#and my single father of four rescued his kids as usual

[respectthepetty]

Dear Director Dome, who will never see this,

Peaceful Property is gay.

Like gay gay.

Director Dome has been saying stuff like, "It's just the way Tay and New act that makes it queer"

Dome, be fucking for real right now!

You picked a queer ass show to direct, sir, about found family where the characters learn the meaning of love and support because home is in the people we love and the people who comfort us.

And you nailed it!

So you quit that bullshit right now because even if you didn't think it was queer, IT'S FUCKING QUEER!

The wardrobe department with its colors knew it was gay.

The characters knew it was gay.

The writers knew it was gay!

BECAUSE IT'S GAY!

Home and Peach worked together to fix the trauma of a broken family.

Because Home's fiery family never understood the meaning of a family or a home.

So now the family he has chosen stands next to him and share his sadness.

Because they love him!

And he loves them!

My single father of four did not fight with an IV bag in his arm for you to not own this show's queerness.

You tried to bury the gays like six times!

BUT THEY WON'T DIE!

Because they constantly fight for each other and to come back to each other since THEY ARE IN LOVE!

So you can call it whatever you want to.

BUT IT'S GAY!

And I love you for it.

[colourstreakgryffin]

Hey there! So, this is my first time requesting something on Tumblr so sorry if it doesn't make sense but could I request giyu,igouro, sanemi and rengoku x reader, thats platonic so like the reader is a kid. and the reader is non-verbal but the reader chooses who they talk to and who they don't, so how would they react to when the reader brings up enough courage to talk to them? (Also if you can could the reader use sign language when they don't speak? Sorry for the big ask)

Also English isn't my first language so sorry for any spelling errors or mis-wording of anything.

Four is a lot, honey. I hope you don’t mind me cutting it down to three but yes, I can do this. Selectively mute and sign-language using! Can do!

Shinazugawa Sanemi

By the tug of his haori, Sanemi turns around to look at you from the battered test dummy he was practicing Wind Breathing on. His deep frown softened at the sight of your glowing life-filled eyes and he drops down to his knees to hear you out. You’re his little assistant, who has never spoken a single word, even after he took you in so he learnt sign language under the permission you were mute

“Yes, Dokusha?” Sanemi asks softly, tilting his head in contrast to his usual hyper-aggressive and temperamental aura. He is very gentle with you, due to how much he adores you. Today, you finally wanted to say something to him since you trust him fully and you felt guilty about hiding your voice from him, he deserves to hear what you want to say

What did he do to deserve to be lied to? Nothing, he is the reason you have a house and food right now, he basically rescued you from hell and decided to take you in for you doing stuff around his Estate. Sanemi is thankful to past him for making the right choice, he has learnt how to control himself better and he feels less lonely. He can rant and complain about annoying slayers to you all he wants and feel heard with the way you nod with a beam

You smile softly at your caretaker, grabbing his free thick sweaty hand whilst he kept his eyes on you and held yours back. He was a bit concerned that something was wrong but relief flooded him when a sudden wave of confidence washed over you, allowing you to speak: “You… you… haven’t ate, have you…?” His hand clutched around nothing at what he heard

Sanemi’s dark purple eyes widened in shock at actually hearing your voice and his katana dropped to the floor as he started stuttering in shock. You have never said a verbal word with him for all the months you’ve been with him and he genuinely thought you couldn’t speak as you always used sign language. That didn’t mean he wasn’t beyond happy that you felt comfortable talking to him, a loving smile spread

It was hot and sunny, concerning you that he could tire himself out with heatstroke or sunburns. Yes, he is the Wind Hashira and he does this type of training constantly but your care for him has grown. You find yourself comparing him to a older brother or a father a lot more often than you think. Actually, maybe more like a parent, though you two talk like you’re past best friends. He is favouritistic towards who he likes you and happen to be one of those rare people

“No. I haven’t, disappointingly. B-but that’s fine, we can eat together”

Tomioka Giyuu

Besides your beloved caretaker, Giyuu, you noticed a gorgeous silky kimono in your favourite colour hanging up by a thin string over the head of the storekeeper. Whilst you and Giyuu were within the crowd of loud people and passing the many makeshift fleet market stands, you could see it as clear as day and you found your heart pinging in desire, the longer you kept your glowing eyes on it. You wanted to tell the taller, bigger man but you didn’t have the gut…

With all the blaring people wondering around you two, you nor Giyuu wanted to talk in this rather intimidating environment, even to each other, as neither of you are good at socialising in such a public way. Giyuu did actually owe you a gift for taking the time out of your night to fix up his dull katana to perfection, but he had no clue what to give you and he is stubborn so you can’t try convince him otherwise

With that kimono in your mind, you tap your fingers on his wrist to try catch his attention. A tough flinch runs through his skin as he carefully looks down to his side, seeing you still right next to him and feeling such relief flooding his senses. With the lack of touch, he was a bit worried that he lost you within this monstrous crowd and he didn’t know how he’d function without the beloved little assistant he rescued and cares for

The one who understands him the most out of everything on this entire planet. He looked around for any stranglers that may past you two and dropped down, you two hadn’t walked that far from the kimono stand and the one stealing away your attention basically danced in the wind, beckoning you to come over to it. Giyuu’s pretty blue eyes trained onto you as he mentally prepared himself to adapt to the sign language you were bound to use but it didn’t come, confusing him intently that it slipped past his usual emotionless demeanour

Pointing at the stand in your mind, allowing Giyuu to follow your movements and partly-understand what was bothering you. You opened your lips slowly and let out the voice you thought you lost years ago as he flinched this time in shock at what he heard. “C-can… can I have that kimono…” You ask lightly, hands still on his as his eyes almost dissolved into a lighter blue at his amazement. You can speak?!

Despite how comfortable you claimed you felt with him, you never said a single word to him. Sure, he doesn’t need words to feel close and connected to you but he figured you were mute so he kept his trap close for you. He did feel a bit betrayed that you didn’t signal a word sooner but he could understand your hesitation, you could have been worried that he would be mad at you but he couldn’t be mad at you. He smiles ever-so-gently and rises to his feet, looking at that stand

“You want a kimono? Well, you do need some new ones”

Rengoku Kyojuro

Kyojuro’s cheerful smile never faded, repositioning the wooden staff inside his little brother’s hands and lifting his arms up to show him the more effective swing. On a bright, sunny day, the Flame Hashira was attempting to teach his little brother, Senjuro how to use breathing techniques so he can continue on the Rengoku legacy after his brother eventually goes to pass the torch. In the back, you waited patiently for your caretaker to come to you

You had something important to… well, tell him and this time not through your fingers. For the entire time you’ve been with Kyojuro, you never said a single verbal word to him nor anybody else so it lead him to simply assume you were mute. He spent hours perfecting sign language for you, his cute little assistant so he can still talk to you

Kyojuro eventually turned around after minutes or so of patience, meeting your eyes with his eccentric flame-patterned ones and shook his head in realisation he had been keeping you waiting. Quickly alerting Senjuro, he basically glides to you with such smooth strides and playfully pats your head with a open apology. He hated keep the one he adored on the edge for so long

“Sorry, little flame. What is it you need?” The young man asks, preparing his hands to calculate your signing but nothing he suspected happened, you mirrored his wholehearted smile and grabbed his much bigger hands, cupping them in yours as you managed to push out your unaided vocal cords to speak. You trusted him entirely to say your piece to him, like he deserved

“Do… do you have the refreshments for… Senjuro?” You responded in a semi-faint tone, almost weirded out by the sound of your own voice but you felt the complete need to show your beloved caretaker the truth. Lying to him for so long was a painful process but now, you’re free from those shackles as Kyojuro flinched visibly, feeling shock course through him. You can speak?! Since when, he genuinely thought you had no voicebox. He hasn’t even heard you grunt or huff

His smile widened at the words he heard, he is very happy you feel comfortable enough to talk to him as he chirps, propping himself up the elevated wooden platform of his Estate. He doesn’t bother trying to pull his hand from yours as you follow his skilful movements. Kyojuro can’t say that he loves you like a father does but he is glad he rescued you

“Not at the moment, but let’s go get some right now!”

[bamby0304]

Her Saviours- Ch.38

Series Masterlist

Summary: During an odd case, the Winchesters came across Y/N, a scared young Omega girl who had been used as a lure for a nest of vampires. After rescuing her from the monsters, John and his sons took her in knowing she was in no state to live among ordinary people. But three Alphas and one Omega is a mixture bound for disaster.

A/N: It’s my birthday!!

Warnings: Explicit language. ABO dynamics.

Bamby

“Yeah. You probably missed something, that's what.”

“Dude, I ran LexisNexis, local police reports, newspapers, I couldn't find a single red flag. Are you sure you got the coordinates right?”

“Yeah, I double checked. It's Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Dad wouldn't have sent us coordinates if it wasn't important Sammy.”

You were sitting in the back of Baby, as usual, listening to the brothers bicker, as usual.

Sam was getting frustrated at his brother. “Well I'm telling you I looked and all I could find was a big steamy pile of nothing. If Dad's sending us hunting for something I don't know what.”

“Well maybe he's going to meet us there.” Dean still wasn’t giving up on their father.

Sam scoffed, “Yeah. Cause he's been so easy to find up to this point.”

“You're a real smart ass you know that?”

“He’s not wrong,” you mumbled to yourself.

Dean looked up, catching your eye in the mirror. He didn’t comment, but you knew he heard you, and by the way Sam shifted ever so slightly, you knew he heard as well. Both brothers had an idea of where you stood with John- Sam more than Dean- and neither was willing to comment on it. At least not yet, and not in front of the other.

“Don't worry I'm sure there's something in Fitchburg worth killing,” Dean insisted, getting back to the topic at hand.

“Yeah?” Sam asked, not sounding convinced. “What makes you so sure?”

“Cause I'm the oldest, which means I'm always right.”

“No it doesn't.”

“It totally does,” Dean insisted.

…

Leaning against Baby with Sam as Dean went to get some coffees, you watched the playground on the park you’d stopped next to. You were frowning, watching the scene in front of you, feeling uneasy.

There was only one child in sight, and she was barely playing.

Returning to you and Sam, Dean handed out the coffees he was carrying. “Well...the waitress thinks the local freemasons are up to something sneaky but other than that no one's heard about anything freaky going on.”

“Dean you got the time?” Sam asked, a curious frown furrowing his brows.

You looked up at him and noticed he was watching the park as well. It seemed you weren’t the only one who had noticed the peculiar scene.

“Ten after four,” Dean answered. “Why?”

“Look at the park,” you started. Dean came over to stand next to you and turned to the playground. “Where are all the kids?”

He grew just as curious as you and his brother. “School's out isn't it?”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “So where is everybody? This place should be crawling with kids right now.”

Sighing, Dean handed his coffee over to Sam without a word. You watched, confused for a moment, before he started towards the woman watching the little girl. You could only assume she was her mother.

“We’ll be right back,” you told Sam absentmindedly as you hurried after Dean to walk with him.

The woman was half watching her daughter, half reading the newspaper. Her daughter was playing, but with no one to join her, she didn’t seem as enthused as you guessed she normally would have been. It was as if the trip to the park was bittersweet.

“Sure is quiet out here,” Dean started, drawing the attention of the mother.

She looked up from her newspaper, a little startled at first. You watched her smell the air, catching Dean’s Alpha scent. Before she could react, however, she caught wind of your Omega which had her visibly relax.

“Yeah, it's a shame,” she noted, looking genuine.

“Why's that?” Dean asked.

She shrugged. “You know, kids getting sick, it's a terrible thing.”

Growing more concerned, you moved over to sit with her on the bench. “Kids? Are there a lot getting sick?”

“Just five or six but serious,” she started. “Hospital serious. A lot of parents are getting pretty anxious. They think it's catching.”

As an Omega it was in your blood to be concerned about children. You’d always pictured having pups of your own, even if sometimes you knew it wasn’t a feasible thought with your lifestyle. Despite that, you always felt the need to care for and worry about kids. This news just didn’t sit right in your gut.

…

You offered the nurse a gentle smile as you set the basket of stuffed toys you’d brought to the hospital on the counter between the two of you. She paused, looking from you to the basket and then back.

“Can I help you?”

Taking a deep breath, you nodded. “I heard about the children.”

One sniff and she knew you were an Omega, and that’s all it took.

Anyone who looked at you would see a concerned Omega, wanting nothing more than to help the families of the sick children. You weren’t pushing for information, or snooping around, you were simply concerned. It was in your nature to be so empathetic.

Smiling gently, she nodded. “The paediatric ward is down that hall, turn left and up the stairs.”

“Thank you.” Your smile had a hint of sadness to it as you gathered the basket and went to follow her directions.

As you rounded the corner, you looked back and spotted Sam and Dean walking into the hospital in their suits.

The plan was for you to talk to the families, while the brothers talked to the doctors. They were taking the roles as doctors from the CDC, which would get them access you wouldn’t normally have. It wasn’t common for a young Omega to have such a prestigious job.

Still, that didn’t mean you were without your own tools and skills.

…

Stepping towards one of the beds of the sick children, you placed a stuffed bear in the crook of the little girl’s arm. Looking down at her with sympathetic eyes, you felt your heart strings tug at the image of her laying there so still and pale.

“I’m so sorry about your daughters,” you started as you looked from one bed to the other before meeting the eyes of the girls’ father.

He was sitting by their beds, looking distraught and exhausted. He’d been here a few nights now, and with no sign of improvement or change, he was growing more and more fraught with each passing moment.

“That’s very kind of you.” He attempted a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Chewing on your lip, you moved over to the seat next to his and set the basket of toys- which was almost empty now- on the ground in front of you. With your hands now free, you reached out to take his gently.

He flinched at first, before your soothing Omega scent eased some of the tension in his body.

“I lost my family when I was young,” you started. “I may not have children, but I know what it feels like to feel helpless. I only wish you get a happier ending than I did.”

It was true. You did lose your family, your real family, when you were young. To be honest, you barely remembered them. With all the trauma and chaos that surrounded the events of your childhood, you couldn’t remember much of your life before monsters and Winchesters. But you still understood the pain of losing loved ones.

His hand squeezed yours. “Thank you.”

Offering a gentle smile once more, you began to pry ever so carefully, “Do you mind if I ask…?”

“How it happened?” he finished for you. “I don’t know. Mary, my oldest, she came down with it first. Then Bethany caught it the next night.”

“So suddenly?” you asked, trying not to show how shocked you were.

Diseases spread, you were aware, but they didn’t just put kids into comas so suddenly. He was suggesting there were no symptoms, no warnings, and now his daughters were 

When he nodded, you could see just how tired he was. You knew he’d been trying to wrap his head around the whole thing ever since his daughters had fallen ill. It was all he could do with himself as he waited for any sign of them waking up soon.

“The doctors are saying it's pneumonia. But it doesn’t make sense. They were fine. They were perfectly fine. They were healthy. They were happy.” Shaking his head, you looked from each bed, trying to wrap his head around it.

All you could think to do was to give his hand a squeeze, to try and ease his pain and offer any support you could.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had you both look up. Sam and Dean were standing in the doorway, watching the two of you before their eyes fell onto the girls’ father.

“Sir, we’re from the CDC,” Sam started. “We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions?”

When the father hesitated, you gave him a reassuring nod. “I’ll stay with your girls until you come back.”

Thankful that they wouldn’t be alone, he squeezed your hand gratefully before following the brothers out of the room, leaving you to watch his motionless girls as they lay soundlessly in their hospital beds.

…

The brothers had left you in the car while they went to Bethany and Mary’s house. The idea was that their father would be at the hospital for the foreseeable future, so they would snoop around. Normally you would go with them, but it had been your idea to stay behind this time.

If they got caught it meant you were no longer a player in the game either. At least if the father went home and found the brothers in his house, you could still go to the hospital and get some information.

Sam had been surprised at your thought process, and impressed. Dean was actually relieved, as if there was something particularly stressing him out with this case.

The passenger side door opened as Sam slid into the car, their excursion over with. “Have you heard of a shtriga?”

Your brows crinkled in confusion. “A what?”

Dean got into the car then, with a sigh. “Sammy and me found some stuff. We think it could be a shtriga.”

“Dean thinks it could be one,” Sam corrected.

“Well, whatever it is, we need to find a motel so we can do research,” you noted.

Nodding, agreeing with you, Dean turned Baby on and started down the road. Neither of you said much as he drove, but words didn’t need to be said. You could sense the tension in the air. Something was wrong with Dean.

Bamby

[lxvenderhxzehv]

(gavin leatherwood) [The Rebel]. Please welcome [Damian Lamb (He/Him)] to Huntsville, WV. They are an [26]-year-old [RESIDENT] who lives in [TOWN]. You may see them around working as a [firefighter at fire & rescue house 69 ]. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

Name: Damian Lamb

Nicknames: N/A

Age/DOB: 27 January 16, 1997

Gender: cis-male He/him

Sexual Orientation: fuck around and find out

Personality type: The Rebel

Relationship status: Single

Occupation: firefighter at fire & rescue house 69

Destination: In Town

Role: Hunter

Family: Mother, father, and little Sister ~ deceased

Aunt and Uncle ~ Deceased

Cousins ~ Alive (Not sure how many)

Tw: Death, child dead, Fire, Murder accusations, and bullying

The Lamb family was your typical family, Husband and Wife who loved each other dearly high school sweethearts even. and their two kids Damian and his little sister were their greatest achievements. there was not drama, no trouble, not turmoil between the four. Damian was a good kid. He did well in school, He loved his sister and his parents with his whole heart. He would do anything for them even at his own expense. Everything was perfect.

until it wasn't

one night around when Damian was 10 years old he woke up to his room extremely hot and cloudy. Realizing what was going on he rolled out of bed and got on the floor as quickly as possible. Crawling through his home, he tried to wake everyone up, yelling and screaming for them or for help but the smoke and the flames were too strong for him to handle. He passed out and didn't come too till few hours later.

When he came too he was in the hospital his Aunt and Uncle came clamoring over to check on him. He was more than confused to say the least. Then he remembered, flashes of fire and burning building the smell oh god the smell.

"I want my mom and my dad, my sister...are they here?" He said softly. The worried glances share with his aunt and uncle didn't go unnoticed. Damian's stomach dropped. His heart started pounding from his chest.

"WHERE'S MY MOM AND DAD? WHERE MY SISTER!?!" he shouted tearfully from the hospital bed. They almost didn't have the guts to tell him. They didn't survive. The firefighters were able to get damain out and stabilized but the fire had grown too big by the time they arrived. Damian was even Lucky to be alive and come out with just some scaring on his back.

With Damian being the only surviving family member he of course was questioned. His story stayed the same, They had dinner, watched a movie and then all went to bed When he woke up he tried to get out but the smoke and the heat was too much and he passed out. They couldn't find the source of the fire so they chalked it up to wrong place at the wrong time. However Damian wasn't convinced and to this day he thinks someone wanted his family dead.

He moved in with his Aunt and uncle, they did what they could and raised him like he was their own. He go along with them and his cousins well enough but he was still troubled. Therapy helped a little but he did go often, usually ditching to go smoke and hang out at his family's graves.

As for the town, rumors spread and Damian became an outcast of sorts in Huntsville.

'mommy that's the boy that burned his family live!'

parents would hide their kids, give him dirty looks and clutch their pearls whenever he came around. He became a menace in school, taking on the "bad boy" person. if you can't be em', join em right?'. He figured if they were going to paint this picture of him that he killed his family might as well have fun with it. He was bullied of course and it was In school he realized he need to bulk up and also carry a butterfly knife with him at all times. So he did.

and then the paradox hit when he was just 14 years old, it only added fuel to his anger and frustration. His Aunt and Uncle being some of the first few who died. He was left to take care of his cousins on his own. He did a few odd Jobs here and there making sure to keep them taken care of but when word got out they were all shoved into the commune. Damian hated it and the moment he turned 18 he left.

he needed a Job and he was strong and capable so he became a firefighter. He promised himself that no one would ever feel the pain he felt from loosing someone ever again. He would make sure of it, even if it kills him.

[cameliawrites]

For the fic asks, people probably beat me to them but: 🤡✨🦅 and just for funsies... 🧠 for Jesper since I'd love to know some of your thoughts on him

Cat, my beloved! Have some answers (with a bonus Kaz/Jesper friendship ficlet at the end, because I love these fools)!

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Maybe this errs on the sweeter side of funny, but there’s one tiny exchange in “what a mother wants” that I’m really fond of.

The backstory is that a few summers ago, I babysat quite frequently for some dear friends of mine. Their kids have an impressive collection of stuffed toys, and of course, each and every one of them has to have a name—and to my surprise and amusement, these little fuzzy pandas and sloths and such are often named after fully-grown, real-life adults in their lives. Like, first AND last name and all. 😂

SO. All that to say, I’m very very fond of this exchange between Kaz and his daughter, which I not-so-slyly slipped into a parenthetical aside near the end of the fic:

Say thank you to Aaji, Kaz had instructed her, and when Lieze complied, he’d asked her, What will you name it? Lieze had contemplated for a moment, face taking on an expression reminiscent of her father. Jesper Fahey, she’d finally declared decisively, and Kaz had groaned.

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it.

Oh goodness! Okay. Um…

Well, I’ve always been fond of this line near the very end of “someone to watch over me:”

When she entered her room, she noticed that the four showy flower arrangements had been removed. Instead, atop her pillow sat a small bouquet of geraniums, clearly hand-picked, and tied with a single red ribbon.

Inej opened the small note attached to the ribbon, already grinning widely, her heart fluttering like petals tossed to the wind.

I drew the imagery of “petals tossed to the wind” from that (iconic) scene where wild geranium petals rain over her when Kaz rescues her at the Goedmedbridge in Crooked Kingdom. The simile felt quite apropos for a fic scene where Kaz is leaving a little geranium bouquet for her. 🥰

🦅Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants?

👖👖👖My fics usually come together in patches—I’ll have a scene here, a scene there, a scrap of dialogue, a concept of a given’s scene choreography… but then all the connective tissue between those points isn’t determined until I’m actually writing. This is part of why I mostly write one shots; I think outlining a multi-chapter fic would be a nightmare for me. 😅 (And also, the time constraints of law school make it hard for me to plan ahead that much.)

I really enjoy the freedom I have in this creative process. For me, writing fic is a total escape from the strictures of academic/professional writing, and I worry that holding myself to a strict outline would suck a bit of the joy out of it. But I know that for other people, it’s just a helpful organizational tool! I spend more time on the back end of fic writing (editing and revising and figuring out how to piece existing scenes together) than on the front end (planning and outlining). Everyone’s process is so different!

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them. - Jesper

(why did this turn into a mini-fic? why do I do this? ….here, have a thing:)

Jesper is the first person to whom Kaz confesses that he loves Inej.

The moon is high and the bottle of whiskey is running dangerously low. The two of them are sprawled out on the grass of the Van Eck garden looking at the night sky, because it was suddenly very important for a very drunk Jesper to point out all the constellations Colm Fahey taught him, and to pass along the stories Colm had learned growing up on the Wandering Isle.

The first mistake Kaz makes is disputing Jesper’s account: “No, you’ve got it all wrong,” he slurs, “My Da told me and Jordie this other story about those three stars on the right…”

And because Jesper knows a bit about Jordie by now, he becomes solemn and quiet; sobered, even in his utter drunkenness, as Kaz tells the story.

“I’m sorry you lost him,” Jesper finally whispers, and for a long moment, the trickle of the water in the nearby canal is the only sound between them.

Kaz grumbles something unintelligible at first, refusing to meet Jesper’s gaze. “It’s been ten years,” he finally articulates, and Jesper can see him clenching the grass at his sides with his pale, ungloved hands. “It shouldn’t still hurt. If I were stronger…if I were stronger, it wouldn’t still hurt. I got even with Pekka Rollins. I got my revenge. What’s left?”

“What’s left?” Jesper retorts a bit too loudly, pushing himself up to sit on his elbows, then immediately collapsing back to the ground at the wave of dizziness that follows. “What’s left is that you loved him, Kaz. Like I loved my Ma—like any of us still love anyone we lost. The love doesn’t just…fade away, just because they’re gone,” Jesper spits out, gesturing wildly with his hands. “And you’re an even bigger podge than I thought if you think that makes you weak,” he finishes resolutely, waggling one drunken finger near Kaz’s face.

Kaz rolls his eyes at the insult (and the finger), but seems to let the words sink in; the expression on his face tells Jesper how intensely he’s turning them over in his mind.

“Ugh,” Jesper groans, “what are you scheming about right now?”

“I love Inej,” Kaz starts simply—and it is a simple statement; a simple truth; one that neither Kaz nor Jesper is really surprised by, even if Jesper is a smidge surprised Kaz is actually willing to admit it out loud. “But I haven’t told her. Just in case…” Kaz’s mouth clamps shut, then opens once more, as though he cannot resist the drunken spill of words from his mouth at this moment. “I don’t want to be left alone with that kind of hurt ever again.”

And the pain, the fear, that washes over Kaz’s face for an uncontrolled instant—too long to believe Kaz doesn’t feel anything, even if he tried to deny it—has Jesper sliding his hands over the pearl-handled revolvers at his hips, trying to resist the urge to reach out and do something stupid, like hug his best friend.

“You wouldn’t be left alone,” Jesper promises fiercely. “Not this time. Not ever again. I haven’t always made myself trustworthy, but tell me you trust me about that much?” he pleads.

Kaz nods slowly, his throat bobbing as his gaze remains fixed determinedly on the sky.

“Good,” Jesper breathes. “That’s—that’s good.”

When their voices fade to silence once more, something like relief rises in the quiet that they’ve left behind.

“Kaz?” Jesper can’t help but ask a few minutes later.

“Hmmph.” The hangovers are going to hurt tomorrow.

“You’ve gotta make me your best man, okay?”

Kaz shoots up in a panic. Jesper maintains his position on the ground, arms tucked lackadaisically beneath his head. “We’re not getting married, Jesper.”

“Of course you aren’t,” he laughs airily. “I mean, you’d be a real asshole if you didn’t tell her you loved her before you proposed.”

“Fuck you, Jes.”

“Love you too, Kaz.”

[thewidowsghost]

Stay Strong, Alex - Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

"Detective (L/n)," Rick sneers. "And they say there's never a cop around when you need one."

"So you know me?" (Y/n) asks, her voice soft.

"Of course," Rick answers. "I took a whole year planning this. Watching Alex, preparing," (Y/n) folds her hands together and she can hear Kara pacing behind her near the door. "I know everything."

"How did you know I was Supergirl?" Kara snarks.

"That day at the beach," Rick replies. "Before you started wearing glasses." He pauses. "I had no idea that Alex would end up playing for the other team, so to speak." (Y/n) swallows thickly. "I was just happy she showed up on the date. And then there was a crash. And Alex's kid sister walked away without a scratch," Rick says calmly, looking up at Kara, who standing over (Y/n)'s shoulder. "People at school said it was adrenaline, but, uh . . ."

"But you didn't believe that," (Y/n) finishes, her head tilting a little.

Rick nods, "I saw Kara Danvers do something amazing. And it stayed with me. I knew Kara was living in National City, and then Supergirl showed up in National City . . ." Rick chuckles. "I put two and two together. I knew it was you."

"What happened to you?" Kara asks softly. "I remember when Alex had chickenpox, I was eating lunch by myself," Kara's voice sounds a little wistful as she remembers the Earth portion of her childhood. "You came and sat with me."

Rick chuckles again. "I was fourteen," as Rick begins, (Y/n) rises from her chair to lean against the table. "And I didn't have the nice house or the perfect family that you and your sister had."

"You think we had it easy?" Kara asks skeptically. "You have no idea what Alex sacrificed for me. Or what I was going through!"

"Why?" Rick sneers. "Because you had to hide your superpowers? I was hiding bruises!" Rick is yelling now and (Y/n) had taken half a step backward. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have your mother tell you your garbage every single night?" The blonde man makes eye contact with (Y/n) and the young woman crosses her arms. "A belt whenever you had the wrong opinion? And then I found a lifeline. A father my mom kept from me. And he saved me from her and he moved me away from Midvale. And even though he was always struggling, he always made sure there was food on the table and he got me enough money to go to college. And then three years ago, the state took him from me."

"Your father killed two people," (Y/n) says, her voice low. "He confessed."

"They had it coming," Rick growls and (Y/n) straightens, her arms still folded over her chest. "And now I'm going to rescue him like he rescued me." Rick pauses. "I can't believe we're still talking about me! You have twenty-four hours and eleven minutes." Kara stiffens as Rick continues, "Come on, Kara, show us some of that rah-rah Midvale Junior High Spirit." Rick is yelling now. "Free my dad! Or your sister dies."

Kara growls, zooms over, flips the table, and pins Rick to the wall.

"Oh, you use half this much gusto in springing my dad, you'll have your sister back for game night."

"Kara! We're done here!" (Y/n)'s voice cracks.

Kara lets go of Rick and the man drops to the ground. "Hey. You know what'll be fun?" Rick asks. (Y/n) frowns, an eyebrow raising as she steps back from the man. "Finding out which one of you loves her more." (Y/n) closes her eyes momentarily, a wave of anguish washing over her. "Honestly, I wouldn't know where to place my bet," Rick sneers and (Y/n) swallows thickly.

Kara frowns at the man and after a minute, the two women go to leave the room, (Y/n) pausing for a second.

"Go Stallions," Rick grins.

Just outside the room, Kara speaks, "I'm giving him one minute, then I'm going back in there."

"No," (Y/n) says and Kara turns to look at her, Kara's eyes blazing.

"Why?" Kara snaps.

"Let him sweat it for a while," (Y/n) tells her, her voice softer than usual as she talks to her girlfriend's sister. "We got what we wanted."

"What?" Kara asks. "All we know is how he knows my identity."

"We know that Rick's pinned his whole sense of self-worth on Peter Thompson," (Y/n) explains, her voice still soft. "Thompson is the key to getting Alex back."

Kara's blazing eyes seem to extinguish as she considers (Y/n)'s words.

. . .

An hour or so later, (Y/n) and Peter Thompson walk into Rick's integration room.

(Y/n) closes the door behind Thompson.

Rick grins down at the table, before standing up after a moment.

"Ricky," Thompson says with a smile.

"Dad," Rick says, and the two embrace.

"All that time in prison, I imagined a day when . . . I could talk to you without a pane of glass between us."

"The DEO moved heaven and Earth to free this man," (Y/n) says. "We did what you wanted. Now, tell us where Alex is."

"No. No, not until my father and I are far from here," Rick says.

"You think we're stupid?" (Y/n) asks. "I showed you mine. Your turn."

"So you can toss us in Gitmo?" Thompson asks. "Not gonna happen."

(Y/n) shakes her head in disbelief.

"Maybe he gives you a piece. A little token of goodwill," Thompson adds. "You gotta give them something, Ricky. That's how it works. Just tell them where she is." Thompson narrows his eyes at his son.

"Well, you really nailed his essence, I'll give you that," Rick says.

"What?" (Y/n) asks, stepping forward, her arms crossing.

"I mean, that thing . . ." Rick says, studying his father's face. "He couldn't decide whether to hug me or not. That's vintage Dad." Rick sits back down in his metal chair.

"What are you talking about?" Thompson asks, walking up to stand beside the table.

"My father would never be playing these games. He'd be wanting to get the hell away from here and making sure that he never went back to prison," Rick's expression is one of anger. "I've been planning this for a year. Do you really think I didn't prepare for you," Rick pauses, looking up at Thompson, "Martian?"

Thompson walks over to (Y/n) and shifts back into himself.

"You're down to twenty-three hours and fourteen minutes," Rick says as he gazes at (Y/n) and J'oon. "And counting."

(Y/n) closes her eyes, pressing her index finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose.

. . .

Winn runs down the hall. "Guys! We found Alex. I found her."

Kara - who is standing with Mon-el - turns to face Winn. "You did?" Kara asks frantically.

"We got a ping from her subdermal tracker," Winn explains. "She's not far!"

. . . 

Back in the interrogation room, (Y/n) is sitting across from Rick, her hands folded and resting on the table in front of her.

"(Y/n)," Kara says, opening the door to the room. "Winn found Alex."

"What? How?" (Y/n) asks quickly, rising from her chair to look at Kara.

"I guess you underestimated my sister," Kara says, looking past (Y/n) to look at Rick. "Let's go."

But (Y/n) pauses, turning to look at Rick. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"You're delusional," Kara sneers. "And the second we get back here with Alex, you're going to prison with your dad."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Rick says with a shrug, and fear surges through (Y/n)'s heart.

Kara strides out of the room and (Y/n) meets Rick's eyes, holding the stare for a moment.

(Y/n) runs out of the room. "Watch him," (Y/n) tells the guard as she runs past him after Kara. "Hey, stop," (Y/n) tells Kara. "Malverne still thinks he's in control," (Y/n) tells her.

Kara turns, looking highly annoyed with (Y/n) at this point.

"He's not acting like someone who just lost," (Y/n) continues. "He didn't even flinch. It's like he expected this."

"No, no, no, we are not listening to that psycho," Kara says, walking closer to (Y/n). "Every minute we wait for matters."

"I - I want to get her as badly as you do," (Y/n) retorts, "but we can't punch our way out of this. We've got to get this right."

"If the shoe were on the other foot, Alex would already be out the door. I'm not waiting," Kara argues.

"You're not the only one who cares about her!" (Y/n) says, her voice rising.

"I'm going!" Kara yells over her shoulder as she strides out of the DEO.

(Y/n) swallows thickly and looks at the ground.

. . .

Kara flies across the city and lands in a warehouse, crashing through the roof.  

"Kara!" comes a faint voice.

"Alex!" Kara yells in reply.

"I'm down here!"

Kara runs over to a metal plate on the floor and bends the metal, puling up the plate. Throwing the plate aside, Kara freezes, reading the writing on the wall: 'NOW YOU HAVE FOUR.'

"Four?" Kara asks. "What . . ." There is a rapid beeping and the timer next to the computer screen flashes to four hours.

. . .

In Alex's cell, water begins rushing into the cement cage. Alex, panicking, grabs her jacket to try to plug the pipe.

. . .

"Oh, my God," Kara whispers, her voice full of fury.

. . . 

Kara walks back into the DEOs' headquarters, holding the laptop in one hand. 

Entering Rick's room again, Kara sets the laptop on the table. 

"Where is she?" Kara asks, her voice steely. 

"I told you not to go . . ." Rick says calmly. 

"Tell me where she is now!" Kara thunders, slamming her hands down on the table. 

"I gave you thirty-six hours to break my father out of prison," Rick replies. "But you didn't listen. So now, that room is gonna fill up with water in less than four hours. I think it's time you got moving."

Kara's lip quivers. "Let me talk to Alex."

Rick leans forward and presses a few of the keys and there is a beep. 

Kara turns the laptop around and leans down to talk to her sister through the computer. 

"Alex," Kara says, her voice quavering. 

"Kara! I sent out a signal, I thought you were coming," Alex says, the water up to her waist now. 

"He re-routed the IP address. He sent us somewhere else. Do you have any idea where you are?" 

"I was unconscious. I could be hours away or I could be in the city," Alex replies, a frown spreading across her face. "I don't know."

Rick leans forward. "Alex, it's Rick. It don't want to hurt you. I keep on telling your sister that. Tell her to get my father, and this can all be over. You can come home and get dry."

"No. Kara, no," Alex says, pointing at the camera. "You do not give that terrorist what he wants. You cannot let yourself be blackmailed. You cannot open yourself up to that, ever. Do you understand me? Supergirl is better than me."

(Y/n) enters the room and, seeing Alex on the screen, runs over. "Alex!"

"(Y/n)?" Alex asks. 

"I'm right here," (Y/n) replies. 

"(Y/n), I need to speak to you alone," Alex says, and (Y/n) grabs the laptop and walks out of the room. 

(Y/n) stands down one of the hallways. "Hun, everyone here is working hard and we're going to find you." 

"The water is rising fast and there are things that I need to say," Alex says, her voice cracking a little. 

"No," (Y/n) says, tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't start talking like this is the end."

"I don't want it to be, but in case that it is . . ." Alex says, pausing for a moment. 

"It's not," (Y/n) whispers. "It can't be. You're a badass, Alex. And if anyone could figure out a way to get themself out of there, it's you. You're gonna hold on until I find you," (Y/n)'s voice cracks, and a tear slides down her cheek. 

"(Y/n), listen to me, please," Alex tries to get out.

"No," (Y/n) argues desperately. "We just had our first Valentine's Day and I want to do more with you. I want more firsts. I want a first vacation. We haven't even argued about where we're gonna go yet, and it's bound to happen. Or what to name our first dog. Do you want to get a dog?" 

(Y/n) lets out a watery laugh. "See, there's a lifetime of firsts that we're going to do together. So," (Y/n)'s voice quavers, "you hold on, okay? Hold on until I get to you. You promise. Promise me!" 

"Yeah, um . . ." Alex pauses, scratching the back of her neck. "Let's name her Gertrude or we could adopt one from the animal shelter you volunteer at." 

"I -" Alex tries to say, but the video cuts out. 

"What?" (Y/n) whispers, typing furiously on the keyboard. "Alex!" (Y/n), frustrated with worry, tosses the broken laptop to the ground. 

"What happened?" Kara asked, striding over to (Y/n). 

(Y/n) meets Kara's gaze, her eyes alight with barely controlled anger. "I-I told you not to rush in. N-now you've made things worse."

"I did what I thought was right . . ." Kara argues. 

"I should have been heard," (Y/n) says, her eyes narrowing. "I should have been listened to. I'm her girlfriend."

"I'm her sister!" Kara argues angrily. 

"And you think that trumps me?" (Y/n) asks. "That you know what's right for her. I . . ." (Y/n) falters. "I got her to be herself, Kara." (Y/n)'s voice cracks. "I-I have just as much to lose as you." (Y/n)'s eyes burn. "You should have listened to me."

Word Count: 2,305 words

Taglist:

@procrastinatingsapphictrash

@makegoodchoices

@fanboy7794​

@theofficialzivadavid​

@confusinggemini612​

[kittinoir]

Phantoms Ch. 12

Read on Ao3

Adrien couldn’t think of a single place he wouldn’t rather be than anywhere else at that particular moment. He’d even trade places with Chloe, wherever she was, if it meant he could get out of this particular date.

Unfortunately, no switch - or miraculous rescue - was likely to take place.

It didn’t help that he’d just spent the majority of his afternoon with Lila’s nearly-naked body pressed skin-to-skin against his - the unfortunate reality of his father’s new swimwear line - while the rest of the team fleshed out their plan. He wasn’t ignorant to the fact that Lila had pushed nearly every advantage the skimpy clothing had given her, as much as he’d pretended to be oblivious.

But all Adrien had truly felt was frustrated; Lila was the last person he wanted to be around.

Pair it all with the fact that in a couple hours he and his friends would be infiltrating his fathers’ very private study, and all Adrien wanted to do was disappear into his four-nozzle shower until the steam melted him straight down the drain.

Things had slightly improved, at least: he was fully dressed now in a suit from his father’s last collection, still new enough to be considered on trend. Even as Adrien admired the fabric, he couldn’t stop the image of Marinette in a matching gown from entering unbidden into his mind. It would have been midnight blue and covered in a thousand little crystals that shimmered when she moved. She would have looked like magic and he would have been the luckiest man in the room.

But he’d never see her in that dress. She wasn’t his date tonight. If it was any consolation, he was willing to bet she was about as excited with her date as he was with his. Felix’s mouth had positively puckered when he’d discovered his part in their plan; it would have been funny if there had been anything remotely humorous about the situation.

But it was hard to laugh at much of anything when you might be sharing a home with a super villain.

“I’ll go over there right now,” Plagg had declared, half way through the wall of the fencing gym where ‘Adrien’ was supposed to have been that morning while Chat Noir patrolled. “I’ll prove it. I’ll sort this out, once and for all!”

But Adrien had stopped him. He couldn’t say it was truly for any one reason. At first he’d been erring on the side of caution: Adrien’s schedule was booked and he wasn’t due to return home until he arrived at the gala that night. He couldn’t be kwami-less if there was an akuma attack.

Then it had come down to practicality: if Adrien knew, he wasn’t going to just wait to pull off their plan. He’d cataclysm right through the floor. And unfortunately, the reckless part of him knew he wouldn’t tell Marinette about it, either, because she would try to stop him - and she’d be right. They needed the little time they had to plan.

But hours later, the waiting felt unbearable. Marinette had called with the details on his too-brief lunch break. It was simple - almost too simple. It required him to do the impossible: disappear in a crowd. Now Adrien’s skin itched with the pent-up adrenaline trying to burn through his system, begging for action.

“You ready, kid?” Plagg asked, drifting up over Adrien’s shoulder. Several empty camembert packages lay discarded on the couch in Adrien’s trailer.

“How does anyone prepare themselves for the fact that their dad might be the monster that’s been terrorizing all of Paris for over a year?” Adrien said instead. He wasn’t even being sarcastic, he genuinely wanted to know. Who could possibly come out of that kind of trauma unscathed? He doubted even Marinette’s magical ladybugs could fix that kind of damage.

“…I’m here for you,” Plagg said, unable to meet Adrien’s eyes in the mirror as he made the gesture. “You’re the best owner I’ve ever had. I won’t let you go through this alone.”

“You think it’s him?” As much as the facts lined up, as much as they always had, Adrien had never been able to let go of the hope that it was all one big coincidence. After all, what were the odds Master Fu would hand one of the most powerful Miraculous to Hawk Moth’s own son?

“I think even if it’s not, you’re going to have a hard time reconciling the fact that you thought he could be,” Plagg admitted as he came to rest on Adrien’s shoulder. “Don’t shut your friends out, Adrien. That’s how you spent months looking for her in the first place.”

Adrien blew out a hard breath, turning from the mirror. As usual, Plagg had no issue bringing up the one thing he didn’t want to acknowledge.

“I don’t know how to share this,” Adrien said as he reached for his blazer. “Because if I do, then that means that it’s all - ”

Real.

Even then, he couldn’t admit it. Not until he was sure.

“Lets get through this party first,” Plagg suggested, disappearing into the blazer pocket as Adrien slipped it on. “No point in unwrapping cheese you can’t finish.”

Adrien finally cracked a smile at that, but it died quickly as a knock came at the door.

He knew what he would find when he opened it, but that didn’t make it any easier to see Lila standing on the other side in a gorgeous red gown.

“Wow, Adrien, you look amazing,” she cooed, leaning in to run one gloved hand down his sleeve. “I wish I’d known which suit you were going to pick.” She pouted. “I would have dressed to match.”

He doubted it; the only way Lila dressed was to kill.

“Sorry,” Adrien said, begrudgingly offering her his arm. “My father chose it. I didn’t know which one it was going to be until after the shoot today.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lila said, waving away his comment as they made their way to the car waiting for them out front. “We still make a stunning couple.”

He didn’t bother to correct her. She always insisted it was just a figure of speech or a slip of the tongue. If she wanted to live in her own fantasy, he wasn’t going to waste his time correcting her.

And yet, he found himself oddly grateful for her incessant chatter as they headed to his fathers’ fundraiser. Anything was a welcome distraction from what he was about to do.

“Ooh, look at the press, Adrien!”

The car ride hadn’t felt that long, but sure enough, she was right - they were already pulling up outside his home.

The normally stoic Agreste mansion was nearly unrecognizable. Enormous floodlights had been erected strategically around the house, and as Lila had already noted, piles of paparazzi were spilling out of the for-once-open gates. The sight of his fathers’ car had whipped them into a frenzy.

Alright then. Showtime.

Adrien waited until his bodyguard made it around the car and opened the door for them before alighting from the car. The man his mother had raised him to be made him wait for Lila, even going so far as to hold a hand out to help her from the car. Shame nudged him as she stepped smiling and waving onto the deep green carpet that led to the front door; she had her faults, but she wasn’t an evil person. He was upset with his father’s contracts more than anything. As frustrated as he might be, he didn’t want to embarrass her in front of these reporters. No one deserved that.

So he held out an elbow for her and smiled back as she took it, holding it even as a dozen flashbulbs went of in their faces.

As far as press lines went, it wasn’t the most painful one Adrien had experienced. Thankfully contractual obligations kept the reporters focused mostly on the fundraiser they were there to support, though every now and then they couldn’t help but to ask them if Paris’s heartthrob was locked up at last. Those questions Adrien was always quick to answer. The one time he wasn’t, Lila made a comment that implied if they weren’t yet, they would be, soon. It became a little difficult to maintain his generosity of spirit after that.

They’d nearly made it to the front doors when the flashbulbs erupted again.

Both he and Lila paused to see what the commotion was about, and Adrien felt his heart stop altogether.

She was so much more beautiful than he’d imagined she would be, but that was to be expected; he never could do her justice. She’d worn her hair down for once, a pink ribbon the same colour as her dress woven through the strands.

At that moment, he could have kicked himself. Contractual obligations be damned; he’d been stupid not to cease this opportunity with Marinette. He’d have done anything to be the one escorting her that night.

And just as suddenly, he realized he didn’t want to shut her out. Through the bad, maybe horrific things, for the good, possibly amazing things, he wanted to share it all with her. God, he couldn’t think of a single thing more beautiful than sharing a life with her. Even this night, this impossible evening, with the wrong girl on his arm and his father on the other side of the door, even if it made it all real…because it could be real.

“Adrien.”

Lila’s hiss drew him from his stupor, and Adrien abruptly realized that despite his best intentions, he’d likely embarrassed Lila anyway. He wasn’t actually sure how long he’d been staring after Marinette, but she and Felix had certainly drawn a great deal closer.

“Shall we?” he offered. He wouldn’t insult her further by apologizing; they both knew he wasn’t sorry.

“Of course,” Lila said. Her tone was sweet, but it set Adrien on edge. It was then he realized that Lila was now staring at Marinette, though she allowed herself to be guided through the doors.

“You didn’t say she was going to be here,” Lila snarled once they were inside.

“I didn’t realize you were supposed to approve the guest list,” Adrien said. “Regardless, I can’t control who my cousin chooses to bring as his plus one.”

Lila’s eyebrows rose. “Felix? She’s here with Felix?”

“She’s not here with me,” Adrien said. Regrettably. Stupidly. Pridefully.

That seemed to placate her. “That must be tough,” Lila guessed with empty empathy, leaning her head on Adrien’s shoulder as they entered the ballroom. The space had always seemed to Adrien to be nothing more than an embarrassment of riches. No one had balls anymore, and if they did, the Agreste’s wouldn’t. Still, his father had insisted it was historical and had had it restored with the rest of the home before they’d moved there. Regardless, it seemed to be the perfect place to hold that nights’ function.

“Father’s outdone himself,” Adrien said as they took in the crowded room, choosing not to follow Lila’s particular line of conversation.

“It’s spectacular,” Lila agreed.

Roses from their own garden had been woven in among some very realistic looking ivy that twined around the many pillars around the edge of the room. Mannequins displaying the pieces to be bid on were set between them. A string quartet was playing something jazzy in the corner, and several waiters were making rounds of the room with trays of champagne and h’ours d’oeuvres.

“Shall we?” Adrien asked, nodding to the floor where several couples were already dancing.

“Absolutely!”

Adrien let Lila pull him onto the floor and into a dance, even if she was closer than he strictly wanted her to be. The only person he’d ever danced this closely with before was -

He didn’t finish the thought. He couldn’t afford the distraction. It was nearly time; the only person they were waiting on now was Kagami.

“This is so nice, Adrien,” Lila murmured as they turned. “We’re perfect. Why won’t you - ”

“Don’t, Lila,” Adrien said, bringing them to a stop. “All we are is friends. All we will ever be is friends. And if you can’t respect that, all we will be is co-workers.”

Lila scoffed. “She’s here with another guy and still you won’t - ”

“Enough!” Adrien took a step back, until her hands slid off his shoulders. “This isn’t about her. It’s about me. And the truth is, she could tell me she hates me and I would still feel how I feel. You’re done. After tonight, consider yourself relieved of your duties. You don’t work for my father anymore.”

She looked as though he’d struck her, and some distant part of Adrien dimly thought that if he’d been trying not to embarrass her, firing her in the middle of his father’s fundraiser was probably not the best way to go about it.

“You…can’t,” she sputtered. “You can’t do that.”

“You’re right,” Adrien admitted, but Lila’s relief was fleeting. “But my father can, and he will once he hears about how unprofessional you’ve been.”

He almost wanted to laugh. He doubted neither he nor Lila would have much of a job after that night if they were right, but he wasn’t going to put up with this. Not anymore. He should have realized a long time ago she would never stop.

“Please, Adrien,” Lila said, latching onto his arm. “Don’t do this. I’m…I’m sorry, it won’t happen again, I - ”

The stupid thing was, he wanted to believe her. He wanted to give her another chance.

But he could still feel the press of her skin against his, and he knew he was out of chances to give.

“I’m sorry, Lila,” Adrien said. “You’ve left me no choice. Excuse me.”

He stepped out of her grasp a second time, and this time he didn’t stop walking until he’d made his way to the secluded table in a shadowed corner where non-alcoholic beverages were being served. He poured himself a drink, then another. He was almost to the bottom when Kagami finally slipped in with Max on her arm. He watched as she made eye contact with Marinette, then sought him out. He stepped forward into the light and caught her gaze moments later. A nearly imperceptible nod was all the indication she gave - and all they needed.

Adrien watched as Felix and Marinette left the room first, seeming to all the world like just another couple interested in exploring the house. His heart pounded, begging him to follow, but instead Adrien turned back to the remaining guests, counting down the ten minutes until he was supposed to leave as well. That was how long he’d estimated it would have taken him to extricate himself from his date; he hadn’t been planning on efficiency.

It felt like hours before the ten minutes was up, but when it was, Adrien gave one more cursory glance to the ballroom, scanning the faces for prying eyes. Lila had apparently thrown herself into the arms of the first person to show interest and seemed bent on illustrating, most likely to him, what a great time she was having without him. Still, he took a roundabout way through the room and exited through the gardens, as though he were simply looking for some fresh air. He wasn’t so naive to think she’d let his sleight go without an attempt reconciliation - or revenge.

Adrien made his way slowly through the gardens, looking for all the world as though he was simply enjoying the evening. At least he hoped he did. Even his acting skills were stretched to the breaking point against the torrent pouring through his head. It was wordless at least, but it blocked out everything else but this single task ahead of them.

Too soon and not quick enough, Adrien found himself in front of the doors to his father’s study. He didn’t give himself time to linger; the last thing he needed was to be spotted outside the doors. Normally they’d be locked, but Felix was supposed to have rectified that.

He knocked once, then twice, their simple signal that it was a team member and not a staff member, before twisting the long handle. The door gave without protest and he slipped inside.

“You’re late,” Felix said without looking up. He was kneeling on the floor behind Gabriel’s desk, running his finger along the carpet. He’d found the seam of the hatch, Adrien realized. Neither he nor Marinette had transformed yet, relying on the excuse of two kids overextending their welcome versus two superheroes actively breaking into Gabriel’s office should they be discovered.

“Did you have trouble?” Marinette asked. She seemed relaxed, but her eyes guttered - or were those just the shadows in the dark office?

“Took the long way around,” Adrien explained, calling on Chat Noir’s transformation before crossing to Felix. Chat Noir’s night vision would be more helpful than his ordinary eyes. “Found anything?”

“The hatch is in the same place as it was in the photo,” Felix grunted as his fingers slipped off the slender seam in the floor, “But other than that, nothing. No latch, no button, nothing.”

“Maybe he opens it from his tablet?” Marinette suggested, but Chat Noir shook his head.

“Nathalie holds onto that,” Chat Noir explained. “My father would want to be able to access the hatch at will, not page someone to activate it for him.”

“The desk then?” Marinette said as Felix stood.

“Pretty minimal for a desk,” Felix muttered as he began to run his fingers across the chrome surface.

But that was his father, Chat Noir thought bitterly. Minimal office. Minimal family. Minimal love.

They all paused as Max and Kagami joined them at last in the office. If Kagami was uncomfortable to be in the same room as her ex and the object of his affections, she didn’t show it. He owed her an apology when this was all over. He’d owed her one for some time.

“Not there,” Marinette said to Felix as Max transformed near the window. Kagami kept watch at the door. “Look. The hatch doesn’t match up with where you’re standing.”

Felix snarled in frustration. “So what does it line up with?”

“The portrait,” Chat Noir said suddenly, looking past his cousin to the painting in question. “There’s a safe behind it; it’s where the Grimoire was.”

“You think the mechanism to the hatch is in the safe?” Marinette asked.

“People like my mother and Gabriel Agreste are obsessed with convenience,” Kagami chimed in. “The mechanism is likely not in the safe, but perhaps in the frame of the portrait?”

“Good idea,” Marinette said, joining Chat Noir at the portrait. “It does line up from this distance.”

“And the angle of Queen Bee’s photo makes more sense,” Pegasus agreed as he analyzed the space between the desk, portrait, and where they were standing. “I knew something about it was bugging me. There’s a 98.6% chance Kagami is correct about the latch in the frame.”

“I like those odds,” Marinette said with a grim smile.

“Let’s hope the rest of the night is as successful,” Chat Noir murmured as he turned back to the frame.

He was vaguely aware of Pegasus using Voyage behind them, of Alya and Nino and Luka joining them in the office, of Marinette, always Marinette, just a few feet away, but it was all secondary to the portrait in front of him.

He’d always thought of the portrait as proof of his father’s grief. Now Chat Noir wondered. Was it one more deception? One more lie, spoon-fed to him so easily because he wanted so badly to believe it?

He found his eyes wandering, tracing the familiar whorls and patterns in the paint. How many times had he stood in his father’s office, looking just past his father’s shoulder at the portrait, knowing the berating would get twice as bad if Gabriel thought his son wasn’t paying attention? How many times had he sought comfort in the likeness of her gaze, in the imitation of her soft smile? How many times had he stood in his father’s office, willing Emilie to step from the frame and lay a restraining hand on his father’s shoulder?

But she never had, and Adrien had been left to weather his father’s moods alone. How many hours altogether had he spent staring at the painting -

Chat Noir frowned, his eyes snagging on a piece of the portrait.

“What is it? Marinette asked, noticing the change in him at once. Perhaps she felt it, as he often imagined he could when something went amiss with her.

“This part here,” Chat Noir muttered, raising a finger as if to touch the painting. “It looks…wrong…” How could he possibly explain that there was a shadow where there hadn’t been before?

“Whatever you’re thinking,” Marinette murmured, “Try it.”

Chat Noir hesitated for only the briefest moment before he reached out and pressed a finger to the canvas. To his shock, it gave way beneath his hand, sinking into the wall.

A button.

“It didn’t do anything,” Felix hissed, stalking up behind them.

“It wouldn’t,” Chat Noir shot back, scanning the portrait for more irregularities. “Convenient, yes, but careless? Father would never make something easily accessible.”

“So what’s the hitch?” Rena Rouge wondered out loud.

“My guess?” Max said, his transformation worn off, “Multiple buttons. Each one increases security exponentially.”

“So how did Chloe find it?” Viperion wondered. There was no judgement in his voice, just open curiosity.

“We can ask her when we find her,” Felix said tightly. “We don’t have much longer.”

Chat Noir hated to admit it, but Felix was right. They’d already been missing too long.

“Tikki?” Marinette called softly. The tiny red kwami poked her head out of a hidden pocket in the folds of Marinette’s skirts and briefly assessed the room before zipping up to hover in front of her holder’s eyes. “Do you mind? The portrait itself, not the safe behind it.”

“Mhmm!” Tikki gave a cheery nod before disappearing into the canvas in a cascade of red glitter.

“Maybe that’s how she did it,” Nino murmured in the abrupt silence. “Maybe Pollen found it.”

“It’s possible,” Tikki chirped as she reappeared. “Six buttons,” she explained as she bounced along each one, “That need to be pressed simultaneously in order to trigger the trap door.”

“Thank you, Tikki,” Marinette said as the kwami came to rest in Marinette’s upturned palm. “I guess…this is it.” She turned to look at Chat Noir, and he realized everyone else had done the same. It was his plan, and his father. They would go on his signal.

“Then let’s go,” Chat Noir said.

The team backed up as Marinette and Felix transformed. In seconds, Marinette’s voluminous ballgown had been replaced by the upgraded suit Chat Noir was still trying to get used to. Felix emerged from a bright white light in the silvery, wolfish suit he’d chosen, hammer at his hip.

“Good luck,” Max said before slipping back out the door. Chat Noir knew he would be heading back to the party. If everything went to plan, Max would be refuelling Kaalki for Alya, Nino, and Luka to slip out when they returned while simultaneously keeping a lookout for anyone headed to the office.

“My turn,” Rena Rouge said with a grin. “Mirage!”

Four perfect replicas of Marinette, Adrien, Felix, and Kagami appeared in the middle of the room, soft smiles on their lips. If someone looked closely, there was a vacancy in their eyes that belied their creation, but Alya was unlikely to give anyone that opportunity

“Go,” Rena Rouge instructed, barely opening the door for them. The illusions vanished into the hall, but Rena paused before following them. “I’ll keep it going as long as I can.” The plan called for her to refresh the illusion as often as she was able, keeping the foursome as far on the fringes of the party as she was able.

“Just do your best,” was Ladybug’s hushed reply. Her friend nodded, then disappeared.

“Now the hatch,” Chat Noir said.

Koira didn’t hesitate as he stepped up to the portrait and plunged his fingers into the buttons.

The hatch dropped away with barely a whisper and the same dark tunnel from Queen Bee’s photo appeared in the floor. Chat Noir’s excuse from that morning fell to pieces; it wasn’t a second safe. The passage was far too deep for that.

“Why didn’t she come for us?” Ladybug whispered as she stared into the abyss. “Didn’t she think we would help her?”

“With what?” Koira asked roughly, kneeling by the opening. “A hole in the floor? She wanted more proof. She went to get it.”

Chat Noir could sense there was more to it that Koira wasn’t telling, but he couldn’t tear himself away from the passage long enough to think on it.

Even then, Chat Noir knew what they were going to find. Felix was right. Chloe was right. Marinette had been right. He knew it in a way he couldn’t explain, the truth suddenly and mercilessly settling along his bones. Maybe a part of him had known ever since Marinette had first brought up the possibility, when she twisted his perspective for just a moment and the entire puzzle had fallen into place. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to know, and now he had no other choice.

“Let’s go.” He barely recognized his own voice, but he didn’t care. The cool rage that had consumed him blocked out everything else.

“Chat Noir…”

He felt a hand on his arm and shook it off. He knew who it was. He knew what she would say. But he was not sitting this out. He’d been sitting out for too long. If they wouldn’t go, he would.

So he stepped into the shaft and let himself drop for several seconds before bracing his hands and feet on the cool metal sides to slow his descent. He felt rather than saw someone slip else into the tunnel, then again, and again, and again as the whole team made their descent. A green flash briefly lit the passage as Nino erected a shield over the office, their last line of defense.

It felt like hours. It felt like seconds. But when Chat Noir finally fell those final few feet and plummeted into the brightly lit, cavernous room, it was as though fate had snipped the thread of his life and he’d fallen into a new reality - a new nightmare.

“Sonofabitch,” Koira muttered, straightening from his drop beside Chat Noir. “She was right.”

Chat Noir didn’t know if his cousin meant Marinette or Chloe. He couldn’t bring himself to care as first one, than three, then dozens of butterflies flitted by them. It wasn’t an attack, he dimly registered; there were just so many it was impossible to step anywhere without encountering at least one akuma.

He started as someone laced their fingers through his. He glanced down, and there she was, as fierce as ever, still standing by his side. Unflinching. He wanted to squeeze her fingers back, but he couldn’t feel his anymore.

Viperion dropped in last and briefly surveyed the room. “Should I…?” He touched two fingers to his bracelet.

“No,” Chat Noir said. His voice sounded a million miles away, as though someone else were speaking. “I need to know this. And I need to see this to be sure. My father…is…”

“Hawk Moth,” Ladybug said. “Viperion, Koira, Ryuuko, see if you can find Queen Bee. We’ll join you in a minute.”

The three of them nodded and split to tackle the room in different directions.

“Talk to me,” Ladybug said. He recognized it as a request from his partner, who needed to know if he could still be relied on.

So he reached for that confidence, that surety that had never failed him. Of course he could be counted on for this. Of course he would never let her down.

Instead, he laughed. It started as a short giggle, but once he heard it, he couldn’t stop, doubling over at the waist, tears streaming from his eyes as he laughed and laughed and laughed.

Through his fit, Ladybug didn’t let go of his hand.

In the dim recesses of the room, they heard Koira shout: he’d found Chloe. Chat Noir laughed harder: his father had really upgraded to hostages.

“What…are…the odds…?” he finally gasped, straightening in fits and starts. “The whole time…the whole time!” And just like that, it wasn’t funny anymore. He’d known things would get worse before they could get better. He just hadn’t anticipated how much worse, or how personally.

He didn’t see the akuma coming. There were so many of them in the room, it was no wonder. He only felt it as it sank into the bell at his throat.

One second they were standing there as unbridled rage poured through Chat Noir.

The next second, it felt as though someone had grabbed hold of that rage with two hands and yanked. Suddenly, he was choking on it.

Ladybug had started talking, unaware of what had just happened, but it wasn’t her voice he heard.

“So you finally found me, hm? Unexpected…but not unwelcome.”

The rage had taken on a life of its’ own, seizing Chat Noir in away he couldn’t understand or see past. Only one thought remained, nearly destroyed by the tidal wave: Hawk Moth couldn’t know.

“What can’t I know, Chat Noir?” the voice came again. “Your identity? Or perhaps hers…?”

“Hate…you…” Chat Noir thought back viciously. He wrestled for control, but it was no use. There was no way out of the emotions Hawk Moth had whipped up in him.

“Mmm, yes, I can feel that,” came Hawk Moth’s reply. “I’ll let you have your shot at me, boy - if you bring me Ladybug’s Miraculous.”

And Chat Noir wanted to. He was tired. He was tired of fighting. He was tired of fighting monster after monster, just for things to stay the same. He was tired of being lied to. And he was tired of letting Hawk Moth dictate the game.

Which was why he finally gave in.

“Yes.”

[katnissmellarkkk]

Okayyyy chappy seven 🤩 Here we goooo 🥳

Lord, Katniss always had nightmares 😭 even before the games, between her father’s death, her mother’s abandonment and the other traumatizing things she saw in her life, my girl never slept peacefully a day in her life 🥺.

She even indicates that she sometimes has nightmares about past hunger games 😭😭😭. Someone protect my smol child. Please. Someone.... Someone? Anyone? No? Okay 🥺

“I bolt up screaming for my father to run as the mine explodes into a million deadly bits of light.” This is such a powerful image and it really does show that Katniss has literally envisioned all the gory details of her father’s death for the last four years. This is so sad 😞

Also though. Katniss really doesn’t talk much about her father’s death after the first book and definitely doesn’t describe nightmares about it. So .... like basically, the games traumatized her so badly that, her father failing to escape the mines as the collapsed in on him, crushing him into the pits of despair, the possibility of rescuing his corpse deemed unimaginable, pales in comparison? Yes I just tried and failed to phrase that long run on sentence the way Katniss phrases her nightmares about her dad dying, yes that was over the top but you know what? So. Is. Katniss.

“Dawn is breaking through the windows” Twilight reference 😬😬😬. I couldn’t stop myself, y’all. Forgive for please.

“The Capitol has a misty, haunted air.” Katniss, you’re from the butthole of Kentucky, the air you’re used to is probably humid as all get out 😓😓💦😅😅

“I must have bitten into the side of my cheek in the night. My tongue probes the ragged flesh and I taste blood.” 😒😒😒😒 this feeling ..... is .... v v v .... distinct .... and .... familiar 😕🙁☹️

“I end up hopping from foot to foot as alternating jets of icy cold and steaming hot water assault me.” Why is this so funny omg 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😂😅😅😅😅😅 Katniss is just like pressing buttons like, “Ah! Too cold! 🥶 Ah! Too hot! 🥵 Ah!!!!!” All while jumping like a .... cat 🐱🥁

Lemon foam? 🍋 Whatever. I guess there’s weirder flavors of soap we have today but like where’s the Philosophy flavors that give recipes on the bottles??? Surely they’d survive an apocalypse??? Everyone uses those???

I’m so glad Katniss didn’t forget to moisturize, even as she prepares for a death match 😅😅😅😅 even if it’s just as simple as pressing a single button, why is she even taking the time to press it?

I know, I know. She just wants to make sure her skin is so smooth for the arena that the knives and arrows just slide right off 🤣🤣🤣🤣

“This is the first time since the morning of the reaping that I resemble myself.” Lolololol which means Mr. Romantic is gonna be even more turned on by the sight of ya, since he’s crushed on you looking like this for the last decade of his life 🥳😎🤗💁🏼‍♀️. Peeta ain’t even here yet and I’m already making the shipper comments Samantha calm down 🙄😶😑🤐🤐🤐🤐🤐🤐

Seriously there where is Peeta? Did he also have to figure out the temperature controls in the shower? Did he also moisturize? I miss him I wanna know about his morning too 😔. Katty, is it too much to ask for you to go take a lil ... sneak peek into his room for me? 😏😏😏

Twenty dishes seems like a lot for like four people eating? Eh, maybe six people, if we count the stylists who magically pick and choose when they’re coming to a meal... Hmm, I’ll calculate just so no one else has to. 🤓😬🤗 No one else cares, Samantha. 🤐🥱😴😶 Twenty dishes amounts out to about five plates without the stylists and three and a half-ish with so.... idk it’s not that much food I guess but it seems like a lot for one meal, esp if people in the Capitol intend to keep their trim figures. This is why that one prep team girl is chubby. 🤐🤐🤐

Awww Katniss copying Peeta’s weird lil eating quirks 🤗😎🥳. She’s already taking interest in him, she just don’t realize it yet 💁🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ shipper comment alert 🚨🚨

But also has anyone actually tried dipping bread on hot chocolate and was it good or does it taste as repulsive as it sounds to me? I hate it when my food even so much as dares to touch though 🤢😡😤😓

Oooo I always forget Prim has to be utilizing her goat, milking the thing every day until it’s dry I’m not a farmer idk how milking animals works ... so she contributes more than I give her credit I suppose.... I’m making an effort for you, Primmers. You seem useless and immature but I’m trying. 😪😶 Taylor Swift voice 🎶 *this is me trying* 🎶

Oh wow it was only two mornings ago? Man. The first book is slow moving. 😅😭 six chapters in and we’ve gotten through one point five days 🤣

“It makes me irritated that Peeta is wearing exactly the same outfit I am.” “Listen, Peeta, one of us has to change, this is getting embarrassing, you have to stop borrowing my clothes!”

“This twins act is going to blow up in out faces once the Games begin.” Ahhaahahahaha blow up 💥 💣 🔥. Get it, get it. 🥁 Because she represents fire. And she also blows things up in Every. Single. Book.

But seriously, did Cinna and Portia and Haymitch all plan on presenting Katniss and Peeta are like, tight friends or whatever, and then Peeta is like “oh b-tee-dubs, I have a massive crush on K-dog” and they just decided it perfectly fit into their plans?

I’m so jealous that their breakfast has bread baskets 😩😩😩 I know they’re headed to the slaughter but still. Bread.

if you like, I'll coach you separately. Decide now." "Why would you coach us separately?" In case one of you ... not naming names .... Peeta .... wants to reveal your lifelong crush on live television 😎😎😎

Also Haymitch is like “make an important decision but take zero time to consider it, I’m tired and hungover, kids, idc for your drama 😒”

Which as an auntie to a wonderful little two year old ... is v relatable 😅🥲🙃🤭

“And I already know what yours is, right? I mean, I've eaten enough of your squirrels." I wanna make a dirty joke here so badly but the lord himself is saying no.

“Town families usually eat expensive butcher meat. Beef and chicken and horse.” Ohhh this is interesting. Katniss believing Peeta and the other merchants live high on the hog while Peeta is later is like “I eat expired bread for every meal, Katniss” I mean, better than starving like her, but also not how she’s painting the picture in her mind. 😶😭

Also Katniss never mentions horses in Twelve, where’s the butcher getting horses from to slaughter and sell? That’s why Katniss never sees them, Samantha, duh 🙄

“I can't do anything. Unless you count baking bread.” "Sorry, I don't.” This was such a quick and matter of fact brush off, poor Peeta 😭😭😭 my baby I’m still rooting for you don’t worry you got this

Also. Lowkey, highkey, that tiny exchange triggered me. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. Those awkward moments where people brush me off or glance over me live in my head. Rent free. For life.

I wonder sometimes often times if Katniss’ father and Gale’s father knew each other? Both hunted and worked in the mines. Just a random sidebar 😅🤭🤐🙃

“She’s excellent” He’s so proud of his wife 🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧

So uh.... is it safe to say Mr. Mellark is an Everlark fan? If he likes and admires Katniss and Peeta and him apparently have some kind of close-ish bond (okay, maybe not but maybe) then perhaps he is carrying the shipper banner back in Twelve for them 🥳🥳😎😎

Katniss, you dingaling, of course he noticed you 🙄🙄🙄

Peeta compliments her and her instant reaction is “what are you doing, weirdo?” 😅😭

“Don’t underrate yourself” Peeta, love of my life, take your own advise. Stupid. 😪😪😪

“I've seen you in the market. You can lift hundred-pound bags of flour” Katniss in the market, staring across the way at Peeta, 👁👄👁, watching him lift flour over his shoulder.

“He came in second in our school competition last year, only after his brother." This is criminally undiscussed. Peeta being a wrestler alone is undiscussed but also.... did you go to his matches, Katniss? Miss Anti-Social, Hunting-First-Everything-Else-Later? 😏😏😏 If this ain’t proof of her lil crush idk what is

“All you need is to come up with a knife, and you'll at least stand a chance.” “You'll be living up in some tree eating raw squirrels and picking off people with arrows.” Does no one else realize that Katniss and Peeta literally took the other’s advise for the first part of the games? How did Peeta get in with the Careers? The way she just said. Where is Katniss when Peeta and the Careers discover her? High up in a tree. Okay, this maybe didn’t compute right but I had a thought here so I said it

Peeta’s mother is just a monster. Who says that crap? 😔😔😔 don’t worry, baby, I’m rooting for you

“She said, 'She's a survivor, that one.' She is” Yeah, she is, no thanks to you, Mrs. Mellark 😤. Stingy ho.

Peeta’s got pain in his eyes 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Awww, Katniss accrediting her survival to Peeta’s help 😭😭😭😭. This is so pure. Also kiss now, you little freaks.

“She has no idea. The effect she can have.” This is such an iconic line... but the can has always had me laughing. She can have an effect, if she really wants to. Or not, depending on the day.

Katniss is so stupid, how did she construe that as an insult??? 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ y’all ever just wanna smack her into a wall?

“In public, I want you by each other's side every minute” If Peeta didn’t have a long life crush, what was the ultimate plan with all this friendship act they’re being forced into? 🤔🤔🤔

Even Peeta’s trying to object to it 😭😭😭😭

“You will be together, you will appear amiable to each other.” You will fall in love. 🤩🥳😎

“I bite my lip and stalk back to my room, making sure Peeta can hear the door slam.” Okay, now imagine how much she’s hurting his feelings right now 😖😣 what a little brat

“But that didn't mean I wanted to do everything with Peeta. Who, by the way, clearly doesn't want to be partnering up with me, either.” Lolololololololol this is so funny in hindsight 🤣🤣🤣. Also if you showed a little enthusiasm, Peeta would probably be happy to partner with you.

“But a tiny part of me wonders if this was a compliment. That he meant I was appealing in some way.” No, really, Katniss? A compliment? Who’d give you one of those? 🙄🙄🙄

“It's weird, how much he's noticed me. Like the attention he's paid to my hunting.” A normal person at this point would put together a crush 😅

“And apparently, I have not been as oblivious to him as I imagined, either. [...] I have kept track of the boy with the bread.” Anddd a normal person would figure out their own crush at this point 😅😅.

“I do a quick assessment. Peeta and I are the only two dressed alike.” We stan a matching couple in this house 😎😏

“Almost all of the boys and at least half of the girls are bigger than I am” That means 18 out of 24 tributes tower over my girl here. Smol Katniss. The movies did such erasure on this front I’m still bitter 🤐😒😤😩

“I may be smaller naturally, but overall my family's resourcefulness has given me an edge in that area.” Just a tiny muscular thing standing next to a bunch of tall, lanky kids. 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Awww “Each [Career tribute] must have fifty to a hundred pounds on me.” I mean ... let’s calculate. A muscular girl would probably weigh like 150 pounds... so basically Katniss is at most, 100 pounds. Tiny Katty.

“I'm thinking that it's lucky I'm a fast runner when Peeta nudges my arm and I jump.” This is a random, cute interaction 😍😍😍. Shipper blinders are on and tight.

“Suppose we tie some knots.” “Right you are.” I legitimately just scratched my face, who says right you are? An 87 year old man, that’s who 😅😅😅. Not turning your girl on very well, Peeta baby.

Although it does sound a bit like a backwoods southern thing soooo.... hillbilly Everlark nation rise. 🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️

“We concentrate on this one skill for an hour until both of us have mastered it.” Awww, so Peeta knows how to tie a snare? He’s not as clueless as half the fandom acts.

How exactly is frosting cakes equating to amazing camouflager in a death match? Books crack me up with these connections. “I’m an amazing artist because I write birthday cards!”

Lolololol Prim admiring her future brother-in-law’s handiwork 🥰🥰🥰🥰 too bad she dies before they can get together for real for real.

“Somehow the whole thing - his skill, those inaccessible cakes, the praise of the camouflage expert - annoys me.” Dude, you get praised by everyone and their brother while Peeta gets overlooked, give him a moment to shine. 😑🙄 jealous wife much?

Also she’s already picking up on Peeta’s eye for beauty 😅😅😅

“It's lovely. If only you could frost someone to death.” "Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you'll find in the arena. Say it's actually a gigantic cake-“ "Say we move on.” She’s such a little snot. 😒😒😒

But also I love that already in this point of their relationship, Peeta is noticing when she’s being a brat 😭😂😅. “Don’t be so superior.”

“Despite Haymitch's order to appear mediocre, Peeta excels in hand-to-hand combat, and I sweep the edible plants test without blinking an eye.” Lolololol their mentor’s advise went into one ear and right out the other 😂😅🤣.

But also why did the movie make a point in adding an extra scene of Peeta looking weak and the Careers staring at him? That literally took up time and served no purpose at all. 😤😤😤 I’m coming for you, Gary Ross

Awww, everyone but the careers eat alone. But Katniss and Peeta eat together 🥺🥺🥺. It’s like a forced first date 🥳🥳🥳

I like how Katniss says they include bread from every district but she then proceeds to only mention the two districts that later have relevant tributes. 😅😅😅

Lolololol their fake friendship “laugh ... now! Okay, I’ll smile, try to say something interesting”

“Ever since I slammed my door, there's been a chill in the air between us.” Well yeah, you probably hurt his feelings 🥺🥺🥺

Umm, Katniss just casually drops that she was chased by a bear.... how did homegirl live? 😬😳

Peeta knowing Rue’s name and being the one to take notice of her first 🥺🥺🥺. If the games had come down to Katniss, Peeta and Rue, y’all know Everlark would have swallowed the berries and gotten Rue home. 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

“Don't. Don't let's pretend when there's no one around.” "All right, Katniss.” He made a single comment to you, ding dong. He didn’t ask for a goodnight kiss 🙄🙄🙄.

Also anyone ever think of how lonely Peeta’s life must be? He’s not close to his family that we can see, Delly’s his only real friend, after he wins he lives in that huge house all alone... I feel sad now. I did this to myself. 😬😭🥺

Katniss’ “Oh! The weapons!” When she sees the bows and arrows is so cute 🥰🥰🥰

Katniss has such a rage built up inside of her. Let it out, girlfriend

See, I’d have done this too but in my rage, I’d probably have shot a real person and not the pig ... goodbye, Plutarch 👋🏻

Andddd I think that’s all for this chapter! Sorry my comments weren’t as interesting as usual 😬.

[snowbellewells]

Self-Promo Sunday: “A Litter More Than They Bargained For”

Hey there friends and shipmates! I’ve taken a couple of weeks off on the Self-Promo Sunday posts, but I was looking back through some of my older pieces and found this fluffy one shot offering from a couple years ago. (It was part of the amazing @cspupstravaganza event in 2019.) I didn’t make it any cover art before, so I’ve added that to it as well. Taking place sometime post- season six; Hope is present and a toddler, but Henry is still there as well. That makes it canon divergent future fluff, I guess? Apologies if you’ve read this one before, but maybe you’ll get a little smile from revisiting it.

Also available on both AO3 HERE and on ff.net HERE

“A Litter More Than They Bargained For”

One pet she could have handled. One pet would have been perfectly manageable. A single, sweet-natured, reasonably well-behaved small pet - maybe a cat or a rabbit or even a hamster - wouldn’t have really changed anything about their lives in the seaside house or their daily routine that much. In fact, she and Killian had already been discussing a surprise for Hope in the form of a kitten from the litter her mom and dad’s barn cat had recently birthed, completely charming their pre-schooler upon her first visit to them at her grandparents’ farm.

Somehow, instead, all of Emma’s best-laid plans had been inverted and overturned, as so often seemed to happen in their chaotic magical town. When they had gone into the station that particular morning, they had found a large, mud-caked, burr-riddled dog tied to the bike rack and whining pitifully upon first sight of them. Emma was too disgruntled at the culprit for figuring out that their whole three person department were soft touches for strays as she charged foward to untie the poor beast, to even realize that the critter was already rooting into her affection. Needless to say, rather than their intended adoption, they had managed to take in a shaggy, slobbery mixed breed almost as large as a Shetland pony, with at least some Irish Wolfhound in its ancestry, according to the shelter attendant.

Gleefully mimicking that last declaration in her toddler voice, Hope had leaned over out of Killian’s arms to reach for where the huge hound lounged panting on the exam table, tongue lolling and tail thumping happily as she babbled, “Wolfie! Wolfie!” and patted along the dog’s back and shoulders as well as she could.

The thick, scruffy grey fur covering the animal’s lanky form did indeed resemble a wolf to some degree, and Kililan chuckled good naturedly at the easy moniker their daughter had seemingly bestowed. “Well, it would seem our little love has already christened her, Swan,” he commented lightly.

Emma wasn’t fooled by the casual demeanor covering her True Love’s words. She felt her last chance of finding a more suitable home for a dog of that size outside the town limits (preferably with acres for it to run) fade as she realized that her husband, as well as her little girl, was already attached. Killian wanted this dog more than he would admit.

Reaching out to stroke the gentle giant’s head resignedly, Emma reluctantly admitted to herself that the poor stray really was a sweet dog, despite her astonishing proportions and the amount of extra responsibility she herself would no doubt be taking on. “Hear that, Wolfie?” she questioned, looking the dog in the eyes rather than either member of her family, whom she could feel nearly vibrating with excitement beside her, “I guess you’re as good as ours.”

Henry only confirmed the permanence of the decision when he got home from the high school after his editors’ meeting for the school paper. Though a dog had never been something he had particularly asked for - they had spent so many of his growing up years being flung from one realm to another, either trying to rescue some member of their family, or seeking the needed magic item to fight some new villain, that it hadn’t left a lot of time for house training puppies or taking one for leisurely evening strolls. Still, as Henry came up the walk and saw Wolfie stretched out on the porch, Hope cuddled against her side and Emma and Killian curled together on the porch swing, the way her nearly adult son’s face had lit up and he’d rushed forward in excitement had shown Emma that kids didn’t really grow out of loving dogs, no matter their age.

Ruby, or perhaps the irrepressible brunette’s inner wild animal, seemed to find their new addition, and the rather obvious name Hope had latched onto, especially entertaining. Due to Wolfie’s size, the Jones clan now ate outside at the patio tables when they stopped for breakfast on the way to drop Hope off at Ashley Hermann’s Pumpkin Seeds Daycare, and before Henry took off for class and they headed on for the station. Her mother’s best friend didn’t even try to hide the fact that she saved back either bacon, sausage, or ham especially for Emma’s pet each day, laughing when after about a week Wolfie came to her the moment she exited the diner’s front entrance, before she could even reach their table, and began nosing at her pockets for the expected bounty.

However, it was Granny herself who startled them with a matter of fact question about a month after Wolfie had joined their family. The diner’s proprietress had come out to wait on them herself that morning, a real nip in the air as November neared, and explaining that Ruby was lying in for a while after the full moon the night before. Her half-spectacles perched on the very end of her nose, eyes sparkling with every bit as much pep and mischief as her exuberant granddaughter when she neared their table, sleeves rolled up to her elbows despite the chill and a pencil tucked behind one ear.

“The usual, Captain?” Widow Lucas asked with a playful nod to Killian, “or are you and your crew feeling adventurous this morning?” While awaiting their answer, she reached into her apron for her order pad, also pulling out a juicy ham bone for Wolfie.

“Here you are, darlin’ girl,” she continued, bending to offer it to their canine companion, much to Wolfie’s approving delight as she barked a ‘thank you’ and took the treat into her drooling jowls with an almost humorous care, then immediately dropped to hold it between her massive paws and began gnawing away.

When Granny stood to face them again however, a knowing smirk was painted across her face, taking their breakfast order seemingly long forgotten. “You don’t have a clue that dog is carrying a litter of pups, do you?” she asked, shaking her head at what she seemed to think was their dense naivete.

Crossing her arms, Granny watched a variety of reactions cross the four faces before her. Henry looked awed and curious, while Hope practically bounced on Killian’s knee asking, “Puppy? Puppy! We having a puppy?” 

Killian’s brows rose in surprise, and Emma was already shaking her head in disgruntled exasperation. “Really?” she sputtered, narrowly eying the diner owner as if she might be playing some sort of elaborate joke at her expense.

Then, plunking her head down to rest on her arms crossed on the table, she sighed as her daughter contiuned to chortle in delight and Henry and Hook laughed heartily, in spite of their manful efforts to hold back for her sake. “Why am I even surprised?” Emma muttered. “Of course, she is.”

***

From there, they learned that apparently the shelter owner did not have it out for them, but that it can be genuinely hard to tell when a dog is expecting until they are quite close to their due date. It also turned out that Granny’s lupine sixth sense had been right on the money. Within another couple weeks, they could see for themselves that Wolfie’s stomach was rounding and she was nesting in corners throughout the house, particularly favoring the warmth of the laundry room between the dryer and the wall. Seeing as how canine gestation was only eight or nine weeks from start to finish, and their mother-to-be was already showing, it was a bit of a scramble to prepare, knowing the litter of pups would soon be on its way.

As had become typical since Wolfie’s arrival, this too went well beyond what they had expected. On the night they returned from Hope’s Thanksgiving Play at the preschool to tiny yips and whimpers greeting them the second the door opened, the entire Jones family was stunned to discover eight small wriggling bodies jostling for place against Wolfie’s exhausted form where she lay curled into the mound of old blankets and towels they had created for her once her fixation on her laundry room nest become plain. Various rather wetly bedraggled and squirming balls of grey, black, white and mottled mixes of those three colors in coat greeted their eyes, prompting Killian to comment rather drily, “Well, now there are nearly enough of us to crew a pirate ship.” He chuckled, shaking his head, as he added, “Mayhap we can give them proper nautical names this time, rather than letting Hope call them the first word that pops from her mouth.”

“Paaa-pa!” their daughter protested indignantly, stomping her little foot on the linoleum tile and placing chubby fists on her hips. “I did not!” In her two braids, beaded headband, and fringed brown “Indian” dress from the play, she made more an adorable than a threatening sight as she intended, but Killian nodded to their daughter dutifully all the same. “My apologies, little lass. Of course you didn’t. I must have been mistaken.”

Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head at his mannered playfulness with Hope, though her heart warmed inside her as well, loving that their little girl had never known anything but a devoted, adoring, present father, who might have to be pulled back from spoiling Hope at times, but would never let her down or abandon her. The two of them could melt her every defense, just as Henry had always done. Even if it did sometimes leave her trying to be the voice of reason, Emma didn’t truly mind.

Henry, for his part, snorted inelegantly at their nonsense, crouching to pet a nervous-looking Wolfie on the head and scritch under her chin the way she liked. “Don’t worry, girl,” he mumured soothingly. “We won’t hurt them. You’re all safe here.”

Her son grew thoughtful for a moment, mulling something over, then looked up when he asked excitedly. “What if we did pick nautical names for them all? Like Jack and Jib and Scurvy?” He was grinning from ear-to-ear now, as his Author’s love of wordplay awakened - an expression Killian quickly mirrored.

“Aye, lad, those are great! And perhaps Scoundrel and Buccaneer as well?”

“Hey, hey, guys,” Emma broke in, trying to stop their now-steaming train before they got any more carried away. “Let’s not get too into naming them. The families who adopt them may not be looking for pirate dogs.”

But her husband and son were already on a roll, adding Barrie (in a nod to the Englishman who had created Killian’s literary counterpart) and Doubloon to the list of potential puppy monikers, and not paying her words the slightest bit of attention.

***

Finding homes for their doggie brood proved more difficult than Emma had hoped. If nothing else, it had worked out that they were being weaned just in time to join a family for the perfect child’s Christmas present. And, much as she had intended for them to have a quiet little tabby kitten padding after her through the house rather than a train of panting, yipping, running and tumbling balls of shedding fluff, the pups were sweet and incredibly cute. So she couldn’t understand how every time she thought she had someone poised to take one home, it fell through at the last moment.

With a sigh, she turned away from the sidewalk where old lady Hubbard was walking away. Still cradling Cutlass and Matey to her chest, one in each arm, Emma crossed the porch to sink onto the porch swing with a dejected air. She bent to press a kiss into each of their soft, fuzzy foreheads, murmuring what good babies they were and that it wasn’t their fault. Intellectually, Emma knew it was rather ridiculous to be trying to comfort two puppies who were now playfully rolling and tumbling in her lap, not the least bit concerned at the interview’s outcome. They really had been particularly good as their potential new owner had arrived to meet them; sitting calmly without barking or jumping up, sweetly licking the elderly woman’s fingers affectionately when she offered them, and looking even more adorable than usual with their coats freshly bathed and brushed, so black and silky that their fur nearly shone. All their neighbor had seemed able to focus on though was that they might get under her feet and cause her to fall. When Emma had spoken to her before, the older lady had seemed so anxious for some company now that the last of her many children had left the house, but once she had arrived to see the puppies, all she kept saying was, “I’m all alone out there. If I fell, I might lie for days, unable to get up, and no one would know.”

Emma shrugged her shoulders and ruffled the pups’ fur once again; annoyed, but not sure what to make of the situation. Standing, she was about to take the two little rascals back inside when Killian arrived home for the evening.

“They’re both still here?” he asked curiously, one eyebrow arched in question.

Something niggled at the back of Emma’s mind with his question, whispering that he didn’t seem especially suprised. Shaking her head in silent answer, Emma ushered man and dogs back into the house and headed toward the kitchen, where she still had all of the dog dishes to fill.

“Ah well, Love,” Killian replied, something about his voice just a shade too nonchalant. “Perhaps it’s for the best. As energetic as these scalliwags sometimes get,” he laughed and scratched Matey’s belly when she rolled over to bare it in supplication, “they might have proven a walking hazard to one of advanced years.”

Emma was about to question him further, shocked that Killian had hit on exactly what had stopped the potential adoption, but at that moment Wolfie and the other six of her offspring burst into the kitchen and set up a chorus of barks and howls for their dinner, toenails clicking on the floor and tails thunking against the cabinets. So it wasn’t until later that night, as she was speaking to her mother on the phone, bemoaning yet one more failed attempt at finding the pups permanent homes, that the niggling puzzle piece at last slid into place.

“Well,” Snow offered hesitantly, “I’m sorry it fell through, Sweetie, but you know Mrs. Hubbard isn’t all that steady on her feet these days…”

Suddenly, it all added up: Mrs. Hubbard’s unexpected concern with puppies tripping her up around the house, how Ashley had at first thought they might take one of the puppies, only to be convinced by someone that mice would be much more fitting for class pets at Cinderella’s daycare, and how Aurora and Philip’s second child, Hope’s little friend Rory, had suddenly decided she wanted a white Persian kitten whose hair she could put a pink bow in, “like ‘Rie from ‘Ristocats” Aurora had explained in her daughter’s own words when she’d called to tell Emma.

“Oh my word!” Emma shouted, startling her husband, kids, and the pile of dogs sprawled over them in the living room where they were watching tv. “It was you all, wasn’t it? My whole family has been working against me this entire time!”

Looking sheepishly guilty, Killian and Henry both wordlessly shook their heads in denial. Her mother floundered for a defense for a few seconds and then simply fled by ending the call. But when Emma’s eyes came to rest on her daughter, Hope merely grinned widely, a shameless glint of mischief in her green eyes, and nodded her head in confirmation.

“Why?” Emma sputtered.

“Then the puppies are all ours!” her toddler chirped happily, falling back against Wolfie’s shoulder with a giggle, to which Wolfie merely huffed at the impact, then nosed Hope a bit further from the edge of the couch, as if she had one extra pup to watch out for and was making sure the child didn’t fall.

“We’ll see about that,” Emma grumbled, staring each of them down in turn. But, when she flopped down on the armchair in the corner, trying to hold onto her righteous indignation, and Scoundrel came over to check on her, pawing at her leg until she picked him up, and then nudging his grey snout flecked with white patches into her armpit as he stretched out across her chest and promptly fell asleep, Emma was smart enough to know when she had lost the fight.

They were the family with nine dogs now - an entire seaworthy crew.

Tagging a few who may enjoy (or enjoy again!): @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @thisonesatellite @artistic-writer @hollyethecurious @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi @thislassishooked @therooksshiningknight @spartanguard @shireness-says @ohmightydevviepuu @ohmakemeahercules @scientificapricot @gingerchangeling @teamhook @revanmeetra87@resident-of-storybrooke @elizabeethan @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @xsajx @donteattheappleshook @darkcolinodonorgasm @winterbaby89

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

Day 5: HISTORICAL  AU

WARNING : This is a WWII fic , so warnings for death of a soldier . And also this fic isn’t made to offend anyone it’s just a historical au

➴————-　♥︎　-————➶

They should have known Rhaegar thought to himself, it was so clear now, he could feel every single man in their group had seen something or noticed the private acting weird, but none of them suspected him. But now that all the cars were on the table it seemed obvious, private Benjen had a secret, and they should have known.

Captain Targaryen had received the mission to command a group from the Second Battalion for the rescue of Private Brandon Stark, he had met Brandon once he was a good man, the older brother of four kids. He wished him luck before embarkation for Normandy, they had been a mouth into enemy soil, and Rhaegar hadn’t seen the Stark ever sense. So when he received the mission he was caught by a feeling of apprehension as did the rest of his group who had met Brandon during his training.

The feeling was so overwhelming to all of them, that they didn't even find it strange that the command had sent a new private, Bejen Karstark , they barely connected the surnames. They just agreed that he was quite young, even a bit too young, he was still short but had some physical strength, yet he hardly looked as if he had reached puberty, he had not even the faintest trace of a beard, not even a thin one.

None of the other men in the group questioned it further though, a lot of sixteen-year-olds were enlisting, even though it was a crime the command turned a blind eye to it , because there were more hands and more men in the army. They thought that at some point Benjen would confess his secret, and they could move forward without any turbulence, but that was far from what happened .

They had captured some Nazi soldiers and were interrogating them, they had been linked with the transport of prisoners, specially soldiers captured by them. Benjen was serving as the translator, as he had been assigned by the command, Rhaegar spoke to Benjen, and Benjen spoke to the soldier, what but what Benjen didn’t know was that Rhaegar also spoke German, his father was German, but his mother had moved to England because she had married again, German was Rhaegar’s mother tongue.

But that was not a good thing to say to anyone in the English army, they wouldn’t understand he had been raised in England by a man, who was Jewish, and that more than anything he wanted to free his country from the grasp of that crazy maniac that reigned supreme. He knew none of his man would understand, not even Arthur that he had known since school and had been assigned to the same group he was now leading.

Rhaegar tried to make it seem he didn't understand each word of what the soldier that was kneeling in front of a map was saying about not knowing where Brandon was being held. It was then that it happened, Benjen asked for Brandon if he knew where he was.

Benjen was angry, angrier than he was usually when they interrogated soldiers they had captured, maybe it was because he was dodging the question with slurs and fanatic talk about the troops finding them. Then Benjen said it.

“ Did he speak of the family pig when you took him ? Huh , did he speak of me, did he speak of his sister ?! “- Benjen spoke in German, then punched the man

Rhaegar didn’t understand, at first maybe he had gotten the word wrong, but that could be right, schwester ( sister) and bruder ( brother), were very different words , and Benjen had already shown he was an excellent translator, he was fluent in German, Benjen had a light accent that alluded to the fact that he was an Englishman, so he would commit this error. It was only when the prisoner blurted out an offence that would translate to bitch, that Rhaegar fully realized what was happening. But before he could say anything the soldier screamed while Benjen bit him up. So Benjen just stopped, and looked up to the group.

“ He said… they are being held at a city called Giverny.”- Benjen said

“ Well it’s not far from here, 10 miles maximum.”- Arthur the second in command told them

“ Very good Benjen boy, were going to find Brandon and get him out of this hellhole.”- Howland previously the youngest member of the group, hugged Benjen while Rhaegar stared at him

“ Aren’t you happy Captain ?”- Bejen asked him with a soft smile

“ You said sister .”- Rhaegar said slightly frowning

“ What ?”- Benjen asked, but clearly his eyes had understood that Rhaegar knew something was up

He breathed heavily and let the rage he was feeling take over him, how could he have lied in such a way to all of them. It was inexplicable, so he swiftly took his gun out and shot the prisoner on the head as they weren’t instructed to do with prisoners.

“ Let’s move.”- Rhaegar said firmly

The group didn’t understand why he had changed his behaviour in such a drastic way, but they didn’t question it, they just followed him, they marched to the little French tow. They made camp on a farm on the outskirts of the city, that had been abandoned some time before, there was some wine in stock, so the boys were getting down and dirty. However, Benjen stayed outside keeping watch and not taking part in the shenanigans that the boys were.

Rhaegar had been thinking about what happened while they, were interrogating the soldier, so when the night the boys were already quite distracted, and Rhaegar had already thought as a way of not sounding angry or too surprised.

“ Benjen .”- Rhaegar called as he approached Benjen who sat on a chair out of the house

“ Captain.”- Benjen got up from the chair

“ Sit we have to talk.”- Rhaegar said in a stern way

Rhaegar sat on the starts at the door of the house, and Benjen sat back on the chair, the Captain sighed and looked deep into Ben’s eyes, those eyes that now were that he had realized, were very similar to Brando’s.

“ Do you want to tell me what is going on ?”- Rhaegar

“ Well…”- Benjen tried deviating

“ Please tell me the truth.”- Rhaegar sighed

“Captain I didn’t want to lie .”- Benjen

“ I understand just tell me why are you here , and why did you lie to us .”- Rhaegar

“ I was afraid when my brother went missing, I didn’t want to leave his fate in the hand of others . I’m sorry for lying, but I … I didn’t...”- Benjen

“ I understand some of us, have secrets, and I understand that you wanted to be sure your brother would be fine. But from now on I need you to be truthful with me, and tell me truth, because out there I am giving my life in your hands. And I need to trust you.”- Rhaegar

“ I know .”- Benjen

“ I’m glad we could talk this through and don’t worry, I know how to keep a secret. And don’t worry we’re going to find your brother. Good night Benjen.”- Rhaegar said getting up

“ Lyanna.”- He said

“ What ?”- Rhaegar turned to her

“ My name is not Benjen, it’s Lyanna.”- Lyanna told him

“ Nice to meet you Lyanna.”- Rhaegar

Lyanna, what a confident name he thought, a confident name for a determined and amazing woman, that had a beautiful smile he thought. Defiantly appropriate name for someone as like as her .

➴————-　♥︎　-————➶

( This is just a little sniped of a fic I planed a some time ago but it ended up not happening , so this is what I worked on THANK YOU FOR READING )

[mk-wizard]

The Missing Mothers of Transformers Part 2

Hello again, Transformers fans.

This is part two on the fan theory of whatever happened to the two missing mothers of Transformers. Mrs. Witwicky and Mrs. Burns. The first half which discusses what happened to Mrs. Witwicky is here. This half discusses what happened to Mrs. Burns.

I would also like to warn in advance that this fan theory analysis will be sad and I will try to be as sensitive as I can be to all of the people out there whose mothers are not with them anymore.

Now, onto the theory. Unlike Mrs. Witwicky, there are no official records anywhere which states whether Chief Charlie Burns is a widower or a divorcee. It is just very obvious that he is a single dad whose wife is for some reason not in the picture. The Chief seems to have adapted well to this role as he keeps an orderly house, he has raised his kids well and is one heck of a cook. He also seems to be open to meeting someone new as he had a developed a crush on someone at one point. I also have to say from the POV of a wife, Charlie Burns is a catch of a husband and father. With that said, his wife is missing from the family for only two reasons. Either she died sometime when Cody was a baby or she just up and left the family when Cody was a baby.

Considering the kind of guy Chief Burns is like, it is very likely that he was responsible enough to marry a good woman who didn’t leave the picture by choice. However, I doubt she died in a rescue accident because he still allows his own kids to be rescue workers and he is not overly protective of Cody. If Mrs. Burns did die during a rescue operation, I think such trauma would have been addressed in the show or there would have at least been an episode dealing with it. With that said, I think it is more likely that Mrs. Burns died of a sickness she came down with after the birth of Cody. Considering she was around long enough to have four kids, it is very likely that she was forced to leave the picture. Now, as to which disease it was, I have no idea. And as much as I hate to be a downer, this is the more ideal theory as to what happened to Mrs. Burns.

However, if we are going to go by the second theory, I have to say that it is unlikely, but not unheard of for one parent to up and walk out on the family even after so many years together. And considering that Rescue Bots takes place during modern day times in which divorce is not so taboo anymore, that possibility does exist. Plus, with the way Chief Burns speaks so kindly and warmly about all his friends and family, he doesn’t ever bring up his missing wife. I also have to point out that for such a devoted family man with wholesome traditional family values, he doesn’t wear his wedding band. I can understand that Sparkplug didn’t wear his wedding band because his work required him to use his hands a lot, but Charlie Burns is a cop. If he really was a widower, wouldn’t it be more likely that am old fashioned guy like him would still wear his wedding band? It’s tough for me to say this, but when a guy like Charlie isn’t wearing his wedding band anymore, it usually means that the marriage didn’t end well. We never see a single picture of her anywhere and we have seen pictures of the family in home.

I really hate saying this, but considering the evidence, I think it is very likely that Mrs. Burns and him had a divorce in which she just left her family entirely. Like I said, it is not unheard of for a spouse to do that even after having a lot of kids together. While Charlie is as good as they come and probably did his best to choose the right woman to be his wife and the mother of his kids, it doesn’t mean he chose as well as he thought he did. As dark as this sounds, considering how good Charlie is at keeping it all together on his own, the finger is pointing very sharply at the likelihood that he was keeping it together on his own even while his wife was around. Maybe his wife wasn’t such a great person hence why nobody not even the older kids talk about her or show any signs of missing her all that much. In fact, they don’t even have momentos of her. I also want to throw out there that Dani is not very feminine which tells me that even being the only girl, she wasn’t close to her mother. The only girly thing she owns is a pink elephant which we find out wasn’t given to her by her mother. I also should note that the way Kade approaches women is not the way Charlie would which tells me that he deems his father’s way not right after seeing how his parents’ marriage was like. Kade seems to believe he needs to play a dominant role in order for the relationship to be happy.

Unlike Sparkplug’s marriage, I think Charlie’s marriage was problematic and his wife just up and left either because she got tired of everything or perhaps knowing Charlie, he outright threw her out because she became a toxic presence in the family. And honestly, considering how gutsy Chief Burns is like, I honestly wouldn’t put it past him to become fed up and throw her butt out if she really was as awful as the theory suggests. As for what she did to make it get that far and how bad she was, I don’t know. All I can say is that I do think it is more likely that Charlie is most likely divorced and his wife never stayed in touch with the family nor does she seem to be missed.

I have seen divorced families like the Burns family hence why I am drawing this theory up, but I just want to make it clear that even if it is true, it doesn’t mean the Burns family isn’t a happy one now. Like I said, Charlie is a champion single dad. And honestly, I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing if ex-Mrs. Burns was a bad woman because survivors of bad marriages and families who had a walkaway parent need to be represented in the media. And if the Burns are a family that had a walkway mother, they are positive representation in how they recovered from it. Believe me, some families in their position are left in way worse positions.

At least this is my theory. I want to know what you all think of it and what you think may have happened to Mrs. Burns. I do hope I remained sensitive to the subject.

This fan theory was a request on behalf of @ lolipop192089.

If you have a Transformers theory or character analysis you want explored, please let me know in my ask box. And please, support me through Patreon or Ko-fi if you want me to make Transformers merch and videos. Or if you want a commission of your favourite bot, let me know in my shop. All links are on my profile page.

Thank you for reading and please, stay safe.

[tabloidtoc]

Life & Style, May 10

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Celeb Diet & Fitness Tips

Page 1: Photo Flash -- Tom Cruise is well known for doing his own stunts, but during a location shoot in Yorkshire, U.K. for Mission: Impossible 7, Tom's co-stars Hayley Atwell and Esai Morales proved they were no slouches either: all three actors wowed onlookers with their daredevil moves aboard a train that was in motion

Page 2: Contents

Page 4: The Top 10 Floral Looks -- follow these stars' style lead and celebrate the spring season in fresh prints -- Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong'o, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, Kelsea Ballerini

Page 5: Cate Blanchett, Elle Fanning, Gabrielle Union, Kathryn Newton, Mindy Kaling

Page 6: There's no limit to what Angelina Jolie wouldn't do for her kids and instead of living abroad, she purchased a home for them in L.A. because she wanted it to be close to their dad Brad Pitt and now, Angie reveals she's had to give up her dream of directing because she had a change in her family situation that's not made it possible for her to direct for a few years and she needed to just do shorter jobs and be home more, so she went back to doing a few acting jobs -- Angie filed for divorce from Brad in 2016 and while they were declared legally single in 2019, the former couple have yet to settle on a permanent custody arrangement for kids Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne while at age 19, son Maddox Jolie-Pitt is able to make his own decisions about whom he lives with and Angelina is blowing through millions of dollars on lawyers and she isn't broke, but she can't exactly afford to stop working either and amid mounting legal bills, Angie's signed on to blockbusters like Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Marvel's Eternals and while Angelina would rather work behind the scenes, it's too time-consuming and as an actress, she can make ends meet and be there for her kids

Page 8: Less than a month after giving birth to her third child, a baby girl named Mae, Hilary Duff is opening up about the pressure that comes with breastfeeding, saying all of the babies latch really great but she's just not a huge milk producer, so it's emotional for her and she has tons of anxiety, and then she's in her head, and then she doesn't feel like enough, and then the spiral continues from there -- she decided to share her postpartum struggle as a way to cope and to let other new mothers out there know that they're not alone in this

* Sarah Jessica Parker is trying to convince Hugh Grant to star in the upcoming Sex and the City reboot because it's unlikely Chris Noth will be returning as Mr. Big, so she needs a new leading man and Hugh's the perfect candidate -- Sarah Jessica finds him so charming and talented and she was blown away by Hugh's recent acting in The Undoing so she's desperate to have him on the show -- Sarah Jessica, who appeared alongside Hugh in 1996's Extreme Measures and 2009's Did You Hear About the Morgans?, absolutely loves the idea of working with Hugh again and he hasn't agreed to anything yet, but she's hoping he'll say yes

Page 12: The Week in Photos -- Bathing Beauties -- Sailor Brinkley-Cook and her rescue pup Chester, Rita Ora on the sand of Bondi Beach in an orange bikini, Kate Hudson celebrated the launch of Fabletics new active swim line by jumping in the pool

Page 13: Olivia Culpo in a green bikini, Vanessa Hudgens in a red-halter swimsuit

Page 14: James Corden dressed up as rapper Bad Bunny's arch rival Good Bunny for a sketch on The Late Late Show

Page 16: Stars Behaving Badly -- Derek Hough played makeup artist for Hayley Erbert, Total Bellas twins Nikki Bella and Brie Bella put Bachelor Nation's Jason Tartick and Matt James in headlocks at Wrestlemania, host T.J. James let his tongue do the talking on the NYC set of Good Morning America

Page 18: Say What?! Mark Wahlberg on trying to put on 30 pounds in six weeks for the movie Father Stu, Selena Gomez on her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short, Margaret Josephs on five decades of wearing fake eyelashes, Jamie Dornan on his devotion to The Golden Girls

Page 20: Chris Hemsworth landed in hot water with Elsa Pataky after pics of him hanging out with Australian stunner Cheyenne Tozzi hit the internet -- Chris was photographed with the model at Zambi Wildlife Retreat in Wallacia while his wife was off shooting Interceptor in Sydney and it's definitely put Elsa on high alert and she had a lot of questions for Chris when they finally spoke and Chris said he had the kids with him and it was all very innocent -- the couple has often been at odds over their careers and while Chris and Elsa try to coordinate their schedules so that their children, daughter India and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, are always with one parent, Elsa was usually the one forced to put family before fame, but now that Elsa's been working more, she's not always home like she used to be, and this little incident was a huge wake-up call because she might trust Chris, but she isn't stupid: who would want their handsome husband running around with a blond bombshell?

Page 21: Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Claudia Jordan is alleging that Kanye West made a move on her while he was still with Kim Kardashian, saying he tried years ago when she and Nikki Chu were in the club and they shut the door and she had met him before and she hung out with Kim as well and because of Girl Code, she couldn't do it

* Jennifer Lopez isn't wasting any time getting back on the dating scene after splitting from Alex Rodriguez -- J. Lo can't help feeling that she squandered a good couple of years on A-Rod and she doesn't want another ring; she just wants to have fun

Page 22: Cover Story -- Stars' Summer Body Secrets Revealed -- discover the diet and fitness tricks these celebs swear by -- Gwen Stefani's shedding for the wedding, Julianne Hough skips the gym

Page 23: Kate Hudson's flat belly formula, total transformations: Adele, Rebel Wilson

Page 24: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker engaged on her 42nd birthday -- after just four months of dating, Kourtney and Travis are ready to take the next step in their romance

Page 26: The Osbournes: Family in Crisis -- personal, professional and physical setbacks plague Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne and their daughter Kelly Osbourne -- after a heated on-air argument over Piers Morgan's treatment of Meghan Markle, Sharon was accused of racism toward co-hosts behind the scenes -- Ozzy's health is always an issue and he's had to rehab from pneumonia, neck surgery and more over the past few years but he's stubborn and acts like he's still a young rock star -- while she's back in AA, Kelly was scared to admit she'd relapsed while her mom was dealing with her own scandal

Page 28: Prince William and Duchess Kate: Stepping Up for Queen Elizabeth -- as the queen grapples with tremendous loss, Prince William and Kate Middleton provide support -- a frail-looking Queen Elizabeth sat alone due to COVID-19 restrictions at the funeral of Prince Philip, whom she called her strength and stay and the loss has been even harder than she expected -- William and Kate are lightening the queen's load and they worked on the queen birthday to give her time to mourn

Page 30: John Travolta breaks his silence on losing Kelly Preston -- for the first time since Kelly's death, John opens up about his personal journey through grief

Page 36: Who Lives Here? Rihanna

Page 38: Beauty Beat -- spring's prettiest pastel polish -- embrace warm weather with a lacquered look the complements the season -- Jennifer Lopez

Page 40: Diva or Down-to-Earth? Alison Brie shopped for her own groceries at Gelson's in L.A. -- down-to-earth, Rachel Brosnahan's hairstylist went to work in between scenes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in NYC -- diva, Kylie Jenner kicked up her heels on a private plane -- diva

Page 42: Social Stars Posts of the Week -- Kerry Washington stopped and smelled the roses, Snoop Dogg and Blake Shelton, Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman looked straight out of the '80s in a scene from the latest movie Thunder Force, Nicole Scherzinger in a bikini in Hawaii

Page 44: Horoscope -- Taurus Adele turned 33 on May 5

* They're Not Together, But They Should Be -- Sagittarius Ashley Benson and Cancer Chace Crawford

Page 48: What I'm Into -- Mayim Bialik

[takerfoxx]

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Season 5, Episode 6, “Taking Control,” First Impressions!

OKAY! OKAY! WHAT THE FUCK?!

DID NOELLE WRITE THIS SEASON FOR ME SPECIFICALLY? LIKE, DID SHE GO, “HEY, I LIKE THAT TAKERFOXX DUDE, I THINK I’LL WRITE THIS ENTIRE FUCKING SEASON TO APPEAL TO HIM IN SPECIFIC!”

=breathes out=

Wow.

Wow.

Um, guys. I don’t know where to start. Usually I’d have one thing I’d like to gush about so I’d go ahead and comment on everything else first, but this time I want to gush about EVERYTHING!

Okay, fine. Let’s go in order.

Catra, so far, is being handled brilliantly. Like, even after having her life collapse all around her, despite having her soul crushed and being forcibly brainwashed, despite EVERYTHING, once she was safe she starts acting out again, because that kind of toxic behavior is literally all she knows. She’s so used to responding to her heavy feelings of guilt by doubling and tripling down that even those she’s hurt are trying to help her, she can’t help but lash out at them. She feels so bad about everything she did to all of them that she can’t bear to face them. I love that one line Glimmer had: “This is Catra we’re talking about. Did you think she was instantly going to be a totally different person?” It shows that Catra still has so much work to do to better herself, and it’s not going to be easy, nor should it be easy. 

But damn it, she’s trying! She’s hurt and broken and scared and losing her mind, but she’s trying, even going so far as to use her link to the Horde Hivemind to try to see Horde Prime’s plans (more on that later), even if it did take Adora threatening to leave her for her to come to her senses, because after everything, she finally has Adora at her side, and she realizes how much it would destroy her to push Adora away again. Oh man, I so wanted to give her a great big hug, even if it’s a good thing I can’t because she’d claw me to pieces out of spite. This has revived the River Tam woobie feelings again. It’s been so long.

I really liked her and Entrapta’s little moment too, and I don’t have a problem with how easily Entrapta forgave her. Firstly, it’s Entrapta, and she’s just like that. Secondly, Entrapta needed to be forgiven pretty recently too, so they’re both coming along. 

And that little moment at the end...awwww. Like, okay, at first it was a little weird that Bow was so welcoming to Catra after being so cold to Glimmer. But then I realized that he had more reason to be disappointed with Glimmer because he expected more from her, and he’s always been quick to reach out to defecting enemy soldiers.

And can I saw that Wrong Hordak is adorable and I love him? He’s been around for two episode but if anything happened to him, I’d kill everyone in the room and then myself.

Well, maybe not myself, but I’d feel really bad.

So! Saved the B-Plot for last because it had the last scene. 

Poor Micah. He’s just trying so hard to reconnect with his old life, but everything has passed him by. Glimmer’s coming back, and how is he even going to be able to connect with her? She was a little girl when he last saw her, and he can’t even relate to the actual little girl that they have around, and Frosta probably wasn’t even born when he was exiled! At the very least she was probably still a toddler. 

Also, anyone getting some real Cirno vibes from Frosta? Anyone?

I am happy to see Netossa and Spinnerella, and like that they’re looking after Frosta. And what’s this? A same sex couple casually kissing in a children’s show? GASP! Those horrible gays and their gay agendas with their openly having healthy relationships and looking after kids and helping support a worried single father! The SIN!

Man, they just give no fucks this season, do they? It’s like they saved up all there “might get us in trouble with the censors” points and cashed them in all at once.

This is further shown during their rescue mission to...I forgot how to spell it, but the place where they first met Double Trouble (and where the hell are they?)(It’s Elberon! That was some risky Googling). Of course Swift Wind wants a party, because that went so well last time. But anyway, I figured out that the whole town had been taken by Horde Prime pretty quickly, but that didn’t stop the “party” scene from being incredibly unsettling. Like, are they tried to have a major creep-out scene every episode now? 

Not complaining. 

But you know how this song and dance goes. Trap, Horde Prime does his thing, and everyone is surrounded. Micah and Frosta finally connect on the battlefield, and...things get WAY creepier when the enslaved townsfolk try to break into the ice sphere! Though why did they go for a shield instead of an exit? You have Spinnerella right...oh, right.

Fortunately, at that exact moment, Adora finally gets super-pissed enough when the Horde that she figures out how to tap into She-Ra and make it stick! And oooooh my God, that first sword? Turns out, it was holding her back, like some kind of stabby power inhibitor, because She-Ra fucking went Super Saiyan! She straight up whooped that Horde squadron’s ass and looked magnificent doing it! And don’t @ me about her being overpowered or some other bullshit, this is totally earned and it felt SO satisfying!

You know, I figured out part of this show’s brilliance. Spend four seasons making both the good and the bad guys varying levels of complex and sympathetic like most good kid shows do while building up a super-duper bad guy, have him show up in the last season, then put EVERYONE all on the same team, and that way we don’t have any trouble rooting for the good guys! 

Except Shadow Weaver. Please don’t redeem her. 

BUT ANYWAY, Adora going all Captain Marvel did the trick of not only saving them and their ship (and really turning Catra on, my God), but also giving Swift Wind enough of a power up to let the B-Players escape. And...well...

I guess we now know why Netossa was crying in the trailer. 

Fuck.

[tsarisfanfiction]

Pulse VII

Fandom: Thunderbirds Rating: Teen Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Angst Characters: Grandma Tracy, Scott Tracy, Gordon Tracy, Virgil Tracy, John Tracy, Alan Tracy, Kayo Kyrano, EOS

Seventh and final part of my entry for @gumnut-logic‘s SensorySunday: Touch. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

This little fic got a huge reception, so thank you everyone who’s read and enjoyed this little experiment.  See you next sense!

It had been a very difficult four months since her grandchildren had come back from a mission in pieces. Some wounds were easier to fix than others – while Virgil and Kayo were somewhat grumpy patients, especially when faced with an enforced six week grounding apiece for their injuries, the physical hurt was, sadly, nothing new.  For the grandchildren within her easy reach, the emotional hurt was so much worse.

Alan, trying so hard to be like his older siblings, so determined to be an adult.  He might have been the one physically supporting Kayo off of Thunderbird Two when the green giant finally landed at home, but it was clear that while he was physically fine, he’d been in a situation no boy his age should ever have to face.  Sally knew, of course.  Her grandchildren knew better than to cut off communications with base, even when they were actively running everything through John and EOS on Thunderbird Five, and the situation Alan had been forced to handle by himself had been streamed to her in real-time.

She’d been helpless then. She wasn’t helpless now.

John was home.  Four months since he’d last been in Thunderbird Five – a record since the Zero-X and all the hell that had brought with it.  EOS was doing his job admirably, if with some stumbles where the AI hadn’t yet learnt all the little quirks that made humans human. Sally might not fully understand all this newfangled tech – she remembered her parents and grandparents being much the same way with the advent of the internet and smartphones and touchscreens at the turn of the millennium, things once new and advanced technology; all of her grandsons called that outdated junk – but she understood that EOS could learn at a frightening pace.  One day the young AI would be able to interact seamlessly, although what that meant for John’s penchant for lurking in space as much as possible would remain to be seen.

On the other hand, Gordon had barely been home.  The Tracy family had money, and in a cruel mirror of a few years prior, her water-loving grandson was burning as much as he needed to for his brother’s sake. Most healthcare was free nowadays, but long-term hotel accommodation in the closest hotel to the hospital was definitely not.  If she hadn’t insisted on him at least coming home to pick up some changes of clothes and home comforts – for his brother as much as himself – she was under no illusions that she would not have seen hide nor tail of him outside that hospital ever since the accident.

Unable to fly with a broken arm, and with Kayo also grounded and Gordon stubbornly refusing to leave New Zealand until Scott did, Virgil had spent his six weeks of injury leave agitated. International Rescue was down to skeleton staff, with John and Alan left to field any and all rescues they couldn’t palm off on the GDF or other appropriate authorities (EOS was very talented at palming rescues off, thankfully, as none of them held their usual enthusiasm for their job).  Thunderbird One hadn’t left her hangar since Scott’s hospitalisation, John citing an unease at piloting either Thunderbird solo and Alan still bursting into tears at the slightest hint that he should sit in his biggest brother’s pilot chair, so Thunderbird Two was taking on more and more of the strain.

Getting off the island to visit Scott after the initial just been hospitalised, boys still in full uniform had proven difficult with no-one available to pilot them.  In the end, when Virgil had got agitated enough he was threatening to take Thunderbird One to the hospital, broken arm or not, Sally herself had stepped in.

She’d never touch Thunderbird One – Thunderbird Two she could just about handle, but Thunderbird One was hyper specialised beyond her skills – but they did still have their rarely-used family jets.  Tracy One might have been a fair bit slower than any Thunderbird in their fleet, but Sally could pilot her – regardless what certain grandsons felt compelled to quip about her age – and had finally laid eyes on her eldest grandson in person.  She’d seen him in holocalls, but technology was a talented liar.  It wasn’t the same.

Scott had looked awful, quite frankly.  Laid on his front after what she’d been told was his third surgery – one more than expected, and she didn’t like the implications behind that – he’d been lightly bantering with Gordon when they’d walked in.  If she didn’t know her grandsons better than they knew themselves, she might have been fooled into thinking he was doing well.

Sally knew better.  The tone was wrong, as was his skin colour, but the real tell was his eyes.  She hadn’t seen him so lost since the Zero-X snatched his father from his fingers. But she didn’t comment.  Instead, she’d fussed over her grandson as much as he let her, saying nothing when he didn’t protest about being too old for being treated like a kid like he usually did if she fussed over him in front of his brothers.

It had been a quiet conversation with Gordon when Virgil took over, fielding questions about his own injury patiently because they all knew Scott wanted distracting from his own situation and nothing ever distracted him as well as looking after his brothers, that told her the news.

The bone had almost finished healing but his nerves hadn’t bounced back as expected.  He could, at least, now feel his legs Gordon reported, calling it a constant case of tingly pins and needles, and everything above the waist could be moved with minimal discomfort, but he still couldn’t so much as wriggle his toes.

He’d known it was too good to be true, Gordon had confessed in a little waiting room off to the side, out of sight and earshot of his brothers where he didn’t have to keep up a brave face and could wilt just a little.  Good things like a comparatively easy fix for a serious injury just didn’t happen to their family.  The doctors had one more trick to try, one more surgery for Scott to endure, in the hopes that the damage could be minimised.

Then and there, Sally had made the decision to stay in New Zealand until the results of the fourth surgery, scheduled for the following week, were clear.  More money was burnt for more accommodation, but what good was having a fortune if it wasn’t used in situations like this?  Virgil and Kayo had been eager to remain with her, not baulking for a moment at the sudden change of plans.

The fourth surgery came and went. Doctors had hushed conversations with her, with Gordon who refused to be kept in the dark about a single part of his brother’s condition.  They had private conversations with Scott, which Gordon muscled his way into every time without fail – the doctors didn’t even try to stop him.  Sally wondered how long it had taken them to stop fighting and accept that Gordon wouldn’t let Scott go through a single step of the long and torturous road he’d been thrown on alone.

Knowing her boys, not long at all.

She’d been there when amid tears of frustration and depressed declarations of I’m not strong enough, Gordon had yelled in triumph and overridden Scott’s defeatist attitude with the observation that something had moved beneath the covers.

She wasn’t needed there, and even Virgil had hung back as Gordon unceremoniously flung the covers away and encouraged Scott to try again – one more time, Scott, I know what I saw.  You’ve got this.  Gordon was of course correct, and tears of frustration had turned to tears of relief as a big toe curled.

You’ve got this became a mantra.  Or perhaps she should say the mantra you’ve got this returned.  Scott had said the same thing to a younger, broken Gordon, over and over again until it came true.  Now, the situation was reversed but the words were the same.  Sally knew Scott recognised it for what it was: a reminder and a promise.  Just as he’d believed in Gordon when Gordon himself hadn’t, Gordon believed in him when he didn’t.

Luck wasn’t a friend of the Tracy family, but Faith was.

Now, four long months after an earthquake dropped a building on him, Scott was coming home, and to nobody’s surprise at all, Virgil had insisted that Thunderbird Two be the plane of honour. Sally knew her middle grandson had been frustrated at how little he’d been able to help during the hospitalisation – usually the one best suited for anything and everything medical, this time Gordon took the lead, leaving the medic of the siblings awkwardly on the edge, not quite able to take his usual place.

No more.  Away from the hospital, back home where he belonged, there were no doctors bustling around and primary care fell straight to the family – Sally and a fully-healed Virgil were ready when Gordon pushed a hoverchair of frail, still not capable of walking even if he could now get his limbs to respond, Scott from the green giant into their home.

It wasn’t over.  It wouldn’t be over for a long time – Scott’s physical therapy had only just started, and they all knew how much of a challenge that would be – but as the hoverchair came to a halt in the den and Scott was swamped by an entire family without a single dry eye between them, Sally had faith that as always, her boys would pull through.

After all, they’d got this.

[minmotl]

Chapter 28: Sui Zhou Finds Out Just What A Glutton Tang Fan Is

Context: Follows directly after Chapter 27. For plot notes, scroll to the bottom.

Introduction Post | Masterpost

--

Highlights under the cut

Sui Zhou doesn’t know how he should face Tang-daren.

Looking at someone who possesses the talent of the top imperial scholar, while he wasn’t able to rank first in the end, he was still ranked in the top four amongst the nation’s scholars and was personally presented with a merit award by His Majesty. If he wrote something on Confucius like the Interpretation of the Analects or wrote an analytical piece on Zhu Zi, that counts as an extension of his studies and is an appropriate use of his talents, but what is Tang Fan doing now by writing erotica fiction?

Tang-daren smiles at him, not one bit ashamed. In fact, he’s proud of it, “My salary is low, so I’m just earning some money from the royalties. Guang Chuan, you do not have to be so surprised. Other than you, no one else knows that I wrote this, but this book was commercially printed by the publishers. A total of a thousand copies! It’s selling pretty well.”

Sui Zhou is now completely interested. He takes the single book out and says, “I will read this.”

“That’s great! Since you’ve accepted my book, I have something I’d like to trouble you with.”

Sui Zhou raises an eyebrow in question.

Tang Fan thinks that since Sui Zhou has accepted his book, he can now trouble the man to do something small for him, “How about you go outside and help me to pick the leaves from the locust tree?”

“…”

Does he think this is an exchange of favours? After being ridiculous for half a day, the other has not given up on eating cold noodles?

He truly is the world’s largest glutton!

Tang-daren naturally does not think so. He believes that it is fated for someone like him, who lives a riveting life filled with fun and enjoyment, to come and rescue the fool that is Sui Zhou. Just look at them now, since Tang Fan joined Sui Zhou here, the other man’s life is now filled with light.

In the end, he doesn’t manage to eat the Huai Ye Tao that has been constantly on his mind. This is because Sui Zhou brings the both of them out to a restaurant for a meal instead.

There is no Huai Ye Tao cold noodles, but there are crabs marinated with orange and steamed prawns, and the prawns were just caught from the river. While not as fresh and sweet as prawns caught from the sea, these aren’t bad at all - peeling off the prawn shells and dipping them into soy sauce with sesame oil and added minced garlic, this is truly one of the joys of life.

Tang-daren is eating with satisfaction and a sense of happiness washes over him, “Guang Chuan, that we can live so happily amongst the noise and bustle of life, watching as life happens before us as we eat, this is a freedom that we may not even have even if we begged for it. This is a form of enjoyment, enough for us to sit down and slowly savour.”

Tang Fan is easy to please, he’s not like the other officials who are exceedingly stubborn and rigid, difficult to interact with, and he’s definitely not like the plenty of other people in the world who lust after gold, property, huge salaries, unlimited power or beautiful women.

From Sui Zhou’s cold, stoic gaze, a little bit of warmth shines through. He shakes his head and says, “Even if it is a rest day, I stay at the Northern Administrative Court and look through records usually and rarely come out. Otherwise, having been promoted to baihu at my age, if I don’t work harder, people will think that I rose up in the ranks because of my connections.”

Tang Fan exclaims, “Whatever others like to think, that’s their business. We only have a pair of hands each between us and none of us can shut up so many mouths. As long as our conscience is clear, we should just enjoy ourselves when we can.”

What he said is very reasonable and Sui Zhou is about to reply, but Tang-daren changes the topic abruptly, “What’s that, later get the restaurant to pack two portions of cold dishes, we can eat that for supper at night.”

Sui Zhou stares at him, his face void of any expression.

Tang-daren blinks, “Then just one portion, that’s okay right?”

Ah Dong was unable to resist and is already covering her mouth, laughing so hard she’s collapsed at the side.

With one more Sui Zhou and one Ah Dong, Tang-daren originally thought that he could live a life of happiness without having to do any housework, but he did not expect that he found himself two old mothers who like to constantly manage him, especially when it comes to food. They’re so strict that Tang-daren can only look at the snacks and sigh.

However, in general, living like this is still pretty enjoyable. After all, every day when he returns home there is always one or two people waiting fo you. You can have a meal where there are plenty of hot, teaming dishes, you can be greeted with smiling faces, hear someone asking after your day. His sister is married and stays far away from here, but now it’s as if Tang Fan has two more people in his family, the feeling is entire different.

To Ah Dong who used to be with the Li family, while Lady Zhang treated her rather well and Ah Chun was very willing to take care of her, but she was still a servant and not meant to enjoy her life. There was a difference between her and those above her, as lively and energetic as she was she could not be do anything she wanted without control, and that’s why she liked running over to find Tang Fan. Now that she has recognised Tang Fan as her older brother, the feeling of having a family is indescribable. When she first moved to Sui Zhou’s house, she was so excited that she couldn’t sleep properly the first few days.

It’s not just Tang Fan and Ah Dong. Although Sui Zhou does not say it, he’s going home more frequently, the time that he reaches home getting earlier and even when it’s his rest days, he does not stay in the Northern Administrative Court anymore. From this, it seems that his thoughts are likely to be similar to Tang Fan’s.

***

“Da-ge, da-ge!”

His sleeve is shaken a few times and Tang Fan breaks out of his trance, seeing Ah Dong looking at him with confusion.

“What is it?”

“Da-ge, what are you thinking about? I kept calling for you but you didn’t respond, you scared me!” the young girl pats at her chest, and then points at Sui Zhou, who has just walked in from outside, “Sui da-ge is back, we can have dinner!”

Tang Fan frowns “Guang Chuan, regarding the Li family’s case, I thought of something and I’m about to tell you what I know, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you and the Northern Administrative Court again.”

Sui Zhou nods, “Let’s eat first.”

Ah Dong brings out the dishes with a spring in her step, and agrees, “That’s right, let’s just eat first, I’m about to die from starvation!”

Sui Zhou pats at Tang Fan’s arm, “We’ll talk after we eat.”

Although the words are simply and Sui Zhou’s tone is even, from this, Tang Fan feels that he can confidently trust in Sui Zhou. Tang Fan does not realize that his expression relaxes almost immediately at that.

He nods, and then smiles at Sui Zhou, “It’s all because of Ah Dong today that we can finally have some Huai Ye Tao, I’ve been craving it for so long!”

Ah Dong protests, “Da-ge you’ve got a lot of face to say this, you almost fell after climbing the tree, and to catch you, I almost broke my bones!”

“…”

Sui Zhou thought that after bringing Tang Fan to eat outside, the man would have given up on having the cold noodle dish, but who knew that Tang-daren would make use of his time while suspended from work and staying idly at home to actually climb a tree to pick the leaves himself.

Sui Zhou finally understands what a glutton’s fixation on food is.

===

Plot Notes:

If you haven’t read the introduction you should! Link is at the top of this post. In the introduction I mention Li Man, who is Tang Fan’s original landlord before he moves in with Sui Zhou, and also one of the big bads in the novel, working as a member of the White Lotus Sect.

The case that follows these few chapters is basically Li Man getting arrested and imprisoned for killing his wife, Lady Zhang. Tang Fan originally manages to arrest him for the murder, but then he realizes that something is amiss with Li Lin, Li Man’s only son who Tang Fan knows to be a good kid with a good temperament. After Li Man is arrested, Li Lin’s personality takes a turn for the worse and Tang Fan in the previous chapters is rather perplexed about this, but brushed it off somewhat, until Li Man kills himself in prison in this chapter, and he writes Tang Fan’s name on the wall as if accusing him of being responsible for his death. Because of this, Tang Fan is temporarily suspended from work while investigations continue.

Tang Fan solves the mystery at the end of this chapter — he determines that Li Man and Li Lin swapped places due to how similar they looked, i.e. Li Lin, his son, went into prison for his father, Li Man (yes some suspension of disbelief here). He also realizes that Li Lin wrote his name on the wall as a clue for him to beware of the current Li Man who is still alive and free, impersonating as Li Lin.

Li Man manages to escape with his mistress in the next two chapters, and he’ll turn up again in the next or next next segment! It’s pretty thrilling and amazing the next time he turns up, and Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are faced with a life-or-death situation in a cave and that’s when Sui Zhou realizes his feelings for Tang Fan so!!!

===

Notes:

*百户 bai hu

There are four ranks within the Embroidered Uniform Guards - 千户 (qian hu)、百户 (bai hu)、总旗 (zong qi)、小旗 (xiao qi) arranged highest to smallest rank, aside from the Commander 统领官 (zong ling guan).

*木头 mu tou

Literally means wooden block. Used as a metaphor for a person who’s dumb, rigid, boring or someone who’s not flexible in thinking.

*槐叶冷淘 huai ye leng tao

The novel names it huai ye tao, this is a historic cold noodle dish.

*十指不沾阳春水 shi zhi bu zhan yang chun shui

A line from an ancient poem, it means that someone is able to skip laundry duties in the winter in March due to the cold weather. What this actually means is that a person was born into a good family and has the fortune to not have to wash their clothes personally, or do house chores. This is usually used to describe females.

*眼睛里流露出一抹笑意 yan jing li liu lu chu yi mo xiao yi

This is frequently used for Sui Zhou in the novel and I’m putting a note in here because this is pretty interesting. What this literally means is that in Sui Zhou eyes, a smile is revealed/emerges. In Chinese we take it to mean that he’s smiling and the smile is reflected in his eyes, I’ve translated this to Sui Zhou either smiling or exuding warmth in his gaze, both of which are of course not quite accurate, but you can see why a literal translation would be strange.

[gumnut-logic]

Reasons: A Sequel to Determination (Part 5 - complete and the end)

And here we have it! I finished it! Yay! I hope it was worth the wait and I’m sorry for all the posting of bits and pieces. I will archive it, probably late tonight due to all day commitments. I hope you enjoy it ::hugs you all for your wonderful support, you guys are so amazing::

From here (part 5 posted in full).

-o-o-o-

Scott stared at his biggest little brother and found himself completely lost for words. The man was injured, obviously suffering, yet he had hidden it from him.

Why?

It was a small hurt voice at the back of his mind. Virgil, who he trusted with everything, who he relied on to be his second, especially now, with ever so much at stake.

That little voice, that same voice that hid in the box he had shoved it into the day his mother had died, piped up and and just started screaming.

But he was a grown man, a man of vast emergency experience. He had seen and done things that could curdle any other man’s mind. He was Scott Tracy, Field Commander of International Rescue and the lid of that box slammed down so hard that voice barely had a chance to squeak.

His shoulders settled, his mask slipped into place.

One word.

“How?”

Virgil opened his mouth, but Gordon cut in. “It was my fault. A burning tree was falling and I had to get him out of the way, so I shot him with one of the pod grapple guns.”

Scott turned ever so slowly to face his little brother. The worry on the younger man’s face was plain. “When?”

“Last mission. The forest fire and the crablogger.”

He turned back to Virgil. “It was not in your report.”

“No.” Virgil’s usually deep voice was little more than a whisper.

“You hid this from me.” Gordon knew. John had to know. Considering their deployment on the ground that day, Alan probably knew as well.

All four brothers had lied to him.

The hurt gouged a hole in his heart.

“Why?”

Neither brother answered. Virgil stared at the ground. Gordon had fear in his eyes.

“Why?!” The hurt slipped through in the form of anger and suddenly he was just boiling mad.

Virgil’s voice was ever so quiet. “I can’t stay behind.”

Scott stared at him, his eyes widening. The rage disappeared, snuffed out like a candle in a downpour.

Somehow he found his voice. It came out scraping his throat. “How bad?”

Gordon answered. “Just bruising.” A pause. “And a cracked rib. We just didn’t want to worry you.”

Scott stared at Virgil. His second stood slumped and dejected, the massive bruising little more than a reflection of his mood. “Go to bed.”

Brown flickered up at him. “Scott-“

“Go to bed.”

Those eyes dropped again, but his brother grabbed his shirt and made his way painfully back to his bedroom and shut the door.

That left Gordon.

“You and I need to talk.”

The aquanaut actually visibly swallowed. “I’m sorry, Scott.”

“Later.”

“Scott-“

“Later! We have more important things to do right now and we are one man down, so move!”

It would have been comedic if it didn’t hurt so much to watch his brother scramble and escape.

Left alone, the silence became claustrophobic. Scott stared at his brother’s bedroom door for a whole second before turning and storming out of the room.

-o-o-o-

It was hours later, the Zero-XL finally ready for the following day, when Scott made it back to Tracy Island.

His thoughts were whirling in his head almost enough to make him dizzy. He felt betrayal, yet at the same time, there was fear. Virgil had never hidden anything from him before. Not anything serious. The idiot was known for ignoring his own health for the good of all but he wasn’t stupid.

This was more.

With so much at stake, so much riding on what happened in the next twenty-four hours...

Scott let his fingers drop to the surface of his father’s desk. Dad, what do I do?

He had asked that question so many times and still there was no answer.

The next step was always to turn to Virgil.

He closed his eyes and let his head drop.

“He’s scared, you know.”

The voice was quiet, totally lacking the smile it usually carried. It didn’t suit the seriousness. Even hip deep in a rescue Gordon’s voice was always bright, always spreading positivity with every syllable. But not now.

“That you won’t let him go.”

“He’s injured.” Instinct told him to protect. Virgil was his little brother as much as any of them.

“We knew you would react that way. That’s why we didn’t tell you.”

“We.” A single syllable with so much hurt.

Gordon took a step closer. “Scott, we are doing this as one. No one gets left behind.”

“He’s injured.” It came out louder.

“Yes, he is, but he’s coming with us.”

“He’ll be a...liability.”

He deserved the scoffing laugh Gordon threw at him. “Are you kidding? This is Virgil we are talking about.”

“Yes, it is.”

Out the corner of his eye, Gordon straightened. “We are all going.”

Scott straightened and turned. “Are you questioning me?”

“That depends.” Those brown eyes were so resolute.

“On whether you agree Virgil should go or not.”

The darkness outside threatened to reach in and swallow him. “It is my decision.”

“Not this time.”

“Gordon-“

“No, Scott. This is for all of us. We all need to find Dad.”

“Not injured. Not risking his life!”

“We’re all risking our lives! Have you stopped to think exactly how many things could go wrong on this rescue? Not only could we not find Dad, but we could join him on the list of the missing. Do you have any idea what that would do to Grandma?”

“Are you kidding me?! You think I’m going in blind? I know what is at risk, but it is worth it!”

“Anyone with half a brain would disagree with you.”

He stared at his brother.

“But we don’t care. We’re in this, Scott. We are going to save Dad. But we go as one or not at all.”

Gordon was so much shorter than him, but he took a step closer, straightened to his full height and stared down his eldest brother.

Scott was so tired. He stared at his furious sibling and suddenly just didn’t have the energy anymore.

He turned away.

-o-o-o-

Virgil groaned.

His body hated him as much as he hated himself.

Movement hurt like hell, but he had to go out there and speak to Scott.

First he had to get out of bed.

He ended up rolling off the mattress onto the floor, barely catching himself.

His rib loved that.

On all fours, he pushed himself vertical, managing to only gasp once.

If he could barely get out of bed, how did he expect to get across the solar system?

He had to do this.

He had to.

His shirt covered up the worst of the bruises and a brief visit to the bathroom to wash his face and straighten up the mess on his head helped appear at least human. But staring into the mirror, all he saw was a sick man.

A sick man who was determined to go into space tomorrow.

Who was he kidding?

But the mere thought of being left behind terrified him. What if he was needed and wasn’t there to help? What if his brothers never came back?

The fear clawed at his heart.

Please no.

He couldn’t do it.

Not for a handful of bruises or stupid cracked rib.

Please. He had to go.

He forced himself straighter and watched his own face wince.

The house was quiet as he made his way through the residential levels, but that soon changed as he approached the comms room.

“Not injured. Not risking his life!”

Virgil paused by the entrance, out of sight, and listened to his little brother take on the lion of the family.

Scott was yelling. Gordon was yelling. They were fighting over him. They both loved him and were fighting for him in their own way.

He slumped against the wall and closed his eyes.

But suddenly everything went quiet.

“Scott?”

Gordon’s voice was worried.

Virgil pushed away from the wall and peered around the corner.

Scott was slumped in his father’s chair, his face in his hands.

Something cold crept into Virgil’s heart.

“Scott?”

His little brother approached the desk and placed a hand on Scott’s shoulder.

It was shrugged off wordlessly.

“Scott?”

“Just go.” It was muffled by his brother’s hands.

“Sc-“

“Go! For Christ’s sake, just go away!”

Gordon took a step back. Virgil saw why and his heart broke.

He didn’t hesitate to step into the room. “Gords?”

There was a touch of relief in the fear in his little brother’s eyes when he realised Virgil was in the room.

“Go check on Allie, would you?” And keep the rest of the family clear? He put it all into his expression.

And Gordon caught it with his eyes. A brief nod and he backed away from Scott who was still hunched over in his chair, face once again hidden by his hands.

“Sure, Virg.” Gordon quietly fled the room, worry in engraved on his face.

Virgil made his slow way over to his big brother, then past him and grabbed the piano stool. He found it hard to believe that several hours earlier he had been lifting several tonnes of thruster assembly and now his body was complaining about a single piano stool.

He dropped it down beside Scott with a clatter and sat himself down ever so slowly on top of it.

There he stayed for the next few minutes, not saying anything. Scott ignored him, shoulders hunched, head still in his hands, until Virgil reached out and gently laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

The fine tremors under his finger tips tore at his heart.

“Scott?”

An incoherent sound was his only response.

Virgil squeezed his brother’s shoulder ever so gently.

“Talk to me?”

Another grunt, but his brother looked up. Red rimmed blue eyes stared at him. “What do you want me to say?”

Virgil swallowed, fear and love tangled in his throat. “What do you want to say?”

An off centre laugh. “What do I want to say?” His brother shook his head and stared down at the desk top again. Voice a rasp. “I want to say ‘Hi, Dad!’ or ‘Welcome home, Dad!’, ‘Great to see you, Dad!’” A harsh indrawn breath. “‘Love you, Dad.’”

“We will find him.”

“We.”

A single syllable should not have enough room in it for that much accusation. Virgil’s hand fell from his brother’s shoulder.

“Scott-“

Ever so quiet, still staring at the desktop. “I wouldn’t have left you behind.”

“I-“ Virgil frowned. “What?”

Those red rimmed eyes look up at him again, passion in their depths. “I would not have left you behind.” Scott looked away, this time in the direction Gordon had fled. “But you didn’t give me the chance to make that decision. Instead you lied to me.” And the eyes were back at him, glaring accusation through his own.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“You don’t trust me.”

“I do.”

“No, you don’t.” A downward turn of his lips. “None of you do. Or you wouldn’t have hidden your injuries from me.”

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

Scott snorted mockingly. “Sure.”

Virgil’s lips thinned. “So you don’t trust me.” And yes, that hurt ever so much.

“Trust is a two way highway.”

“You want to talk trust?” And yes, his voice was trembling all of a sudden, his throat tight. His half curled fist came down emphatically on the desk, not hard, not loud, but expressive enough. “Ever since we discovered there was a chance to find Dad, I have watched you fade into an echo of yourself. You’ve been so driven, so passionate and so focussed on this goal, you’ve terrified me.” A harsh indrawn breath as his brother stared at him. “I’ve had to follow you around and patch fights, run interference, make sure you feed yourself. Your decisions have been shaky, you’ve been more reckless and impatient than I have ever seen you.” He looked directly at those startled blue eyes. “But not once, not once, have I ever lost faith in you. I c-can’t say I’ve followed every order to the letter, but then I never have.” A helpless half smile. “But even now, I would follow you into the fires of hell itself, bruises, cracked rib or no.” A wet blink. “You’re not going without me. I can’t stay behind. I couldn’t live with myself if...if something happened and I wasn’t there. This isn’t about trust, Scott.” A swallow. “It’s about love. It’s always been about love.”

His brother turned their father’s chair slowly until he was fully facing Virgil. Virgil didn’t have that luxury or the energy to turn the piano stool. He sat somewhat hunched, staring at Scott, trying to ignore the complaints from a body that desperately needed a backrest to support it.

And suddenly that support was there. Scott was holding him, arms wrapped around his back. It hurt, but Virgil didn’t care, leaning in and returning the hug. The tightness in his throat threatened to overwhelm him, but he fought it.

“I’m sorry.” It was whispered and barely heard.

“Y-you don’t have to apologise. Just...I’m here...’kay?” He had to swallow or lose it. He couldn’t afford to lose it.

“I could never leave you behind.”

“You don’t have to. I’m here. We’re all here.”

“It’s just...just been so hard.” Scott was trembling again. “All those bruises...I thought...can’t do this without you, Virg.”

Virgil’s grip tightened. “You don’t have to. We’re all here with you. We go together.”

“What if...but what if...?”

“We will find him.” Virgil straightened, drawing away just a little so he could see his brother’s face. He latched onto those red rimmed eyes. “Together. Tomorrow. We will go out there and find Dad.”

The steel crept back into his brother’s eyes. “Yes, we will.” Scott straightened, blinking a little. “And you need rest.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, forcing the mood to lighten just a little. “I’ve had plenty of rest. You need food.”

“After I’ve checked you out for myself.”

“What?” But Scott was standing up and offering him a hand up.

Staring at his brother for a moment, Virgil took the hand and, holding his breath, levered himself off the stool.

Eagle blue eyes stared at him, gauging his every move. “Launch is going to be hell.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Painkillers-“

“You know my answer to that one.”

“Virgil, it’s going to hurt like hell.”

“I’ll live. Had worse.” He turned and began moving towards the kitchen, his intention to find food for Scott.”

“Ah, no you don’t.” Scott’s fingers wrapped around his bicep. “You and I are taking the elevator up to the infirmary and you are going to indulge my concerns by allowing me to run some scans for myself.”

Virgil groaned, but considering the thin ice he was skating on, he relented. “But after, we’re eating food. Real food.”

“Deal.”

-o-o-o-

Sleep was little to nothing for Scott that night. Too much was hanging on what happened the next morning.

He had dragged Virgil up to the infirmary and reassured himself that his brother wasn’t hiding anything more serious than he had already admitted to. To be honest, his trust had been shaken. It hurt, but it wasn’t irreparable. Getting out there, finding Dad and making it home with everyone safe and unhurt would go so far towards fixing a multitude of problems.

Please let all of them be safe.

The thought of trading one of his brothers for the chance of finding their father...

They had almost already lost Gordon. He didn’t think he could take it again.

He closed his eyes and leant back on the outside wall of the kitchen. Alan was inside finishing up a few tasks left over from his last semester of high school. His little brother was going from high school kid to cutting edge astronaut in the same day.

Everyone was up. Likely all of them having as much trouble sleeping as Scott did. He’d left Virgil in the lounge resting. He could foresee so much glaring in the man’s direction today.

But if today ended the way he hoped, he could afford the extra effort.

And the worry.

Gordon was in the pool, no doubt communing with the water before leaving the ecosystem. Gordon had never been a huge fan of space. Virgil could tolerate it, but those two brothers definitely preferred Earth over anything the cosmos could offer.

Except the chance to find their father.

Scott stepped away from the wall towards the pool, timing his approach to the point where his brother hit and flipped.

“Gordon.”

He didn’t have to yell, despite the fact his brother’s head had been underwater the entire time. The fish knew he was here and had been for a some time, just watching the smooth strokes back and forth up the lane.

Strawberry blond hair surfaced with a flick and the distinct shape of wet shook hair gave his brother’s coiffure its signature look. An idle thought wondered if GQ, which had featured the fourth Tracy on its cover a few months back, knew this ‘highly technical’ method of getting hair to stay in that style.

“Hey, Scott.” It was said with fake joviality and a tremor of worry.

“I just wanted to say thank you.”

That threw his little brother and Scott permitted an internal smile at his confused reaction. Wasn’t often he got one up on Gordon.

“What?”

“For looking after Virgil.”

Gordon’s expression retreated and he looked down at the water he was floating in for just a moment. “Oh.”

“Thank you for monitoring him and making sure he didn’t do anything stupid.”

“Eh, ah, what a bros for?”

“While I understand why you both did what you did, don’t ever do it again.”

Something must have flashed in his eyes because, Gordon startled before regaining his facade of calm. Though there was none of his usual amusement on his face.

“Fine. I can understand why you see it that way.” He looked up and scoffed. “And I can see why you chose this moment to approach me, as if you weren’t taller than me already.” Gordon’s frown narrowed. “But you should realise that any of us will do what is necessary to protect a brother and I would most certainly do what I did again.”

The fish’s glare was stubborn and as volatile as it could be.

Scott smiled just a little.

“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.” And with that Scott turned away, heading towards the kitchen and ignoring the stunned expression on his little brother’s face.

It was time to fly.

-o-o-o-

FIN.