#ba boom ba boom dammit

[rororoorirooroo]

some sketches I made !! idk wtf I was on while making this outfit wtf

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grrr low sleep and hunger will take you places istg. anyways, drops this mf back into the water 💞

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[sheriiam]

Sherliam submission: modern au of sherly making a cake for Liam's birthday to surprise him but he puts the frosting too soon out of excitement while the cake was still hot and it starts to melt

(i know sherly is a good cook but is he a good baker?) (also i just have this thought of him sitting in the kitchen early in the morning with a pout trying to put cream back on the cake as its melting off and then ba boom liam wakes up and enters the kitchen)

Omg marry me thank you so much for the submission! Well, I can't promise a full fledged au but maybe you'll have some care for this one-shot. Your idea is lovely btw! Thanks again!

Request: modern sherliam one-shot where Sherlock bakes a cake for Liam and paves way for a melting disaster― he's a good cook but is he a good baker?

Melting in your love~

Sherlock woke up as soon as the first rays of sun started gently seeping into the walls of the room. Their room, he thought with a fond smile as he looked at the lean, petite figure of his boyfriend lying next to him, impossibly cocooned in the sheets. There was a thin, glistening layer of sweat on his forehead― a natural consequence of being so covered in all those sheets (he had snatched Sherlock's too, not that he minded much though).

Ultimately, after turning the fan's speed to full, Sherlock quietly entered the kitchen. There, he opened the fridge and pulled out a bowl of cake batter that he had prepared the previous night. He winced at how cold it was compared to his bed-warm hands.

It was his boyfriend's, William's, birthday today. Well, official birthday, Sherlock thought. April 1st was the date of birth on all his legal documents, and that's the date he liked to celebrate on― Liam never told Sherlock his true birthdate; Sherlock never questioned.

He slowly removed the plastic wrap from the bowl and transferred the batter to a round, baking container. Later, after putting the whole thing into the microwave oven, he took out the frosting-bowl from the fridge and whisked it for good measure.

Would Liam like it? Sherlock thought as he cut evened the warm cake surface with a knife. He had just taken it out of the MW oven and his chest fell swollen with pride of how golden and moist the cake seemed. "Leave it for about half an hour to cool properly before covering it with icing," he read from an online recipe. The sun was rising up in the sky. No matter Liam's bizzare sleeping hours, Sherlock didn't have much time at hand.

"Ugh dammit, let's get done with this." He put portions of frosting on top of the cake with a large spatula and began spreading it evenly. The smell of vanilla filled the kitchen as Sherlock covered the curved side with icing too. He smiled proudly as it all came together.

Until―

"Huh, stay in place," he mumbled while quickly fixing the frosting that kept dolloping down from the side. It had only been a moment since he kept down the spatula when he saw how the icing kept running down slowly, leaving botches of areas from where the cake bread was visible...

The room was bright with sunlight when William woke up. He'd have preferred sleeping a bit more if the rays hadn't directly hit his face and made him dream that he he was burning in flames. With a sigh, he threw his sheets away and kept lying on the bed for a while. Eyes still closed, he remembered what day it was today. More than that, what actually made him smile, were his thoughts of Sherlock running around the house, making coffee or eggs for them. Probably both. Hopefully.

He dragged himself out of bed, making much more noise than necessary to make Sherlock aware that he was finally awake. He left the room after turning off the fan and strolled around the house. A mindless tugging at heart drove him to the kitchen. There he is, he thought when he looked at his boyfriend sitting on the dining table with his back facing him. "Good morning love," he said dreamily.

Sherlock got up to face him, and William noticed how his index finger was covered in pale blue frosting. He titled his head fondly and said, "Aw, you made me a cake―" he clasped his hand to his mouth― "did I ruin your surprise?" Sherlock looked at him and gave a tiny, sad smile. "I was trying to. But I guess I ruined the cake and now I'm thinking if I should start all over again. Sorry, no surprise today," he said, shaking his head.

"I know it's April Fool's, Sherly, but you could lie better than that," William chuckled. But then Sherlock stepped towards him and embraced him with a heartbroken look. "Sherly," William whispered and held him tight. He peeked behind Sherlock's shoulder― he could see the cake. The icing had also disappeared from the top of the side and was now pooling at the bottom in a tray Sherlock had placed below it. Surely, it didn't look that ba―

"I'm sorry, Liam," Sherlock mumbled in his shoulder and William realized he was crying. He quickly stepped a bit away and cupped Sherlock's face in his hands. "Hey," he said with utmost fondness, "it's fine, really. I know how much effort you put into this. And I'm surely it'll taste great, you don't have to make a new one. It's perfect." He placed a finger on Sherlock's lips when he began trying to explain how he should have waited for the cake to cool before putting the frosting.

"Have you invited anyone?" he suddenly asked. Sherlock looked at him for a moment before answering, "I haven't, it didn't seem right to call anyone this early. There's no plan." A lie. Sherlock was supposed to take William to his home in the evening so that his brothers could surprise him― and to a restaurant afterwards― but he wouldn't admit to it just yet. "Then, since it's just the two of us―" William pecked his cheek― "let's cut the cake, shall we?"

It took some effort to drag Sherlock to the table and get him to grab a knife and candles but once that was done, Sherlock seemed to have returned to his usual self. Once he was done placing the candles― and a single cherry― where he wanted to, he stepped back and wrapped his hands around his boyfriend. "Cut the cake, Liam."

William blew the candles, and Sherlock gently sang happy birthday right next to his ear. "Have some," William offered a tiny piece of cake with a smile. Sherlock, in turn, made him eat it before having some himself. "Is it any good?" Sherlock asked nervously. "It's amazing, Sherly. And it allows me to do this―" William broke off to scoop some melted frosting with his finger and dab it on Sherlock's nose. "Glad to know you're having fun in my misery," he said and in return coloured William's face with icing at which the latter screamed.

"Happy birthday, Liam," he said.

William thanked him with a kiss.

[inhernature]

Blk is not a country, but I live there Where even the youngest call you baby. Sometimes you ain’t we. Sometimes you is Everybody. Washboard rains come. We Open our mouths for a drink. Rather be radical Than a fool. Oh and no, We’re not interested in killing White people or making them Work. Matter of truth, some snorted Cocaine until folk started calling it White lady. Anyway, slavery is a bad idea. The more you look like me, the more we Agree. Sometimes you is everybody. The blk mind is a continuous Mind. There is a we. I am among them. I am one of the ones. I belong. Oom boom Ba boom. I live there where We have a right to expect something of the brother. Hooking and crooking or punching the clock: It’s got to get done. That Expectation. Stunning. Incantatory. Blk. Power in our 24-hour Barbershops. Power in the Stateville Correctional Center. Power broke Whether I have a car note or not. Power under a quilt that won’t unravel, though I never met the woman who sewed it Or the woman for whom it was a gift Before it finally came to me. The blk mind Is a continuous mind. I am not a narrative Form, but dammit if I don’t tell a story. All land owned is land once stolen. So the blues people of the world walk On water. We will not die. Blk music. Blk rage. Blk city of the soul In a very cold town. Blk ice is ice you can’t see.

[thanotaphobia]

DVD Commentary? From You, I have questions about:

“That’s scary,” Dream says. “Being all alone like that. That’s trauma.”

“I don’t feel traumatized,” Tommy points out.

“No one ever feels traumatized,” Dream says with another shrug. “Or at least, that’s what my therapist says. But it’s there. It shows in other ways.”

Tommy thinks of his entire life and asks, very quietly: “Like what?”

“Mood swings,” Dream continues, seemingly oblivious to Tommy’s sudden turn towards the introspective. “Feeling overwhelmed. Anxiety, depression, learning disorders. Trouble fitting in at school. Problems processing emotions–”

“Okay, jesus christ, enough,” Tommy says brashly, cutting him off before he can get too much further into it. “Did you just google that shit or have it ready to go? Fucking hell, man.”

“I googled it,” Dream admits a second later, a little abashedly. He laughs, tipping his laptop screen so Tommy can see the homepage pulled up. “Sorry. I just– you know, we get along well, I thought it might be something to bond over.”

“I’m not fucking traumatized,” Tommy spits out, feeling his face heat up, something deeply uncomfortable rising in his chest. He feels displaced. Slightly to the left. “That’s weird to try and bond over. We’re not– no.”

“Sorry,” Dream apologizes again, and his face is all scrunched up and sad and now Tommy feels bad , dammit. “I kinda– I guess– I dunno. When you said you were adopted I guess I just felt– like. Like I do around my sister. I bet your brothers don’t get it, do they?”

cracks knuckles okay

so in this scene i want to make dream be... nice. i want him to push boundaries, but also be nice about it. because manipulation is about building rapport! lovebombing, etc. but it's also about isolation.

“No one ever feels traumatized,” Dream says with another shrug. “Or at least, that’s what my therapist says. But it’s there. It shows in other ways.”

so this is true to an extent. trauma expresses itself in different ways yadda yadda. but the key to this whole exchange is in what dream says next.

“Mood swings,” Dream continues, seemingly oblivious to Tommy’s sudden turn towards the introspective. “Feeling overwhelmed. Anxiety, depression, learning disorders. Trouble fitting in at school. Problems processing emotions–”

that's a lot of specific examples that are also common enough in teenagers during puberty to make it believable. dream is hitting all the marks of tommy that he KNOWS about, and he's also making sure to expand and make it seem more than just attentiveness on his part. then comes the ba-boom part, where i try to make it clear to the audience that dream is trying to isolate tommy in this moment

"I thought it might be something to bond over.”

and

“I kinda– I guess– I dunno. When you said you were adopted I guess I just felt– like. Like I do around my sister. I bet your brothers don’t get it, do they?”

this is the part where dream goes too far, as well. that very last sentence! that’s where tommy “catches on” and shuts down. pushing boundaries, but nothing too extreme just yet.

manipulation and emotional abuse is all about making the victim feel like they have no one else to turn to. not only feel like it, but sometimes literally making it so they have no one else to turn to. this scene i was drawing a LOT on research about different techniques abusers use, and i think it'll get a lot more clear to US what dream is doing

[redhawtriot]

Baby Boom (Bakugou x Reader)

Tip Jar ☕- Not expected but always appreciated💞

I am posting at not my normal time at ALL, but I really wanted to get this chapter out so I can work on my favorite chapter so far lol (month five is boutta be LIT) if the tags aren’t working i’ll fix them tomorrow they are acting weird rn. 

Thx, for the patience. Love y'all

extra chapter warning: sexual harassment, nsfw..ish

HnM 💕

Month 1, Month 2, Month 4

--MONTH 3--

It was a Friday night about two months ago when Katsuki Bakugou had found himself on the second floor of Club 52—or “the booty room”—as it’s so brusquely known.

But he sure as hell didn’t fucking belong here-- Surrounded by drunken idiots when he had to stay alert and keep his mind sharp-- groped on by inebriated/drugged up women who he would simply growl at in return-- drenched in the germy sweat of the fucking extras around him when he could be at home in his clean bed thinking about how to improve himself tomorrow.

Honestly. How in the flying fuck did he let those three walking hairstyles talk him into coming to this shit show?

The driving beat of the music dancing within his chest was his only saving grace, its constant booming throwing him into a state of familiar comfort as he watched the colorful lights burst around him. He had to admit… they were nice…

No!

Fuck that! He still didn’t belong here, dammit! His roommates, Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest, had all three nagged, and nagged, and nagged him to come here the entire week.

At their begging, Bakugou quite frankly wished that he had lost even more of his hearing than he already had from his quirk. Maybe he could find one of his old drumsticks and jam it into his head—or up those idiots’ asses, “Ahh! I’LL GO! JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!” It was the only way to keep him from losing his job as a hero and committing a triple homicide. 

So yeah, that’s how he ended up in the booty room—and he wasn’t gonna gratify those damn idiots for even a second by enjoying just an ounce of the hellscape.  

“You’re not drinking, huh?”

A sudden inquiry snapped the man out of his thoughts, and he found himself whipping his head around to face the feminine voice that had cut through the loud room. As soon as his eyes encountered yours, Bakugou felt his jaw drop slightly at the sight.

But then he quickly noticed the way that your eyes flickered down to his mouth, and the mocking way that your lips began curving up into a smirk at his display. He wanted to kiss knock that smug look clean off your pretty face. He immediately clenched his jaw back shut and hardened his traitor of an expression so that no more slip-ups could be had.

The two of you sized each other up for a moment before you slickly glanced over your shoulder with a nod, “So I am guessing those belong to you, then?” you motioned toward Mayonnaise, Ketchup and Mustard—all three of Bakugou’s roommate idiots making a theatrical, display in the middle of the dance floor.

Kirishima—who had long taken his shirt off by this point-- noticed Bakugou’s disapproving gaze and attempted a wave back, only to lean into a drunken stumble.

Bakugou clicked his tongue, snapping his regard from the (flat out embarrassing) show “I’m not anyone’s damn babysitter. They’re grown men. They can fucking handle themselves!”

“Good… I’d like to have you to myself for a while,” you turned to the bar-tending counter and beckoned for two drinks.

Bakugou eyed how the man behind the counter ingested you. He was a lion looking for his prey’s weakness and you didn’t even seem to notice—or care. He glared at the man, subconsciously taking a step toward you to speak as the bartender handed you your drink, “For what?” Bakugou asked you flatly. He didn’t even know why the hell he was entertaining this.

You simply shrugged, throwing your eyes up as innocently as you could with the contrarily wicked smirk that befell your face, “To… talk.”

“Yeah right. You’ve got some freak look in your eye. You want something else.”

“Well, hell yeah! Have you seen yourself?” you laughed and Bakugou couldn’t tell whether the stutter in his chest was from your utter bluntness, or from the melody of your happiness, “Anyway, I wont waste your time—or mine. Come find me if you want to…” you trailed off as you handed him the second drink in your hands. You had to bite your lip from smiling too hard, “…Talk. Ba-Bye~.”

As soon as you were the short ear distance away and faded into the dense crowd, the bartender gave a low whistle, “She was fucking fit as hell. God, the things I would do to her!” Bakugou felt his face twitch suddenly as the man continued his rant, “She’d never be able to walk that pretty little walk ever again. Yo, let’s hope she’ll still be here by the time I get off!” he chuckled but Bakugou didn’t see any thing fucking funny about what the bastard said. He might live in what is effectively a hero’s version of a frat house, but still, he never understood “locker room talk.”

Bakugou angrily downed the entire drink in his tight grip in one long pull before slamming it back onto the counter forcefully. His red eyes burned holes through the bartender’s fearful ones—the cup breaking apart under his palm, “She won’t be. Keep your dirty eyes off her, you bastard,” Bakugou didn’t even allow the man an opportunity to rebuttal as he stormed away, his fiery glare set intently on one thing only—or one person only…

That night Bakugou watched intently as the ceiling above him teetered and danced for a moment—sinking into the deep feeling of numbness that his intoxicated mind had succumbed to after about his fourth drink. He wasn’t exactly used to this feeling—this caving in on himself and sense of absolute relaxation as he melted into his bed.

Sinking.

              ...Sinking.

Wait, was his bed really sinking? His eyebrows furrowed into a state of confusion before he heard a sigh coming from next to him. Things finally clicked into place in his slowed mind.

Oh yeah. That’s right…

He would never get used to having someone else in his bed, probably.

Bakugou turned to where you were imprinting yourself down onto his mattress. You laughed at his stern expression, extending your arm to caress the side of his face, “God, your face is s’ intense like that. It gives me chills,” your thumb danced across the permanent furrow of his eyebrow. There had to be a magnet underneath his skin somewhere right about there that kept the brows in a constant state of attraction.

He snapped his face away from you as the magnet’s strength intensified and twisted his expression even deeper into anger, “Heh?” Goddamn, you were a fucking difficult girl to read for as blunt as you were.

You march up to him in the club like you own the damn place and send him heart eyes and flirtatious body signals, just to stone cold walk away like he never even existed? You proclaim that you want to fuck him, yet made him dance with you for almost an hour before you lead him out?? You let him fuck you in thirty different directions, just to call him out for looking “intense?!!” His friends (if you could fucking call them that) always said that he had an ugly mug, the jealous bastards, but why would a girl he slept with--

“You’re jus’ beautiful is all,” you faintly slurred, instantly hushing any of his thoughts and softening his expression, “People tell me all the time ‘You’re a pretty girl! You should smile more, but why th’ hell should I go around smilin’ for people who don’ deserve it? If they don’ like my resting state, then—”

“Then they can fuck themselves.”

“Yeah,” you looked up at him with a lazy smile. To a sober mind there was no doubt that your expression was an obviously drunken happiness, but to Bakugou’s in that moment—he couldn’t help but think that maybe there was something deeper behind that smile. You giggled, “They can fuck themselves,” you agreed more heartedly-- leaning into Bakugou and rolling him onto his back before snaking your way on top of him. You planted a trail of wet kisses up his neck and finished by making a small bite on his jaw “And maybe you can fuck me,”

Your warm breath on his sensitive neckline made him shiver underneath his skin, but he prayed that you couldn’t feel it. He scoffed to cover the pathetic display, “Again?”

You laughed before planting even more smiling kisses all over him—pressing your body even further into his with each one, “and again. and again. and again…”

“Pervert.” Bakugou tried to grab you by your hips to keep you from grinding into him even further—or at least that was what he intended to do; however, instead he ended up using them to guide your rhythm in rubbing against him.

You laughed again as you sat up on top of him and pressed your hands to his chest—your hips far from slowing down or stopping, “Maybe so, but can y’ really blame me? I have this guy in bed with me who isn’t even tryin’ to make me smile, but I have been fucking cheesin’ it up all night with ‘em.”

Bakugou didn’t even try to fight the growing smile on his face. It really was damn corny and pathetic--whatever this was between the two of you. But it felt so… so fucking right to him.

Still, he was going to tease you-- otherwise he wouldn't be him, “Well, I have this girl in bed with me who won’t stop smiling and it’s really fucking starting to creep me the hell out,” he suddenly flipped you onto the bed and mounted himself on top of you before placing his own assault of kisses on your body. His face only reemerging to take in your stupid, corny, beautiful smile for a long second. 

You were absolutely stunning in every respect of the word.

Yet--

Two months later, the same face that now stood in front of him on the platform of the train station was far from smiling—honestly neither was he. He was pissed the hell off. You didn’t even recognize him until just now?? Was he really so fucking immemorable?

You backed away from the man who had just saved you from falling to the tracks. You took him in one final time as the two of you sized each other up, “I don’t even know what to start…”

Bakugou’s face contorted in such anger that it could have been mistaken for disgust, “How about you start by giving me some fucking answers!” he screamed, causing your heart to drop and your stomach to lurch. The two organs effectively were trying to switch places.

Oh fuck. He knew?

“T-to what…?” You trailed off, but you had a feeling what he was going to say next. He was gonna chew you out about the damn parasite growing in your uterus, but you had no idea how he could have known about that! He shouldn't know that!

Deku didn’t tell... He didn’t! ...Did he?? Your heart raced and assaulted your rib-cage with an armada of thrums.

“Why did you sneak out that morning, huh!?” as soon as the words flew out of his mouth, you paused—your mind not quite able to comprehend his grievance, “I was just some sex toy for you? That it??” When he finished yelling and glared at you with expectancy burning within his red irises, you found yourself tilting your head a bit in astonishment and confusion.

Your heart had dropped, but you couldn't tell if it was from relief or repugnance. 

That? That was the question he needed answers to?

In the grand scheme of the fuckery on hand, his damaged ego was literally not your problem. You crossed your arms as you stretched your neck toward him, “Because it was supposed to be a club hump and dump! So yeah! We were just sex toys! That was kinda the whole fucking point!” Note the fucking emphasis on ‘supposed to be’! Ugh!

A tinge of underlying hurt quickly flashed across the blond’s stern face. You gave a short, sharp sigh in exasperation as you laid your forehead in one of your palms, “Look, I am not exactly here to cater to your wounded pride. Sorry that you caught feelings for me, but I wasn’t exactly obligated to fix you breakfast that day,” the tired, emotional remarks flew out much faster than you could filter them, but you still felt a twinge of remorse as soon as they hit the air.

The man in front of your face look completely stunned as if you just slapped him across the cheek with your words. It actually seemed pretty unnatural on his expression—like a rare, endangered species-- something not many have seen. Soon enough, however, as the dust of your words fell his expression settled back into a more natural state of fury, “You’re fucking right,” he grunted before turning to exit up the stairs of the subway, “I’m not obligated to listen to this horseshit either.”

Oh fuck. What have you done?

You knew that you had laid it on pretty thick, but the emotions you felt were just so damn overwhelming, “Kacchan… I…!” Why couldn’t you have said something different? Nicer maybe?

Whether you liked it or not, your lives were now tied together and this was not a good first impression—or uh-- second impression technically-- whatever! “I promise you’re gonna want to hear the end of this.” you called to his retreating form.

Bakugou’s face shriveled even further, stretching its extent of maximum disgust. Hearing that name come out of your mouth left his stomach feeling ill, “I promise you, I don’t give a fuck”

You slapped your arms at your side as you finally halted in your attempt to get him to stop walking away. Fuck it. You were about to completely call his bluff because you definitely weren’t about to chase him. You were much too tired and emotional for this shit! You just wanted to get home and sleep these random-ass, foreign emotions away, “I’m pregnant.” you simply exclaimed.

Bakugou froze.

In that moment, it was as if the entire world around him had iced over as he replayed your words in his head over and over again. He couldn't have heard you right, “What?” 

The man felt every fiber of his being stiffen. So much so that he couldn’t even bring himself to turn around and face you. In your silence was his answer loud and clear, “How… how the fuck do I know it’s mine?” he murmured, still unable to turn towards you—he didn’t want you to see the raw emotion that his face probably held in that moment.  

You barely even heard him, but the weight of his words was heavy enough to slam down on your ears and cause a burning reaction from you “What?!”

Your shriek finally prompted him to whip himself around, and you almost wish that he didn’t. The mangled mess of feelings transcribed on his face left his cheeks flushed a furious shade of red as he shouted at you,  “You like one-night stands so much—how do you know it’s mine?” With a horrified expression, you glanced around you for a moment to the other people in the subway, who immediately adverted their gazes.

“Hell, You’ve been hanging around that bastard, Deku. How do I know it’s not his?” You looked back to Bakugou with a choked ‘Wow!’ that could be interpreted as “Are you fucking kidding me right fucking now??” These strangers were getting one hell of a show, too.

You stormed up to him to keep him from shouting your all of your dirty laundry into the air, “Deku and I aren’t—” You stopped yourself. Would any fucking thing you said to this man make a difference? He didn’t know you from fucking Adam-- or from fucking Adam. You groaned in annoyance, “Look! I know that it’s yours because you're the only idiot I have slept with in months! An idiot who doesn’t know how to use a goddamn condom apparently!” you half whispered to him as your spectators began eyeing you again. You flipped them off as Bakugou continued,

“I’m the idiot?! Well if you could ACTUALLY FUCKING REMEMBER that night then you would know that we did use condoms the first three times! They ran out and you told me to keep going,” He screamed—by this point you’d given up hope of containing your melodrama as he continued loudly, “What idiot says that unless they are on birth control or something?!”

You throw your face in your hands with a shriek of a sigh before looking back up to his furious face “Here’s the deal,” you decided to completely ignore his comment, becoming tired of this theatrical display of emotions spewing from him,  “I can’t spontaneously conjure up some proof that this-- this thing is yours but I assure you it fucking is. But hey!! If you don’t want to stick around, I am not the type of person to make you. I can deal with this myself,” his face fell a bit as you swiftly turned yourself around to make your exit, but you didn’t make it far before you felt a heavy hand grab you by the wrist.

“Let’s say it is mine...,” Bakugou offered flatly, “You don’t think I can handle it” his daring tone left your mind whirling. This wast a fucking wrestling match or even one of his villain attacks! He continued, “You’re dumber than you look if you think I’m gonna let my kid grow up without me. Give me your fucking number,” He easily snatched your phone from your front pocket with a slight protest coming from you, but ultimately, you really were tired as hell and just wanted this day to be over with al-fucking-ready. You sighed as he put his number in your phone—your mind briefly wandering why you didn’t put a password on the damn thing.

In a short instant, he shoved your device back to you and promptly turned on a heel. Only acknowledging you once more to tell you to “Stay off of the fucking train tracks,” before he stiffly marched away. Good riddance. 

You couldn’t even blame the spectators anymore. This was a mess. This was a downright, melodramatic, teen drama on CW disaster. This was… this was your life now.

Fuck…

“Oooh... no smiles today, huh?”

About a week later you found yourself walking up the stairs to a modern mansion with stupid windows for walls. A true sign of pretentiousness and obvious lack of shame. This house was a display for all to see... kinda like your argument with that Bakugou last week. 

You shook this thought out of your mind and put your ‘work cap’ back on. You were on your way to get some test shots in for the week with your new hair cut that the agency had forced on you recently.

Instead of throwing her a “What’s there to smile for?” like you wanted to, you threw her a “This better?” and forced a small smile at the girl, Dina, who had traveled along with you to get her test shots done today as well. Usually for these kinds of things, you would be alone as you traveled to the photographer’s house, but it was always nice to have someone come with you so you weren’t complaining—well-- not about her company at least.

There truly was nothing to smile for recently. You were pregnant with a raging, quirkcist asshole’s child, said asshole won’t answer any of your damn texts or calls that aren’t directly related to the prenatal appointment that you two have later today, Deku hasn’t been able to hang out with you as much because of his work, and as trivial as this may seem, you looked in the mirror today to saw a completely different person.

You were quite used to your agency drastically changing your hair, but that, along side the obvious rounding of your face and the speckles of hormone induced facial topography growing on your skin, led you to a slight identity crisis. The girl in the reflection was a sloppy second to who you used to be and you hated it-- you hated sharing this body.

“Trouble in paradise with Deku, Y/N?” her tone had a hint of worry in it as she rung on the doorbell to the modern house. You could only give her a slight shrug as the bell sung out,

“I’m fine. Really.” you lied. 

“Hello, hello!” The photographer’s voice loudly blared out before the door could even fully open to reveal him. He gave you a shocked glance, “What a pretty lady—pretty ladies!” he corrected as he stepped aside and invited you in with the swing of his arm. You rolled your eyes as he turned his back to walk through the house. He looked like the textbook definition of a douchebag. 

Fuck not judging a book by it’s cover. If it walks like a duck. Talks like a duck. Then it’s probably a misogynistic asshole who only got into photography to get away with his sick urge to take photos of unfamiliar women.

“Okay ladies, I just want to preface by saying that you can feel comfortable around me, alright? I think of all my models as a family,” Dina stiffened into a board as he came over and rested his hand on her hip. She forced her lips into a fine line that could resemble a smile as he firmly patted her, “This shouldn’t take too long-- only about five to six hours, ‘kay?”

Your face scrunched up, but you just wanted to get this day over with so you could go to that stupid appointment and wouldn’t have to deal with “Cockugou” for another few weeks. Throughout the next few hours, the photographer actually wasn’t too bad. He was for sure creepy, but you noticed that he wasn’t so bold with you as he had been with Dina earlier. Of course there were little off hand comments like, “You are doing sexy.” instead of “you are doing great.” And he would refer to both you and Dina as “baby” is a husky, drawn out tone—like he was moaning, but besides that he was actually being pretty calm.

Until he wasn’t.

“Okay! Now take your tops and bra off,” both you and Dina paused as the camera flashed once more. As the two of you threw each other a wary glance the photographer spoke up again, “Trust me, I have a vision. You’re gonna love it!”

“I- I just don’t feel comfortable with that,” Dinah spoke up feebly. She looked to you for support, so you nodded before she returned her gaze to him, “Do you think… maybe we could do something else?”

The photographer sighed and threw his nose into pinched fingers as if you all had offended him, “Look honey, you’re not that photogenic. I am having to bust my ass off not to capture that cellulite on the back of your thighs, so when I tell you to do something, it’s for a reason.”

You glanced over to Dina with a horrified expression. You noticed that her hands were clenched at her sides and shook ever so slightly after she subconsciously rubbed the back of her thighs-- you also noticed a prominent thigh gap in between the two tiny appendages. You shot your stern glare back over to the photographer.

He sighed again—this time even harder than before, “Take five!” he frustratedly pulled out a box of cigarettes and stormed over to his patio outside—the glass door slamming shut behind him.

You walked over to Dinah and hesitantly found your hands drifting toward her. You were never really good at cheering people up. Hell, you had to rely on alcohol to cheer you up for the vast majority of you adult (and a little bit of your pre-adult) life. Still, you took her shaking hands in your own. “Hey. Don’t listen to that asshole. If you’re not comfortable...”

“I have done nude shots before, but this just feels… wrong. Doesn’t it?” she refused to look you in the eyes as hers glazed over in a thick sheet of shame. She was right. Nude shots were nothing new at all. In fact, some of your best shots had been done in the nude—they had the potential to be true art, but this? This was wrong.

She shook her head,“But I just… I don’t want to be unprofessional.”

“We can walk out right now. I’ll call Ainu and tell her what’s up I am sure she’ll understand,” as soon as you began walking to gather up some of your belongings, her voice spoke up once more—this time much colder than before,

“Maybe for you. Y/N, you could get away with murder at our agency-- you know that, right? You’re the one who bought Ainu her ticket to the top-- her golden child,” she sneered. You threw your eyes toward her own—not quite comprehending if this was the same person still talking to you.

It was, but this Dina had tears growing in her eyes, “Not everyone can half-ass everything and not care…” her voice shook. The two of you just stared at each other as wild emotions filled your expressions and overflowed into the room to drown you.

The patio door clicking open snapped you out of your trance and Dina furiously began wiping her eyes clean as the photographer reemerged, “Alright pretty ladies! Who’s ready to get back into things?”

You sighed.

With a quick roll of your eyes you angrily threw your top off—not even giving the girl with you a second glance as she did the same and the two of you settled yourself into position. The atmosphere was certainly much heavier than it had been before, but the photographer obviously couldn’t read the room,

“Y/N might I say, that your tits looks wonderful! Have you gotten a job recently? I mean- they look huge!”

Okay. 

That. Was. It. You couldn’t fucking hold it back anymore, “Talk about my tits again and I’ll stab you in the neck with your own goddamn tripod,” you kept posing as if you totally hadn’t just threatened someone’s life, but the photographer fell away from his camera, shock painted on his expression. Slacking on the job. Huh, who’s the unprofessional one now?

“…S-sweetheart I—”

“Don’t you fucking ‘sweetheart’ me!” you screamed, storming up to point a finger in his face. This surge of random emotion overwhelmed you. You had never felt this before—like you were gonna explode if you didn’t unleash it. And unleash it, you did, “The fuck is your problem?! You get some kick outta being a perverted asshole, asshole?!”

Dinah tried to come pull you back by the shoulders, “Y/N, maybe you should just calm dow—”

“No! Fuck this bastard!!” you smack her hands away as the photographer gets up and crossed his arms,

“This is so unprofessional. You women always jump to conclusions. Why cant you ever just take the compliment?”

“WHY CAN’T YOU JUST TAKE MY FOOT UP YOUR--”

And that’s how you ended up getting sent home two hours early. You had attempted to call Deku to rant about the harsh encounter, but he was at work. You supposed that saving lives a a little bit more important than “The Dramatic Tale of a Quirkless Model” or whatever fucking CW show your life had become. Your mind briefly fleeted to calling Bakugou, but he certainly wouldn’t answer anyway. No. Fuck that.

So you decided to text Deku and cry into your pillow instead,

You:

[2:49pm]

I mean he was just such a fucking dick!

I should have actually stuck my foot up his ass but he for sure would have liked it🙄

Seriously. I don’t mind nude photos

But there is a difference between art/photography and porn

Deku:

Right!!

Well I’m glad you stood up for yourself!

You:

No! Don’t tell me tht!😫

Deku:

I am upset tha you stood up for yourself…?

You:

UGHHH

I just wish tht I had just walked out

But the other girl wouldn’t leave and I couldn’t leaver her their

There*

God

Ainu is gonna 💀me for this

Deku:

How can I help you?

I’ll find what I can on the photographer?

You:

Talk Kacchan into not going to our clinical visit.👉👈

You knew that Deku really wanted to go, and honestly you would really prefer if he did. Regardless, Deku stood up for his childhood bully like the saint he was,

Deku:

Y/N! He’s the father. he deserves to go, don’t you think?

Also!

Don’t forget Baby Notes vol 1! I wrote some questions for you to ask!

You stifled a small laugh as you eyed that stupid goddamn notebook he left on your nightstand one of the few days he stopped by your home.

You:

Grr

I can’t handle Cockugou’s moodiness right now

And I-- Oop!

Speak of the devil. He’s here.

Talk later k?💕kith!

You snatched the notebook from your nightstand and marched to your front entrance. The knocking at your door was downright disrespectful—constantly switching between pounding knocks on your door and vigorous successions of the doorbell ringing.

“Fucking. Calm. Down!” you screamed out the door before answering, revealing Bakugou’s stern gaze,

“What the hell took you so long?” he huffed, causing your face to scrunch up into an expression that mirrored his own. 

“I had to walk to the damn door, you know! I’m quirkless? No teleportation quirk here!” He only clicked his tongue at your response. You noticed the way his eyes drifted down to the notebook in your hands before they narrowed into even tighter slits.

“Let’s just fucking go, already,” he took your wrist and led you out of the house before shutting your door. You could really just knock him the hell out. Okay, maybe you couldn't, but your weak ass might just be able to get one good hit in! He deserved it, not replying to any of your attempts to reach out to him past talking about the appointment,

“Why didn’t you answer my texts all week?”

“I was busy.” he simply said, not even bothering to look you in the eye. This was the last time he spoke up for a long while. In fact, you didn't even hear his voice again until later when the two of you sat in the small, shoebox of a room in the clinic with the prenatal physician,

“This is your first appointment, right?” the doctor, was extremely old looking and your mind phased into a grim question of ‘how the hell can someone so close to death know jack about birth?’

You tried your best to push these dark thoughts out of your head as you gave him a slight answer, “Yeah…” you laid back on the crinkly paper covered recliner and lift your shirt a bit for the examination. You looked down at the small, hardly noticeable bump in your lower abdomen and internally cringed. 

“This is the father?” you knew that it didn't really matter, and that he was probably just trying to make you comfortable and spark up some small talk, but you rally didn't wanna hear it out loud. 

You couldn't bring yourself to answer, but Bakugou loudly spoke up, filling the absence of your voice, “Why the hell else would I be here, old man?” he scoffed and twisted his face away from everyone. 

You raised an eyebrow at his rudeness, but from the vast stories that Deku had told you about him, you shouldn't have been surprised. But still, it was like seeing a mythical creature in real life-- a grumpy troll under a bridge, if you will. 

The doctor gave a loud laugh at Bakugou’s remark, causing both you and him to snap your surprised gazed to the elderly man, “You’d be surprised at the shit I have seen, son. Someone brought their neighbor for the entire 39 weeks once-- the husband came in only once or twice, I think.”

You couldn't help but to laugh at this. Your doctor’s voice had a much more youthful demeanor than he had originally led on, “Oh, they were definitely fucking behind the husbands back,” you smirked.

“So Mama Bakugou,” 

And just like that your smile was completely wiped off of your face, “This is your first child right?” the doctor asked. You felt Bakugou throw you a fleeting expectant look. You assumed that it was probably because he hadn't even thought to ask you this question. The two of you really didn't know each other. Matter of a fact, this doctor, with your list of medical history in his hand, probably knew a lot more than the father of this ‘it’ inside of you. 

“L/N actually,” you corrected, “and yes, it is.” with that, Bakugou’s glare drifted back off into unconcerned and uncaring territory as he found a sudden interest in the glass container of gloves on the counter. 

“Well you look about 10 weeks along. They’ll be about the size of a strawberry right now-- almost done with your first trimester.” he trailed off as he began coating your stomach with some sticky jelly substance. 

“What??” you could have sworn that you had only met Bakugou about two months ago right? So does that mean...

“The date of conception would have actually been a little closer to about 7 or 8 weeks ago. We just count by the first day of your last period. No need to get worried about the neighbor, I don’t think, Papa Bakugou,” he winked to the blond, who only gave a scoff in return. You let out a slight sigh of relief. 

The recipe for the rest of this appointment as the doctor searched your organs for your uterus in the ultrasound included him making small talk and Bakugou ignoring it with you giving slight answers here and there,

However, finally, something really caught both of your’s attention, “I think that you guys should take time today to find your primary care physician,”

“Why not you, idiot?” Bakugou spoke up and it shocked you. You were surprised he cared about this out of everything. 

“I am thinking that I should send you to someone with a specialty in a multiple pregnancy birth.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you and Bakugou shared a brief, terrified glance at one another, “What...?” Bakugou spat.

“You see these two circles? It looks like you’ve got two buns in the oven! Congrats on the twins!,” 

T...wins...?

The world bean fading into a blur for you as he continued, “Now You are a little past getting the neural tube check, but we can get you started in on some genetic testing and counseling’s. Every thing is looking alright, but we just want to…”

The world around you moved in a blurry, choppy chain of images as your mind tried its best to comprehend the knowledge it had been given. So... not only were you carrying one parasite... but two?

You couldn't bring yourself to listen the rest of the appointment, and you had a feeling that Bakugou wasn't picking up on much else after the shocking news either. 

If you thought that commute to the hospital was quiet, the walk back to your apartment was even more so.

Taglist:  @steggy4ever​ @library-trash​ @watevermelon​ @glimmadora-ble​ @persephones24​ @dragonempress123​ @your-pri-ncess @broken-from-fandoms​ @hot-pocket01​ @tsukineho @bakugousbabydoll​ @bubbzibubbles @ikebukuro-ghoul​ @thehoneycookiecrumbs​ @katsukis-sad-angel​ @dulcetailurophile​ @yukiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii @kanasakura @lonekitsune @pastel-prynce​ @mynameispurple​ @cutest-celestial-princess​ @minfani​ @aurorahoneybuns​ @galacticrosee @orokayagi​ @centerhabit​ @animefan7420 @katsukisposts   @bakugou-is-my-daddy​

[twoblueheartslocked]

Seblaine Para- Present Day (NYE1)

Para: Hold On To The Memories, They Will Hold On To You

Rating: PG-13 

Pairing: Seblaine. 

Sebastian: @colorsicantsee

Blaine: @twoblueheartslocked

Time: New Year’s Eve- Present Day. (1)

Location: Manhattan, New York

Info: A former Dalton Academy Warbler throws a New Year’s party for any former Warblers that can make it to NYC. Sebastian and Blaine haven’t seen each other in almost four years. They haven’t spoken for over two years. Both of them are changed and damaged in different ways. Feelings pushed down by time that never went away flare up in the worst way. 

Warnings: Mentions of abuse, mentions of drug use, death, smoking, drinking, cursing. 

Extra Warnings: (This RP is not Kurt Hummel friendly. You’ve all been warned.)

Notes: Under a cut because of length.

Blaine’s POV:

Breathe in and back out again, Blaine. Count to ten. You’ve got this. Most of these people here have your best interest in mind. You don’t need to worry. Everything is going to be alright. You can get through this night in one piece and you’ll be back home, in Brooklyn,  in your cramped, shitty apartment, in your cramped, shitty bed, in your closet of a bedroom before you know it.

Blaine’s inner monologue, something his therapist thought him to do, did very little to quell the nerves and rampant anxiety that seemed to be chewing through the pit of his stomach as he made his way into the crowded New Years party. Former Warblers- from ages 18 to who knows, graced the walls of the rooftop Manhattan apartment that some Warbler, whose name kept escaping him, owned. For the third time since he tousled his loose curls with product that night he wondered what the hell he was doing here. He’d only been at Dalton for two years before he made the stupid, yet admittedly valuable, jump to McKinley High. He felt like a fraud among the alumni that had spent all four years within it’s halls. Still, he’d told Sam that he would try and with a promise from David and Nick to not abandon him, he managed to follow through.

 He just hoped and prayed to a god he wasn’t sure existed that Kurt didn’t decide he wasn’t too good to call himself a Warbler and show up. His stomach gave a painful lurch at the recurring worry and the back of his neck throbbed, a phantom of clenched fingers squeezing too tight to make a point. And it was so intense that Blaine could swear Kurt was there, right behind him. He ducked his head, shame washing through him as his eyes darted around the room, wide and on full alert. Why hadn’t he worn a scarf? He’d been promised by David, who was promised by the host, that Kurt had turned down the invite, but he couldn’t shake the fingers and the ringing sound of disappointment in his ears that always sounded a lot like his ex-boyfriend’s voice.

He wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of attention he’d get as he was spotted by the first of his class of Warblers. Trent, and Wes were clapping him on the back, and pulling him into hugs. Jeff throwing an arm over his shoulders and shouting over the thump of bass- something about him being the man, the myth, the legend himself. Causing Blaine to tense up at the sudden contact, his cheeks flaring up red and hot at the words. He forced himself to smile, and give a gentle laugh to shake off the attention. Most of these people hadn’t seen him since high school. They didn’t really even know him anymore at all. Few did. These guys- they still thought of him as Blaine Warbler, the face of Dalton- with his easy smiles for everyone, and charisma and charm. If his old friends noticed his unusual quiet they didn’t address it. Blaine was glad for it. He didn’t think he could handle a look of pity for his losses or any of his plights.

He let himself be handed a clear plastic cup, someone must have remembered that he liked whisky, probably David, and he took a cautious sip. He didn’t need to get drunk and uninhibited around people he hardly knew anymore. Someone offered to take his short black pea coat from him and he politely declined, pulling the fabric around him like a shield. He felt a little like his teenage self, putting too much gel in his hair as if it would protect him and all at once he cursed himself for not giving up his coat. He made himself take another drink, hoping he could loosen up just a bit.

Twenty minutes in and he had managed to truly laugh at a few memories his old friends brought up. He even managed to talk about a few without second guessing himself. A little of his old confidence rising to the surface. He hadn’t even noticed that David had left his side until his friend gently tugged on his sleeve, his handsome, dark features looking stressed. Blaine’s body instantly froze, his eyes wide as he mouthed Kurt? to his second closest friend. But, David shook his head and sighed regretfully before he pointed to the balcony and time seemed to stop for Blaine because he wasn’t supposed to be here either.

There, on the balcony, framed by a snowy New York City skyline in a halo of cigarette smoke, looking bored even though Blaine couldn’t see his face, as he was facing the city, stood Sebastian Smythe. Clothed in a thigh length black pea coat, the grey hood of a hoodie peeking out over the collar, his long legs holding up a thin frame, too thin, actually. Did the man ever eat? As if Blaine were one to talk… And suddenly, just like that, seeing his absolute asshole of an ex didn’t seem as bad as this. Nor would it feel as bad. And for a second Blaine couldn’t breathe properly. And his heart throbbed at the sight of him and all at once he truly wished it was Kurt instead. He’d take feeling small and useless over the pain of regret and heartbreak any day.

 Suddenly he was newly seventeen again and both of his parents were still alive and he was happy as his fingers laced with a uncharacteristically shy Sebastian’s. And Seb’s trademark smirk was gone and replaced with an imperfectly perfect toothy, wide smile that made his impossible green eyes crinkle in delight. And that smile was new to Seb and seemed made up just for Blaine for a little while and Blaine was giddy and free in a way he couldn’t remember ever feeling before. They fit together in a way that Blaine had never felt and would never feel again and Blaine’s heart had ached to just stay with him… and-

A slight shake from David brought him back to present time and Blaine dragged his eyes from the balcony to look into David’s deep brown gaze. David assured him that Sebastian hadn’t seen him yet and that they could just leave, but how could Blaine do that? It had been so long… He licked his lips and took a long pull on his drink, draining the rest in one go. He handed the cup to his friend and assured him that he’d be fine. He’d regret it if he didn’t say hello. Right? He stood up, feeling the heat of whisky course through him as he made his way through the crowd and to the open balcony door. He pulled his gloves on before pushing outside, liquid courage making him feel brave for a moment. He hadn’t noticed at first, but Hunter Clarington was out here too, looking like some sort of guard dog with raised hackles protecting his friend and Blaine almost turned back because what must Hunter think of him? Would he stop him before he even had the chance to speak? He braved it and gave Hunter a nod and a twitch of his lips that was meant to be a smile.

With each step towards Sebastian his heart pounded as if it were in danger. Boom, boom, boom... When his voice came out, he hardly recognized it as his own and when Sebastian turned to face him his booming heart ached all over again because god dammit  he was still so beautiful.

“Hey, Seb.” It was soft and unsure and he prayed to see his smile, but knew he’d get the same old, I don’t care about anything, smirk.

Sebastian’s POV:

Sebastian didn’t care about this stupid Warbler party. He couldn't care less about pretending and parading around talking about majors and future plans and cramped dorm rooms and sketchy roommates. He hardly checked his Facebook let alone keep up with fucking Trent or some other random wasp from BFE Ohio. Sebastian didn’t even really know if he considered himself a Warbler anymore. Of course, Hunter insisted that he was. It was Seb, after all, who helped him climb out of his Steroid problem and who was dance captain for his short time at the school. He didn’t really have any friends from Dalton, just Hunter and Seb couldn’t decide half of the time if that was out of “bro code” or “owing him one”.  He had run away to Paris after his heart was broken by every good Dalton boy’s favorite guy and he never went back. Sebastian’s heart wasn’t in Westerville, it wasn’t in Paris, either. Sebastian would know, he had spent countless nights chasing gold in the blue and brown eyes of Parisian men. His heart wasn’t even in his own body that he filled with expensive alcohol and nicotine, that he gave away to random boys under the flash of blue and pink lights, in graffitied bathroom stalls, in the back of expensive cars, in rooms where wives were gone for the weekend.

Hunter had begged, and Sebastian hated it when he begged. “C’mon,dude. Don’t make me go alone. Everyone will ask about you.” “Man up and go. Don’t be a dick.” “Bas, please go.” Sebastian kept insisting in texts and phone calls that he found the party to be a waste of time even though he and his friend both knew he was afraid of seeing a certain somebody there. “What’s the point? It’s a party for people who had their peak in high school. How pitiful.” Hunter ignored him and told him that Blaine probably wouldn’t show up. Suddenly it was the evening of the party and Sebastian was being shoved into an Uber by Hunter who was visiting from Cambridge for the weekend. He chainsmoked the entire way to the party much to the chagrin of their disgruntled driver. Sebastian kept his eyes locked on the rear view mirror to make distinct eye contact with the grumpy man driving, he’d take a long drag anytime their eyes met and the man would huff. Hunter left a big tip, Sebastian winked on the way out with a dry laugh. “That was probably the most fun I’m going to have tonight.”

 He walked into the party, the apartment was nice enough and lit with white Christmas lights strung everywhere. There was generic pop music throbbing through the walls and plenty to drink, nothing too crazy expensive but nothing cheap that would cause a terrible hangover the next morning. There were more than just former Warblers, there were some girls and some random guys. Maybe Sebastian could score tonight and leave early, lock Hunter out of his apartment that he did not remember inviting him to stay in.

Seb poured himself a shot of vodka and tossed it back before Jeff made eye contact with him and tried pulling him into a hug. He held his hands out and simply deadpanned a “No way.” before he turned to pour himself another shot as the blonde prattled on about whatever Ivy League he was attending. Sebastian nodded towards the balcony, Hunter followed and Jeff got the hint. Hunter started to reprimand Sebastian about how he could at least try to be nice but all he could focus on was the light snow that began to swirl in the air and the itch in the back of his throat for another cigarette. He waved his hand dismissively and lit another one, tilted his head back and exhaled into the dark sky.

Seb flicked his cigarette into the New York night. Maybe the ashes would settle among the stars. He tried to focus on that thought rather than listen to the familiar voice he had heard slip through the crack in the balcony door. He knew the minute he turned around, he was going to be Blaine’s fool all over again. Sebastian became aware of everything at once. He could feel Hunter shift his weight, he must have seen him through the windows. He could hear the conversation get louder over the excitement of Blaine being there, could feel the air trying to escape from his lungs, the butterflies fight against his rib-cage, his heart pound in his fucking ears. He swallowed a thick gulp that he hoped the other man didn’t see and took a shaky drag as he stared at the snow gathering on the buildings around them. Blaine loves this shit, he thought to himself. Sebastian hated the cold but he would stand in a blizzard if it meant listening to Blaine wax poetic about snow globes and winter magic. He’d never say any of that out loud, he’d rather throw himself off of the balcony into the busy streets of the city.

Sebastian bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes for a moment when he heard the door creak, the sounds of the party drift on the cold winter air. He needed to suck it up and turn around. He could do this. Sebastian spun around, his green eyes on Blaine’s giant golden ones immediately as if by some magnetic force. He took a slow, deliberate drag of his cigarette, prayed that nobody could hear the rapid thud of his give away heart in his chest. Sebastian noticed David’s tall figure behind him, felt Hunter’s nerves and heard  him mutter “fuck…” under his breath. He flicked his cigarette, “Relax, David. I won’t hurt him.” Sebastian smirked, couldn’t look away from Blaine. He looked...well obviously he looked wonderful, he always did. Snowflakes were starting to collect in his black curls and his cheeks were red from the bitter winter air.

Sebastian hoped his voice  sounded even and cool, hoped his chill ‘I don’t give a fuck’ demeanor that he worked way too hard on was evident, even though he felt like he was sixteen and stuck in the midst of a raging crush all over again.

“Hey Killer. Long time no see.” 

Blaine’s POV:

Blaine’s brain buzzed at the use of his old nickname. The one that had gotten him in trouble with Kurt, the first time they were together, every single time it was used by Sebastian. Blaine had always secretly liked it, liked that it was his and no one else called him that. He’d never tell Seb, even as they had gotten closer, he always rolled his eyes and shook his head as if it miffed him when in reality it sent the butterflies fluttering around his belly. It was almost as nice as when Seb would eventually whisper B... into his ear when he’d let Blaine kiss his neck… Best not go there, Anderson. That was years ago. So, he rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Not that same old tune again.” He tried to make it sound playful, but really it just made him ache more. He turned and looked over his shoulder at David, giving him a small smile. “It’s okay- I’m okay.” He wondered if David knew he was lying. He nodded as if that would forced the point. David sighed and stepped back into the party, but Blaine could still see the outline of his body close to the door. He was thankful.

There was a snowflake clinging to Seb’s cheek like a lifeline, no wait, it was ash from the careless flick of Seb’s cigarette and Blaine wanted nothing more than to take his glove off, reach out and swipe it away with his thumb. Once upon a time Blaine had been on to him about this bad habit, and how dangerous it was, but couldn’t deny it’s attractiveness… This was absolute insanity. Blaine had only had Sebastian for a short time, but that was all it took to completely ruin him. Perhaps he ruined himself in the process, it was his fault they cracked in the first place. Right? His heart gave a painful thump as he let himself think back to their months spent getting to know each other, the real person behind their facades. He remembered his first taste of Seb’s mouth against his and how he thought, in that moment, that he’d be happy just kissing him for the rest of his life, but then their one perfect, intimate night together proved him wrong. He’d just wanted to touch him forever.

And for a moment, lost in his thoughts, Blaine almost smiled at the memories. That was until he remembered what came after, the news that ripped his happiness apart and left him gutted, the loss that rendered Blaine useless to himself and everyone else. The loss was his downfall in more ways than one and the reason Blaine allowed himself to go back to Kurt and the reason he was skittish now, the reason he hadn’t kissed anyone in nine months, the reason he was stuck in this shell of himself in the first place. Phantom fingers squeezed the back of his neck again and he swallowed hard, hoping it wasn’t noticed. Breathe in, breathe out. Count to ten. You’ve got this, Blaine. He shoved his hands into his pockets, hoping they’d think he was shaking from the cold.

He cleared his throat, forcing himself out of his memories, memories that did nothing but hurt him like they no doubt hurt Sebastian, even though the other man seemed to be doing fine on the outside, Blaine remembered the stricken, pained look and the welling of tears in too bright green eyes. Blaine knew you couldn’t fake that. He took another deep breath, and made himself smile up at the taller man, it was small and meek, but it was a smile nonetheless. He couldn’t bring himself to look Sebastian in the eye, so he instead focused on the little fleck of ash on his cold flushed cheek and tried not to think about how Sebastian was more breathtaking than the snowy city skyline he adored so much.

“I’m surprised you came, it’s not really your scene, is it?’ He forced a laugh, noting how Hunter was flicking looks between the two of them and over his shoulder where David was still no doubt lurking. “I didn’t even know you were in New York.” A lie- and it just rolled off of his tongue as if to prove something. But of course Blaine knew Seb was here, had been for maybe two years. “Are you going to school here, or just visiting?” The small talk would be the death of him. He’d give anything to just be in his shitty, yet cozy apartment where he wasn’t on display and where he could at least try to pretend he wasn’t miserable with a Netflix and donuts distraction. Midnight felt years away.

Sebastian’s POV: 

“Well, you’ve always had an effect on me, B. You have me feeling a little nostalgic.”  Sebastian took another long drag and blew the smoke out of the side of his mouth, one arm folded across his chest to clutch at his arm, cigarette at his side. He heard Hunter scoff and could see the shake of his head as if to say ‘you never give anything a rest, do you?’ How could he give anything a rest when his biggest regret was standing in front of him with nervous tension in the crease of his forehead?

Sebastian finished his cigarette and dropped it to the ground, stomped the flame out with the tip of his boot. It would be a little gift for the random Warbler who owned the apartment. He shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded as Blaine spoke. Sebastian noticed that he wasn’t making eye contact, which was strange for him. Blaine was charismatic and talkative and charming, he could sell paper to a tree. The warm light that normally seemed to follow the other man everywhere he went seemed dimmed, his smile didn’t reach those perfect eyes. Sebastian knew hurt, he knew quiet pain and it was written all over Blaine.

Hunter mumbled that he was going to grab them some drinks and left the balcony to just the two of them. Seb could hear New Years party goers yelling in the streets, could what laughter and dull music and car horns. It would be midnight soon and he wished he was lost in a crowded bar right about now rather than faking small talk with somebody he used to adore. Sebastian hated small talk and he hated faking how he really felt and here he was, failing at both.

“Okay, small talk. Here we go. Yeah, it’s not my scene. Hunter begged me to come. I’ve lived here for a couple years. I go to Columbia. How about you, Blaine? Living your wildest dreams? Married yet? Starring on Broadway? Breaking hearts? What’s new?” He cleared his throat and forced a smirk. He knew he sounded abrasive. Sebastian shoved his hands in his coat pockets and rocked back on his heels, ducking his head to try and get the other man to look at him, to really look at him. “See something you like?” He couldn’t wait for Hunter to come back with a drink to distract his hands and quiet his mind for a brief moment.

Blaine’s POV: 

Blaine let out a mirthless laugh, it sounded small and timid in his ears and he cursed himself for sounding that way. He opened his mouth to reply, to say something that could match Sebastian, to keep up with him the way he used to be able to, but nothing came out. He just nodded, his shoulder coming up in a shrug as if he’d forgotten how to use his mouth. This was hell for him. This tension, this emotion that was threatening to take hold of him. Why the hell had he come out here? To say hi? What kind of bullshit was that? Did he think that it would prove something to himself? That he could do it without falling apart? There was a reason he hadn’t spoken to Sebastian in over two years. There was a reason Sebastian’s stance was defensive right now. There was a reason Blaine was internally falling apart all over again, after he’d done such a bang up job putting himself back together. He should have just left. It would have been better for him than this...whatever this was.

He watched as Hunter left the balcony, leaving him and Sebastian, miraculously,  all alone. Seriously, why wasn’t this spot running wild with party goers? Midnight wasn’t even twenty minutes away and the people of New York would usually kill for this spot. Up high in the grey black skyline of NYC, he could even hear the faint sounds of Taylor Swift singing in Times Square in the silence that lay between him and Sebastian. Perfect melancholy soundtrack for this kind of night he guessed. He opened his mouth to try again, to maybe fill the silence but Sebastian beat him to it seeming annoyed and irritated that Blaine had asked anything at all. The use of his name caused him to tense for a split second and wonder what he’d said to warrant that when he remembered this was Sebastian. Sebastian’s default was usually annoyance. Or seduction.

He tried to make himself relax, and found that his first thought was to wonder how insensitive Sebastian could be to joke about Broadway and marriage, but he had to remind himself that Sebastian had only been around for the first part of his battle. He only knew half of what had happened to him. He didn’t know that he’d lost the music inside of him or that he felt every single day like an impostor in his own life and that love apparently was not for him. He took another deep breath and tried not to notice how Sebastian’s head dipped down for him, ducking so that he could see him. Or so that he could make Blaine see. It was familiar and a call back to younger years and it made Blaine’s heart flip. Yeah, Seb, I do. I see you. But, he didn’t say that because that wasn’t fair. Instead he stumbled over his words.

“I- N-no, I’m a Sophomore at NYU. I, um, I took a year off after high school  because, um, well, you know.” He shrugged. Yeah, blame it on the dead parents. Sure, it was partially true, but Kurt and his “helpful” suggestion to take a break and stay with him for peace of mind was the real reason and it had done nothing but damage his mind. He took another deep breath and forced himself to finally look up at Seb. To look at his face properly, his eyes meeting an intense and familiar green that were hiding their emotions very carefully. Same as always. Blaine had spent months, once upon a time, gently tugging those walls down and with regret he remembered how they snapped harshly back into place within seconds, blocking him out completely.

His anxiety was on the rise again with those kinds of thoughts and he visibly swallowed and took another deep breath. His mantra repeating in his head over and over. Breathe in, breathe out. Count to ten. You’ve got this, Blaine. Maybe it didn’t really work, maybe he was kidding himself but it was currently keeping him from his urge to cry. To obsess over Sebastian’s flippant and annoyed words because maybe Blaine had broken Seb’s heart, but he’d also broken his own in the process. The fucking thing was still in pieces that never seemed to want to fit back the way they were supposed to. But his therapist had helped him see that while his actions when he was younger were warranted, given the circumstances, he maybe could have done it in a better way. Explained himself better to Sebastian. Then maybe the two of them would be someplace else right now and Blaine would have never gone back to Kurt. He also should have stayed in therapy in high school and not stopped going for years when Kurt told him he didn’t need it. His head might be someplace else right now as well.

He tried at sarcasm. “If you consider a cramped Brooklyn flat with a closet for a bedroom and working two and half jobs on top of classes The Dream then sure, yeah, I’m living it.”  The sarcasm fell flat and he only ended up sounding self deprecating which made him want to kick himself because he didn’t want Seb’s pity. He ignored the marriage question altogether and instead chose to focus on what was actually new in his life. What could he even say? Hey Seb, I’m super fucked up, I’ve been in heavy therapy that’s breaking my bank for six months now. I take a shit load of meds that make me want to sleep for days sometimes, or keep me awake for days at other times. And sometimes they make it so I can’t eat, not even my sweets, you remember how I liked those, right? Yeah, and sometimes they make it so I can’t cry and then some days I can’t stop crying. Oh yeah, after my parents died and I lost you I went back to Kurt and he ended up being a bully this time around, like the worst kind. Can you believe I allowed myself to get abused? He struggled even thinking that word. Fuck.

No. No, he couldn’t say any of that. But, he needed to say something. Something that was good and positive about himself.  Just fucking make something up, Blaine. “Ah, well, as I said, I’ve moved to Brooklyn. Like seven or so months ago. It’s cramped, and weird living alone after, um, never living alone before but it’s mine and I get a lot of time with my music now.” Never mind that he wasn’t writing or even playing at all. Only when it came to his school work and even then it was mostly uninspired.

“What about you? Is New York treating you as good as Paris does?” Suddenly he wanted to just tell Sebastian that he missed him. That he thought about him all the damn time and that over the course of the last four years he’d picked up his phone to call him and tell him and to beg him to come back to him over a dozen times. The one time he actually did it didn’t really count because he had been intoxicated and it was messy. Instead he lamely asked, “How’s your mom?” because he’d always liked Sabine and it was the furthest thing away from I miss you as possible.

He turned and looked back into the sliding glass of the apartment door, wanting to break the eye contact in some way, feeling trapped in the emerald hue. He didn’t want to feel trapped. It made him anxious. He could make out the shape of Hunter and David bent together conversationally  as they slowly made their way back towards them. Both of them carried drinks in each hand. God, he wished they’d hurry. He could feel himself crumbling. The facade of happiness he’d painted on for his old friends falling apart the longer he stood out here talking like nothing had happened. He always did this with Sebastian. Always gave way too much of himself away to him. He let him see everything. And maybe it was because with Seb, he was allowed to be too much. Or he used to be allowed anyway. Now he had nothing. Just memories that ate him up all the time. Making Blaine feel the other shitty things in his life even more intensely. 

He wrapped his arms around himself to try and hold himself together. Midnight was close. It would arrive and then leave and Seb would, too. Probably putting the thought of Blaine back into whatever locked compartment he kept him in. And Blaine would go home and feel the chance meeting way too much and all at once and fuck he needed more to drink. His head was already throbbing right along with his heart at the thought of having to sit alone and feel this little conversation.

Sebastian’s POV:

Sebastian could see a million little emotions flit across Blaine’s face. Sebastian had kept track for a little while on social media but, it had hurt him to see that he had gotten back with Kurt. He had taken a step back after that. He stopped checking his Facebook obsessively, stopped staring at his Instagram, didn’t send texts or snaps. Blaine had drunkenly called him one glorious, hopeful night but it was all taken away from him the next morning. Sebastian noticed that Blaine mentioned moving and living alone. He had heard that the two of them had split and kept that information folded up like a secret love note in the back of his head. Sebastian couldn’t keep his stomach from flipping in excitement to basically hear it confirmed out loud. He reprimanded the butterflies battering his ribs, had to silently remind them that simply hearing words didn’t really mean anything and they were all just going to be let down again. “Isn’t it strange?  We’ve both been running around the city for about the same amount of time and haven’t ran into each other? I suppose it’s because you’d never find me in Brooklyn.” Sebastian threw in a trademark eye roll for good measure, trying his best to keep his voice blase. His fingers itched to light a cigarette, his nerves were on fire from the specific spike of adrenaline that only a past heartbreak can cause.

He ran a hand through his hair to shake away the snowflakes that had gathered there and shivered, he wasn’t sure if it was from the nerves or from the weather. “New York treats me just fine. There are so many beautiful men, so many parties. I stay busy.”

Sebastian’s face fell slightly when the other man asked about his mother. Part of him felt angry, like how dare he? Maybe if he cared so much he could have reached out a few times. The other part of him understood because Blaine grew close with Sabine in the short time they were involved. Seb knew that if she were there, she’d pull the other man into a lavender scented hug and tell him in her accent that she had missed seeing him around.  “She’s good.” He shrugged his shoulders. Sebastian wasn’t about to get into any of the messy details of how their relationship had become fucked up since Blaine was in his kitchen baking Christmas cookies with her. He loved his mother, she was his closest confidant. But he had messed up so many times in the past few years that she had developed little worry lines in her beautiful forehead, sounded sad on the phone with him more often than not, cried for him and begged him to slow down.  

Sebastian heard the door slide open, saw Hunter and David appear with drinks behind Blaine. “Fucking finally.” He held out his hand for his drink. “Took you long enough. We could use the pick me up, couldn’t we, B?”

Blaine’s POV:

Blaine tried to smile, but it came out more as a wince.”Yeah, I guess you’re right.” In reality Blaine knew it was relatively easy to avoid someone when you knew they lived around you. Blaine would often find himself checking in on Hunter’s Instagram or Facebook or Twitter to see if he was in town. Hunter was much more active on socials and would often post some of the places he and Sebastian would frequent. Blaine knew places to avoid in Manhattan for the most part. Plus, it wasn’t like Blaine had spent his first years here going out and about by himself all the time. No, that was difficult when where you went and what you did was mostly dictated by someone else. When you mostly only did things that they wanted to do.

“Hey, Brooklyn isn’t so bad. I’ve been working at a local coffee shop and a bar there for the last few months and it’s been pretty therapeutic. And sure, the apartment is shitty, but it beats the overpriced ritzy places in Manhattan.” He rolled his eyes, trying to come across as playful. His apartment in Manhattan had actually been incredible. Just not the people he had to share it with. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to forgive Rachel for denying what was happening right in front of her. He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the thought before he was engulfed in more anxiety about it.  “Besides, I lived in Manhattan for the first three years I lived here, so there was always the chance we could have run into each other then. Guess fate wasn’t having it.”

Beautiful men and parties. Of course Blaine knew Sebastian did that sort of thing. He did that sort of thing when he was fifteen. But, he could feel that this was meant to sting him a little and if not, it stung anyway. He didn’t like thinking about Sebastian with random men every weekend, but he wasn’t stupid. Not about this anyway. And Sebastian had never been shy about his sex life. It didn't matter if he already knew though, he could feel his face fall at the confirmation, could feel the sudden stricken look and did his best to cover it up. He bit his lip and forced himself to nod. “It’s good that you’re keeping busy. I’m happy the city has been good to you.” the words tasted rotten on his tongue and where the hell were Hunter and David?

Blaine noted the way Sebastian’s face fell at the mention of Sabine and knew that he’d messed up by asking. Blaine had been incredibly fond of her, he found her glamorous and lovely and admired the way she loved Sebastian so much. But Seb’s short answer and stiff shrug made Blaine wonder if maybe she hated him now, too. Hated him for hurting her son even though Blaine hadn’t wanted to.  He wouldn’t blame her. He still hated himself for it. “I’m glad to hear that.” The words felt hollow even though they were true.

David waited until Blaine could see him before he nudged him and handed him his drink. The cup was full and Blaine had to fight the urge to down it in one go.He shouldn’t be drinking anything at all. It would work against his medicine and probably make him sick but he couldn’t find it in him to care as he took a gulp like the whisky was water. Yeah, Seb had been right, the pick me up was needed. He smiled and thanked David for the drink, his friend asking if he was cool before he moved to lean against the railing on the balcony with Hunter. The two of them were turned toward each other and seemed to be picking up their earlier conversation which left him alone with Sebastian again.

He turned towards his old friend- friend? Lover? God, what even was Sebastian to him? Neither word seemed good enough. He lifted his cup for another drink, his eyes catching on Seb’s cheek again. The cigarette ash was still there. Still kissing Seb’s cheekbone and Blaine opened his mouth to tell him about it when the sounds of thousands of people started counting from the streets below joined by the crowd in the apartment. He froze, the voices blending like a choir in perfect harmony.

They had gotten to from eight to five and Blaine shot Hunter and David a look because why didn’t they tell them what time it was? Blaine had been hoping to excuse himself before midnight, was hoping to have himself hidden away in the bathroom so he didn’t have to hug a bunch of strangers or have someone kiss his cheek and he didn’t have to pretend he was excited for the new year. But, here he was, standing not even three feet from Sebastian Smythe and he didn’t know what to do.  4-3-2… and suddenly there were fireworks bursting overhead, it was a new year and there was confetti billowing in the winter night to the melancholy tune of Auld Lang Syne as it rang out. Snowflakes danced  in the air while the people below kissed and laughed like they'd never feel sorrow again. He wished he could relate.

Sebastian's POV:

Sebastian’s stomach fell, fell through the apartment building floors, the butterflies gone.  Guess fate wasn’t having it. His mouth stiffened and he took a sharp breath. He wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose, a nervous tick of his when he got frustrated. Sebastian fought against his own body, the acidic sick feeling in his stomach, the jittery adrenaline running through his veins, the trapped 16 year old in his brain yelling and screaming and begging Blaine to just fucking take him back. Just tell me you miss me, please. I miss you. I feel like you hate me and that makes me hate myself. “It was fate, sure.”  Sebastian’s voice was dry and he fought the urge to laugh. You know that maniacal laughter when everything is just too much and your lungs feel like they might explode and your skin is burning and all you want to do is scream and laugh and tell everybody to just fuck off? “I guess fate has never favored me.”

He was so over this small talk. He was disgusted by the reactions happening under his skin that nobody but him could feel. Blaine was Sebastian’s first and only heartbreak. He was disgusted by how sprung he still was, had lied to himself and told himself that he was over it. Sebastian had never been over it and that realization was so embarrassing that he could hardly stand himself and he wanted to tear himself out of his skin. Most of the words Blaine was saying were just floating over his head at this point, he was so disappointed with the direction of this meeting. Sometimes when Sebastian got drunk or sad or high enough he would let himself imagine reuniting with Blaine. That Blaine would tell him he missed him and Sebastian would say that he loved him and they’d patch each other’s wounds and kiss in pools and hold hands in parks and share french fries and Blaine would tackle him in his mother’s backyard and kiss him all over his face, his neck and they’d laugh until their stomachs hurt again.

Sebastian took a much needed swig of his vodka cranberry that Hunter had made a little too weak and rolled his eyes to himself. Of course Hunter wouldn’t make him a strong drink. He was probably too worried about him. It didn’t matter, Sebastian already planned on ditching the party for a bar anyway.  Suddenly, the world seemed to explode into noise. Sebastian could hear the countdown echoing all around them. Hunter and David distracted and cheering, clapping each other on the back. The people inside of the apartment wrapped in the golden glow of Christmas lights left up from the days before, some of them were kissing strangers or old lovers, shaking hands and hugging and laughing. A few of the party goers exploded onto the balcony in a burst of noisemakers and music but Sebastian felt like he was alone, just staring at Blaine as he awkwardly clasped his plastic cup. He felt like he was stuck in the worst snow globe ever produced. Such a sad scene; two damaged boys too afraid to fix anything surrounded by kissing strangers and dirty snow and cheering partiers. They say that the people you’re with at midnight on New Year’s eve were who you would spend your year with. The thought made Sebastian feel so alone because he didn’t really feel like Blaine was really there.

In the back of his head, where he kept his most guarded secrets, Sebastian knew he would give anything to be wrapped in the warmth of Blaine, the glow of cheap lights on their skin, kissing the taste of New Year’s champagne away. 

  The words were out of his lips before he could stop them. Sebastian knew his eyes looked pained, and that his flirty voice didn’t match his sad but eager body language. 

“You don’t wanna kiss me, B?”

Blaine’s POV:

Blaine’s body tensed even more at Sebastian’s words. He knew Sebastian didn’t believe in fate or any of that sort of thing, but the way he said seemed so sad. No Seb, I’m the one that fate doesn’t favor. I’m the fuck up and the reason we’re in this awkward, forced conversation. I’m the reason you’re making yourself stand out here in the cold that you hate so much. You’ve never liked it, only tolerated it for me. Blaine used to love the wintertime, it was magical and it made him feel so full of wonder but he’d lost so much during the winter that the magic had turned harsh and had made him bitter towards the season. No, it wasn’t Seb’s fault or fate’s. It was all his. Why were they doing this? Sebastian hated small talk. He’d always hated the way people scrambled for answers to questions he didn’t give a shit about.

It’s my fault you’re out here, making yourself do things you don’t like doing in the first place. I’m always making you do that. Pushing you out of your comfort zone... Always making you feel and hurt and god, you should hate me. The only thing you ever did wrong was let someone like me see how good you are. You wasted it on me.  The words were there, threatening to push past his teeth. He could remember the hurt, no the heart wrenching look on Sebastian’s face when he’d broke it off with him. It didn’t matter why he did it. But he would face a thousand insults and bruises every single day again over seeing that face ever again. He ignored the little voice that sounded a lot like Sam, telling him that he had been forced to face that anyway. A voice sounding like his own told him he must've deserved it.

You don’t wanna kiss me, B?”

Hunter and David were suddenly paying very close attention to the two of them now. And the words sent  a spike through his heart and at first he thought he might have been being cruel. Taunting him, and turning what they had into some mockery, but  the tone didn’t match his face. Seb’s eyes were full of a pain that Blaine knew well, and his face was eager and open and Blaine could, for just a moment, read him like a book. God, how much are you hurting, Seb? And for a second Blaine ached to just pull him into his arms and hold him close. To reassure him that their time together was so much more than just a fling. That he had loved him wholly and completely and still did. He wanted to kiss his face and tell him that he was so fucking sorry for how it ended and that he deserved the world. He wanted to tell him that even when he had gotten trapped by Kurt and manipulated into a three year relationship of insecurities, and head games that he was unable to dig himself out of, he'd thought about Sebastian. Seb wouldn’t have done those things to Blaine.

What I wouldn’t give to turn back our timeline and keep you with me. Make you feel all the love and attention I have for you. I’d make you see that you deserved all of it and none of the bullshit I did. I’d let you help me though what I lost and I wouldn’t have pushed you away, no matter how much it hurt to bring you down with me.

Still the words were locked in his brain, he couldn’t say them. He didn’t deserve that peace of mind. Telling him how much he missed the summer nights and autumn weekends and winter touches wouldn’t do shit. The damage to them and then to Blaine had already been done. Blaine had started it and then Kurt had seen to the rest. He’d messed Blaine’s mind up completely and manipulated him into thinking he wasn’t good enough for anyone. Therapy only went so far and even Blaine knew that if he wasn’t so stupid he would have left Kurt before it got as bad as it did. And then maybe he’d have found a way back to Sebastian and begged him to give him another chance. But Blaine had been stupid and and wanting to tell Sebastian all of this stuff was unfair to the other man because even if Seb gave him a chance Blaine was so fucked up he wasn’t sure he knew how to do any of it anymore. Nor did he deserve the chance. His hands had gone clammy in his gloves thinking about his relationship with Kurt and he wanted to scream. The cheering and the music and the blood rushing in his ears was all too much.

Maybe Blaine was wrong and he was misreading everything. Maybe Sebastian wasn’t hurting and was only being polite to him because he felt sorry for him. Maybe someone had told him about the last few years of his pathetic life and Seb was taking pity on him. Maybe he and Hunter would go home later and laugh at him. He swallowed hard, biting into his lip hard enough to feel the pain, his breathing picking up as he really looked at Sebastian. No, Blaine wasn’t wrong. Sebastian was hurting, the pain was truly written all over his face. In the way he stood, in the way he tried too hard to sound casual. He didn’t need to try, casual was as easy for Sebastian Smythe as breathing. This was different. The man in front of him was feeling some of the same things as him and it made Blaine feel even worse about himself.

He wanted to run, he wanted to scream but most of all he wanted to walk over and kiss Sebastian. The words had left him with an even bigger ache than he had when he’d first spotted him that night and if he didn’t leave soon he’d embarrass himself not only in front of Sebastian but in front of the rest of his old friends. Some legend, huh? He took a deep breath and lifted his cup to his lips and finished his drink, trying to figure out how he could leave. But, as he was setting the empty cup on the ground and his feet were instantaneously carrying him towards the taller man and his fingers were shedding his gloves. And while Blaine knew he couldn’t kiss him, he wasn’t brave enough nor was it fair to Sebastian, he knew that he needed to at least touch him. Show him that he missed him and that he was happy- or as happy as he could feel right now, to see him.

He tucked his gloves into his coat pocket and stepped up to his person. His eyes were level with Seb’s shoulders and he couldn’t bring himself to look up for a moment. Finally, after what felt like hours but had probably only been seconds, Blaine lifted his eyes to meet Sebastian’s. The other man seemed frozen in time. Blaine’s left hand, shaky and freezing, came up to rest against the side of his face, his thumb softly brushing the little flecks of ash that had made a home on Seb’s cheek away. How easy this felt to him. Standing here with Sebastian’s snow cold face in his hands. It felt so good and Blaine’s lips twitched into an almost smile… And what was he doing?  All at once Blaine was overwhelmed. His breath hitched and his eyes were suddenly blurred either from the cold or tears either way it made him drop his hand and shake his head.

“I- I- fuck, um, you just h-had something…” He lifted his hands to show that Seb had something on his face but it seemed silly now and he shook his head, frustrated that he couldn’t get the words out. “I’m sorry. I should go. I have to work in the morning.” A lie. He ducked his head, feeling his anxiety overtake him and why he hadn't brought anything to calm himself down? He looked up, but not into Seb’s eyes, his arms wrapping around himself as he felt like a deer in the headlights. He nodded a goodbye to Hunter and shook his head at David. “I’m good David, I can get an Uber. Stay and have fun, okay?” He turned, head dipped and looked up at Seb through his lashes so that the other man couldn’t really see his face properly. “It was good to see you, Seb, I really hope you have a good night.” He swallowed hard and nodded, as if that would prove he meant it. “Happy New Year.”

Blaine turned on his heel and before David or anyone else could stop him he made his way into the crowded party. He kept his head ducked, bee lining it toward the front door, hoping to god that no one noticed him. He managed to avoid everyone’s hands but not their eyes as his name was called out over the music a few times by random voices, he nodded politely but didn’t stop. He hoped they’d understand and even if they didn’t it didn’t matter. It’d be months before they reached out to him again. The elevator was muggy as he rode down, which made the cold air that hit his heated face seem even more cold when he stepped out of the building.  There was already a text from David asking if he was okay, and Nick had sent a series of question marks. Blaine ignored them, his eyes blurry as he pulled up the Uber app and tipsily tried to type the address of the party into his phone.

Breathe in and back out again, Blaine. Count to ten. You’ve got this.

It wouldn’t be until he was home an hour later, tucked into his creaky bed and numb with a dose of sleepiness via an Ambien bottle and the whisky from the party that he’d allow himself to really feel the events of the night as the emotion and pills pulled him into sleep. His eyes would be red and his head would be pounding in the morning.

Sebastian’s POV:

Sebastian knew it was cliche but to him it suddenly felt like the world had stopped. Blaine was moving towards him, he was taking his gloves off, reaching for him. The snow fell slowly, slowly, slowly and his music-worn hand was on his cheek. He knew those hands so well once upon a time, knew the calluses at his fingertips, had felt them drag across his belly underneath his tee shirt, felt them on his lips. He blinked and stood silently as Blaine’s thumb wiped at a spot on his cold cheek. Sebastian became aware of Hunter and David watching, he could feel the hush that fell over their conversation. He wondered if Hunter regretted begging him to come. Hunter had stood by on the sidelines when the two of them were involved, and had tried to pick up the pieces at their abrupt end. Hunter got to, once again, witness Sebastian’s downfall.

Just as fast as Blaine’s rough hand cradled his cheek, it dropped back to his side and Sebastian felt colder than he had all evening. “Thanks for that.” He muttered the words mostly to himself as he rubbed his own hand over the spot. “Same to you.” Sebastian watched as Blaine hurried through the party. He noticed that he didn’t stop to say goodbye to anybody. Blaine had changed a lot in the past few years, that was for sure. Sebastian never thought he’d witness Blaine shy away from attention or the chance to work a room with his bright smile and easy going charm. 

Sebastian decided that he had had enough of the party and the reunions and took off as Hunter tried to walk over. His friend was talking but Sebastian had ignored him with a hand up in the air. Sebastian weaved through the bodies inside of the apartment and ignored everybody that called out to him, though it was only a few people since most knew better. He could feel Hunter following but didn’t turn around, instead he chose to basically throw himself down the stairs and run into a cab that was waiting for somebody else. Sebastian was faster than Hunter, he could lose him. He shoved a fifty towards the driver and gave him the address of a random club he knew he could score boys and free drinks and drugs at, “and hurry.” 

He lit a cigarette outside of the club and exhaled into the bitter air. He shoved his free hand in his pocket and let the nicotine wash over his nerves. Sebastian could hear the bass from the club reverberate through the air around him. He wasn’t going to cry. He wasn’t going to scream or send any shitty messages. He was going to finish this cigarette, get some guy to buy him a few rounds, maybe do a few lines in the bathroom, dance until his thighs burned in a wash of colorful lights, and end up in the bed of a guy with dark hair but not the right eyes. 

/fin.

[halorocks1214]

the law of relativity

AO3 Link

Word Count: 9963

Summary: The Law of Relativity states that each person will receive a series of problems (‘tests of initiation’) for the purpose of strengthening the ‘light’ within. We must consider each of these tests to be a challenge and remain connected to our hearts when proceeding to solve the problems. This law also teaches us to compare our problems to others’ problems and put everything into its proper perspective. No matter how bad we perceive our situation to be, there is always someone who is in a worse position. It is all relative

Previous Parts (in order): Alan | Virgil | You are here! | Gordon

WHY 👏🏼 CANT 👏🏼 I 👏🏼 WRITE 👏🏼 FICS 👏🏼 IN 👏🏼 MO 👏🏼 DER 👏🏼 RATION 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 also just bluuuergh. dont ask about this fic. part of it was written in a dark auditorium, another was written in a different state, another was written on a frickin bus, this fic has been places ill tell you what. half the time i think this is hot garbage and the other half i think its actually decent so im posting this while my head is in a good headspace and then promptly yeeting myself off the internet for a few hours to wait and see what happens. this series is becoming less of a canon divergence AU and more of a straight-up AU because of certain details im trying to worm in there buT IM TRYING MY BEST

thanks once more to @gumnut-logic, because of the length, this time i used three prompts, them being "What do you mean?", crease, and dream (and they werent even used that much sksksksk)

Warnings for both graphic and non-graphic depictions of violence, as well as mentions of torture and other PTSD/panic attack related stuff. I went deep with this one fellas

Orphan.

The word tasted dirty in his mouth.

He can still see the footage in the backs of his eyelids from when he watched it exactly one year ago. He was the only other (living) adult at the time in the family outside of Grandma, so he was permitted to see it. He remembered they originally didn’t want to show him, mainly because of his age, but Grandma was fierce, and she put one hell of an argument on the table.

One Scott refused to let fall through the cracks by breaking down. If only Grandma knew how he cried his eyes out and screamed to high heaven that night in the hotel room after essentially watching his father be blown to bloody smithereens then she was a goddamn saint for keeping it a secret. It made sense, she was the mother to his father. She had quite the line up of stories from Jeff’s childhood. Scott sensed the early-greying of his hair came from her, heh.

The rest of his family eventually saw it, of course, they did. Scott couldn’t shield them forever. What he will protect, selfishly he might add, was how angry he was at how much better they took it than he did. They cried, yes they did, but they never fully broke down like Scott did. Later in life, he wondered if it was jealousy: jealousy at not truly being able to let go. Whatever it was, he made sure to swallow it along with whatever alcohol he chose for the weekend.

Just add it to the ever-growing pile of shit he had to deal with. Nothing new.

Suddenly he’s 20 again and seated in a plane to be taken to his first stint in the Air Force. He said his goodbyes to Virgil, Gordon, and Alan back at home while Grandma and John metaphorically held his hand all the way to the airport. John was… quiet, more so than usual, but Grandma was stuck right in the middle between being a sobbing mess and ecstatic at the fine young man he’s become.

You’re just like your father. He would be proud.

Scott was secretly glad she never physically said it. It gave him plausible deniability in thinking that those words weren’t laced behind her big, bright, prideful eyes.

The first time went well, maybe even great. He stayed for a couple of months, did some flight tests, and while the training was brutal, boy did he learn a lot. When he came back home it was to a family slowly stitching itself back together. Grandma was a full-time house member, Virgil had taken up painting, Gordon talked about potentially going back to his swim meets, and while Alan was still as silent as ever, he was perkier than when Scott last saw him.

It would be on and off for the next few years: a couple of months at home, slowly and painfully taking over the role their father had (he can’t remember when he essentially received joint custody of his younger siblings with Grandma, but hey, he’s not complaining), then a couple of months out at the Air Force base where he slowly climbed up the ranking platform. He became skillful, perhaps too skillful. When he got his rank of Captain he felt it was less of an honor and more of something they owed him.

He was getting cocky. Never enough to be a danger to his fellow men, but enough to be somewhat of an occasional annoyance. Charles smacked him upside the head more than once. It felt like the world was right-side-up for once. Scott made many-a-calls to John and Virgil, the former enjoying his first few rotations up in space and the latter squarely in the middle of college. Gordon was being offered sponsorships to hell and back, and Alan was quietly getting along with the other kids at his school. Grandma was on welcoming duty for Kayo, who was taking her slot in the Tracy family with grace, though, a warning that their family would take custody of her if something were to happen to her parents would have been nice, Dad.

Of course, nothing ever goes right for their family for too long.

Orphan.

Age 24, it was supposed to be a simple retrieval mission of civilians. Scott was put in charge of his squad and then some. At night, they rolled-- well, flew out to get the job done. Scott can’t even remember the country anymore when minding his own business. Australia? Finland? Perhaps Bangladesh? There was a place John was insistent Scott never do rescues in, Virgil tended to agree, and the eldest unhealthily let them banish him from ever stepping foot there without argument. He could never remember the name off the top of his head until John’s familiar International Rescue, we have a situation rung out in the living room followed by the name of the country.

He would immediately forget it later, trauma too strong, too volatile, but the way his heart stopped and his head shattered and the way he felt ice water rush down his back was a good enough reason to quietly leave the room and let John delegate the job to one of his brothers. Sometimes John found him retching in the toilet halfway through the mission. He made sure to always mute Scott’s wrist communicator, even if it was never turned on in the first place.

The plane touched down. Orders sent the ground team out. But then the ground team took longer than estimated. Scott tensely waited where he was told to. It wasn’t the first mission that took a little longer than predicted and knowing humans, it surely wouldn’t be the last. Then, words mixed with heavy static came over the radio. H--p. Co-- ---7--. --nd ba---p --me--at--y.

Scott sat tensely in his seat, remembering his orders and suddenly hating them. Radio back to home if the mission goes south. Well, it didn’t look like they had the radio anymore. Still didn’t hurt to try at least. Scott spoke the familiar protocol that was ingrained into him when trying to call base. Dammit. Nothing. Probably some kind of blocker of sorts. Sitting up straight as a board, Scott looked through his options.

… He was in charge here. If something happened to his team the fault would lie squarely on his shoulders. Going against everything but his gut, he went out to help his squad. He can’t really remember what he exactly did anymore, but he does remember that it made a noise. Like a Looney Tunes scene: he flinched, froze, waited to see if anything or one heard, breathed a sigh of relief, and continued.

He eventually stumbled across one of his closest comrades, Arnold Brigeets. Yes, the name was ironic and half the reason he joined the force in the first place. The guy was one of the people that actually trained Scott and also seemed to be one of the few that was genuinely proud when Scott became a higher rank. It’s why Scott was more appreciative of Arnold than others, that, and well… Scott thought his fatherly abilities were good. The guy did have three kids back home.

Orphan.

Ducking down behind the cover his older friend was semi-situated behind, Scott watched as Arnold jumped at the intrusion before sighing. Scott had run into some enemies that he swiftly took down-- nothing too serious, he didn’t have the time or weapons for such an act, but they definitely would be out of it for a while-- so Arnold must have too on his way to find cover as well, hence why he was so on edge.

“Thank God,” Arnold wiped his forehead, “Glad to see you join us, kid.”

Scott was breathing heavily, but the grin he attempted was still there, “Y-Yeah, so what happened? More threats than we thought?”

Arnold shook his head, “Yes and no. There were a lot more baddies than we thought, but that’s because the civilians weren’t civilians. It’s a tr--”

Boom. The familiar sound of a gunshot.

Arnold fell over. Never got back up. Dropped like a rock in a lake, never to come up to the surface again.

Scott was so caught off guard he couldn’t react to the gun that swiftly beat him over the head, knocking him out cold. The only thing on his mind was oh fuck oh fuck I messed up I shouldn’t have come I wouldn’t have made any noise that way why did I--

They had him for roughly two weeks. Scott always thought the plotline in movies where the villain vehemently denied knowing any important information was dumb as hell. We’re not stupid. We wouldn’t go after someone if they didn’t know something.

The things they did hurt and no amount of I don’t fucking know anything! would help. Those two weeks were lost to Scott in a sea of pain and torment. The only thing he remembered was being captured, then waking up in a hospital drugged up to his gills with his superiors staring at him like he cured cancer.

“You saved the rest of your squad from sharing the same fate as the first half.”

“I-I did?”

“You betcha, son. I only wish I was there to see it! People be saying you were like an animal in how you took ‘em all down.”

Scott’s never remembered, and he wanted to keep it that way.

He was given the highest honors, even the chance to skip a couple of ranks to be at the same level as the big boys, but the night they were going to share the news to the golden boy himself, they found him in one of the bathrooms with a bloody hand and a mirror shattered with no hope of fixing it.

He was honorably discharged to a family that was so thankful he was home. Words like missing in action and POA never stopped haunting their nightmares. Scott was too, God, of course, he was, but sitting around and doing nothing was the last thing his traumatized mind wanted or maybe even needed. After doing what he considered to be the biggest fuck-up of his life, he needed to feel important.

This isn’t the first time he’ll say this and it surely won’t be the last: thank Christ for Grandma.

“You want me to take over?...”

“Yep, it’s about time Tracy Industries received a new pair of eyes. The Board certainly thinks so.”

“But… they’d rather have a crazy, PTSD-infected veteran over you?”

A rough pinch to his ear, “Hey now, don’t call yourself that,” the gentle motherly tone was back as soon as it left, “Besides, that crazy might exactly be what they want. Half of their argument is that I “don’t take enough risks.” They’re getting tired of listening to an old fart like me.”

A moment of contemplation, followed by the cheeky raise of an eyebrow, “So you’re saying you want me to take so many risks they have no choice but to take you back?”

A bark of laughter, “Damn straight.”

He learned the ropes faster than normal (healthy, is probably the correct term), and he immediately won the hearts of both young and old in the company. Instead of flying planes every few months, he worked on business reports and vetoed new ideas every couple of weeks. It felt satisfying for the most part, and his family was just happy he was still alive to enjoy it.

However, there was a slight roadblock on his way to becoming a somewhat stable person.

He became prone to violent blackouts. It had to have started when he blacked out and saved himself from those two weeks of hell, which made the most sense. Something was always destroyed when he came back to life. John was the best at calming him down due to his own experience with panic attacks, however, John couldn’t always be there, and the next rotation for NASA was coming swiftly. Scott swore up and down he would be fine, he could figure something out. John went back into space with an eyebrow permanently raised.

It was just him and Virgil home (Grandma had taken Alan and Kayo to watch Gordon swim) when he, unfortunately, proved John right. Scott wasn’t sure what triggered it, but he vividly remembered coming back in Virgil’s extremely tight hold. The first thing Scott thought to say was damn, beanstalk, when did you get so strong? but then he laid his eyes upon the forming bruise on his younger bro’s face and hasn’t recovered since.

Virgil swore he never held it against Scott. Scott definitely thought he should have.

That night brought sudden clarity to Scott that he was doing this horribly wrong. He was a ticking time bomb, and it wouldn’t be long before something was damaged in a way that couldn’t be fixed. Scott needed an anchor. Something to ground him before he took it too far. John wasn’t going to be earthside forever, Grandma was busy with Kayo, Alan was just a kid, and Gordon was living the dream. None of them were viable.

Then, as he was thinking, he was suddenly aware of how calming Virgil’s arms were around him, how they were preventing the growing panic attack in his chest from getting even bigger.

It was easy.

For once in Scott’s life, his eyes were big and young as he asked Virgil, “Help me, please.”

After a few brief seconds, Virgil gulped, “Okay.”

From then on, Virgil was Stone Number One. Scott’s admiration for Virgil outweighed the guilt of putting the black-haired man in that position in the first place. Virgil was glad to follow his older brother’s leadership, but just as qualified to bring him the hell back when he went too far. From getting too sacrificial to preventing a good punching-out some of the idiots they dealt with, Virgil made sure Scott knocked that shit off.

Time went on, Scott was a top-notch CEO at Tracy Industries, John was having one hell of a time up in space, Virgil was graduated and had so many life opportunities to pick from, Alan was thriving at being a (mostly) stable kid, Kayo was 100% acclimated to the family, and Gordon--

Scott found himself gripping the wooden desk very abruptly. He was shocked he didn’t snap a chunk off in the process. Why was he thinking about this right after a giant business conference? Who knows at this point. If this giant origin story seemed jagged and jumpy, maybe even somewhat vague, good, that’s how it fucking felt.

Back to said story.

Scott always thought he and Gordon would have the least amount in common.

They do, but out of all the things they could have picked to be similar, why did it have to be the PTSD caused by military-related jobs? Scott was 24 when he got his, Gordon was just under 20. It may have been a few years since their respective accidents, but they’re never going to go another day without it feeling like it was just yesterday.

At this point, Gordon was up and walking again, mainly thanks to John and Alan while Virgil and Scott helped in their own ways. Grandma’s cooking was what probably motivated him the most though, ha, the need to get away from it… Scott smiled. Grandma was always a constant. Honestly, if it weren’t for her, the family might have fallen apart. Literally.

What has he been saying throughout this whole shindig? Thank Christ for Grandma.

One day out of the blue, Grandma reserved the entire family (yes, even Kayo and Alan) private plane tickets so they could spend some time on the mainland for a few days. Honestly, even if the island wasn’t getting major renovations, you hooligans need to get out more. Have some fun. Try not to kill anything, especially each other, she all told them while creepily grinning. John and Virgil smacked Gordon more than once on the plane for insisting that she finally snapped, dudes, she’s gonna kill us.

Most of the time during their little vacation, Scott heavily focused on his breathing. He was pretty sure he knew what she was doing. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous, but the same went for his excitement.

Dad showed him these plans the day after his 18th birthday. You’re a man now, Scotty, I need your help making this big boy decision with me.

As soon as they reset foot down on the island, Scott took a deep breath and felt relaxed at the salty taste in the air. It was weird, nothing on the outside was changed, and yet… it still felt different.

“Guys!” Virgil yelled out, “Stop playing in the water! We just got back, aren’t you two tired?!”

Blinking back to reality, Scott looked over to see his two youngest brothers doing exactly what Virgil was yelling at them for. Poor Johnny was a little damp too, which is what probably caused Virgil to shout at them in the first place. The blondes didn’t care. They continued to prance around in the shallow waves with their pants legs rolled up, acting as if they didn’t hear anything outside of their laughter. Gordon shoved his hands down into the liquid and threw some directly at Alan, nailing him right in the face.

Scott exhaled slowly. He couldn’t imagine them doing this 8 years ago.

Regardless, the artist was right, and they couldn’t waste too much time. Kayo was swift in grabbing both gentlemen by the ears and dragging them onto dry land. They all painstakingly trekked their way up to the-- what would you call Tracy Island? Mansion? Over-blown cabin? Well, whatever it was, Scott would always be willing to call it home.

Stepping inside, each brother took in the view, which was underwhelmingly not that much different, except for one tiny thing. John suddenly noticed a figure already standing in the living room and blinked, “No way… it’s--”

Gordon jumped in, both with his body and his words, “Brains?! Dude, how’s it hanging?!”

The scientist in question jumped at the voices before clearing his throat and readjusting his glasses, “O-Oh, hello again, T-Tracys. It’s good to see you all once more.”

Virgil slung an arm around his shoulder, ignoring the blatant squawk, “Man, how long has it been?! What made you finally decide to crawl out of your hole?”

Snickers came from all corners of the house. Brains stood up straighter, “W-Well, I was contacted b-by Mrs. Tracy over here with an offer I c-couldn’t turn down.”

Eyebrows tilted in all shapes and sizes. Someone cleared their throat. Everyone turned to look at Grandma once again, “I think if you all follow me, you’ll swiftly understand what I’m talking about.”

I already do, Scott thought matter-of-factly. John seemed to be understanding it now, Virgil was on the cusp of remembering what his father was hinting at for him, and Gordon was just as lost as Alan. It made sense, Jeff talked to all of them about it, but the oldest had seniority. The two youngest not remembering just by words was expected, especially since that was going to be rectified very quickly.

The hangar under the island was beautiful. Point blank. It smelt of iron and steel and grease and engine and that was the first time since Scott had been in the Air Force that he didn’t gag or flinch at the thought of flying something again. Scott had seen the plans his father drew. He assumed Jeff finished building it, but he never got to physically see it since…

In some ways, he was glad he didn’t. Now he got to experience it with (most of) his family, and that made it ten times better.

After letting them absorb the scenery, Grandma slowly turned around to look at them all, “You remember that dream your father had?”

The four oldest blinked, Kayo simply raised her eyebrows, meanwhile, Alan, being the teenager he was, didn’t read the emotion in the room, “Oh, yeah! Aunt Casey always talked about how he was going to “change the world” and stuff. What did he call it again?”

Scott felt way more confident than he had in a while, “International Rescue.”

Grandma nodded, gleeful at the happy look on her oldest and youngest grandsons’ faces, “Well, I’ve been thinking about some things. I know we don’t exactly worry about money, but after everything your father put into these girls… I’d hate for them to go to waste.”

The Tracy family jumped at that. John’s mouth was wide open in shock, yes, shock, “That station is still up there?”

Grandma sighed, “You mean ‘Five? Not for long. Not if we don’t send someone up there within the next few days.”

John blushed at the grin Grandma gave him. Clearing his throat, his big brain came to a startling conclusion, “Wait… you brought Alan along?”

The other big brothers in the room jumped at that. Kayo was the only one with enough balls to say the truth out loud, “Mrs. Tracy, I mean no offense, but he’s--”

“Just a kid?” Grandma smirked, “A kid that’s topped the VR charts for Intergalactic Fury for weeks straight while simultaneously getting nothing but A’s in his classes?”

Scott nodded slowly in comprehension. He remembered Alan talking about that game for a while. It was some kind of online racing simulator of sorts. Scott caught the prettiest string of words from Alan when going to bed one night. Nearly made him shit his pants. He made the kid promise to keep it PG-13 if he wanted to keep playing.

Still, the elders in the family slowly turned to look at the freckled boy with both shock and pride. Alan blinked with wide-eyed innocence, “But my English class is only at a B--”

“Shh, kiddo, I’m making a point,” Grandma rolled her eyes. The other brothers snickered. Yep, still Alan. Grandma sighed, “Now before you point out that video games are different, I know, but the difference between them and this is that video games don’t have some of the most talented older brothers in the world to guide him.”

Said older brothers jumped at the idea. Before any objection could be made, Grandma continued, “Besides, the GDF seemed to be okay with it. The Colonel was willing to oversee some of his training too.”

John flinched at that, “But IR is supposed to be independent!”

Grandma slightly frowned. She didn’t exactly like it either, “It still is, but in the world of business, compromises have to be made.”

Virgil huffed and crossed his arms, “Well, that’s… rough. Here I thought only Scott would have to deal with the bullshit of business.”

Grandma chuckled at the somewhat un-Virgil-like behavior, “It really is, Virgil. But about that Scott part,” she slowly turned to look at him and him only, “I hate to give you more work to do, but if you want to work within their restrictions?”

Suddenly every pair of eyes in the room was on the head of the family. Gulping, Scott looked down at his feet to think. It was a tense few moments, nobody sure what he was going to decide, least of all him, before the brunette cleared his throat and brought his face back up with a grin.

“Well then,” Scott turned to look at the bright tip of ‘One, chest fluttering with a feeling that became unfamiliar to him over the past few years, “I guess now it’s time to state the obvious.”

From then on, every time he loaded into that cockpit of his girl, he felt lighter than air.

“Thunderbirds are GO!”

Everything was okay again.

Mostly.

Orphan.

Scott took another sip of his whiskey and refocused on his reports.

---

Scott was in some kind of dissociative state the whole way home.

Alan doesn’t deserve this. He’s still a kid, barely an adult, and he’s going to go through utter hell because you screwed up. You were 24, Gordon was just under 20, Alan was barely 18. Alan’s going to get fucked up like you and it’s all your fault.

His movements were robotic and rigid. Anyone with a working eye could tell he was deep in shock and running on autopilot. Mostly Jeff. Especially Jeff. The rest of the brothers all noticed too, but they were also running on their own empty fuel tanks, so the only thing they could do was guilty send their older brother the occasional glance of pity and concern.

Jeff was going to need to talk to them about that. Somehow. Maybe he shouldn’t be the one to point it out since he feels just as bad. His sons were too much like him, sometimes, and that made his guilt burn all the same. He should’ve been there to warn his sons about the dangers of unnecessary guilt. Having that kind of guilt was a parent’s job, dammit, and maybe grandparents only occasionally.

But then he remembered where he’s been for the past 8 years and… who really was Alan’s parents anymore? His gut was screaming it sure as hell isn’t you, but he knew his sons would want him to step back into the role as soon as he was physically fit to do so, not just for Alan, but for themselves as well. They would deny it, but they probably just wanted to be kids again too, even if it was only brief, fleeting moments.

Who was to tell the protective, fatherly side of Jeff no to that? No better time to fix things like the present after all.

He saw Scott go up the stairs when they first stepped into the living room, so that’s where Jeff was going to go too. Footsteps light, Jeff retraced his eldest’s pathway to his bedroom. Only, he stopped before said bedroom. Unfavorable noises were coming from the closed bathroom door, and Jeff could only swallow whatever emotion it made him feel. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the (unlocked) door to the bathroom and laid his eyes upon the incriminating scene.

Jeff was met with the sight of Scott retching his entire stomach into the toilet, hands aggressively grabbing his sticky, hair-gelled hair and trying to make himself bald from the strain.

Jeff’s reaction was always based on autopilot, and it will never stop being so.

Ignoring his protesting body, Jeff kneeled and placed a hand on his son’s back, only to abruptly pull back like he touched a hot stove when Scott only got more hysterical at the contact. The brunette clenched his eyes shut even more (and they were already shut as much as possible) while his head became a special kind of crease. Like he was in pain, “God, I wanna go home. Why won’t they listen I swear I’m telling the truth! Please, I just want Dad--”

Jeff was frozen on the spot, heart stopping in the process. His brain shut down while he watched his son continue to mindlessly ramble and panic. His freaked-out mind barely registered footsteps from behind in the hallway, followed by a voice going what’s going-- holy--

Something thundered past him. Blinking once, Jeff guiltily watched as Virgil kneeled behind the eldest and wrapped his arms around the thin man’s shoulders while taking Scott’s hands in his in a protective blanket, “Scott! Jesus-- we’re at home, you’re safe and it’s June 14th, 2--”

Scott only struggled more, panicking at the fact he could no longer yank his hair out. Dammit, it was the only way he could feel in control, don’t take that away too! “No! I swear I’ve said everything! Please--”

Virgil immediately knew that this was one of those attacks that Scott wasn’t coming back down from with pure human intervention. Add-on the sight of his father’s big eyes signifying the man was at a loss at what to do, Virgil had no choice. He snapped loudly, remembering the comms were still on and only feeling slightly bad at the way Scott flinched in his arms, “Shit-- John! It’s Scott! Get the stuff! We’re in the upstairs bathroom!”

Muffled footsteps through a few walls in the house could be heard. Jeff’s mind was only starting to catch up when the brother Virgil called for came rushing into the bathroom (Jeff never remembered it being big enough to hold four of them) and ignoring Jeff (practically shoving him out of the way too, man, this was bad) on his way to the main problem at hand. Landing on his knees in a way that made Jeff wince, John gently grabbed one of Scott’s arms from Virgil’s hold and subsequently pulled a needle from nowhere and injected something into Scott.

The response was instantaneous.

Scott’s breathing, while still labored, got slower. He stopped struggling as well, and the way he sagged reminded Jeff of ice melting into a puddle. The two other brothers’ shoulders also sagged, relieved at the crisis averted. John stood up, knees cracking as he rubbed the back of his neck. Then, he froze at the sight of something in the doorway, “G-Gordon…”

Virgil snapped his head up from where he was looking at Scott. Jeff did something similar. Yup, in the doorway was the strawberry blonde, eyes wide, making him younger by about 10 years. The ex-Olympian in question inhaled, closed his eyes, and soon speed-walked his way out of the entrance to the bathroom. Dammit, neither Gordon or Alan have seen something like that and it probably spooked him more than anything. He’d understand with his own PTSD-related issues, but still, seeing the “never weak” big brother freak out in such a scary way...

John combed a hand through his hair, shaking his head. As he started walking out of the room, he whispered to himself, probably hoping no one heard him, “Dammit, this is all so fucked…”

Unfortunately, Jeff did hear, and the dirty language made the father flinch. John was always the best about making sure Grandma didn’t wash his mouth out with soap, and the fact that he so willingly didn’t care meant that everyone was at the end of their rope. Still reeling at the sight, Jeff couldn’t react to the gentle arms that picked him up off the floor and slowly led him out of the suddenly stuffy room.

With the click of the door shutting, Jeff realized what Virgil did, “W-Wait, Scott--”

“Will be okay for a few seconds,” Virgil finished for his dad, “I know it’s nearly been a decade, but the one part of you I definitely know hasn’t changed is the need to comfort us, just like we hoped.” The small grin that fell over the middle child’s face put Jeff a little bit at ease, but Virgil wasn’t completely done, “So, I’m going to let you take care of this, but I just want to make sure you’ll handle it with grace. Take this slowly, okay? Scott might be doped up, but he’s still… volatile, in a sense.”

Jeff cleared his throat, suddenly choking on the unneeded tension, “Okay, Virgil, I promise, just… what happened? That was… bad, and really bad at that too. I know Scott would never let something that severe willingly come out in front of his family.”

Virgil rubbed the back of his neck, clearly not ready for this conversation, “Listen, Dad,” he inhaled sharply, cutting himself off before sighing in a way that said fuck it, might as well get this over with, “As much as it felt like it did, the world didn’t stop spinning because you… well, we had lives we somehow wanted to continue living. We all have lives and stories now, and this is Scott’s story to tell.”

Jeff was getting misty-eyed again. Back when he was just a kid, Virgil couldn’t keep a secret to save his life, mainly in part due to his insomnia-related issues (Jeff has to wonder if he still has them, more problems for the future) and general lack of filter because of sleep-deprivation. Now Jeff knew there was a starch difference between a kid who couldn’t keep his mouth shut and a man who genuinely knew how to respect another man’s privacy, but…

It just hammers home how much he’s missed with his boys. Gulping, Jeff made a mental note to talk with his mom about certain things he’s missed. She’ll know a lot more than he would, “Okay, Virge. Thank you, for stepping up there.”

Virgil’s shoulders relaxed at Jeff’s words, as well as his father’s hand patting him on the shoulder, “Thanks, Dad. Just… go easy on him. I know it’s a little late for this but none of us ever properly talked about things. It was very unhealthy, deep down we all knew that, but…”

“You just couldn’t get the proper emotions out?” Jeff finished for his son. At Virgil’s soft nod, Jeff exhaled, “I’m not going to say that it was a smart decision, but we’re all here now. We can move forward with this.” Jeff squeezed where his hand laid.

Virgil blinked before curtly going, “Yeah. Goodnight, Dad. Take care of Scott.”

Virgil stepped around his father and walked to where his bedroom most definitely was not, but Jeff could deal with that in a little bit. He had another son who he was pretty sure just had a violent PTSD attack of some kind, plus, Virgil seemed to sour at something Jeff said. The ex-astronaut wasn’t sure what it was, so he didn’t chase after him out of worry that--

Wait.

We’re all here now.

Dammit, Jeff. Out of all the sentences you could’ve picked...

Alrighty, just add that to the ever-growing pile of things that need to be talked about later. No biggie. Jeff found himself sighing and rubbing the back of his neck much like Virgil did a few minutes ago. Turning around, he was met with the bathroom door once more. Shaking his head, Jeff slowly crept into the room and saw that not much was different, especially with Scott.

His heart softly cracked, but, again, he can deal with it later.

Sitting down on the ground and grimacing at the way his body ached (was gravity always this rough?), Jeff leaned against the floor cabinets about 2-3 feet away from Scott, who made himself into a nice comfortable ball in the corner next to the toilet, his palm smushed against his forehead. Jeff waited a few seconds. Then minutes. Then he realized he would have to be the one to initiate the conversation. He probably should’ve realized that right when he came back in. He opened his mouth, but his wasn’t the one that words came out of.

“It was… Zambia.”

Jeff’s heart stopped and his mouth snapped shut. He couldn’t stop the way his eyes clearly showed his panic, but hopefully, he guiltily thought, Scott was a little too doped up to not realize it, “Scotty, what do you mean?”

Scott shrugged in a way that spoke he thought what he was admitting wasn’t a big deal. Yep, clearly not with it, “Mission went bad… caught for a couple of weeks.”

Jeff was hoping his first fuck back on Earth, spoken to himself like right now or otherwise, would have been a comedic thing, but the way nausea rose in his throat said this was anything but funny.

Scott wanted to be in the Air Force. Badly. Who was a father to deny his son’s want to be part of such a noble cause? He gave him tips, took him to meet friends in high places, sometimes even sparred with him when he turned 18, but then Jeff was suddenly thousands of miles away with no hope of ever having the chance of sparring with his eldest again. Despite it, Jeff hoped Scott went on to become the best pilot the world has ever seen.

Part of this looks like he did, but at what cost?

As much as it felt like it did, the world didn’t stop spinning because you… well, we had lives we somehow wanted to continue living.

Aw hell, “Jesus, Scott…” Jeff couldn’t tell if it was the brashness or the lack of a nickname that made Scott flinch and he hated it. He immediately softened his tone and brought his 27-year-old child into his arms, “Shh, shh, we’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out.”

Like father like son, old habits die hard, and as easy as it was to still be able to comfort his children, Scott seemed to just as easily take it as he used to 8 years ago, “Alan doesn’t deserve this kind of hell, God, he’s barely not a kid anymore! Why--”

Jeff tightened his hold to keep his son in reality, and because he didn’t like the tone behind those words, “Hey, you didn’t either--”

Scott somehow managed to fling himself out of the hug, focus incredibly on point for someone who was doped up to his eyelids five seconds ago, “But I fucked up! I made the wrong call and then suddenly Arnold was dead and he had a wife and kids-- shit, what the hell did I do?”

Okay.

First of all: way to put him back in that headspace when that’s the exact opposite you were going for, Jeff, father of the year. Second: dammit. Just… dammit. This was a big fat hand grenade in a giant handbasket that they didn’t have time to gently get out while simultaneously not yanking the pin clean off with the grace of a drunk elephant. Jeff was no stranger to Survivor’s Guilt, but there was a whole untapped pile of metaphorical C4 within his son’s head that was ready for someone to push the goddamn button.

He wanted it to be him, desperately, because it sounded like he already failed his family enough, it was all he could do at this point, but he absolutely hated that he couldn’t do it right now. This was going to take a lot of time, which they didn’t have, plus, Jeff thought he had a pretty good understanding of this new Scott and the rest of his kids. Jeff was aware that if he didn’t help his sons find their baby as fast as possible over everything else it’ll lead to a fate nobody wanted.

A shaky sigh, “Okay, Scotty, let’s get you to bed. We’ll talk strategy in the morning.”

Scott simply nodded as his father flung Scott’s arm around his broader shoulders and picked him up. Slowly and painfully but surely, father and son meandered their way to Scott’s room. With a thump a little harder than Jeff wanted, Scott flopped down on top of his sheets and immediately started snoring. Despite everything that just happened, the father couldn’t help but grin at the sight. Well, there was another thing Jeff gracefully passed onto his son.

Jeff only took Scott’s shoes off. He would’ve loved to pull the sheets up around him too, but the father didn’t want to take any chances at waking him up. Slowly tip-toeing out of the room, Jeff gave one last glance back at his son before finally letting him be and gently shutting the door. He had three other sons he needed to console, but his tired joints told him to selfishly take a moment for himself for right now unless he wanted to collapse and give his family more to deal with.

Jeff eventually made his way to his room-- which was sadly unkempt, he noticed-- and sat down on the edge of his unfamiliar bed to think.

He’ll figure something out. If he had to crawl through images of his son being brutally and bloodily tortured then by God he would with the fury of a thousand suns.

He was back and he wasn’t going to throw away any second or even third chance he was given.

---

“I got him.”

Virgil turned his comms back on, and with it, Scott’s heart restarted for the first time in a few weeks. Taking a moment for a breather, Scott leaned against the wall while practically wheezing. They have him back, holy shit, they have him back. Scott vaguely heard Gordon cry in pure relief and joy. He saw John’s side of the comms flutter for a bit before a bright flash happened. Blinking away the white spots, Scott looked at his wrist to see a fully detailed map of the compound.

Gordon spoke what they were all thinking, “Woohoo! First Allie comes back, then Johnny-boy gets us a free ticket out of here! We’re winning this race, baby!”

A very loud moment of silence. John cleared his throat, “Actually, I was going to say glad to see you in one piece, you little shit,” a playful gasp came from Virgil’s side. It was too high pitched to be from the pianist’s mouth. Scott chuckled, but the paranoid part of his brain said John wasn’t done. His brain was right, ‘“But guys… that wasn’t me. Or EOS. We still haven’t found a way to get past the metal they made these walls out of.”

That silence was even more deafening than the last, and before Virgil could utter out his typical what the fuck, a small logo appeared at the corner of their new map. One that was all too familiar. The Chaos Crew wasn’t the only one who could brand their awful deeds.

Son of a bitch.

Virgil’s order over the radio was meant for Alan, but Scott couldn’t help but listen to it too.

“Shit, Alan, you need to run.”

Making quick work of the compound once more, Scott, while booking it even quicker than last time, opened a private line between him and Gordon, “Hey, how would you feel if I said go help Virgil while I cover Alan?”

The first response was stuttering, which Scott expected, but then it was followed up by something completely out of left field for Gordon, “... Okay, just as long as you promise to bring Alan back in one piece.”

Part of Scott wanted to console Gordon, another was questioning why Gordon was so quick to give up, another wanted to say of course, I will, idiot, but the first part that made itself verbal was easy, “You know I will, buddy.”

Scott could physically picture Gordon’s tiny, little, somber nod clear as day, “Sounds good, captain. See you on the other side.”

With a click, Scott was back on the group comm. Suddenly remembering what exactly his job was, he pulled out the map so graciously given to them by The Hood. Looking at all the dots, one was heading towards a prone one (oh if that asshole did anything to Virgil…) while another one was heading right for Scott himself. Actually, in just a few seconds, right as Scott rounded the corner he would--

“Woah, look out there, Tigger!”

Yes, you heard that correctly: not tiger, Tigger. Tigger hadn’t been used since Alan was itty bitty. It always seemed like the kid had endless energy with the way he wouldn’t stop bounding off the walls and furniture. Even as a baby, Lucy had to sit with him for a few hours while he slept in his crib to make sure he would stay there. In fact, their mother gave Alan that nickname herself. She was quite the Winnie the Pooh fan, and the rest of the family figured it would be one of the ways they could keep her legacy alive for the tiny potato.

Wrapping his arms around said flailing potato, albeit much bigger than a baby, Scott thought he would collapse then and there. Alan was here, in his arms, and yeah, the sight of his dirty and somewhat ripped up IR uniform made him mad, but Scott, for once in his life, decided to focus on the here-and-now, aka his precious, alive little brother, who finally stopped struggling at the realization that hey, the person holding you is a good guy, time to turn off fight mode.

Smushing their foreheads together as much as possible, Scott desperately fought to keep the waterworks back, a smile from ear to ear hopefully taking whatever energy his tear ducts had, “You are getting such an ass beating when we get home, little bro.”

Alan jumped back with a look of What the hell?! What did I do now?!

Scott simply rolled his eyes, “Really? “Not important”? You graduated high school, tiny dude! That’s huge! You remember Gordon’s party, right?”

Alan’s mouth gaped before he closed it with slightly puffy cheeks. Those same cheeks tinged with a small blush. Alan wasn’t exactly expecting to be smothered so soon (well, he did cry his eyes out on Virgil’s shoulder, but that was different!). Shaking it off, Alan moved his hands rhythmically and rapidly, To be fair, we weren’t sure he was going to get one for a while.

Scott faltered a little bit at the ASL. Darn, he should’ve seen Alan’s lack of talking from a mile away. Scott carefully hid his disappointment from Alan. Lord knew what the kid would take it as, “Yeah, that’s what he got for barely making it. Imagine what you’re going to get!”

Scott assumed his semi-fake charm worked, as Alan seemed to play along without any kind of suspicion, Oh yeah. Fair enough.

This kid, man.

Then, slow clapping came from a dark corner, making Scott’s heart leap out of his throat as well as push Alan behind himself. Glaring as much as he could towards the invisible evil-doer, Scott didn’t have to think twice, “Alan, take my map and find Virgil and Gordon.”

The youngest looked like he was going to object.

“Go.”

He no longer did. Good.

Listening to the field commander’s orders, Scott felt his wristband slip off his wrist and a warm body leave his vicinity. An inhale. Also good. An exhale, followed by an even darker glare, “What more do you want?”

Short and straight-to-the-point and angry, two things Scott typically wasn’t. Regardless, like a cold gust of wind, footsteps started approaching him from the shadow. Once Scott saw the outline of a body, he tensed even more. Virgil would snap at him for clenching his jaw so much.

A dark chuckle reminded him of what was important. The voice that spoke reminded him of something completely different, “Now then, brother, let’s not be rude to each other!”

Scott’s pupils shrunk at the familiar sight of Gordon stepping towards him. Except it wasn’t Gordon, because Scott knew that Gordon knew better. He also knew Gordon didn’t cheekily smile like that, even after a prank, nor did he walk that straight. He always had a funny walk after WASP, and Gordon wore that fact like a badge of honor.

Oh no, Scott definitely knew who this was, “What the hell are you playing at?”

Fake-Gordon rolled his eyes, like it wasn’t obvious, “I mean if we want to go that route, why did kid insist you being in the military was the coolest thing he’d ever heard you do? Maybe I wouldn’t have been pressured into joining a branch myself in the end.”

Scott’s nostrils flared, and by God, his pupils might have actually slitted like a snake’s, or possibly even a dragon’s, “Excuse me?”

Scott blinked, and suddenly he was met by not-Virgil, “Plus, why was our conclusion after hearing a three-year-old wanting to see snow to go to a ski resort? It had to have been those big, selfish, beady eyes, right?”

“C’mon, Scotty, we gotta give you some kind of calming exercise. There’s going to come a time when neither me or John are going to be there.”

“Hmm… does yoga work?”

A snort, “Well, that’s not too bad of an idea. Maybe the person pissing you off will stop whatever they’re doing at the sight of you spontaneously doing downward dog.”

Laughter, an unfamiliar action, “Yeah, okay, but for real, those breathing exercises I’ve seen you do look okay. Let’s start there.”

Scott was not a liar by heart. He had to admit that those exercises were doing jack shit right about now.

Another blink, another brother. Familiar ginger hair was all Scott could see, “To continue that previous point, why did Dad start International Rescue again? And what led to his demise?”

“Sounds like a piece of work. Why do you keep dealing with these people again?”

“Someone has to pay the bills, Johnny. Grandma’s too focused on making the perfect poison for us.”

A roll of eyes, “Right, because the billions we have saved wouldn’t be enough to last a couple of families a few lifetimes. Glad to see your calming exercises are working at least. How’s that going for you, by the way?”

A pause. A flicker of vision around the room. Someone cleared their throat, probably himself, “It’s probably not as bad as whatever space is throwing at you. You handling it okay up there?”

Another pause, followed by a sigh, “Well, since you asked so nicely…”

Scott wanted to deflect the truth so badly right now more than anything else. Telling him he couldn’t pilot ‘One anymore would be a much more enticing option than what he was hearing.

Suddenly, Scott was looking in a mirror, “Besides, I know more than anybody that he wasn’t wanted. A mistake. I thought we Tracys hated being imperfect?”

The Hood must have known their backstories from internet articles, and being the mastermind he was, it probably took him all of three seconds to see Alan had some hidden self-worth issues. By playing the biggest Guess Who? game of all time, The Hood was most likely able to figure out some less-than-positive ideals Alan thought about himself throughout his childhood and danced circles around his already weakened mind to string together some spineless blame to put on the kid by sheer evilness alone.

Knowing his kid brother, it worked.

Scott wasn’t thinking straight-- maybe even at all when the first punch was thrown.

Just like that, Scott blacked out and was running on terminator mode. John would be disappointed. Virgil would be horrified. Gordon might find it funny. Alan wasn’t here, and thank God for that. Scott wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing. All his mind was telling him was make lots of pain hard and fast. His brain also blocked out any hit The Hood was giving him in return. Pain flared for a few seconds, then it was swept away in the puddle of rage his mind was currently being consumed in.

Soon, his out-of-it mind found its target and gripped his-- The Hood’s arm, no disguise would make him have an identity crisis, thank you very much-- nice and rough.

Scott heard the familiar snap of cartilage and felt only partially bad. If he was thinking more clearly, he would be disgusted with himself. Yes, even The Hood didn’t deserve this level of Scott’s fury. Oh, he definitely deserved to be hit by a truck, but not by Scott. It was mostly due to Scott’s sanity. If he could be this graphic and violent at all, even to the worse possible criminals, that meant he could be that way during other moments, and that was not a territory he wanted to cross into.

Welp, he was here now, and he’ll hate to admit it in the future, but the only thing that brought him out of it was a tiny gasp from a few feet away. Snapping his head up, Scott’s eyes landed squarely on a smaller-than-normal Alan, who was currently clutching his arm to his chest in an emotion Scott didn’t want to figure out at the moment. So much for going and finding Virgil and Gordon.

“Allie, help…” fake him grunted out, only making real Scott growl and tighten his hold (and probably making his case worse). Looking up from the person in his arms, Scott felt his heart split in two at the sight. There was fear and uncertainty in Alan’s blue eyes and boy did it hurt. Scott couldn’t tell if it was because even seeing a potentially-fake Scott being beaten up was bad or if it was because he’d never seen big brother be this brutal, even towards their enemies. Whatever the reason, it involved Scott being the main root of the problem.

Wait, that was The Hood’s plan. Shit… make Scott act past the point of no return in a way that was unfamiliar to Alan so the kid couldn’t be fully sure who was who, and Scott fell right into his trap, hook, line, and sinker.

Fuck.

Bloody well done, Scott, you absolute moron.

Scott faltered a little bit, “A-Alan, I--”

That falter was enough for The Hood to break an arm out of his grip and elbow him in the face. In the brief second of freedom he had, he tried dashing towards Alan, but Scott was too quick for everyone’s good and soon had the imposter back in his arms, both of them struggling in a way that made them look like they were tied into the weirdest knot in existence.

Then, an earthquake struck.

No, literally.

A big shake of the abandoned compound threw the look-a-likes about and subsequently off the platform they were on. The place was old; it didn’t take a lot of weight for that guard rail they made their way over towards while fighting to snap right off. With a yelp, the two of them gripped the edge as much as they could and held on. Crap, I know we talked with Fuse about potentially setting some stuff off, but--

Blinking, Scott saw a familiar mop of blonde hair come into view. Alan was rather panicked, clearly not sure which Scott was the real Scott. Not only that, he had little time to decide which one to save. Goodie, another reason to despise The Hood: not only has he put Alan through weeks of torment, now he’s forcing the kid to decide to either save his oldest brother and biggest hero or his personal torturer.

And Alan won’t know until he picks.

Holy hell, this was getting worse by the second. Hopefully, big brother charm can work its magic and get them the hell out of there.

“Alan, quickly, over here!”

“I can’t hold on for much longer, Alan, hurry!”

The two Scotts glared at one another in the exact same way, not making Alan’s job much easier. Another shake, another slip down the metal cliff, more screams, and Alan looked ready to tear his hair out. Scott watched as the kid looked around rapidly, probably praying for a miracle in the process. Suddenly, the kid jumped when he must have spotted something important. Within the blink of an eye, he was gone and out of their range of visions to retrieve it.

Whatever the hell he noticed better be important, because if just ended up wasting precious time then--

Another shake, probably the last one. Still, it was enough.

Both their grips gave away at the same time, screams identical (God, did he always sound that wimpy?) as they plummeted to their demises. Scott was briefly able to look up to see his brother pop his head over the cliff like a chipmunk again and grab the (albeit broken) arm of The Hood and save him. Dammit, Scott should have expected that, though, that display of anger was uncharacteristic to Alan. Probably terrified him even more than he already was. Fuck, Scott deser--

Suddenly, a rope wrapped itself around Scott’s left arm and stopped his descent. Hard. Hopefully, it was only torn stuff, they didn’t have time to deal with dislocation--

Wait.

Scott wasn’t dead if he could think about these kinds of things.

Blinking, he looked at his arm to see the familiar rope of his grappling hook around his forearm. Moving his eyesight to look past that, he saw the wide, blue eyes of his baby brother struggling to stay on top. The Hood was using his non-broken side to try and climb his way back up to safety. Huh, that’s weird. When did Alan get ahold of that? Scott must have dropped it during his scuffle with--

That’s when it hit Scott.

Alan saved them both.

Alan saved them both.

And it would be all for jack shit if Scott didn’t get his ass up there to help.

Panicking, Scott gripped the rope and started to ascend. He had two working arms and a smother complex to boot; it wasn’t long before he overtook a struggling Hood, who could only use one arm and a weakened brother (that bastard was so lucky Alan had a literal heart of gold).

Flinging his arms over the edge and pulling himself up-- and shrugging off the extra help Alan offered. Save your strength, baby bro-- Scott was in a much calmer search-and-destroy mode. He yanked his evil look-a-like up, turned him on his stomach, pinned him down, and before he could even watch Alan blink, “Sign something.”

There, now he watched Alan blink.

Scott pulled out one of his best ‘big brother’ smiles ever, “Tell me something in ASL. I don’t think The Hood learned that kind of etiquette.”

The body beneath him growled, making Alan jump and Scott tighten not only his hold but his glare. Further prove big brother’s point, why don’t cha? He lost the angry look immediately to grin at Alan once more, who seemed to be slowly getting the picture. With a gulp, the blonde slowly strung together a sentence that Scott had to laugh at, just a little bit.

Damn, could you teach me to fight like that, Scooter?

Nodding his head, Scott had to concede, “Sure. Consider it a graduation present.”

Alan blinked again, and the immense relief that washed over the boy’s shoulders would be enough to banish nightmares for at least a couple of days. Suddenly, The Hood’s disguise blinked out of existence, making both brothers jump that time. Scott didn’t falter in his grip, however. This man was going down right here and now, Scott thought darkly, staring at the prone body beneath his.

Scott saw Alan continue to sign out of the corner of his eye, You know you look like shit, right?

Scott chuckled. Alan was always able to put a smile on his face no matter the circumstances, “Yeah, well, kindred spirits, little bro.”

Scott was probably as pale as Alan was with such lack of sleep and food. Running on what was essentially a prolonged PTSD attack wasn’t healthy in the slightest, and no doubt whatever kind of bruises and scratches The Hood gave him didn’t help, however, seeing hope fill those deep-blue eyes when Alan learned he was truly being saved drowned everything out, including the way those freckles were getting lost in those eye bags.

Yeah, their entire family probably looked like shit, and the recovery process was going to be even shittier, but they were going to suffer through it together as a family would.

That made it all worth it.

Shuffling himself so one arm was free while the other kept The Hood pinned, Scott held it out towards Alan. The flinch the youngest made tore a hole in Scott’s heart that was only slightly patched when Alan leaned into the warmth and safety of his biggest bro. Long recovery process, remember? Regardless, Alan still took to the hug like a dehydrated zebra did a pond, and that was good enough for Scott.

The Hood groaned underneath them.

Yep, good enough.

[justhereforthesherlock]

for a REALLY short summary, how about Camwyn’s:

THE ENTIRE SILMARILLION OF J. R. R. TOLKIEN IN ONE THOUSAND WORDS.

AINULINDALE:

ILUVATAR: Ahem.

AINUR: Wow! Existence!

ILUVATAR: *blows pitch pipe* LA!

AINUR: LA LA LA!

ILUVATAR: LA LA!

AINUR: LA LA!

MELKOR: This sucks. BUM BUM BA DUM!

AINUR: Um. . . la?

ILUVATAR: Ahem. LA!

MELKOR: Boop bop-a-doo-bop!

ILUVATAR: LA, dammit.

MELKOR: Bwam bardle ningle boom.

AINUR: . . .

ILUVATAR: Right, you're out of the band.

MELKOR: Fine, I was leaving anyway.

AINUR: . . .

ILUVATAR: What are you waiting for?

AINUR: Oh. Right. Newly created world. Sorry. Great jam session, big guy!

ILUVATAR: Yeesh.

VALAQUENTA:

MANWE: I'm in charge!

VARDA: I'm Manwe's spouse. And queen of the stars!

NAMO: I do death and fate. They call me Mandos.

VAIRE: I'm Namo's spouse. I weave things.

IRMO: I have gardens. They call me Lorien.

ESTE: I'm Irmo's spouse. I take care of the gardens.

YAVANNA: I make things grow.

NIENNA: I'm sad.

ULMO: I live in the ocean.

AULE: I'm Yavanna's spouse. I've got a great big hammer! I made dwarves.

NESSA: I dance.

OROME: I hunt!

VANA: I'm Orome's spouse. I make living things happy.

TULKAS: I'm strong. I'm Nessa's spouse. I got here last.

MELKOR: I'm bad, momma, I'm ONE BAD MUTHA-

TULKAS: Grar.

MELKOR: Um. Yeah. Hiding now.

QUENTA SILMARILLION:

VALAR: Hey! Ilmaren! Party on the island, everyone!

MELKOR: Bah. Too bright. *builds fortress, kicks over lamps*

VALAR: AUGH! *flee to west*

MELKOR: Hu hu hu.

VALAR: Oooooh SHINY TREES! Yavanna made shiny trees!

YAVANNA: Yep! Aren't they pretty?

MELKOR: Want shiny.

VALAR: Nope.

MELKOR: Why not?

VALAR: Because you're a jerk.

ELVES: Oh hey, stars. Shiny!

MELKOR: Oh hey, breeding stock.

ELVES: AUGH!

UNGOLIANT: Want shiny.

MELKOR: Let's go get shiny.

FEANOR: I've made more shiny!

VALAR: Good, 'cos Melkor took ours. Can we have yours?

FEANOR: No! MY SHINIES! MINE!

VALAR: Aw, !&*()!@&)!(&.

MELKOR: Got the shinies!

UNGOLIANT: Not enough shiny. Want more shiny!

MELKOR: You can't have 'em.

UNGOLIANT: Grar.

MELKOR: Eeek! *runs*

FEANOR AND SONS: We're gettin' our shinies back. And YOU CAN'T HAVE 'EM, Valar!

MELKOR/MORGOTH: No you're not. *stabbity fiery burny death*

BEREN: Ooo! Pretty elf lady!

THINGOL: You can have her if you ... BRING ME A SHINY!

BEREN: Worth a shot.

LUTHIEN: La la la

MORGOTH: Ooo baby... *zzz*

BEREN: Got your shiny!

MORGOTH: you *******! I stole those fair and square!

CARCHAROTH: Grar.

BEREN: Ow!

THINGOL: Got the shiny?

BEREN: 's in my hand.

THINGOL: And?

BEREN: Hand's not here.

THINGOL: ****, I really wanted that shiny.

CARCHAROTH: GRAR!!!!

BEREN: *dies*

LUTHIEN: *dies* La la la.

MANDOS: ... oh all right.

LUTHIEN: *returns to life*

BEREN: *returns to life*

LUTHIEN: Beren! Look! The shiny! In a necklace!

FEANOR'S SONS: *mutter*

LUTHIEN: *dies again*

BEREN: *dies again*

DIOR: Oo, Mom's shiny!

FEANOR'S SONS: WANT SHINY!

DIOR: *dies*

ELWING: Eek! *grabs shiny, runs*

FEANOR'S SONS: !*&(!)&)*!.

EARENDIL: Hey. Nice shiny. Yo! Valar!

VALAR: Well FINALLY. *stomp stomp stomp*

EARENDIL: Wow, planetary orbit!

MORGOTH: Eek!

VALAR: Got your shinies!

MAGLOR AND MAEDHROS: You mean OUR shinies!

VALAR: Oh *!&(!&).

MAGLOR AND MAEDHROS: Ow! Burny shinies!

MAEDHROS: Fine. This sucks. *jumps into chasm*

MAGLOR: Um... not really looking forward to meeting Dad again... *chucks shiny into sea* Bye. *wanders off*

VALAR: Well... um... okay.

AKALLABETH:

VALAR: Thanks for helping with Morgoth, Edain! Have an island! Elros is in charge!

EDAIN: Cool!

VALAR: Don't come looking for us.

EDAIN: Okay.

ELVES OF TOL ERESSEA: Have our stuff!

NUMENOREANS: Neat! Ooo, Middle-Earth!

GIL-GALAD: Dudes. Good to see you.

NUMENOREANS: Yeah, same here. What's going on?

GIL-GALAD: War with Sauron mostly.

MEN OF MIDDLE-EARTH: Shiny tall wonderful wise sea-king dudes! Yay!

NUMENOREANS: Here, have some stuff and wisdom.

MEN OF MIDDLE-EARTH: <3 <3 <3

NUMENOREANS: Life is cool. Why do we have to die?

ELVES: You're human?

NUMENOREANS: Can the Valar fix that?

VALAR: No.

NUMENOREANS: That sucks. Go away.

ELVES: Fine.

ELENDILI: Hey! Over here! We still like you!

MEN OF MIDDLE-EARTH: Gosh, we're lonely.

NUMENOREANS: Whatever, give us your wealth and your children.

MEN OF MIDDLE-EARTH: Um, okay.

ELENDILI: This isn't gonna end well, is it?

ELVES: No.

TAR-PALANTIR: We're sorry?

GIMILKHAD: *I'm* not.

AR-PHARAZON: Thanks for the throne, dude.

TAR-MIRIEL: Hey!

AR-PHARAZON: Shaddap, woman. Sauron, j00 suxx0r! I 0wnz0r j00!

SAURON: Okay.

AR-PHARAZON: Make me immortal.

SAURON: Human sacrifice is good. Also burn that pesky white tree.

AR-PHARAZON: Um. . .

ISILDUR: Hey! White tree! Got your fruit!

SAURON: *makes chicken noises*

AR-PHARAZON: Fine. Tree burn! Fire pretty!

ELENDIL: Isildur, Anarion, get the boats.

AR-PHARAZON: I've got a huge navy! Let's go conquer Valinor!

VALAR: Oh no you don't. *CRASHBANGBOOM*

AR-PHARAZON & CO.: Eeek!

ELENDIL, ISILDUR, ANARION: Wheee!

NUMENOREANS: Arrgh!

NUMENOR: SPLOOSH.

SAURON: Bwa ha ha! Um, where's my body?

ILUVATAR: Did I mention the world is round now?

NUMENOREANS IN EXILE: Well, ****.

OF THE RINGS OF POWER AND THE THIRD AGE:

ELVES: Wonder what's going on over the ocean. This crafting deal is pretty sweet, though!

DWARVES: Yeah, seriously.

ANNATAR: Hi, elves! Wanna learn some cool stuff?

ELVES: Okay!

SAURON: They fell for it.

SEVEN DWARVES: Thanks for the rings! . . oooh, GOLD! MUST HAVE GOLD!

NINE MEN: Neat rings. . . Hey, didn't Mom die like six hundred years ago?

CELEBRIMBOR: Okay, how about we do three more and call it a wrap?

SAURON: How about I do one more and claim them ALL?

ELVES: AUGH!

SAURON: Bwa ha ha!

LAST ALLIANCE OF ELVES AND MEN: Push off.

SAURON: Make me.

ISILDUR: Whack.

SAURON: Ow.

ELROND: Hey, you got his ring. Let's ditch it.

ISILDUR: No.

ELROND: This sucks.

ISILDUR: Tell me about it. *dies*

GONDORIANS: *change calendar*

CIRDAN: Hi, wizards! You in the grey, catch!

SAURON: Okay, that's long enough. Movin' into Dol Guldur.

SARUMAN: It's not him. Also the ring's lost at sea.

RING: No I'm not.

THE WISE: Augh.

THE WEAK: Bad ring! Volcano for you!

RING: *melts*

SAURON: AUGH!

MORDOR: BOOM.

GONDORIANS: *change calendar*

ELROND, GALADRIEL: Road trip!

GANDALF: Hi Cirdan! Still got your ring!

CIRDAN: Cool. Let's go to Valinor!

By the way if you don't have time or mental stamina to actually read and digest the Silmarillion but still want to keep up with the memes and the fandom I recommend this summary youtube series which will take a total of about 5 and a half hours to watch with an average 10-15 minutes per episode. Has all the relevant information from the book and I can vouch for that because I'm currently reading the book right now. And pictures.

[datawesomenessdoe-blog]

TFtCS: Solar Flares

   Annoyed footsteps slowly pound across the creaky, worn-down floor. The boots of an annoyed captain drop. Bump. Bump. Bump. The captain’s weary of her surroundings, eye and head gently swaying back and forth as she peers down through each individual passing corridor and doorway, teeth clenched behind closed lips. Jessie steps side of his leader, the man seemingly a tad worried about the state of his overseer.    “Look, Davy. I know you’re mad and stressed, but calm down a little, would ya?” The scruffled human looks up towards his technical superior, though, his gaze is not returned. Despite this, the agitated woman still bares voice.    “Jessie. You know I’m not the kinda’ person to be peeved very eas’ly, but there’s no way in’all the galaxy tha’she’ll be getting away with ignoring my orders, not now.” Davy’s low-key rampancy results in a grunt, along with her rightmost hand balling up.    The two soon approach the exit once more, near it being the descent to the spaceboat’s bowels. She tightly grasps at the outdated knob, squeezing and twisting her extremity around it, only to force the entrance open. Behind the formerly-closed gateway to Elo’s on-site lab say Melissa, half way up the steps with a shock of surprise, only for it to be buffed by Davy’s downlooking expression.    “He-he, oh l-look, the pirate’s finally ba-”    “Melissa.” The wizard takes a gulp after the deepened voice booms at her, an awkward snicker escaping as she tugged at her robe’s collar.    “Whatever excuse you’ve cooked up, serve it.” The captain’s tone lacked any sort of threat, but seeing Davy angered was quite the rarity, especially to this caliber.    “Davy!” Jessie shouts from behind his employer, grabbing her shoulder in the process. “Calm down! Jev is probably the most qualified to fly the ship anyways, not to mention that everything’s fine!”    The black-hatted woman lets out an audible sigh, index and thumb now rubbing against her forehead.    “...Look, things f’ me have been really stressful lately. A ghost of my past is running rampan’ through the galaxy with powers comparable to a literal god. Now there c’uld be another person with sim’lar… or by the Forerunner, even more power, not to mention that the ship’s engines almos’ went out. I jus’ feel so, well like I’ve got no contro-”    “Wait-what!? What do you mean 'another one'!?” Melissa gawks in awe before snapping back into reality. “I’ve got just the solution!” The captain’s eye open and her head lifts, mouth open in awe.    “W-what!? Show-us!” Melissa charges back down the stairs, her hand fanning back to call the two humans down below. Davy and Jessie rush across the stairwell, the first of them leaping past the final four and landing on both feet. The magician slides over to Elo’s computer and begins furiously typing, digging through the device’s files.    >Open: B-1.Observant: Records    As the two captains step over, the old monitor displays an array of hundreds, maybe even thousands of files, all of which appear in chronological order.    “I managed to crack open that Observant guy’s core and found these.” Melissa’s palm keep hold of the large set of keys despite her lack of typing.    “So you’re tellin’ me...” Davy’s focus is pulled up towards the large screen, eye hypnotized by the array of information. Jessie soon makes his own logical inference, though, Davy’s trance is left unsnapped.    “All Observant units in the Vanguard military had built-in recording software, they were spies after all; my best guess is that the Harbingers did the same.”    A beam of cheer crept onto the captain’s face, laughter leaving her open mouth shortly after. The joy continues, only at this point, Davy reaches over and gives her wizardly comrade a spine-snapping hug; her eyes squinted and raised as the laughter became all the louder, hope returning to the tall woman as both her and the magician spun around. Before releasing Melissa from the godly grasp, Davy uncontrollably plants a fat smooch along the side of her cheek.    “Melissa! Do you know what this means!?” As the smaller female’s released she rubs off the kissed spot with a sleeve.    “We have this guy’s life on record?”    “No! Well, yes, but we c’n find Nemesis!”    “Nemewho?” The purple-dressed female’s left eyebrow raises in confusion, but her question was quickly interrupted by a sudden static-filled shock of sound. Davy taps the pill-shaped communicator that’s made home in her ear.    “Miss Davy! Just what in the world is going on down there!? First everything around the station is literally blinding, now we’re hosting the galaxy’s biggest game of the floor is lava!    Jessie slowly walks over and takes a seat, chin in hand and head tilted down as he assesses his thoughts and theories.    “Guys, do you think this has anything to do with the fact that this is where Brother’s Armament was fractured?”    Jevvin and his punk-rock crewmate Saarah sit comfortably in the bridge, conversing as the dark-skinned man slowly drives them through the fields of metal towards the historical suite. Saarah’s obviously more relaxed than him, her right leg strewn over the chair’s arm.    “So then I told her-” The woman looked down and filed her nails, but was interrupted by a sudden burst of noise from one of the bridge’s external communications monitor.    “Davy! What in bloody blaze- Just who are you two?” Brother appeared along the sheet of message-carrying class, his armor lightly scuffed but nothing really noticeable. Both of the humans jumped out of surprise, their eyes widening at the abrupt introduction of such a high-tier figure.    “Oh! Brother, Sir! We uhh-” The man made attempt to be polite, but was interrupted.    “There’s no time for your unnecessary small talk! Look, we just picked up huge traits of Solar Polarity and it sure as hell wasn’t me! Now get me to Jones IMMEDIATELY!” He was distressed and panicked.    “Uh- Sorry Sir, Captain’s very busy at the moment. May we relay a message?” The godly figure grunted out of annoyance and gripped at his own eye.    “Dammit… Look, tell your captain that whatever your captain just found was ridiculous in scale; we could see it from across the galaxy, even with our very own eyes!”    Jevvin and Saarah both gazed with a sense of dread, the woman soon throwing open and running through the bridge’s door. Jev, on the other hand, forced the steering wheel forward, letting the ship carelessly bump into and push away at the hundreds of car-sized metal chunks instead of avoiding them. Saarah sprints towards the basement door, the rest of the crew oddly peering at her in confusion as she passes. The door slams open, letting the sounds of debate escape from the Homebound’s bowels.    “Captain!” The thin woman shouted into the open room.    “We need you in the bridge, NOW.”

[solarwindandcosmicash]

priority: eden prime (part ii)

Absent: Kate’s player

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The party learns that in order to dismantle the time loops, they will need three artifacts, not two. They eventually find the third in Holosmea’s bag, though not without setting off another time loop first, and manage to get all three to the second artifact room, where Falavi deactivates them after some time. The party had been forced to defend her from raiders while she did so. Upon reaching the entrance of the temple, they discover a gunship with the white wings of the rebel group attacking the researcher’s site; with help from Tris and Isolde, the party takes the ship down and returns to the Apricity’s decks.

operation: all that glitters

It turns out that Holosmea had stumbled upon the third artifact on Thessia, which compelled zem to go to the temple on Eden Prime; time began looping upon zir entry, though ze fell unconscious soon afterwards. Ze has almost no recollection of the events apart from hearing a voice telling zem where to go, and it is with no small relief that ze, Sihhum, and Beetle are reunited safely once again. Holosmea leaves with renewed determination to finished zir sculpture and with Sihhum, requesting that Beetle call more often and even visit them on the Citadel, if at all possible.

summary

Having just defeated a krogan and salarian, the party debates between returning to the body room before the fire set by Vasir’s Incinerate consumes the people within or pushing forward to the room with the second artifact. Falavi urges the party to keep going, threatening to carry on alone if she has to; though the party reluctantly agrees to stick with her, she earns Beetle’s ire for her disregard for her partner Holosmea’s life, as ze is in the body room. When the party arrives at the second artifact room, however, Falavi’s attempt to contain the artifact fails and she is manages to shout that the party needs one more artifact before the room explodes - causing time to loop once again.

This time, the party doesn’t make the mistake of not fetching Holosmea and placing her in the harness Vasir made for this express purpose - except Beetle checks over Holosmea and discovers there is something in zir bag. Opening the bag reveals a bright blue light that soon explodes - and time loops again. After a long discussion on next steps, the party fetches Falavi before getting Holosmea. Falavi points out they could leave the artifact in Holosmea’s bag, and once ze is secured to Phos’s back via partner harness, the party sets off to get the first artifact.

Falavi manages to get into the first artifact room using a Singularity to keep the raiders away, though Vekar has to use Cryo Blast to keep one of the raiders from opening fire on her. It takes the party a bit to make their way to the second artifact room, as Phos recalled incorrect directions at first, but once they have, Falavi carefully removes the first artifact from Holosmea’s bag and sets to work on dismantling all three artifacts. She warns them that the raiders they had left behind would likely be in pursuit, and the party sets up in the room beyond hers in preparation for defense.

After a tough battle, Falavi rejoins the party with the now-inert artifacts; the time loop was broken, and after some discussion, they all head outside. There they find Liara T’Soni surrounded by dead raiders, presumably killed by her hand, and a gunship that is protected by a biotic barrier. Liara informs them they will need to whittle down the barrier before they can take out the ship, but fortunately, Aster arrives with backup - in the form of the Apricity’s shuttle with Tris and Isolde, who together manage to propel Isolde into the gunship itself and sabotage it from within.

Once the gunship has crashed and exploded, Liara thanks the party for their help and sends them on their way.

notable lines + interactions

DM: Okay, so just to recap, last time - uhhhh. Not last time. Two times ago, when you were on Eden Prime - Beetle, OOC: Last week, on Supernatural. DM: No, it wasn’t last week, come on. Phos, OOC: It was like four weeks ago. DM: It was like four weeks ago. Beetle, OOC: Fuck, you’re right.

Phos, OOC and despairing: What’s a character voice?

Phos: So Beetle? What are you thinking. No discrimination this time, please. Beetle: [laughter]

Phos: Okay, so like, it exploded, went boom, we died, super-duper.

Phos: [suggests splitting up the party] DM, amused: Every single damn time.

in discord: Vekar: first rule of dnd

Phos, OOC: I’m gonna roll a perception check. DM: Sure, go right ahead. Phos, OOC: [sounds of a spoon hitting the table] Ah, my heebie-jeebies.

DM: I’m not going to say T-pose, but something like that, you know, like floating up in the air, like some exorcist shit. Beetle, OOC: Oh, fuck, she’s possessed!

Phos: This is good. This is fine. I’m good. Beetle: Okay. I’m just gonna go fuck myself.

Beetle, OOC: No! I lost Little Beetle! DM: You did lose Little Beetle. Beetle, OOC: How could you do this to me? Beetle’s turning out her pockets and she’s like, “No, I lost Little Beetle’s remains!” DM: Oh, god. Vasir: The same mercs are going to be here again, so you can loot her again. Okay, Beetle? Beetle: ... Fine.

Beetle, OOC: Beetle, like, pats zem down, says something like, “I’m really glad you didn’t die in the fire!” DM: Roll a perception check for me, Beetle. Beetle, OOC: Oh, fuck.

Vasir: You know, Phos, I wish I was a krogan, so I could get drunk on ryncol after this. Phos: I can hook you up with something even - as - that you can ingest through a straw that’ll do the same. I’ll hook you up. Beetle: Count me the fuck in on this.

DM: You arrive in the room and find Falavi unconscious, and... yep. That’s where you’re at. Phos, OOC: I slap her. DM: She does not wake up. Vekar, OOC: Slap her harder! Phos, OOC: I slap her again. DM: She does not wake up. Vekar, OOC: Dammit. I give her some medi-gel.

DM: There’re so many technical notes. I don’t know where it is. Vasir, OOC: Use control F. DM, haltingly: No. [pause] I live life on the edge. Vasir, OOC: Okay.

Phos: Okay, we died again. Because we found the third orb, and we didn’t have you with us, so we died, kaboom, okay, and now we know where all three of them are.

Falavi: ... Although I suppose we could just take the bag and be okay. Beetle: Hm. Idea! Vetoed.

Vekar, OOC: Phos, put Holosmea in your inventory. Beetle, OOC: Hm? DM, between laughs: Put Phos - put - put Holosmea in your inventory. Beetle, OOC: OH. Phos, OOC: Yeah, she’s in my - she’s in my inventory under equipment.

Beetle: You think I know shit about goddamn? Me?

Beetle, OOC: Beetle gives Falavi a thumbs up and then turns back to the rest of the team and shakes her head a little.

Falavi: Do you remember the way to the second room? Phos: Yes. Krogans have - have good memory. [OOC] I have it written down. DM: Oh, I am so tempted to take that away from you. - But I won’t.

in discord Beetle: heres my rendition of those directions: LLLRRLRLRLLLRLRLRLRLRLRLRRLaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Vekar: the directions: THe konami code Vasir: up up down down B A left right Vekar: ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA

Falavi: I guess the fastest way to restart would be to let this blow up. Beetle, instantaneously: Awesome! Take me out!

Vasir, OOC: I’m not Sonic, I don’t have rings, but I’m gonna go fast!

Phos, OOC: I’m gonna be fucked if I fail this. DM: You are gonna be fucked. Vekar, OOC: We’re all gonna be fucked.

Vasir, OOC: Everyone but Phos is fine. DM: No - Beetle, OOC: Yeah, like, everyone is slipping by, and then Phos appears in the doorway. DM: No, actually.

Vekar, OOC: We’re fucked.

Beetle, OOC: Fuck me! I got a 21, what is your damage? DM: He rolled a nat 20 plus 2, so... Beetle, OOC: I wasted a good roll for nothing!

DM: Right, so you do 6 damage to this lovely, lovely... god, was it the salarian?

Beetle, OOC: This krogan is real nimble.

DM: I’m just gonna say he’s going to go after Beetle again, because Beetle is proving to be very slippery. Beetle, OOC: Oh, I’m like an eel.

Phos: Nice! Beetle: Thanks for the support. It’s the little people who brought me here today. DM: Goddammit.

Vasir, OOC: This krogan went to Cirque du Soleil.

DM: He takes out his omni-tool. He’s gonna try to hit you with something. Beetle, OOC: Alright. Come at me. DM: He will, actually. He rolled well. Beetle, OOC: My bluff has been called. Vekar, OOC: Coming at you, this boy.

DM: And Beetle, it’s your turn. Vasir, OOC: Finish him! DM: Goddammit.

DM: God, I don’t know, your aim gets jostled or something, and that’s the end of your turn. The Cold Shoulder has failed you once again. Phos, OOC: Oh, alas. ‘Twas not meant to be. Beetle, OOC: Yeah, it’s cool, it’s fine. - I’m selling this.

DM: And - she crit. Beetle, OOC: Thanks for carrying us, Kate.

in discord Vekar: Kate Karries for days

Phos, OOC: Yeah, I didn’t want to yell it out to the whole team, because then the [krogan soldier] might do what he just did. Which is, uh - Vekar, OOC: Fortification. Alright.

DM: And [the krogan soldier]’s frozen solid. Phos, OOC: Oh, cool, now we can book it. Beetle, OOC: It would be really cool if I could use the Cold Shoulder right now, but it failed me, so that’s fine. DM: Everything is fine.

Vekar: Okay, so now do we kill them? DM: That’s up to you. Phos: Let’s just go. Beetle: Kill them, let’s go.

Beetle: Don’t call my partner a ticking time bomb, but also yeah, that’s - Phos: Let’s just go, let’s go, let’s go. Beetle: Let’s go.

Falavi: Everyone move back. DM: And she’s gonna roll for it. [pause] Hmm. Phos, OOC: That’s not a good hum. That’s not a good sound. Beetle, OOC: I’m gonna moonwalk back.

DM: Alright. Falavi lifts up the, uh - the lid. Not the lid. The top of the bag, basically - Vasir, OOC: Flap. DM: Yes, flap. Thank you. Beetle, OOC: The lid of the bag. DM: Listen. Beetle, OOC: She unscrews the jar. DM: Listen now.

Falavi: I’m not sure if I can handle all three orbs at once. Beetle: It’s fine. Just juggle them. DM: She gives you a flat look at that.

DM: Okay, so - Falavi reaches out a hand to touch the third orb. And, you know, it’s very suspenseful, because the last time she did this you all fucking died.

Beetle: I would prefer no to die again - that’s just a preference, if you’d keep that in mind - Phos, distantly: Same. Beetle: So with that in mind, I would prefer not to have a firefight in the same room as you and your weird prothean game of operation. Falavi, sarcastically: Thanks.

Vekar, OOC: That’s a 4 minus 4 so - 0? DM: Oh, god. Vasir, OOC: Oh, jeez. Vekar, OOC: Leave me behind, boys!

Beetle: Here’s my hot take on this situation: it’s bad. This sucks. I hate time. [pause] That’s it.

Beetle, OOC: Time is a fake friend.

in discord Vekar: [Beetle’s player] post that picture of discord multi messaging my thing about time Beetle: u got it Beetle: [posts this]

Vekar: A GOOD LONG TIME

DM: Do you activate tech armor? Vekar, decisively: No. DM: Oh, shit. Living life on the edge.

Phos: [dodges an attack]

in discord Vekar: krogan the soleil combat rolls

Phos, OOC: How close are the people in front of me? DM: ... Do you want to charge. Phos, OOC: Yeeeeeeeah. DM: Go for it.

Vekar, OOC: I rolled a 4 plus 2 plus 1, so 7 damage. DM: Yeah, the human’s looking quite, uh - really bad. Not looking good, uh, wow. Phos, OOC: Oh, dear. DM: Do you do anything else? Vekar: Get fucked, buddy. DM: Classic. Do you do anything else? Vekar, OOC: No. Phos, OOC: He dabs. Party: [startled laughter] DM: That does seem to be something Vekar does.

in discord Phos: [Vekar’s player] I sometimes can't take your icon seriously in this situation Phos: captain america staring at me Vekar: Good Vasir: what about mine though Vasir: :wink: Phos: it’s also bad Vasir: cap and falcon here to dnd

Vasir, OOC: I’m just gonna shoot the human with my pistol. DM: Because that has worked so well for you historically. Okay, go for it. Vasir, OOC: It’s not like anything else has ever worked - DM, very apologetic: I’m just kidding! I’m just kidding - Vasir, OOC: Not even my talents, so - DM, still very apologetic: I’m sorry. You need to get a better gun. Vekar: Don’t worry, Vasir, things will turn around for you. Vasir, OOC: No, the numbers aren’t on my side, it’s not my gun. DM: Roll 1d20 - Beetle: Look, we’re professionals. We do good things, sometimes.

Vasir, OOC: And the human’s dead now. Phos, OOC: Pretty dead-o.

Beetle, OOC: [types out ‘20 + 2 = 20′] DM: That’s 22. Beetle, OOC: Wait, no. Math bad. Vasir, OOC: Math is hard. Beetle, OOC: Math bad. Math hurt.

DM: This is actually hilarious because you’re cloaked, so you do double damage, but you also got a crit, so you also do double damage. So you’re doing - quadruple damage with a headshot. So roll 3d6. Beetle, OOC: Um. I got an 11. DM: Party: DM: Okay. Beetle, OOC: [hysterical laughter] DM: This is after the krogan was charged by Phos, like, dude. This is overkill.

DM: Hold on. Do you say anything cool as you do this? - You’re cloaked, by the way. No one can see you. Beetle: You don’t see me, now you do. DM: Um, you say that, you shoot the krogan twice, once in the shoulder where Phos has pointed out the crack, and it kind of breaks it open. The other shot goes straight through his eye, and he just collapses. He doesn’t even hear you say this, because he’s already dead. Beetle, OOC: [laughter] DM: You take both shots and you say that, but he’s already dead. No one hears this, no one hears this except - actually, I don’t think anyone is near you, so no one hears this except you. Beetle: It’s just for the drama of it all!

in discord Vekar: we all hear a whisper Vekar: it gives us confidence but also exasperates us

DM: We don’t have bardic inspiration. Chill.

Beetle: I just said something really cool! DM: Kate gives you a thumbs-up. Beetle, OOC: Beetle dabs.

DM: That is the end of [Beetle’s] turn, thank god. Party: [laughter] DM: Uh... okay. Yeah. Someone comes running in. They trip your grenade, of course. Roll 5d6. Beetle, OOC: Right.

DM: I’m gonna roll for the sniper. - Hmm. Beetle, OOC: Just take me out.

in discord Vasir: [posts this]

Beetle: I’ve had a good run - I’ve had a good run, everybody. Just take me out now while I’m at my peak.

Beetle, OOC: I’m almost dead. DM, singsong: Maybe someone should do something about that.

Phos, OOC: I think I’m gonna move down the hallway to find the sniper. DM, quietly: Are you sure? Beetle, OOC: Snipers aren’t trained in melee combat, you can take them. Vasir, OOC: Are you sure you should adopt a drell’s philosophy here? Phos, OOC: Uhh... Yeah, I’m doing it. DM: You’re sure. Phos, OOC: Gonna use my - you’re really making me doubt this! DM: Are you sure. Phos, OOC and with finality: Yes. DM: Alright. How far do you go?

DM: You see five people approaching. Phos, OOC: Oh, jeebus.

in discord Beetle: this is unrealistic because a sniper main wouldnt have that many friends

DM, tired: So you’re lowkey choking her and holding her up in front of you.

Vasir, OOC: I got a 10. I suppose that’s not high enough to notice much of anything. DM: It’s an asari biotic. Vasir, OOC: Is that enough to know if her outfit is vaguely science-y? DM: ... It’s an asari biotic. Phos, OOC: Oooh. Vasir, OOC: Okay. DM: She’s got the wings on her shoulder. Beetle: Oh, alright. Well. Kill her.

Phos: Uh, well, I’m holding an asari by the throat, the sniper, and I’ve got some people in front of me, and some help would be appreciated. Beetle: ... Wow! Five people, that’s a lot of people, Phos. Phos: I know! They’ve been shooting at me. Help me!

in discord Vekar: sends the helps DM: all the helps Phos: plz halp, they go pew pew

Phos, OOC: [sneezes] [pause] DM: Was that a sneeze? Bless you? Phos, OOC: Yes, it was. DM: Bless you, then.

Beetle: Back up, everybody! I’ve got another grenade, and I’m not afraid to use it on the likes of you - [OOC] or something. DM: Or something. Beetle, OOC: Or something.

DM: And he sees you, Beetle, just standing there, and he’s going to roll real quick. Beetle, OOC: Please, no steppy.

DM: The next thing you know, Beetle, you are thrown clear - he’s charged you. Beetle: I’m dead! I’m dead! DM: Now hold on, hold on. Beetle, OOC: Okay. DM: So you’re thrown clear and you’re prone, and you take 7 points of damage. Beetle, OOC: I’m not dead! But I’m dead!

in discord Vasir:

Beetle, OOC: I’m not dead, don’t worry. I’m just being dramatic.

Beetle, one minute later, OOC: Wait, I just recalculated, I am dead. I am doing death saving throws. This is real-life TV.

Beetle, OOC: I go towards the white light. DM: Beetle is lying, like, eagle-spread, completely conked out, next to the asari biotic, who - oh, shit. Well, I would say she would have shot at you, but it’s too late now.

Vekar, OOC: 16. DM: Alright. Beetle, take 16 points of health. Vasir, OOC: You’re alive! Beetle, OOC: I rise. Vasir, OOC: I can just see Beetle waking up and just screaming this, like - Beetle, OOC: Yeah, she just opens her eyes and says, “I rise. I rise again!”

DM: It’s not their turn. Or his turn, rather. Phos, OOC: Gender-neutral mercenary. Beetle, OOC: I support them.

Beetle, OOC: I’m alive! And ready to kick ass again! DM: You’re still prone, but yes. Phos, OOC: Mood. Beetle, OOC: I can still kick ass no matter what position I’m in. Vasir, OOC: Yeah! There’re martial arts for that.

Beetle, OOC: Just rest up with your new orbs. Falavi: Uh, what. Beetle, OOC: Just rest up with your orbs! Falavi: ... ‘K.

DM: Vasir, I didn’t skip your turn, did I? Phos, OOC: I think you did. Beetle, OOC: I think you replaced Kate with Vasir. DM: No, Kate comes after Vasir, which means I didn’t notice, which is dumb as shit.

Vasir, OOC: Finally, I can cook someone! DM: Uh, okay. [Incinerate] has never hit, so I’ve never actually had to do damage for one. Let’s see. Phos, OOC: Oh my god. Vasir, OOC: I’ll look up the goddamn thing. DM: No, don’t. Vasir, OOC: Don’t rub it in. DM: Don’t. Um. You got a 9? Then that’d be... 5d4, let’s say. [pause] That is so much damage. That is so much fucking damage. Go for it. Beetle, OOC: [laughter] Phos, OOC: Well, this has been a moment long time coming.

Vasir, OOC: God. Charbroiled is right.

in discord Vekar: this fucker is getting ROASTED

Beetle, OOC: Sizzle it up with Vasir. DM: No Adventure Zone. Get that shit out of here. Beetle, OOC: You’ll have to kill me first. DM: I did. Beetle, OOC: Yeah, you did, and look what happened. I came back.

Beetle, OOC: I’d recommend using organic, free-range mercs, but if you can’t get those, then store-bought is fine. Vasir, OOC: Listen, that’s Beetle’s cooking show. Vasir is doing fine. Beetle, OOC: Well, yes, but Beetle’s just providing commentary from the floor. Vasir, OOC: Okay, fair, yeah.

Vasir, OOC: At least I’m in a suit and I don’t have to smell burning human. DM: You have to see it, though. Vasir, OOC: Well, yeah. Vekar, OOC: Considering how much damage the human took, I think Vasir’s stoked. Phos, OOC: Oh, jeez. Vasir, OOC: Eh. Beetle, OOC: I get it. ‘Stoked’. DM: I was just about to say that, oh my god. Vasir, OOC: You and your puns.

DM: Okay, let’s move on to the next person, which I believe is Vasir. Beetle, OOC: Yes. Phos, OOC: Yep. DM: Your time is now. Beetle, OOC: Your time is now. Go, with my blessing. Vasir, OOC: You say that, and the John Cena theme comes to mind. DM, aggressively: Your time is now! Phos, Vasir, and Beetle, OOC: [start humming the theme]

Vasir, OOC: Alright. Beetle, OOC: Yeet. Phos, OOC: Yeet. Beetle, OOC: Yeet. Vekar, OOC: Yeet!

Phos: [collapses] Vasir: Vekar, I think that’s your cue. Beetle: Hey, I died already, and you know what? I understand. Vasir: Do you want help getting up, Beetle? Beetle: Do you see how muscular I am? DM: No. Vekar: Yes.

Beetle, OOC: People are like “go help Phos up,” and Beetle’s just lying there on the floor. DM: The floor is good rolls with the Cold Shoulder.

Beetle, OOC: Can Beetle roll to help Phos up? DM: You - don’t have to roll for that, but if you’d like.

Beetle, OOC: I’m going to join this baby’s arts and crafts corner over here and submit my roll. Vasir: Agh. Vasir, OOC: Vasir just flings the harness at Beetle. Vekar, OOC: I’m the new student joining the class and I’m here for the project. Beetle, OOC: Did you go to, uh - did you take classes at space AC Moore? Vekar, OOC: No, I took, uh - I forgot the name of those classes that aren’t related to your major. Um. Vasir, OOC: Electives? Vekar, OOC: I took an elective in med school.

Beetle, after learning comms were live after Falavi had contained the orbs: Nobody hit us up! Nobody.

Liara: We might be in trouble. Beetle: What kind of trouble? Liara: The kind of trouble where we die. So let’s be careful about this, alright?

DM: So immediately when you break from cover, the gunship open fires on you. Open fires. Open fires? Opens fire on you. Beetle, OOC: Open fires. DM: Listen. I got this. Beetle, OOC: It opens a fire.

in discord Beetle: unscrews the lid on the fire

Liara: If we had grenades or explosives, we would be fine, but we don’t. Beetle: Well! That’s nice and helpful!

Liara: Look out! DM: And she throws out a barrier, so you manage to get to cover unscathed. Beetle, OOC: Beetle dabs. DM: Liara is not amused or impressed. Beetle: Thank you, Liara, for my life. Liara: Just be careful next time. Beetle: I make no promises.

Vasir, OOC: Do you actually have a coin now? DM: Of course I do. Vasir, OOC: Amazing. But is it a golden one-dollar coin like mine? DM: No, it’s an online coin. Vasir, OOC: Ugh.

Vekar, OOC: Do they have enough firepower to take down that gunship by themselves? DM: I don’t know, do they? Vasir, OOC: Oh, shit. Phos, OOC: I’d say yes.

in discord Beetle: I JUST REMEMBERED THAT A SNIPER RIFLE WOULD BE GOOD FOR LONG-DISTANCE SHOTS Beetle: WOW

Vasir, OOC: Beetle never uses that sniper rifle properly. Beetle, OOC: She really doesn’t. Vekar, OOC: It’s a high-precision shotgun.

Beetle: Oh my god, Vasir actually hit. Vasir: Shut up. Phos: Beetle, please.

DM: And she just starts reloading the grenade gun - grenade launcher, rather. Beetle, OOC: Grenade gun.

Phos, OOC: I got a 15. Is that high enough for me to know where he is? DM: The pilot is in the pilot’s seat. Phos, OOC: [disgusted noise] Beetle, OOC: The pilot is in the ship. Phos, OOC: That’s not helpful. DM: I’m really not sure what you were expecting.

DM: You feel like moving? Beetle, OOC: I’m good where I am. I’m never moving again. Vasir, OOC: Oh, shit. What about Holosmea, though? Vekar, OOC: We’ll just push Beetle around on the heelies. Beetle, OOC: Beetle just sits down and is like - this is it.

Phos, OOC: That’s one strong-ass barrier. DM: I mean, it’s Liara. Are you surprised? Phos, OOC: No. Well, personally I’m not surprised, but Phos is like - even though she was with Shepard, that’s a very powerful scientist.

Isolde: Wow, okay, wow, uh, okay, put me down please, you are killing my ribs here - Phos: Thank fuck you came - Isolde: I - I can’t breathe, please let me go, holy shit, I’m literally going to die, Phos, please let me go, I can’t breathe, Phos - Phos, OOC: I let her go. Isolde: Thank you. More warning next time, please. Also, you’re welcome. Phos: I’m so done with Eden Prime. I’m fucking done with this planet. Vasir: What did I tell you, Phos? What did I tell you?

Beetle: I don’t know what you’re talking about, I had a great time. One, I killed people with my grenades; two, this is the coolest shit I’ve ever seen; three, time loops, what the fuck! Vekar: Four, you also died, Beetle, let’s get out of here, please! Beetle: I’m alive, it’s cool.

Beetle, about the whole experience inside the temple: Practice makes perfect.

Vasir: Let me know if you ever figure out what happened in there. I’d like an explanation. Liara: I’ll let you know if we do. Beetle: It’ll probably be something like - hm. Protheans! Hm. Magic! DM: Liara laughs and just nods along because, yeah, that’s probably what it’s gonna be.

technical notes

Phos and Beetle look around the second artifact room. Perception check. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Phos → 11 + 3 → 14 Beetle → 2 + 1 → 3

Beetle notices the artifact in Falavi’s hand looks identical to the second artifact in the room. Phos notes how the second artifact looks like it’s going to explode, much like the first.

Falavi reaches out to the second artifact. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 4 + 1 → 5 Falavi fails to subdue the second artifact and is instead caught in its thrall. The force of this causes her entire body to seize up and float above the ground; the first artifact drops from her biotics and towards the floor.

Phos catches the first artifact. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 19 + 3 → 22 Phos dives for the orb and catches it before it hits the ground, but it’s clear that it’s going to blow up in her hands.

Time loops. The party finds themselves back at the entrance of the temple, no more worse for wear than before, except they can remember what they did last time - and how they died.

The party enters the temple. The DM starts two timers: one for eighteen minutes, one for fourteen minutes.

The party makes a “partner harness” for Holosmea. Reuse last session’s roll. Vasir rolled an 18. Vasir single-handedly builds this harness after the rest of their party fucks it up.

Beetle checks over Holosmea. Perception check. 1d20 + perception modifier → 20 + 1 → 20 Beetle peers into the bag looped around Holosmea’s shoulders. Inside is bright blue light that explodes, sending the temple down around them.

Time loops. The party finds themselves back at the entrance of the temple, no more worse for wear than before, except they can remember what they did last time - and how they died.

The party enters the temple. The DM starts two timers: one for eighteen minutes, one for fourteen minutes.

The DM shuts off the fourteen-minute timer.

Vekar uses a pack of medi-gel on Falavi. Reuse last session’s roll. Effectiveness roll. 1d20 → 10 Healing roll. 3d4 x Medicine skill → 2 + 3 + 2 → 7 x 2 → 14 Falavi is healed for 14 health points.

The party makes a “partner harness” for Holosmea. Reuse the same roll as last time. Vasir rolled an 18. Vasir single-handedly builds this harness after the rest of their party fucks it up.

Phos straps Holosmea into the harness. Phos has disadvantage on any combat-related rolls she makes.

The DM shuts off the eighteen-minute timer.

Falavi throws a Singularity into the room. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 8 This is sufficient to hit.

The raiders contest. Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier.

Salarian infiltrator → 20 + 1 → 21 Asari infiltrator → 16 + 2 → 18 Asari biotic → 9 + 0 → 9 Human soldier → 11 - 2 → 9

The asari infiltrator and salarian infiltrator escape the Singularity’s pull. The asari biotic and human soldier are not as lucky.

The raiders notice Falavi run into the room to grab the artifact. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Asari infiltrator → 16 + 0 → 16 Human soldier → 6 - 1 → 5 Salarian infiltrator → 2 + 2 → 4 Asari biotic → 1 + 0 → 1

The asari infiltrator notices Falavi and raises her gun to shoot at her.

Vekar uses Cryo Blast on the asari infiltrator. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 9 This is sufficient to hit.

The asari infiltrator contests. Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 11 + 2 → 13 The asari infiltrator fails to contest.

Vekar freezes the asari infiltrator solid, buying Falavi enough time to contain the artifact and book it out of the room.

Phos leads the party back to a familiar room after getting lost. 1d20 → 19 Because Phos rolled well, the party successfully finds their way back to the first artifact room.

The party goes to the second artifact room. Leave it up to chance. 1d20 → 14 The party manages to get to the second artifact room, despite faulty directions. The DM has been merciful today.

The party sneaks through the room with the two raiders. Stealth roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier + proficiency bonus.

Beetle → 19 + 2 + 0 → 21 Vasir → 18 + 1 + 0 → 19 Kate → 16 + 1 + 0 → 17 Vekar → 13 + 2 + 0 → 15 Phos [with disadvantage] → 3 + 2 + 0 → 5

Due to carrying Holosmea, Phos is unable to move stealthily.

The salarian engineer and krogan soldier notice the party sneaking by. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Salarian engineer → 20 + 2 → 22 Krogan soldier → 10 + 3 → 13

The salarian sees the party try to slip by and opens fire on Beetle, who happens to be closest.

Falavi throws a Singularity. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 3. This is not sufficient to hit. Her Singularity misses her target and flies down a hallway instead.

SEE FIRST BATTLE NOTES

Falavi takes hold of the third artifact from Holosmea’s bag. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 16 + 2 → 18 Falavi removes the artifact from Holosmea’s bag without any issues, much to the relief of everyone around her.

Falavi takes hold of the second artifact. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 16 + 2 → 18 Falavi manages to subdue the artifact, but it will take her time to deactivate all three artifacts completely.

The party checks out the room beyond the second artifact room. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Beetle → 19 + 1 → 20 Phos → 19 + 1 → 20 Kate → 13 + 1 → 14 Vasir → 2 - 1 → 1 Vekar → 4 - 4 → 0

Vasir and Vekar realize they are in a room. Beetle and Phos note that beyond the five enemies approaching, there are more coming.

SEE SECOND BATTLE NOTES

Beetle helps Phos to her feet. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength roll → 2 + 0 → 2 Beetle tries to help Phos up, but she is so weak she can’t even hold Phos’s hand without struggling. Though she does her best, Beetle almost falls flat on her face.

The party reworks the harness so it fits Vekar. Mechanical roll. 1d20 + mechanical modifier.

Vekar → 17 + 1 → 18 Beetle → 11 + 0 → 11 Vasir → 6 + 0 → 6

“It’s not supposed to bend that way, but it is now.” - the DM

Phos regenerates health. 1d20 → 1 Phos regenerates 1 point of health.

Vekar looks for a place to set Holosmea down. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 8 - 4 → 4 Vekar sees no safe place to put Holosmea and starts panicking.

Beetle looks for a place to set Holosmea down. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 14 + 2 → 16 Beetle directs Vekar to place Holosmea inside the temple.

The party examines the gunship. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Beetle → 17 + 2 → 19 Phos → 17 + 1 → 18 Kate → 15 + 1 → 16 Vekar → 14 - 4 → 10 Vasir → 3 - 1 → 2

Beetle and Phos can see the gunship is surrounded by a biotic barrier.

Liara throws a Warp at the gunship. Damage roll. 6d4 + 10 → 3 + 1 + 2 + 5 + 4 + 4 + 10 → 29 The barrier takes 29 points of biotic damage.

SEE THIRD BATTLE NOTES

Phos gives Isolde a hug. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity → 18 + 2 → 20 Phos grabs Isolde into a crushing hug. Isolde is more than a little uncomfortable.

FIRST BATTLE

Everyone rolls initiative. 1d20.

Vekar → 19 Phos → 19 Vasir → 19 Salarian engineer → 12 Beetle → 8 Falavi → 7 Kate → 6 Krogan soldier → 2

SURPRISE ROUND. The salarian engineer shoots Beetle with his pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 → 11 This is not sufficient to hit. The salarian’s shot goes wide.

TURN 1

Vekar shoots the salarian engineer with his assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 + 2 → 19 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 4 + 1 + 1 → 6 Vekar shoots the salarian engineer for 6 points of damage.

Phos uses Fortification and braces. Phos uses her Fortification talent, boosting her AC to 18, and then braces in cover.

Vasir uses Overload on the salarian engineer. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 3 This is not sufficient to hit. The salarian engineer ducks out of the way.

The salarian engineer shoots Beetle with his pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 4 + 4  → 8 Beetle takes 8 points of damage.

Beetle throws a sticky grenade. Accuracy roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 19 + 2 → 21 Beetle lands the grenade exactly where she wants it to be. Should the salarian move further into the room, it will explode.

The salarian engineer notices this. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 8 + 1 → 9 The salarian fails to notice the grenade.

Falavi braces. She is protecting the artifact in her hands and staying close to Phos and, by extension, Holosmea.

Kate shoots the krogan soldier with her pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 11 + 1 → 12 This is not sufficient to hit. Kate’s shots go wide.

The krogan soldier shoots Beetle with his shotgun. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 2 + 2 → 4 This is not sufficient to hit. Beetle easily dodges the shot.

TURN 2

Vekar shoots the salarian engineer with his assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 + 2 → 19 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 4 + 1 + 1 → 6 Vekar shoots the salarian for 6 points of damage.

Phos looks for weaknesses for the krogan soldier. Investigation roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 17 + 1 → 18 Phos sees a crack in the shoulder of the krogan’s armor.

Vasir shoots the krogan soldier with their pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 9 + 1 → 10 This is not sufficient to hit. Vasir’s shot goes wide.

The salarian engineer walks into Beetle’s grenade. Damage roll. 5d6 → 17 The grenade blows up, and the salarian takes 17 points of damage. Beetle yells, “Get fucked!”

The salarian engineer uses Overload on Beetle. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 8 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. (8-4)d4 → 4d4 → 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 → 6 The salarian steals Beetle’s shields. Beetle takes 6 points of damage.

Beetle shoots the salarian engineer with the Cold Shoulder. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 5 + 1 → 6 This is not sufficient to hit. Beetle’s shot flies past the salarian’s shoulder.

Falavi continues to brace.

Kate biotically charges the salarian engineer. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 10 + 1 → 11 Crit.

Damage roll. 3d6 → 3 + 2 + 6 → 11 Kate hits the salarian hard, killing him instantly.

The krogan soldier uses Fortification. “They’re gonna boost that armor class up.” - the DM This raises the krogan’s armor class by 2 points.

TURN 3

Vekar uses Cryo Blast on the krogan soldier. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 9 This is sufficient to hit.

The krogan soldier contests. Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 3 + 1 → 4 The krogan fails to contest.

The krogan soldier is frozen solid.

SECOND BATTLE

Everyone rolls initiative.

Human soldier → 20 Asari infiltrator → 19 Phos → 18 Vekar → 15 Human biotic → 14 [delayed] Human engineer → 13 Kate → 12 [delayed] Asari sentinel #1 → 9 Asari sentinel #2 → 9 [delayed] Asari vanguard → 8 Beetle → 5 [delayed] Human vanguard → 4 Krogan soldier → 2 Asari biotic → 2

SETUP

Beetle plants her sticky grenade. Should someone pass by the doorway, it will explode.

Beetle activates her Tactical Cloak. She is invisible. If she lands her next shot, she will do double damage.

TURN 1

The human soldier takes a shot at Phos with his shotgun. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 8 + 1 → 9 This is not sufficient to hit. The human’s shot goes wide.

The asari infiltrator shoots at Phos with her sniper rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 + 1 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d6 → 2 + 3 → 5 Phos takes 5 damage, but knows from the sound that she’d been shot with a sniper rifle.

Phos charges the human and krogan soldiers. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 10 Crit.

Damage roll. 2d8 x crit → (8 + 2) x 2 → 10 x 2 → 20 Phos hits the human and krogan for 20 damage, knocking them down.

Vekar shoots the human soldier with his assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 19 + 2 → 21 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 7 Vekar hits the human soldier for 7 damage.

The human biotic throws a Warp at Phos. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 8 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d6 → 6 + 4 → 10 Phos takes 10 points of damage.

Vasir shoots the human soldier with their pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 + 1 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 4 + 4 → 8 Vasir shoots the human dead.

Kate shoots the krogan soldier with her pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 6 + 1 → 7 This is not sufficient to hit. Her shot goes wide.

Asari sentinel #2 uses Tech Armor. Effectiveness roll. 1d20 → 14 The sentinel gains an additional 14 health points. Upon depletion, it will explode, causing damage within a one-meter radius.

Beetle shoots the krogan soldier with the Cold Shoulder. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 20 + 2 → 22 Crit.

Damage roll. 3d6 x Tactical Cloak x crit → (5 + 4 + 2) x 2 x 2 → 11 x 4 → 44 Beetle headshots the krogan, killing them instantly.

The asari biotic trips Beetle’s sticky grenade. Damage roll. 5d6 → 6 + 4 + 1 + 4 + 4 → 19 The asari vanguard takes 19 points of damage and is thrown clear. She throws up a barrier, prone on the ground.

TURN 2

The asari infiltrator shoots Beetle with her sniper rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 20 + 1 → 21 Crit.

Damage roll. 3d6 x 2 → (1 + 1 + 5) x 2  → 14 Beetle takes 14 points of damage.

Phos grapples the asari infiltrator. Movement. Phos walks deeper into the hallway and sees the sniper.

Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 20 + 4 → 24

The asari infiltrator contests. Strength contest with disadvantage. 1d20 + strength modifier → 4 + 1 → 5 The asari fails to contest.

Phos easily grabs the asari infiltrator, holding her up by the throat in front of her as a meat shield and hostage.

Phos intimidates the approaching enemies. Intimidation roll. 1d20 + knowledge roll → 18 + 0 → 18

The approaching enemies contest. Knowledge contest. 1d20 + knowledge modifier.

Human engineer → 17 + 0 → 17 Asari sentinel #1 → 12 + 1 → 13 Asari vanguard → 11 + 1 → 12 Asari sentinel #2 → 9 + 1 → 10 Human vanguard → 6 + 2 → 8

All enemies fail to contest.

Phos successfully intimidates the approaching enemies. They have disadvantage on their rolls.

Vekar shoots the asari biotic with his assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 18 + 2 → 20 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 7 Vekar does 7 points of damage to the asari’s barrier.

The human engineer takes a shot at Phos. Attack roll with disadvantage. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 6 + 1 → 7 This is not sufficient to hit. The shot goes wide.

The human biotic takes a shot at Phos. Attack roll with disadvantage. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 14 + 2 → 16 This is not sufficient to hit. The shot goes wide.

Vasir shoots the asari biotic with their pistol. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception roll → 11 - 1 → 10 They know she is a biotic and that she has a barrier up.

Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 13 + 1 → 14 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 1 + 2 → 3 Vasir does 3 points of damage to the asari’s barrier. Her barrier dissipates.

Kate biotically charges the asari biotic. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 7 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. (7 - 4)d4 → 3d4 → 1 + 4 + 3 → 8 Kate charges the asari for 8 points of damage. The asari is thrown clear and is now prone.

Asari sentinel #1 takes a shot at Phos. Attack roll with disadvantage. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 11 + 1 → 12 This is not sufficient to hit. The shot goes wide.

Asari sentinel #2 takes a shot at Phos. Attack roll with disadvantage. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 8 + 1 → 9 This is not sufficient to hit. The shot goes wide.

The asari vanguard takes a shot at Phos. Attack roll with disadvantage. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 4 + 2 → 6 This is not sufficient to hit. The shot goes wide.

Beetle intimidates the enemies around Phos. Intimidate roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier + Con proficiency bonus → 16 + 1 + 1 → 18

The enemies contest. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier.

Human vanguard → 19 + 0 → 19 Asari vanguard → 12 + 1 → 13 Asari sentinel #2 → 11 + 1 → 12 Asari sentinel #1 → 9 + 1 → 10 Human engineer → 3 + 2 → 5

The human vanguard sees through Beetle’s bluffs. His companions do not.

Beetle causes most of the enemies to scatter in an attempt to avoid her nonexistent grenade.

The human vanguard biotically charges Beetle. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 6 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. (6 - 4)d4 → 2d4 → 3 + 4 → 7 Beetle is hit for 7 points of damage, bringing her below 0 health points.

Death saving throw. 1d20 → 20 Crit. Beetle is stable at 0 HP, but is unconscious.

The asari biotic throws a Singularity. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 1 Crit fail.

Damage roll. 1d4 → 4 The asari’s Singularity backfires. The resulting explosion is enough to kill her.

TURN 3

Holosmea wakes up and melees Falavi. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 3 + 0 → 3

Falavi contests. Knowledge saving throw. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 7 + 1 → 8 Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 5 + 1 → 6 Falavi successfully contests.

Falavi manages to dodge Holosmea’s attack and maintain her connection with the prothean artifacts. She screams for help.

The asari infiltrator frees herself from Phos’s grip and shoots her. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 20 Crit.

Phos contests. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 2 + 2 → 4 Phos fails to contest.

The asari escapes Phos grasp and shoots her with her sniper rifle at point-blank range.

Damage roll. 3d6 → 3 + 6 + 1 → 10 Phos is shot for 10 points of damage.

Phos stabs the asari infiltrator. Melee attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity roll → 12 + 2 → 14 This is not sufficient to hit. The asari dodges Phos’s attack.

Vekar uses a pack of medi-gel on Beetle. Effectiveness roll. 1d10 → 8 Medicine roll. (8 - 4)d4 x Medicine talent → (2 + 2 + 3 + 1) x 2 → 16 Vekar heals Beetle for 16 points of health. She is awake, but prone.

Kate biotically charges the human vanguard. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 6 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. (6 - 3)d6 → 3d6 → 1 + 1 + 3 → 5 Kate hits the vanguard for 5 points of damage. He is now prone.

Holosmea melees Falavi. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 12 + 0 → 12

Falavi contests. Knowledge saving throw. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 12 + 1 → 13 Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 + 1 → 18 Falavi successfully contests.

Falavi manages to fend off Holosmea and maintain a connection with the prothean artifacts. She screams for help again.

Beetle shoots the human vanguard lying down next to her. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 16 + 1 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 x prone bonus damage → (2 + 2) x 2 → 4 x 2 → 8 Beetle shoots the vanguard for 8 points of damage.

The human vanguard gets to his feet. He is no longer prone.

Falavi subdues the prothean artifacts. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 15 + 1 → 16 Falavi successfully deactivates the orbs. They are now inert.

Falavi subdues Holosmea. Nonlethal attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 + 2 → 19 This is sufficient to hit. Falavi strikes Holosmea, knocking zem unconscious.

Vasir uses Incinerate on the human vanguard. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 9 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 5d4 → 1 + 4 + 4 + 1 + 3 → 13 The human vanguard takes an additional 3 points of fire damage for 16 points of damage total. He collapses, on fire and dead.

TURN 4

The enemies find their way back to the room after having scattered to avoid Beetle’s nonexistent grenade. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier.

Asari vanguard → 9 + 0 → 9 Asari sentinel #1 → 8 + 1 → 9 Human engineer → 6 + 1 → 7 Asari sentinel #2 → 5 + 1 → 6

All enemies are now hopelessly lost in the labyrinth.

The asari infiltrator shoots Beetle with her sniper rifle. Attack roll with advantage. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 8 + 1 → 9 This is not sufficient to hit. Her shot goes wide.

Phos shoots the asari infiltrator with her shotgun, activating Carnage. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 18 + 2 → 20 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d8 with Carnage → 4d8 → 7 + 4 + 4 + 8 → 23 The asari infiltrator takes 23 damage.

Vekar uses Cryo Blast on the asari infiltrator. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 10 Crit.

Bonus damage roll. 1d4 → 1 The asari infiltrator is frozen solid and takes 1 point of damage.

Vasir shoots the asari infiltrator with their pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 14 + 1 → 15 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 1 + 3 → 4 The asari infiltrator takes 4 points of damage.

Kate shoots the asari infiltrator with her pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 + 1 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 2 + 2 → 4 The asari infiltrator takes an additional 4 points of damage and is killed.

THIRD BATTLE

Everyone rolls initiative.

Vekar → 18 Vasir → 18 Phos → 16 Pilot → 8 Kate → 6 Liara → 5 Soldier → 4 Biotic → 3 Beetle → 3

TURN 1

Vekar runs to other cover and activates Tech Armor. Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity roll → 18 + 2 → 20 Vekar dodges the gunship’s bullets. 

Tech Armor. 1d20 → 20 Vekar gains 20 points of health. Upon depletion, it will explode and do damage within a 1 meter radius.

Vasir looks at the barrels of the gunship’s guns and aim an Incinerate at the gunship. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception roll → 4 - 1 → 3 The barrier covers the gunship in its entirety.

Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 3 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 1d4 → 4 The barrier flickers - but doesn’t collapse.

Phos shoots the gunship with her assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 16 + 2 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 2 + 1 + 2 → 5 The barrier flickers - but doesn’t collapse.

The gunship opens fire on Liara’s position. Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier.

Phos → 17 + 2 → 19 Vasir → 18 + 1 → 19 Kate → 14 + 1 → 15 Beetle → 1 + 2 → 3

Liara throws out a barrier at the last minute, saving Beetle from harm. The rest of the party dodges out of the way and finds new cover to hide behind.

Kate shoots the gunship with her pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 14 + 1 → 15 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 2 + 3 → 5 The barrier flickers - but it doesn’t collapse.

Liara throws a Warp at the gunship. Automatic hit.

Damage roll. 6d4 + 10 → 4 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 10 → 25 The barrier flickers - but it holds.

Beetle uses Sabotage on the ship. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 10 The programs hits the barrier and fizzles out.

Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 5 + 2 → 7 Beetle darts for new cover, and Liara throws a biotic barrier up to protect her from harm.

TURN 2

Tris launches two grenades at the gunship. Automatic hit.

Damage roll. 5d6 → 4 + 3 + 4 + 2 + 1 → 14, 5d6 → 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 3 → 13 The barrier flickers - but doesn’t collapse.

Isolde throws herself into the gunship with a barrier, with Tris supporting. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + modifier → 15 + 4 → 19 Isolde uses the impact of one of Tris’s grenades against her barrier to propel her into the gunship. She manages to combat roll inside.

Tris and Isolde are added to the initiative order. Tris → 17 Isolde → 13

Vekar shoots the gunship with his assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17 + 2 → 19 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 2 + 4 + 4 → 10 The barrier flickers - but doesn’t collapse.

Vasir uses Incinerate on the gunship. Attack talent roll. 1d10 → 6 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 3 + 1 + 2 → 6 The barrier flickers - but doesn’t collapse.

Tris launches two grenades at the gunship. Automatic hit.

Damage roll. 5d6 → 6 + 6 + 6 + 3 + 3 → 24, 5d6 → 3 + 2 + 2 + 5 + 1 → 13 The barrier flickers - and finally collapses.

Phos shoots the gunship with her assault rifle. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 13 + 2 → 15 Phos sees that the pilot is in the pilot’s seat.

Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 14 + 2 → 16 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 2 + 1 + 2 → 5 The gunship takes 5 points of damage.

The gunship opens fire at the Apricity’s shuttle. Mechnical saving throw. 1d20 + tech modifier → 18 + 3 → 21 Telissa effortlessly dodges the gunship’s bullets.

Isolde throws the pilot out of the gunship. Strength contest. 1d20 + strength modifier → 14 + 4 → 18

The pilot contests. Strength contest. 1d20 + strength modifier → 12 + 2 → 14 The pilot fails to contest.

Isolde throws the pilot out of the ship and bails, catching herself before she hit the ground with biotic.

prev | start | next

[yoshi-ori]

watching the puppeteer

(it's been twelve years since one of these oh my goodness)

marinette: *playing with chat noir and ladybug dolls*

marinette: *as chat* i love you my lady

manon: he wouldn't say that

marinette: THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW WHAT CHAT WOULD SAY YOU AIN'T FIGHTING CRIME ALONG SIDE HIM YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT

marinette: i mean, let's talk about the akumas lol

manon: i like the akumas

marinette: sweetie nO

*children playing with dolls and mari wins*

manon: NO FAIR YOU ALWAYS WIN

marinette: pull ur shit together

manon: I WANNA PLAY AS LADYBUG AND SHIT NOIR

marinette: no bc u see this chat doll is my most prized posession mkay

manon: can i have the ladybug one then

marinette: i don't see why not

manon: sweet

nadja: hello my child i have returned for thee

manon: MOOOOM MARINETTE DIDN'T LET ME WIN

nadja: oh manon, you can't always expect to win

marinette: wow that's some good life advice right there if i do say so myself

nadja: anyhoo give mari her doll back

manon: *manages to rip the arm off the ladybug doll*

nadja: gdi child let's leave before you screw up again

manon: *screams about dolls and somehow manages to score the lady wifi doll from mari while her mum ain't looking*

*at the tv station thingy*

manon: *playing with lady wifi doll and a freaking ladybug magazine like good lord get this child an actual ladybug doll like where is that ml merch at*

nadja: CHILD DID YOU TAKE ONE OF MARINETTE'S DOLLS GOD DAMMIT WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

manon: *le cry and scream*

hawkmoth: aaah, what could be more pure than an innocent child's emotions?

hawkmoth:

hawkmoth:

hawkmoth: lol learned that one from neglecting my son

hawkmoth: hey there smol bean how would you like to be my new child

manon: sounds legit

*BOOM AKUMA

*at subway train station thingy*

alya: LOOK IT'S ADRIEN

marinette: o shit waddup

alya: *fucking FLINGS them onto the same train like wow*

*meanwhile manon is being a creepy little shit elsewhere*

marinette: god damn look at adrien that's a fine piece of ass right there hooo boy i do enjoy looking at him

adrien: *waves*

marinette: OH SWEET BABY JESUS I C AN'T HAND LE THIS BOY

alya: *gets transformed into lady wifi by manon*

marinette: o shit waddup

adrien: oh no one of my only friends is in danger i better help

*bada bing bada boom cat boy is here*

marinette: o boy i better transform

marinette: tikki, spo-

chat noir: HEY THERE PAL WHAT DID LADY WIFI SAY TO YOU

marinette: sweet jiminy you scared the dickens out of me

marinette: anyways yeah lady wifi reminded me of this one bitch who was talking shit this morning and she's tryna get my ladybug and chat noir dolls

chat noir: omg wait you made a chat noir doll

chat noir: that's really adorable hold on

chat noir: let me relish in this moment forever

chat noir: someone actually cares about me

chat noir:

chat noir:

chat noir: and the feeling of loneliness and utter despair is back

chat noir: anyways i should probably get those dolls so where do you live

marinette: at the swankiest bakery in town

chat noir: okay thanks good to know for future reference

marinette:

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

marinette:

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

chat noir: gotta blast *run runs*

marinette: shit tikki we gotta transform and get to the bakery before chat does or else he might find the marichat smut i wrote

*bada bing bada boom ladybae is here for the party*

*at le ba k ery*

lady wifi: *casually stealing dolls*

ladybug: hey there shitface

lady wifi: gdi the goody two shoes are here

chat noir: there's only on goody two shoes and i'm not her

ladybug:

lady wifi:

chat noir: geddit? because i'm literally walking sin

ladybug: fuking tru

lady wifi: *hits one of marinette's MANY MANY MANY pictures of adrien with a pause button*

ladybug: o shit

chat noir: wait are those pictures of me

chat noir: that means that marinette

chat noir: REALLY WANTS TO SUPPORT MY MODELING CAREER

ladybug: hOw StUpId cAn YoU gEt

chat noir: *goes to destroy the wifi signal and all that jazz*

*cool ass fighting*

*lady wifi flees*

chat noir: did you get the dolls?

ladybug: i only managed to grab mine lol

chat noir: *sheds a single tear* that's okay

chat noir: but don't let her make me a puppet, you know i like to be in command

ladybug: that was sinful aS FUCK MY GOODNESS

*chat noir runs off to detransform*

*sweet baby nathaneal is transformed into the evillustrator and then rogercop also but NATHANEAL YEET*

ladybug: *doing mission impossible stuff*

chat noir: *sneakity sneaks*

ladybug: *FUCKING WREKCS HIM*

chat noir: oh boy oh boy please let go of me waht did i do to deserve this

ladybug: lol sorry thought you got posessed

ladybug: *stares at chat noir's body*

ladybug: god damn

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ladybug: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*children break down the door*

puppeteer: CHAT NOIR COME TO LIFE

chat noir: nuuuuuuu *leaps in slow motion to get the doll but fails*

ladybug: shiiiiiiiiiit

chat noir @ladybug: suck my ass

ladybug: gladly

ladybug: i mean YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE

*more cool fighting*

ladybug: *accidentally hits chat with her yoyo*

ladybug: oh my goodness gracious i am so sorry i didn't mean to no no oh boy please don't be hurt i haven't confessed my love for you yet god dammit

*rogercop and evillustrator show up*

ladybug: are u fuking serious

*even MORE cool fighting*

ladybug: *flings chat noir off of the FUCKING ROOF*

ladybug:

ladybug: ...he'll be fine

*ladybug is totally badass and saves the day*

chat noir @ladybug: fyi you can pull on my heartstrings anyday

ladybug: HOLY SHIT HAVE YOU READ THAT FANFIC TOO

chat noir: OF COURSE I HAVE ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ladybug: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*hawkmoth screeching in the distance*

[cichoriumbreeze]

watching the puppeteer

(it's been twelve years since one of these oh my goodness)

marinette: *playing with chat noir and ladybug dolls*

marinette: *as chat* i love you my lady

manon: he wouldn't say that

marinette: THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW WHAT CHAT WOULD SAY YOU AIN'T FIGHTING CRIME ALONG SIDE HIM YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT

marinette: i mean, let's talk about the akumas lol

manon: i like the akumas

marinette: sweetie nO

*children playing with dolls and mari wins*

manon: NO FAIR YOU ALWAYS WIN

marinette: pull ur shit together

manon: I WANNA PLAY AS LADYBUG AND SHIT NOIR

marinette: no bc u see this chat doll is my most prized posession mkay

manon: can i have the ladybug one then

marinette: i don't see why not

manon: sweet

nadja: hello my child i have returned for thee

manon: MOOOOM MARINETTE DIDN'T LET ME WIN

nadja: oh manon, you can't always expect to win

marinette: wow that's some good life advice right there if i do say so myself

nadja: anyhoo give mari her doll back

manon: *manages to rip the arm off the ladybug doll*

nadja: gdi child let's leave before you screw up again

manon: *screams about dolls and somehow manages to score the lady wifi doll from mari while her mum ain't looking*

*at the tv station thingy*

manon: *playing with lady wifi doll and a freaking ladybug magazine like good lord get this child an actual ladybug doll like where is that ml merch at*

nadja: CHILD DID YOU TAKE ONE OF MARINETTE'S DOLLS GOD DAMMIT WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

manon: *le cry and scream*

hawkmoth: aaah, what could be more pure than an innocent child's emotions?

hawkmoth:

hawkmoth:

hawkmoth: lol learned that one from neglecting my son

hawkmoth: hey there smol bean how would you like to be my new child

manon: sounds legit

*BOOM AKUMA

*at subway train station thingy*

alya: LOOK IT'S ADRIEN

marinette: o shit waddup

alya: *fucking FLINGS them onto the same train like wow*

*meanwhile manon is being a creepy little shit elsewhere*

marinette: god damn look at adrien that's a fine piece of ass right there hooo boy i do enjoy looking at him

adrien: *waves*

marinette: OH SWEET BABY JESUS I C AN'T HAND LE THIS BOY

alya: *gets transformed into lady wifi by manon*

marinette: o shit waddup

adrien: oh no one of my only friends is in danger i better help

*bada bing bada boom cat boy is here*

marinette: o boy i better transform

marinette: tikki, spo-

chat noir: HEY THERE PAL WHAT DID LADY WIFI SAY TO YOU

marinette: sweet jiminy you scared the dickens out of me

marinette: anyways yeah lady wifi reminded me of this one bitch who was talking shit this morning and she's tryna get my ladybug and chat noir dolls

chat noir: omg wait you made a chat noir doll

chat noir: that's really adorable hold on

chat noir: let me relish in this moment forever

chat noir: someone actually cares about me

chat noir:

chat noir:

chat noir: and the feeling of loneliness and utter despair is back

chat noir: anyways i should probably get those dolls so where do you live

marinette: at the swankiest bakery in town

chat noir: okay thanks good to know for future reference

marinette:

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

marinette:

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

chat noir: gotta blast *run runs*

marinette: shit tikki we gotta transform and get to the bakery before chat does or else he might find the marichat smut i wrote

*bada bing bada boom ladybae is here for the party*

*at le ba k ery*

lady wifi: *casually stealing dolls*

ladybug: hey there shitface

lady wifi: gdi the goody two shoes are here

chat noir: there's only on goody two shoes and i'm not her

ladybug:

lady wifi:

chat noir: geddit? because i'm literally walking sin

ladybug: fuking tru

lady wifi: *hits one of marinette's MANY MANY MANY pictures of adrien with a pause button*

ladybug: o shit

chat noir: wait are those pictures of me

chat noir: that means that marinette

chat noir: REALLY WANTS TO SUPPORT MY MODELING CAREER

ladybug: hOw StUpId cAn YoU gEt

chat noir: *goes to destroy the wifi signal and all that jazz*

*cool ass fighting*

*lady wifi flees*

chat noir: did you get the dolls?

ladybug: i only managed to grab mine lol

chat noir: *sheds a single tear* that's okay

chat noir: but don't let her make me a puppet, you know i like to be in command

ladybug: that was sinful aS FUCK MY GOODNESS

*chat noir runs off to detransform*

*sweet baby nathaneal is transformed into the evillustrator and then rogercop also but NATHANEAL YEET*

ladybug: *doing mission impossible stuff*

chat noir: *sneakity sneaks*

ladybug: *FUCKING WREKCS HIM*

chat noir: oh boy oh boy please let go of me waht did i do to deserve this

ladybug: lol sorry thought you got posessed

ladybug: *stares at chat noir's body*

ladybug: god damn

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ladybug: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*children break down the door*

puppeteer: CHAT NOIR COME TO LIFE

chat noir: nuuuuuuu *leaps in slow motion to get the doll but fails*

ladybug: shiiiiiiiiiit

chat noir @ladybug: suck my ass

ladybug: gladly

ladybug: i mean YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE

*more cool fighting*

ladybug: *accidentally hits chat with her yoyo*

ladybug: oh my goodness gracious i am so sorry i didn't mean to no no oh boy please don't be hurt i haven't confessed my love for you yet god dammit

*rogercop and evillustrator show up*

ladybug: are u fuking serious

*even MORE cool fighting*

ladybug: *flings chat noir off of the FUCKING ROOF*

ladybug:

ladybug: ...he'll be fine

*ladybug is totally badass and saves the day*

chat noir @ladybug: fyi you can pull on my heartstrings anyday

ladybug: HOLY SHIT HAVE YOU READ THAT FANFIC TOO

chat noir: OF COURSE I HAVE ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ladybug: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*hawkmoth screeching in the distance*

I,,, couldn't,,,not,,,reblog,,,,this

[supermaple]

watching the puppeteer

(it's been twelve years since one of these oh my goodness)

marinette: *playing with chat noir and ladybug dolls*

marinette: *as chat* i love you my lady

manon: he wouldn't say that

marinette: THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW WHAT CHAT WOULD SAY YOU AIN'T FIGHTING CRIME ALONG SIDE HIM YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT

marinette: i mean, let's talk about the akumas lol

manon: i like the akumas

marinette: sweetie nO

*children playing with dolls and mari wins*

manon: NO FAIR YOU ALWAYS WIN

marinette: pull ur shit together

manon: I WANNA PLAY AS LADYBUG AND SHIT NOIR

marinette: no bc u see this chat doll is my most prized posession mkay

manon: can i have the ladybug one then

marinette: i don't see why not

manon: sweet

nadja: hello my child i have returned for thee

manon: MOOOOM MARINETTE DIDN'T LET ME WIN

nadja: oh manon, you can't always expect to win

marinette: wow that's some good life advice right there if i do say so myself

nadja: anyhoo give mari her doll back

manon: *manages to rip the arm off the ladybug doll*

nadja: gdi child let's leave before you screw up again

manon: *screams about dolls and somehow manages to score the lady wifi doll from mari while her mum ain't looking*

*at the tv station thingy*

manon: *playing with lady wifi doll and a freaking ladybug magazine like good lord get this child an actual ladybug doll like where is that ml merch at*

nadja: CHILD DID YOU TAKE ONE OF MARINETTE'S DOLLS GOD DAMMIT WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

manon: *le cry and scream*

hawkmoth: aaah, what could be more pure than an innocent child's emotions?

hawkmoth:

hawkmoth:

hawkmoth: lol learned that one from neglecting my son

hawkmoth: hey there smol bean how would you like to be my new child

manon: sounds legit

*BOOM AKUMA

*at subway train station thingy*

alya: LOOK IT'S ADRIEN

marinette: o shit waddup

alya: *fucking FLINGS them onto the same train like wow*

*meanwhile manon is being a creepy little shit elsewhere*

marinette: god damn look at adrien that's a fine piece of ass right there hooo boy i do enjoy looking at him

adrien: *waves*

marinette: OH SWEET BABY JESUS I C AN'T HAND LE THIS BOY

alya: *gets transformed into lady wifi by manon*

marinette: o shit waddup

adrien: oh no one of my only friends is in danger i better help

*bada bing bada boom cat boy is here*

marinette: o boy i better transform

marinette: tikki, spo-

chat noir: HEY THERE PAL WHAT DID LADY WIFI SAY TO YOU

marinette: sweet jiminy you scared the dickens out of me

marinette: anyways yeah lady wifi reminded me of this one bitch who was talking shit this morning and she's tryna get my ladybug and chat noir dolls

chat noir: omg wait you made a chat noir doll

chat noir: that's really adorable hold on

chat noir: let me relish in this moment forever

chat noir: someone actually cares about me

chat noir:

chat noir:

chat noir: and the feeling of loneliness and utter despair is back

chat noir: anyways i should probably get those dolls so where do you live

marinette: at the swankiest bakery in town

chat noir: okay thanks good to know for future reference

marinette:

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

marinette:

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

chat noir: gotta blast *run runs*

marinette: shit tikki we gotta transform and get to the bakery before chat does or else he might find the marichat smut i wrote

*bada bing bada boom ladybae is here for the party*

*at le ba k ery*

lady wifi: *casually stealing dolls*

ladybug: hey there shitface

lady wifi: gdi the goody two shoes are here

chat noir: there's only on goody two shoes and i'm not her

ladybug:

lady wifi:

chat noir: geddit? because i'm literally walking sin

ladybug: fuking tru

lady wifi: *hits one of marinette's MANY MANY MANY pictures of adrien with a pause button*

ladybug: o shit

chat noir: wait are those pictures of me

chat noir: that means that marinette

chat noir: REALLY WANTS TO SUPPORT MY MODELING CAREER

ladybug: hOw StUpId cAn YoU gEt

chat noir: *goes to destroy the wifi signal and all that jazz*

*cool ass fighting*

*lady wifi flees*

chat noir: did you get the dolls?

ladybug: i only managed to grab mine lol

chat noir: *sheds a single tear* that's okay

chat noir: but don't let her make me a puppet, you know i like to be in command

ladybug: that was sinful aS FUCK MY GOODNESS

*chat noir runs off to detransform*

*sweet baby nathaneal is transformed into the evillustrator and then rogercop also but NATHANEAL YEET*

ladybug: *doing mission impossible stuff*

chat noir: *sneakity sneaks*

ladybug: *FUCKING WREKCS HIM*

chat noir: oh boy oh boy please let go of me waht did i do to deserve this

ladybug: lol sorry thought you got posessed

ladybug: *stares at chat noir's body*

ladybug: god damn

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ladybug: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*children break down the door*

puppeteer: CHAT NOIR COME TO LIFE

chat noir: nuuuuuuu *leaps in slow motion to get the doll but fails*

ladybug: shiiiiiiiiiit

chat noir @ladybug: suck my ass

ladybug: gladly

ladybug: i mean YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE

*more cool fighting*

ladybug: *accidentally hits chat with her yoyo*

ladybug: oh my goodness gracious i am so sorry i didn't mean to no no oh boy please don't be hurt i haven't confessed my love for you yet god dammit

*rogercop and evillustrator show up*

ladybug: are u fuking serious

*even MORE cool fighting*

ladybug: *flings chat noir off of the FUCKING ROOF*

ladybug:

ladybug: ...he'll be fine

*ladybug is totally badass and saves the day*

chat noir @ladybug: fyi you can pull on my heartstrings anyday

ladybug: HOLY SHIT HAVE YOU READ THAT FANFIC TOO

chat noir: OF COURSE I HAVE ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ladybug: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*hawkmoth screeching in the distance*

[kuro-neko-kidd0]

watching the puppeteer

(it's been twelve years since one of these oh my goodness)

marinette: *playing with chat noir and ladybug dolls*

marinette: *as chat* i love you my lady

manon: he wouldn't say that

marinette: THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW WHAT CHAT WOULD SAY YOU AIN'T FIGHTING CRIME ALONG SIDE HIM YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT

marinette: i mean, let's talk about the akumas lol

manon: i like the akumas

marinette: sweetie nO

*children playing with dolls and mari wins*

manon: NO FAIR YOU ALWAYS WIN

marinette: pull ur shit together

manon: I WANNA PLAY AS LADYBUG AND SHIT NOIR

marinette: no bc u see this chat doll is my most prized posession mkay

manon: can i have the ladybug one then

marinette: i don't see why not

manon: sweet

nadja: hello my child i have returned for thee

manon: MOOOOM MARINETTE DIDN'T LET ME WIN

nadja: oh manon, you can't always expect to win

marinette: wow that's some good life advice right there if i do say so myself

nadja: anyhoo give mari her doll back

manon: *manages to rip the arm off the ladybug doll*

nadja: gdi child let's leave before you screw up again

manon: *screams about dolls and somehow manages to score the lady wifi doll from mari while her mum ain't looking*

*at the tv station thingy*

manon: *playing with lady wifi doll and a freaking ladybug magazine like good lord get this child an actual ladybug doll like where is that ml merch at*

nadja: CHILD DID YOU TAKE ONE OF MARINETTE'S DOLLS GOD DAMMIT WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

manon: *le cry and scream*

hawkmoth: aaah, what could be more pure than an innocent child's emotions?

hawkmoth:

hawkmoth:

hawkmoth: lol learned that one from neglecting my son

hawkmoth: hey there smol bean how would you like to be my new child

manon: sounds legit

*BOOM AKUMA

*at subway train station thingy*

alya: LOOK IT'S ADRIEN

marinette: o shit waddup

alya: *fucking FLINGS them onto the same train like wow*

*meanwhile manon is being a creepy little shit elsewhere*

marinette: god damn look at adrien that's a fine piece of ass right there hooo boy i do enjoy looking at him

adrien: *waves*

marinette: OH SWEET BABY JESUS I C AN'T HAND LE THIS BOY

alya: *gets transformed into lady wifi by manon*

marinette: o shit waddup

adrien: oh no one of my only friends is in danger i better help

*bada bing bada boom cat boy is here*

marinette: o boy i better transform

marinette: tikki, spo-

chat noir: HEY THERE PAL WHAT DID LADY WIFI SAY TO YOU

marinette: sweet jiminy you scared the dickens out of me

marinette: anyways yeah lady wifi reminded me of this one bitch who was talking shit this morning and she's tryna get my ladybug and chat noir dolls

chat noir: omg wait you made a chat noir doll

chat noir: that's really adorable hold on

chat noir: let me relish in this moment forever

chat noir: someone actually cares about me

chat noir:

chat noir:

chat noir: and the feeling of loneliness and utter despair is back

chat noir: anyways i should probably get those dolls so where do you live

marinette: at the swankiest bakery in town

chat noir: okay thanks good to know for future reference

marinette:

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

marinette:

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

chat noir: gotta blast *run runs*

marinette: shit tikki we gotta transform and get to the bakery before chat does or else he might find the marichat smut i wrote

*bada bing bada boom ladybae is here for the party*

*at le ba k ery*

lady wifi: *casually stealing dolls*

ladybug: hey there shitface

lady wifi: gdi the goody two shoes are here

chat noir: there's only on goody two shoes and i'm not her

ladybug:

lady wifi:

chat noir: geddit? because i'm literally walking sin

ladybug: fuking tru

lady wifi: *hits one of marinette's MANY MANY MANY pictures of adrien with a pause button*

ladybug: o shit

chat noir: wait are those pictures of me

chat noir: that means that marinette

chat noir: REALLY WANTS TO SUPPORT MY MODELING CAREER

ladybug: hOw StUpId cAn YoU gEt

chat noir: *goes to destroy the wifi signal and all that jazz*

*cool ass fighting*

*lady wifi flees*

chat noir: did you get the dolls?

ladybug: i only managed to grab mine lol

chat noir: *sheds a single tear* that's okay

chat noir: but don't let her make me a puppet, you know i like to be in command

ladybug: that was sinful aS FUCK MY GOODNESS

*chat noir runs off to detransform*

*sweet baby nathaneal is transformed into the evillustrator and then rogercop also but NATHANEAL YEET*

ladybug: *doing mission impossible stuff*

chat noir: *sneakity sneaks*

ladybug: *FUCKING WREKCS HIM*

chat noir: oh boy oh boy please let go of me waht did i do to deserve this

ladybug: lol sorry thought you got posessed

ladybug: *stares at chat noir's body*

ladybug: god damn

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ladybug: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*children break down the door*

puppeteer: CHAT NOIR COME TO LIFE

chat noir: nuuuuuuu *leaps in slow motion to get the doll but fails*

ladybug: shiiiiiiiiiit

chat noir @ladybug: suck my ass

ladybug: gladly

ladybug: i mean YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE

*more cool fighting*

ladybug: *accidentally hits chat with her yoyo*

ladybug: oh my goodness gracious i am so sorry i didn't mean to no no oh boy please don't be hurt i haven't confessed my love for you yet god dammit

*rogercop and evillustrator show up*

ladybug: are u fuking serious

*even MORE cool fighting*

ladybug: *flings chat noir off of the FUCKING ROOF*

ladybug:

ladybug: ...he'll be fine

*ladybug is totally badass and saves the day*

chat noir @ladybug: fyi you can pull on my heartstrings anyday

ladybug: HOLY SHIT HAVE YOU READ THAT FANFIC TOO

chat noir: OF COURSE I HAVE ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ladybug: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

chat noir: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*hawkmoth screeching in the distance*