#anyone else following e3?

[luckyyyduckyyy]

CHEEZY LET ME HOOK YA UP-

sun who is good at pretending. sun who is good at pretending. grips head. sun who is good at pre

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

New Soul 1

Warnings: age gap, Auggy being a mean mean man, other dark elements. As usual, be mindful of your content consumption.

Ft. August Walker

I also beg of you to leave me some tuppence in the form of a comment and/or reblog. You are cherished!

Enjoy, my loverlies.

You’ve never been good in a crowd. You avoid them with a vengeance. Just as you avoid most people. That’s the old you. You’re breaking out of your bubble, or trying to. 

It’s hard breaking old habits. Harder even not to fall into lifelong doubts. You don’t belong. Everyone’s looking and laughing at you. 

Your mom’s voice rings in your head. Don't worry, honey, everyone else is just trying to get where they need to go too. They’re just as stressed as you. You hope she’s right. If they do feel like you, they won’t care about the tiny woman scurrying around with her bouncing suitcase. They won’t notice the frantic way you gnaw on your lip or pick at your fingernails. 

You look back over your shoulder. Your mom couldn’t come past the security checks with you. Now you’re on your own and as lost as you probably look. 

You turn and squeak to a halt in your sneaks, barely avoiding a collision with a man in a suit. You step back and crane your head up to see him. He’s a lot taller than you. Most people are at least a couple inches above you but he’s bigger than most. Not just tall but burly. 

“Sorry, sir,” you murmur. You step back as you take in his sheer size. He scowls back at you, his mustache curling with his lip. 

You gulp and step out of his way. Your bag jumps behind you as it rolls over his toe. Oops. 

“Sorry, er, again.” 

“Watch it.” His salty snarl follows you as you clamour away. 

You find your way to a blank space against the wall, just between the ATMs. You take a breath and exhale your nerves. It only stokes them. You focus on what your mom said. 

You’ll be okay, honey. If you need help, there’s lots of people around who can. Just ask one of the staff. 

You look around, searching out the white uniforms of the airport employees. There are those behind their podium like desks checking boarding passes but the lines of passengers have been called up. You’re just waiting your turn. You don’t want to bother anyone more than you need to. 

There are security guards in their dark sweaters. You hope one of them can get you where you need to go. You bend your boarding pass against your passport as your other hand sweatily sticks to the handle of your used suitcase. 

You approach one of the men with his arms crossed and a radio on his shoulder, “sorry, sir, hate to bug you but er... I’m looking for.... E3?” 

You show your pass and the broad man squints down at the lettering. He nods.  

“Down past me, take a left. Sign’s right above you,” he explains without moving an inch. 

“Oh,” you peer around him, leaning to the side, “thank you.” 

You swerve around him and follow his direction as best as you can. You go in a circle before you find your way but finally reach E3. As you do, your flight is called up for boarding. You sit and wait as those in need of assistance and families with young children at queued first. 

You grip the handle of your bag and jitter your leg. What are you doing? It’s too late to turn back. That hardly reassures you. As much as you want to break the gloom, as much as you want to learn to stand on your own, you’re terrified. You can’t do this. 

Your eyes catch another pair among those waiting in the seats. That same man you ran into earlier. He doesn’t look any more friendly than before. You avert your gaze and stand as the next boarding group is called. You’re up. 

As you drag your bag towards the forming line, the tall man in his suit does the same. You slow as you reach the tail of the queue at the same time. You nod and let him go ahead. He huffs and put his back to you.  

You bounce up on your toes and flat again. You keep up the nervous rocking as you wait. The man in the suit sighs repeatedly. 

You stare at the tailored fabric of his suit. He must be first-class. He knows where he’s going and what he’s doing. You envy him but then again, if you were big like him, you might be more confident yourself. 

Flimsy excuses. That's what your mom said too. Don't talk yourself out of an opportunity because you’re afraid. This is a huge opportunity. A whole new country!  

A whole new country. Your heart plummets again and your heels hit the floor. The man shifts to glare over his shoulder. You stop and stand flat, shuffling up behind him. 

He hands over his boarding pass as he reaches the front. You focus and listen in, rehearsing for your own turn. ‘Hi, yes, here is my ticket and my passport. Thank you.’ He’s waved through and you step up.

You drop your ticket and boarding pass and your bag tips over as you let go to scoop it all up. You're mortified to speechlessness. You stay silent and watch the clerk.

Your face is on fire as you stand and hand it all over. The woman checking the tickets smiles and scans you in. She gives it back, “have a good flight, miss.” 

You grab your bag and continue on. You cringe at yourself and follow the directions of the uniformed staff pointing you into the tunnel. It’s only the beginning. You still have to show your visa at customs when you land and find your way to your dorm building. After that there’s all that other stuff; classes, dorm mates, strangers... 

Why did you do this? It’ll help you grow up. Is that you or your mom answering? 

[sunflowerchester]

It's week 2 of A Sam Girl Retrospective and this week your host, Audree, is joined by guest host, Vic (@peanutbutterandbananasandwichs)! They discuss the next two epsiodes of season 1 and all the wonderful elements that make the early seasons so special. Be sure to find visuals for this episode on our Instagram, including graphics showing the break down of how we rate these episodes. 

Acknowledgement: Episode 2 of Supernatural does deal with a creature from indigenous lore and we want to be sensitive to that. I've included a link discussing how to be respectful if writing your own story, should you decide to include one. We also want to acknowledge that the show may not have been as sensitive in how it included this creature, so I've added a chapter break in case anyone would like to skip past our discussion straight to "Dead In the Water."

E2 discussion begins at 9:10 E3 discussion begins at 43:16

Thank you to Tumblr user eruthiawenluin for talking through concerns about this with us! We definitely want the podcast to be accessible to everyone. 

Writing With Color on Tumblr

Episode Resources:

The rosery beads post Vic mentions

The terrifying moment the ghost boy looks above the water line

Fangasm

Sam Winchester Caps 

Find us on all platforms!

Follow us on IG for visuals and updates. Follow us on Tiktok for clips and memes.

Subscribe to the show on:Apple Spotify Youtube Patreon And anywhere else you listen to podcasts!

[very-straight-blog]

This might sound funny and cringey, but I feel like I lost something I cared about and now it's just sadness and depression. Like it's a TV show, I get it, but we waited 2 years and for what? To get the two worst episodes imaginable. I'm really starting to believe that Sapochnik was responsible for everything good in s1, bcz Condal and Hess ruined this show. S1 wasn't perfect and I didn't like a lot of things in it, but it still managed to keep me invested so I hoped that in s2 everything would be improved. And yet, I'm so terribly disappointed. Alicent's characterization makes no sense anymore, like they want so badly to show her as a bad mother and a hypocrite and really - after ruining bnc with Alicole sex now it had to follow with her not being able to console her son but hoping on Criston is a must do?? What sort of degenerates write this??

Aemond is also ruined for me and I would love to erase that crappy brothel scene from my memory. What was it for? To show his mommy issues, vulnerability... Idc. The dialogue was bad and they did him dirty with the angles and the pose. And now he's apparently going to be there *again* in e3 and we'll get full frontal nudity. Idk why the actor agreed to this since they are obviously making a joke and meme material of his character. Not to mention that he straight up lied in the promos about being loyal (if the RR leaks are true and I'm almost 100% sure they are). I get that they are told what to say, but a more general answer would have been much better than a lie. In brief, one of my favourite s1 characters is also destroyed.

Then Cole. My god, I only waithig for him to look at the camera and say "do you hate me enough already hahah?" He's the writers punching bag atp.

Helaena barely exists.

Otto is Viserys' fanboy and ofc, appalled by his grandson. It's not as he just has lost a son and was forced to take the crown in the first place by him and his mother, no less.

Aegon got more screentime and I love Tom's performance, but I'm not fooled. He is still depicted as weak, politically inept and rash. And he'll still be a bully, apparently. Just to justify his brother's treason. F*ck you Condal, Hess and whoever else is responsible for this mess.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I just don't get how anyone can seriously praise this shitshow anymore. It could have been great, but the creators are obviously not up to the task which is now painfully obvious. I wouldn't mind the greens as villains, but don't write them as a walking joke. I'm quitting the show and would like just to forget about it. This adaptation of the Dance was a huge mistake.

I feel you! By the way, I haven't participated in any fandom life, I think, for 10 years or more, but thanks to HOTD, I started this blog, I write some critical (well, kinda) reviews, and English isn't even my native language. I've been waiting for the second season for two years and now I just feel tired and empty. So far, the only thing I've liked about these two episodes is Aegon's storyline, that's all. Everything else is bad, very bad, and judging by the leaks, it'll be even worse.

Firstly, the series has a very strange pace of the narrative. We didn't get a bunch of important plot scenes, and even those that remained were shown in a hurry, but at the same time we have many scenes like "Rhaenyra stares at the dust for three minutes", unnecessary dialogues and PAUSES between lines.

Secondly, again, an insane amount of important plot details are left behind the scenes and this is absolutely wrong. Aemond's return home, the family's reaction to what he did. Aegon's reaction when he learned of his son's death. Aemond's reaction when he finds out what his actions have led to. And so on and so forth. Many of the characters' actions are shown without context. Alicent fucks with Criston - cool, but can I have some additional information? How long has this been going on, what feelings do they have for each other, how have they developed, like, anything? The same can be said about the scene in the brothel - no context.

Thirdly, it's unclear what's going on with the characters, as if the screenwriters decided to make the greens the most unpleasant people in the world. So far, I only like Aegon and Helaena. I can't even say anything about Aemond, because his only dialogue scene is built around Daemon and Luke, damn them. I just can't.

Everything annoys me except Aegon lol. So yes, I understand you.

[jtl07]

jt (finally) watches warrior nun - s1 e3 (pt 2)

First off, thanks to everyone who's been following along, especially reblogs - it's nice to know I'm not talking (too) crazy lol

Now onto the hug™ and the hallway scene! The more I look into these scenes, the more I love them and the more intrigued I am with the characters (especially Beatrice, of course).

For the hug™ scene, the thing that stood out to me was this idea of instincts in the body, and how sometimes our consciousness gets in the way. There's an interesting parallel between Ava stuck in the wall and the embrace: Ava gets stuck in the wall when her consciousness catches up with her, Bea pauses in the embrace when her consciousness catches up with her. Both were running (Ava literally) on instinct until those moments hit.

What I didn't know going into this episode - again because I've only seen clips and fanvids prior to this - was how Ava was Beatrice's singular focus in this scene. From the moment we see Beatrice and Vincent enter, she's locked onto Ava:

She glances once at Mother Superion but it's very quick; she sees nothing but Ava. Then as soon they have some semblance of privacy, she reaches out to Ava - and actually initiates contact. Additionally, it looks like she was ready for the embrace - when Ava turns towards her, her left arm comes up to receive her:

These actions all make me think that Beatrice was running on instinct here. Curious as to what made her brain catch up (or rather, her subconscious conditioning of shame et al to catch up) - maybe it was how completely trusting Ava was? How it wasn't just a lean but a full embrace? Or maybe it was that her touch was reciprocated in general? Huh maybe that's it - for someone who's been taught to hate herself, to have someone who not only accepts but trusts so completely, that definitely would have been a brain-glitching experience.

Also, can we talk about how Ava just completely trusts Beatrice here? Just moments before this, Mother Superion was rebuking Ava about her lack of trust. And yet here in this moment of pain and vulnerability, she allows herself to break down, not just in front of Beatrice but in her arms. I just - that's mindblowing to me.

This also reinforces to me the importance of the cafeteria scene - I don't think this would have been possible without it. This moment builds on top of that foundation (and then the hallway scene cements it or whatever the term is - why did I choose this analogy lol) and the fact that it's non-verbal is deeply meaningful as well, for both of them as they've not experienced a lot of gentleness.

SO MANY FEELSSSSS

Okay finally made it to the hallway scene - though side note: Does anyone else wonder how they separated from that embrace? Like, did Ava run, embarrassed? Did Bea try to comfort her? Maybe it was the former because Bea is the one who comes looking for her, and gosh how tentative she was in approaching, giving space literally and physically. And then when Ava speaks, immediately freezing, one foot on that step.

But what I really love here is how Bea's response is belief, trust. "Okay," she says, then goes into a sort of investigative mode, which is both a sign of "hey I'm on your side" and also Beatrice legitimately wanting to know, to help. As in, she doesn't ask, "what makes you think that" or try to convince Ava to think differently. "I believe you" is the subtext throughout this whole scene, and it feels like this whole scene is Beatrice trying so hard to make Ava believe that - this time in words.

And what's one of the ways she tries to get Ava to believe that she believes her? Through humor. Bea knows that Ava uses humor as a way to cope, but hasn't actually witnessed much of Ava's jokes. The only instance was, again, that scene in the cafeteria. (I wonder though if Lilith talked about Ava’s irreverence. In the cafeteria scene, you can see that there's conversation taking place all around Beatrice but she's not actually part in any of it - but I'm willing to bet she's someone who is listening to everything)

The thing with humor though, is that it's risky. Especially with someone new. From what we've seen of her so far, Beatrice doesn't seem like someone who takes risks unnecessarily (I say "seem" because my thoughts on that started to change in the next episode, which I'll talk about in the next post), so my thought here is that she's letting herself run on instinct here. And really, it's an extension again of the cafeteria scene. Yes, she started out cold there but when Ava got down on herself and says “I’m not her, you know,” Bea's immediate reaction was to reassure. The same here: She reassures with Ava with that initial "okay," again with her quiet, "perhaps the medical report was wrong" - and then that gentle, "don't let her get to you." She then follows that up with not only the sharing of Cruella DeJesus but also "I may have started it."

It's the last admission that really gets me. She didn't have to share that, and yet she did - as a moment of levity, of solidarity, and dare I say, pride. And I feel like it also is binds them with another connection: being able to find some bit of joy in a shitty situation, and through something not exactly appropriate. We see here a sort of hint of Beatrice's ability to be mean, to be angry, which I feel like the next episodes start to tap into more.

Also can I say just how young Beatrice seems here? Not just the giving of a mean nickname, but the way she smiles and leans in - like a little kid who's too eager to tell you a secret.

And then we get the reward of Ava laughing despite herself - but not only that, we get Ava who feels safe enough to be vulnerable, to ask, "Do you believe me?" And gosh, again this is just after Mother Superion was admonishing Ava about trust, here we have Ava trusting Beatrice again, trusting her enough to ask that question. I've always thought this was a lovely scene but it's incredibly gentle in context with everything else.

Can we also take a moment to appreciate how entranced Beatrice is by Ava's small smile? I found myself smiling alongside Beatrice while also being entranced by her at the same time:

(First: Ava's "thank you," Second: Bea noticing her expression, Third: Bea's "what?")

The thing with Beatrice here, she didn't have to go into any of her past with Ava. She could've dropped it. In fact, she takes a breath and holds it for a brief moment before talking about her parents (2:04 here) - it's different from the breath she takes before talking about how she took her vows young (1:55 here). There's a definite moment of hesitance, as if she started to speak then was going to take it back, then continues on. Again very small but a very nice touch, brilliantly acted by KTY.

The next moment that I love is the "I guess it kind of stuck" line - for me, this reminds me of the "I had a feeling she’d be a handful" line in ep 2. In that write up, I noted that line because of her making light of a shitty situation while also subtly kinda putting her own self down. She does the exact same thing here. And in her own way, she's also being vulnerable - and Ava, observant, smart Ava, notices. And yknow, I think it's because they have that similar joking coping mechanism that Ava knew to look closely, to be ... not "suspicious" because there's no danger, but rather to care, because she knows that kind of humor is there to hide pain.

(Ooh, maybe that's also part of why Bea chided her in the cafeteria scene? Because she recognized it in her own self?? Man, everything just goes back to that cafeteria scene)

I'll close this rambling post with a note about the small smiles Beatrice has - I mentioned it in the part 1 write up but KTY seems to have this habit of giving this little small pursed lips sort of smile when Ava seems to lose faith in herself. We saw it in the cafeteria when Ava says "It just isn't me," then in the hallway when she says "no one believes me anyway." Oh and actually, she does one before Ava speaks too (very hard to capture but it's there):

A part of me thinks that last one was just a tick, not a conscious choice on KTY's part, but it's interesting to note nonetheless - something of sympathy, of wanting to reassure.

Oh I lied I have one more thing - Bea's last line of "There's always more." I've always loved it because of the inherent truth in it and how it sounds like not just an admission but also a promise - a promise that she'll explain it eventually, if Ava gives her time. But what's added an extra layer is again the context of this scene with the cafeteria scene. Bea says in the cafeteria, "We all have a past, Ava; secrets that are ours alone." This line, "There's always more," is both an extension of it and yet a prophetic contradiction: Bea will eventually share her secret with Ava, and she won't be alone.

Alright this is a good enough place to stop - lots to think about for the next couple episodes, plus an attempt to "rewrite" 5 and 6, similar to my rewrite ponderings for episode 3. Let me know what you think if you'd like, otherwise, stay tuned for more rambling lol

[the-chessboard-is-personal]

tpot

I was going to put an easy way for you to skip the Yoylechess analysis but actually you don't get one because. come on, you're reading a liveblog. you're a nerd too.

(/silly)

ep2 34:56 - I knew it. I knew that was going to happen ep2 36:06 - what is Two writing.

ep3 20:53 - woahh double elimination

ep4 0:04 - CHESS MENTIONED. the need to analyze this chess variant as much as possible is,.rising

ep4 3:05 - yo that Cake at Stake song!

ep4 7:39 - CHESS MENTIONED (again). if anyone mentions chess One more time I won't wait until the end of the episode to make a comprehensive compilation of everything that is known about Yoylechess

ep4 8:00 - what. the. the what. THE WHAT ??? actually. hold on. ...hey I have a theor[I glitch out of existence right before I hit the ground]

ep4 11:28 - Yoylechess is played on a red and white 8x8 board, usually on top of a life-threatening rollercoaster. The pieces are green and purple, with one player playing as the green side and the other as the purple side.

here is a 3D mockup of a Yoylechess board. I will not be making the pieces oh what the fuck

.anyway

as opposed to chess, it doesn't matter which color of square is in the lower-right corner upon starting a game of Yoylechess. (confirmed episode 4, 11:11 where a light square was present as opposed to the dark square they were using before) we get a really good visual of each individual piece at exactly 0:40, but only one of the piece names, the FreeSmart Supervan, is known. with this knowledge, I will give temporary names to the other pieces until the real names are known.

the "Yoylepawn". at the very beginning of episode 4, Pillow can be seen moving a purple Yoylepawn to a4*, but it's unknown where the piece was moved from. This makes a few possibilities, any or all of which could be true or false: - Yoylepawns can move to red squares. - Yoylepawns can move to squares on the A file*. - (requires assumption) Yoylepawns can move forward.

the "Yoylebishop". nothing is known about this piece.

the "Yoyleknight". nothing is known about this piece, including whether or not its facing direction is relevant to gameplay.

the FreeSmart Supervan. the real name of this piece is known, although it has an improper name of "truck piece". it is unknown whether or not the facing direction of this piece is relevant to gameplay. at 11:23 of episode 4, Cake is seen moving a FreeSmart Supervan from h3* to e3*, implying one or multiple of the following: - the FreeSmart Supervan can move horizontally. - the FreeSmart Supervan can move left. - the FreeSmart Supervan can move from white squares to red squares.

the "Yoyle Needy". nothing is known about this piece.

the "Yoyle Tower". nothing is known about this piece.

according to Pillow, it is against the rules of Yoylechess to question the rules of Yoylechess. however, as I doubt the legality of the move Pillow made at 0:42 of episode 4, I will mark anything known only through Pillow stating it in red, for "potentially a lie".

according to Cake, after the move at 0:42 of episode 4, all of her pieces were on "the weakest squares". this implies one or multiple things from this list: - the optimal placement of pieces is closest to the opponent. - the optimal placement of pieces is in the center of the board. - Cake's pieces are on their home squares, and pieces are somehow weaker on their home squares. - throughout the game, pieces have traveled to those squares many times, making the squares themselves weak. - something else

Pillow's multi-piece move at 11:45 of episode 4 implies one of two things: - players can move multiple pieces a turn, including their opponent's - Pillow cheats at Yoylechess

there is some form of a points system in Yoylechess that is different from the points system in chess, however it is unknown how a player gains or loses points.

*as notated in chess.

and I found this post in r/chessvariants

oh, also. I made this. I mighht be going insane

and that's everything I know about Yoylechess so far! anyway, back to 𝕥𝕙𝕖

ep4 15:45 - what the FUCK.

ep5 3:44 - where do eliminated contestants go??

ep5 11:26 - ohh that would be a fun bumper cars style game

ep6 0:45 - augh I haven't even PLAYED dnd before and that hurt me. also why are you rolling A D6??

ep6 16:07 The Stanley Parable does this I thgink

ep7 1:10 - huh. this is the second time someone other than Two caused the intro to start

ep7 26:47 - hmm.... but what is DRESLAND AM... and why did Eraser say it was familiar..

ep7 30:14 - what the fuck is over there w4hat the4FUC4K i4s 4ov4e4r4th4er44e4

ep8 20:23 - hey wait didn't that say vote for who you want eliminated last time

ep9 27:32 - HUH?? WHAT???? MORE NUMBERS????? and. and they're aliens. number..aliens. numbaliens? no wait what about X. math..aliens? mathtians? like "math martians"? uhh. whatever THEY'RE FROM THE MOON???????

ep10 1:00 - nice moon hole. I See You

ep10 3:30 - every time I see that intro I just think about like. what if there was an object show where whenever someone got eliminated they were no longer in the intro. that would be a cool detail right? but. I have way too many projects..I can't make an object show! no!! hrgghhghggghghhgrhghrgrhhgh[a folder appears in my computer's Series folder called "object show placeholder name"]ghrggh- uh oh

ep10 5:57 - so every good object show needs..a massive plot twist at the end, a season with no winner, strange divided episode order, and.....a Taco? oh- uh. I rnean. holy shit BOOK'S NIGHTMARE IS ABOUT ENDING UP JUST LIKE TACO!!!!!

ep10 9:48 - ohh so that's Robot Flower's nightmare. completely fair tbh that's my nightmare too

ep10 27:52 - evil leafy. also. is- is Goikys And Dragons really, REALLY played with a d6???? like. what would these guys DO if someone showed them a d20.

ep10 29:07 - I like how Price Tag's face is the "[D]" in the voting screen ep10 29:27 - woah. wh- that cloud is 1.

ep11 7:15 - so 4 is...less powerful in their head than outside? that's. strange and unusual

ep11 20:05 - WHO. WAS THAT SOME WEIRD DISTORTED SCREECH

ep12 2:04 - what is That ep12 3:42 - SPEEEEEEEN

ep12 9:36 - ah yes, team 𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝇓𝇓. wonderful name, right up there with [eight names at once]

ep12 13:13 - ?? Yellow Face is a portal??? ep12 15:03 - uh oh.

ep12 19:10 - Four what the hell are you doing. FOUR. WHAT ARE YOU DOING

ep13 0:0- wait a minute this isn't episode 13 EPISODE 12 WAS THREE MONTHS AGO?? AUGH why are none of the object shows I ever watch finished when I start watching them?? sigh.. guess I'll just rewatch a bit when the next one comes out.

the last 5 videos in the playlist are just the previous seasons right

[the-shining-river]

Karen’s relationships and priorities, DD S1

I’m rewatching DD S1, and some posts about Karen’s relationship with Matt got me thinking about her priorities and interests.

In this podcast DD S3 writer Erik Oleson talks (starting from around 14:00 mark) about Karen’s feelings of guilt and how it has kinda prevented her from forming real romantic attachments, but I think it’s also that... she doesn’t trust easily.

In S1 we also see how Matt and Foggy—two people she would like to build a closer romantic or platonic relationship with—periodically shut her out because of some other shit going on with them. At the same time, Karen is so passionate about things she believes in, and so dead-ass focused on other stuff; and if she doesn’t trust or want other people involved (to keep them safe), or if they’ve left her hanging, she’ll just go ahead and do it alone. First, it’s about her survival past the framing and the attack in the prison, then the stuff with the Union Allied NDA agreement, then investigating the truth with Ben Urich, then getting real invested in helping Mrs Cardenas. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for dating, even if she was in the headspace to go out and actively look for romance.

More details and receipts under the cut.

.

In S1, Karen is initially distrustful of the two lawyers, wondering about their motives and also not wanting to endanger them, preferring to do things by herself. She doesn’t tell either Matt or Foggy about the Union Allied file she stole, she doesn’t consult them about the Union Allied non-disclosure agreement, doesn’t share about going to that auction where she bought all that unnecessary office equipment.

Instead, Karen, on her own, seeks out Daniel’s widow to find out what others in her position have done about the NDA and possibly find an ally; and then she goes to Ben Urich—supposedly someone with experience in handling this sort of dangerous information.

Because she doesn’t trust anyone else. Because good people get dead because of her.

Karen and Foggy have bonded over that night of drinking in E2 and helping Mrs Cardenas in E5, and I can believe that they are actually friends. Even if Foggy, for a while, has a crush on Karen, while she simply doesn’t seem to feel the chemistry, and it’s awkward for a bit, they get over it and continue being friends.

But not Karen and Matt. Past that little bit of bonding talk when she was staying in Matt’s apartment that first night, and throughout her being busy with all her other stuff, Karen and Matt’s relationship doesn’t seem to progress beyond being coworkers and allies.

The way Matt in E3 only asks her to not have any more long lunches, it feels like he treats her simply as his employee. And in E5 when Karen has charged the auctioned office equipment to the law firm, her first concern is getting her ass fired, not how she’s gonna explain it to the guys on a personal vs professional level.

There is some attraction, a crush on Matt from Karen’s side (I think she has a bit of a competence kink too) that comes out when Matt gives cool speeches or speaks fluent Spanish to Mrs Cardenas. In E5, Foggy mentions to her how Matt always gets involved with the wrong girl, and Karen IS curious, asking about his dating habits and the face touching. She also has that cute flustered smile on her face when she calls Matt while Foggy is in the hospital following the explosions in E6. But they’re not friends, and whatever crush Karen has on Matt, it’s low-key enough that it doesn’t seem to impact her priorities or her work in the office, it’s not informing her decisions.

One of the reasons why it’s not really going anywhere is that every time Karen brings up something that is important to her (the truth about Union Allied, or helping Mrs Cardenas), Matt’s response is kinda dismissive, or it’s the bare minimum effort. If he then goes and does something about it as Daredevil, Karen doesn’t know that. Mrs Cardenas’ case gets delegated to Foggy while Matt continues following his Daredevil leads on Fisk. Even when asked about what he thinks about the Daredevil being painted a terrorist, Matt jokes and avoids answering her, and then gives a careful, lawfully neutral reply to Foggy:

“What happened to Hell’s Kitchen, to you and to Elena, and to all the people that were hurt, yeah, it pisses me off. But this man, whoever he is, whatever his motive, he shouldn’t be tried and convicted in the press. We’re lawyers, we know that’s not how it’s supposed to work.”

Foggy suspects something is going on with Karen, suspects she has secrets, but Matt is not even particularly interested. “Everyone has secrets,” he says before returning to his research on Leland (and lying that it’s about the tenement case), whereas Foggy’s reaction to being discovered following her is plain honest and straightforward: “You were acting weird. I was worried about you!” — because that’s what friends do, they pay attention and they worry.

Karen and Foggy order the Nelson & Murdock sign together. They investigate the construction workers together, while Matt is off in the art gallery investigating Vanessa. She apparently poses for a silly picture for Foggy (see the caller ID when Karen calls him in E10). When Mrs Cardenas dies in E9, it’s Foggy Karen turns to for a comforting hug, ends up sitting the wake with him at Josie’s after Matt leaves.

While still having that crush on Matt in E8 (because feelings aren’t always neat and logical), Karen knows him well enough by then to have pretty realistic expectations regarding his reactions. When Foggy mentions that they should tell Matt about them investigating Union Allied, Karen’s clear position is that they shouldn’t, because he will be against it:

“Matt wouldn’t understand. You know what he would say. [..]That we’re being stupid.”

And then, Matt does exactly that. He dismisses Karen’s trust in Ben Urich, says she’s been acting like a kid, that they need to be “smart about this”. The message Karen gets is that all the work she and Foggy have put into their research while he was away doing... personal (Daredevil) stuff, apparently is anything but “smart”, and only Matthew Murdock can do it in a smart way (It’s an understandable overprotective reaction from Matt, considering he just rescued a beaten up Claire who was kidnapped because of him, but again — Karen has no idea where he’s coming from, and he’s not explaining).

Matt strong-arms them into playing it safe, and for a guy who was pretty chill about “everyone having secrets”, he kinda goes off about Foggy having followed Karen and them both getting into trouble, and then he shuts them both down and starts making decisions like he’s in charge, not like he’s an equal member of their team. And they somehow let him. Because Matt has this confidence about him. The air of leadership.

Matt: “I don’t want anyone to be a hero, Karen. I want you to be safe. And I want to protect this firm and everything we’re trying to build here. We know the law. We’ll use that to our advantage. Agreed?”

Foggy: “Do we have a choice?”

Matt: “Not so much.”

Karen doesn’t believe the law would solve this, but she agrees to work with Matt—whatever gets the case solved, because it’s so important to her, and because he is a highly intelligent lawyer.

She’s still kinda bitter in E9 when Ben comes to the law office and meets Matt officially (”Matt Murdock, attorney-at-why-the-hell-bother”), but she gets flustered and smiling when she and Matt are left alone in the office. It feels like, chafing as she is under Matt’s unilateral decision to run things by the book, that take-charge attitude is also something that appeals to Karen, at that point. I think it makes her feel safe, that he’s willing to take control of all this mess, even if Matt admits he’s making it all up as he goes.

So it feels... definitely not straightforward. There’s an attraction and a liking, from Karen’s side, and an admiration for Matt’s intelligence and strong beliefs, his goodness; but there’s also frustration with his commitment to the law and the way he tends to make unilateral decisions instead of discussing things with her and Foggy.

In terms of relationships, it feels like she’s actually the closest to Ben, at that point. They share a passion for uncovering the truth, they both see the world in terms of stories to tell. (”All the people here, all the years that they’ve lived, there must be so many stories,” she gushes to Ben when they visit the nursing home.) He’s her mentor, the brave, experienced champion for justice that Karen has so much to learn from (including being careful).

In E10, we even see Karen opening up to Ben emotionally, a bit, and that’s not something Karen Page does often:

“There's nothing worse... Feeling choices are made for us. There's nothing you can do, but swim in shit and hope you don't get too much in your mouth.”

I suppose, talking about his wife’s illness and why he didn’t tell her (”Saying it means it’s true”) struck a chord. Karen knows from personal experience how “We all have things we hold onto for ourselves, that we don’t want anyone to know”.

.

So yeah, I’m not sure where Karen’s attraction to Matt comes from. They’re not open with each other; Matt the lawyer doesn’t show any particular interest in her causes; and he makes unilateral decisions when the three should be a team.

During the wake for Mrs Cardenas in E9, they talk a bit, Matt mentions he’s Catholic, and Karen says she's not religious—a personal subject outside of their established boss/secretary boundaries. She even tries to comfort him (”Fisk will get what he deserves. You have to believe that.”), but she just spends so much more quality time with Foggy or even Ben than she does with Matt.

But maybe Matt’s aloofness and unavailability is another thing that attracts her to him. Maybe that she finds him more conventionally handsome than Foggy? The way he’s more confident? And, yeah, maybe for Karen he feels safer, finally a good boyfriend material, considering her dating history in Vermont?

It feels like Karen’s dynamic with Matt changes in E11 when she’s faced with the most glaring evidence that Matt’s lying to her about something big. There’s disappointment. A realisation that Matt never trusted her after she lied about the Union Allied pension file, and so maybe it’s her own fault that her budding feelings were never returned (not that she regrets keeping him and Foggy safely out of it).

It ends in Matt’s stubborn silence and Karen’s sad disappointment. But at the same time, it feels like the first real glimpse she has of him, without the rose-tinted glasses. The way she approaches and touches his face, she acts like his equal, not his employee with a crush. Even if Matt’s response right after she updates him on her findings is to issue her tasks and instructions—to go to the office, contact Foggy. He obviously cares about her (her safety), but he still treats her as his subordinate, to some extent. Or as some kind of a passive object for him to keep safe (also the way Matt just tells Foggy to “Get her home” in E13 despite Karen’s protests that they’re not leaving him.)

In any case, when Karen had tried calling him, when Karen had wanted to tell him what she was doing going to the nursing home, Matt simply hadn’t been picking up.

And then Foggy doesn’t pick up either, and doesn’t show up at the office and refuses to talk about it. Both lawyers are shutting her out, her relationships suddenly not as solid as she had believed them to be, the law practice hanging by the thread, and Karen is upset and freaking out, and the only thing remaining steadfast is her desire to bring down Fisk. Even with Ben she hits a rough patch after she has tricked him into going to the nursing home, but at least they hash it out and move on.

Then Wesley meets the wrong end of his gun, and Karen feels so alone. This is a Very Bad Thing that has happened, and she doesn’t dare tell anyone.

She can’t sleep, goes to the office, meets Foggy and rightfully gives him shit about not picking up when she calls and just pretending to care about what’s going on with her.

But, like with Ben, they hash it out. Foggy can’t give her the answers she wants, so Karen backs down and instead just directly asks what she needs, that “it would be really nice not to be alone” in the office as they deal with Fisk. Foggy apologises and promises that he will be around and keep working on Fisk’s case and that he won’t be ignoring her calls. This is Karen stating her emotional needs. This is Karen compromising! This is how she is fighting her loneliness, telling people in no uncertain terms what actions they can take to make her feel better (show up at the office and pick up the damn phone), and honestly I just love her for it.

(later, in TP S1, we also see this with Frank—he’s not telling her about Kandahar and doesn’t want her involved, so, as a compromise, she asks to see him again so she knows he’s okay, and he agrees)

With Ben it’s also important that he’s the only one who has managed to unearth Karen’s past, and that, knowing all that, he still cares about her. He understands her fear of other people discovering it, and understands her frustration from her inability to publish the story herself our of a fear she’d be discredited. Ben goes along with her urging and pushing him after Wesley in E12, because getting the truth out there is so important to her, and so he gets one of those wonderful Karen hugs.

When Matt, coming from Madame Gao’s heroin warehouse in E12, says he “can’t do it alone”, that he “can’t take another step”, it powerfully echoes with Karen’s own recent feelings of being alone while being caught in Matt and Foggy’s drama, only whatever has happened to Matt is obviously so much worse than what Karen is/was experiencing. So Matt gets a hug too. Hugs and involvement compromises are Karen’s love language.

Karen really, really doesn’t do well with being shut out of conversations and relationships (wonder where that trauma might have come from...). In E13, she legit basks in the atmosphere when the avocados figure their shit out and all three start working together again.

“It’s the way it should be. [..] Nelson and Murdock.”

And in the end:

Foggy: Now everybody knows what kind of asshole Fisk really is.

Karen: And we are the ones that made it happen, the three of us.

And in the very very end of S1 when Fisk is put away for real this time, I love how the three of them are joking and bantering like a team, like equals. Even if there’s still a crush happening (Karen gets all flustered the moment Foggy leaves to meet up with Marci, leaving her with Matt), it also feels like they’re all on a much more level footing, and that there’s some real actual flesh to Karen’s relationship with Matt, ambiguous as it may be.

The way he finally asks about what it was that he has been hearing in her voice, Karen finally knows that Matt cares about her as a person too, not just someone to keep safe.

Matt: I thought whatever it was, whatever’s been... I thought it would get better once Fisk was put away, but... it hasn’t, has it?

Karen: We put him away, yeah. But it won’t bring back Elena or Ben, or erase what we’ve been through, or... what we’ve had to do to get here.

Matt: Yeah. A lot of decisions I’d give anything to go back and change. But I can’t. None of us can. It’s like I told Foggy, all we can do is move forward, together.

That little dialogue is a beautiful mix of ‘too little too late’ (Karen doesn’t have much of an incentive to tell anyone about Wesley if Fisk is put away and she’s safe), and Matt kinda opening up and offering his thoughts, and at the same time both are retreating into their own heads for a bit (each referencing something the other has no idea about).

The way Karen looks at him, with his extended hand, no flustering, for once, just this serious, penetrating gaze, like she sees him for the first time, that interpretation depends on your goggles I guess. She could be taking it as a confirmation that her interest is returned. Could be a sort of an olive branch, an apology for how he shut her out before. Could be both, why not. Either way, it looks like something solid, something real, and a new beginning or a levelup for Matt and Karen, and that’s beautiful.

TL;DR

So, in terms of Karen’s priorities in DD S1, I’d say she has a very passionate urge to unearth the truth and get justice done to the bad guys (through legal efforts or via the Daredevil). That’s her driving factor, everything else is pretty much secondary.

Emotionally, she definitely thrives in a group, among friends and allies sharing an open atmosphere. It’s interesting how she seems to make a distinction between telling lies and simply hiding things or lying by omission. Because she certainly does her own share of hiding things and not opening up to the people in her life about what’s going on with her, but she certainly wants to be able to trust what people say, and doesn’t do well at all when told something is not her business and to not get involved or that “nothing” is going on. Her own strategy is flying under the radar in all her unassuming blonde secretary glory, and in such way avoiding any interest for people to ask her questions in the first place. But if pestered (if anyone showed they cared enough), she might actually tell the truth. In return, if she has noticed something going on with other people, she expects to be told the truth, not just be shut out.

Being shut out just leads to Karen doing her thing anyway, but behind people’s backs. Because relationships are important, but not AS important as getting to the truth of the matter that she’s investigating. In case of S1 that’s Fisk, so Matt and his secrets simply get lucky. However, if a relationship is strong enough, Karen can and will push for some kind of a compromise regarding her involvement, taking into consideration how much shutting out she can take before the relationship suffers permanent damage.

If it’s not strong enough, she’ll chafe and silently disagree, and then go do her own thing in secret. So voicing her needs and compromising is a mark of a good relationship, in case of Karen Page.

And voicing this need for inclusion also seems the be the most emotionally open that she ever gets with anyone in S1. In case of Foggy, it might simply take more time for her to open up to him about her past, but the friendship feels solid there. With Matt, it’s a bumpy road, and learning that she can treat him like a friend and make demands of him, or offer comfort, that feels like the greatest milestone in her S1 relationship with Matt.

=========

Probably to be continued in Part II about DD S2 eventually..

[postsforposting]

The double yellow lines mean do not cross, no passing, and specifically on the side of the road like these are, no parking, stopping or standing or waiting because all that is dangerous in this area and you will cause a wreck. Metaphorically it means stay on your own side, no fraternizing, with threat of catastrophe. This season we see a lot of fraternizing though, so those warning lines get permeable, ie dirty and faded.

E6: Battle lines are drawn: everyone on their own side, heaven and hell calling everyone a traitor ready to go to war, only barely stopping that. Heaven eradicates the third side, leaving Crowley by himself, Beez and Gabriel are off on their own with zero care for anyone else, under threat and left alone only because everyone else is busy.

Sides are defended, but not completely impassable. There's some wiggle room if you're smart but you're taking a huge risk. Hence, clear lines but kinda dirty.

E5: Everything is hunky dory until hell shows up. Sides exist, but ehhhh. This is absolutely not how Crowley feels about it, so I don't think the lines have anything to do with him. I think it's based on Az's perception and defense of the shop. Not exactly a "welcome" sign, more like a warning, I suppose.

E4: Shax hitchhikes with Az and he flashes back to 1941 where Furfur tries to expose Crowley and him. Battle lines, but they did get away without consequences, so dirty battle lines.

E3: Az has his Clue and things are going Great, Muriel is not a threat and easily bamboozled. No lines until Shax shows up, but even then, she still can't get in. It's a problem but not enough of one Crowley won't help her out with the water heater. So, dirty lines, because some fraternizing is allowed. However, Az doesn't know about this at the time, so I think Soho and the environment is acting like the sentient Bentley and responding in its own way to defend him in absence. It can't move like the Bentley but it can tell people to fuck off and watch their step. It knows who's persona non grata.

E2: Az does not like heaven but he has beaten them before. He also can't directly be mean to them, so I think his fear of them is showing here in that he does want them to piss off, but he can't say that. Much like how Crowley's plants shake when Shax threatens him in the car, though Crowley himself shows no sign of that. When the angels are successfully fended off, Az relaxes and so does the street; lines are completely gone when he's got a plan made with Crowley. I do not have an explanation for why they pop up for a flash at the start of the "our car" scene then disappear; apprehension that Crowley will say no about the car or the fact he's asking him to move in? It's a scene out of order with the rest? Something else is going on that we don't know about? Being that the street hops from wet to dry suddenly, I would go with either out of order scenes and/or the something else.

E1: Sides are still a thing, though it's been four years with no word. The lines do show up super bright but slightly dirty while Jim is waltzing down the street naked, which tracks with a refugee from the other side jumping ship, and Az absolutely not wanting him but reluctantly taking him in anyway. There is a single, not a double, patchy yellow line in Crowley's alleyway scene after Az takes Jim inside--single means you're allowed to do stuff but there are restrictions, you have to ask. Fits with Az taking in Jim conditionally, he only allowed it because of circumstances and after talking to him. When Crowley comes to the coffee shop, the lines are less bright and more dirty, following Az's apparent decision to help Jim, with or without Crowley. The lines are even more faded and filthier as they leave the shop to go meet Jim. I can't tell if the lines aren't there or we just can't see them when they fully cross the street. Same level of dirty as Crowley does the lightning, possibly completely gone during the actual lightning? Show back up during a second of close up during the lightning, so I think they are just too faded to see during a farther back shot. No lines when Crowley gets back from being summoned to hell in the alley. Bright, solid, unblemished lines as Crowley is far from the shop driving back, where we see crosswalks and he changes the lights to green to allow his traffic and stop pedestrians. Very faded lines, almost invisible when he unlocks the coffee shop back at the shop.

A really random and boring observation about Good Omens

At this point I’m just spotting new weirdness every time I go looking for screenshots of the previous weirdness I was looking at.

This one is with the double yellow lines and how they fade in and out seemingly at random. I’ve tried to explain the inconsistency away, but this is a set not a real road and the lines shouldn’t do what they do. It’s also not due to water because although yellow lines on the road can show up more when the road is wet quite often the wet patches on the road in GO are right over where the lines should be and they are still really faint. If the lines were painted on they’ve either had to repaint them in order to make them inconsistent or the lines are CGI-ed (which I think they might be because sometimes they look like they aren’t quite real) and they are either making a mistake with the CGI or are deliberately brightening and dimming the lines.

Anyway here’s timeline of what I mean (under the cut):

Episode 1:

The double yellow lines are there. Also we are flown right under the car when Crowley arrives, which seems like an unnecessarily complicated camera move if they aren’t trying to draw attention to the road surface in some way.

Anyway the lines stick around at this level of brightness until the end of the episode.

Episode 2:

The angels arrive. The lines are quite patchy but I think brighter than before.

When Crowley and Aziraphale leave the pub the lines are very light to the point where you can’t see them at all behind the Bentley.

They’ve pretty much gone entirely when Crowley walks to the Bentley at the end of the episode during the “our car” scene.

Oh, but wait suddenly they’re super bright (and the street is much wetter).

And oops, they’ve gone again (and the street is dry).

Episode 3:

Jim looks out the window. Notice how the street is wet around the gutters where the lines should be but they aren’t there, so it’s not wet=the lines are brighter.

Aziraphale leaves and there’s a hint of the lines and the parking space on the left. This is the faintest they have been.

They sort of fade in a bit more as he drives away. This is what makes me think they are CGI.

Then we come to Shax visiting the bookshop, which happens later that day. Look at those lines now! The brightest they ever appear, on both sides of the road (and the space is clearly marked as well).

Episode 4:

The next day Aziraphale returns from Edinburgh to brightly painted lines although not as bright as they were the day before, especially not around the parking space which looks more worn and dirty than it should, particularly since the street is wet (and in combination with his bizarre parking I wrote about here this seems really odd to me).

Episode 5:

Crowley arrives before they invite people to the meeting and the lines are there but not as bright as in the Shax scene, although this might be due to the lighting, which is very bright here and might be washing them out.

We only get a few more brief glimpses, when Jim goes to jump out the window, when Ms Cheng heads to the ball and when Mrs Sandwich heads to the ball, which is the clearest example. Notice how the lines aren’t dirty at all here.

Episode 6:

The next time we really see the lines is all the way at the end of the series when Crowley takes Maggie and Nina out of the bookshop. They’re bright, but dirty and patchy (we saw them clean with Mrs Sandwich just a few hours before).

They stay bright when Aziraphale is leaving with the Metatron – look how clean they are again.

Then Crowley drives away and the lines are dirty and scuffed again.

Why might this be?

Well if the lines are painted on the set then some of the dirtiness and scuffing might just be due to the fact that the scenes will be filmed out of order and the constant moving of equipment, cars and people might have made them dirty over time. This doesn’t explain the times when the lines are barely there though. What might explain that is post production lighting, where they turn up the brightness of the scene so much it washes the lines out and no one worries about it because they aren’t an important detail. It could also be a CGI mistake where they are generating the lines post production and the software isn't quite generating them properly and doesn't know how much to darken/brighten them depending on how wet the road is and also varies the dirt and fading ebcause its generating them fresh for each new scene. I don't know enough about CGI to really comment on the likelihood of this!

I should add, I don’t like set wear as an explanation, in particular because it takes months of use and exposure to weather for yellow lines in real life to show that much wear and this is an indoor set so I don’t think it’s what’s happening.

I tried to fit in the brightness of the lines to in-world explanations such as whether Aziraphale is in the bookshop or not. Or how much danger is around at the time. Or whether there are demons present or not. None of those seemed to work, but I'm not very good at correlating things like that so maybe someone else could fit them into something. The only explanation I could come up with that fits is that it’s a mistake or time in the GO universe isn’t working properly. So basicallly this post was just to point out the weirdness. If someone else can fit it in to an actual explanation I'd love to know what it is. Or maybe it's all just a filming error?

Anyway, now I've got that out of my system I'm going back to relationship dynamics in my next post. 😂

[throughtimetoyou]

Through Time to You

Chapter 4: There May Be Trouble Ahead

Other chapters

Edward Kenway x Reader

Summary: You are a young woman living your life in the 21st century when you mystically end up to West Indies during the Golden Age of Piracy. Slow-burn.

Warnings: Violence, Swearing, Semi-Explicit Sexual Content, more warnings might be added as the series continues

Rating: Explicit

You were soon on your way to Havana. Before leaving Kingston Adéwalé had had to hunt down some crewmen from a local brothel, which according to Edward wasn’t unusual, but after that the Jackdaw had been ready to sail. The nausea wasn’t that bad anymore, you barely felt it, and you were just glad that you were able to go after those men instead of waiting in some tavern while they were doing god knows what with your stuff.

You were walking down the deck, thinking. You were thinking about the woman in that tavern and her words. It was quite obvious what she had meant when she had asked Edward if he not “visiting” her had something to do with you, but did she think that you two were having some sort of, how could you call it, affair just because she had seen you two talking together? That woman did seem to know him better that you did, so maybe her expecting something like that meant that Edward was quite a ladies’ man.

“Do tell me lass”, your thought was interrupted by someone behind you, “are you enjoying being captain’s personal wench?”

You turned around to discover that the one talking had been Howe. He stood near the railing of the ship with a few other crewmen, all of them a mug of rum in their hands. Why was everybody suddenly thinking that you were sleeping with the Captain?

“I don’t know where you have heard anything like that, but I can assure you that it is not true”, you said and were about to turn to leave.

“That’s just the impression I got when captain came to me and said that I shouldn’t hold grudges against you for what happened in the warehouse.”

Ah, so that’s what this is about. You sighed. “I’m sorry that I hit you with that board. I thought that it was my only chance to escape from that warehouse so I took it”, you said, hoping that it would make him leave you alone.

His expression changed. Just then he had been imperious and composed, but when you apologized his face twisted from anger. He began to speak with a low voice: “Do you think that you can just get away with insulting me like this, you wench? Like a woman could knock me out.”

Okay, people, timeout. Was this guy’s problem really not the fact that he had been hit with a board, but the fact that he had been hit with a board by a woman? Did these people think that women were so helpless that one landing a good hit to a man was somehow shameful for the man? Oh, but of course they did. You realized that you shouldn’t have been that surprised since it wasn’t much different in the 21st century.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I can tell you that it doesn’t require much to take a board and hit someone with it”, you said.

It really did not seem to make him feel better. “You need to find your place”, Howe said and swung his mug at you. You thought that he was going to hit you with it so you instinctively closed your eyes and brought your hands before you. Instead of a hit you felt liquid landing onto you. You slowly opened your eyes. Your hands, your face and your chest were wet of rum. Howe’s expression was again composed.

“Oh, it seems like I’ve run out of rum”, Howe said glancing at the bottom of his mug, “be a good lass and fetch me more.” The men around you burst out laughing. You just stood there for a second, the warm liquid soaking the fabric of your shirt, making it cling to your chest. You lowered your hands. Shock turned into a feeling of humiliation. You could see other crewmen stop what they were doing to witness the commotion.

You took a sharp breath and gathered all the patience within you. “Of course, sir. Won’t be but a minute”, you said, plastering a polite smile to your face, same way as you had done oh so many times during that one part-time job at a restaurant. God, you had hated that job. You turned and left, leaving behind a moment of confused silence before Howe started to laugh again.

“Look at that lass doing what I tell her to, seems to have found her place”, he said when you were already too far to hear it, inducing men to start laughing again with him. He waited until the laughter died out before he continued.

“Did you see her face, lads? So mortified over a drop of rum. How is she going to get by on a ship if she gets so easily shaken?” He chuckled before continuing: “Let me tell you, she won’t make it to Havana, she will want to leave before that.”

“Maybe you were too crude, mate. The lass did say sorry”, a man who had seen the commotion said.

“Couldn’t you see how that wench was rubbing it to my face? She deserved it”, Howe said and turned towards the sea and leaned to the railing with his friends, continuing whatever conversation they were having before the commotion. The man glared at him, but didn’t say anything more.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes before Howe heard you say his name behind him. He chuckled again and turned around, only to find you with a rum barrel on your arms.

“Your drink”, you said, and before he had a chance to say anything, you dumped the contents of the barrel on him. Truth be told, you never were good at customer service.

Satisfied, you turned around to leave rum-dripping Howe to curse after you, but you stopped when you saw Edward standing just a few steps away from you. He was first looking at Howe and then at you, and on his face he had an expression you could not interpret. “Captain”, you greeted with a nod and walked past him.

You needed to get rid of the rum-smelling shirt you were wearing, so you headed below the deck. On your way down you couldn’t help but to think that maybe you shouldn’t have pissed off a pirate twice over. First time it was self-defense, and the second time he had asked for it, and in a quite literal sense too, but you had to remember that you weren’t in the 21st century anymore. As much as it sucked, as a woman you couldn’t do however you pleased.

You grabbed a piece of cloth and a bucket of what seemed to be clean water from the storage room and locked yourself to your cabin. You took the shirt quickly off and dropped it on the floor. To your dismay, your bra didn’t get spared from the rum either. With a sigh, you took it off too. You knew that there was some rum in your hair too. That would be hard to get off with only water. You kneeled closer to the bucket and started to wash your clammy skin with the lukewarm water.

You got startled by a knock on the door. “It’s me”, you could hear Edward say through the door, “you wouldn’t happen to be in a need of a dry shirt, lass?”

You grabbed the piece of cloth you had taken and started to dry yourself. “I would, as a matter of fact”, you responded.

“Well I have one right here.”

You sighed and covered your chest by holding the cloth to it. You dropped your bra to the bucket, hoping that most of the rum would go off. You walked to the door and slowly opened it. There stood the captain, holding a shirt in his hand. He smirked when he saw you.  

“What’s this? You have no problem walking confidently on deck with a wet shirt on, probably leaving very little to the imagination, but now you’re getting all shy on me?” He said with a playing tone.

“First of all, I can assure you that it left much to the imagination”, bless your modern bra, “and second of all, are you here to mock me or to give me a shirt?”

“Mock you?” He let his gaze wander a bit lower before bringing it back up. “I could never.”

It required all your might not to groan out of frustration. “In that case, could I have the shirt, please?”

“Certainly.” His voice didn’t have that playful tone anymore, but he was still smiling as he handed the shirt.

“Thank you.” You closed the door to put the shirt on.

“You’re not mad that I threw away some of your rum?” you asked through the door. You heard Edward chuckle and answer: “No, it went to a good use.”

You couldn’t help but to smile at that.

The shirt was loose so you figured that going without a bra would be a bit uncomfortable. All you had at hand was that piece of cloth, so you folded it and then tied it around your chest.

You pulled the shirt on, and right then when you were ready, a shout could be heard from the deck: “Pirate hunters! A Man O’ War!”

That could not be good.

You heard the unmistakable sound of cannons being fired and soon after you heard a cannonball ripping through the side of the ship right next to your cabin. The ship lurched, making you stagger forward, but you were able to regain your balance. Adéwalé barked orders on the deck and soon more cannons were fired, this time from Jackdaw.

You heard hurried footsteps from outside the door. Edward slammed the door open. “Come on, it’s not safe to be here”, he said as he walked in and grabbed your arm. He started to pull you with him.  

“Is being on deck supposed to be any safer?” you asked as you two rushed through the hold.

“Being next to someone who knows what to do in a battle is safer”, Edward answered.

Jackdaw got another hit and the ship lurched again. Edward caught you before you even began to stagger. He kept walking steadily, but he put his hand to the small of your back to support you. You got a bit flustered by the sudden closeness. Really, at a time like this? Woman, get yourself together.

You and Edward rushed up the stairs to the deck, where Edward stopped the first man who walked past you. “Why was the warning given so late?” he asked.

“The commotion on the deck, captain, nobody was…” the man started but Edward didn’t stay to listen further. He stormed towards the helm, you following right after him. Another set of cannons was fired. Adéwalé glanced at Edward. “I was starting to wonder where you are”, he said as he gave the helm to his captain.

“Damage report”, Edward said.

“Two bad ones in the hull, two cannons are out of the game and the bilge has already leakage”, Adéwalé said.

“Take cover!” Edward shouted as the Man O’ War fired its canons again. Everyone ducked, you included, although a bit later than everyone else. Again there was a sound of cannonballs bashing through wood.

“And whatever that just did”, Adéwalé added.

“Mortars and cannons ready?” Edward asked the crew as he stood up again.

“Waiting for order, sir.”

The combat between ships went on for the following half an hour. The Jackdaw had taken much damage already at the beginning of the battle, so Edward had to concentrate on evading the line of fire. Jackdaw was much more nimble that the big Man O’ War, so slowly but surely they were able to damage the ship of the pirate hunters enough to board it.

You stayed at the upper deck of Jackdaw with Adéwalé while Edward and most of the crew were fighting on the deck of the Man O’ War. This was the first time you saw these pirates in action. You winched every time you saw or heard a sword piercing flesh on the other ship. You kept walking around the upper deck, trying to calm yourself. You had never witnessed a full-on sword fight, because that’s not something that just happens when you live in the 21st century. As much as you didn’t want to look weak in front of these men, you were too unsettled to watch.

Adéwalé noticed your nervous pacing. “Maybe you should go to your cabin”, he said.

“No, I’m fine, I’m just… not used to this”, you said and forced yourself to stop walking around.

Luckily the fight on the ship didn’t last long. The pirate hunters were smart enough to notice that they had no chance of winning. As they surrendered hoorays filled the air.

“Captain”, Adéwalé greeted Edward as he walked back to the upper deck. “The ship has taken a lot of damage”, he said, “the men are doing what they can with materials gotten from the Man O’ War, but she can’t be repaired properly in the middle of the sea. We have to get on land as soon as possible if we want to get even half-way to Havana.”

“Blasted!” he said and got silent for a second before he continued. “Île à Vache is close enough, but we have to turn around to get there”, he said and walked at the helm. “Let’s hope that Templar bastard finds Havana engaging enough for him to stay until we finally get there.”

A/N: Here you go guys, a new chapter! Alternative title to this chapter would be “Edward Kenway Keeps Loaning His Shirts” and I’m starting to think that I should have gone with that one. I’m kidding. Or am I?

[fiveisnumber1]

Timeless - Five Hargreeves X Reader

Main story parts:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33

E3 - I Think We’re Together Now

A/N: Hi everyone, this is the final part of the season 2 alternate ending I created. Please stay tuned for when season 3 comes out tomorrow as I will be going back for the alternate timeline in which everyone jumps to 2019 and will follow the season 3 storyline! Thank you all for reading so far and I can’t wait to continue with season 3!

The morning light filtered through the curtains as the sound of birds chirped outside. It was truly the dawn of a new day. As you began to wake, everything started coming into focus. The trees swaying in the breeze outside, the silence of the house you were staying in, and as you blinked the sleep out of your eyes you saw the sweetest boy you had ever seen finally resting the way he should. Five's arms were wrapped around your waist as he held you close to him. Even in his sleep, he refused to let you go. Smiling at him, you snuggled into him more, hoping that you could fall back asleep again. This was exactly the life you were supposed to live. One with no worries like an apocalypse, assassins, or time travel. Just you and him getting to have your happily ever after one day at a time. As you started to doze back off you thought about all the things you two would get to do now. You could dance more, you could go on dates, and you could even introduce him to your friends properly.

Oh no. Your friends.

Your eyes shot open wide and worried energy started coursing through your system as you looked around for the nearest clock. Seeing the digital clock across the room you saw the time listed on it. 10:26 AM.

"Shit." You said under your breath

You had almost forgotten in the peace of being with Five but you had promised your friends that you would show up to school the next day if the apocalypse was stopped. If it was 10:26 that meant your friends had already been in school for almost 3 hours probably wondering where you were or worrying that an apocalypse was still upon the world. This wasn't good. You needed to get to them NOW. Carefully, you tried to slide out of Five's grasp but he held you tighter pulling you in closer to him. And unfortunately, what you thought was cute only moments ago was now a barrier to your plan because even in his sleep he refused to let you go. You knew there was only one way you were getting out of this, you needed to phase through his arms. You didn't know how much your powers had been restored by sleeping but you still needed to try. Taking a deep breath you rolled yourself out of bed and through his arms but your reaction time was not great and instead of gracefully getting up you rolled onto the floor.

"ow..." You groaned quietly

Sitting up you held your breath as you saw Five move a bit. The last thing you wanted was for him to wake up after all of his sleepless nights trying to stop the apocalypse. He shifted around a bit more but then you saw as he settled, his arms wrapping around the pillow you were laying on before. Letting go of your breath you quietly got up from the floor and made your way out of the room. Rushing into the bathroom, you brushed your teeth and hair before noticing you were still wearing a majority of the clothes from last night's events. They were covered in ash and blood and there was no way you could walk into school with them on and not get some type of social service called on you. You had clean clothes but they were back in your bedroom. And heading back in there would run the risk of waking up Five, or anyone else for that matter. You did have one option though. Quietly, heading downstairs you saw Luther and Diego sleeping on couches while Klaus was sprawled out on the air mattress. Carefully, you made your way past them and towards the duffle bag that Charlie had provided you with. Looking in the bag you pulled out some of your clothes from the 60s. It wasn't a perfect solution but at least they weren't dirty. Heading into the downstairs bathroom you quickly changed before sneaking towards the back door.

"Where are you going?" You heard a voice call

You jumped a little bit at hearing someone's voice. Turning on your heel you saw Ben standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Jeez Ben, give me a heart attack why don't you? It's not like I didn't already die once yesterday." You whisper yell at him

"That's is exactly why you shouldn't be leaving. You are in no condition to go anywhere." Ben points out

"Listen, I'm just heading out to school. It's no big deal." You argue

"Why do you need to head there anyway?" Ben questions firmly

You paused for a moment. Arguing was going to do no good and if you got too worked up it might honestly cause someone to wake up. Instead of being defensive about it, you calmed down and decided to be honest. Taking a deep breath you quietly answered,

"This family is not the only group of people that cares about me. They need to know I'm okay too."

It didn't take Ben long to realize you were talking about your friends, the ones he had seen at the bowling alley. They obviously cared for you too and they were the only other people to know that the apocalypse was going to happen. He still didn't think it was okay for you to leave especially since you weren't in the greatest condition, but he knew nothing he said was going to stop you from going to them because you had always put your friends first. Reluctantly, Ben began to nod his head in agreement.

"Fine," He replied, "But I'm waking everyone up in 30 minutes."

"Fifty." You shot back

"Forty." Ben countered

"Deal." You said as you started to head out the door

"And (Y/N)?" Ben called

You paused as you turned to look back at him, wondering what else the ghost boy needed to say.

"At least leave a note," Ben added

That was probably a good idea. Grabbing a stack of post-its you wrote "Going to school. Be back later." a few times over and placed them on spots you would expect people to see them. One on the table, one on the fridge, one on the door, and for good measure one on Luther's forehead since he was so tall. You gave Ben one last look before rushing out of the house, the door shutting behind you.

Looking out the kitchen window, Ben watched as you grabbed your bike from the side of the house and rode off towards wherever your school was. The time on the kitchen clock was 10:48 and in 40 minutes he would wake his siblings to tell them what had happened. He only hoped they could understand why you did it the way he did.

And as you rode down the sidewalks, you peddled as if your life depended on it, trying to get to your friends as quickly as you could.

While you peddled onward though, your friends sat in their classes anxious and unfocused. At a certain point the night before they had all passed out from exhaustion waiting for something to occur. But nothing did. They woke up the next morning and everything was just as it was. No cataclysmic apocalypse, no end of the world, nothing. The group had managed to pull themselves together and go to school just like you requested but when they arrived you weren't anywhere to be found. You all didn't share the same class schedule but you were always in a class with at least one of your friends and yet with each passing period, there was still no sign of you. Your friends would congregate by your locker during the time when students were switching classes hoping that out of nowhere you'd just appear. But still nothing. And so they'd all have to leave and move on to the next lesson of the day that they wouldn't pay attention to.

Currently, Lucas was in civics, Addison in advanced placement psychology, Viktoria in band, and Kenny and Bren in English. And then there was Dean, who sat in his world history class staring at the empty desk before him. The one that you were supposed to be sitting in. Anxiously, he bounced his leg up and down hoping for you to come in. He needed you to.

Ever since he had gotten to school that day, only to find you weren't there, he started regretting letting you go off to try and stop the apocalypse. He did what he promised he'd do and kept all of the group together but it all seemed like bullshit now since the group wasn't a group without you. Addison had even protested leaving you behind last night and seeing the way things were now, Dean knew she was right for doing so. You guys were a team, a family, and there was no reason that you should've split up no matter the danger. You had all been in dangerous situations together before, so why did you convince him that last night was different?

As he sat wondering about what he could've done differently though, you had finally pulled up to the school. Getting off your bike you almost fell over as you struggled to lock it up on the bike rack. Your head felt light and your legs wobbled underneath you as you walked away from your bike and into the halls of the school. Stumbling around, you used the walls on either side to hold you up, but as you banged into lockers trying to get to your own you realized Ben was right. You were in no condition to leave the house, but it was too late now and your physical health seemingly always came second to the well-being of your friends. While difficult, you had finally made it to your locker. As you leaned against the cool metal of the lockers for support, trying to take a moment to yourself, your legs gave out below you and you quickly slid down to the floor. You needed to take a moment to yourself but hopefully, you could find your friends soon.

But at that moment when you had collapsed to the floor by your locker, Dean felt his twin brother-sense go off. You were close. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. His head whipped back and forth as he quickly looked out the window of the classroom and then out of the window on the classroom door. He didn't see you there, but he needed to go and find you. Trying to think of a way to get out of class he did the only plan that came to his mind. Jumping up from his seat and slamming his hands on the desk Dean loudly exclaimed,

"I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!"

The rest of the students in the class quietly turned to look at Dean but he did not notice as he instead stared down at his teacher waiting for a response. Stopping his lesson, the teacher Mr. McNally turned from the whiteboard towards Dean only to see him staring back, his gaze unwavering. Trying to get back to his lesson, Mr. McNally stated,

"Mr. Hernandez, while I appreciate your openness with the class you should've gone during lunch. Please sit back down."

That was not a sufficient response though. Dean needed to leave and he needed to leave now. Stepping out from behind his desk he stood firm as he continued to look his teacher in the eye and demanded,

"If you do not let me go to the bathroom right now, I will stand in front of the class and piss my pants on purpose."

"What?" Mr. McNally asked shocked

"Not only that I'll piss YOUR PANTS!" Dean emphasized

"I-what does that-"

Mr. McNally looked at Dean utterly confused. What the hell did that even mean? Piss his pants? It did not make any sense and honestly, he did not get paid enough for this type of stuff to happen. Not wanting to deal with this any further nor risk Dean keeping his word he relented,

"Just leave."

Dean froze for a second as he processed the response of his teacher. Once he had acknowledged what he said though, a wave of energy burst through him. Quickly, he picked his backpack up off the ground, throwing it over his shoulder before rushing out of the classroom without another word. Racing down the hallways he frantically looked around for you, zooming past classrooms and calling out your name hoping for some type of response.

Your name rang through the classrooms he passed by. Most of the students treated it like a minor distraction, but for the rest of your friends, hearing him yell your name snapped them back to reality. All of them had wandered off in their minds, their thoughts wracked with the worry and guilt that Dean had felt only a few minutes ago. But hearing your name forced them into action with all of them, in one way or another, running out of their classrooms and following the sound of Dean's voice.

Hearing the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall you forced yourself from the ground. You had to look normal, at least as best as you could so you wouldn't get in trouble. The hall monitors in this school were ruthless after all. Standing up once more you felt your legs shaking below you as you pressed against the lockers for some type of support again. It wasn't much but as you stood, you listened to the sounds of the footsteps as they got closer and closer and closer until they came to a complete stop. You could hear the sound of someone panting as if they were out of breath. Slowly, you turned your head to look at the person, preparing to explain yourself, but when you finally saw who they were, a bittersweet smile started to form on your face.

Dean. Your brother. Standing there alive.

The last you had heard, he and the rest of your friends had died in the wake of the apocalypse, but that was over now. Immediately, you pushed yourself off the lockers you were using for support and used the momentum to stumble over to him. Wrapping your arms around him, you used him for support as you hugged him for the first time in years.

Tears started to form in Dean's eyes as he held you in his arms. It had been less than 24 hours since he had last seen you but not knowing where you were or if you were okay made it feel like an eternity. It was difficult to find the words to express how happy he was to see you again but he managed to choke out,

"You're alive..."

"Yeah. I am." You replied quietly before joking "You wouldn't believe what it took to get here though."

Before you could start to explain more to him through you heard the pounding of footsteps heading your way. You and Dean looked at each other confused as you waited in silence for whatever was coming down the hall. Dean attempted to move the two of you off to the side of the hall but just as he was about to do so, one by one, the rest of your friends rounded the corner of the hall. Freezing in place for a moment, smiles came to their faces, and for some tears pricked their eyes as they saw you there leaning against Dean. Your presence was like a weight off their chests and it was hard to contain as they ran over to you excitedly shouting,

"(Y/N)!"

One by one they threw their arms around you and Dean, piling on into a group hug. Kenny wrapped his arms around you and Dean first, with Bren quickly following suit, followed by Viktoria and then Addison not far behind. And then lastly Lucas, who wrapped his arms excitedly around the group and hugged as tight as he could. But for a normal boy, he was still abnormally strong and with you being in the direct center of the group hug, you were being crushed by the love of your friends. As your body was being squished by the power of friendship you managed to choke out,

"Don't. crush. me. please." 

Realizing what they were doing the group quickly pulled away giving you your space to breathe again. They thought they had lost you once so they were going to make sure that they weren't the reason it actually happened. Finally taking a good look at you, Kenny commented,

"You're severely injured. How are you even alive?"

"That's a great question and a very funny story because last night I uh...died." You explain nervously

"You what?!" Dean exclaimed

"Died." You reply once more

Your friends looked at you in shock. What did you mean you died? What happened at that theatre that caused your death? And how did you get back to life? There were a lot of unanswered questions that needed an explanation as soon as possible if this group was going to be able to move forward with their day. Being the first to speak up after your admission Bren states flatly,

"We're gonna need more context than that."

You looked at them all with an awkward expression on your face. You had no clue where to start. Hoping that if you started talking the words would just find themselves you began,

"Well-"

Before you could even get another word out though a voice yelled from behind you,

"Hey what are you kids doing out of class!"

Down the hall was one of the school security monitors. They were ruthless and took no excuses for people being out of class. You all watched as they started walking their way down the hall towards the seven of you.

"Oh shit! Security!" Kenny exclaimed

"What do we do?" Viktoria asks panicked

"Run!" Dean yelled

Grabbing your hand, Dean started to run down the hallway pulling you behind him with what he assumed to be all your friends in tow, but as he looked back he saw Lucas still standing by your locker frozen.

"Lucas c'mon!" Dean called out

"But I'm the student body president! I can't break the rules!" Lucas shouted back as the security guard got closer

"LUCAS ANDREW KLEIN. RUN." Addison commanded firmly

Lucas looked between the security guard and his friends and although he didn't want to break the school rules, his girlfriend yelling at him licked him into action and he took off sprinting down the hall to catch up with the rest of his friends. Together you weaved through the halls trying to make it to the front door that would lead to the parking lot of cars the security guard running behind you all trying to catch someone. As you ran down one hall you could see Kenny stop for a moment.

"Kenny, what are you doing?" You questioned

Instead of responding to the question, you watched as he opened the janitor's closet, grabbed a bottle of floor cleaner, and poured it all over the ground before throwing the empty container at the security guard causing him to slip and fall.

"Get fucked!" Kenny shouted

As he turned around and kept running with the rest of you all, you saw from behind as the security guard struggled to get off the ground and kept slipping on the floor cleaner. There was no time to focus on that though and you rounded a corner and made it to the front door. Lucas opened it up allowing everyone to run out of the building and into the parking lot towards Dean's car. Making it to the car, Dean slid across the front hood to the driver's side before putting the key in the door and unlocking the car for everyone to get in. From behind you could hear the familiar sound of the security guard shouting,

"Hey! Stop!"

Piling into the car, Dean revved the engine before whipping out of his parking spot and racing out of the parking lot. For a moment the security guard tried to run behind the car, only to be flipped off by Kenny leaning out the back window as Dean sped you all away from the school and off somewhere else.

As you and your friends went off on your journey of ditching school, however, the forty minutes Ben had allotted you to do what you did had finally run out. Approaching Klaus who lay asleep on one of the living room couches, he shook his shoulder and called,

"Klaus wake up,"

"Go away," Klaus mumbled sleepily

"Klaus wake up!" Ben calls louder

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Klaus shot up from his seat

"You know you would think that after saving the world TWICE apparently you would give me a day off!" Klaus shouted annoyed "What do you want!"

"(Y/N) left." Ben states flatly

"What!?" Klaus yelled

Through all his yelling, the rest of the house was abruptly woken up from their slumbers. Making their way into the living room they glared at Klaus through sleep-filled eyes as they waited for some kind of explanation.

"God, what is with all the yelling Klaus?" Five asked annoyed

"(Y/N)'s gone!" Klaus exclaims

Hearing those two words, any feeling of tiredness that Five may have had in his body immediately went away as he shouted,

"WHAT!" 

Five started to pace around anxiously. You were severely injured after the events of yesterday. The fact that you were even able to walk up the stairs to head to bed last night was a miracle but that didn't mean you were in okay shape to leave. 

"Do you know where she went?" Five asked frantically

"Uh, I know where she went." Luther said as he held out a post-it note "I pulled this off my forehead."

Snatching the note from his hands Five looked over the basic message you wrote that read, Going to school. Five let out a disappointed sigh at the fact that there was no more information but this was probably a little bit of payback for the note he left you only saying Going out. Honestly, your note was better than his because at least this had a location. 

"So where is she?" Diego asked in a worried tone

"She went to school..." Five replied

"I appreciate her commitment to her education but why would she leave in the condition she was in?" Diego questioned aloud

"Because she made a promise to her friends that she would meet up with them there if the world was saved." Ben explained

Minus Klaus, the rest of the group turned and looked at Ben in shock. They knew he was there but it was the seeing and especially hearing him part that was still something they needed to get used to. 

"I'll have you all know, I tried to stop her, but when she has a plan in mind there's really nothing that can do so." Ben continued "All I could do is make a deal with her that I'd wake all of you up forty minutes after she left. And I did."

"Ugh, why does she have to love her friends so much?" Klaus complained

"Because that's who she is." Luther responds

"We've gotta go find her." Five interjected "We don't even know if she even made it to the school. She might just be lying on the side of the road." 

"Five's right, we at least need to know she made it to the school and not passed out on some street." Diego added

The group of siblings looked around at each other for any other comments but all that was presented were nods in agreement at the idea. Given the fact that everyone pretty much slept in their clothes from the night before the group rushed to put their shoes on before making their way towards the van they stole and heading off to make sure you were fine.

As the Umbrellas were driving towards your school though, you and your friends had already driven away. Taking back roads to pass the time and make sure that you didn't get caught by anyone you relayed the story of all that had happened after you left them at the bowling alley. The 2019 apocalypse, the time travel to the 60s and your time there, the people you met, the things you did, apocalypse 2 electric boogaloo, your plan that successfully saved the world and the events that followed said plan. You told them everything from beginning to end as best as you could and they all seemed to understand what happened and why you did what you had done. There was a mix of emotions in the car as the story you had told held many highs and lows but with a little bit of time to process the mood shifted to joy at the fact that everything had worked out in the end, but right as your group of friends started to talk and interact like normal again Dean had pulled back onto city streets and you recognized a sight that for a while was only in your memory.

"Dean stop the car." You stated

"What?" He asked confused

"Stop the car!" You exclaimed this time

Immediately hitting the breaks, the car came to a harsh stop as you got out from the passenger seat and looked at the crumbled remains of the old Umbrella Academy. Walking away from the car, you approached the mess of concrete and ash that used to be your home. The front gate was still there, although one of the doors had fallen off one of its hinges and now hung at an angle. You stood outside the gate looking up at the sky where the academy once loomed over you, like that first day you decided to cross the street to see what was hiding inside. Taking a deep breath you stepped past the gate and into what remained of the old building. Looking around it was as if you saw the present day and glimpses of the past all at once. To your right was the parlor where you would spend your days playing with the Hargreeves or later on reading books and playing the piano. To your left was the dining room in which you had shared a few meals with the Umbrella Academy and many more with Reginald himself. And then up ahead was where many of the rooms were. Up the stairs to the left were the bedrooms of the academy members and your former bedroom. All of which you had spent memorable times in. And upstairs to the right was where Reginald's office was located. Many times were spent going in there to bother him for money, for pure entertainment at his annoyance, or on the rare occasion a genuine inquiry. This was your home and although the dust had settled, your memories of this place still hung around.

From behind you, your friends got out of Dean's car and slowly approached the gates the same way you had done only a few moments ago. Looking at the mess in front of them they stared in disbelief. A place that they had been so intrigued by for practically their entire lives was reduced to nothing.

"Holy shit. It's really gone." Lucas stated quietly

"I can't believe it either." Viktoria adds

Hearing the quiet mumblings of your friends far behind you turn around to look their way. You could see their shock at the once-mighty academy now being nothing but a pile of rocks and broken items and their hesitancy to enter the premises. Wanting to get them to come along you mention,

"You can come in." 

Hearing your reassurance, they slowly all began to cross the threshold of what remained and make their way over to you.

"I always thought one day when I figured out how to explain everything I would show you guys around and give you the academy grand tour but unfortunately this is all that's left." You explain to them 

"It's alright. A little shocking that it's actually gone but it's not something to worry over." Dean replies "I'd rather have you still standing over this old building."

You saw as the rest of your friends nodded in agreement with Dean's statement before looking around the place once more.

"You guys can look around the place if you want, I'm going to find somewhere to just sit for a bit though." You state

Nodding their heads everyone starts to walk off in their own directions just looking at the crumbled walls and destroyed items of what once used to be. It was quiet, almost as if in reverence of the history and memories this place held for you. As you wandered around looking for a place to sit you saw something that caught your eye. Your head tilted to the side in disbelief as you wondered if you were hallucinating or not. Carefully, you made your way through the pieces of the house towards what you saw and were pleasantly surprised to see that you weren't seeing things. Almost as if the house decided to avoid it, the bench from the courtyard that Five had first pushed you over all those years ago still stood in one piece, completely untouched by the mess surrounding it. A small smile came to your face as you went over to it, brushing off some of the dust and taking a seat on the side you always sat on. To others it might've just looked like some bench, but to you, this bench was the beginning of a very interesting story, and to still have that piece of the story meant more than words could express. Gently you used your pointer finger to draw a heart in the dust that still littered Five's side of the bench. He wasn't there with you now but having that little heart was close enough for the time being. As you stared at the drawing you just made you could hear the sounds of footsteps running your way and Bren's voice calling out,

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)! (Y/N)!"

Looking up towards where his voice came from you saw Bren run and stop in front of you with something in his hands. Holding it out he enthusiastically asked,

"CAN I KEEP HIM?"

It took you a moment to realize what he was holding but when you did, You asked disappointed,

"Why do you have Ben's statue head?" 

"Can I keep him? Please." Bren begged

"What? No." You responded baffled

"(Y/N), I'll take care of him I swear." Bren pleaded

"No. This is still my house. You can't just loot my house, Brendon." You explained before commanding "Put him back"

"But-" Bren tried to reply

"Put. Ben. Back." You reemphasized

Letting out a long sigh, Bren gave Statue Ben's head a longing look before reluctantly turning around to head back to where he was found. As you watched him go you gave a small shake of your head unsurprised at the situation that had just played out. Taking a deep breath you tried to sit back and relax on your bench but only a few moments later you could hear Dean scream from across the house.

"What is it?" Addison asked loudly

"Dead person. Dead person. Dead person." Dean repeated over and over again

Quickly, you and the rest of your friends ran over to where Dean was, and as you looked down into the rubble that Dean had just moved you saw a familiar face lying there.

"Mom!" You yelled as you dropped to your knees and started moving rubble out of the way

Seeing your urgency your friends joined in as you all worked together to uncover your mom from the debris she was under. Getting most of it away you all looked over Grace and the state she was in. Given the severity of the collapse, you thought she would be worse for wear but surprisingly she wasn't completely destroyed. For the most part, her form was still intact. Some joints were twisted or out of place, and her synthetic skin was torn in a few areas exposing ripped wires but overall she still looked like her. She wasn't a pile of scraps and metal, she was still your mom.

"I hate to be that person but why are there wires coming out of her?" Viktoria questioned

"She was a robot. That's why there's wires." You answer "But I never saw her as a robot. She was my mom but now she's well...gone."

"She doesn't have to be gone," Bren stated

"What do you mean?" You questioned looking toward him

"Well, why don't we just fix her? Then she won't be gone." Bren explains "Lucas is good at reading schematics, Dean has hands-on mechanical experience, I'm pretty good at programming and Kenny can stitch up people like it's no one's business. If we can find the plans on how she was built we might just be able to put her back together for you."

Your eyes lit up brightly and a smile came to your face at the prospect of getting your mom back. Bren was right about all of your friends' abilities and there was a very real possibility that with their combined efforts you could manage to put her back together. You nodded your head vigorously before looking around the ruins of the house trying to place where things most likely would've been. If Grace's schematics were going to be anywhere it would've been somewhere in Reginald's office. Getting up from where you were kneeling you carefully walked around the rubble towards the general area in which his office was. 

"Let's try looking over here!" You called out to your friends

The six of them made their way over to the area in which you stood and carefully you all began to try and look through the wreckage in the hope that you could find her schematics. You all moved about the area looking through papers upon papers that you could pull out from the debris but finding nothing of significant importance. But then as hope started to seem lost Viktoria called out,

"Hey! I found a safe!"

Rushing over you saw that he indeed had found a safe. Although there were a few dents it was relatively untouched and in a decent enough condition that whatever was inside was most likely intact as well. There was a chance that this was a dead-end but it was still worth a shot. Using your powers you phased your hand through the safe grabbing at the papers inside and pulling them out. Carefully you flipped through them. There were plans for something called the Televator, another plan for something called the Levitator, and then at the bottom of the pile, just as you had hoped there were the schematics for how Grace was built. Turning around to your friends, a smile so wide that it hurt on your face, you exclaimed,

"This is it! These are her plans!"

"That's great! Let's go fix your mom!" Lucas shouts excitedly

With the schematics in hand, you and your friends head back over to where your Mom was. Standing around her you take a moment to try and figure out how to go about the next steps of this plan.

"Hey real quick. Where are we gonna put her in my car?" Dean asks

"We can put her in the trunk," Kenny suggests

"Has anyone considered the fact that it will look weird to have seven kids carrying what looks to be a body across the street and shoving it in a trunk?" Bren comments

"That's a very good point." Addison adds

"Guys, guys, don't worry." You explain "I can make her invisible, but we'll still have to carry her." 

"Carry her? That's easy, I got this." Lucas states before lifting her up from the ground and into his arms

Taking one last look around the ruined academy you knew that it was time to leave and move on. Stepping next to Lucas you took your mother's hand in your own, turning her invisible as you all crossed the street back to the car. Opening the trunk, Lucas gently placed Grace down and with your friends creating a wall so that the trunk could not be seen by people passing by, you let go of her hand. Slowly, you start to close the trunk to get ready to leave but before you could do so Bren stated,

"Wait! I gotta put something in there."

With a confused look on your face, you saw as Bren placed the head that had broken off from Ben's statue in the trunk next to Grace. Turning to look at him in disbelief you questioned critically,

"Dude, what the fuck. Where did that come from? What did I say about looting my house?" 

Staring you down, in a steady, monotone voice, Bren replies curtly,

"I'm not leaving without him." 

You stare him back down for a moment but knowing that there was no way he would back down you reluctantly let it go.

"Ugh, fine." You relented before adding "Let's go."

Closing the trunk, you and your friends got back in Dean's car before heading off to the store to get the supplies you would need to help put your mom back together. 

As you and your friends headed off once again though, the Umbrellas has just arrived at your school. Along their drive, they took survey of the sidewalks and areas around them trying to make sure that you weren't laying somewhere passed out. Luckily enough they didn't see you anywhere on the way which gave them hope that you had made it to the school alright. As they entered the school parking lot they quickly found a spot before the seven of them all piled out of the van. Approaching the school hastily, they made their way to the front doors passing a rack of bikes.

"Hey hey look." Diego said pointing at the rack "That's (Y/N)'s bike. She must be here."

"Good. Let's just check on her and then we can go home." Five replies

 Finally making it to the front door Diego rings the intercom button calling a worker from the front office to come to the front door. Opening the door the worker looks on confused but still continues to greet,

"Welcome to Argyle Public High School. Before I let you in I need to know why you're here. Y'know for safety reasons and all so please state your business."

"I'm here to check that my kid made it to school okay. I haven't heard from them this morning." Diego quickly responded

"Okay," the worker acknowledges before turning their attention to the other 5 visible people "And the rest of you?"

The rest of the group all look around at each other confused waiting for someone to speak up. Taking  the initiative Luther steps forward and politely starts to speak,

"Hi." We are uh family-" 

Before he could even continue his thought though Klaus quickly interjects,

"Polyamorous family! We all...love each other...a lot."

Luther, Allison, Vanya, and Five all give Klaus looks that range from confusion to utter disbelief at the word vomit that came from his mouth. Looking back at the worker, Luther hesitantly continued,

"Uh yes...a polyamorous family who um"

"Just moved to the area," Vanya adds unsure

"Right. We just moved to the area and we would like to register our son so he can complete his schooling." Luther finally finishes

"What? What are you talking about? We're here to-" Five begins but is cut off

"Now listen son, I know you've been homeschooled most of your life but this will help you finally learn some social skills." Klaus says placing a hand on Five's shoulder "Maybe you can even learn to be nice here."

"Are you fucking-" Five starts to snap only to be cut off by Diego asking

"Can I see if my kid is here now?"

"Yeah sure..." The worker answers confused before adding hesitantly "...Come along."

"A polyamorous family? Really?" Luther complains in a low tone

"Well, how else were we all going to get inside?" Klaus whispers back

The Hargreeves all follow the worker into the school building and into the main office. The room was exactly what you would expect a school office to look like. It had mailboxes for all the teachers, a front desk that people could check into, a bunch of filing cabinets likely filled with student records, and most other things an office would have. The Hargreeves stood together behind the front desk as they waited for what the office worker would do next. The office worker gave an awkward glance at the "polyamorous family" before walking over to a computer.  As they looked up from the monitor they looked toward Diego and asked,

"Are you a registered contact for your kid?"

"Yes," Diego responded

"Alright, what's your name?" They followed up

"Diego Hargreeves," Diego answered

The worker typed on the keyboard punching in a few things before responding,

"Alright, gotcha. Is Miss (Y/N) your child?"

"That's her. Is she here?" Diego asked concerned

That's all they really needed to know if you were here and if you were okay. Once they had that sorted out they could all go back to Eudora's place and continue to lay low. Looking up from the monitor once more the worker responded,

"Records are showing she hasn't been here for attendance in any of her classes today."

"What?" Diego asked confused

Your bike was outside how could you not be here?

"I'm not seeing her on record today. Is she missing? Would you like me to inform the police?" The worker asked reaching for the phone

Knowing the police were the last people he wanted involved, especially given the circumstances Diego raised his hand as he replied,

"No, no. That won't be necessary. Maybe I just missed her at home. We've had two important deaths in the family in the past week so things have been flipped upside down." 

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." The worker consoled

"I guess I better go back and check." Diego stated, "Hopefully she's there."

"Before you go, I know this is odd but can you take a look at some security footage. We're trying to identify some students who have skipped school today. Maybe your child knows them?" The worker asks

"Oh uh sure," Diego responds

Turning the computer monitor to face out towards the desk the worker pulls up a video as the Hargreeves start to watch. As the footage plays the Hargreeves see as six familiar faces and one VERY familiar face run down the hallways of the school and out the front doors together. The eyes on all of the Hargreeves go wide as they realize the kids that have skipped school are you and your friends. 

"So do you recognize any of these children?" The worker asks

"Nope." Diego responds quickly before turning to leave "Well I better get going home then."

"Uh well, I hope you find your kid." The worker responds 

As Diego leaves the room, the worker turns towards the rest of the group "Now how can I help you get registered?"

The group looked around confused at each other once more. None of them actually wanted to register Five at the high school, but now that they knew you weren't here they weren't sure what to do.

"Well-" Luther tried to start but was cut off

"Registered? Here? With missing students and children running amuck?" Klaus exclaimed overreacting "This is an inappropriate learning environment for our beloved son. We will NOT be registering him here."

Grabbing Five by the wrist Klaus pulls him towards the door and out of the room as he calls behind,

"C'mon honey one, two, and three. Let's leave."

Allison, Luther, and Vanya all watch as Klaus leaves the room with Five reluctantly in tow. Looking back at the worker who had a baffled look on their face Luther apologized,

"Sorry, he's uh...very particular."

And without another word the three of them walked out of the room and out of the school. As the three of them walked outside they could see Diego from afar loading your bike into the back of the van. As the group walks over to where Diego was, Five turns to Klaus and threatens,

"If you ever drag me by my wrist like that again, you will lose your own." 

"Oh don't be so harsh Five. I just want to give you the best I can." Klaus replies jokingly

As they finally get to the van and approach Diego, Five states,

"Whatever Klaus. If she's with her friends then she should be okay. Best thing we can do is just try to get back to Eudora's and wait for her or all of them to get back."

"I guess we go back to square one then." Diego replied

The rest of the group nodded in agreement before getting back into the van once more. And so as the Hargreeves started to head back to the house after the wild goose chase you unknowingly led them on, you had already made it there after going to the store and purchasing the necessary supplies to attempt to fix your mom. Lucas grabbed your mom from the trunk of Dean's car, carrying her inside and gently putting her down on the couch. Taking out all the materials you had gotten you laid them out before handing Lucas the schematics of how your mom was built.

"Alright. It's time to factory reset your mom." Kenny exclaims

"Dude, what the fuck?" Dean asks "Why would you say it like that?"

"I don't know. The words just leave my mouth." Kenny explains "Whatever you hear is what I hear for the first time too."

"Sometimes I wish you couldn't speak." Bren comments

"Wow, that's not even the worst thing I've ever said." Kenny remarks back "Like I could say how Killer Moth from Teen Titans is kind of a DILF."

"Well yeah that's just the dad version of Mothman and Mothman is fuckable too," Addison adds

"Guys!" You exclaim

Your friends all turn their heads from the discussion of hot mothmen to you. With an exasperated look on your face, you ask,

 "Can we please just fix my mom?" 

Your friends give you apologetic looks before being kicked into gear. With the schematics in hand, Lucas started to read them off in such a way that Dean understood exactly what he is fixing and where. Fusing wires back together, putting Grace's joints back in their proper places, and inserting a new charging port into her, the mechanical aspect of your mom started getting better bit by bit. Once Dean had properly put parts of your mom back together, Bren stepped in to make sure that the programming was intact. It took him a while to figure out exactly how to check it all given that Grace was a more complicated piece of machinery than your average computer, but with some time and effort he managed to crack the code. Going through it all he saw that there were no malfunctions within her programming, meaning that the only issue left to solve was sewing up the open cuts in her synthetic skin and trying to turn her on. As Bren stepped aside, Kenny stepped in, and precisely and carefully, he started to sew up your mom. The stitches he made were practically invisible, just little white lines that signified where the cuts had been. And as Kenny finished his last stitch and stepped away from Grace, you saw her once more completely intact. There was your mom. All that was left was to turn her on. Plugging the charger into your mom you and your friends sat around quietly as you waited, hoping that your work was successful and she would come back to life. It felt like forever but then you saw as a blue light lit up behind her eyes. Her head began to lift up as she sat up straight more. Leaning forward towards her, you called softly,

"Mom?" 

You watched as her head turned towards you, her eyes blinking a couple of times before a smile came to her face.

"(Y/N)?" She quietly asked

Your jaw dropped in shock for a moment as you realized it worked. It really worked! Rushing from where you were seated you went to your mom throwing your arms around her and exclaiming,

"Mom!"

Grace wrapped her arms back around you as she held you close. She didn't know what had occurred between the moment the house collapsed and this moment but if you were here hugging her then it had to be okay. A few tears fell from your eyes as the feeling of joy overwhelmed you. Pulling back from the hug, Grace could see the water running down your face and gently wiped away your tears.

"What's wrong sweetie?" She asked

"I'm just happy." You responded, "The world is safe, I have my friends and family and life back, everything is just good."

"Oh, sweetie all these things are good because you make them good." Grace comforted 

"Oh, these are my friends. The ones I always tell you about." You say before pointing each one out introducing "This is Lucas, Dean, Addison, Kenny, Bren, and Viktoria. They actually helped put you back together."

"Well thank you. It's nice to finally meet you all." Grace greets "You know you kids look just like the academy when they were younger."

You watched as after your mom made that comment your friends' faces all started going through waves of emotion. From shock to excitement they all started to get up, cheering and celebrating the fact that your mom had said that they looked like their heroes, the Umbrella Academy. You wish your mom hadn't made that comment to them, but the more you thought about it the more she was right. Up until that moment, you had never noticed the almost eerie similarity of your friends to their umbrella counterparts but maybe you just had a type in terms of people you liked being around. Standing up from the couch Grace looks around at the group of you and your friends and asks,

"So are you kids hungry? I can make some cupcakes to celebrate how good things are." 

"Cupcakes sound awesome!" Viktoria remarks excitedly

"Well, I'll go get started on some then." Grace replies turning around to find the kitchen

"Oh, Mom!" You called

"Yes, sweetie?" Grace asked turning to look back at you

"Since your dress is all dirty from the house collapse, Addison, Viktoria, and I all went to a vintage store and got you some new clothes." You stated handing a large bag to her "You don't have to put them on now but I just wanted to let you know."

Grace looked down at her attire only to see her dress stained with dirt and concrete dust. This wouldn't do at all. Looking back towards you, she takes the bag from your hand and says,

"Well, I hadn't even noticed my dress was so messy. I'll go put on some of these new clothes and then I'll get right to making those cupcakes. How about you kids go outside in the backyard for now?"

"Okay," Dean replies before tapping Lucas on the shoulder and exclaiming "Tag you're it!"

Dean immediately runs off towards the back of the house and into the backyard with the rest of you and your friends quickly following suit.

"Hey, you can't just play tag without establishing it first!" Lucas yells sprinting to catch up with one of you all

Grace lets out a small laugh as from afar she sees the joy of you and your friends all playing together. For a moment it reminds her of the time when you and the Hargreeves were all young and having fun and she could only hope that with the world saved maybe, just maybe, she'd get to see such a thing again. Heading upstairs Grace went off to change her clothes before making some cupcakes for you and your friends outside. And as you ran around spending time with your friends, the Hargreeves had finally made it back to Eudora's house. After a stop for some fast food since none of them had eaten and an ungodly amount of unexpected traffic they were finally back. As they pulled up on the street near the house, Diego looked out the front window of the van and questioned,

"Why is there a black 67 Impala is parked outside Eudora's house?"

Peering from the back of the van through the front window Five looked at the driveway and saw a car exactly like Diego described. While the sight may have been concerning for the rest of the group Five knew better as he stated,

"That's Veronica."

"I thought her name was Viktoria?" Vanya adds

"The car's name is Veronica. It's what Dean named his car." Five elaborated "And if that's Dean's car, that means (Y/N) and the rest of them are here."

"Why is the car named Veronica though?" Klaus questioned

"Because Addison told him to name the car that." Five answered

"I'm just glad it's a safe car. I was worried it was going to be the feds or something." Luther commented

"We're fine, but we really should get back inside." Five stated, "Things haven't blown over yet."

Five was right. Things were still fresh and it hadn't even been a full day since the events of last night. There was still a lot that could happen and they really needed things to blow over. Exiting the van the group made their way back into the house assuming that you and your friends were already inside, but as they entered there was no one to be seen. From further in the house, Diego could hear the sounds of sing-song humming. Following the sound back towards the kitchen, he entered the room and saw a sight he didn't expect to see. Diego could feel his heart clench as he hesitantly stepped forward, and with a shaky voice asked,

"M-mom?"

Placing down the cupcake she was icing down Grace turned to look at Diego. A smile came to her face as she walked over to him greeting,

"Hi, Diego!"

Diego looked her up and down. He clothes were clean, her hair was perfectly done, and the only thing out of place was little white lines that looked like scars. It was as if the house never came down on her. In disbelief, Diego said quietly,

"You're alive..." 

"Well of course I am silly," Grace commented happily

"How though?" He questioned

"(Y/N)'s friends are quite a clever bunch. They all helped to put me back together." Grace explains

As she explained what had occurred the rest of the Hargreeves appeared in the kitchen. Looks of disbelief similar to Diego's appeared on their faces. Looking over Diego's shoulder, Grace saw the rest of the group enter the room. Luther, Allison, Klaus, Five, Vanya, and...Ben. Shock filled her face as she stared him down.

"Hi, mom." Ben greeted kindly

"Hi" Grace replied softly, emotion evident in her voice as she continued "Oh wow, all of my children in one place. I- I never thought this would happen again."

"Oh mom, it's okay." Diego comforted as he wrapped his arms around her

One by one the rest of the Hargreeves went over to where Grace and Diego stood and wrapped their arms around each other in a group hug. As they stood there they waited for one final person to go over and join them as a family. 

"C'mon Five." Luther encouraged 

Five stared at the group as they all looked at him but before he could even make a decision or say anything Klaus grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the hug. His siblings rearranged themselves so that Five was stuck closer to the center and couldn't leave. Looking toward Klaus, he threatened,

"I'm going to break your wrists."

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and hug your family old man." Klaus retorted, not caring about what Five had to say

Five shut his mouth as his siblings around him held onto each other, and although he had the ability to jump away something in him didn't really want to. Together the group stood not just as a bunch of different people but as a family. When the hug finally broke, Grace looked around at everyone with immense joy in her eyes as she explained,

"Well, you all came just in time. I was just about to serve the kids some cupcakes."

Heading over towards the cupcake tray, she finished icing the last of the cupcakes before picking the tray up and walking out the back door to the backyard. Following her onto the back porch the Hargreeves watched as you and your friends ran around laughing and screaming. You all seemed so happy and it was in a moment like this that they remembered why the world was worth saving and why they went through all they did. It was for happy moments like these. Stepping down from the back porch, Grace walked towards the picnic table as she called out,

"Cupcake time!"

Immediately, you and your friends stopped on your heels and turned to run towards the picnic as you heard Grace call for cupcakes. Making it to the table you all sat around it as Grace placed the tray of treats down on it. From across the yard, you could see the rest of the Hargreeves standing on the back porch unmoving. Using your hand you waved them over as your friends all called and cheered for them to join. The Hargreeves took a look at each other looking for some type of consensus or instruction to go. Five refused to stand around anymore though and instead opted to flash over to the table before sitting down next to you. Taking your hand in his, he looked around at your friends giving them a small wave. And with Five already settling in the rest of the siblings took that as a reason to walk over. Standing around the table the siblings gave your friends polite smiles and greetings but as their eyes passed over Bren they were slightly confused by the object he was looking down at and holding.

"Is that my head?" Ben asks

"You can't take him from me! I'll kill you!" Bren threatened holding Statue Ben's head tighter

"Well, that would be a little difficult since I'm already dead." Ben comments

Bren looked over towards the voice confused at what they had just said but as they looked they saw a translucent blue figure standing next to them. Bren looked back and forth between the statue head in his hands and the figure before staring at the figure with wide eyes.

"Hi, I'm Ben." Ben greeted

Bren stared at Ben for only a moment before immediately passing out and falling from his seat on the ground. While you and your friends were unsurprised at the reaction, the hargreeves looked on in shock. Allison crouched down on her knees gently shaking Bren trying to wake him up.

"Is he okay?" Ben asked concerned

"Is he dead?" Dean questioned

Taking a look at his friend on the ground, Kenny looks back to the rest of the group and states,

"Nah, he's fine."

"You didn't even check to see if he has a pulse," Diego commented

"It's fine, I got this." Kenny explained before shouting "IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE!"

As if it was a reflex Bren shot up from the ground with a fist raised in the air as he exclaimed,

"Don't you fucking dare!"

You and your friends all started to laugh and after a moment of feeling awkward about the situation, the Hargreeves did too. Extending a hand out to Bren to help him back up onto the bench at the table, Kenny said,

"Welcome back prince of darkness it's cupcake time."

And so as things began to get settled everyone together grabbed a cupcake and started to fully enjoy the day. With enthusiastic conversation and the sharing of stories between your two generations of friends, the day after the apocalypse felt like one step forward in a better direction. There were good things in the world, beautiful things, and although there were many open wounds, with time and love they would heal and things would get better one day at a time.

___________________________________

May 15th, 2019:

After the world had been saved, things did not immediately go back to normal. You didn't expect they would, but the amount of clean-up that needed to be done was...a lot. Allison had to go back to California for Claire and her continued custody battle, Diego was still on the line for Eudora's murder, and then there was the whole mess with Vanya at the theatre. And like a cherry on top of the world's worst sundae, you still had to deal with the Hargreeves' interpersonal conflicts with each other along with all their identity crises from learning about their lives in the 1960s. Even your beloved boyfriend was struggling with his identity and what to do next given that he was a young man again and the threat of the apocalypse he had been fighting against for years was now gone. It was overwhelming, to say the least, especially with the fact that you had to resume your life as normal going to school and all. 

But, bit by bit, things started to change for the better.

In an odd twist of fate, when Allison returned to California to continue her mandated sessions, seeing that she was rendered mute and therefore could not use her powers until her voice healed, the court surprisingly decided to cut the number of her mandated sessions in half. An agreement was also reached to let her have supervised visitation with a fairly good agreement in the works for Patrick and Claire to move closer to the city so Allison would not have to fly back and forth.

With the guns that Five anonymously sent to Chuck, video footage at the library and boxing gym at the time of Eudora's death, along with a recovered recording of the phone call of Eudora asking Diego to come to meet her at the motel, Diego was cleared of all charges and taken off the suspect list. And shortly after you and Diego attended Eudora's funeral to fully lay her to rest so that you could all start to move forward.

As for Vanya, through a rousing bout of gaslighting and secret use of your powers you were able to fool officials into believing the Icarus Theater was already structurally unsound and had a massive gas leak which caused everyone to mass hallucinate the events of that night. Which both the theater itself and the mayor made press statements following that narrative.

And as all the major loose threats started getting tied up all that was left were the frayed ends of the Hargreeves' own problems. Through consistent encouragement and the occasional threat of bodily harm, you managed to get the Hargreeves siblings to start opening up to each other. It wasn't perfect as many of them were stubborn bastards who held onto their trauma and resentments like a badge of honor but through their honesty, things started evolving into something more cohesive and family-like. 

It was even family-like enough that Vanya opened up to the group about being transgender and wanting to use different pronouns and go by the name Viktor. Of course, everyone accepted them with love and respect, and when news of this name got to your friend Viktoria, she flipped with excitement at practically sharing the same name with her idol. 

At some point, the group of you came together to execute Reginald's will. It was not unusual that he had one but what was unusual was that he actually left his money, assets, and current investments to people. Specifically as written in his will, All assets of my estate will be evenly dispersed between any and all children who have ever lived under the roof of the Umbrella Academy at the time of my passing. It was a surprisingly kind gesture for a man who for the most part really sucked. But just as written all the assets were dispersed in an eight-way split between the Hargreeves children and yourself. And because of Ben being in fact a ghost and relatively not in need of cash, he offered to use a chunk of his portion from the will to rebuild a new home where the academy once stood for everyone to live in. 

And so things started to settle into a routine. You, Five, Klaus, Ben, Luther, and Mom lived in Eudora's house as there really wasn't any other place for you to go. Mom was finally given her own room and stayed in what was formerly Eudora's bedroom. With the spare air mattress, Luther set up his own space in the basement while Klaus and Ben took the couches in the living room. And to Diego's dismay, you and Five continued to share a room and a bed together. Diego and Viktor lived at their respective places from before the apocalypses but would spend time at Eudora's with the rest of the group when they were free. And Allison made her best efforts to come back and forth between the city and California so she could be both with Claire and her family while custody arrangements were still going on. 

Five was still Five, but there were little changes here and there that you started to see. He quickly ditched the academy uniform and started wearing a mix of formal and casual attire. It was a little funny to see him look like he was going to a James Bond lookalike convention one day and the conspiracy theorist fishing meetup the next but to you, he looked nice either way. He hadn't quite found his style yet but he was getting more comfortable. There were still the days where he would go around anxious about another apocalypse or something else causing you and his family harm, and there were still the nights where he'd wake up in a cold sweat worried that you were dead or that he was still stuck alone in the apocalypse. But he knew he could rely on you, the same way you could rely on him with your nightmares and anxieties and the two of you slowly started to heal your traumas together.  The biggest leap through was the way he was with your friends. Your friends would consistently go over to your place to hang out with you, interact with the Hargreeves, and slowly absorb Five into your chaotic friend group. At first, you could tell their desire to include him in things came on a little too strong and he had a strong pushback against it but as they gave him his space to adjust on his own he slowly started coming around more. Joining for movies and partaking in a few of your sleepovers, but he especially did well with the type of sarcastic nihilistic humor you and your friends shared. And before he could even realize it, your friends were now his friends too.

And although there was still so much chaos, things were good.

Like many other days, you had woken up, gone to school, and met up with your friends. But compared to those other days, today was different. Today was the day that you and your friends would be seeing if you were going to get into college. Specifically, if you guys were going to get into the elite college that you all applied to. Most of your admissions letters had come in but no one had opened theirs yet because you were all waiting on one more to come to your house. But you knew today was the day. When you all had sent in your applications they notified you that all decisions would be received in the mail by this specific date, and so after school ended the seven of you went to Eudora's house to finally see if you were getting in or not. Arriving at the house you opened the mailbox and pulled out the few envelopes in there checking to see if the letter you all had been waiting for had come. 

It had. 

And with that letter in your hands, you all were ready to see what the future held. Heading towards the front door you grabbed the packages off the porch before heading inside. One by one the group filed into the house, seeing the very familiar sight of all the Hargreeves scattered about the living room and adjoining dining room. Five and Ben, who was now consistently visible and able to interact with objects due to Klaus' practice with his powers and lack of heavy drug usage, were both reading in the living room while Klaus knitted on the floor watching cartoons. Luther and Diego were playing what seemed like a competitive game of UNO at the dining room table and Viktor and Allison were having a conversation in the doorway connecting the two rooms. As you all entered the house there was a chorus of greetings as you and your friends settled in. Placing the letter mail down on the dining room table you passed out the packages stating,

"Klaus your Shein order arrived, Ben here's that literary magazine you submitted to and Luther your book Whoops! I Guess I'm A Parent Now came in."

"Why do you need a parenting book?" Diego questioned confused

"Hi, Luther!" Lucas exclaimed popping up behind him

"Jesus, Lucas. What have we talked about when it comes to personal space?" Luther asks defeated

"Sorry, dad." Lucas apologized

Letting out a defeated sigh, Luther gestures toward Lucas. A smirk comes to Diego's face as he chuckles a bit responding, 

"I see, but if I can get the hang of it so can you big guy."

As things started to settle down with everyone getting situated in the house Klaus called out from the living room,

"So is today the big day for you all?"

"It sure is!" Kenny responded excitedly

"Alright then, how about we gather around and watch you open up your letters then?" Viktor suggests

You and your friends nodded opening your backpacks and pulling out the envelopes you had been waiting to open for days now. Everyone gathered around the dining room table, you and your friends standing while most of the Hargreeves sat or leaned up against a wall. Out of all the college applications you had sent out this was the school you were hoping to get into the most. You and all of your friends had applied but the acceptance rate was low and all of the programs each of you applied for were overwhelmingly competitive. You could feel the nerves of anticipation build as you stared at the letter in your hands.

Sensing your nerves, Five took one of your hands in his giving it a reassuring squeeze as he comforted you,

"Hey, you're gonna get in. You have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, the only ones who need to worry are those admissions people if they don't let you in. I'll kick their asses." Diego stated, pulling out one of his knives

You assumed your brother was trying to be reassuring. It was not helping as much as he probably thought it was though. Seeing the look on your face, Allison rolled her eyes taking the knife from Diego's hand and placing it on the table before gesturing to the group of you holding your letters.

"Alright, alright. I'm just saying." Diego replies 

A silence fell over the room as you and your friends all looked at each other.

"Moment of truth." Bren states quietly

"Huh...yeah," Viktoria replies nervously

"Countdown from three?" Lucas suggests

All of you nodded your heads quietly at each other before taking a collective deep breath. Meeting each other's eyes you all start to countdown in unison,

"Three. Two. One."

And with that the seven of you ripped open your envelopes, pulling out the letters inside and unfolding the papers to see what they said. There was a heavy weight in the room as you all started scanning that first sentence for the most important word. And then you all saw it-

Congratulations.

The worry on your faces turned into shock as all of your eyes went wide and the Hargreeves waited quietly for one of you to say something. Tears pricked at your eyes as you looked up from the paper in your hands.

Seeing the tears forming in your eyes Diego and Five leaned in concerned both worriedly asking,

"What happened?"

A small smile started to form on your face as you quietly replied,

"I got into the chemistry program."

As you said those words the worry on their faces started to melt away and an overwhelming feeling of happiness washed over them. After all this time, and everything that had happened to you, it was comforting to see you so happy. Five reached up and grabbed one of your hands placing a kiss on it before looking up at you and saying confidently,

"I told you there was nothing to worry about."

You gently wiped away some of your tears as you looked toward Diego, holding out the acceptance letter for him to take. Gently taking the letter, he started to read through it but the further he got through it the more blurry the words on the page became. Diego blinked his eyes trying to clear his vision as he looked back up towards you. He beamed with pride at all you had accomplished. You had done so much and come so far from where you were back when you were 13. You grew up into such an amazing person and at that moment Diego only had one thought on his mind.

"I wish your parents were here to see you now. They'd be so proud of how you turned out." Diego quietly states

You were taken aback by what Diego had said but it meant so much for you to hear that. In your lived experience it had been a decade since you were last around your parents, and you wondered if they would be proud of who you had become even after disobeying one of their main rules. For him to say that they would be happy with the person you had become was the best reassurance he could've ever given you. Looking back at him you quietly responded,

"Well, they'd have you to thank for that."

And just like he did to you only a moment ago, Diego too was taken aback by what you said. He Had tried his best for so many years not to replace your parents but to fill in the spot they were supposed to be as best as he could. He had help from Eudora and his mom but he did everything he could to give you the best life and it meant everything to him to know that after all that had happened, you still felt that he had done right by your parents. Although he tried holding them back obvious tears fell from Diego's eyes causing Klaus to ask,

"Are you going to cry?"

"No, I'm gonna punch you in the throat." Diego threatens getting choked up

"I was just gonna offer you a tissue if you were," Klaus replies slowly holding out a tissue box

"Oh. I mean- I'm fine. It's just dust." Diego lies taking a bunch of tissues from the box

"But I dusted yesterday," Grace states as she steps into the room

As Diego attempts and fails to conceal the overwhelming wave of emotion he felt, Lucas approaches Luther once more holding up his acceptance letter for him to see.

"Luther look! I got into the political science program and I got a sports scholarship! I'm gonna be playing on the football team!" Lucas proclaims excitedly "I know you don't really like your number but I'm going to ask if I can get the number one on my jersey so you can always have my back. I've never played with any other number except yours."

Lucas looked at Luther with his blue eyes lit up with excitement and a wide smile was plastered on his face as he continued to hold the paper out in front of him. And as Luther looked back at him, processing the words Lucas just said it was like someone shanked him in the heart, but in a good way. Luther's face started to contort weirdly as he tried to process the wave of emotion coming over him.

"Luther, are you okay?" Lucas questions confused

"Yeah, it's just like Diego said...dust." Luther replies getting choked up as well "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks!" Lucas replies happily

As Lucas turns away to go show Addison his letter, Allison steps forward and begins patting Diego and Luther's backs trying to console the two blubbering strong men with "dust" in their eyes. Wanting to know what other news was around, Ben looks at your friends who hadn't spoken yet and questions,

"Well, what about the rest of you?"

"I'm going to be an English major." Bren states

"Hell yeah, the Master of Death is taking on college with his Edgar Allen Bro," Kenny exclaims throwing an arm around Bren

"So you managed to get into the nursing program then?" Bren questions

"Of course! You didn't believe I could do it?" Kenny retorts, pretending to be shocked

"Just a smidge." Bren jokes sarcastically

"You suck." Kenny replies playfully shoving him away "Anyway I think this calls for a celebration shot. Klaus, you want one?"

"Of course!" Klaus exclaims

"No!" Ben and Bren reprimand at the same time

As Bren And Ben attempt to stop Kenny and Klaus from getting their celebratory shots, Dean raises his acceptance letter over his head and proudly declares,

"Well, I'm going to be getting my criminal justice degree so I can get one step closer to being a public defender."

"Let's just hope you don't fall in love with a girl who wants to be a district attorney." You comment to him

"Like that's gonna happen," Dean remarks back

You sucked in your breath and threw a side glance to Five as you knew your brother's type very well and the chance of him having feelings for someone who wanted to work on the opposite side of the justice system was more likely than he probably thought. Five gave you a look back as he shrugged his shoulders. Well, there was nothing you could do about it except wait for it to happen.

"Okay that's cool and all, but Viktoria and I are going to be in the performance business because we just got into the music and theatre programs!" Addison exclaims

"That's great!" Viktor praises "You'll have to let us know when you're performing in the future so we can go watch."

Allison nods her head agreeing with Viktor's statement as she applauds for the two of them, before pointing at an unopened envelope on the table that was now scattered amongst the other open admission letters. Everyone looked at the extra envelope on the table, the one that you had brought in today. It was the envelope you and your friends were waiting on and you didn't need to look at who the envelope was addressed to because you already knew. Smiles came to your and your friends' faces as the Hargreeves looked around at each other confused.

"Whose letter is that?" Five inquired

"It's yours." You replied picking up the letter and holding it out towards him

Five looked at you confused as he slowly took the letter from your hand. Looking down he saw that it was addressed to him just like you had said. Looking back up Five noticed the excited looks on your faces, and while he was still confused he now was more so intrigued by your reactions.

"Open it! Open it! Open it!" Lucas started to chant as the rest of your friends follow suit

"Uh, okay." Five replied confused

Turning the envelope around Five opens the seal before carefully pulling out a folded-up piece of paper and unfolding it to see what it said just as you all had done moments ago. Five started to read was the paper said but before he could get very far Viktoria encouraged,

"Read it aloud." 

Five gave a quick nod of his head before looking back down at the paper and beginning to read aloud,

"Dear Mr. Five Hargreeves, Congratulations on your admission to our physics program..."

Five paused as he looked up from the letter giving you and the group a quizzical look only to be met with seven "go on" looks back at him. Slowly, he looked back down at the paper as he continued,

"...We receive hundreds of applications each year from qualified students across the globe but your application stood out amongst the others. You have demonstrated immense talent and ability that is in alliance with the goals and mission of our school and we are happy to invite you to be part of our incoming class for fall 2019."

Five looked up from the letter once more and saw the looks of anticipation on all of your faces and that was when he realized what you all had done. You all were going to college and didn't want him to feel bad about not being there with you so you made up a letter just for him. It was quite impressive that you managed to make it look so official but nevertheless he appreciated the gesture.

"Sooooo?" Addison inquired

"Thank you." Five replied, "It's really nice that you made a fake admission letter so I could feel included."

You and your friends all looked at each other confused.

"Fake?" Kenny commented, "Damn that would've been a much easier process."

"What do you mean?" Five questioned confused

"Dude, it's a real letter. You're going to college with us." Dean explained

Five looked down at the letter again and then towards his siblings, all of which had the same confused and dumbfounded looks on their faces.

"What?" Five questioned even more unsure of what was going on "I don't understand. I didn't send in an application."

"That's because we did it for you." Lucas elaborated "April 3rd through April 21st was the most stressful three weeks of our lives thanks to your girlfriend."

All the Hargreeves leaned forward waiting for you to actually explain what was going on because nothing about this was making sense at this point.

"What did you do?" Viktor asked

"The real question is what didn't we do?" Bren replied, "(Y/N), you want to elaborate?"

"Sure. It was a pretty involved process but we submitted an application to the university we all applied for." You started to explain "First we had to get you documented, so Dean broke into the city records office and managed to get you a birth certificate saying you were born October 1st, 2000 so it would make sense why you were applying for college this year."

"He did what?" Luther asked shocking out of his emotional state

"Broke into the city records office, keep up." Dean added, "I also got you a bunch of other legal documents you would need and scanned them into the government system so it looks like you were always on the record."

"Nice job, kid. Good for you." Diego complimented

"So then Bren hacked our high school records system and added you in there to make it seem like you were a student." You continued

"Don't worry I gave you the best possible grades I could without putting you in the running for valedictorian or salutatorian," Bren added

"And you remember those interview questions I asked you for a group project I was doing?" Viktoria interjected

"Yeah?" Five replied hesitantly

"Those were the application questions. Reader and I took your responses and turned them into actual writing." Viktoria responds

The jaws of the Hargreeves slowly began to drop more and more as you and your friends continued to elaborate on everything you did to get Five into college with you.

"I helped to get you some letters of recommendation from teachers under the guise that they were writing nomination recommendations for (Y/N) to get into a science program." Lucas stated, "I just downloaded the word documents they sent back and changed her name to yours though."

"And since we're the closest in appearance, I went and got a fake ID so I could take the SAT for you!" Kenny exclaims "Well. Kind of. I just was sitting there filling in the bubbles but (Y/N) was feeding me the answers. Invisibly of course."

"And I called the admissions office pretending to be Allison's press agent saying that a family member of hers was applying to their school but to keep it under wraps because she didn't want them getting hounded with attention. Which obviously put them on high alert for your application." Addison finishes

Quickly pulling out the notebook she carried on her, Allison vigorously wrote down in bold letters "WHAT?" before holding it up to the rest of the group tapping at the word on the page. 

"Anyway!" You stated ignoring Allison's concern "All of us threw an application together for you and now you're in. With us!"

Five took a long look at you before looking around at the rest of the people in the room. You and your friends looked at him excitedly while his siblings face beamed with pleasant surprise at what you all had done. It felt unreal that this could be happening. He knew that he was technically young again but the fact that he had the ability to start over hadn't hit him until now when he was actually presented with an opportunity to do so. 

"You guys did all of this for me?" He asks

"Of course, you're our friend!" Addison replies

"It would be weird to not have you there with us." Bren chimes in "But you have your girlfriend to thank for keeping us all on track."

Five stood up from the chair he was sitting in and looked down at the paper in his hands before once more directing his attention back to the group of people around him. 

"Sooooo, you wanna go to college with us?" Lucas inquires

"We'll have the five boys taking college by storm." Dean encourages

"Is that five boys in the sense that you're his boys or the number of boys?" Viktor asks confused

Lucas, Dean, Kenny, and Bren all direct their attention towards Viktor as they simultaneously state,

"Both." 

You couldn't tell exactly what your boyfriend was thinking at that moment but nevertheless, you put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as you softly said,

"You've worked so hard to get where you are right now, and you have a second chance right in front of you. Why don't we make it the best it can be?" 

Five looked at your beautiful face and knew that you were right. He did work hard to get here. He does have a second chance. And he was going to make it the best it could be.

"So what do ya say, buddy?" Kenny suggests

"I guess I'm going to college."

As everyone threw their congratulations toward each other and talked about their excitement for the future, Five took your hand and pulled you aside in the living room. Holding your hand a little tighter, he glanced back towards the bustling dining room filled with his friends and family.

"Thank you." He said quietly as he caught your eyes and added "You didn't have to do all of this."

With the hand that was not being held by Five's, you lifted it up towards his face and placed it on his cheek, gently brushing your thumb back and forth. 

"I just wanted you to find your purpose again." You replied

Letting go of your hand, Five wrapped his arms around your waist as he pulled you closer to him. He never needed to find a purpose. He had a purpose, it had been his main purpose since the day he first found it and he wanted you to know so.

"Don't worry. I already have one." He stated quietly

"Yeah?" You replied curiously

"Yeah," He responded sincerely "I'm looking at it."

"And I'm looking at mine." You added softly

The two of you held your gaze with each other for a moment before gently pressing your lips against each other. It was soft and sweet and neither of you could help but smile into it. You two were each other's raison d'etre. It had always been that way, and it was the way it would always be. 

"Oooooooooooooh! " Your friends teased from the dining room

Pulling away from the kiss you and Five look towards your group of friends as they made kissy faces towards the two of you and playfully mocked your display of affection. Rolling your eyes at them you exclaimed,

"Oh shut up!"

"C'mon love birds, have some cake with us."  Klaus remarks

You placed one more kiss on Five's cheek before pulling away. Reaching his hand out, Five took yours in his, and hand in hand the two of you took another step into your future together.

________

June 16th, 2019. 7:30 AM:

After too many years, several attempts on your life, three time jumps, two apocalypses, a death, and a resurrection, you were finally graduating high school. It had been a lot of hard work, probably more work than any other person ever had to do to get to where you were, but you did it. Today was the day, and more so, through all the trials and tribulations you still managed to become valedictorian. 

Getting up bright and early, you got ready for the big day ahead of you. You and your friends, long before any of the apocalypse chaos was even a thought in your mind, had planned that on your graduation day you would all go get breakfast at a local diner before heading to the school. You had woken up before most others in the house and gone through your typical morning routine to get ready for the day. Shower, teeth, hair, dressed, etcetera. You accomplished it all but once that was done, you grabbed your valedictorian speech from your room, put it into the pocket of your dress, and grabbed the hanger that was holding your cap and gown before heading downstairs.  Hanging the cap and gown on the coat rack by the door, you then turned to head into the kitchen only to find your boyfriend there leaning against one of the counters with a mug of what you assumed to be coffee in his hand. He wore a white button-up, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, along with some black slacks, shoes, and a tie.  His hair fell off to the side in its usual style and as you stepped into the kitchen you saw his bright green eyes light up as he looked at you. A smile was on his face as he placed his coffee down on the counter, and walked over to where you stood. Placing his hands on your waist, he looked you up and down as he commented,

"Well don't you look wonderful." He commented

You smiled back at him before taking a step closer and wrapping your arms around his neck.

"You're one to talk." You replied "I mean you're all dressed up. I haven't seen you like this in a few weeks."

It was true that he really hadn't worn more of his formal clothing for a bit, but he really hadn't gone anywhere so it never seemed necessary. Most times your friends would come over to the house after school to hang out so it didn't make sense to put on a more business-type attire. If no one but his friends were going to see him, why stress about it when he could just lounge around in a flannel and jeans.

"No reason to put on my good clothes if I'm not leaving the house." Five remarked

A playful smirk came to your face as you started to run your fingers through the back of his hair. Gently, you started to sway side to side as you moved your face slightly closer to his. Not enough to kiss him yet, but enough for him to notice the change in distance. With your eyes locked on his, you playfully mused, 

"I mean I have a reason."

"Oh, you do?" Five inquired taking on the same playful tone as you as he also leaned in a bit more "And what might that reason be?"

"I like seeing you in them." You answered

Slowly, Five brought one of his hands up from your waist, tracing it along your side and neck before using it to tilt your chin up towards him more. A teasing smirk appeared on his face and he knew exactly what he was doing as he asked in a low tone,

"And why is that babe?"

You could feel your stomach do a flip as he called you that. It was a rare occurrence but it made it all the more impactful on the occasions where he did use it. You were the one who had started this cat and mouse though and you were going to be the one to finish it. Gently, one of your hands snaked from behind his neck and over his chest before grabbing onto his tie.

"Because when you wear a tie I can do this."

And with one little pull, you had closed the gap between you and him. Your lips pressed together firmly and you could taste the black coffee he was drinking only moments ago. It was bitter but over the past few months, it had become one of your favorite tastes. Together your lips moved slowly and softly against one another, but it wasn't enough for either of you. Your one hand that was playing with his hair earlier now gently pulled at it while your other was still tightly wrapped around his tie. 

Five grabbed at your waist once more pulling you flush against him. Even a centimeter of space between the two of you was too much. His sudden action caused you to part your lips slightly allowing him to deepen the kiss. If there was one thing Five appreciated about his new living arrangements it was the fact that he didn't have Diego breathing down his neck every time he so much as decided to look at you. As Dean affectionately called Diego, he was "el bloque de pollas último" and every second he wasn't around Five relished in the freedom that it brought. The two of you shared a room, a bed, as much privacy as two young adults could want, and the ability to express your love for the other. However, whenever.

Maybe it was the way you liked how the other looked in formal clothes or maybe it was the excitement and anticipation of the day, but whatever the reason was, at that moment there was a neediness that grew. You hummed happily into each other's mouths as your need for more sped up the kiss. You held each other close, melting into each other as your lips refused to part because there was no need for air when you had the other. Both of you were hungry, not for breakfast though, but for each other. But then from behind you, you both heard,

"Must really be a sucking face kinda morning, huh?"

Immediately, the two of you broke from your kiss, your heads snapping towards where the comment came from only to see Klaus leaning against the doorway to the kitchen with a wide smile on his face. 

"Good morning lovebirds." He greeted cheerfully

"Jesus Klaus! How long have you been there?" You exclaimed

"How long has this mating ritual been going on?" Klaus questions, his demeanor teasing and upbeat

You and Five both roll your eyes annoyed by the rude interruption Klaus had caused. Obviously upset by this development, Five snaps,

"Don't you have to get ready or something?"

"Don't you have to jack off before Diego gets here or something?" Klaus replies playfully

"Fuck off Klaus." Five retorts irritated

"Listen, I'm just saying if you plan on taking any celebratory actions you should relegate it to behind a door and not in the middle of the kitchen," Klaus commented

"Klaus, no- that's not what we were-." You stuttered out, a blush rising to your face as you added "why do you have to make everything weird..."

"Because he doesn't know how to do anything else." Five remarked

"Okay rude. I'm just trying to help you two," Klaus explains "But also there's a car in the driveway."

"Is it black or green?" You question

"Black," Klaus replies

Hearing his response you let out a disappointed sigh as you state,

"That's Dean's car. They're here."

Giving Five a disappointed look, you walk away from him and back into the living room for a moment to make sure you had all your things to go. As you moved away from the kitchen Five quickly approached Klaus. Displeasure and irritation written all over his face after what had just happened.

"Next time keep your help to yourself." Five chastised under his breath "I just want to kiss my girlfriend. That's all."

Placing a hand on the shoulder of his brother who was definitely frustrated in more ways than one, Klaus whispered back,

"With the way this house goes through tissues, I think you're lying to yourself, buddy."

"Mon chéri." You called as you walked back into the kitchen "Before I go, do you think you can read over my speech one more time?"

Five looked away from Klaus, his displeased expression turning into one of genuine care. You had been making consistent edits to your valedictorian speech since you had first found out you would become valedictorian at the beginning of the month. Trying to be supportive, Five reassures,

"Ma chérie, I've read it 47 times over the past two weeks. 12 of those in the past 36 hours. It is a great speech and you are going to do amazing."

"You think so?" You asked

"I know so." Five stated positively "And you'll have all of us there to support you."

You could hear the sound of a car beeping outside signifying that your friends were all there and they were getting impatient with you not coming out of the house yet. You looked towards the front door before looking back at Five and saying,

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? I'm sure we can squeeze you into Dean's car."

"This was something you all planned together and that car is already packed as it is." Five explains "Anyway someone has to be here to make sure this family gets there on time."

Another round of beeping could be heard from outside along with the now growing sounds of enthusiastic screaming calling your name. If you didn't get out of the house soon your friends were going to wake the whole neighborhood.

"Alright, the ceremony starts at 10 am so everyone needs to be in their seats no later than 9:45." You stated before asking "Have you printed out the tickets?"

"Not yet, but I will." Five replies "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's getting shit done under time constraints."

"Alright. I love you." You say

"I love you too." 

Placing a quick peck on his lips, you rush out of the kitchen, grabbing your cap and gown off the coat hanger before opening the door to head outside. As you go to close the door, you can hear from behind you Five reassuringly exclaim,

"Don't stress, okay? Everything is going to be fine." 

June 16th, 2019. 9:15 AM:

Everything was NOT  fine.

At this point, Murphy's Law should've changed its name to Hargreeves Law because anything that could go wrong did go wrong. Which was almost incredible because it started out so fine...

After you had left to go to breakfast, Five finished drinking the rest of the coffee trying to improve his mood that was effectively ruined by Klaus. No matter how annoyed he was by Klaus' interference this morning, he knew this day wasn't about that. It was about you graduating and because you were already stressed about it Five tried to stay calm and positive. Keeping on track, Five went over to the house computer and followed the directions that you had shown him plenty of times before he clicked the button to print the tickets to get into your graduation. And as the jarring clunks signifying the printer was starting up could be heard so could the sounds of the rest of the house getting ready. 

As Luther got ready in the bathroom and Klaus started making himself some toast for breakfast, Five went upstairs into what was previously Eudora's room to see if Grace was ready. Five entered the room to see Grace sitting in her craft chair in the corner looking down at the cross-stitch in her hands, the lamp Luther had gotten her yesterday still on. 

"Good morning Grace." Five greeted

Grace didn't respond though. All she did was look down at the cross-stitch in her hands. Confused, Five slowly approached her calling her name once more,

"Grace?"

Once more she didn't respond. She didn't even more. And as Five finally stood next to her, he saw what the problem was. Grace had requested a new lamp so she could cross-stitch while she charged at night and yesterday Luther had taken the responsibility of getting it for her since everyone else was busy. Leaving that responsibility to him though must've been too much because as Five currently saw, when he had plugged in the lamp he unplugged her charger to do so, meaning that she hadn't charged at all and was not awake.

"Shit." Five said to himself as he quickly unplugged the lamp and plugged in her charger. 

He watch anxiously for the little blue light to come on behind her eyes and hoped that soon enough she would wake up and be able to go to your graduation. She had to go. Everyone was going. It was Five's responsibility to make sure that everyone was going. As Five continued to look at Grace he tried to reassure himself that everything would be fine. And then the blue lights signifying she was charging came on. Five let out a sigh of relief, hopefully, she would charge quickly and this problem would be behind him. This was just one little bump in the road this morning. It couldn't get worse right? Right as he thought that though, he could hear Luther yell,

"FIVE!"

Rushing from the bedroom towards the bathroom, he opened the door only to find Luther with a plunger in his hand and the bathtub ready to overflow.

"What happened!" Five shouted

"I was shaving, and the drain got clogged," Luther explains worried

And as he said those words Five actually noticed his brother's appearance. The left side of his upper body was all shaved, while the other side was a bushy mess of thick gorilla hair. A distinct line split down the middle of his chest showed where one side ended and the other began.

"Why didn't you shave last night?!" Five snapped

"I was worried that it would grow back and I wanted to be clean-shaven for (Y/N)'s graduation. I didn't think this would happen!" Luther exclaimed

"You didn't think shaving a bunch of your monkey hair down the drain wouldn't cause it to clog?" Five criticized

"No!" Luther replies panicked "What do we do?!"

"Turn off the water you idiot!" Five yells

"Right!"

Luther quickly reaches down towards the faucet, turning the water off, but right as the drain problem was stopped in its tracks a scream could be heard from downstairs. Running out of the bathroom, with the half-hairy Luther in tow, the two quickly head downstairs only to see Allison and Viktor run into the house.

"Was that you?" Five urgently questions

"No, was that you?" Viktor responds

"Why would it be us if I just asked if it was you?" Five replied exasperated

"I don't know! We just got here." Viktor states with Allison nodding her head in agreement

As Viktor finished his statement another scream could be heard from the kitchen. Rushing in the Hargreeves siblings took in the sight of the toaster on fire and Ben using his tentacles to wave Klaus around in the air. Because he too was on fire. The group froze for a moment, in shock at what they were seeing before them, but after a few seconds of processing, everyone started to gain a sense of urgency.

“What do we do?” Viktor questioned worriedly

“Get the fire extinguisher!” Five directed back “In the closet.”

Viktor nodded his head. Turning on his heel he rushed back towards the hall closet, a loop on his belt getting caught on a nearby door handle. Getting stuck his momentum halted causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. And as he fell forward the awful sound of fabric tearing ripped through the air. Ignoring the sound Viktor stood back up and finished making his way to the hall closet. Grabbing the fire extinguisher he wobbled back towards the kitchen, his pants starting to fall to his knees, fiddling with the release valve trying to make sure it would spray at the toaster.

When Viktor had run off towards the hall closet, Allison ran towards the toaster. Avoiding the flames, she unplugged the toaster from its outlet and although it wouldn’t stop the fire itself, it would stop the electric current from running through it. As she started to make her way back from the toaster she saw Viktor come back into the kitchen, his pants ripped and now starting to fall down closer to his knees. Allison stopped in her tracks confused by the sight. Viktor looked up from the extinguisher, his eyes wide with surprise at the sight of his sister but before either of them could change course Viktor had already started to press the release valve letting all the extinguisher foam come out covering the toaster-

...and Allison. 

Wiping the foam from Allison looked over at Viktor in shock but that attention was drawn away  by Klaus shouting,

"Put me down!"

"I'm trying to help! You're still on fire!" Ben yelled back as he continued to swing Klaus around with his tentacle

"I'd rather you let me burn than make me puke!" Klaus exclaimed, "You're flooding my brain with blood!"

Hearing the word flood, a lightbulb went off in Luther's head as he rushed over to Ben with his arms out and loudly stated,

"Ben! Give him to me I have a solution!" 

Letting go of Klaus, Ben drops him into Luther's arms. Turning away from the kitchen Luther starts to rush towards the stairs leading to the top floor. Five watches bewildered as Luther carried the currently on fire Klaus through the house. Spacial jumping in front of Luther, Five asked frustratedly,

"What are you doing?!" 

"I have an idea just trust me!" Luther stated as he pushed past Five and headed up the stairs

"NO!" Five yelled as he followed Luther "Why would I do that?"

Quickly, Luther rushed back into the bathroom where the almost overflowing tub was and held Klaus over it.

"Luther what are yo-" Five started to inquire

But before he could finish, Luther dropped Klaus into the tub below. Water splashed from the tub drenching the nearby walls and covering the floor in a solid layer of wetness.

"Why would you do that?!" Five shouted

"Well look, he's not on fire anymore," Luther replied sincerely

"He's completely drenched, you idiot!” Five chastised “And on top of it there's water all over the floor now!"

Standing up, Klaus slowly got out of the tub. The right side of his clothes were black and charred from the fire that was on him, his once curly hair now flopped down in his face, and every time he moved water would rain down from off his clothing like he had gotten caught out in a hurricane. Unable to see with his wet hair in his eyes Klaus reached out and grabbed onto the first fabric he could feel.

"Klaus wait! That's my-" Luther starts to warn

But just like Five unsuccessfully stopped Luther before, Luther unsuccessfully stopped Klaus from using the fabric to dry off his face and hair before dropping it on the floor to sop up some of the water.

"Only dress shirt..." Luther slowly finishes

Five let out an exasperated sigh by all the idiocy that was going on around him. Today was supposed to be a nice day all about you and your accomplishments but just like every other time they needed to work together under time constraints, his siblings found a way to mess it all up. Leaving the bathroom he saw as Grace wobbled out of her room on unsteady legs.

"Goooooood Mooorning" She slurred

Five closed his eyes rubbing at his temples trying to relieve the stress headache that was coming on as he called out,

"Luther!"

Peaking his head around the corner of the bathroom door, Luther looked towards Five waiting to see what he was called for.

"Help get Grace downstairs," Five explained gesturing to her "I'm going to try and find her portable charger."

With a quick nod of his head, Luther lifted Grace up gently in his arms before walking downstairs, Five following closely behind before turning off towards the kitchen. The room was still covered with fire extinguisher foam, the toaster burned and unusable, but at least the printer in the office corner was unharmed. Flashing to the corner to avoid the extinguisher foam, Five grabbed a portable charger for Grace from the cabinet so she wouldn't shut off during the ceremony. Placing the charger in his pocket, Five grabbed the printed tickets from the printer tray but as he tried to lift them up he realized one of them was stuck. He tried pulling on it from the tray a little harder but when that didn't work he knew it was an internal issue. Lifting up the lid where the ink and printer reels were located Five saw the one page caught in the reels. Folding up the papers and placing them in his other pocket, Five carefully tried to get the paper unstuck but when it still wouldn't come loose he became frustrated. None of them could get into the ceremony without these tickets. 

"Stupid fucking modern technology." Five mumbled angrily to himself before pulling harshly at the printer and shouting "Just give me the fucking tickets!"

With one more harsh pull the paper came free from the reels along with the reels themselves coming free from the printer and yellow, cyan, and magenta ink splattering from their cartridge onto his dress shirt and tie. 

"SHIT!" Five yelled as he pushed the printer onto the ground and started kicking it

And as he beat up the broken and defenseless printer he caught a glimpse of the clock over the stove, and saw that it was 9:15 causing him to sprint into the living room and shout,

"WE NEED TO GO!"

The rest of his siblings looked at him with confused faces. How could they go when they looked like this? But before anyone could open their mouth and address the elephant in the room Diego walked through the door excitedly exclaiming,

"My girl is graduating!"

The messed-up crowd of Hargreeves turned to look at the only missing member of the family who had finally decided to arrive. But the sight they saw was both unexpected and highly unsurprising. Diego wore a hat with "World's Best Brother" embroidered on it and a shirt that said "My kid is valedictorian, not yours" as he held an airhorn in one hand and a bunch of balloons in another. As all the Hargreeves looked around at each other, Diego finally processed the scene before him asking,

 "Oh shit- what the fuck happened here?"

And it was with those seven words that Five had finally fully lost it. His siblings watched as his face started to twitch. Malice formed in his eyes as he began to vibrate violently. And like a powder keg whose fuse ran out, Five exploded,

"GRACE DIDN'T CHARGE OVERNIGHT! LUTHER CLOGGED THE SHOWER DRAIN TRYING TO SHAVE AND NOW LOOKS LIKE A WALKING YING-YANG! KLAUS CAUGHT ON FIRE! BEN IS A GHOST!  ALLISON IS COVERED IN FIRE EXTINGUISHER FOAM! VIKTOR HAS NO PANTS! AND I'M COVERED IN INK FROM THIS STUPID FUCKING PRINTER! AND WE ALL NEED TO LEAVE NOW !"

Five breathed heavily trying to regain both his composure and the breath he lost from yelling so much. If they didn't leave in the next few minutes they would not be getting to your graduation in time and that could NOT happen. He should've known this would happen though. They could barely organize themselves to get to an alley in Dallas on time. Why would they be able to manage themselves for your graduation? Honestly, Five had hoped that this was important enough to them that they could pull it together but if there was one thing the Hargreeves were good at it was fucking up everything at the most inopportune times. His siblings quietly stared at him for a moment before Viktor raised his hand and stated,

"Uh Five, we can't leave...I don't have any pants." 

And it was that comment that unleashed an onslaught of other ones. Allison gestured up and down at herself aggressively as she was still covered with extinguisher foam and Klaus inquired,

"Should I try to change?"

"Is Mom even in condition to leave the house?" Diego questions

"I don't have a shirt anymore." Luther comments

"Hey what does me being a ghost have to do with anything?" Ben asks

 Angrily flashing away, Five grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt from the dryer before flashing back to the living room. Tossing the portable charger at clothes at the respective people Five exclaimed,

"Here's Grace's portable charger, here's a shirt, and here's some fucking pants!"

"Five these are Luther's pants," Viktor said holding up the very oversized pair

"And this is Klaus' shirt." Luther holding up a very undersized shirt

" I don't care! Put them on and get in a car! We're leaving!"

Luther and Viktor glanced at each other before reluctantly putting on the clothes that did not fit. Viktor was practically swimming in Luther's pants which came all the way up to his chest level. And Luther was practically hulking in Klaus' shirt which looked like a crop top on him and exposed his half-shaven half-hairy midriff and arms. Diego let go of the balloons in his hand and let them roam free about the living room as he helped Grace up and started bringing her outside to his car. Allison gestured at herself once more but instead of wasting his breath Five just started showing his siblings out the door. It did not matter. Five did not care about how anyone looked at this point. All he knew is that they needed to go and go they would. 

By some miracle, the disorganized bunch actually made it into the cars as they sped off towards your high school. And by running both stop signs and red lights they managed to make it there in record time. Parking on some open spots of grass the group rushed out of the cars and over towards the check-in table with Luther carrying Grace on his shoulder since she couldn't really walk let alone run. Out of breath, the messed-up-looking family stood together in front of the check-in table. Slamming the printed-out tickets on the table Five stared down at a volunteer underclassman who looked back at him in fear.

"Eight tickets for Hargreeves. Where are our seats." Five demanded harshly

The underclassmen looked down at a paper in front of him before looking back up at Five who look like he was ready to revert to his assassin ways and kill without hesitation. 

"Se-se-section B, r-row K." The underclassman stammered, a hand shakily pointing in the general direction of their seats

Standing up straight, Five takes a deep breath before fixing his hair and readjusting his ink-covered tie.

"Thank you." He replies politely as he walks off in the direction of their seats

The rest of the Hargreeves give the frightened kid apologetic smiles as they quickly follow behind. Ignoring the confused and judgemental looks of other families the Hargreeves made it to their seats and quietly sat down together. Taking a look at his watch Five saw that the clock read 9:45 am. Somehow he had managed to do it. He got all his siblings together and got to your graduation on time and now all they had to do was wait for it to start. 

After 15 minutes of ignoring people's stares and people slowly moving to farther away seats from them the sound of pomp and circumstance played by the high school band began. Two by two students started walking into the high school gym and to their respective seats. Families cheered and called out to their graduating kids trying to get them to look as they passed by and the Hargreeves were no different. The minute you stepped into the gym you could hear an excited voice call out,

"That's my little valedictorian!"

Only to be followed by the sound of an airhorn going off a few times. You let out a small laugh knowing that Diego was obviously enthusiastic about your accomplishment today. With a smile you looked toward where the sound came from but when you finally locked eyes on the Hargreeves your smile slowly faded as your jaw dropped in a state of shock. Locking eyes with your boyfriend you mouthed at him,

"What the fuck."

"Don't ask." He mouthed back

You blinked your eyes a few times in confusion and you slowly looked back forward and managed to make your way to your seat at the front. Besides your utter shock at the current state of the Hargreeves, the ceremony went off without a hitch. A commemorative video for the class of 2019 was played followed by a plethora of speeches from members of the school's administration. And then it came time for you to speak. Slowly you rose from your seat at the front and walked over to the podium. Pulling out your speech you unfolded it and looked it over once more before looking out amongst the crowd of people watching you. You could see as your friends gave you supportive smiles and thumbs-ups and the Hargreeves looked on with pride. Locking eyes with your boyfriend you watched as he gave you a smile and a small nod encouraging you to read the speech you had worked so hard on. Taking a deep breath you look at the crowd once more and began to speak,

"I have heard many times in my educational career that you get out what you put into it. And I think that same concept applies to life itself. I have learned a lot over the past few years of my life.  And the main thing I've taken away is, if you put in the work to make the life you want then in the end it will be the life you deserve."

Pausing you looked down at your speech for what to say next but as you scanned the following words you decided that what you wrote wasn't what you were going to say. Flipping the paper with your speech over you now look at a blank page. You weren't going to say what you wrote, you were going to say what you felt and what you actually knew. Looking back up once more with a new surge of confidence you continued,

"Life is a series of moments in time and in each moment you have to make a choice. Some choices will be irrelevant, like choosing to have a jelly donut or a glazed one while some will be everlasting like exploring your curiosity against the wishes of others. Some choices may be easy, like deciding to dance with someone while others will be difficult, like fighting against what you know is wrong even if it feels hopeless."

Five's smile widened as you spoke those words. He had read the speech you wrote so many times that he could've recited it himself, but this was not that speech. It wasn't formal, forced, or edited to some arbitrary level of perfection. It was genuine, authentic and most importantly it was you. Five saw as you look into the crowd of students catching each of your friends' eyes before looking back up towards him and his siblings continuing,

"We decide on so many things each and every day. Making new friends, learning new things, becoming role models, finding a family, falling in love, and for some of us even saving the world. We all make these choices and they shape who we are and what we get out of life."

Taking a side glance at his siblings, Five could see Diego beginning to cry and Grace who had finally changed up enough to function properly trying to comfort him while Luther patted Diego on the back. And as Allison and Viktor rested their heads on each other listening to your speech, Klaus threw an arm around Ben who didn't push him away. They might be a dysfunctional family but they were a family nonetheless and every time in the end they would be there for each other. Focusing on you once more he saw the pride in your face as you spoke,

"As you move through your next moments of life, retain the knowledge you have gained from prior experiences, good and bad, and let them motivate you. Surround yourselves with people who support you because even in the midst of conflict and despair they'll be by your side. And keep your heart filled with love because even the most daunting of tasks can be overcome when you love with all your being. Congrats to the graduating class of 2019. We did it!"

_________

September 1st, 2019:

It had been five months since the Umbrella Academy had come crashing down, reduced to piles of rubble and dust. But like a phoenix rising from the ash, something new was reborn in its place. Just like Ben had said, a chunk of his inheritance was put towards financing, not just a new building where the academy once stood, but a new home. A real home for all of you and for anyone else you all decided to bring into your chaotic lives. The relative floor plan of the building was the same but you and the Hargreeves, with the help of a building planner and interior designer that Allison had hired, all worked together to design a space that was to your liking. It had an extensive library, state-of-the-art kitchen, massive home gym, a beautiful outdoor courtyard, and a fully stocked bar, among so many other practical and fun amenities. This house would be everything the academy wasn't. It would be bright, welcoming, and full of life. It had taken multiple construction crews working around the clock for months to build this place for you to live but after all that time the best part had finally arrived as today was move-in day.

Most of the furniture and necessary elements for the house were already in place and so today was just about bringing in everyone's personal stuff and putting final touches on people's bedrooms. 

Which included that of your friends. 

You and your friends had already planned on trying to get a place together if you all got into the same college. But as the new building was being constructed you thought to yourself why put time and money into finding a place to live together when your college would only be a 40-minute drive from the new building. It certainly had the rooms and empty space to accommodate six more people living in it and the Hargreeves and your friends had all started blending together nicely so why not have them move in? You had pitched the idea to the Hargreeves and without a shadow of a doubt, they were all on board. And so now today everyone would finally be settling into their new home. 

Luther and Lucas took on the task of carrying more of the larger and heavier boxes inside with Diego and Dean quickly following suit to prove how strong and capable they were. It was odd that they were taking the stairs though since everyone else, including Luther and Lucas, were using the elevator. Instead of carrying boxes themselves, Kenny and Klaus relegated their belongings to some ghosts haunting the property that Klaus used his powers to control while Ben, who had gained more control of his powers through support and training, used his tentacles to carry Bren's boxes to his room.

And while everyone else was bringing their stuff in, you stood in the parlor with a giant picture frame in your hands as you looked at the empty space above the fireplace. For years that spot was filled with a dismal painting of your beloved Five, but now in this new home, you were going to put something there that matched the joy and vibrancy of this place. Using your powers to hang it above the fireplace, you took a step back and looked at the painting Charlie had made for your birthday of you surrounded by all the people you loved and cared for. It featured everyone living under the roof of this new house and a few who were not around but were still dearly loved. As you looked at the painting you remembered the day you found it. As you were finally looking amongst the items Charlie had packed in the duffle bag he gave you, you found a cardboard tube hiding below some of your clothes. Pulling it out of the bag you opened it up seeing the beautiful work of art that was inside with a note saying,

I hope one day you can finally find a place to hang this up

And find a place you did, in what would be one of the most prominent spots of the house. As you looked at the painting now above the mantelpiece you zoned out as you took in all its little details that Charlie had added in. The colors he used, the smiles on everyone's faces, and the bright tones that filled the painting with warmth and life. It truly was a work of art. 

"You know that painting was always my favorite to do." A voice said behind you pulling you from your trance

You paused for a moment. The voice that spoke felt familiar to you. Slowly you turned around. You looked towards the voice that spoke to you and found an older gentleman standing there. Their hair, a light brown color that faded into shades of gray, was styled off to the side. They wore a nice button-up with the sleeves rolled up to their elbows, with a pair of khakis and loafers. They had wrinkles on their face, many of which were smile lines. And then you saw a very distinct feature. A pair of bright green eyes. There were only three people you ever knew with green eyes. Your boyfriend, Kenny, and

"Charlie?" You questioned

A wide smile appeared on the man's face as he replied,

"Hi (Y/N),"

You couldn't believe it. He was here and he knew you. He remembered who you were but how? You had tried looking him up but there were so many Charles Andersons that it was hard to figure out which was the right one. On top of that, you had one memory syringe left and it was the one that contained Charlie's memories but at some point, it had gone missing. It broke your heart because even if you were able to find the right Charlie you couldn't make him remember you because you didn't have his memories anymore. But now he stood before you as if no time had passed.

"I don't- why are you- how do you-" You started to question without actually finishing any of them

"Yeah, I knew this would be quite the shock," Charlie chuckled

"I- I don't understand." You replied confused

"Ha, well now you know how I felt when you came through that wall," Charlie remarked sarcastically

You rolled your eyes at his comment, your face scrunching with displeasure as you asked annoyed,

"Are you gonna keep mocking my confusion or are you going to elaborate?"

"Oh, there's the (Y/N) I know! I just hope you don't yeet anything at me." Charlie exclaimed

You rolled your eyes once more but this time a smile came to your face. He was exactly the way you remembered him. Going over to him you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a hug to which he reciprocated. For you, it had only been five months since you had said goodbye but for him, it had been decades. And yet being with your friend again it felt like no time had passed and there was no difference in age between the two of you. You were just Charlie and (Y/N). Pulling back from the hug you looked up at your friend as you requested,

"Alright, now tell me how this happened." 

"What happened was a few minutes after you and the Hargreeves had left that electronic's place you were all hiding there was this flash of blue light and then some over-enthusiastic people showed up. A short guy and a tall woman."  Charlie begins to explain

You slowly nodded your head knowing full well who those over-enthusiastic people were. Herb and Dot from the Commission.

"Yup, I know them." You stated flatly

"Well, they kidnapped me." He elaborates "Took me to some building for a bit before dropping me back off inside my house in Texas. Said the weirdest thing before they left though."

"What'd they say?" You asked

"Don't worry about any paradox psychosis, we already eliminated that problem for you?" Charlie replied, his tone quizzical

"Oh." 

You stared up at your Charlie, the shock on your face evident as you realized what they meant even if he didn't. They had killed the Charlie in this timeline so the one that remembered you could exist in it. It was a kind gesture on their part but also very extreme to do.

"Does that mean something?" Charlie questions curious

"Uh, it doesn't matter. Totally minor. Don't worry about it." You waved off before asking "So, uh what happened after?"

"Well, when I was dropped off back home my dad was on his death bed. He wasn't surprised to see me but I sure was surprised to see him. At least like that, y'know?" Charlie continues  "Anyway he gave a half-ass attempt at making up with me and then like a week later died leaving me all of his money and assets."

"You gotta love when they have half-a-heart at the last minute and leave you all their estate." You jokingly commented

"I can assume the same happened to you?"  Charlie said gesturing vaguely to the house

"It was an eight-way split but yeah." You replied

"Well, I see you've put your cash to good use. This place is a lot nicer than when I was here the last time." He commented

You raised a curious eyebrow at him as you repeated,

"The last time?"

"When I had to paint the portrait that was hanging there before," Charlie answered 

Ah yes. Five's old portrait. You had recalled reading a few of the entries in Ben's journal talking about how Charlie was commissioned to paint it but the dots of him already having met the academy long before they actually knew him didn't connect until now. Unsure of exactly what to say, you only replied with,

"I see."

"God, I hated that painting I had to do of Five, looking nothing like him but I couldn't deviate from Reginald's wishes, and Diego kept yelling at Reginald and me to paint you because you were gone too." Charlie ranted "Took everything in me to look at those younger versions of the Hargreeves and pretend I didn't know what would happen or that you'd both be back one day. But at least some of my better work is up there now"

"It's your best work," You complimented with a smile before saying "So what are you now 78? You look really good for your age."

"Well, that's the other thing! Those over-enthusiastic people dropped me off in the wrong time. Instead of going back home in 63' I was dropped back into 83'." Charlie explains "When you first said time travel is a bitch and you will be immensely confused when you come out the other side I didn't quite get it, but when that happened I sure understood what you meant."

You blinked your eyes in confusion for a moment as you did the math in your head. If Charlie had been dropped back into time 20 years later than when he should have, that means he was 20 years younger than he should be.

 "So you're...58 then? Five's age?" You questioned

"Yeah, but your boyfriend definitely looks a lot better at 58 than I do." Charlie joked

"I can assure you, you're pulling off old age better than I did." Another familiar voice comments

Looking at the entrance way, you and Charlie both see Five standing there. A smirk was on his face as he made his way over toward the two of you, before standing at your side and wrapping an arm around your waist. Directing his attention towards Five, Charlie asks,

"So, you've been looking after her, like you promised?"

"I've been trying, but you know how she is." Five remarks playfully

"Oh I sure do," Charlie replies in a similar tone

"Hey! Rude!" You exclaim hitting each of them in the arm

The two of them laugh at you causing you to roll your eyes, but as their laughter subsided you stated,

"The one thing I still don't understand is how did you get here?"

"Your boyfriend found me." Charlie answers

You turned your attention from Charlie to Five, surprise written all over your face as you wondered what in the world Charlie meant by that. Looking at you gently, Five admitted,

"I knew you were having trouble looking for him so all those days while you were at school I was searching for him and then one day I managed to find the right contact information."

"He called me up under the guise of wanting a custom painting but I had already recognized the voice. I just played along for the extra surprise. We met up at a coffee shop nearby and then he stabbed me with a needle which honestly was somehow a great refresher for my memory but hurt. A lot." Charlie added, "But once I recovered from being stabbed unexpectedly we came here."

It took you a moment to realize, but you had never lost the syringe that held Charlie's memories. Five took it so he could give them to Charlie and surprise you. Every day while you were in classes he spent his time looking for Charlie...for you. All this time when you asked what he had done while you were at school and he replied not much, he was hiding all the research he was doing just so at this moment he could make you happy. 

"You did all of that for me?" You asked softly

"Look at all you've done for me." Five responded, "It's the least I could do."

You glanced over at Charlie, who was already beaming at the two of you. He had always liked Five even before he had actually met him because you always had talked about him with so much love. He made you happy and that's all he could ever ask for, for you. 

Looking back towards Five once more, you placed a kiss on his cheek before saying,

"Thank you, love."

It was things like this that made you fall in love with him over and over again. Gently resting your head on his shoulder, the two of you looked towards Charlie who was waiting patiently for your attention again. 

"I see a ring on your finger. You got married?" Five asked

"Yup, 34 years and counting with my Chelly," Charlie stated proudly

"Charlie and Chelly?" You commented, "That's cute."

"It's short for Michelle, but like me, she never really liked her full first name. I've also got a daughter who's 32 now." Charlie added

"What's her name?" You questioned

Charlie's smile widened even more as he answered,

 "Amanda (Y/N) Anderson," 

Tears of joy pricked your eyes and you heard him say that he in part named his daughter after you. It wasn't something you expected but the gesture had touched your heart. You mattered so much to him that he used your name for his child's middle name. You didn't know what to say but you looked at him happily as he continued,

"Y'know a funny thing is her husband took our last name because apparently, Thomas Cumming had been giving him some problems throughout his life. But because of him, I've got two grandkids as well! Four-year-old Connor and two-year-old Lacey. I'd love for you guys to meet them sometime."

Reaching into his pocket Charlie pulled out his wallet showing you and Five a recent picture of his whole family. They all looked so happy together and you were so proud of how far Charlie had come since when you first met him.

"I'm really happy for you Charlie." You comment

"Thanks but I wouldn't have all of this if it wasn't for you." Charlie replies to you before adding to Five "And you too."

"Me?" Five ask confused

"Well yeah, if you didn't drop her in the 60s none of this would've ever happened." Charlie replied before posing "Sure it was all kind of a mess to get here but it worked out in the end didn't it?"

A small smile formed on Five's face as he thought over everything that had happened. It was kind of a mess but Charlie was right. He got everything he could've ever wanted when he was stranded in the apocalypse. He got his family back, a future of possibilities ahead of him, and most importantly a second chance at a life with the girl of his dreams. It all worked out in the end. 

"Yeah, I guess it did." Five quietly said

Looking off into the main foyer, Five saw as his friends and family continued to bring in boxes of stuff into their new home and as much as he loved being by your side, he wanted to go and be a part of that. And anyway you deserved to be able to catch up with Charlie. Looking between the two of you Five stated,

"Well, I'm going to go bring in our boxes and let you two catch up more."

As he started to walk away, you caught his hand bringing his attention back to you. Locking eyes with him you said once more,

"Thank you mon chéri."

"Anything for you ma chérie." He replied

And as he walked away, you took a few steps to stand side by side next to Charlie. There was a peaceful silence between the two of you before Charlie quietly commented,

"Y'know you've got a bright future ahead of you two."

And as you both looked through the parlor doorway, you watched as your boyfriend carried in a box of your shared things into the new house. A smile on his face as he passed his siblings and joked with his friends. And as you saw the joy on everyone's faces and felt the warmth of this new start in your heart there was only one thing to say,

"Yeah. We finally do."

(Part 3 of 3)

____________________________________________________________________

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C2E56 - The Favor - rewatch reaction

BEA-CON. BEA-CON. BEA-CON. BEA-CON.  BAD. ASS. CA-LEB.  BAD. ASS. CA-LEB.

Can you tell I’m excited for this episode????

Holy fuck I forgot Tal wasn’t here for this one!!

OH SHIT, Aimee’s in the Sam bit!  HI AIMEE!!!!!!

Wait, Grey DeLisle too??  It’s just early cameo time!

Tony Hale, he was in TLOVM too, wasn’t he?

Skipped the intro again.  It’s interesting, I haven’t skipped the C3 intro yet, but I think it’s because I’ve been watching it live or live-ish on twitch, rather than the youtube release.  I think I’d be skipping it if I were on youtube.  I skipped the C1 intros fairly early on, only watching them maybe one or two times apeice.  C2 I watched for a bit but then started skipping.

(I also keep wanting to go on tumblr, but because I’m now in the watching of Calamity e3 to finish it sometime this weekend, I’m now trying to actually avoid full on finale stuff.  Which makes it hard because I follow a ton of CR folks, so basically have to disconnect until I’m ready. ….I might give up by tomorrow)

(wow it is long past when I typed that up, isn’t it?  It’s been...something.  Left my dnd group halfway through the second session and been too mentally screaming at the world for CR.  But time to jump back in!  I want my Essek! [though I don’t even remember if he shows up this episode or if it’s the next.]  Also Calamity was super fucking awesome, omg)

I’d actually paused right after the intro, for which I’m VERY glad, because having the refresher of ‘last we left off’ really helped this time.  Also, I love how it’s now, after over a year of the M9 and years of VM, that Matt is finally accepting that the cast will shout obscenities at him before the game.  I’m fairly certain they did this in C1 as well, how did he think that they would stop? XD

I do miss the Detect Magic, Identify, Comprehend Languages ritual I-know-everything of Caleb.  This is a PC that is very unique to this campaign, as in C1 and so far in C3, we don’t have anyone else with that heavy focus into learning what things are and being able to share that with the group.  It’s also good confirmation that it’s not something that is needed, but also doesn’t break a campaign when it’s there. The Nein, while more easily able to learn what things are, still end up muddling through the same way the VM did, and sometimes even with the knowledge end up going down the wrong path.  Plus, as we know upcoming, Identify doesn’t always indicate that an item is cursed, so they are still tricked by that as well.

Matt giving the explanation that the demon heart didn’t collapse into sludge like the rest of the body because it was pulled out using electricity, and then immediately going ‘also ‘cause it’s fucking cool that you have a demon heart so you get to keep it despite RAW’.

FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP!!!!!  First they all crack up and get Matt to facepalm with the numerous pussy jokes, then Matt gets them sweating by very visibly holding up a d20 ‘just because it’s pretty’.

Matt!Caduceus just sounds like Sam Elliott from The Big Lebowski.  Also, once again, having the players initiate and then Matt be like ‘nope we’re waiting for the player to be here’, though it seemed clear that the players weren’t expecting the moment to happen.  Instead, it was 1) wanting to hear Matt’s impression, and 2) initiating the moment so that it won’t lead to any ‘you didn’t ask me about this for a WEEK’ type situations.

(also lol I typed Sam Eliot first then double checked the spelling.  LOOK, Leverage is fucking awesome okay.  And I will 100% be doing a Leverage rewatch reaction at some point too, because it’s so good and I have thoughts.)

I’m honestly not sure if Fjord was trying to check and see if Caleb was still willing to turn on the party, or if Travis was giving Liam an opportunity to admit that Ikithon used a memory spell to have Caleb turn on his family.  My best bet is that it was a level of both combined.  Liam is way too fucking good at portraying sad, broken Caleb though MY HEART.  I had been looking forwards to the post conversations of the mental takeover, but thinking on it, I think this might actually be it?  I don’t remember any big moments about it, so it might actually be more easily pushed aside as ‘it was mind control, no need to read anything further into it’.  UGH YASHA MY HEART.  I can’t wait until Ashley’s back.  Matt does some good stuff as Yasha, but Ashley is the one who really captures how broken she feels because of the multiple instances of mind control, and just how much she hates it.

I will say that the biggest character jump for me, from C2 to C1, was seeing the transition from Yasha to Pike.  Fjord to Grog is big, but Travis is very clever in the way he plays Grog and uses his own intelligence to KEEP Grog from being intelligent.  But Yasha to Pike??  It’s just two very different extremes, and yet two utter badasses.  While I’m still sure that watching C2 first was the right choice for me for a number of reasons, I do wonder what it must have been like going from the C1 PCs into the C2 PCs and seeing all of these different people suddenly.   I didn’t have a jarring sensation moving into C3, but that’s because I’d seen C2 and then C1.  I am looking forwards to my eventual C1 rewatch, to see if now that I’m more used to them playing different characters, if I might warm up more to the C1 PCs, which I’m much more neutral towards at this time.  I like them, but I don’t really LOVE any of them the same way I adore the C2 crew. (I’ve got some that I love from C3, the remainder I think just need time to keep growing on me, but I like ‘em all!)

Have I ever given Laura enough credit for how she just thoroughly embodies her PCs?  I don’t think I have.  NOT ENOUGH, NEVER ENOUGH.  Jester freaking out in excitement over another follower of the Traveler is just SO completely in character that it’s as if I can’t imagine the reaction any other way.  Laura is just not there, there is only Jester.  And Laura has done this fantastically with Vex and with Imogen, just embodying them SO well and so naturally!

I’m really just singing praise for all of these guys as actors because they’re all fucking phenomenal, each just hits me harder at certain moments, and right now it’s Laura.

Covak “thought it was strange that a fair folk would visit an old codger like myself” holy shit is this the first obvious hint we have that the Travler is Artagan???  And the language was completely breezed over in the moment!  But no one in Exandria uses the term Fair Folk for the deities!  *does a transcript search* okay maybe no one uses them for the fey either.  The only other useage of it was Kaylie telling Scanlan off, in reference to herself.  BUT STILL.  It’s such common usage in the real world!  I completely feel like it was a hint from Matt.

I forgot that the other followers of the Traveler tend to do a lot more mean spirited ‘pranks’.  Shitting in wells?  That’s….not a prank.  That’s contaminating the water supply and making who knows how many people sick.

I also forgot how jealous Jester is of her position with the Traveler and being his favorite – though I’m now remember she has him remove other people’s ability to do Sending because she thought it was her own special spell.  As much as she’s constantly a sweetheart, there are definitely moments where she’s a bit darker.  I tend to forget that.

Lol at them being told that by finding the rift machine that they have done ‘a great service to the Dynasty’.  LADY YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET.

I do like that the entire group doesn’t feel like they have to do the high Charisma = player must do all the talking.  In each campaign, you’ve got the talkers and then you’ve got the Talkers, but because they don’t feel like they have to limit it to the best in order to Win, you get amazing scenes of people who REALLY SHOULDN’T BE TALKING leading to unexpected and wonderful outcomes.

I’m interested in finding out if I’m right or wrong, but I think Lythir is Lythir Tasithar, and is also the mage that they fought who is going to give them shit to the Bright Queen?

I FORGOT ABOUT THE BDSM GEAR HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT THE BDSM GEAR

I’m so glad that they brought the moorbounders with them.  Honestly, I wish they kept them more through the campaign, but once they weren’t in Xhorhas, it doesn’t really make sense.   I headcanon that they got them back from Bazzozan and that they are kept at the Xhorhaus while the gang is there, but when they are not that they are treated well and are quite happy.

For as much that I don’t have to say during the waiting period, there actually are good character moments here.  Imagine early campaign Beau being told that she’d be used as a human bench.  She wouldn’t just joke about throwing a bench, she’d likely physically harm the person AND have some very nasty comments in return.  Caleb wouldn’t just exasperatedly ask how he’d managed to get here with these people, he’d be thinking of plans to throw them under the bus and ways to ensure only his and Nott’s safety, and only his if it REALLY came down to it.  It’s subtle, but it’s so much honest progress for these two, just the sheer growth that the Nein has put them through.

For all that this episode is SUCH a game changer for the campaign, I’m genuinely surprised to rediscover that the actual moment is so brief.  For an episode that is three hours long only, the conversation with the Bright Queen doesn’t even START until 2:39.

This is also where I go ‘wait, that’s the voice??’  This has happened a few times during a campaign.  Essek, while he’s not here yet, I’ve seen clips of him speaking and it always takes me a moment to remember how he sounds.  As for the Bright Queen, I remember it sounding a bit more feminine, so I’m wonder if Matt adjusts how he speaks later in the campaign, or if it’s just a case of remember the character rather than the actor, and the voice changing accordingly.

I FORGOT NOTT USED THE MOTE OF POSSIBILITY AAAAAAA (This at 2:44.  Man, the defining moment of this episode REALLY doesn’t come til late!)

I can’t imagine how the campaign would have gone if Caleb didn’t give the beacon (we’re not even at that moment YET!).  Seriously!  They VERY suddenly were in complete shit.  Using the mote, and then with Lythir confirming that they attacked the Kryn (defended themselves but who cares about the technicalities here???), they were going to be attacked, arrested, guaranteed their bags would be searched and I completely agree with Liam that the beacon would have been found and then they would have been SUPER fucked.  So it’s so interesting to watch this and have no clue how it could have turned out, and remember that pretty much everyone else did NOT like the choice that Liam made!  And I say Liam and not Caleb!!  Because if I recall correctly, especially during the Talks, that it was out of character disagreement with the choice of action! (correction from a few minutes ahead, okay, Travis is really against, but Laura is for, Sam seems to be either way, not sure how Marisha reads it, I think she was against?  But also like, not against in that they’re going to hold it against Liam or anything like that.   FUN disagreement, not anger disagreement)

2:51.  Ten minutes left of the episode (including any end card time), and NOW Caleb is starting his desperate play.

LOL the episode ended RIGHT after and then it was just Matt being like ‘wtf do I do now’ for the next five minutes or so.  I LOVE IT.

FUCKING GAME CHANGER.  LET’S GO. (no essek yet sadface)

@suicidallyreckless

[k-s-morgan]

Will’s vs. Hannibal’s Ways of Expressing Love

The fact that Hannibal loves Will and is in love with him is openly stated in the show several times. Will’s feelings, on the other hand, are more ambiguous, which is why some viewers often doubt whether Hannibal’s love is reciprocated. I think that exploring the ways these two men experience and react to love can explain the varying degrees of their openness about it.

I’ll put TLDR right here: Hannibal is more open about himself and his feelings, including love, hence he doesn’t have many challenges with admitting it. Will is closed off, stiff, and emotionally repressed, so he expresses his feelings in a much more subtle way.

Let’s start with Hannibal. Details about his past are scarce, but we know that he admits to loving two people throughout his life, his sister and Will.

E3 of S3.

*Bedelia: What your sister made you feel was beyond your conscious ability to control or predict … I would suggest what Will Graham makes you feel is not dissimilar. A force of mind and circumstance.*    

*Hannibal: Love.*

Undoubtedly, Hannibal’s love for Mischa was traumatic and unhealthy. He loved her so much that he ate a part of her body after she was killed, devastated by this loss. But it was still love that made him feel all the related emotions, so Hannibal has some experience with it. From what we know of him, he has a very broad mind. He despises limitations and overcomes them, and he is not ashamed of who he is. He isn’t embarrassed to cry in the opera or to be the first to stand up and applaud; he delights in stereotypically ‘feminine’ hobbies like cooking and clothes selection; he draws fan-art and openly expresses his admiration when it’s due. For this reason, Hannibal doesn’t have many problems with expressing love either.  

Upon meeting Will, he is immediately drawn to him. He sees him as his potential partner and decides he wants to try and build a family with him as early as E2 of S1. That’s when he starts planting the idea of Abigail being their shared daughter in Will’s mind. He does the same to Abigail, urging her to see him and Will as her parents, even giving her shrooms to evoke the desired associations (unsuccessfully since Will doesn’t come to dinner). So, Hannibal acknowledged his pull/infatuation with Will from the very start, and he acted on it right away.

It’s not 100% love at this point, but Hannibal still easily follows his emotions. He doesn’t stop to consider how strange it is to want a family with a man he just met; he doesn’t agonize over the idea of how his life has more risks now that he allows another human being to know him. When these feelings progress at the end of S1/start of S2, Hannibal is finally taken aback. While he never planned to leave Will in prison and it was a part of his plan, he still didn’t expect to miss him so much — he admits it to Bedelia, looking forlorn, in E1 of S2. He repeatedly pines for Will by sitting in front of his chair at the time of his supposed appointment, glancing at the clock despite knowing Will is not going to come. This is a shift to an actual love, but Hannibal still doesn’t fight it. On the contrary, he embraces it, and he spends the entire S2 doing repeatedly romantic gestures for Will. Namely:

1) Protects Abigail to reunite Will with her later.

2) Shares a part of himself he doesn’t seem to have ever shared with anyone else. He talks to Will about Mischa, reveals his views on murder and God, acknowledges he cared about Abigail, and shows vulnerability. He shares his teacup ritual with him, which is something precious and deeply personal.

3) He digs up fake Freddie’s corpse and decorates it as a way of courting Will (as directly said by Alana).  

4) He draws a fan-art of himself and Will as Achilles and Patroclus.

5) He is ready to abandon his well-established life in Baltimore and reputation to run away with Will. In Hannibal’s view, no one truly suspects him and there is no evidence against him, but Will is in danger. So he’s willing to discard everything he’s been building for 20 years for him.

Finally, he calls Will a loved one more or less directly in E13 of S2 (in fact, he implies that they both love each other).

*Hannibal: Do you know what an imago is, Will? … An imago is an image of a loved one buried in the unconscious, carried with us all our lives.*

*Will: An ideal.*

*Hannibal: The concept of an ideal... I have a concept of you, just as you have a concept of me.*

Will hurts him with his betrayal, and Hannibal still finds himself unable to kill him. He is openly crying in the finale, admitting how Will hurt him, breaks his (and his own) heart by killing Abigail, and flees to Europe to start a new life. But things don’t go as he hoped they would. Bedelia is not a worthy substitute, and Hannibal is increasingly slipping into a self-destructive state because of his love for Will. He kills Anthony, who was an improved copy of Will, and turns him into a Valentine heart for him. Again, this is a very explicit and open emotional action. Hannibal doesn’t hide his feelings. He’s an emotional wreck with Bedelia in E3, and as they are talking about Will, he admits he’s in love with him.

*Hannibal: You cannot control with respect to whom you fall in love.*

Bedelia points out his self-destructiveness.

*Bedelia: You're going to get caught. It's already been set into motion … I know exactly how I will be navigating my way out of whatever it is I’ve gotten myself into. Do you?*

After Hannibal keeps spiraling and kills Sogliato, she adds: *You're drawing them to you, aren't you? All of them.*  

Hannibal gets so self-destructive over Will that he lets Jack beat himself almost to death, not even attempting to fight him. The first words he says to Will after they reunite in E6 are:

*Hannibal: If I saw you every day forever, Will, I would remember this time.*

He’s a romantic. The courtship, the Valentine heart, the romance — Hannibal did have some struggles, but overall, he accepts these feelings and isn’t afraid to act on them.

When Will pulls a knife in E6, Hannibal classifies it as another betrayal. This is where he decides to kill and eat him in the hope to put an end to this misery (which is what he and Bedelia discussed back in E3). However, even blinded by another heartbreak, Hannibal tries to save Will at the same time. He knows the police are coming and he puts off the moment of sawing for as long as he can, first fussing over Will and his wound, then waiting for Jack, then doing everything slowly as hell.

Everything changes in E7, when Hannibal faces the real risk of losing Will and comes to terms with the fact that a hope of life with him is better than life without him. So Hannibal carries Will home bridal-style, takes care of him, waits for him to wake up and writes formulas to reverse time. He directly tells Will that Will won, and that he, Hannibal, is at Will’s mercy.

*Hannibal: Your memory palace is building. It's full of new things. It shares some rooms with my own. I've discovered you there. Victorious.*

He gives himself up, sacrificing the freedom he’s been fighting for back in E2 finale, in the hope that one day, Will is going to come back to him. After this, Hannibal is all about Will, with all his heart. Throughout the second half of S3, he says things like, *“I gave you a child. You are family, Will. Was it good to see me?”*, etc. He agrees to risk his life by agreeing to Will’s plan, knowing he’s planning something but not knowing what and if he’d die in the process. In E13, Hannibal says:

*Hannibal: "No greater love hath man than to lay down his life for a friend"* and shields Will from the bullet. Later, he allows Will to push them both down, and he stays with him afterward.

Conclusion: Hannibal is very accepting of himself, so he doesn’t undergo severe challenges on the path to acknowledging what he feels for Will. He knows what love feels like because he felt it for Mischa before, so he embraces loving Will pretty quickly, even though he doesn’t know how to best approach it at times. That’s why we get direct and explicit confirmation of his feelings several times.

Now, on to Will.

Unlike with Hannibal, there is no evidence that Will has ever experienced love before (at least love for people). We know he had a father and was lonely as a child.

E4 of S1.

*Will: We were poor. I followed my father from the boat yards in Biloxi and Greenville to lake boats on Erie.*

*Hannibal: Always the new boy at school? Always the stranger?*

*Will: Always.*

His choice of words indicates that his relationship with his father wasn’t all that good (for instance, *I followed my father* instead of *My father and I had to…*). So, it doesn’t look like Will ever had meaningful connections. More than that, he says:

*Will: There’s something so foreign about family. Like an ill-fitting suit. Never connected to the concept.*

We can suggest that he doesn’t know what love is or how it feels like. From E1, we know he isolates himself because he hates himself for who he is: he understands he’s different, that there is darkness in him, but he desperately tries to subdue it and deny this fact. He’s rude, twitchy, and unhappy, but like Hannibal, he understands the extent of his loneliness only upon meeting him. That’s when he tries forming relationships with others.

Will’s relationships with Alana and Abigail are a good indication of his problems with love. He wants to be with Alana because he needs to feel normal. In 99% of cases, he remembers about her only when she comes to seek him out first. He kisses her for the first time at the moment of particular vulnerability, fearing that he’s finally losing his mind (in E8). When Hannibal calls him out on it, Will doesn’t deny it and semi-nods. He actually had to agree with it verbally according to the script.

*Will: I feel unstable.*

*Hannibal: That’s why you kissed her. A clutch for balance.*

*Will: Because I’m losing mine.*

So, it’s not that Will feels romantic love for Alana — he uses her because he desperately needs to feel like everyone else. Alana is a pretty, smart, normal woman who fits this goal perfectly. He doesn’t allow himself to be genuine with her unlike he does with Hannibal, to whom he opens up.

Will confesses to Hannibal that he loved killing Hobbs in E2, which got him down and made him panic. Hannibal supports him, and Will keeps coming back to him. He talks about everything important with Hannibal, opening parts of himself that he guards from everyone else. Will asks Hannibal to look after his dogs as early as E4 — he doesn’t have other friends, and he’s already focused on Hannibal. He buys into an idea of having a family with him and Abigail, which is amazing for Will, who has just said he could never relate to the concept of family.

When Will buys a gift for Abigail in the same E4 and freaks out, Hannibal asks him:

*Hannibal: Feeling paternal, Will?*

Will’s reaction is instant and defensive:

*Will: Aren’t you?*

Hannibal easily says “yes”, which disarms Will. This is a great contrast between them: Hannibal isn’t afraid to talk and acknowledge his feelings while Will is embarrassed of them and shies away from them. In fact, this is a repeat of their conversation in E2.

*Hannibal: You saved Abigail Hobbs' life. You also orphaned her. It comes with certain emotional obligations.*

*Will: You were there. You saved her life, too. Do you feel obligated?*

Again, Will deflects. He’s wary of emotions, especially of admitting them out loud.

Will shows a hint of romantic interest in Hannibal in E7. He brings him a bottle of wine out of blue, but unfortunately, he stumbles upon the party Hannibal is preparing. Hannibal invites him to stay, but Will says he won’t be good company. He’s shy and awkward, smiling nervously and dropping his gaze in embarrassment. Then we have this lovely line:

*Will: I’ve got a date with the Chesapeake Ripper.*

So, in S1, Will makes considerable emotional progress. He realizes he wants a family after all, and while he makes several half-hearted attempts to court Alana, he’s mostly focused on Hannibal and Abigail. He opens himself up to Hannibal, receives official guardianship over Abigail with him, arguably flirts with Hannibal (like in the wine scene above), and covers up murder to protect their family. But then Hannibal betrays him. Will doesn’t know his reasons yet, but this betrayal plunged him into darkness, bitterness, and new stage of emotional repression. It’s worth mentioning another point of Abigail here: in the end, Will doesn’t know her. He spoke to her only several times, and even fewer times were genuine. He loves the idea of her, and this idea was introduced by Hannibal, not by Abigail’s presence. It’s Hannibal who forced Will to confront his need to love and be loved.  

In S2, Will is incredibly conflicted. He acknowledges to Hannibal that he hurt him, tries to kill him via Matthew, but when he recognizes that Hannibal wants him as a friend (as spoken in E7), his attitude changes. Will doesn’t plan to forgive him, he’s still angry at Hannibal for killing Abigail (which is his biggest conflict, as evident from his talks with Hannibal himself and Freddie), but now, he can’t bring himself to harm or betray Hannibal.

He gets his first chance in E7, after being released from prison. He threatens Hannibal with a gun and has a perfect chance to make him pay, but he doesn’t. Instead, he conspires with Jack and decides to cultivate co-dependency, creating an environment where only he “and the fish exist” (E8). What does Will do to start? He makes himself physically attractive, grooming and dressing prettily. It’s a seduction on all levels, and Will plans to use emotions to hurt Hannibal back. At the same time, Will admits to being confused over what he feels for Hannibal.

E8 of S2.

*Will: I envy you your hate. Makes it much easier when you know how to feel.*

E9 of S2 (talking about trying to kill Hannibal with Margot).

*Margot: Did he have it coming?*

*Will: What do you think?*

*Margot: I can't say that I know.*

*Will: Neither can I.*

He spends the rest of the season lying to both Hannibal and Jack, unsure whose side to choose, too lost in his own feelings to make sense of them. At the same time, he has a dream where Hannibal calls him beloved in E9. It shows that Will contemplates the idea of love in relation to Hannibal. In E10, Will tries to fantasize about Alana as he’s having sex with Margot. However, he sees the image of Wendigo near the fireplace, Wendigo who he’s used to associating with Hannibal. Two interesting things (copied from my other meta): first, Will actually sees Hannibal’s room and consequently, he sees himself in it (or he sees their rooms united). Second, he sees the Wendigo near Hannibal’s fireplace. Fireplace has many meanings, including passion, sexuality, home, family, and resurrection. It emphasizes the sexual and romantic subtext of this uniquely shot scene, where people destined to be together have sex with the wrong partners. Will’s vision begins to contract, focusing on Wendigo: he is having an orgasm at this very moment, imagining the Wendigo’s face very close, approaching him. Still through the misty eyes, he tries to focus on Alana again, but his gaze moves up to Wendigo above her, as if he can’t help himself. He and Hannibal reach orgasm first, with Alana and Margot following them. So, Will dragged Hannibal into his sex fantasy. It’s both symbolic and physical: he tried to imagine Alana just like he tried to have a relationship with her before, in S1, out of his desire to be normal. But his attention is inevitably drawn to Hannibal, who’s his “real deal”.

Based on this scene, it’s underlined once again how Will struggles with emotions. Even in the safety of his own mind, in his own fantasy, he tries to think of Alana but still ends up with Hannibal. Will is always fighting himself and who he is. He refuses to accept his darkness just as he refuses to admit he loves Hannibal. It’s the essence of who he is, denial is his second name.

Among the important moments, there are Will’s words to Hannibal:

*Will: You are right. We are just alike. You are as alone as I am. And we are both alone without each other.*

So, Will accepts the bond with Hannibal, and at this stage, he even has the courage to voice some of his emotional thoughts. His progress is slow, but it’s there.

In E11, Will has a nightmare. He sees a burning corpse of ‘Freddie’ in a wheelchair, a symbol of his betrayal of Hannibal, and he hears his own increasing screaming. It’s easy to interpret, knowing the context: Will feels guilty for lying to Hannibal.

When Margot loses her child, Will feels renewed anger at Hannibal. He fantasizes about killing him and gets to realize his fantasy with Mason’s help in E12. But at the last moment, Will changes his mind and chooses Hannibal. He does the same thing in E13 by calling him. When he sees him, he doesn’t even try to point a gun at him: he asks why he didn’t leave as he was supposed to, and he even leans forward to accept the knife, accept the punishment for betrayal.

So, Will chooses Hannibal over Abigail, for whom he wanted justice; over his and Margot’s child, for whom he wanted revenge; over Jack and Alana, who were his only semblance of friends; over his own confusion and desire to be normal. For someone as emotionally stunted as Will, it’s huge. It proves that he loves Hannibal and is willing to compromise all other relationships he has formed as well his own beliefs for him (while Will is dark, he tries to fight it because he doesn’t think people like them are normal). Is it romantic? Will’s dream with the word “beloved” and his sex fantasy, as well as his acceptance of the idea that he and Hannibal were Abigail’s fathers (which makes them partners) imply that yes, romantic feeling is a part of it.

Hannibal’s romantic feelings became explicit in S3, and so did Will’s. But since Hannibal is more open and self-accepting, his were discussed out loud while Will’s were mostly portrayed silently, implied, and alluded to.

Will builds a boat to sail and find Hannibal, which is pretty romantic by itself. He spends his time in Hannibal’s house, in the kitchen where their bloody break-up happened, imagining Abigail near him. When Alana comes to find him, he asks her to leave. He’s cold and indifferent toward her — she’s not what he wants, and he’s not interested in even friendship with her. All he wants is to mourn his lost family with Hannibal and Abigail. Again, Hannibal is Will’s priority.

Will imagines his perfect world as the one where he and Hannibal killed Jack together. This scene is intercut with his Mizumono memories, namely, with Hannibal's face that emerges every time he moves yet another part of the engine. This is a vivid demonstration of Will trying to repair what is now broken. When Jack asks him why he called him, Will is indifferent and genuine:

*Will: I wasn't decided when I called him. I just called him. I deliberated while the phone rang. I decided when I heard his voice … I told him to leave. I wanted him to run … Because he was my friend. And because I wanted to run away with him.*

That’s a big admission for Will. This is the first time he openly acknowledges Hannibal as his friend in front of another person. Chilton calls Will and Hannibal’s interactions a “flirtation” in this episode, which once again points us in the romantic direction.

The entire E2 of S3 is dedicated to Will’s love for Hannibal, where he argues about it with himself in the form of imaginary Abigail. This is another proof of Will’s problem with emotions in general and emotions for Hannibal in particular. He can’t just think to himself as normal people do — no, he can’t admit how much he loves Hannibal this. Instead, he imagines Abigail and talks to himself through her to make it easier. He berates himself for lying.

*Will/Abigail: We were all supposed to leave together. He made a place for us. Why did you lie to him? He gave you a chance to take it all back, and you just kept lying.*

Will is reverent about Hannibal; he keeps talking about him over and over again.

*Will: This isn't Hannibal, it's just where he begins. Beyond this, far and complex, light and dark, is the vast structure of his mind. A thousand rooms, miles of corridors. Everything he remembers, wonderfully and fearfully reconstructed.*

Will goes as far as lies at the place where Hannibal’s Valentine heart for him was, reconstructing this image and trying to feel close to him. The heart comes to life the moment Will touches it, which is romantic. Will says:

*Will: A valentine written on a broken man … I do feel closer to Hannibal here. God only knows where I would be without him … He left us his broken heart … He misses us.*

He looks on the verge of tears, so Hannibal’s gift touched him. Will is overcome by emotions. At this very moment, his more frightened side suggests that Hannibal is also playing with him.

*Will: Hannibal follows several trains of thought at once without distraction from any, and one of the trains is always for his own amusement.*

We know it’s not the case, especially here, but Will has trust issues and a low self-esteem. He’s worried that Hannibal’s feelings for him aren’t as strong as he thinks they are, which is why he’s not sure how to react himself. He asks himself, *“You still want to go with him?”* and replies, *“Yes.” He wonders about what life they’d have if they left.

*Will: What if no one died? What if we all left together? Like we were supposed to. After he served the lamb. Where would we have gone? … In some other world.*

Pazzi comes and tells Will that he hopes they’ll catch Hannibal together.

*Will: What makes you think I want to catch him?*

Later, Pazzi says:

*Pazzi: He let you know him. He sent you his heart.*

E2 ends with Will scaring Pazzi and telling him, *“You don’t know whose side I’m on.* Then he tells Hannibal he forgives him, which is also a huge step in his direction.

This entire episode proves that yes, Will loves Hannibal. Considering how he isn’t awkward from receiving a Valentine or hearing that Hannibal gave him his heart, Will shares the romantic aspect of Hannibal’s feelings for him. He regrets not running away with him and their daughter, he places himself on the floor where the heart was to feel closer to him — this is such a rich romantic subtext that it’s practically text. Especially for Will, who remains so conflicted and emotionally restrained all the time.

Will’s attitude changes after seeing Chiyoh. He becomes more bitter. Considering how dark he is in these scenes and how he constantly compares himself and Chiyoh, he likely sees her as someone Hannibal was supposed to love but easily abandoned. It makes Will draw the parallels between them, and he starts to doubt that Hannibal loves him, that his “broken heart” has any authentic meaning. That’s where he starts thinking about killing Hannibal again. He still says:

*Will: I’ve never known myself as well as I know myself when I’m with him.*

This line also speaks volumes. Hannibal gave Will a precious gift of understanding himself; he showed that he could accept him, and Will is drawn to it. Will admits the depth of their connection to yet another person. Then he makes a firefly from Chiyoh’s prisoner, a tribute that is clearly done with Hannibal in his mind, considering the style and the central topic.

Chiyoh sees right through Will’s emotional constipation. She implies that he should “kiss” Hannibal rather than keep being “violent”:

*Chiyoh: I told you, there are means of influence other than violence.*

She kisses Will then, thus showing him what others means exist. He doesn’t get it, though, since he responds to her kiss despite not feeling anything for her, and she pushes him off the train, likely admitting he’s a hopeless case.

Meeting Jack, Will tells him that a part of him will always want to leave with Hannibal. This is yet another declaration from him. Will isn’t scared of the consequences — he speaks of his feelings openly now. It’s a great development of his character.

But the feeling of doubt about Hannibal likely resurfaces further after Will sees that Hannibal replaced him and Abigail with Bedelia in E6 (hence his hatred for her since that moment). He mocks her alibi and then leaves to reunite with Hannibal. The following moment was deleted, but it still discloses some of Will’s romantic feelings:

*Will: I looked up at the night sky there. Orion above the horizon and, near it, Jupiter. I wondered if you could see it, too. I wondered if our stars were the same.*

From the words that did get into the episode:

*Will: You and I have begun to blur ... We're conjoined. Curious if either of us can survive separation.*

Will doesn’t just admit the bond between them, he elevates it the level of soulmates, implying they are one and the same. It’s also a declaration of love in his language. But love doesn’t stop Will from being vindictive, hurt, and angry, so after meetings with Chiyoh and Bedelia that affected his perception, he pulls out a knife as he and Hannibal are walking together.

There is a brain-sawing disaster after this and E7, where Will looks done and tired from the madness and his constant attempts to figure Hannibal out. He does bite Cordell before looking at Hannibal, seeking his approval; he uses “we” pronouns when speaking about Hannibal with Alana. One example:

*Will: You helped Mason Verger find us.*

So, he still sees himself and Hannibal as a team, but he’s still tired and bitter, so after everything is over, he hurts Hannibal by saying he doesn’t share his appetite and by attacking him emotionally.

*Will: I miss my dogs. I'm not going to miss you. I'm not going to find you. I'm not going to look for you. I don't want to know where you are or what you do. I don't want to think about you anymore.*

This is all personal and emotional. It sounds like a break-up, which is exactly how Bryan Fuller and others referred to it. When Hannibal leaves and Jacks arrives, Will puts on his glasses, an indication that he’s hiding again.

Fast-forward 3 years. Will is married now, but from the very start, we see that this marriage isn’t all people usually expect it to be. The first scene shows the family apart. Molly and Walter have gone fishing, which is something Will loves. He had dreams about teaching Abigail how to fish, but he doesn’t go to do that with his family, preferring to stay alone instead. It’s the first hint that his heart isn’t in this relationship, that he’s too hung up on the past to move forward and make new happy memories.

Jack came to drag him to Dragon’s case, and Will makes it look like he’s reluctant. At the same time, he doesn’t send Jack away, even though we know from the past that he has no qualms being frank when he wants to. More than that, he asks him not to show pics to Molly, but when they have dinner, Will deliberately leaves the house with Walter, leaving Jack and Molly together. At night, when Molly’s asleep, he crawls out of bed and goes to read Hannibal’s letter. He doesn’t tell the truth to Molly about himself and his dark urges, about everything he has done – Molly clearly has no idea who he truly is, considering how she jokes about his ‘criminal mind’ in later episodes and how Will immediately closes himself off from her. He never initiates physical touches with her; he doesn’t return her “I love you”, which is an even bigger indication of his lack of commitment. Will is emotionally stiff with Molly for the most part, and the only times he laughs with her or shows any emotion is when they are talking about superficial stuff in the former case and when he’s furious after Francis’ attack in the latter one. Other than that, there is no closeness or honesty.

Another point of Will’s inability to express or even give his love to someone is in his scene with Walter in E11. This child, his step-son, has just been attacked by a serial killer with his mother. His mother was hurt and they barely escaped. Will doesn’t hug him or offer him paternal emotional comfort; he’s very awkward. All he says is, “You're both safe here,” which is something an officer might say but not a father. Will was much more emotional in his fantasies about Abigail.

This is what Will says about Walter’s reaction to Jack:

*Will: He read about me in a Freddie Lounds article. I had to justify myself to an eleven year old.*

He’s resentful and not emotional. He doesn’t say, “I had to justify myself to my son!” – he distances himself from him. Will is cold. He has expressed his feelings for Hannibal at this point in rather poetic ways, but he can’t be bothered to do this for his wife and his son.

He treats Hannibal in a very reserved fashion too, in comparison to how he acted 3 years ago. However: first, there is the fact that he came to visit him in the first place. Will didn’t need his help, we saw very clearly how he managed to easily reconstruct the crime scene the night before. It proved that his mindset is in a good shape, so he didn’t need Hannibal’s assistance. But it’s Hannibal he requested to see right away.

Will distances himself from him by calling him “Doctor Lecter” and insisting that he’s more comfortable the less personal they are. His eyes glisten, though, and he can’t look away from Hannibal. The impersonal approach doesn’t last very long, too, and soon, they are talking like they always did. Hannibal accuses Will of marrying for false reasons.

*Hannibal: How did you choose yours? Readymade wife and child to serve your needs. A stepson or daughter. A stepson absolves you of any biological blame. You know better than to breed. Can't pass on those terrible traits you fear the most.*

Will doesn’t bother to deny it, though any man would have been offended, particularly if he truly loved his family. In Will’s case, from the experience and all the precedents, silence = agreement.

In E10, Will seeks Bedelia out. He acts catty and jealous, targeting her personal connection with Hannibal.

*Will: You didn't lose yourself, Bedelia, you just crawled so far up his ass you couldn't be bothered.* - personal, targeted against Bedelia's attachment to Hannibal.

*Will: You hitched your star to a man commonly known as a monster. You're the Bride of Frankenstein.* - personal, attack with romantic connotation. Bedelia catches up on it and mocks him:

*Bedelia: We've both been his bride. Have you been to see him?*

*Will: Yes.*

*Bedelia: Haven't learned anything, have you? Or did you just miss him that much?*

*Will: Have you been to see him?* - personal again. Will wants to know if Bedelia is keeping contact with Hannibal.

*Bedelia: I've seen enough of him. I was with him behind the veil. You were always on the other side.*

*Will: Something we should talk about.* - again, personal. It's all personal, which is why Bryan and Hugh called them Hannibal's jealous bitchy exes. Will is palpably jealous and he shows his resentment to Bedelia openly.

Later, we have some more romantic references.

*Bedelia: My relationship with Hannibal is not as passionate as yours. You are here visiting old flame. Is your wife aware of how intimately you and Hannibal know each other? … Your experience of Hannibal’s attention is so profoundly harmful yet so irresistible, it undermines your ability to think rationally.*

So, there is romantic text, parallels between Hannibal and Will’s wife, and Will doesn’t deny any of this again. He keeps coming to Bedelia because she’s the only person he can talk about Hannibal to without being watched.

After Hannibal sends Francis after Molly and Walter, Will spends about a minute being angry with him. Then he accuses Hannibal of staging a competition between him and Francis. It is startling: Will spent months, years mourning the loss of Abigail who he didn’t even really know personally, yet he forgets the gravity of what happened to his wife and won very quickly. He leaves Molly and Walter and tells Bedelia that they are finished. One traumatic event, and Will left. It coincides with something very important that happened here: after this, Will finally figures out Hannibal is truly in love with him. So he goes to Bedelia to discuss it with her.

*Will: Is Hannibal in love with me?*

*Bedelia: Could he daily feel a stab of hunger for you, and find nourishment at the very sight of you? Yes. But do you ache for him?*

Will is predictably silent. Obviously, if the answer was no, he would have said no. But he struggles because like we established, he has issues with expressing emotions. He only managed to start referring to Hannibal as his friend openly in this season, opening up about some of his feelings, but he’s not ready to go this far. It would be absolutely out of character for Will to say, “Yes, you know, I’m in love with him! Thanks for helping me see it.” Every confession Will makes is preceded by struggles and heartbreak. But he’s going to reply to Bedelia’s question, only not explicitly-verbally.

Will sets up Chilton and then comes to allegedly say good-bye to Hannibal. He lies several times in their conversation (about Chilton and Molly with Walter), so all his words are automatically suspicious. Regardless, he destroys Hannibal emotionally and walks away. Personally, I believe he was already planning to break him out, so he was playing it up for cameras and also taking a chance to hurt Hannibal for everything again. But whatever his plan was, what happens next is that Will conspires with Francis against Jack, Alana, and the FBI. They agree to break Hannibal out together. Will lies to Jack and then gets to ask Hannibal for help. He’s being flirty and manipulative in this scene.

*Will: I need you, Hannibal … You're our best shot, Hannibal. Please.*

He’s smirking, he leans close to Hannibal, he sends him a flirty look from under his eyelashes. Will is thoroughly enjoying himself, and he does it best when he has some excuse to hide behind.

Later, he lies to Jack and Alana again, leaks info to Francis (who nearly killed his wife and son), and gets many officers killed by proxy. He tells Bedelia the truth that he doesn’t “intend Hannibal to be caught a second time.” He also implies that he’s going to let him go free, which is why Bedelia should pack her bags.

*Bedelia: Can't live with him. Can't live without him. Is that what this is?*

This time, Will agrees, although in his way.

*Will: I guess this is my Becoming.*

For Will, Becoming was always connected to his feelings for Hannibal because accepting himself and his darkness meant being free to escape with Hannibal.

*Bedelia: You found religion. Nothing more dangerous than that.*

In E3, it was stated that love is a God (you can find more here https://www.reddit.com/r/HannibalTV/comments/7w54dg/lovegodreligion_s3_parallels/), so it’s possible to say that religion = love in this context. It certainly makes sense. Will is accepting himself and his emotions, and the trigger was establishing for sure that Hannibal is in love with him.

Will and Hannibal drive to the cliff house. When Hannibal asks Will if he intends to save himself by killing them both (Hannibal and Francis), Will replies:

*Will: I don't know if I can save myself. And maybe that's just fine.*

This is the first time he confesses that he might be incapable of killing Hannibal. Predictably, when Francis comes, Will can’t handle seeing Hannibal killed, so he reaches for his gun.

Will and Hannibal work as a unit and protect each other. Hannibal is shot, nearly strangled, thrown onto the ground, and he is still weakly holding on Francis' leg to prevent him from going after Will, even though it leaves him in an open and vulnerable position — Francis does kick him in the face with his other leg. There is fierce determination on Will's face as he stands up despite the pain and runs to save Hannibal. They act in synch, consummating their relationship.

Then, Will admires how blood looks on his hand and repeats Hannibal’s words:

*Will: It really does look black in the moonlight.*

He remembers the words Hannibal said to him weeks ago in one of their endless interactions. A bit earlier, he perfectly recalled the words Hannibal told him *years* ago, back in the middle of S2.

*Will: I understand that “blood and breath are only elements undergoing change to fuel your Radiance." Hannibal said those words. To me.*

So, Will remembers everything Hannibal told him. He stores these memories. It’s a small but still important proof how important Hannibal is for him.

At the cliff, Will finally accepts the truth.

*Hannibal: See. This is all I ever wanted for you, Will. For both of us.*

We know what Hannibal wanted: a Murder Husband. What does Will say to this?

*Will: It’s beautiful.*

This is a loud “yes” to Bedelia’s question about his feelings. Will acknowledges, accepts, and admires them. He doesn’t feel awkward, as he would if he knew Hannibal is in love with him but didn’t feel the same. No, he reaches forward to embrace him, and such physical contact from Will is mind-blowing because he almost never does it. He clings to Hannibal, puts his head on his shoulder, touches him as if he wants to melt with him. Then he gives the fate a chance to stop both of them or to set them free. They fall into the ocean under the Love Crime song, another romantic element.

Water symbolizes reborn, and post-credits scene indicates that Will and Hannibal have paid a visit to Bedelia and are in the process of eating her while she’s hiding the fork to stab one of them as he approaches. The deleted epilogue to the series shows that they are in perfect harmony now.

**Conclusion**: Will has passed through a long, painful journey. He went from hiding from emotions and deflecting to not denying and carefully acknowledging them. We don’t hear words “love” or “in love” from him in relation to Hannibal because Will is not that kind of person. He doesn’t use these words freely, and for him, every small emotional step is a struggle. He tried to deceive himself and other numerous times; he tied to deny the truth and manipulate his own mind, but with each season, his feelings for Hannibal became more and more explicit. Will reaching out for physical contact, Will saying “It’s beautiful” are his way of saying, “I ached for you. I love you.”

This is a story of mutual love and obsession, about soulmates, about unique type of connection that few people share. It’s not about Hannibal falling in love and Will not feeling the same. Their feelings are equally strong, but they express them differently, particularly as Will’s are tied to the acceptance of his own darkness.

[depressedqueer1]

ep2 time

-has anyone ever pointed out the thing where in the beginning whenever she slays a vampire the stake disappears with it but after the first couple of seasons they change it so the stake stays so she can kill multiple vampires with one stake

-the theme song will forever be a banger

-'oh i need to sit down' 'you are sitting down' 'oh good for me' them <3

-'they can fly?' 'they can drive' xander you idiot i hate to love you

-they have a gated high school in this tiny ass town?? im pretty sure full shots of the school later makes this not true but why is it in the episode they couldve had the scene without the gate and had buffy jump over something else later on to show that skill

-i swear angel (not counting angelus scenes) does not smile at all through the entire show after they drop the sarcasm thing

-lol i can imagine angel hiding somewhere in a corner or something watching xander follow buffy into the sewers like a creep

-HARMONY :)

-'deliver' QUEEN

'its cool buffys a superhero' lol xander

-this is the only episode where vampires eyes glow in the dark

-title sequence scene unlocked

-'hold on... youve got something in your eye' honestly same

-these vampires are fighting for their lives trying to keep their teeth in during the dialogue they need denture glue or something lol

-ah my love-hate relationship with joyce welcome back

-it sucks so much bc cordelia has so much potential as a character and they explore it a little but both shows do her so dirty

-i love how everyone in sunnydale knows to some degree that the supernatural exist and just like ignores it bc they know buffys on it like oh? theres a group of vampires trying to kill everyone at the bronze? no problem the weird new girl is on it i think shes in a gang or something oh? the mayor turned into a giant snake and tried to kill everyone at graduation? no problem our resident bamf buffy gave us all deadly weapons and planned an attack for this very situation oh? theres a group of vampires attacking the school on parents nigh? no problem buffy is gonna crawl in the ceiling and fight them all off singlehandedly yah no we dont need to help shes got this yah like i know they say that mortals tend to forget and misremember the supernatural stuff that happens but by the last season thats completely thrown out the window

-'theres something you forgot about too, sunrise...its in about nine hours moron'

-title sequence scene unlocked

-shut up angel no one cares of course she did it

-'the earth is doomed' GILES lol

e3 time i think this is the amy/witch episode

-it IS the witch episode

-also i miss the slayer prophecy intro they should have kept it

-'you dont like the color?' 'do you ignore everything i say as a rule?' theyre so father-daughter

-xander get out

-'sounds like her mom doesnt have a lot to do' girl make some time with your daughter make effort to talk to her about stuff on the way to school have dinner out sometime instead of eating in offer to help with her homework do SOMETHING that shows you like being around her and that your interested in her life and who she is

-joyce she is not you stop trying to push yourself on her let her find her own thing like i get youre trying but cmon shes her own person she has a whole life outside of you are you not just a little curious about her like you made this human and you arent interested in knowing how shes turning out???? i just have a lot of feelings about buffys home life

-'you dont have to drive it through my head like a railroad spike' spike foreshadowing??? (jk i just miss him and will take any opportunity to bring him up)

-'i think your underestimating the amount of pressure a parent can lay on you...if your not a super perfect carbon copy thu tend to wig' Do You See What I See

-xander go home

-its interesting to see how different amy uses magic and how willow uses magic also the difference in how witchcraft is represented in the first season and the later seasons is fun to see

-AMYS DEATH STARE

-did giles just put his hands in a boiling liquid or are the bubbles supposed to be the magic

-'guess what? i feel better' she has the bast one liners

-title scene unlocked

-thank you because you REALLY dont get it

-rip amys mom in a trophy you will go down with sunnydale high

ep4 time im pretty sure this is a xander episode so :/ but he almost gets eaten by a giant bug so :)

-listen xander has his moments but the way he thinks and the way he treats people is just atrocious

-in your dreams xander literally

-theyre all so tiny this season little babies

-the soundtrack for this show slaps ive gotten into a lot of new bands from listening to the bands that play at the bronze

-the JACKET

-xander get out

-xander leave now

-xander please get out of here

-creepy bug teacher your not welcome here

-xander shut up

-they have a gated park in this tiny town but no gate around the cemetery make it make sense

-OH fork guy i forgot about you

-interesting they call it hunting this episode but later when buffy refers to it as hunting and not patrolling its a big thing

-ew go away bug lady

-the fact that joss whedon sees himself most in xander and all of his episodes are Like That >~<

-'hes got a crush on a giant insect' that he does willow

-'wasnt here...didnt see it...couldnt stop you' enable them kids giles!

-xander go away

-'it just kinda Bugs me'

-ew creepy nonce bug teacher lady go away ew ew ew

-xander get out of there

-'there are no books but its dark and musty youll feel right at home'

-fork guy had much build up to die that early

-oh buy indeed buffy

-we never see the payoff to that egg cliffhanger

ep 5 time i think this is when the anointed one gets anointed

-

i think im finally gonna watch buffy again

[theyapper0]

Amphibia season 1 rewatch + notes :)

So I just finished rewatching the ENTIRE season 1 of Amphibia and I have some notes on the episodes that stood out to me! There are some quick notes, a couple lengthy analyses and even some headcanons sprinkled in! It's like a written stew of season 1! I'll be doing a written Amphiba stew for season 2 too!!

It's kinda long so you could just skip this or hit the keep reading button and give it a read! 

S1: E2 Cane Crazy

Anne shows general disregard over other people's things

(Mimicking Hop Pop and breaking his cane, throwing all the wood carving things that Loggle made, even a coo coo clock that she even said was nice (And for him to say it took 20 years to make right after she broke it))

S1: E2 Flood, Sweat and Tears 

Anne would be the WORST during sleepovers and I LOVE IT!!! My girl is just being a tween, staying up late, playing would you rather and keeping everyone else up. I think that's ADORABLE and now I'm thinking about how sleepovers might've been back home with her, Sasha and Marcy… 

She also just stays up late in general?? She reads dumb magazines and eats CRUNCHY snacks. She is really just 13,,,

And it looks like Sprig does it too, not as much as Anne (probably because he is younger than her) but it seems like it has to be in his terms. Before, he looked to be annoyed with it when he was trying to sleep. But, if he was awake, like in the beginning or at the end of the episode, he had no problem staying up playing would you rather!!! 

S1: E3 Hop Luck 

Anne: Old things are dumb! 

And 

Anne:* violently GRABS Sprig and shoves him against the wall* don't you DARE talk about pineapple in my pizza… Ever…

Anne: 

Sprig: 

Anne: Okay! Let's go get these ingredients! 

HHHH ANNE!!! I love this funky little child SO MUCH!!! 

Hop Pop loves these kids so much that he was willing to put aside his old, traditional family recipes in exchange for making pizza with them. My heart is gonna explode I'm-

Anne please don't make your surrogate frog brother get married just to get some pizza dough I'M BEGGING YOU-

S1: E3 Stakeout 

Hop Pop: I'm a crisp 68!

Is Hop Pop actually 68 or does he mean more of 68 going on 80 68? Either way he looks great! 

Anne has Blam Berry Blitz ("the drink that punches you in the face and doesn't stop") in her bag along with all the OTHER stuff we already saw (air pump, toe nail clipper, pencils, cat toys, bath bombs, etc)

Anne is officially those friends that have EVERYTHING in their bag no matter what. 

I really like the relationship between Anne and Hop Pop, how they both in some way yearn for what was but in different ways (Anne wanting to go home and Hop Pop's olden ways when he was a little pollywog) but are still similar in how they try to remember. They try and try and try to keep what little family/friends they have safe and protected. They love the relationships they've formed with other people (And with each other) and would go great lengths to help and protect them!

Also I MAY be looking way too into it buuuut was Boulder-Tron (that rock dude that Polly hallucinated at the end) supposed to foreshadow Frobo??

S1: E4 Taking Charge 

Okay quick one, Anne nearly having a whole ass panic attack when her phone dies because she couldn't look at her photos or videos of home actually made me sad. This girl is only a CHILD and her entire home and everything is gone and she for real thought she couldn't ever get it back,,, 

Hop Pop: I mean, the part where the island itself is revealed to actually be…!

Sprig: No! 

Polly: Don't!

Anne: Spoilers 

I dunno why and again, I MIGHT BE LOOKING TOO DEEPLY INTO THIS, but maybe this is foreshadowing something with the land of Amphibia? That maybe there is more to this crazy land than we know? Maybe even a reason it, along with all the other universes even exists??? 

S1: E5 Breakout Star 

AHSBWJOA ONLY EPISODE 5 AND ANNE ALREADY HAS HER PHONE'S LOCK SCREEN OF THE PLANTER FAMILY I'M-

S1: E7 Dating Season 

Anne said that ⅔ of ALL soul mates start out as "just friends" 

…

I'm looking at you, team Sashannarcy 

S1: E7 Anne vs. Wild 

Hop Pop's behavior at the end of the episode when Anne finally shows them the calamity box is awfully sus…

He doesn't say anything but "may I?" To inspect the box and then is like "Nope, never seen it" I just feel like he knows something and then adding onto it with the whole burying it to protect his family just sounds like… he definitely knows something, maybe not a lot but there is something he's not telling the others 

Also, why would a book that HE has have information on the Calamity box?? 

(I fully support the Dr. P was a Planter and also possibly the pink frog who was friends with King Andrias theory)

S1: E10 Toad Tax 

At this point, Anne said that she has already been in Amphibia for over a month now. 

(And damn, Sasha's been in prison for like a month,,, yikes)

Also Hop Pop teaching Anne how to pay taxes is so adorable, she really is part of this family now guys,,,

And I love how Anne was able to win over the Wartwood people by being her natural, charming and not to mention caring self. Anne, like Marcy and Sasha, can be selfish because honestly what kid, especially a 13 year old, isn't. 

But what matters is that she always tries to make up for it. 

Yes she did join the arguably sketchy toads into getting the taxes from everyone in order to feel somewhat included in ANYTHING, but while she was doing it, she knew it was wrong. Anne knew it was wrong and tried to give back some of the stolen stuff. Hell, even at the end she risked her safety to protect people she felt didn't even LIKE her, like, Anne literally broke her arm from them because that's just how Anne is. 

S1: E10 Prison Break 

I always forget how like,,, SUPER cunning Sasha is. I mean, she was able to talk FIVE toads into quitting within a WEEK as a PRISONER. Like?? 

Grime: That's not a bird. It's a heron, a murderous predator that happens to love the taste of flesh 

Sasha: Cute 

The lines in this show I'M-

So Anne was a varsity tennis player and Sasha was a cheerleader and did Tai Chi. I still can't believe they were both jocks,,, 

(Well, Sasha I get but Anne? Sweet ol' lil baby with the lanky limbs Anne???) 

Hey um, why the FUCK does Grime have acid spit?

Sasha: *looking at photo of her, Anne, and Marcy* Hold on for a little longer, girls. I'm coming for you. And when I find you, we're gonna get home. But first, I think we're gonna have some fun with this place 

Okay so this line right here. Now I may not be even remotely correct but this line, this last piece of dialogue spoken by Sasha right before the episode ends leads me to believe that she… doesn't take this world seriously. 

At least not yet. 

I think the 3 girls all see Amphibia differently: Anne as more of an obstacle, a wall preventing her from being home, Marcy sees it as an escape from her life with constant stimuli, and Sasha, she sees it as just really another thing to control. Everyone and their mothers know that Sasha can be a little more than controlling and we all know that she liked being lieutenant just a little too much. 

This world is interesting to Sasha, not in the interesting that Anne sees it (who is interesting in the new people and the relationships she's formed) or Marcy (who is also interested in the relationships she's formed along with the thirst for knowledge and again, the constant stimuli in an environment where she isn't stifled and allowed to flourish). 

No, Sasha sees Amphibia as interesting because it gives her something to control. In a world that is not your own, a world that you will leave eventually, who would actually FOLLOW the rules put in place there? Especially a 13 year old who is basically like a war commander who, even if she does do something wrong or breaks a rule or two, the only person who might even dare to stop her is Grime, and even then, he might just encourage it because it is season 1 and they aren't that close and he doesn't really care for Sasha at this point. 

She also is actually very logical. Everything she does in Amphibia, all the morally questionable things she does, it is always for the same reason (or at least at first), to get her and her girls home. Wanting to sacrifice and kill Hop Pop at the end of season 1? Well The toads had promised if she helped, they'll help her find Marcy and bring the 3 of them home. She cares for Anne and Marcy SO MUCH that she is willing to go great lengths to help keep them safe. 

But even though Sasha didn't really care about anyone in Amphibia besides Anne and Marcy at first, it doesn't mean she won't ever. We see countless times throughout season 2 of Sasha caring. She feels regret with her impending betrayal on Anne and Marcy, she cares enough to try and warn Anne about King Andrias' evil plans. Hell, even in the season 3 intro we see her and Grime at Wartwood and it looks like they're gonna be starting another rebellion against the king to help all the amphibians in Amphibia. 

I just really like watching Sasha's appearance and knowing what will happen in the future with her character. 

S1: E13 Trip to the Archives 

Anne: I get this place. It's like a library from my world. Zoo books and manga, here I come! 

So whenever Anne goes to the library, presumably with Sasha and Marcy, she'd go straight to books on animals and manga probably while Marcy did whatever work they needed (if Anne's dialogue in season 2 with Marcy always doing the work for their group projects was anything to go off on)

I dunno, I think that's kinda cute that Anne liked reading books on animals and probably reading all the manga that Marcy recommended. 

Maybe Anne and Sasha would sit right next to each other while Marcy worked and read fun manga together and cackle with each other while Marcy tried SO HARD to concentrate and NOT infodump to them because she's read that specific manga 20 times and HAVE YOU GOTTEN TO THAT ONE PART WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER GOES- 

S1: E15 Wally and Anne

MOSS MAN!! 

When Anne wakes up in the middle of the night and goes to grab Wally at town square, her hood is up and it's dark. The only thing we can make out of her face are…

Glowing blue eyes.

Glowing eyes that share an uncanny resemblance to the moss men.

And Anne loves doing elaborate, silly handshakes? That's so CUTE! Too bad none of her friends liked them as much as she did :( 

When they finally reached the foggy mountain place, Anne noticed glowing blue butterflies and started to follow them, which led her right to the moss man.

WAIT ANNE ALSO DID ROCK CLIMBING BACK HOME?? FUCKING JOCK!!!

S1 E20 Reunion 

Okay I WAS about to say that there wasn't anything to say about this last episode that hasn't already been said before BUT

The last couple moments, when Anne is holding Sasha off the cliff and trying to pull her up with the Planters, there's a couple interesting shots that I would like to talk about. 

While the Planters were holding onto Anne, they say things like "Hang on, Anne! We got you no matter what!" 

And even when the stone cliff starts to chip and break, none of the frogs back off, they don't loosen their grips, they just keep holding onto Anne. 

And they will never let go. 

Because they love her. Because in only 3 months, Anne was able to get a surrogate frog family and dozens of other frog friends in Wortwood. Because Anne has this amazing support system both literally and metaphorically. Because Anne is Anne. And Sasha...

Isn't like Anne. 

Matt Bradly himself even said that both Sasha and Anne are different from Anne, Anne is the heart, the emotional connection in their logical worlds. Anne can make so many friends so easily and Sasha… Sasha became a war genral, she lost a fight against the one person who she thought would never fight back. 

Sasha doesn't have what Anne has. She doesn't have the kind of skills to make such strong relationships, the kind where you risk your life for the other, in such a short amount of time. 

Hell, they even play a song called "Lean on Me", Anne has people to lean on and they would lean on her just the same. She found these people, made these friends, formed amazing relationships, in only THREE months. 

"Maybe you're better off without me"

And Sasha was only dragging her down. 

Sasha loves Anne, she cares for her and would do anything to protect her. That's why she let go. She didn't want to drag Anne down, to hurt her more than she already has. 

Sasha would do anything for Anne, even die. 

Over all notes: 

Season 1 is SUPER FUNNY!! The lines hit and they don't rely on toilet humor to get the audience to laugh. They use great one liners and physical humor that isn't fart or butt jokes. They do an excellent job on showing how crazy the world of Amphibia is through humor like how the animals are always eating each other. 

I really like how the characters were crafted so carefully! And the storyline!!! You could notice things that get explored in season 2 and I can't WAIT to see how many bread crumbs were left to lead up to season 3!

HOW DOES ANNE KEEP SO MANY THINGS IN HER BOOK BAG??? 

That stuff is in her SCHOOL BAG, why would she bring it to school??? So far I've got an air pump, toe nail clippers, pencils, cat toys, bath bombs and an energy drink. WHY??? I wonder if she held on to any of Sasha or Marcy's things too or ever forgot to give them back

Also again, I'M STILL IN SHOCK OF ANNE BEING A JOCK. I don't even know why I am, I knew she played sports and stuff it's just,,, she's so lanky,,, 

Her and Sasha are jock buddies and WILL shove other jocks in lockers if they ever pick on their nerd Marcy.

I also am in LOVE with Hop Pop's screams lmao

Be ready for an analysis of season 2! 

[smilepal]

A4, C1, E3, H1, J3, N2, R4, and U5?

OC asks for @rindemption 🥰

A4.) What things are they bad at?

Absolutely nothing, and if they were, they're certainly not saying what. Hiro struggles with communication. It's always been something he's had issues with. He'd rather bottle things up, and pretend they don't exist if anyone else asks him, and when people start prying too much he'll just refuse to answer, or might occasionally get provoked into a fight if they just will not leave it alone. But he's not good at trusting people with his emotions, and seldom is open at expressing the really deep ones, or things that are genuinely bothering him. He's not good at the whole trust thing in general, and he knows it. Planning on gigs is also not a strength of his, he prefers to go in swinging and figure out things as he goes along. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

C1.) How do they sit in a chair?

He cannot sit properly for the life of him—the closest he comes is leaning back in his chair a bit with one leg crossed over the other—maybe tipping his chair back if he’s bored. If it’s a comfier chair, he likes to sit with his legs tucked under him, or cross-legged. Sometimes he’ll sit sideways in it with his legs over one of the arms, or sit with the chair backwards, if it’s a smaller one. Or he’ll perch on a counter or table. He’s not too picky about where he is (although if you’re asking, he’d argue that someone’s lap is the far superior option.)

E3.) Do they follow trends or do their own thing?

Hiro prefers to do his own thing. He has a very specific idea of what he likes, and what he doesn't and enough confidence to sell it. He doesn't do subtle very well, and figures if someone doesn't approve, it's their loss.

H1.) Do they prefer a hot or a cold room?

He prefers a warm room. He gets cold fairly easily, and would rather have the temperature comfortable, than put on layers. He's definitewly the type to wear something impractical, and then complain about being cold later. "But it's for the aesthetic." Despite this he's usually still wandering around his house in a pair of sleep pants or a tank top and pair of shorts. The amount of clothing he has definitely extends to stuff he wears around the apartment as well.

J3.) Are there any songs that bring them joy?

A lot of the stuff he used to listen to with Jackie--they'd get in fights over the radio, which the latter would usually win. He pretended to be put-out, but he secretly enjoyed a lot of the music. After the other's death it was a long time before he was able to listen to most of it again--lots of memories, and regrets about how that friendship ended. And there are a couple old songs that play on the radio that remind him of Vic--the kind of stuff that she likes--old rock and country. It wasn't always something he enjoyed but he's come to associate it with her over time.

N2.) What have they never done that they want to do?

Hiro seldom travels outside Night City, at least further than the Badlands. He's never had enough money to consider traveling, or the freedom/opportunities to do so. But if he ever has the chance to someday, he'd really enjoy that--not having any plans, or even a destination, just going somewhere of his choice, no goals--traveling to travel.

R4.) Have they broken any rules they now regret breaking?

Hiro breaks lots of rules, or at the very least bends them, and seldom regrets them. He's got a serious problem with authority/orders. Despite this, he's good with personal ones--other's boundaries, even if he stubbornly believes he doesn't have any. But he's been responsible, sometimes indirectly for others getting hurt, and that's something he still regrets. He knows it's not entirely his fault, but he still had some responsibility, could have done more, something.

U5.) Have they surprised people with being good at something?

People never expect him to be a good baker, or a cat person. It definitely doesn't fit with his vibe he usually gives off, but it's not like he'd deny it if asked or anything. He'd be happy to talk about it, if someone asked, though. If they ask super nicely, he might even make them something. 💖

Thanks for asking! 🌸

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Extra Training

"Where are you going?"  Ryouga wanted to know.  Iris tucked her D-Gazer into her pocket, checked on her deck, and shrugged.

"To the movies with Haruto,"  she told him.  Like she did every weekend.  It was something to do that wasn't dueling - not that she disliked dueling, there wasn't really any way that she could, not with having grown up in a household of duelists.  But it wasn't the be-all and end-all of her existence, and she only carried the deck around because Vector would start handing out knives if she didn't. 

Not that Iris had anything against knives, either, but the way Ryouga and Rio both stared at Vector when he offered her extra lessons told her quickly they didn't need to know how good she was with them, even without Vector's help.  Uncle Michael gave her sword-fighting lessons every weekend after all.  Edged weapons were as useful a tool as a dueling deck, and one that most people were less likely to think an eighteen year old might use against them.

Iris far preferred to handle her own problems.  The last time she'd complained about someone being annoying, everyone in the family plus a few extras - such as Uncles Michael, Thomas, and Chris, as well as Uncle Yuuma and Uncle Kaito, came down on the offender like the proverbial ton of bricks.  It took months> for anyone to ever talk to her again at school.

At least she didn't have to worry about that with Haruto.  They all liked Haruto and he knew how not to get on their bad sides.  Plus, he'd learned more than a few things that his brother didn't know about, so he kept her secrets about what she could do that her elders didn't know.

And he was a fantastic sparring partner.

Ryouga regarded her thoughtfully, then nodded.  "Enjoy yourself,"  was all he said.  Iris knew what that meant - don't murder someone without one heck of a good reason.  She was fine with that.  Rio had taught her what a good reason was.  So far she hadn't had to kill anyone and she didn't really want to.  She liked learning dueling and fighting for reasons aside from blood-lust, no matter what Vector swore by. 

So she headed out of the mansion and to the center of town, where Haruto sat outside of Heartland Tower and waited for her, kicking his feel lazily in a fountain.  She vaguely remembered that he'd been a bit sickly and weak when they were children.  Most of that had been before she'd come to this world, so she'd heard of it mostly as stories from Ryouga and Uncle Kaito, or from Haruto himself.  When she'd first met him, he'd been getting better, and she'd helped him improve over the years.

Now one couldn't tell that he'd ever been at risk of dying at all.  He leaped to his feet as soon as he caught sight of her and waved, eyes bright with joy.

"Ready?"  He wanted to know as she drew closer.  Iris smiled; she did enjoy spending time with him.  And she enjoyed what they were about to do just as much.  Maybe even a bit more.

"Ready."  She nodded, one hand dropping down to where she kept her duel disk - and the little secret hidden inside the same pocket.  Haruto nodded as well, and the two of them headed off.  Both of them knew very well that Omoid - oldest offspring of Obomi and Orbital 7 - followed them.  Omoid followed Haruto anywhere he went and did anything he could in order to help him. 

Haruto had had to do a little reprogramming as he got older to make sure Omoid kept certain things he and Iris did a secret, but as long as they came home without any major injuries, most things could be hidden from the eye of elder siblings.  Iris did wonder how much Uncle Kaito really knew.  He didn't seem like the type of person who would easily be deceived. Yet if he did know what they did - not every lesson they had from Uncle Michael was sanctioned - he said nothing at all about it.

They arrived at the Arclight mansion relatively quickly.  This wasn't their original home, or so Iris had been told.  They moved to Heartland on a regular basis a few years earlier and set up residence.  That was fine with her.  She liked spending time with all of them.

Though she wasn't ever going to forget the day that Uncle Thomas and Uncle Vector both ended up baby-sitting her at the same time.  Three fire trucks, five police cars, and she still didn't know how they'd avoided being arrested.  Ryouga didn't like to talk about it.

Michael welcomed them there as soon as they entered, guiding them to the familiar sparring grounds. 

"It's just us today,"  he told them.  "Chris is working with Kaito and Mizael helping out Father."  His lips twitched.  "I'm not quite certain where Thomas is, though.

That was fine with Iris, and apparently Haruto to.  She'd known about them being busy anyway.  She slipped her duel disk out, flipped open the hidden slot in the back, and her sword hilt dropped into her hand. 

"I'm ready for training!"  She declared, and Haruto matched her motions with his own.  Michael chuckled.

"I didn't expect anything less," he told them, and the three of them settled down to the business of sparring together.  Iris snapped the hilt, hitting the hidden button, and the blade itself unfolded.  This was new technology, spurred on by various companies in the city, and Michael had given each of them one of these as a surprise present.  It certainly made keeping these lessons secret from the rest of the family a lot easier.

She took the lead, approaching quickly, and striking.  They didn't often work with live steel first, but Michael's point of view on the matter was that one, they needed to use it as often as possible, and two, they needed to be careful. Using wooden or foam bats wouldn't teach caution. He knew how to take care of virtually any injury they could inflict on each other, and after five years of learning, they both knew how not to hurt the other.  Michael promised that they would be able to hurt other people if the time ever came.

Iris wasn't so sure if she wanted that, but she also knew the first lesson he'd taught her - never to pick up a weapon of any kind, be it a sword or a duel disk, unless you were both willing and capable of using it.  The Numbers War was long over, but who knew when something else might happen and she might be one of those called to arms.  Better to be ready and never need it, than need it and not be able to do anything.  Ryouga and Rio absolutely agreed on that, at least.

So she sparred and she learned, and Haruto fought her with all of his strength.  She pushed back, struck down carefully, judging her strength and where she aimed, and pushed him back.  He twisted his blade, making an attempt to disarm her, and she stepped back, getting out of the clinch and taking a different angle for her counterattack.  As time ticked by, Iris could not contain the pure joy that came from being able to do this at all.

She remembered her life in the past very clearly, and how she'd died.  She might not want to attack other people, but she would always want to be able to defend herself.  That was one of the reasons her clothes were specially made to be just shy of being actual armor.  Ryouga had insisted on that after they'd all come back from the trip to the Astral-Barian World.  She'd never been there, but she kind of wanted to, one of these days.

Metal clattered against metal, ringing loudly, but they could still hear Michael's firm voice instructing them on what to do.  Eventually he called a halt - both of them dripped sweat, and Iris wanted something to drink.  She slipped her sword's blade back into the hilt and started to turn around for the exit.

In the exit there stood Ryouga.  No, not Ryouga - Nasch. Her king.  His eyes stern and his lips not smiling at all.  Iris swallowed and essayed a smile of her own.

"This isn't a movie,"  he said quietly.  "This is very much not a movie."

"I know."  Iris agreed.  It wasn't as if she could argue that.  She would keep the secret, but he clearly already knew it.  She'd never been able to argue with him when he looked at her like that.  She worried at her lip, then mentally shrugged.  "It's just extra lessons, that's all."

Nasch nodded faintly.  "How long have you been doing this?"

"A while now,"  she answered.  Neither Haruto or Michael said anything else.  She suspected Michael was a little annoyed, if only because Nasch had entered without - she guessed - asking permission. 

"I can guess."  He crossed his arms, regarding her thoughtfully.  "Have you been hurt?"

"Nothing bad."  Iris shrugged.  "I can hold my own.  We're good at this."

His eyes softened ever so lightly and she began to breathe easily.  Or at least easier. "I noticed.  Did you relay think I believed you were going to the movies?  That you like them that much?"

Iris ducked her head.  "I hoped?"  Didn't most teenagers go to movies with friends?   She didn't think she was that out of touch.  Sure, she didn't have that many friends at school she could open up to, but she'd heard them all talking about movies and going on dates.  She did like movies, but going to see them every week just seemed boring.  She would have far preferred going to the ocean or up to the mountains.  The few times she'd hung out with Yamikawa at the Duel Lodge had been very instructive. 

"I think it's going to be a couple of weeks before you do this again,"  he told her quietly.  "And if you want to do it again, then I want to know about it before you go.  Understand?"

"Got it."  Iris knew she was getting off easy.  Ryouga nodded slightly before he looked at Haruto.  "Kaito's probably going to say the same thing to you."

"Kaito-sama already knows,"  Omoid piped up. "I told him after their firsts unofficial lesson."

Haruto blinked.  "I thought I reprogrammed you so you wouldn't do that."

"You did."  Kaito stepped up next to Nasch.  "I reprogrammed him back." 

Iris could see the pride in Kaito's eyes regardless of his words.  Whatever else he felt, he was glad Haruto could do these things.  If Kaito had really objected, then they would have known it long before this.

Ryouga gestured to her, and she started over.  She knew that she wasn't going to be seriously grounded - he'd let up on the punishments and let her make her own mistakes for a while now.  He wouldn't be that upset about extra lessons.  If anything, what had to have upset him was that she'd not told him the truth.  He'd get over it. 

Just to prove it, she glanced over to Michael and to Haruto.  "I'll see you next week,"  she addressed Michael first, then Haruto.  "Tomorrow?"

"Sure,"  Haruto agreed calmly, with Michael nodded.  He was clearly having trouble keeping himself from laughing.  Kaito and Ryouga both snorted, but Iris knew what they sounded like when they were upset, and this wasn't it.  Everything was fine. 

Together they all headed out.  Iris couldn't have been more satisfied with what happened.  She'd had a great workout and she didn't have to hide her extra trips from the others anymore.  She'd more or less wanted to tell them from the beginning; events just hadn't fallen out that way.  Being older did come with some advantages. 

Ryouga still made her wear her helmet on the way home. 

The End

Notes: One day I might write more about Omoid and Haruto. You really think Kaito wouldn’t have one of those little bots assigned to keep an eye on his brother?

Ryouga was probably a lot angrier than he let on, but Iris is eighteen. She can make her own decisions, and Rio probably lectured him on that. Maybe I will write that side piece eventually.