind in the few seconds it took for Pariah to begin trying to melt the ice securing him to the ground. “Why you little -!” 

More ice pooled in Danny’s hands. “Sorry,” he said as he re-froze Pariah’s hand to the street. “You just looked like you needed to chill out.”

Pariah bellowed, and the ice cracked and shattered. “Impertinent child!” he sneered. “When I am in control once more -”

“Save it!” Danny fired off a round of concentrated bolts of ice in quick succession, forcing Pariah to retreat a little. “I already told you, the Heart’s not yours anymore! It hasn’t been for a long time!”

“And you dare presume it is yours?” Pariah said. He quickly gained back the ground he had lost by leaping at Danny again.

Of course, Danny easily flew out of the way. “I don’t ‘presume’ anything!” he shouted. “I already know!”

It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say, and he really didn’t like the taste the words left in his mouth, but if he’d learned anything throughout his career as Danny Phantom, it was that his opponents got sloppy when he riled them up. Snarking at them just happened to be the easiest way to do so.

Is it truly “snark” if you speak the truth?

In spite of himself, Danny almost laughed. If you’re gonna be stuck with me, you better get used to the snark, whether it’s true or not. We come as a package deal.

He ducked out of the way of another punch. He didn’t recover quick enough; by the time he managed to turn around to face the king, an entire wall of red energy was surging at him. There wasn’t time to fly around it. It struck him with a force so strong, he was thrown back more than a hundred yards.

His ribs groaned in pain as he slammed into the concrete and skidded back a few more yards for good measure. Nausea churned in his stomach from the blow, and he had to resist the urge to lean over and throw up. All too soon, Pariah was on top of him again, swinging his mace.

Knowing there was no way he could move in time, Danny turned intangible and allowed himself to sink into the ground. He counted to three, just enough time to get his nausea under control, then called ectoplasm to his hands. With the Crown’s power, the energy’s green glow was so bright, it almost seemed white.

It wasn’t difficult to track Pariah’s hot ecto-signature underground. Danny lined himself up underneath him, then sprang from the ground. His blazing fists collided straight with Pariah’s jaw. It didn’t push Pariah back like he had hoped, but it distracted him long enough for Danny to fire his ectoplasm in one long, continuous blast. 

Pariah growled under Danny’s onslaught before finally bringing up a red shield. “You truly think this will be enough to stop me?”

Danny didn’t let up. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stop a monster like you from hurting the Realms again.”

“Really now?” Pariah twisted his shield into a blast of his own. It pushed against Danny’s, and he once again had to dig his heels into the air behind him to keep from being thrown back again. “Then why don’t you?”

Danny’s heart skipped a beat, and his attack faltered for the briefest of moments. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think you do,” Pariah said, laughing. “I have seen you. I have seen your fears, your doubts…”

“You don’t know me at all!” Danny yelled. Frustration distracted him, and he unwillingly drew on the Crown’s power to fuel his blast. “Just ‘cause you got in my head once doesn’t mean anything!”

“Poor little Prince,” Pariah cooed mockingly, as if Danny hadn’t even spoken. “This is why you are weak. This is why you will fail to protect everything you stand for. You are nothing more than a scared child.”

Danny couldn’t stop the anger-fueled energy pouring into him and, subsequently, pouring out of his hands. The Crown was all too happy to supply it. It just responded to him too easily. It responded to his resentment of Pariah, his frustration at the tyrant king’s insinuation that he was a coward, his rage at the fact that Pariah refused to hand over what was rightfully Danny’s -

Danny screwed his eyes shut tightly. That last one, he knew it was the Crown’s influence, but he couldn’t stop it. It was all coming too hard, too fast, too strong, and it was thrilling. The power flooding through the Crown just felt so right, like maybe he really was meant to have it all along.

He wanted to throw up.

The power demanded a release. It thrummed against Danny’s skin, coursing through his core, making his green ectoblast grow brighter and brighter until it was nearly a blinding white. It would not remain bound for much longer.

And so with a guttural yell, he unleashed it.

He wasn’t entirely sure what happened - the rush of energy leaving him all at once had left him overwhelmed and disoriented - but when he opened his eyes, the whole block had a thin layer of ice covering it, sparkling in the ethereal light of the rip above. Large branches of the trees in front of the buildings had frozen and cracked off the trunks, shattering on the ground below. He could see at least one downed power line. 

Pariah had fallen to the ground, into a huge crater Danny swore hadn’t been there before. Crystals of frost coated his hair and his cape. He slowly sat up, rubbing his head, clearly just as disoriented as Danny.

Danny stared at his hands in horror. Did I really do that?

The Heart didn’t answer him. He couldn’t tell if that was good or bad. 

Probably bad. For him, anyway.

And in that moment, he swore to himself he’d never allow the Crown to give him that much power ever again. Never.

(No matter how right it had felt to control it.)

Pariah’s cough caught his attention. “You…” he muttered before stopping abruptly.

Danny’s breath caught in his throat as Pariah’s lone eye fell on the Crown sitting on his head. For just a brief moment, the world seemed to screech to a halt around them, and a silence filled the air, so thick it left a dusty taste in Danny’s mouth. Even the rip in the sky above seemed to pause in its yawning.

Then a fire sparked to life behind that one eye and a wave of heat crashed over Danny, nearly knocking him over. The roar Pariah let loose chilled Danny to the bone and left a whiny ringing in his ears. He didn’t even bother to try and stand his ground against a rage so strong; he simply turned and rocketed off in the other direction.

Just in the nick of time too, it seemed, as Pariah lunged after him. In an instant, a flurry - no, a storm of scarlet ectoblasts surrounded Danny. He twisted and ducked and dived and put all his flying skills to the test trying to dodge them all. It was difficult, since the blasts were all coming from behind him, but strangely enough, he felt as though he could sense them in the air as they flew at him, like he could just tell where they were without looking. 

“Is that you?” he asked as he narrowly avoided yet another attack.

On the contrary. It is you, little Prince.

“That makes zero se- agghh!” A blast clipped Danny’s side, sending a flare of white hot pain up his ribcage. The blast was strong enough to send him careening off course, and he couldn’t stop himself from colliding with a building and plummeting to the street below. His head hit hard enough to cause his vision to go black.

He groaned pitifully as he laid on the road. The pain shooting through his side felt as though it was trying to burn straight through him, even in spite of the cloak and Crown’s efforts to heal him. Something sticky and wet pooled underneath the hand gripping his side.

For a minute, he just laid there, fruitlessly trying to will the pain away. Unbidden memories of being in a very similar pain in a very similar fight began to well up. He forced them back down. Not right now.

A blood-curdling scream had his eyes flying back open.

Vision half-blurry from the fall to the ground, Danny pried his head up off the street and looked. In front of him was the elementary school, surrounded by a shimmering green ghost shield. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared, since it was after school hours and the building would normally be empty, but his eyes landed on a small crowd of civilians, hovering near the inner edge of the shield and watching the battle with fear in their eyes. The scream had come from a little girl no older than six, covering her mouth in horror and pointing at him.

No, pointing behind him.

With a grunt of pain and a tremendous effort, Danny took to the sky again, wobbling in midair. Pariah’s boots slammed into the street not a second later, right where he had been laying. 

This was bad. This was really getting bad. He was injured, and though the Crown and the cloak kept his energy levels high enough for the most part, he was devoting too much energy to the fight to focus any towards healing himself. Energy didn’t exactly help when it was his physical body that was damaged. 

And now there was the fact that he had a slew of people behind him, huddling underneath a ghost shield. True, it would protect them from Pariah, and it would protect them from stray blasts, but rubble could easily go flying in, or someone could step out of the protected radius. It was too dangerous to keep the battle this close to them.

(Not to mention he saw more than one cell phone out and recording, and that definitely set him on edge.)

He tried to dart away from the shield, but Pariah managed to snag his collar as he whizzed by. He gagged and his hands flew up to his throat. 

“A coward!” Pariah cackled. “That is who you are! Fleeing from the battle? Fleeing from those under your protection?” He threw Danny into yet another building. “And Kilaris dares deem you worthy?”

“So you admit it,” Danny coughed. His hand gripped his side again. “That the Heart wants me over you.” Not that he was crazy keen on that fact.

Pariah’s face morphed into a dark frown. “The Heart’s opinion is worthless!” he snapped. “It is I who controls Kilaris! Its will bends to me!”

In spite of the pain and every instinct telling him not to, Danny shot Pariah a cocky, albeit weak, grin. “Bet.”

He had to keep from laughing at the stunned look on Pariah’s face. It was clearly not the response he had been expecting to his declaration, and the fact that Danny had been able to catch him off guard that badly was priceless.

The humor didn’t last long, though. In the blink of an eye, Pariah was charging at him again. This time, Danny anticipated it enough to be able to phase back through the building. He emerged at the ground level, underneath Pariah, who was still looking for him. 

Danny moved to leap up once more, but his ribs screamed in protest. He hissed as he tried to keep from doubling over.

The cloak’s interior had to be sub-zero at this point, it was working overtime. Another layer of frost was beginning to glaze over it. The Crown too grew colder on his head, feeding pulse after pulse of energy into him.

You have been holding back, little Prince. The power has the capability to heal you and aid you in battle simultaneously, but you must let go of your fears if you are to use its true potential.

Danny didn’t answer. He was too distracted barely dodging Pariah’s mace and firing up a barrage of ice at him to do so. 

There was also the little fact that he didn’t want to answer. He didn’t want to… couldn’t acknowledge…

Yet he couldn’t deny just how badly his core wanted it. The memory of how that power had felt just those few minutes ago burned through his head, and his core jumped in earnest. 

He gritted his teeth and forced his core to quiet. It would be fine.

It had to be.

As soon as the ice left his hands, though, he collapsed in on himself once more, clutching his bleeding side. It was long enough of a distraction for Pariah to slam his feet into the street, causing enough of a quake to knock Danny off his feet and to the ground. 

Okay, so maybe it wouldn't be so fine. 

Pariah swung his mace down again, and Danny responded with a green shield. It was too hasty, not properly formed, and it shattered underneath the force. Danny yelped and tried to roll away, but the mace still clipped his back, tearing open the skin there. 

Yeah, definitely not so fine. 

The temptation to give in and let the Crown flood him once more was growing by the minute. Danny didn't know how long he could sustain himself with all these injuries, let alone how he could win the fight and take the Ring. His core ached to be filled by the Heart's power. He knew that if he let it happen, it would almost guarantee his victory.

But his eye caught the ghost shield behind him, where the crowd of civilians stood watching him with horror painted on their faces. He remembered just how badly he had destroyed the block over when he'd let the Crown's power overwhelm him, and his stomach flipped. No way could he put his people in that sort of danger. 

You can control it, little Prince. You are more than capable. 

Again, Danny didn't respond. The battle consumed too much of his focus. Gasping against the flare of hot pain, he took to the air once more to avoid yet another swing of Pariah’s mace. It missed him by a hair. He raised his hands once more to answer with an attack of his own, and - 

“Danny!”

It was instinct. He turned his head at the sound of his mother calling his name. 

It was the worst mistake he could’ve made.

He met his mom’s eyes for just a moment, but it was a moment enough for Pariah to make his move. Danny didn’t register the heat moving behind him until it was too late. He turned around just in time to see Pariah’s hand flying towards him.

Reflexively, he turned intangible in the nick of time. Pariah’s hand sailed harmlessly through his head and out the other side. His tangibility returned, and he reached out to return the attack.

It wasn’t until an emptiness unlike any other hit him like a brick wall that he realized it hadn’t been him Pariah had been gunning for. 

Danny immediately dropped to his knees and doubled over in pain as his core cried out. Just like at Vlad’s, his core felt like it had been ripped straight from his chest and drained of all its energy. Cold air surrounded him as his cloak flared to life, trying desperately to compensate for the lost energy. The only sound was his frantically pulsing heart in his ears, and he couldn’t catch his breath enough to shout.

It hurt. Ancients, it hurt.

And unlike at Vlad’s, the emptiness pressed on. 

Danny managed to look up as panic bubbled to the surface. His stomach only churned worse when he saw Pariah standing in front of him with a wild grin, holding the Crown that had been sitting on Danny’s head.

“You should’ve surrendered when you had the chance, little Prince,” he said.

Danny tried to respond, but couldn’t. It was too much. The void inside him felt like it was about to swallow him whole, just like the void above was threatening to swallow Amity Park. 

Please, he begged in a fit of desperation, help me!

The Heart didn’t respond.

“It cannot help you now, child,” Pariah Dark laughed, as if he had read Danny’s mind. “Not when it is finally back in the hands of its true master.”

And as Pariah laughed once more and raised the Crown to put it on his head, Danny lifted a feeble hand towards him, trying to call up his ice, his ectoplasm, his anything, anything that could stop him. He couldn’t feel his power, he couldn’t feel his core, he couldn’t feel his Heart - 

Pariah roared in pain. Danny’s head snapped up to see him drop a steaming Crown. It landed on the street with a loud clatter as Pariah held his also-steaming hand close to his chest.

“You!” he bellowed, glaring daggers at the Crown. “You will yield! That power is MINE!”

Danny ignored him. He had zeroed in on the Crown and begun to drag himself toward it. Somewhere in the back of his head, he realized he probably looked absolutely ridiculous right now, and it pained him to think about how badly he wanted - needed to get the Crown back, but he didn’t care.

He couldn’t tell if he was simply imagining it, but he could almost feel a little tendril of power, reaching out to him, trying to hook into his core, trying to pull him closer.

Pariah roared again, and Danny had to retreat back into the cooling comfort of his cloak as a wall of heat crashed into him. “No!” he snarled. “If you will not bow to me, then you will have no one!” With a shout that shook Danny to his bones, Pariah snatched the Ring from his finger and threw it down next to the Crown with such force that it formed a little crater.

Danny’s heart began to pound even faster. This was it. This was his chance. He just had to move - 

But he never made it. Pariah unleashed a terrible scream, and then hot, red energy poured from his hands.

Straight onto the Crown and the Ring.

If losing the Crown had hurt, Pariah’s attack on it was excruciating. Danny gripped his head and his core, unsure if he was the one screaming or if it was someone else or if he was just imagining it. 

“Stop!” he managed to gasp. “You - hurting…”

But Pariah paid him no mind. Instead, he yelled louder, and another barrage of energy slammed into the Crown and Ring. Danny reacted as though he had been the one to get hit, falling to his stomach and crying out soundlessly.

He could barely see the Crown and Ring through Pariah’s onslaught, but when he finally gathered the strength to lift his head and look, his entire being froze.

A crack appeared in the Crown.

And now he was sure he wasn’t imagining the scream of pain because it definitely had to be him with how his core cracked too, and there was definitely another voice screaming in harmony with his and Ancients, of course it would be screaming, with the way Pariah - 

“I am the power of the Realms!” Pariah roared, and another crack appeared in the Crown. 

Danny reached out one last time, but he knew it was fruitless. There was no way…

Danny cried out.

The Crown and Ring cried out.

Kilaris cried out.

And then

Kilaris

s h a

t t

e r e

d

[thornybubbles]

The Cat Came Back

NOTE: This is just a blurb based on an idea that’s been bouncing around in my head for a while. I was debating on whether or not to share this because I don’t really plan on expanding on it. It’s not a yandere story, but I could definitely put it in the “horror scenario” category. 

---------

It didn’t take Josuke long to get to your house after you called him. You woke him up in the middle of an after school nap and told him to come over to your house. You didn’t explain anything and just said that it was urgent. He was already worried about you because you hadn’t been to school for two days, but hearing the dread in your voice had him panicking. Whatever was wrong with you was something serious and he could only hope that it was something that Crazy Diamond could fix. If not, then he would do whatever he needed to to help you. You were one of his dearest friends after all. 

It was only a year ago since the incident with Kira and all the stuff that happened before that. He had never wanted you to be dragged into the madness of Stands and Stand users, but you got involved anyway when Kira targeted you specifically during that final battle. Josuke had no idea what you were doing there. You weren’t a Stand user and you would have no way to defend yourself when things inevitably got crazy. You were supposed to be at home and away from all that mess, but you said that you heard the explosions and got worried. Leave it to you to be the only one that would run towards the sound of explosions instead of away from them (you dummy!). Unfortunately, in your haste to check on what was happening to your friends, you ran right into Yoshikage Kira. 

Kira recognized you instantly as one of Josuke’s friends and planned on using you as a hostage until he was able to flee the scene after the tides of battle had turned against him. There was no doubt that once he managed to escape them, he would kill you, a fact that he gleefully reminded Josuke of during the final showdown. If it hadn’t been for Jotaro and Star Platinum’s ability to stop time… well… it’s not something Josuke wanted to think about. 

Josuke finally reached your front door and rang the bell. Mere seconds after, the door opened and you stood there looking up at him with a haggard, haunted expression. He was shocked at your appearance. It looked like you hadn’t slept in days. One look at you had him asking what seemed like a thousand questions at once. 

“Oh my God! Are you okay? Are you sick? Is that why you weren’t at school? Why didn’t you call someone? You could’ve gotten Koichi or Yukako to take notes for you, you know? Where are your parents? Are you here by yourself? Who’s taking care of you?” 

You only answered one of his questions. 

“My folks are out of town visiting relatives.” you said, voice shaky with fatigue and anxiety. “Get in here. We gotta talk about something serious.” 

Before he could say anything else, you grabbed him by the collar of his uniform jacket and dragged him inside. You had him sit on the sofa in the living room. He waited there, impatient and anxious, as you nervously paced the room in front of him. After another minute of watching you imitate a caged big cat, he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging like this!” he said, voice cracking as he tried to swallow down his building dread. “Just tell me what’s wrong!” 

You looked at him, eyes both tired and manic at the same time. 

“I’m going to!” you snapped, emotions flaring. “I just… I’m just not sure how to even begin to explain this…” 

You sighed deeply, trying to calm yourself enough to say what you needed to. 

“I-I’ll just start this off by saying that… well… I… I don’t even know how this is possible now, but…It happened after school on Monday. I got home and…” 

You took another deep breath and massaged your temples. Your head was pounding and you hadn’t bothered to take anything for it yet. 

“Look. I don’t really know how to soften the blow with this, so I’m just gonna come out and say it… I have a Stand now.” you said. 

Josuke’s eyes widened and he sat looking at you in shock. There were so many thoughts going through his head at that moment. Having a Stand was a double edged sword. On one hand (depending on what kind of Stand you had) you would be able to defend yourself better as a Stand user than a normal person. On the other hand, it would mean that you would be forever destined to run into other Stand users, not all of which would be friendly. This revelation also filled Josuke’s head with even more questions. How had you obtained your Stand? Was there another arrow for them to worry about? Or did you get your Stand without an arrow? If so, why hadn’t you suffered with the near deadly fever that usually accompanied developing a Stand? Most people who were born Stand users either developed them at birth or at least at a very young age. That’s not to say that a user couldn’t develop their Stand at a later age, but…. 

Josuke opened his mouth, preparing to bombard you with all the questions swimming around in his head, but you held up a hand to silence him. 

“Wait, before you say anything, let me just say that it isn’t what you think. My Stand, well, it isn’t… it isn’t actually mine…” 

Josuke gave you a confused look. 

“W-what? What do you mean by that? How can you have a Stand that isn’t yours?” he asked, unable to hold back his questions any longer. 

You let out a cry of frustration. “I don’t know, Josuke!” you shouted. “I don’t have a damned clue, okay?!” 

Josuke jumped and shied away from you at your harsh tone. Seeing his reaction you closed your eyes trying, once again, to get your emotions under control. 

“Sorry.” you said with a shaky sigh. “Sorry I snapped. This is just… it makes no sense, okay? It really, really makes no sense and I just don’t know how to deal with what’s happening. I always was a little envious of you, Okuyasu, Koichi, and the others because I was the only one that didn’t have a Stand. I thought it would be cool to have one, you know? But… in this case I think I’d rather go back to not having one.” 

A few minutes of silence passed between you. Josuke fidgeted on the couch in anticipation of whatever else you would have to say. He was torn between asking you things or waiting for you to start talking again. 

“I guess the only way you’ll understand what I mean by the Stand not being mine is to show it to you.” you said finally. 

Another moment or two of uncomfortable silence. 

“Okay… Josuke, I’m going to show you my Stand now, but you have to remain calm, okay? Don’t freak out!” 

You took a step back from him and stared at the floor for a moment. Josuke watched you both curious and anxious over what your Stand would be. 

You didn’t summon your Stand in the usual way. You didn’t call it by name, so Josuke assumed you hadn’t given it a name yet. But once the Stand came into view Josuke understood why you didn’t call it by name. You were right when you said that the Stand wasn’t yours. It belonged to someone else… someone who was supposed to be dead. This Stand already had a name and it was a name you probably didn’t want to say aloud, not after what the user put you through. 

Josuke knew the Stand because he’d actually fought the user, but you knew the Stand by accident. You’d bumped into Rohan while he was at the cafe one afternoon and spotted some of his sketches on the table. They were all sketches of Stands and you were fascinated. Though he pretended to be annoyed in the usual Rohan fashion, he’d been all too happy to show you the sketches and explain everything he knew about Stands and Stand users. You browsed the sketches he’d made of the various Stands and their corresponding users: Josuke’s Crazy Diamond, Okuyasu’s The Hand, Koichi’s Echoes, Jotaro’s Star Platinum, and so on. Being a non-Stand user, this was the only way that you would ever know what everyone’s Stands looked like. 

There was one sketch, however, that Rohan seemed determined to keep you from seeing. He snatched the stack of sketches from you just as you got the final sketch, almost giving you a paper cut in the process. He mumbled something about needing to head home to get back to work, but it was already too late. As he was yanking the stack of sketches out of your hand, you got a glimpse of the final sketch. On the paper was the image of a figure you would never forget as long as you lived. Next to the user was the image of a Stand that would now also be burned into your memory along with its name that was scrawled on the space next to it: 

Killer Queen. 

This was the Stand that you summoned; a Stand that belonged to a dead serial killer. 

It took every ounce of Josuke’s impulse control to keep him from jumping up from the couch, summoning Crazy Diamond, and pummeling Killer Queen back into non-existence. But he knew that if he did that, it would hurt you, too. He could tell by the way Killer Queen hovered behind you, staring at him intensely, that it was waiting for you to give it the mental order to attack. You didn’t though. You were nothing like its previous owner and Josuke was not your opponent. But he could tell by the way the Stand stared directly into his eyes in a challenging manner that the damned thing not only recognized him, but still viewed him as an enemy. You shifted uncomfortably where you stood and Killer Queen mimicked the motion, taking on a different battle pose that somewhat imitated your new position. Oh yes, it was obvious that Killer Queen was your Stand now and anything Crazy Diamond did to it would affect you, too. As if it could sense what Josuke was thinking, the corners of Killer Queen’s mouth turned up slightly. It was mocking him. The wicked thing was actually mocking him!

This couldn’t be possible. It shouldn’t be possible! Reimi told them that both Yoshikage Kira and his Stand had been torn apart by the ghostly mass of arms that haunted the hidden alley beside the grocery store. It made no logical sense for Killer Queen to still exist after both it and its user had been ripped to pieces. It made even less sense for it to be attached to you now. How could someone gain control of a dead person’s Stand? Just how was such a thing possible? 

You felt your whole body quiver with disgust as the unwanted Stand pulled itself from your soul and manifested behind you. You stared at Josuke, watching his reaction. You pointedly refused to even glance at the Stand, afraid that you would retch if you so much as laid eyes on it. The shocked and horrified look on Josuke’s face did nothing to soothe you though. A single glance at the look on your friend’s face had your eyes filling with tears. You knew he wasn’t looking at you like that, but you still felt judged. Just having Kira’s Stand attached to you made you feel as if you had somehow become responsible for all the lives he’d taken. It was as if his sins had been passed on to you and it made you feel repulsed by your own existence. 

Sensing your distress, Killer Queen pulled its attention from Josuke to glance down at you. Wanting to comfort its new user, it knelt down and nudged your face with its forehead in a sick parody of a housecat demanding attention. At the sensation of it touching you, you jumped away, staring up at the Stand in terror. Your stomach churned at the sight of it and you actively had to fight against your gag reflex. Killer Queen cocked its head to the side, confused by your rejection. It reached for you and you threw your hands up in front of you as if to place a barrier between you and your own Stand. 

“Stop!” you shouted. “Don’t touch me!” 

Killer Queen did as it was told but stared at you strangely as if you were behaving unreasonably. 

“Go back!” you commanded. 

Killer Queen tilted its head to the other side, ears going back slightly. It made no move to obey. 

“Go back, Killer Queen!” you commanded again, hating how easily the Stand’s name rolled off your tongue. 

This time the Stand obeyed, but not before turning back to Josuke and staring him down once more before vanishing. 

Josuke glared right back at it until it was no longer in view. 

You could feel it when Killer Queen’s presence rejoined your soul and the sensation caused your knees to buckle. You sank to the floor and started bawling, unable to hold your emotions back anymore. Josuke was by your side in seconds, wrapping his arms around you and doing his best to calm you. You pressed yourself into his hold, soaking his uniform with tears and shaking. 

“Josuke!” you cried. “Please, please, please help me! I don’t know what to do! I don’t understand what’s happening to me! Please help me!” 

You were in utter hysterics and Josuke didn’t know what else to do but hold you and rock you like an infant until your screaming and sobbing quieted. Eventually you tired yourself out enough that you could think somewhat rationally again. 

“I-I don’t want the others to know about this,” you said with a sniff. “Not yet at least. I’m afraid of how they’ll react.” 

“Okay, but I think it’s best that we get in touch with Jotaro.” he told you. “He’s got experience when it comes to Stands and stuff like that, so he may have seen something like this before. He’s got ties to the Speedwagon Foundation and whatever he can’t help us with, I’m sure they can.” 

You went limp in his hold, finally feeling a tiny amount of relief after days of worry and dread. You allowed yourself to relax completely as he held you. 

“Thank you, Josuke,” you said in an exhausted tone. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

He lifted your head to look you in your watery eyes. 

“Hey, you know I’ve always got your back.” he said with a small smile. “You’re going to get through this, okay? You aren’t alone. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” 

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

NOTE 2: Well that ended on an uplifting note which is unusual for me. I just want to take the time to explain where this crazy idea came from. So, I’ve been slowly “JoJo-fying” my Terraria game and I found a mod called “JoJo Stands” which allows you to have Stands in the game while also filling the world with various JoJo references (of course!). With the mod, there are two ways to get Stands. The most common way is to wait for Jotaro (part 4 version) to show up in your game and get a Stand arrow shard from him. You talk to him and choose the option “Stand Help” and he’ll say something about how you “Seem to be reliable” and give you an arrow shard. If you use the arrow shard your character will take a slight amount of damage but get a buff letting you know that you’re under the influence of the arrow. You then just have to wait a few in-game minutes and a random Stand will appear into your inventory. I do have to mention that when you use the arrow shard there is the rare chance that it won’t give you a Stand and instead kill you instantly with a message that the arrow “found you unworthy”, after which you’ll have to go back to Jotaro, get another shard, and start the process over. 

The other way to get a Stand is to simply be “born” with one, meaning that a random Stand can be assigned to you from the moment your character spawns into the game world. It’s rare to get a Stand this way, however. On my first playthrough of the game after downloading the mod, I was lucky enough to be “born” with a Stand. I was really excited but when I checked my inventory to see which Stand I got, my excitement turned into a deep distress. The first Stand I ever got in the mod was, you guessed it, KILLER FREAKIN’ QUEEN! I didn’t know what Stand I would get, but I was not expecting him! 

I got over my initial anxiety at having such a destructive Stand after I used him in the fight with the Desert Scourge (giant worm boss from the Calamity Mod) and Killer Queen blew it to pieces before it was able to do any damage to me at all. That’s not to say that the Stand was overpowered or anything, as later boss fights proved to be a bit more of a challenge, but having him in boss fights was certainly a boon. 

In spite of how helpful he was as a Stand, I came to realize that I’m not a very responsible Stand user and frankly have no business having a Stand that dangerous. For example, there was the time that I went to pet my cat while I had Killer Queen active and I forgot to set him for Auto instead of Manual. So I ended up petting the cat with Killer Queen instead of my character. Anybody remember what happens when Killer Queen touches things while in attack mode? Yeah, I turned my damn cat into a bomb and detonated it seconds later. Fortunately, my cat didn’t die. It was injured but it fully healed after a few minutes. My sister joked that Killer Queen was jealous and wanted to be the only cat in the house. Very funny. 

Then there was the time I nearly blew myself up. I had just upgraded Killer Queen to the level that I could summon Sheer Heart Attack. For some dumb reason, I thought it was an excellent idea to test SHA’s abilities while standing inside of my house instead of taking it outside somewhere. My stupidity resulted in me nearly destroying my whole room. The explosion took out the whole background wall, some of my furniture, and parts of the floor and ceiling. It also took out over half of my health. It left me with only two hearts and a giant mess to clean up. My sister heard the explosion and came running to see what happened. I explained what I’d done and she told me that I needed to have my Stand License revoked. Very funny. 

At some point I started speculating on the idea of a person developing a Stand only to find out that the Stand not only used to belong to someone else, but it used to belong to a really evil villain. So that’s where the idea for this little blurb came from. Like I said before, I don’t really plan on adding anything more to this as I haven’t planned anything beyond this initial premise. So consider this a one shot. Keep an eye out for more stuff in the near future! 

[oceansssblue]

I loved the platonic omegaverse fic you wrote for the Batch!

If it's not a bother, I'd love to see more of them :) maybe something about omega Wrecker, like him going in to heat at an unfortunate time, like during a mission?

If that's not something you'd enjoy writing, I'd just love to see more platonic stuff about the Batch in general :)

Thank you for writing these fics, I've really enjoyed what you've done so far! :)))

Ty! I'm glad you liked it :)

Not a bother at all, I plan to expand the sw omegaverse fanfics as much as I can.

I liked your idea for Wrecker so here you go! 🫡

Xx, Blue.

"PUSH THROUGH IT" – Platonic (o) Wrecker & tbb 💖💔

WARNINGS: A sprinkle of angst because Wrecker's heat decided to appear in a dangerous moment, so mentions of war, blood and some arguments related to that. But don't worry, this is still mostly fluff! The usual omegaverse shit minus smut cause this is completely platonic.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Dread. It was what Wrecker felt when the first rush of warmth pulsed through his veins. It couldn't be happening now. It just couldn't. He had been taking his supressants. They were in the middle of the battlefield. Why, then why, was he feeling like he usually did in the beginnings of his heat?

He tried to ignore it and best as he could; but soon the dizyness added to the warmth, and lastly, the pain. He fought the urge to curve in himself, bring his hands to his lower stomach. Right now, they were occupied with two heavy blasters, blasters that he should be using to shoot enemies instead of shaking paralised in place. From his privilaged position on top of the mountain, Crosshair took out a droid Wrecker hadn't even seen coming. His brother called out his lack of awareness inmediately.

"What the fuck are you doing just standing there?" The sniper hissed through the squads com line. "Wake up, Wrecker".

The omega shook himself out of it; clenching his jaw and trying to push the nausea down. He jumped back into battle; even if his movements were slower than usual, and he respeted to blasting everything out instead of turning into a more physical tackle mode. He pushed through the pain; concentraiting as hard as he could in just surviving, waiting, until he could return to the safety of the Marauder, where he could finally break down and breathe.

It was an hour of full torture. Blood dripped down one side of his face, a few minor scratches scattered across his body here and there. Sweat covered every inch of his skin. Slick dripped down his thighs as well. He felt disgusting; the need to clean himself almost overwhelming. With his jaw clenched, he jumped onto the ship and waited once more as Tech piloted the Marauder out of the planet's atmosphere.

He breathed through the quietness, finally, allowing himself to relax if just a bit. Crosshair didn't have the same plans, though; as he inmediately confronted him.

"What the hell was going on with your head to day?" He spat out agressively. "Emptier than usual?"

Crosshair tended to run his tongue whenever he was particularly angry; and Wrecker was aware he had put them all in danger with his distraction in the warzone. Still, he couldn't help but squirm in place; eyes cristalysing with his abrassive verbal attack.

"Sorry" he whispered, ashamed, eyes flying down towards the floor of the cockpit.

Wrecker knew the rest of the Batch agreed; but no one added a thing. They remained in silence while Tech jumped into hyperspace. Only then, they allowed themself to completely relax; slumping down on their seats and abandoning their weapons on the floor, taking off their helmets too. Hunter inhaled sharply instantly at that.

"You're in heat" he stated, dark brown eyes sharpening on Wrecker. "Has this started in the mittle of the mission?"

Tech, Echo, and Crosshair, turned to look at him in surprise –Hunter was the only alpha of the group, while Wrecker the only omega–; he nodded silently.

"When, exactly?" Hunter digged.

"An hour and something ago" Wrecker muttered.

Hunter sighed tiredly.

Crosshair's face switched to concern and understanding.

"I'm sorry, Wreck" he told him, drowning in guilt, and Wrecker shrugged carelessly, eyes still fixed on his feet.

"This is most unusual" Tech intervened. "I have been personally supervising your supresants and you have taked them accordingly. We will need to visit Medbay when we arrive Kamino. Perhaps an adjustment to a higher dose would be needed".

Ah, so that could be it. Wrecker squirmed uncomfortably again. He hated going to Medbay. Hated when the longlecks prodded at him.

"Go take a quick shower, vod" Hunter ordered gently. "We'll prepare a nest for you in the meantime".

Wrecker brightened; smiling in relief and nodding inmediately. He was dying to wash the blood and sweat off his body.

The visit to the sonic was a bit linger than usual; his muscles melting and his body finally allowed to crash down. When he re-appeared on the cockpit, his brothers had pushed all the matresses of their bunks into the floor, together; with the blankets and pillows on top of them. Someone had even placed Lula on the nest. Hunter opened his arms; and Wrecker sighed happily, inmediately jumping for the offer. He cuddled against the alpha's body; smiling at the rest of his beta brothers laying down around him.

"You did good, vod'ika" Hunter whispered soothingly. "Ignoring your heat in the middle of the battlefield. When I didn't think you cound be more strong..."

Wrecker's cheeks slightly redenned at the praise. He always reacted like that whenever his brothers congratulated him on something. For all he could be loud and social, he was shy on some aspects as well.

"Thank you" he mumbled against his shoulder.

Crosshair reached a hand to squeeze his forearm. When Wrecker snatched his hand in his, the sniper didn't try to make him release him.

Wrecker smiled. The pain and dizyness reduced drastically. He was with his pack now. Home. Safe.

THE END.

It came out supershort but I felt I conveined the idea alright with just that! Xx.

Omegaverse masterlist here:

[lawqual1ty]

Deaths Favor (Law x Fem! Reader)

Hey! This is my first time posting a one shot so... I hope you like it!

TW!: Mention of death, reader in a bad state, blood, weapons, use of violence, mention of organs (more specifically the heart)

Since she has been aware she had always been fascinated by death... Not in dying or stuff along the line but rather the complexity and the search of an understanding of it...

She even began working at a morgue at 17 although she had barely graduated and believed it wasn't for her, but my was she wrong...

Her weird fascination did not stop there however as it also transferred to her luck... For some reason death could never get a grasp of her

She had found herself in quite unfortunate situations in her day to day life but every single time there had been someone or something that saved her or aided her... No matter what it always happened, to the point her friends started teasing her about it.

Although she would soon learn it wasn't exactly luck...

Ten months ago she was teleported to the world of One Piece, much to her so called luck and now she found herself in middle of quite a complicated battle...

She was in the middle of a forest surrounded by several bounty hunters, some where strong others were well... They aided through numbers.

However it was she found herself greatly injured after a long intense fight 

"Maybe this is the time my luck abandons me..."

She thought as she looked at all of them, some of them where knocked unconscious but the majority stood straight in front of her...

"You've got nowhere else to run!" 

A bounty hunter yelled out at her as he laughed at her deplorable state, she looked at him blankly her bloodied up face shaped into an angry frown.

He raised his arms acting like he was intimidated by her angry gaze, obviously mocking her

"Ohoho god~ That's scary guys!" He said jokingly making the rest of them laugh "She's gonna kill us with her stare~"

They all laughed at her... She didn't listen at all, all she was thinking was one thing and one thing only...

...

"Will it be worth the cost...?"

In another place, Law suddenly flinched as he felt a shiver go through his entire body...

Someone else was here...

"Captain?" Bepo called for him as he noticed he was distracted once more

Was it her?

...it couldn't be right? 

But then... Why did he feel it so close by...?

He looked up at the sky while Bepo tried to call for him with clear concern...

"Bepo you're in charge..." Law finally spoke after a minute of silence shocking Bepo in the process.

"W-what?!"

Before Bepo could ask for more details Law vanished into thin air leaving a confused Bepo now in charge of the Polar Tang while he was gone.

...

He had a bad feeling...

She dropped to the floor kneeling down as she looked downwards, everyone ceased laughing for a moment before bursting into laughter once more. 

One of them stepped closer to her and kicked her in the face, she grunted in pain as she fell on her back unable to defend herself...

"Look at that she can't even move now!" 

They all burst out laughing, he stepped closer to her and laid his boot on her face with disgust, Her breath hitched in pain resulting in her biting her tongue.

"I don't know why the marines were searching for such a weak pirate..." The bounty hunter stated with clear anger and disgust, he swiftly raised his sword ready to decapitate her right then and there "But oh well, your bounty will be worth it..."

He lowered his sword getting close to her neck...

She burst her eyes open before yelling out

"DEATH JANGO!"

Before the sword touched her a large Shadow appeared and hit the bounty hunter throwing him away from her...

There was no way of regretting anything now...

Everyone stayed silent as they saw how she stood up once more heading to the guys throat pushing him onto the ground with great force...

She was now covered in a complete shadow making her look like she was undead, the large shadow from earlier connecting to her feet as if it was her own shadow. She landed softly next to the guy, much to the horror of the others. They tried to move but as she realized their presence she turned to look at them, making them freeze in horror... She smiled sadically at the sight

"Well would you look at that~"

She didn't intend on any of them leaving alive...

After what felt like an eternity, Law finally arrived where the fight had taken place

"She was here..." He said softly landing onto the ground...

What earlier was a forest now seemed like a morgue of some sorts... Most of the pirates were unconscious, laying on the ground, some of them in terrible conditions.

He walked around examining every single one of them as his eyes shone yellow with every single one he touched

 "Hmm...?" He hummed clearly amazed...

None of them were on the verge of his realms... She had held back, no wonder she had caught his attention.

He kept walking around finally finding the one responsible for all of it, she was still covered in shadow....and blood.

"Guess you still don't have full control..." 

As soon as he spoke she turned to look at him blankly, a blood thirst making her eyes shine red. She ran towards him heading straight for his head, he didn't budge...

In a swift movement he became mist and appeared behind her pinning her to the ground and revealing his true form...

The god of death

She tried setting free but she couldn't, it was like she had rigor mortis in some way

"You're closer to my realm than any of them..." He whispered softly as he held onto her, a glint of pain in his eyes. He raised his hand getting himself ready

"But don't worry..." He said softly "I won't let it happen just yet..." 

His hand then pierced through her chest, she passed out shortly after... He took his hand out of her chest revealing her heart in a tiny box

"After all I can't let the one I've been keeping for so long die just like this can I?"

He spoke softly... The shadow on her body slowly fading away as her heart started beating normally in between Law's hand