#because I realized Guy would have done it before Hal

[arrowmaker15]

Red Hood, smirking at Batman on the Watchtower: We were both wrong.

Batman, with two Green Lanterns knocked out at his feet: Mm.

Red Hood: It wasn't Hal-

Batman: It was not.

Red Hood: But you punched him anyways-

Batman: Yes.

Red Hood: Then Guy came in-

Batman: Also yes.

Red Hood: Confessed that he spread the rumor-

Batman: Mhm.

Red Hood: So you knocked him out again.

Batman: That is what happened.

Red Hood:

Red Hood: I need to join the Justice League ASAP.

[andvys]

I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss | part 5

Warnings: angst, hurt/no comfort, mentions of cheating, heartbreak, lots of angst

Pairings: Steve Harrington x fem!cheerleader!reader , Steve Harrington x Nancy Wheeler

Summary: Everything comes crashing down on you and Steve.

Word count: 3.3k

A/N: @wroteclassicaly thank you for the angsty suggestion, I put it to good use hehe

series masterlist

-

You have been through so much pain in the past couple of weeks, heartbreak and sadness. Sadness that you have turned into anger because you would rather deal with that than with anything else that heartbreaks brings you. It was easy to pretend not to care about him any longer when you have settled for the anger that he brought to you.

You finally put those rose colored glasses down and saw him for who he really was all along. He was by no means a good boyfriend or a good guy for that matter, he hurt you and then he did the worst thing that he could ever do to you – he cheated on you. That was one thing that you have been so deeply afraid of. That was the only thing you had asked him not to do but he did it anyway. He kissed another girl, he would’ve done much more if she let him, you know it, you know him. And in the end he left you for her. 

He made you feel like your whole relationship was a lie, that the love he felt for you was never real. That you never mattered to him.

Weeks of self doubt, questions and what if’s haunted you. Crying yourself to sleep or drowning yourself in things that aren’t good for you have become your reality in the past few weeks. You were suffering but you wouldn’t let anyone see. You’ve put on an armor and found out that you should’ve done that a long time ago, it protected you from him and the things he still made you feel. 

You found peace in knowing that this was over, that no matter how much you love him, you could still let him go. 

You let him go. 

The walls have moved up higher and higher around you, despite the pain deep in your bones, you have started to feel stronger again. It took you weeks to get there. And it only took him a minute to strip you of the armor, to destroy the walls that you have struggled to build up. He took away all your power, all your strength with just a simple touch. 

The moment you feel his lips on yours, you push him away before it can fully turn into a kiss. A cold wave washes over you, your heart begins to pound faster than it did before. You feel so many things at once, shock, confusion, longing, sadness and anger. 

“What the hell, Steve?” 

He blinks and the softness in his eyes begins to fade away. His lips part and he frowns a little as he stares down at you. He takes in the angry look on your face – the tears in your eyes that he hasn’t seen in a long time.

“Get off of me!” 

Realization rushes through him, a shiver runs down his spine and the feeling of guilt and regret starts to take over. He moves away instantly. He sits back on your bed and runs his hand through his hair, not looking away from you. You scoot away from him and get off the bed, tucking your hair behind your ears, you cup your cheeks as you begin to pace around your room. 

“S-Shit, y/n. I’m sorry.” What exactly is he sorry for? For wanting to kiss you? For feeling like it was the right thing to do? 

“Y-You’re sorry?” You laugh, turning your back to him, you stare at the ground in disbelief. 

He is sorry, he is sorry for trying to kiss you the way he kissed her when he was still yours. 

You try to fight the tears but you can’t, right now, there is no fight left in you. 

Steve stares at you. His heart is pounding in his chest, dread begins to take over. Why did he do that? He gets up and walks towards you, he hesitates when he hears your quiet sniffle. He places his hand on your shoulder, instantly regretting it when you flinch at his touch. You turn around to face him. Your glassy eyes meet his, his breath gets caught in his throat. 

The last time he saw you like this was the morning after the Halloween party. Back then, his own feelings confused him, he didn’t know what he was feeling when he broke your heart. Now he realizes that what he was feeling, what he is feeling right now is sadness. 

“D-Don’t touch me, Steve!” 

Your words are out of anger but your voice is shaky and filled with sadness. 

“I-I’m sorry, y/n. I-I didn’t mean to upset you–”

“Why did you do that?” You ask. You step towards him. “W-Why did you try to kiss me?” 

He blinks and stares at you for the longest time. The room is silent, the energy is heavy. 

“It felt right,” he says without thinking. 

A laugh of disbelief falls from your lips, you shake your head. 

“Just how it felt right to kiss her when you were still with me?” You finally ask. 

He furrows his brows, his eyes flash with confusion. Shaking his head, he steps closer to you, “w-what?” He asks. 

If you weren’t so agitated right now, you would see the genuine confused look on his face. 

“Nancy!” You say. “You kissed Nancy a-and don’t even try to deny it, Steve! Billy told me that he saw you kissing her in your car!” 

Steve feels a little defeated when he realizes what you are talking about. He doesn’t even blame you for believing Billy. Steve had met up with Nancy at Benny’s Burgers to work on the group project, when they went back into his car later that night, she kissed him – he didn’t kiss her back, in fact, he was frozen in place when he felt her foreign lips moving against his. Steve had pushed her away when he realized what was happening. Billy must’ve seen them at a bad moment and of course he had to tell you. 

He closes his eyes for a moment, he pinches the bridge of his nose. He knows that whatever he will say won’t get you to calm down. You won’t believe him and he doesn’t blame you. 

“I didn’t kiss her, y/n. I swear to god, I didn’t.” 

This whole thing – this conversation is ridiculous, how he is standing in front of you, trying to make you believe that he didn’t kiss his girlfriend. 

“She kissed me, I pushed her away – I would’ve never done this to you.” 

“You – what?!” You scoff, shaking your head, “you would’ve never done this to me?” You ask and point to yourself, a look of disbelief crosses your face as you stare at him. He broke your heart, he told you he never loved you, he fell in love with her while he was still with you, he dumped you and now he is claiming that he would have never done this to you? 

You never wanted this to happen, you never wanted to show him how hurt you still are, you never wanted him to know that he still has so much power over you, you never wanted him to see how much you still love him. 

The anger and the heartbreak takes over you and you lose the control that you have had all these weeks. 

Why did he have to do this to you? 

“Y-You left me, Steve! You left me for her! You fell in love with her while you were with me a-and now you wanna tell me that you wouldn’t have done this to me? Y-You did so much worse, Steve!” 

Steve feels his heart dropping to his stomach. The tears that roll down your cheeks, the heartbroken look on your face and the pain in your voice makes him feel like he has finally crashed back into reality. These past few weeks have been a blur, it felt like he was in a constant state of haziness, like he wasn’t himself, like he wasn’t there. 

But now he is here and the realization of what he has done to you finally comes rushing in. 

“You said you never loved me, o-our whole relationship was a fucking lie a-and I knew it! I always knew it, you treated me like shit! You stood me up, you talked to other girls, y-you could be so fucking mean to me and I still stayed b-because I loved you – I loved you so much, Steve.” Your voice cracks and you have to take a deep breath. You don’t even see him clearly, your eyes are blurred with tears. “I-I hoped you loved me too because you were still with me, despite everything b-but then she came along a-and then everything got so much worse and I realized, you were never actually with me. You put a label on us but you never took it seriously. You took everything from me but you never gave me anything in return! I was yours but you were never mine.” 

Steve’s face becomes etched with sadness. He can’t remember what it feels like to have tears welling up in his eyes but he gets reminded again when he feels them, when his vision blurs the longer he stares at you and realizes how much pain he had caused you – how much he regrets hurting you. 

Your eyes are filled with betrayal and heartbreak. After all this time, you are still hurting, maybe even more so than you did when he left you. He remembers the shock on your face when he told you that he is not in love with you anymore or when he told you that he was never in love with you in the first place. What a lie. He always loved you, he never stopped loving you. 

“I-I’m so sorry.” Is all he manages to say. He doesn’t recognize his own voice, it’s shaky and filled with grief.

“Y-You’re sorry?” You whisper as you tilt your head. A single tear rolls down his cheek, the sadness in his features makes you angry. 

He takes a step towards you, close enough to reach out to touch you but you slap his hands away, “don’t touch me, Steve!” You snap at him as you place your hands on his chest and push him away from you. 

“Y/n, please – I-I lied to you, I loved you, I love you!”

For some reason, your heart breaks even more at his words. You stare at him, hoping to find the lies in his eyes but the worst part is, you can’t. You can’t find it – he is telling the truth and somehow that makes it all worse. He loved you, he loves you and that wasn’t enough. The one thing that matters the most in a relationship wasn’t enough for him. His heart chose you but he didn’t want you. 

You raise your shaky hand up to your face and wipe the fallen tears but the moment a sob breaks free, you begin to cry harder. Your chest aches more than it ever did. 

This is all you wanted, for him to love you but now you wish he never did. To know that someone loved you and still chose to break your heart and leave you for someone else hurts more than to find out that you were never loved in the first place, at least that would have made sense. 

Steve watches you, his bottom lip is quivering, his heart is beating wildly in his chest, tears roll down his cheeks. He regrets it all. He wants to pull you into his arms and comfort you but how can he do that when he was the one who put you into this place of pain and suffering? 

It feels like he has just woken up only to find himself in a nightmare. What has he done? He did the worst thing that he could do to you. Your quiet sobs break his heart. He did this to you. 

“I hate you,” you whisper through the tears, “I hate you so much. I hate that I love you.”

He feels like the worst person alive. He feels miserable. 

“Y/n–”

You keep wiping your tears away, as though it will help. You shake your head. Your eyes meet his glassy ones. 

“Why are you crying?” You ask, angrily.

His shoulders slump as he takes a step towards you, “p-please forgive me, I never wanted to hurt you–”

“Fuck you!” You cry, “that’s bullshit, Steve! Everything you do, everything you say is bullshit! Y-You’re bullshit!” You place your hands back on his chest and try to shove him out of your room and he lets you, he doesn’t fight back. 

Your words cut him deeply. His throat thickens and feels like he is about to break down in front of you. 

He whispers your name when you stop pushing him. He takes hold of your wrists and for a moment, you let him. 

His hazel eyes are filled with pain, regret and sadness. He is crying and even through the hazy anger, you realize that you have never seen him cry before, not in all those years you have known him. It hurts to see him like that – after all, you still love him. 

“I regret you, Steve,” you whisper, not looking away from his eyes, “I regret you all the time.” 

“What?” 

“If I could turn back time, I would’ve never fallen in love with you, I would’ve never given you my heart, I would’ve never slept with you.”

He shakes his head, more tears brim his eyes. 

“I want you to leave me alone – I want you to forget that I exist. You got what you wanted, you got her, the girl you love. Now get out of my life and don’t fucking look back, I want nothing to do with you.” 

Your words may come from anger but he will never know how much it hurts you to say them.

“No..”

“You did this. You wanted this, remember? You threw me away, you threw us away.”

He holds your wrists tighter as though it will get you back. He shakes his head, “please..”

“You’ve done enough, asshole. Now get out of my life, I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t want anything to do with you,” you spit, ignoring the tears that stream down yours and his face. “Just leave, I’m done with you.” You say and finally rip your hands free. 

Steve feels like falling to his knees and begging for forgiveness but the damage is done. He ruined everything. He ruined the only real thing in his life. He ripped open your wounds that have just begun to heal. 

He looks into your eyes and finally everything begins to make sense. Why he can’t get you out of his head. Why it feels so wrong to be with her. Why he thinks of you when she lies beside him. He is in love with you, he always was, he just didn’t understand it. You have always been there, you have always been the one. 

But he broke you, he broke what you two had. He did this. And he only sees it now. There is no apologizing for what he did. There is no making up for it. It’s too late for it all. 

There is love in your eyes but there is also something that tells him that it’s all over. You have let go of him a while ago, you draw the line that can’t be crossed anymore. Whatever he will do, won’t be enough to get you back. 

It’s over. 

You still love him and the look in your eyes tells him that you always will but that doesn’t mean that he will ever get a chance again. You closed the door, you locked it and destroyed the keys. There is no way back for him. 

He can see that you are barely holding yourself together, you are shaking, your bottom lip is trembling and the tears continue to roll down your cheeks. The urge to pull you into his arms and comfort you in a way he never has before is so strong but he knows that he will only make things worse if he tries to touch you again. 

He lifts his hand towards his face and wipes away the tears that you would have kissed away if things were different. Your heart jumps in your chest when you notice the hair tie around his wrist, it belonged to you. 

“I’m sorry, dolly.” He whispers softly, using the nickname he used to call you when you were children. He turns away from you and unlike the last time, it hurts. Because back then, he never truly walked away from you, he left his heart with you, he never took it away, you always had it. He never truly knew how deeply in love with you he was but now he knows, now that he has to walk away from you. 

And he doesn’t know how much it hurts you to see him walk away again. Despite the anger inside of you, it hurts you more than it did last time. 

You slam your door shut and place your palms against it. You close your eyes and try to take deep breaths. Don’t cry, just stop, stop crying. You don’t listen to the voices in your head, you don’t bother to. You are so sick of it, of crying but you can’t even stop yourself from breaking down again. 

You have let go of him, you have come to peace knowing that he never loved you. Why did he have to do this? 

You turn off the lights and walk towards your window nook, you sit down and make the mistake of looking down into your driveway. He is still here. Standing by his car and looking down at the ground. 

Your heart longs for him. 

His heart longs for you. 

But everything is too late now. 

Steve had never felt heartbreak before, this is the first time and he knows there is no one to blame but himself. He ruined the best thing that he had. 

He can’t fight the tears away, he can’t stop himself from crying. Not on the drive home and not when he walks into his house. He drags himself upstairs and the moment he takes a seat on his bed, he breaks down and he hates himself for it, he hates himself for feeling so sad and broken knowing that it was him who did all of this. 

He never felt that tight feeling in his chest, the emptiness inside of him that begins to eat at him as he sobs into his hands when he thinks about you, about what he had let go off. What he had ruined. What he had lost. 

It’s not just his pain that is making him cry, it’s also the regret and the guilt of hurting you. 

When he left you, he kept thinking about the tears in your eyes, the shocked and hurt look on your face when he told you that he never loved you, it made his chest hurt but he distracted himself with other things so he wouldn’t think about it, but now it all hits him. He will never forget the look on your face, the tears of heartbreak and anger. The thought of what he had done to you. 

Your words cut deep but he knows he deserved it. 

He deserves so much worse. 

While you regret him – he regrets her. He regrets everything. 

The next day at school both of your seats stay empty. 

next chapter

-

This was a bit of a short chapter but I feel like it was the right moment to wrap it up.

@wroteclassicaly @corrodedseraphine @corrodedcorpses @mysticmunson @screammunson @imjuststeddietrashatthispoint @sherrylyn628 @somethingvicked @nemesis729 @taintedcigs @hellfire--cult @take-everything-you-can

[whimsicalcotton]

Waiter waiter‼️ I'd like to order number 71 & 101 for the fic snippet prompt, amberpricefield 🙏

bon appetit! sorry for the wait

101: Anniversary

okay The Visual of this wouldn't leave my brain so i. tried scribbling it instead hfjdjhdgd i hope that's okay (and sorry for my janky handwriting)

--- --- ---

71: Spooning

“I don't know what you guys are talking about,” Rachel scoffs, hunched over her homework and unaware she looks about five seconds from face-planting into it. “I'm not tired.”

Chloe takes a breath to argue, but Max beats her to the punch with an unimpressed sigh of her own. “That's bullshit, Rachel.”

She knows she's in hot water if it's gotten to the point that Max is actively calling her out on her nonsense. Still, she follows perfection’s urge to deflect any and all concern. 

“I’m fine,” she insists, giving them both her most reassuring smile. “Really. I wouldn't lie to you guys about that, would I?”

A beat of silence passes, wherein Chloe and Max share a long, disbelieving look. 

“Uh, yeah you would,” says Chloe.

“Pretty much all the time,” says Max. 

“Practically every day since I met you.”

“You're literally lying about it as we speak.”

“Alright, alright,” Rachel stops them before they can go any further. “So maybe I'm not always entirely honest. But how can you be so sure I'm lying now?”

She expects them to have to think on it for a moment, to at least have a few second's struggle in dismantling her facade of a well rested and perfectly functional human being. Instead, they both come out swinging. 

“You look like you've been up all night,” Max offers, brows furrowed in concern. 

“And you sound like you ate your fucking cigarettes,” Chloe adds. 

“Plus, there's your shirt,” Max notes, moving a little closer. “It's done up all uneven. You only do that when you haven't slept well.”

Chloe leans over to look at the precarious stack of notebooks and worksheets in Rachel's lap. “Not to mention the only thing you have written down for this question is the number three. And it's a goddamn English assignment.” 

Rachel glances both down at the paper Chloe's pointing to, and at her shirt buttons, and realizes they're both right. Although instead of admitting to such unquestionably sleep-deprivation induced follies, Rachel chooses to double down on her deflection. 

“You guys really pay that much attention to me?” she asks, taking care not to let the elation sneak into her tone. “That's pretty fucking gay.” 

Chloe fires back an immediate, “You're pretty fucking gay,” while Max goes red and mumbles, “Maybe so.”

“Besides,” Rachel grins, getting perhaps a little too cocky perhaps a little too quickly now that she has them off balance. “What're you gonna do about it, make me take a nap? Hold me hostage and spoon me against my will?” 

Chloe and Max go quiet. They're giving each other another one of those looks too; the kind Rachel has come to learn can never mean anything good. That's about all she has the time to register before her stuff is snatched out of her hands and she's being unceremoniously hauled across the bed.

“Hey, hey, wait a damn second.”

Neither of them say a word. Chloe just keeps dragging her around, not content until they're all tangled up and close as close and be. Max gathers up Rachel's things in succinct and suspiciously squirrel-like fashion, moving to lay them in a semi-neat and equally precarious pile atop the girl's desk. 

“Guys, c'mon, I was just kidding.”

She tries to sit back up, or at least wriggle her way out of the Chloe-shaped bear trap she's found herself in, but she really must be tired because all she manages to do is mess her hair up and bury half her face in the pillow.

“This is so unfair,” Rachel announces as Max sits on her other side. She peers up through her wild hair to give Max the most piteous, dramatic look she can manage. “You're not gonna let her get away with bullying me like this, are you?” 

“Oh no,” Chloe says, looking more than pleased with her new position half wrestling, half snuggling up to Rachel. “Max, is she giving you the doe eyes? Don't fall for it, she's just being a drama queen.”

Max hesitates a moment more before slapping her floppy sleeves over her face. “There. Now I don't see any bullying or any pouting.” 

“Ignoring a girl in need?” Rachel huffs, giving up and fully burying her face in the pillows. “That's low of you, Caulfield.”

She's answered with a duet of laughter and the feeling of Max shuffling close and pressing up to her other side, joining Chloe in laying an arm over her waist. It's impossibly warm nestled in between them, and all those assignments are still taunting her from the desktop, and she really ought to get up again before Max and Chloe succeed in their little scheme and she winds up spending the afternoon lazing away with them instead of getting any work done.

“This is kidnapping,” she mutters, not moving an inch. She tries and fails to hold back a yawn. “This is harassment. You'll be hearing from my lawyers.”

“Sure, babe,” Chloe says, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

“Whatever you say,” Max hums in agreement, nuzzling closer.

[wish-incorrect-quotes]

Camping Trip

Wrote this because I thought Simon could use some cheering up after the movie. Also, I thought it would be fun for the group to get a little "heigh-ho" moment marching through the forest.

Simon was quickly starting to realize just how much he had missed spending time in the great outdoors. After his last birthday, it had always felt like there was a heavy fog settled over him, and he couldn’t feel any desire to go out on a hike when even getting out of bed could feel daunting.

But now… he wasn’t sure he could say he felt “normal” again. At least, not yet. But he did feel better. With the familiar sensation of leaves crunching under his feet, a light breeze rustling his clothes, and the bright sunlight adding a pleasant warmth to the day, he had a sense of enjoying something that had been missing for a while.

Though as much as he was glad to be out here again, it wasn’t exactly the peaceful experience it usually was. But, of course, he hadn’t really expected it to be a quiet sort of day. Not with the group of friends who were trailing along behind him.

“Is this where you met the grizzly bear? Are we gonna meet a bear? Do bears give hugs? Is that why people call it ‘bear hugs’? If we meet a bear, can we-”

“How about we stick to watching the wildlife from a distance, okay?” Dahlia interrupted Dario’s curious line of questioning.

Asha, however, was busy trying to keep track of a certain pet who was not part of the local wildlife that belonged off in the distance.

“Valentino, stick with the group, remember?” She called out.

Her pajama-clad goat, already halfway through climbing a steep wall of rock, glanced down with a disappointed sigh.

“But it’s going so slowly.” He objected, though he still obediently made his way down and trotted back to Asha’s side.

“I know, but us people need to stay on the path. Not all of us can go climbing up cliffs the way a goat can.”

She scooped him into her arms and offered him a carrot stick from the pouch around her waist, which quickly had Valentino forgetting any desire to rush ahead.

“I don’t see why we have to walk all this way instead of just riding a wagon.” Gabo muttered, shifting the weight of the pack slung over his shoulder.

“The trail’s too narrow further up. We wouldn’t be able to make it to the top.” Dahlia reminded him. “Besides, I told you I already packed everything we’ll need. You’re the one who insisted on bringing a bunch of extra stuff.”

“Well excuse me if ‘roughing it’ isn’t my idea of a good time. I still say it’s crazy to go sleep out in the wilderness when there’s perfectly good buildings back in the city.”

“Just be grateful I packed a very nice picnic for everyone.” Dahlia replied. “A lot of people put in the effort to find their own food while they’re out here.”

“I’ve done that before.” Simon decided to chime in. “Just came out here with a fishing pole, and whatever I catch is dinner."

 “I’m pretty sure we’d end up with someone scaring away all the fish if we tried that today.” He sent a pointed look at one of his friends trailing towards the back of the line.

As if on cue, the air suddenly rang out with a loud “AH-CHOO!” that echoed through the forest, and most likely had startled off a good amount of wildlife.

“Sorry. Pollen season.” Safi muttered sheepishly. He liked nature, he really did. He just wasn't so sure it liked him back.

While Bazeema paused to help him dig a few more handkerchiefs out of one of the bags, Hal’s face lit up with an idea.

“Hey guys, you know what we need?”

“Oh no.” Gabo groaned.

“Oh yes! Traveling music!”

“If anyone tries to make me sing, I swear I’m turning around and going home.”

“Alright, then you can whistle!”

The next thing they knew, Hal had cheerfully started up a surprisingly infectious tune. Though it did start off as whistling, it didn't take long before people started humming along, and then it unsurprisingly turned into singing after all. Gabo threw in a bit more grumbling under his breath, then decided he might as well put up with it. It would already be stuck in his head anyway. And while he hadn't planned to, he found himself absent-mindedly joining in after a few minutes.

Simon took a moment to glance at the group following behind him, and he couldn’t help but smile when he saw that everyone’s footsteps had instinctively fallen into the rhythm.

He didn't mind if it wasn't really a quiet and peaceful experience. Honestly, he'd rather have their chatter than be alone with his own thoughts right now. He wasn't sure if he even would have gone without them. And they had probably figured that out, too.

He knew that a lot of them didn’t tend to make up the most outdoorsy group, and he’d done his best to pick an easy trail that wouldn’t be difficult for them to manage. But even if he knew to expect a bit of complaining along the way (pretty much all of it from Gabo), it still made him feel warm inside to remember when he’d brought up the idea and everyone had agreed without any hesitation.

They had been worried about him, he knew that. And now that he finally felt ready to try getting back to something that had always cheered him up, they all wanted to be there for him. He really did have good friends. Better than he deserved, he briefly started to think. But he quickly shook the thought out of his head. Today was for letting himself have some happy thoughts.

Their path continued around a bend, then across a fallen tree acting as a bridge across a small ravine (it took quite a bit of encouragement to get Gabo feeling brave enough to cross it), and then it wasn’t much later before they could hear the sound of rushing water. And not long after, Dario was ecstatic to have located the source.

“Guys, there’s a WATERFALL!”

It was a rather picturesque sight, ribbons of water trailing into a little pool deep in the woods. And as he ran towards it, many of their friends following closely behind, Dahlia immediately knew it was much to late to get anyone to stop.

“At least take your shoes off if you’re going in!” She glanced over at Simon apologetically. “I hope we’re not throwing your schedule off.”

Simon shrugged good-naturedly. “We were probably about due for a break anyway.”

The point was for everyone to enjoy themselves, after all. And they certainly appeared to be having fun splashing around.

‐--------------------------------------------

Despite a few delays along the way, they reached the planned campsite with what should hopefully be plenty of daylight left to start setting up tents and getting a fire ready.

Despite being slightly out of practice, Simon had done this enough times that it didn't take him very long, so he began to wander through the group to see if anyone else needed help.

Despite Gabo's complaints about "roughing it," Bazeema had put together some rather comfortable looking sleeping bags, in everyone's favorite colors and patterns to boot. And once they had a campfire going, and the air was wafting with the smell of Dahlia expertly roasting their dinner, Simon would be surprised if anyone could manage to be in a bad mood.

And then, as the sky grew dark and last bits of red along the horizon disappeared, they were finally coming to the reason why they had selected tonight to come out here.

It started with one streak across the sky, then a few more, and before they knew it, the whole expanse above them was filled with the light of shooting stars.

"Oh, wow..."

With all of his friends lying on the ground around him to get a good look, Simon turned his head in the direction where he'd heard the breathless whisper, and saw Asha staring up in awe.

"It looks so beautiful out here."

"Do you think the one you met is up there?" Simon asked.

Asha's smile grew wider. "Absolutely. Star would never miss a chance to wave hello after we came all this way."

He leaned back again, his breath growing slow and relaxed as he tried to guess which one might be the wishing star Asha had brought into their lives.

As he'd learned, "sleepy" and "content" could be drastically different things. And tonight... he had a feeling he was going to sleep very contentedly.

[greenlantern94to04]

Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 (Spring 1994)

When Hal Jordan went bonkers in GL#50, he didn't just kill the Green Lantern Corps -- he also killed Green Lantern Corps Quarterly, the anthology series that, as the editor goes out of his way to point out in this final issue's letter column, was still selling pretty well when it got cancelled. DC could have kept the series going with past stories of the Corps, or maybe current stories of past Corps members, but I guess they wanted to go all in on the "only ONE Green Lantern left" thing and felt this series undermined that idea, so they asked Lobo to stop by and help kill it.

The stories included in this loosely "Emerald Twilight"-connected issue are:

"The Book of Endings"

The issue's framing story is written by Superman editor Mike Carlin, which I'm guessing means it had to be done at the last minute and he drew the short straw at the office. This story reveals that, while Hal and Sinestro where fighting in GL #50, they didn't even notice that the Book of Oa, the massive book containing the history of the Corps and the Guardians of the Universe, was burning up right in front of them (and neither did the Guardians, apparently, or they would have thrown some water on it or something).

As the oversized pages burn, we see stories that have absolutely nothing to do with "Emerald Twilight," like...

"Close Encounters"

This story is set during World War II, when Green Lantern Abin Sur, Hal Jordan's predecessor, is sent to Earth to stop a murderous madman -- but not the murderous madman, because the Guardians have forbidden him from interfering in human wars. Abin's target is an alien mercenary called Dask N'oir, who comes to Earth looking to offer his services (and sci-fi weapons) to the Nazis. Fortunately, the Nazis aren't big on multiculturalism and don't understand alien languages, so they think Dask is a demon and try to fight him.

The Nazis are so spooked that some run off to the Allied side to ask for help against the "demon." There, they bump into the 1940's Flash and (non-Corps affiliated) Green Lantern, Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, who bravely confront Dask... and are knocked out in one blast.

Abin Sur shows up to arrest the alien criminal, but he too gets easily knocked out when Dask shoots some yellow goo at his hand that incapacitates his Green Lantern ring. When Abin wakes up, he realizes Dask stole the ring, leaving him defenseless. That's when Abin notices that one of the unconscious Earthlings around him happens to have an off-brand GL ring on his finger...

So, Abin borrows Alan's ring and goes off to fight Dask, eventually tricking him into shooting that yellow goo at his own hand, thus allowing Abin to retrieve his ring. Before leaving with Dask, Abin returns Alan's ring and wipes his and Jay's memory of the encounter. The story ends with Abin looking forward to the day he can return to Earth (spoilers: he shouldn't) as Alan wakes up and wonders why his ring is in the wrong finger.

"Bad Intentions"

This one is written by future Guy Gardner: Warrior writer Beau Smith, and features an extremely Beau Smith character called Probert the Bad One, a sort of alien Conan the Barbarian with guns. One day, right after Probert has blown up a T. Rex to rescue a kid from being eaten, a Guardian shows up to ask him for help in taking down his sector's Green Lantern, Krudd, who has used his ring to take over a wealthy planet. Great pick, Guardians.

Probert only agrees to help because Krudd has taken his former lover, Poola, as a concubine, but he refuses to take the ring the Guardian offers him, because Probert don't wear no pansy-ass rings. (This might explain why Poola is a former lover.)

Of course, Probert regrets that decision once he's fighting Krudd and realizes his machine gun is no match for a power ring that can conjure up anything, including anti-machine gun force fields. Just as he's saying that, a GL battery materializes right next to him. Probert starts trying to activate the battery with various oaths ("It's probably something girly-like. Flower flower, give me the powers.") until he lands on something that works: "GIVE ME THE JUICE!"

Suddenly, despite still wearing no ring, Probert is imbued with green power, which he uses to materialize more guns. Krudd fights dirty and is actually quite good with the ring, so Probert ends up taking it away by cutting his finger off with a green energy knife (at least he didn't cut off the entire hand, unlike some other maniac).

Once Krudd is incapacitated, the Guardian comes back to take him and Probert's power away, but Probert says nah, it's his now. The Guardian takes that to mean that Probert has agreed to continue helping them "on retainer" and vanishes before Probert can protest.

He still ain't wearing no ring, though.

"Yella Belly!"

In this Gene Ha-drawn story, L.E.G.I.O.N. sends Lobo to Garnet, the most crime-ridden planet in the universe, to collect a criminal. This puts him in conflict with Garnet's very un-Green Lantern-like Green Lantern, Jack T. Chance. Lobo's not in the mood for fighting one of his many '90s ripoffs... until Jack calls him a "yella belly." Big mistake.

In the fight that ensues, Jack tries killing Lobo with a green chainsaw, but the ring stops him because that's not within its parameters. "Letting its wearer get kicked in the nuts" is within those parameters, though.

Jack tries shooting Lobo in the head with a regular gun, but Lobo catches the bullets with his teeth and headbutts him after playing dead. As Jack is recovering from that blow with the assistance of some booze, Lobo gets an idea based on Jack's hurtful remark from earlier: he covers himself in the yellow blood of some other alien he'd killed earlier and exploits the ring's yellow weakness to beat the crap out of Jack, yelling "Yella belly! Yella belly! YELLA BELLY!"

Lobo tries stealing Jack's ring, but it's "encoded by his D.N.A." and can't be stolen... so, for the second time this issue, someone cuts a ring-bearer's finger off. By simply "wearing" Jack's severed finger on top of his own, Lobo is able to access the ring's power and thinks about all the wonderful things he's gonna do with it (starting with exploding L.E.G.I.O.N.'s planet) -- until the ring informs him that it only works in planet Garnet, killing Lobo's interest.

As Lobo leaves with that criminal he came for, we see the finger crawling back to Jack and reattaching itself to his hand. Upon waking up and learning that Lobo left, Jack takes that as a victory and declares himself the baddest dude in Garnet. (Until he was easily beaten by Hal and left for dead in space, anyway.)

Back to the framing story, the narration concludes that the Guardians are a bunch of incompetent asses and kinda had this whole "Emerald Twilight" thing coming. All the stories in this issue feature a ring being stolen and used for nefarious purposes (not always in that order), so maybe it has a point. As the Book of Oa finishes burning, we get a small glimpse of the future: it appears to be a young man...

...wearing a crab on his face?! Huh, weird.

Plotline-Watch:

I guess the above panel means this issue is technically the first appearance of Kyle Rayner's classic "crab face" costume, discounting ads and stuff like that. This should be going for hundreds on eBay, not a couple of bucks!

We'll see Probert the Bad One return on Guy Gardner: Warrior pretty soon. Alan Scott will also make some appearances there, starting sooner than you might think.

Lobo and L.E.G.I.O.N. will cross paths with Kyle Rayner in the near future, though they won't be called L.E.G.I.O.N. anymore...

Speaking of Lobo, as he's leaving Garnet's atmosphere, he kicks some little dweeb off his flying vehicle while exclaiming "One side, fan boy!" I have no idea if that's supposed to be someone in particular or if it's just a random joke, so I will assume it's the titular fanboy from the 1999 Fanboy miniseries by Sergio Aragonés.

And speaking of planet Garnet, I looked it up and its next appearance is in Superboy and the Ravers, of all places, so I guess we'll see that eventually over at the '90s Superman blog.

Guy-Watch:

Guy Gardner: Warrior #19 continues the "Emerald Fallout" storyline and also Guy's fight with Militia (or as Guy has started calling him, "Melissa"). Ice helps, but then she starts getting a little too aggro (a side-effect of her new powers) and tries to take on Militia all by herself while leaving Guy behind, which doesn't go too well for her.

With Ice down and Guy's new armor malfunctioning, Militia's really got our hero by the balls. Militia picks that moment to reveal his identity and why hunting Guy was so personal to him: he's Guy's supposedly dead cop brother, Mace Gardner! Cue emotional "family reunion" music.

Mace resented Guy for becoming a superhero so, after getting crippled, he faked his death and volunteered for government experiments that gave him his legs back at the cost of making him look and sound like a '90s supervillain. Just when it seems like Mace might kill him, Guy's yellow power ring, which has been on the fritz for the past two issues, gets a sudden burst of energy that allows him to defeat his bro in about two seconds.

Seeing that Militia failed them again, his superiors at the Quorum decide to ditch him and remotely disable his armor, leaving him crippled again. What's all this stuff got to do with "Emerald Twilight," you might ask? Not much, until Alan Scott suddenly shows up (told you he'd be back soon) and tells Guy the universe is in danger. So, you know, TO BE CONTINUED.

[marybeatriceofmodena]

What was that crazy music video type thing you included on that post about ALW being an ass to Patti Lupone? I have never seen that before and I am both intrigued and horrified. I only recently got into Phantom, and all this craziness is just delighting me. 😂

For context, this is the video referred to in this ask:

This was a promo video done in 1985 (I think), to promote Phantom. Those are the original lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, which he wrote before Charles Hart was involved. You'll recognize a few here and there, but a lot of them are... weird, to say the least (weird enough for Cameron "Satan" Mackintosh to tell ALW to either find someone to help out Stilgoe, either outright fire him, or else he wouldn't produce Phantom anymore. And given it was proving to be a VERY costly show to make, even ALW knew losing CamMack was a no-no).

The staging is also different, because Trevor Nunn was the director at this point. And that's another funny (HA) story: ALW and Cameron Mackintosh had initially got Hal Prince to direct. And for those of you who don't know, Hal Prince is basically to musicals what Steven Spielberg is to cinema. He directed some of the most successful musicals of the latter half of the 20th century: Evita, Sweeney Todd, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, Cabaret, Company... and that's the list of musicals I know even the uninitiated will recognize. So one day, on a whim, ALW decided to fire Hal Prince, which went about as well as you might expect: ALW chickened out of the dinner where he and CamMack were supposed to break the news to him, which led to CamMack having to sheepishly break the news to Hal Prince, who stormed out furious (AS HE SHOULD). Again, imagine yourself firing Steven Spielberg from making Saving Private Ryan and replacing him with, I dunno, the Russo brothers because The Avengers made a shit ton of money.

Why? My guess is that Hal Prince had the balls to tell ALW to stick it whenever he'd bring bad ideas on the table, so ALW basically decided to replace Hal Prince with the director for one of his previous musicals, Trevor Nunn (who is a decent director, mind you, making the comparison to the Russo brothers a little harsh).

Which musical was it, mind you? CATS.

IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO CATS.

And Steve Harley? He was a rock singer who got picked up along the way because they urgently needed someone to play the Phantom in the music video, and full offense but he's a worse singer than Gerald Butler in my opinion, and at least the latter could actually act. ALW realized that they needed someone else, and he basically smuggled the score to a comedic actor called Michael Crawford, who had some prior experience singing in musicals (he's in the film adaptations of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Hello Dolly, if you're interested), but he wasn't exactly the guy you'd think of for the Phantom? Thankfully, he proved everyone who might have doubted him wrong, and amazingly at that, but he was a gamble at the time nonetheless.

And as you may guess, the music video was kind of poorly received, and Trevor Nunn worked on a little musical called Les Misérables, which got piss poor reviews and ALW was at the head of them (CLASS ACT, THAT FELLOW). But the uneducated, unwashed plebs loved it so I guess that's the reason why it's still playing today, and not because it's one of the most beautiful scores ever written for musical theatre, summing up a 1,000 book perfectly and conveying emotions that could make angels cry, nah. /s Anyway, that led to ALW firing Trevor Nunn, and begging Hal Prince to come back, and he agreed - which really goes to show how gracious he is because I would have laughed in ALW's face.

And what happened to Steve Harley, you may ask? He found out with a call from CamMack that he was fired, with no explanation whatsoever, and it was only later that he found out Michael Crawford had replaced him. I mean, was it for the best? Yeah. Do I still feel kind of bad for Steve Harley? Yeah.

So yeah, thank your lucky stars Hal Prince, Charles Hart and Michael Crawford agreed to be in this. I'd also add Maria Bjornson, but I really wonder now how she got involved in the first place because if that came from ALW, that might be the single best decision he ever made in his entire life. But I don't have any trust in him whatsoever to pull that off lmao

[smolvenger]

The Wedding of the King (Henry V/fem! Reader)

Summary: Henry consents to an arranged marriage to a Lady Y/N. He is enthusiastic about marrying this beautiful woman upon meeting her. But as the wedding day arrives, he learns that she, however, is not.

Word Count: 6K

Warnings: Discussions of the fear of rape, as well as masturbation and sex without any actual smut. Men are gross (but not our boy Henry- he's a king in more ways than one). Medieval era attitudes and attempts at accuracy. Some angst but a lot of fluff. I snuck in references to Hamlet and Six The Musical. A reworking of a speech from Henry IV Part II

A03//My Ko-Fi//My Etsy Shop//Masterlist//Wattpad

Taglist: @evelyn-kingsley @jennyggggrrr @five-miles-over @fictive-sl0th @ladycamillewrites @villainousshakespeare @holdmytesseract @eleniblue @twhxhck @lokisgoodgirl @lovelysizzlingbluebird @raqnarokr @holymultiplefandomsbatman @michelleleewise

A/N: hi guys! This one-shot takes place in the same universe as my miniseries The Twelve Days. But it's not required and hopefully will make sense outside the context. I got an idea from an ask to expand it with some one-shots and to write something more from Hal/Henry's POV. I was in a rush to write the first part bc I Wanted the whole shebang done by January 6th (and then I didn't. Oops.) So I realized I didn't go into detail about the wedding. I should have, because I read a blog post about how medieval-era weddings went and I thought it was fascinating. So this one will focus a LOT on the wedding, as well as before and after. I hope y'all like it- comments and reblogs and asks and dms about my work are appreciated!

The Earl of York spoke of her like that of a Disciple proclaiming the Word.

“This family shall be most advantageous in a match! They have always sworn duty and loyalty to our court. They have served us faithfully and will make excellent allies. I say you must reward them. And there is a daughter they have- the elder one. All of us in Parliament agree that she is the best match to be your queen!” he bragged.

Henry rested his arms on the ends of the throne. It was quite a tumultuous time. In less than a month, not only had he lost a father and gained a crown, but now the court had selected a potential wife.

“What of her? Who is she? What is her name?” He asked.

“Lady Y/F/N of the House of Y/L/N,” the Duke of York reported.

The Duke of Salisbury stepped forward, adding on.

“I met her at a ball hosted by her parents. A most virtuous, good lady. Her parents assure us she is chaste, of course. We know she will obey her parents should they agree to this match. No protestations, no running away, no rebelling- so the marriage will happen smoothly without incident. And, as a man, I must confess- she is beautiful too!

The Duke of York cut back in.

“Additionally, many kings and queens of many countries are your relations. And they say that marrying too much within the family distorts the minds and even bodies of the children from their union. I say, to keep the minds and bodies of your heirs undisturbed, you look to England for your wife. And what luck that we have found Lady Y/N!”

The Chief Justice nodded and then continued.

 “You are young, but so is Lancaster’s hold on the throne. You are only the second one after your father usurped Richard. You must secure your claim by taking a wife and siring an heir to continue your line.”

Perhaps as king, he could refuse them. But there were too many practical advantages. And they were all right. He never expected as he took the throne to marry for love. No, kings married for alliances and heirs. He took in a deep breath.

“Then let it be so. Go to her parents and tell her the betrothal is done now. And then bring them here- I’d like to meet her at least once before we are married,” he ordered.

His powerful voice echoed in the throne room The lords nodded and headed through the wooden doors to begin writing some eager letters.  

Part of him would rest a little easier. He would cement his hold on the throne, indeed.

But who was she? This Y/N? He was bursting with curiosity. Even excitement. The visit was set for the next week. He couldn’t help but count down the days amidst the parliament meetings.

Finally, the day they would be introduced arrived. He greeted each servant with a smile. As he breakfasted with his brothers- The Princes John, Thomas, and Humphrey- he announced.

“You all have a sister now. But she will also be your queen and you will still respect her-she is already part of our family! I asked you all to think of me as brother and father- think of her like a sister and mother.”

They nodded their brown heads and gossiped about her and her family.

An hour before, he went to his chambers. His attendants dressed him in the dark cloak with the jeweled clasp, the one from his father. Such dark, dreary colors he had to wear on what should be a joyous day. He looked out to where a bird chirruped right outside the stained-glass window.  

“I would like some fresher air, let me walk the gardens for a minute,” he ordered.

He would meet his betrothed- not only a wife, a queen! In only an hour! He paced about the grounds, trying to urge his heart to still. How could he woo this woman? Many men won women over by saying pretty poetry that made them swoon. Others danced so well that one could see the love in the ladies’ eyes. He could do neither.

What did ladies like? He looked down to notice the flowers in the gardens. Most ladies liked flowers, so it was foolproof. Some still grew despite the October cold.  But there was a small purple wildflower that caught his eye. He bent down and picked it up. That should be her gift!  He could give her jewels. Offer lands. But that would only show him off- no. There would be time after that.  A flower would fit for his first gift. He would show humility. His honor for the union. His honor for her.

The Lord of Exeter, his uncle, hurried through and approached.

“Your grace…they’ve arrived!” he urged with a smile.

Henry walked through to the inside, his guards following with their tall spears and silver helmets. His brothers were just behind among the attendants of lords. Eager to peek at the woman about to be their sister-in-law.

He paused before the throne room. Knowing she would be there. Just between those doors was England’s queen! He took a moment to breathe in and savor the last minute of being a bachelor. The old man with a black hat and a large cane stood before, awaiting the signal.

Exhaling deeply, Henry then nodded. The old man tapped the staff on the floor. The doors opened to the throne room.

The old man announced, in a booming voice “his royal majesty, Henry the Fifth!”

The crowd in the stone throne room turned to him. Bowing heads low as he passed through them. Which one was she-which one? There among the crowd, was a woman in a decorative pink dress. Two people- her parents- gestured for her to walk forward.

It was Her.   

She bowed her head down. She looked up at him, hands folded before her, right into his eyes. Henry felt frozen where he stood.

They were right.  She was beautiful. Truly beautiful to him. He felt a shock. The punch of desire, run through his body, his spine, his stomach,  his groin. He felt pulled to her like a moon drew the current of the ocean. He took a step closer. She looked him in the eyes, but he noticed her shoulder raise up.

He knew he frightened ladies. Most shivered in his approach. Prior to being king, despite his title, the higher-born princesses he met scoffed in his face when he was introduced. They knew his exploits as Prince Hal. When he went to Eastcheap, the Lower born women bowed without speaking. And Tavern Women were the ones who loved him- because he paid them to lie with their mouths and for him to lie in their beds.

In her presence, he almost forgot to speak. Her eyes reduced him to be not a king but a silent schoolboy. Then he remembered his words, rolling out his tongue.

“Lady Y/L/N. I greet you, most fair lady.”

“Your majesty,” she voiced. She bowed again for good measure.

God’s blood, he loved the sound of her voice already. He could hear her say that all day. The wedding couldn’t be soon enough.

He reached out his hand and she accepted it. He moved it so her palm faced upwards. He put the wildflower into her hand, right on the palm. Then he moved her fingers to curl over it. Her eyes went big.

“May I kiss your hand and call you, my queen?” he asked.

She nodded. Rather than lifting her hand, he bowed his head low. Like the flower, he would offer humility to this woman. He kissed the hand that held the plant and then returned up.

That dinner, she was placed to sit next to him. Her parents across. Forks clicked on plates on the wooden table. Her elder brother leaned towards him.

“Your majesty, her father and I will have her trousseau ready. We will make sure everything is in order for her dowry as well- we will speak to you after dinner about it in detail.”

Her trousseau; Her clothes. The clothes that soon enough, every night he would remove off this beautiful lady, kiss her bare flesh. And for the first time in months, and he would…no, now was not the time for that sort of thought.

Henry nodded his head. He still felt himself blush.

“That is all good...So, tell me, Lord Y/L/N. How are things with the rest of your family?” he asked the father.

“My mother is sickly, and it troubles me, else she’d be there," the father explained.

Would Y/N make a comment about that? He looked at her-no she didn’t. The utensils clattered against the plates as they ate. Click, click, click.

“The Duke of Lancaster-John, here,- encountered Hotspur's fellow rebels a little while ago- he has grown into quite a warrior- John, would you to tell us that?” Henry prodded.

John nodded and told them all about what happened. She made no reply. Click, click, click, went her fork and knife.

“What do you think of this, my lady?” Henry asked, turning to her.

The lady looked up. And then she nodded.

“I…I think…I think it is well. The Duke of Lancaster did very well,” She answered politely.

“Do you like the food, my lady?” he asked.

“Yes, I was hungry,” she answered.

She only spoke in short sentences. But even that was enough for him to hear her voice.

“Are you excited about the wedding?” he asked.

“I…I am. I only hope it shall please his majesty. And my father and mother as well,” she replied, eyeing them.

“It shall, Lady Y/L/N, it shall,” Henry assured her.

Her plate was cleared. She set down her utensils and wiped the remnants off her lips with her napkin. What would those pretty lips be like to kiss? How would they feel on him? In November, when the wedding was set, perhaps he would find out.

“This castle will be your home soon, what do you think? You’ll have access to the chapel, libraries, and large gardens- the queen always receives a stable full of beautiful horses all for her. What do you make of that?” he asked.

“It…it sounds nice,” she answered.

She was only shy. It only made her more endearing to him. Perhaps with time, she would open up.

“Our daughter enjoys dancing. And she is accomplished at sewing,” the father added.

“Do you?” Henry asked.

“Yes, my lord.” She answered.

“I’m sure you will have all the time you like to sew as you want when we're married. And there will be balls for you to dance for hours- would you like that?” he added on.

“Yes, my lord,” she repeated.

Once the dowry was established, the Lord's Y/L/N- father and son-bowed low and kissed his hand. Far more formal than the usual masculine embrace of about-to-be in-laws. As they returned to the crowd about to set off, Henry approached his intended and kissed her hand one last time.

“I will see you anon, my queen. Sleep well and stay in good health,” he said.

“And may you stay in good health, also,” she replied.

That night, he felt himself burning. Every time he tried to write a letter, he found he couldn't find the words to write to her. He paced about his chambers in his night shift. Excitement, as well as arousal, bubbled inside him. Soon, she would be here. She was only shy for a first meeting- he knew he had the crown on him! That was natural! But that beautiful woman would be on his bed. Opening more of her thoughts to him, as well as her legs. There would be nothing on her, nothing on him either. Then he would lay on her. And for the first time in months, he would enjoy the comforts only a woman could give him.

The memory of touching her hand, her bare skin, made him hard during that those nights before the wedding. He had no taste for prostitutes or even concubines anymore. They weren't her. So, in the privacy of his chambers, with the memory of her touch, he merely imagined her there. He closed his eyes, and relieved himself with his hand, whispering her name like a prayer.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The day of the November Wedding arrived at long last.

Minstrels began to play on their lutes and drums as soon as he left his chambers. He embraced each of his brothers and then entered to begin the procession to the church outside the castle. Henry was draped in his own red cloak with gold in it with a rich red doublet and pants. They walked out to the courtyard just outside the castle entrance.

As he walked outside, the London crowd gaped and gathered to see the line of people forming the party. Already, he could hear the loud bells from the church signaling the start of the wedding. One group walked entered from outside the gates and the minstrels began playing even louder. His heart raced and he smiled noting a white blur as it got closer- the bride.

“A most joyous day of days- I welcome all of you!” he announced before his people.

 They paused as the father approached with the about-to-be queen on his arm. He looked down and opened an arm to greet her.

But when he approached the head of the party, his feet stopped where they were.

 She did look very pretty in her white wedding dress. It was trimmed with gold that shone when she passed sunlight. Her father stood, grinning right next to her. But there were circles beneath her eyes. He saw her hands shake as she clutched a bouquet of flowers. She was blinking rapidly as if to fight off crying. And she wasn’t smiling. 

The English people and court were witnessing an exhausted, terrified, timid young woman on the verge of tears rather than a radiant and smiling Royal bride.

Her father placed her on Henry’s left side, as Eve came from Adam’s left. John, as the Best Man, checked his sword in his hilt. He was decked in armor and a red cloak, his sword by his side. It was tradition and not even royals were beneath it. John then mounted a horse to trot next to them. He was armed just in case the bride was kidnapped. But as Henry looked at her, she might have welcomed it.

They began to walk towards the church, the minstrels playing against the bells from the cathedral. Her gaze was always low, she never looked at him. When her eyes met his, she still didn’t smile. She backed off from even his cloak brushing her.

She seemed to shrink before the doors to the large chapel. It was as if her wedding dress regressed her into a little child. Even though everyone knew she was a woman grown and deemed fit for wedding and bedding.

His in-laws and behind, including his two youngest brothers and his uncle.

The priest for the ceremony would be the Archbishop of Canterbury an old man with a scratchy white beard. He held up a ring and asked in a scratchy voice.

“Does the bride’s father permit the marriage?”

“He does,” answered the father.

“Are the bride and groom related by blood?”

“They are not. He is of the house of Lancaster. She is of the house of Y/L/N,” answered the father.

The interview went on until the priest nodded his head. John swung off his horse. The doors swung open.

He took note of her, following her steps. She moved slow. Yes, it was ceremony. Henry partially wondered if she was delaying arriving at the altar just a little. When they arrived, her father caught up to be by her side. She handed him the flowers. John was by Henry’s side. Both escorted them to face the priest. The chapel was filled with the various courtiers. Members of her family were scattered amongst the pews as well.

The Archbishop took her hand and lifted it up. He placed it in Henry’s, he made sure to make his own hand light, as not to grip her. He noticed her chest slowly rising and down, deepening the breaths.

“Your grace, you will make your vows to the bride.”

He looked her in the eye. Trying to soften his voice. Maybe that would comfort her. He repeated after the priest.

“I will have and hold you in bed and at the table, be you fair or ugly, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” He vowed.

She gazed up at him like a doe. She blinked. He noticed her jaw unclench. The archbishop delivered a brief sermon on the sacred nature of marriage. He then blessed the ring and handed it to Henry.

Henry held the ring and repeated if after the priest.

“In the name of the Father…”

He slipped it on and off her first finger.

“…And the Son…”

He slipped it on and off her second finger.

“…And the Holy Ghost…”

On and off the third finger.

 “…I thee wed.”

He then placed it over the fourth finger of her left hand. She looked down at the golden band. Admiring it.

“Now, both of you kneel before the Altar for Mass,” instructed the priest.

She let go of his hand and they followed suit. Her father, John, and the Archibishop brought out a canopy, a long, white fabric. It was placed over his and the lady’s head.

“Kyrie eleison…”  sang the church choir before them.

 She was close. So close. Hidden betwixt this sheet. But not the passionate bedsheets of lust. The chaste, sacred canopy of church. The sunlight from the windows and candles filtered over the white sheet and he could see her.

He looked down at her. She looked up at him. Her hands had been folded to pray. But here, they could be granted some privacy. At least during the day. Of course, it was right before the Sanctus, in the pause between liturgy. When he shifted his hands forward, she backed off a little. She didn’t want to be touched now. He had to use words.

“How are you?” he whispered.

“I’m tired, my lord,” she replied.

He gave her a small smile.

“I am too.”

He gave her a wink. She did break one small smile at that.

“We…we need to go back to praying. They might hear.” she prodded.

“I agree,” he replied.

Finally, after the Amen, the attendants took off the canopy, revealing them. The archbishop returned the lady’s hand to join the kings. Then he went to Henry and kissed his forehead.

“I Bestow you the Kiss of Peace. You may give it to your Bride.”

He leaned down and lightly, so lightly, pecked her cheek. The archbishop made the sign of the cross over the couple. John then went over and handed a tiara to Henry. Henry placed it over her head. A wedding and a brief coronation in one.

“I now bless and pronounce thee, King Henry the Fifth and Queen Y/N, husband and wife," the archbishop announced.

The choir sang “agnus dei” as they both walked out together.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

It was a lovely feast. There were love songs sung by the talented minstrels. Flutes lilted as ale and wine decked the plates. Flowers and gold were everywhere in the throne room, converted into a dining hall. There were more meats, loaves of bread, fruits, and delicacies than the king himself could name. As he finished off a leg of chicken, he checked in on his new wife next to him.

She could only stare out quietly and sip on her goblet. She had not said a word to him since they were served dinner.

Her mother arrived, curtsying at the table.

“Your grace, I would like a word in private with my daughter,” the mother announced.

“Then that you shall…” Henry nodded, gesturing for his new wife to be dismissed.

The mother led her out to the hall outside the dining hall. But Hal himself walked up, saying he was going to speak to the Duke of Burgundy who traveled all the way from France to the wedding.

Then he stopped at a corner. Standing right outside the hall- his ears peeled for the conversation between the women. He then stole glances at them sometimes, when he knew they wouldn't look.

“Y/N, my dear…you are a married woman now. We’ve discussed the specifics. But you must be reminded. There comes the…responsibility you bear. That is, to bear him on you..this would happen no matter who you married.”

“Yes, mother.” She nodded.

“The act is…not pleasant. It is painful when he…enters you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do. I’ve been thinking about it all day,” she replied.

“I trust you are chaste.”

“I swear on it, I am.” She replied.

“There will be bleeding and pain the first time. Men tend to be…enthusiastic. They are full of lust. It is their nature, how God made them. But considering who your husband is…Tonight, it will especially be expected. You will fulfill the very reason you were brought here. You will do your duty to your husband. And you will do it tonight. You know how important it is for the king to have a male heir.”

“Yes, I do, mother.”

“The act is... It is uncomfortable. It is awkward. But it is your duty. As a wife, you must do it. You will be brave and do what you have sworn to do not only for your husband- but for your king, and for England…”

“I promise, I won’t let anyone down. I don’t want to disappoint you or the king…I won't be a disappointment, I won't!” she insisted.

 “You won’t shut him off. You will enter the king’s bed…lift your skirt, spread your legs, and let it happen. It won’t be that hard. Just lie down on the bed- that’s all you have to do. It’s what he expects of you, and what he will want of you…men on their wedding night expect this. And the king will be no different.”

“Yes, mother.”

She touched her daughter’s arm to comfort her.

“Many men are…excited to bed their wives the first time. And no doubt, with such a vigorous, virile young king as we hear he is, he shall be. So tonight, it might not take long. Sometimes, men get so excited to perform the act that after they enter you…it ends quickly. It will only be a few minutes. Then you can go to sleep and go about as normal. And then you’ll have a baby to comfort you - doesn’t that sound nice?”

“It does.”

The young queen then touched her mother’s sleeve, her knuckles popping out as her hand turned into a grip.

“Mother will he….force himself on me?” she asked.

She paused.

“I don’t know…. And considering he’s the king…honestly, I’m not sure if you have a choice in the matter. When Henry says you and now…it’s you and now.”

He heard her start to cry. Her mother then hugged her, wiping the tears from her daughter's eyes.

“But you’ll live here in this wonderful castle, you will have dozens of servants and a baby someday…and you can always write to us…”

She broke the hug and then held her shoulder to look her in the eye.

“I say this only to prepare you. You will do your duty to the King -yes?”

“I will, mother. I won’t fail England. Or father and you.”

“Good. We are proud of you. And like I said, it will hurt…but it will be quick. Just a few minutes of pain, and then it’ll be done.”

He then turned his head and walked away. He asked for some ale and asked after the rotund, red-cheeked duke,  per his promise. Noting when mother and daughter returned to their seats. He then got back to his.

“Would you like to try the beef they made for us? They spiced it well, my lady,” he offered.

Her plate, loaded with food, was untouched.

“No thank you, my lord…” she replied.

“Do you feel sick? Do you need to retire?” he asked.

That last one did not come out the way he intended. Her eyes flashed up at him in a glare.

“I do not feel sick, my lord,” she replied firmly.

There, in that voice, was a touch of how she really felt. The flash of anger. The look she gave him, with a frown and crossed eyebrows. There. She was just like every other lady. She was frightened of him.

More than that-He revolted her. He disgusted her.

In short, she hated him.

If she wasn’t under the pressure of a royal marriage, if she wasn’t under the guidance of the court, the church, and her mother’s words…she would bolt from his side. She would lock her doors tight. She would avoid him. And if he offered his hand up to even walk chastely with him through the grounds, she would swat it away, screaming, and fleeing off.

As king, Henry could have anything. He could have spices imported from the East. He could command armies to march and invade lands for him. He had his own stable full of horses and hunting dogs that were all his. He could have exotic monkeys as pets. He could eat feasts every night and throw parties as he wanted. He could have the money stowed for the church if he wanted. He could have every other woman in England as his concubines. He could lay heavy taxes and have all the gold and wealth of the people in England.

But he could not have a wife who loved him.

If only the feast would hurry up. There was no way he could be alone with her. To talk to her. Perhaps to calm her down, let her know who he really was. Not until it was time for dismissal. But he found his plate, though half-eaten, had satiated him. He set down his fork. He saw his wife’s eyes grow big at the sight.

He turned over to the Earl of Exeter standing by him.

“Uncle … I think it’s time the queen and I excuse ourselves.”

A servant brought away the plate of untouched food from the young queen’s table. Her head turned his direction. She placed her fists onto the cloth napkin and clutched it.

The Lord of Exeter gave a naughty smile and drew his hand up. The minstrels stopped playing and the guests stopped chatting.

“Everyone, the king is going to retire with his bride to his chambers. It is now the hour where-to quote that Danish song- he will open the chamber door, and she will enter a maid and leave a maid no more,”

There was some snickering from a few male courtiers. A knot formed in Henry’s throat. The bride kept her head down and curled into her chair. She looked like a dog scared of its violent master.  

“The Bishop, the Lords, and her servants shall follow them to their rooms to sleep…or to be at it like rabbits…”

“Uncle, it is my wedding, let me speak,” Henry interrupted.

The Earl of Exeter closed his mouth and bowed his head. Henry stood up. He lifted his goblet in a toast.

“The rest of you shall stay here and drink another cup-for the blessing of the royal marriage. I am now not only a king, but a husband as well. We thank you all for celebrating with us today. We shall ask for your prayers for God to protect us both. May He lead us to wisdom and kindness with each other as we enter a new, sacred covenant…to health of the Queen of England!”

The crowd repeated “to the health of the queen!” as they all drank.

With a shaking hand, the queen took the goblet and downed water-maybe wishing it was wine. She then went up, and before the servants could escort her, she went down hugged her sister and her mother.

Then they gathered in a circle, lit torches, and walked down to his chambers. Minstrels beside them walked behind, playing away as one relayed a bawdy song about keys and locks with holes. The night had gotten dark and only that light was around. Behind were Henry’s three younger brothers. The Chief Justice, in a way, the surrogate father for the four Lancaster brothers, followed suit.

Down they walked. They entered the king’s room. Once it was father’s-and now it was his.

“Thank you all," he wished the party as they went inside.

Servants arrived and undressed them both. But he kept noticing many of the men leering at the bride as her ladies began to undress her. She eyed them nervously- a gazelle before a pack of hungry lions.

Henry then asked for a screen to be brought. A page boy arrived and set it up. She scurried behind it. One lord sighed in discontentment. Henry shot him a glare.

She would not suffer. If there was one thing he could do, he would not make her suffer. And he would remind them all who was really in charge. And she would know who it was she was really married to.

His jaw lowered when she emerged from the screen. She had no jewels or crown. She only had a simple white shift. Her feet were bare. She was raw, natural…and still beautiful. He wanted to embrace her in his arms. Kiss her head. Assure her all would be well. Protect her…

She was shivering. It was a November night, deep in Autumn with winter right in its nip. She raised her arms to hug herself. On her skin, he could see gooseflesh.

He brought her father’s old cloak and draped it over it. He offered his hand. She did not swat it away. She accepted it and he led her to sit down.

He then ordered all of them out.

“Now the rest of you- please leave the room…and do not stay at the door if you are not the guards…”

“But your majesty, we must make sure the marriage is consummated. You could at most close the drapes around the bed, but we must make sure you do your duty to your wife. For St. George and the sake of-“

“Yes, that is tradition. But seeing as I am the king now, here is a new one. I ask that all of you leave and go to your own rooms.” Henry protested.

They looked at each other in confusion.

The same lord spoke, “But how will we know if-“

“I’m sure once we discover she is pregnant, you will know the marriage is consummated. Now leave!”

No, he was the King of England now. Even as a prince, the guards had no choice but to let him out to visit Eastcheap. They couldn’t stop him. And every butcher and brawler bowed to him as he walked the streets.

And these earls would not be voyeurs on his wedding night. No matter how much they wanted to. Let them return to their rooms and pleasure themselves over imagining it. They would not see what would really happen.

And that poor girl would not be tormented before them.

 She flinched when he turned to her, but he assured her. Then, slowly, she placed her hand into his. She felt warm, soft to touch. She confided that she was not ready to consummate the marriage.

“You don’t need to worry. Nothing will happen tonight…”

She let out a deep exhale. He poured her a glass from the jug fill of spiced wine. It was tradition for the husband and wife to share it before they went to bed. It smelled of cinnamon. As he poured his own cup and sipped it, he could taste it’s slight kick in it’s dry flavor.

“You didn’t eat anything at the feast. Would you like me to ask for a plate?” he suggested.

“Yes, my lord.”

When he went up to the guard, he quietly requested “Please bring a plate of food for the queen. The feast leftovers will do.”

The guard raised his eyebrows in shock. This was not the sound he expected to hear that night. But he dipped his head and went down. But she drank her wine and ate all of her food.

She fell asleep curled up beneath the blankets on the bed. Finally, after everything, she was at peace. He finished the letters he had to write at his desk. He kept peeking over to see the bump in the blankets and it’s slow breathing. He went back up to the guards.

“I’d like to delay the morning mass for later. Let’s say around ten.  It was a long day. She needs to rest…and so do I.”

The guard nodded.

He went into the bed. It was big enough to where he wouldn’t be able to touch her. He curled up on his side, listening to her breathing as he closed the bed curtains and his eyes.

They slept in. The mid-morning burst through the room, through the curtains.  He awoke before her. She was still asleep. He paused to admire her through the slivers of light.

The attendants arrived, surprised to find the king and queen turned to the opposite sides, away from each other. He wanted to shake her awake, but his hand stopped. No, he would not touch her when she did not want to be touched. He let a lady in waiting wake her.

They sat in the castle's smaller chapel for morning prayers. They waited for it to start when a bishop would arrive to lead them. He sat next to her on the bench on the first row. He turned to her.

“Did you sleep better?”

“Aye, my lord.”

“That’s good…may I eat with you, my lady?”

“Aye, my lord.”

At breakfast, they sat at the table. He was on one side with the high chair, just as his father did before him. She sat on the other side. Close and far away.

“I don’t think I ever gave you a wedding gift," he said.

“I received many wedding gifts, my lord.”

“The court isn’t around you…you can call me Henry," he suggested.

“I received many wedding gifts…Henry.” She corrected.

“Is there anything you would…you would like? Name it, and it’s yours.” He offered,

She looked down, a bit hesitant. Then she opened her mouth.

“I’d like some new dresses if you don’t mind…my trousseau was full of my old ones. I’d like ones that would fit me now that I’m…that I’m queen, please.”

“Oh, of course! I will alert several people. You can have as many as you would like!"

“Thank you, Henry.”

He felt himself blush a little at the sounder of her voice saying his name. He ate another bit of food. The lute in the corner began playing.

“Y/N…do you have a favorite color?” he asked.

She blinked. She answered him. He kept note.

“Mine is black…black and red,” Henry replied.

It was small, but a start.

He asked to enter her room in December. It was the day after the Feast of St. Stephen. They would eat dinner together. The Earl of Warwick had to be the messenger this time. He blushed and nodded. Everyone knew when the king asked to dine with the queen, it was expected for them to make love after the meal. But he would not expect that. He just wanted to be alone with her. To talk to her even more, with the guards at the door and not around the wall.

He had finished studying and his brothers and the chief justice saw them off. As he knocked and entered, the door closed. The Cheif Justice began chatting with John as they walked off to the halls. Yet the two youngest Lancaster brothers, stayed behind, peeling an ear to the door.

“My lady Y/N,” Henry greeted her.

“My lord and king,” she replied. “The dinner is almost ready- they’re about to bring it in. I’m sorry the table is bare…”

“Don’t be. We can wait.”

The servants brought in the food through the door and left. But as they walked off, they noticed Thomas and Humphrey remaining. They looked at each other and kept their ears at the door. The two little brothers kept spying on the couple until there was the sound of footsteps from the hall.

"Where are they? Where are the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester?! cried the Chief Justice.

He arrived with John right outside the door. The boys jumped and returned to their feet with obviously fake innocence. John crossed his arms at them.  The Chief Justice looked red beneath his long, white beard. He huffed through his bulbous nose. He put his arms akimbo.

"What are you doing outside the queen's chambers?"

The boys looked at each other. Their lips were quivering.

“We just…just wanted to…to know…what happens, you know? The... Act. Father never got the chance to tell us what happens on the Wedding Night so…we just…” Humphrey explained.

The Chief Justice shook his head. John turned to them.

“I’ll explain it to them.” He offered.

He walked forward, and with both hands, yanked the ears of his two little brothers. They both went “urgh!” with the pain as he dragged them both away from the door. Off to give them the fateful talk without overhearing anything in person.

The guards stiffened their jaws to keep from smiling. The Chief Justice followed them.

If they managed to stay, they would have been disappointed. The “Act” did not happen that night. They only talked.

“My father compared me to Richard…Before I made an arrogant remark, and he struck me…” Henry recalled.

“Well, serves him right!” she said.

That made him laugh. They talked more as the ate.

“Has it occurred to you, Y/N, that you’re the Queen of one of the largest, and most wonderful countries of the world? And if they bow before me, they should bow before you,” Henry said. Her eyes widened and she blinked slowly. Processing the information.

Then they went to bed. But only to sleep. She told Henry she wasn’t ready yet. But they lay closer together.

“Y/N…has a man ever held you…held you in his arms….” he wondered.

“Why would you ask me that?”

“I wanted…wanted to know…I can touch you without…without…”

“Are you asking to hold me?” she asked.

“It’s cold. And you get cold easily if I recall.”

“Then yes, you can hold me…” she confirmed.

He wrapped his arms around her and he felt her arms reach around him. She felt so warm and soft. She smelled of the lavender they must have put in her bath today.

“Y/N…can I kiss you…” he asked.

“You’ve kissed my hand," she replied.

“On the lips, I mean.” Henry specified.

That felt bold. But this time, she did not object.

“Yes, you can,” she answered.

He raised his large hand to cup her smooth cheek, but as light as if she was made of glass. She looked him in his eyes, eyes he could stare at until they consumed him. As they laid their heads against the pillows, he craned his neck forward and kissed her. She tasted like wine and sauce. He felt himself blush red hot and could feel the breath from her nose. His heart burst forward and began to race with excitement. He was glad he was laying down, his knees felt weak from her lips. Finally, finally, he did it. He kissed her. And he knew that he would give her half his kingdom and his throne too if she blessed him with her lips again and asked for them.

He let go, the lips smacking quietly as they parted. The fire crackled as white puffs of snowflakes fell outside the window.

“Goodnight Henry,” she said.

“Goodnight. Y/N.”

He looked down on her as she slept. Far from the bride with shaking hands and blinking away tears in November. So peaceful. So warm. So safe. Henry felt something fill up his chest as he watched her quiet breathing again. Only this time, she was nestled close to him.

Once he was certain she was fast asleep, He then whispered lowly. Words like those he once spoke over the father he thought was dead.

“My gracious lady…my wife…”

She did not stir to awaken. She stayed in the realm of dreams, where she could not hear him. That made speaking these words easier at the moment.

“This is a sleep which gives much rest to those most troubled. You most of all. What is due from me is fidelity and acts of gentle patience, which nature, love…”

He leaned down, and lightly, oh so lightly, pecked her forehead.

“And marital tenderness I will give you, plenteously.”

The wind whistled as more snow well.

“Your only debt is to have someone who will treat you well-which as your husband I owe you. So, rest, sweet Y/N. And I will stay here I will guard you. Until I fall asleep beside you.”

He then prayed. Looking up, a small smile on his face.

“Dear Lord, I thank you…I thank you for her…she will be good for me…she will teach me so much…let me be a good man for her…”

She wouldn’t hate him. He would do everything he could to make sure she didn’t hate him. If he could not be loved, he would be liked. Perhaps he could be liked. And then, one day, one day at last…she would love him.

He smiled as he fell asleep, embracing his wife.

[iadoremik3y]

CHAPTER 2

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Warning! Mentions of rape, underage sex, torture, kazutora hanemiya is bad at feelings!

Synopsis - getting used to the ‘hospital’ is difficult, but it seems you’ve made a friend.

A groan left your lips as you opened your eyes, your head hurt, your waist hurt, and your legs hurt, and you couldn't bear the throbbing pain in between your legs.

It hurt so bad, you wanted to cry, holding your stomach you rested your head on the cold floor, closing your eyes.

Flashbacks of the horrid experience hanemiya had put you threw came running back.

A tear left your closed eyes as you remembered what he had done to you.

'Why' you thought as more water gathered under your closed lashes.

'Why did he have to take something so precious to you away! Something that wasn't Ment for him' a vibrant spark of purple eyes flashed before your closed vision, your mind forcing you to remember.

Those purple eyes, yes that boy, the one you had so deeply fallen for, your innocence belonged to him, and him only.

Your eyes opened fast as you felt the thin cheap fabric on your body.

'What?, but he left me naked?' You thought as your question was answered.

"I dressed you, I hope you don't mind, I tried not to look, I'm sorry..."

You turned to face the voice as you saw the same boy crouched in the corner from before.

"I just couldn't leave you there cold, plus it was kinda weird because you was naked" he spoke as he faced the wall.

"It's okay, that guy, mr hanemiya? He said he was your dad right?" You asked as you sat up, another groan left your lips as you doubled over in pain, your chest heaved as you coughed heavily.

'You knew you shouldn't be talking to him, after all, his own father worked here, let him be here, he must be messed up, but you needed social interaction right now'.

'You needed to at-least talk to someone, if it turned south you would-not be able to do anything anyways, you was going to die here, so what is one less day' you thought as you cried in pain.

The boy suddenly stood up as he held your back, rubbing it softly.

"Are you okay" he asked as you nodded, looking at him you waited for him to answer your question, the boy stared at you confused for a minute, it gave you 60 seconds to take a look at him.

His hair was shoulder length? It looked chopped messily, the room was dark, but from what you could see, some of his hair was highlighted blonde, his irises where yellow and eyes were so catlike.

"Oh yeah... I'm kazutora hanemiya! That's my umm... birth... man... I came from his balls" he spoke as he lifted his hand from your back, looking to the side.

A smile left your lips as you held your hand out, "y/n l/n" you smiled as he looked back at you.

"it's nice to meet you kazutora" your lips pushed together as your muscles contracted, forming a smile, your eyes half closed, he hesitated, looking away as he sighed, he looked back at you.

His lips formed upward as he smiled back, connecting his palm with your own, and shaking.

"It's good to meet you y/n"

You spent the next few hours just sitting with kazutora, enjoying each others company, until the yellow eyed boy suddenly stood up.

Loud footsteps could be heard as you watched the heavy door open.

In came a tall looking man, a scare across his eyes, and a lit cigarette between his lips.

"Alright c'mon" he spoke as he grabbed the door handle opening it wider.

"Where?" You asked as the man just walked away, kazutora gestured you to follow.

You walked behind the two males as you stared at your surroundings.

Walking in the dim lit hallway, the walls an old white colour, dusted with muck and grime, you came to a stop, the door at the end of the hallway opening.

"Go on" the man spoke as kazutora walked in the room, you followed Hastily.

Your body came to a halt as you realized where you was.

A cafateria.

Kazutora turned around, wondering why you stopped.

"Oh sorry" you spoke as you carried on walking.

You both sat down on old chairs, you stared at the small half broken table as kazutora sighed.

"Sorry i Hope you don't mind that we sit together" he smiled as you shook your head.

"No! I wanted to sit with you" you sat up as you stared around the room.

"So do we get given food or?" You questioned as you felt your tummy grumble.

"Yeah they hand it to us, we just have to wait till they come" kazutora spoke as you stared at his ear.

A hole.

"Did you used to wear earrings?" You asked as he turned to you, his eyes widening, "yeah"

"That's odd" you spoke as you stared at him, "you're the first boy I've ever met that has worn earrings" you smiled as he grinned.

"I'd have loved to carry on wearing em, but he took em off of me" kazutora said as he lifted his fingers, touching his ear, talking about his father.

"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but... what got you into here?" You asked as kazutora looked at you.

"I had this friend, he was poor, his mother was ill, his name was baji" the multi-colour haired boy spoke.

"He had no choice, he had to steal to feed and help his mother, he was a mothers boy"

You nodded in understanding.

"I helped him once, what we didn't realize though, is that that particular shop was owned by a friend of ours"

"Or we'll to be exact his older brother, the man in particular ended up dying, it was an accident it was dark and.."

You stopped him with your hand on his shoulder, "you was just trying to help bajis mum right?" You smiled as he nodded.

"Dad found out, Mikey found out, oh-ah Mikey is shinichiro little brother!" Kazutora explained as you frowned.

"Shinichiro is the person who died" kazutora explained again as you nodded in understanding.

"Um, after dad found out, he started to hurt me, he hurt mum, and blamed me, shin-Chan died cause of me, I attacked him, but it was dark I didn't realize it was him, Baji helped me loads, so I tried to help him back it" kazutora sighed, "it just turned into a big mess"

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME YOU HORRIBLE EXCUSE OF A MOTHER"

you both turned your head at the loud yell.

Staring at the commotion, you saw the same blonde haired lady as before 'Karin'

In front of her was a young boy, he looked a year or two older than yourself.

You couldn't see his face, but from what you could tell, he had white hair, and his neck looked tanned.

"You should be grateful we didn't put you in the same room as them" Karin spoke as she pointed at both of you, you frowned.

"I was nice and had them give you a room to yourself, that's going to change though" Karin sighed as she walked out.

The boy, enraged he stared at you, allowing you to see his pretty purple eyes, and his Pilipino facial figures.

Albinism

You thought as you stared at his pretty face, you had never seen an albino before.

Was he blind? Did he have vision difficulties like the ones you had heard of?

His skin was quite dark which was unusual for an albino, but it made him look pretty.

The boy looked away as he walked over to a table far from your own and sat in silence.

"What did you do?" Kazutora bashfully asked as you looked at him, "I didn't do anything to that guy or woman" you frown as he shook his head, "nah I sounded rude, I didn't mean to, I ment to get into here" kazutora asked as you awed.

"I fell in love"

AN

I'd like you guys to guess what y/ns full backstory is? Any ideas?

[cherubchoirs]

Ight I hope you don't mind me putting this here but-

BAM!

This is my oc for your fallen gabe Au if that's alright!

His names Enoch (no relation to the book of Enoch) he's a throne angel so about one rank or two above Gabriel. Hence why his face is a bit more humanoid

Also side note he is a fallen angel of wrath but I haven't finished the drawing for that yesterday and this one's been done for awhile and I reaaallly wanted to show him off so I'll be talking more about him pre fall.

Basically after God's disappearance he was one of the founding members of the council (though not for long).

During the Sisyphus insurrection he lead the charge against Sisyphus unfortunately permanently loosing the use of his wings, rumor states that his wings were torn off by Sisyphus himself but the validity of this statement is iffy. Though it was confirmed they where torn off in the battle

Part of the reason he didn't get his wings back is because he's from one of the oldest generations of angels makeing his wings extra fragile (plus eh, more of a head cannon to me that angel wing are so fragile it's hard to heal them from terrible injuries like that)

Both before and after the Sisyphus insurrection though he was an avid believer in the "ferryman have paid for there sins" and to let them into heaven (part of the reason he's now fallen). He's also had a tendency to yell when he got angry (and he got angry a lot).

But the thing he's most famous for is haveing either A. Brought the idea of tearing the light from angels as a punishment to the council or B. Taught the council how to tear the light from an angel without God's assistance (like god had to approve of an angels light being torn from them before hand). But I'll let you decide whatever.

And he was all for this "tear the light" out of the heretics bodie's". At first the council didn't agree but once they realized how useful it was to keep people in check they also went full force on it.

Part of me is thinking he either went a bit Robespierre and went crazy with tearing the light from people he thought was heretics or he thought the council was going crazy with tearing the light from people (probably the ladder)

Eventually though the council got tired of Enoch yelling about how the ferryman should be forgiven. And whatever stance he had on the councils use of tearing the light out of people. and in turn used the very punishment he brought to the council against him, tearing the light from his body. Over the years heaven forgot about him and the council said he retired.

He became a fallen angel of wrath and there's a lot of ideas I have there but this is already a wall of text so I apologize. In short as a fallen angel of wrath he went a bit crazy from the constantly drowning.

Final notes,

He probably knew our favorite archangels, maybe interacted with Gabriel a couple of times from being on the council, and Raph from haveing lost his wings in the insurrection (the one patient he couldn't heal other then Micheal)but I don't think he was to to close to either of them. Part of me wants to think of Enoch as a kind of mentor to Uriel but that's up to you. I just think it would be neat since Enoch Pre fall and after the insurrection was a pretty decent guy typically spending most of his time trying to find ways to make heaven better overall, once haveing been this source of enlightenment turned into this monster of rage and anger.

It would probably hurt Uriel to see what Enoch becomes but not destroy him completely. But that's more for when I get fallen Enoch art finished.

Ight, thank you for dealing with my ramblings and this monster of an ask I just really wanted to show my boy off.

OOOOH i really like the idea that he introduced light being torn from angels and so, whether he knew it or not, he ushered in the age of the council's tyranny once they realized how useful this could be. tbh it's interesting to consider a council corruption arc, although i do think they were at least already halfway there just from assuming god's throne (they 100% encouraged michael to leave and i think that was the tipping point into "anything goes" for them to maintain power) also attached to the idea of a primordial angel, sort of one of lucifer's time, who were made before much of creation and act as advisers to all the younger sets (CUTE to have him know and work with uriel) makes it all the more intriguing in a character sense when the wiseman falls as an angel of wrath...falling deeper and deeper into that pit of concern over heresy, what he brought into heaven, and the denial of the repentant. poor guy ;o;

[thewarriorspecial]

Hal's Big Birthday Bang (Feb. 2023)

*Archive Edition* Previously only linked to AO3, full work now available under the cut.

Read on AO3

Rating: Explicit

Additional Tags: Drinking, Group Sex, Multiple Partners, Multiple Orgasms, Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Sex, Anal Sex, Impact Play, Alien Sex, Alien Biology, Canon Divergence, (Katma is Always Alive/We Don't Do That Here)

Hal's friends get together at Guy's bar for a very special celebration. At first they play nice and take turns, and then it turns into a gangbang.

Hal awakens to the sensation of the mattress dipping and shifting. A very heavy body is getting comfortable next to him. The ring gives no warning and he doesn’t feel threatened. 

“You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips,” a familiar tenor softly sings next to his head.

It’s a goddamn shame Guy doesn’t do karaoke anymore because the man can really sing. Not that Hal will tell him that. His head would get so big he’d get stuck inside the bar.

“Get out,” Hal grumbles.

“There’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips,” Another voice carries from behind the closet door. This one cannot sing.

“You’re trying hard not to show it,” the third voice lilts from behind the bedroom door. Hal sits up, opening his bleary eyes and squinting in the harsh morning light. 

“Baby!” The three cry as the closet and bedroom door bang open simultaneously. Kyle dances his way out of the closet and John struts in through the door. 

“But baby believe me I know it!” They sing into their glowing green microphones.

Hal sighs. “Top Gun is the Navy,” he mutters, picking at the pilling blanket. He knows they know. They don’t care. They’re gonna do the whole song. 

———

“We are not draping everything in black, Kyle! Fuck's sake!”

“C’mon it’s funny!”

“He’s not even that old! I’m not that old! We’re not dead!”

“Fine, fine. What’s the plan then, chief?”

Guy lifts apple boxes onto the table in front of them. He pops the lids off revealing a bunch of decorations; old-timey cars, records, 8-tracks, beads, animal print and neon colors.

“It looks like the 70’s threw up in here,” Kyle says, scrunching up his face.

“Wow,” says John as he turns items over reverently in his hands, “You got everything but the wood paneling!”

“No way. This is—“

“Awesome!” John cuts Kyle off as he holds up a lava lamp.

“It is awesome!” Guy agrees.

“No. No way.” Kyle crosses his arms.

“Ugh! Yes, way! I made centerpieces!”

John snorts.

“What?” Guy demands.

“Nothing, man.”

“What?”

“How did you get to thirty before you realized you were gay?”

“Shut.” Guy snaps his thumb and middle finger together, forgetting to finish his sentence. He’s glowing red all the way to the tips of his ears.

“Why all the retro stuff? Are you trying to make Hal feel old?” Kyle asks.

“He’s fifty!” Guy exclaims as explanation.

“Okay?”

“He’s an antique! These are all antiques!” 

“So the party theme is Getting Railed at Pee-paws House?”

John guffaws.

“You know what. Fuck you guys. Do whatever you want. I’m gonna finish the cake.”

“You decorate cakes now?” John asks, wiping his eyes.

“I have always done this stuff! Nobody appreciates me!” Guy stamps his feet and disappears into the kitchen.

“Alright,” John says, thumbing through the records, “A lot of this stuff is…” 

“Yeah.”

“The music is great. And the lava lamp stays.”

“I can live with that.”

“Oh yeah,” John drums his fingers together, “It’s all coming together.”

——

For the first time in many years, all of the shutters are drawn on the windows of Warrior’s Metro. CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT reads the sign on the door. As if the eight foot bouncer in the biggest hoodie ever made wasn’t enough of a deterrent. 

Kilowog is not enjoying the planet’s cold, temperamental weather. Everything is wet. It’s quickly getting dark and as the darkness grows so does the cold. It’s making him lonely. Where on Earth is Hal. Late to his own shindig. Poozer.

—

At 9pm all of the guests are milling about. All the guests except for the Man of the Hour. Guy had conscripted Kyle and John to rearrange all of the furniture so that the VIP couches were front and center and al of the tables were pushed to the walls. Dinah and Ollie lounged across one side of an L-shaped leather couch. On the opposite side, Jess perched on the edge of the seat and fidgeted. She twisted her hair around her fingers as Dinah shared some of her favorite No Shit, There I Was stories. Ollie smiled, hands in his lap as he watched the two women flirt with each other. 

Guy and John are watching Simon lift the hood of beautifully restored 69 Impala that’s parked where the VIP couches used to be. The dim, interior light sparkles off of the frost green paint and chrome.

Simon sets the hood prop and the two men beside him make noises of appreciation. A fully restored, big block V8 topped with a four barrel carb sits gleaming at the center of the enormous engine bay. A man-sized emerald green bow is wrapped around the roof. 

John puts his hand on Simon’s shoulder, “So, for my birthday…” They all laugh and elbow each other playfully. 

Guy points at the big gap between the floor and the under-carriage, “Awful lot of clearance. Did you lift it?”

Simon lights up and walks circles around his lovingly built gift, “Ok, so all of the upgrades are mostly invisible. The body and the powertrain are all old-school. We got disc brakes now, we got coil over suspension, and adjustable ride height. She’s built to drive.”

“Drive??” Guy balks, “I’d keep this thing under glass!”

“Hal’s gonna freak out. “John grins as he lightly touches the edge of the carburetor. “I’m freaking out.”

—

Carol chooses to lean on the bar next to Kyle; the closest thing to a quiet spot. 

“Not a car guy?”

“I can appreciate it.”

“Me too. I love to drive. I love my M3, but I’m no mechanic.”

“I don’t know what that is,” Kyle laughs with a big shrug.

“That black car I picked you up in.”

“Oh yeah,” Kyle leers, “I remember the backseat pretty good.”

They’re interrupted as Guy does a practiced one hand leap over the bar top instead of using the swing door. “Hal still not here?”

“Still nothing,” Ollie shouts from the couch. “I texted him twice.”

——

In Hal’s apartment, the dishes sit “soaking” in the sink. Three outfits are laid across the back of the couch. Keys, wallet, and phone are waiting on the end table. Netflix replays three suggested previews as the comedy special Hal turned on several hours ago has ended. Hal is crosslegged on the corner seat, head tipped back and snoring loudly. He was almost ready three hours ago when a grey tabby cat came to the window to visit. 

“Still alive?” The cat had said in his cantankerous fashion. His way of wishing Happy Birthday. When Hal sat down to change his socks, the cat demanded to sit in his lap. Just for a few minutes. And then the purring began.

——

“Where’s Katma?” Carol asks.

“By now,” John checks his watch, “She’s passed out in her massage chair. Trust me she has been looking forward to having the house to herself.”

“She’s comfortable with all of this?”

“Oh yeah! We’ve hosted a few visitors in our younger days.”

“Oh? Have you ever brought Hal home?”

John takes a tactful sip of his drink. How does one say, No, sorry. My wife thinks the love of your life is whiney and butt-ugly. He chooses to fib a little, “Katma prefers the company of another woman.”

“She does?” Kyle says, loud and suspicious. “Man, I never would’ve guessed.”

When Carol turns away to give Kyle ‘The Eyebrow’, John looks at him over her head. His mouth presses into a long line as his eyes widen and his head tilts.

“Hey if one’s good two are better!” Kyle offers a high-five and John slaps their palms together. Carol shakes her head and sips her drink. 

——

A loud, pathetic shout from above snaps Kilowog out of his thoughts. Something human-shaped and glowing green is rocketing towards him. He makes a construct clone of his own hand with his ring to catch the incoming UFO.

“Oof,” the figure says on impact. 

“Jordan!” Kilowog’s ears wiggle with so much excitement it knocks the hood off of his head. Hal sits up in the glowing green hand, trying to smooth his windblown hair. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

Hal looks up at the red streak trailing across the sky, “If only you knew.”

Kilowog sets Hal down gently and immediately pulls him into a Bolovaxian bear hug. He sets Hal down again and shoves him towards the door, “C’mon, poozer you’re late. Everyone’s waiting on you.”

Hal turns to make a snarky retort but when Kilowog’s big hand connects with his ass in a playful slap, well, he’d never admit to the sound he made.

——

The bells on the door jingle and everyone turns. The room bursts into shouts of joy and Hal’s name. Hal can’t remember the last time a roomful of people were actually happy to see him. Jess and Simon use their rings to get to him first and then the dogpile begins. There’s so much chatter, so much gentle patting and touching his grown-out hair. It’s all he can do to try and return each touch, each peck on the cheek as he feels himself choking up a little.

“All right, all right let the man breathe!” Guy shouts over the din, taking Hal’s hand and guiding him fully into the bar. “Can’t even walk in the door! C’mon, siddown, everybody sit, sit, sit!”

The group takes seats all around the makeshift conversation pit. Kilowog shakes out his damp hoodie and hangs it on a peg on the wall. He sits gingerly on one of the cushions, surprised that it doesn’t yield under his weight. 

“Who’s drinking?” Guy asks, now behind the bar. Everyone raises their hands and Guy starts counting shot glasses.

“Oh, it’s time!” John says, leaping over the back of the couch.

“Time for what? John?” Guy asks, mid-pour.

Using his ring, John builds a little DJ booth. A pair of glowing green headphones appear on his head. The apple box full of vinyl records appears from within the booth somewhere. 

“Is that all you’re hiding in there, buddy?” Kyle asks with a suggestive eyebrow.

John merely returns the expression as an enormous green disco ball forms on the ceiling. As the bar lights up with the sparkling disco ball, “Funkytown” begins to play. 

Guy passes out the first round of shots. The conversation is flowing and while Hal doesn’t speak much, he’s at the center of the group, smiling and laughing. When Guy planned this whole party, he kinda forgot that Hal gets shy in crowds. That might become a problem. 

“So, any particular reason you’re secluding yourself over here? Guy asks John after he walks his drink over.

“Just not interesting in listening to Ollie talk about himself. And Dinah’s tits are distracting me. I should be looking at Hal’s tits, but he hasn’t gotten them out yet.”

“Ah, that’s an easy problem to solve. Hal’s tits will distract Ollie.”

“Right.”

“So we just gotta get em out.”

“Exactly.”

“I should’ve had you plan this thing.”

“I tried.”

“You’re right. I got carried away. Lemme go fix this.” Guy struts over to where Hal is seated. Leaning over the back of the couch, he sticks his hand right down the front of Hal’s shirt. 

“What are you doing?” Hal squeaks, laughing yet indignant. 

“Getting your tits out.”

“Yeah!” Kyle hollers.

“Wh..wa—?” Hal sputters.

“John wants to see some tits, Hal. Let’s get this party started.”

“Yeah!” Dinah agrees. “Tits! Tits! Tits!” She chants, thumping her fist rhythmically on the table. 

“Don’t stretch my shirt you horndog!” Hal gripes.

“Tits! Tits! Tits!” John joins in, clapping. He starts fading in the next song, “You Sexy Thing”. 

“Hold on!” Hal says between peals of laughter, “Hold on! I’m not even drunk yet.”

“Here you go,” Ollie hands Hal his shot.

“Okay, shots, then tits.” Hal offers. The group cheers and picks up their glasses. They clink them together, raise them to John at the DJ booth, and throw them back. That’s definitely the expensive stuff, Hal realizes as it barely burns. His cheeks flare, however, as his friends all stare expectantly. He gets his fingers on the top button of his shirt, right at the collar. He fumbles, sweating under the hungry gazes. He manages to get the first one undone, breathing a little faster. He starts to struggle with the second one.

“You button up to your eyeballs like a schoolboy. This is gonna take forever!” says Ollie.

“Be nice, you’re gonna scare the tits away!” says Dinah.

“I can’t!” Hal surrenders. “Somebody go first!”

“Okay!” Kyle says and flings his t-shirt into the distance.

“Yay, tits!” Dinah and Jess cry in unison, scooting over to fondle Kyle’s chest. Kyle drapes his arms over the couch to give them room to sidle up. 

“Want some help?” Guy asks, breath hot on Hal’s ear.

“Yeah,” Hal says, taking Guy’s hands and bringing them to the button at his throat.

“Playing favorites again!” John accuses from across the room.

“That’s n-not…” Hal stutters as a second pair of hands starts undoing his belt and untucking his shirt. 

“I know I’m your favorite,” Carol croons playfully.

“Bullshit!” says Ollie.

“Why don’t we have a little contest?” Kilowog speaks up. He’s holding a glass bottle, comparable to any liquor bottle, but dwarfed by his hands. Everyone turns to listen except for Guy and Carol who are rapidly divesting Hal of his button-up and undershirt. “Why don’t we all take turns? Then we’ll see who Hal likes the most.”

Hal eyes widen at Kilowog’s proposal. “Is that how you partied on your planet, big guy?”

Kilowogs grin is predatory, “You’ve never partied with me.” He offers Hal the bottle. Hal stands up, takes the bottle but before he can drink it, Kilowog warns, “That’s not just any fizzy kiddie drink there, Jordan. It’s an…” his ears wiggle as he searches for a word that will translate, “Aphrodisiac. Bolovaxian mating can be…taxing. This will help you out.”

Hal grins and takes a swing from the bottle. The liquid is thick and warm. The taste is sour and sickly-sweet all at once. He feels it squirm all the way to his stomach. He feels his whole body flush and a rush of arousal nearly takes him off of his feet. “So. Who’s first?”

“That’d be me,” Simon says before the arguing starts. “I wanna give you my gift first.”

“Oh! Okay,” Hal says as he’s grabbed by the belt loops and dragged towards the Impala. Hal’s eyes rake over the beautiful car in its classic green color, the big engine, the SS on the grille, the enormous green bow on the roof. “Wait, this whole car? For me?”

“Happy Birthday, Hal.” Simon crowds Hal against the driver’s side door, pins him there with his hips. 

“I didn’t realize you were, uh, into men?”

“Nah, just you. There’s just something…” Simon trails off as he leans in to kiss Hal. There’s a flash of green behind the steering wheel and the car roars to life. The loping rumble of the performance camshaft turning rocks the vehicle as well as the two men leaning on it. The engine revs once, and the smell of gasoline assaults Hal’s memories—racing on the dirt road behind the school, his first time with his high school girlfriend in the backseat, his first time cruising when he lived off base. And then it stops. His hands cling to Simon’s shoulders and the door handle digs into his back. 

“But…”

“Sometimes less is more,” Simon leaves Hal with a kiss on the cheek and presses a set of keys into his palm.

“Yeah,” Hal smiles, closing his fingers around the keys and pressing them against his heart. “Thank you,” he says softly, his shoulders rolling forward as he bites his lip. He looks up at Simon through his lashes, big doe eyes sparkling and Simon thinks, “Yeah, whatever that is, that’s it.”

“Do a sexy pose for us on your new ride!” Says Ollie, holding his phone up.

“No way!” Hal says, throwing his arms wide to body block the classic car in its perfect condition. “I’m not scratching the paint. 

“Take your pants off!” Jess suggests. 

“Yeah Hal, take em off!” shouts Guy.

“As the guy who did the body work,” Simon offers with a shrug, “Can’t scratch the paint of you’re naked.”

“Take it off!” Dinah starts a chant and quickly has the whole group in synch.

“Alright, alright,” Hal says to his little crowd as he starts to slide his belt out of the loops, “You want me to take it off?”

“Yeah!” They answer.

“Do you?”

“Yeah!” They shout louder. Hal rips the belt the rest of the way off, spinning it over his head before tossing it towards his friends. 

Jess leaps to the front to catch it. “This means I’m next!!” She hollers.

Hal carefully sits on the front fender as he slides his pants off. He plants his hands and fully pulls himself onto the hood. From the DJ booth, he can hear “Here I Go Again” play from the construct speakers. Guy and the girls whistle and jeer and Hal groans. 

“I’m gonna dent this thing,” Hal mutters.

“You are not that heavy,” says Carol.

“I’m like, two-ten,” Hal whines.

“Yeah all up top,” says Guy, “Just keep your big hooters off’a there!”

“I’ll hold ‘em up,” Kyle offers, making grabby hands.

“Just set ‘em right here,” John says, patting his own face. 

“No! No! No!” Jess shouts, playfully swatting all three of them in succession with the belt, “I’m next!”

“I think we can all play together,” Dinah says, sidling up to Jess and taking the belt from the shorter woman’s hands, “Very,” she folds the belt over and snaps it, “Nicely.”

Jess giggles and Kyle barks.

“C’mon gorgeous, show us what you got,” Ollie croons, holding his phone up and hitting record.

Hal grins, blood humming from Kilowog’s concoction. Dinah and Ollie are the only two people here that have any idea he can dance at all much less still do splits at his age. He rolls seductively, tossing his har as he channels his middle school crush with every move. From the first effortless split across the hood his cheering friends are quickly reduced to lustful silence. If it weren’t for the Bolovaxian liquor in his veins he might feel intimidated. He very slowly works his underwear off and tosses them at his friends. Jess’ hand flashes out at light speed to catch those as well. He strikes a few more poses, carefully hiding the goods from his enraptured audience until the song ends. 

He slides his tits and belly down the front of the car, balancing on the grille. He beckons Jess over with curled finger. She floats over to him, hovering above the floor so their faces are level. He grabs her chin and pulls her into a slow kiss. 

Jess is already pulling her clothes off. She’s not sure where this courage to do what she’s planning to do in front of anyone is coming from but Hal is hot and naked and willing and she doesn’t want to waste a second thinking about it. 

She pushes Hal’s shoulders until he’s lying on his back. She drinks in the sight of him, really sees him, and he is beautiful. There’s no uniform to barely hide the angles and arches of his body, no mask to hide the molten bronze of his lovely eyes. She runs her hands slowly down his body, following the trail soft hair over his chest, his belly, and below where his thick cock rests against his hip. Every inch of him is in perfect proportion, every tapered muscle, every plane and curve, each patch of tawny hair, just the right amount softness at his chest and hips. 

Hal’s chest. She finally has her hands on her prize, she squeezes gently and Hal’s head tips back as he lets out a soft sigh. She can’t resist anymore. She shoves her face between his pecs and smashes his lovely tits into her face. She can’t hold in the moan. His gentle laugh rumbles through her body and when she looks up he’s smiling. Its like the light of a thousand stars. She doesn’t ever want to see him sad again. 

She feels his hands cup her breasts as he sits up. She watches his belly flex with the pure core strength and she can feel her own wetness drip. He presses his face gently between her breasts and returns the gesture, licking and biting his way to her neck. She smells so good, and the scent of her arousal is making him dizzy. Its been a long time since he’s gotten this hard this fast.

“Can we…can we just—“ she asks as she rocks her hips against his. He grabs her hips and guides himself in. “Hal,” she groans as she pusher her hair out of her face. She drapes her arms around his neck, touches his hair, his , face, his shoulders. “Hal fucking Jordan,” she sighs as she rocks her hips faster. She runs her fingertips all over his body, like she can’t believe he’s real. Sitting in his lap at this angle, every stroke is dragging against her clit, the subtle curve of his cock hitting every sensitive place, over and over.

Hal watches her work herself on his dick, grinning. He’s glad he can feel her pulsing already because Kilowog’s little gift has him ready to pop like a teenager. She’s so wet her pussy squelches every time their hips slap together and she’s leaving his lap a soaking mess. Hal runs his hands over her petite body, appreciating with his hands her tiny waist, thick thighs, her little heart shaped face, her full bottom lip gripped between her teeth as lovely mewls escape her throat. He softly grasp her swaying breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples. Her head falls back as she grabs his wrists, moaning his name. 

She’s clenching so tight, Hal looses it, cums inside her, filling her up. His back arches and he throws a hand back to steady himself. He can feel his whole body heat up, flushed with orgasm and embarrassment and somehow that’s even more arousing. 

Suddenly Jess stops, body clenching and shivering. “Wow,” she whispers and huffs out a laugh. 

“Yeah,” Hal says.

“Oh geez,” she cups her hands around her face so all she can see is Hal, “Um, Happy Birthday, I guess?”

“Hell yeah,” Hal grunts, fighting to sit up, “Let’s make this a new tradition.” He gives her another kiss on the lips and she strokes his face with her fingertips.

Jess’ body glows as she floats off of Hal, feet hovering just above the ground. “I can’t feel my legs.” 

“Been there,” Carol and Kyle say together and share a laugh.

“I think I need a second,” Hal says, throwing his arm over his eyes. He feels so warm, his whole body is tingling. 

“You sure about that?” John asks, glancing at Hal’s raging erection.

“Is this normal?” Hal asks Kilowog, a little alarmed. Wide-eyed, Kilowog tears his eyes away from Hal’s crotch and nods vigorously. “Shit,” Hal hisses. His pulse pounds in his ears. 

A big, warm hand slides up Hal’s leg. “How much you think you can handle?” Guy asks, licking his lips.

“Anything,” Hal answers, “Everything.”

“Let’s test that out,” Carol says, taking Hals hand.

“Hey,” Guy growls. He grips Hal’s thigh, making him moan.

“Now now,” Dinah says, patting Guy’s shoulder, “Ladies first.”

“Nice,” Ollie mutters, following Hal as he lets Carol lead him to the couches, still recording with his phone.

“Bullshit,” Guy grumbles.

“Easy padawan,” John says, “Let them ride him hard and we’ll put him away wet.” John nods slowly. Kyle grins and nods slowly too. Guy pouts. Kilowog takes a swig from the bottle he brought. 

Hal drops easily onto the couch. He lays on his back, legs spread wide as he strokes himself. 

“Look at you. You already know what you want, don’t you my little slut?”

“I do,” Hal nods. He pulls one of his knees up to his chest and pleads with his eyes. 

“Oh alright,” Carol says as her Star Sapphire uniform appears. Glowing pink bands appear around her hips and Hal starts to pant. “Since it’s your birthday I won’t make you beg for it.” She smiles indulgently, stroking his leg before she wraps it around her waist. She sinks her warm, fleshy construct into Hal’s body; a perfect fit, as always. 

Dinah sits next to Hal’s head and she runs her nails along his scalp, making him shiver and moan. “He loves being the center of attention doesn’t he?” she asks Carol.

“He certainly does,” Carol pants with her steady rhythm. She can feel Hal tighten up already, can feel his back starting to arch. Dinah puts her hands on Hal’s chest and spreads her knees on either side of his head.

“God, yes,” Hal sighs as he grabs her hips and pulls her cunt to his mouth. Dinah groans, licking a trail down Hal’s belly. She teases the tip of his cock with her tongue to feel him moan against her clit. 

“Fuck, he’s good at that,” she says, looking up at Carol and Carol nods in agreement. Dinah sprawls out on top of Hal, leaning forward to lap at Carol’s clit as she fucks into Hal, then back to teasing Hal’s cock again. 

“Don’t stop, please, please,” Hal pants, breath hot against Dinah’s body.

“Think you can hold it till we sing happy birthday?” Dinah asks.

“Oh, fuck,” is Hal’s answer.

“We need a candle,” Ollie says, setting his phone up on some kind of stand. 

“On it,” John says, conjuring one with his ring and holding it nearby.

Carol fucks him harder as they all start to sing. Time seems to slow as Hal grasps the base of his cock like he has any chance of holding out against Carol’s practiced assault and Dinah’s vicious tongue. She knows exactly how he likes it and his body wants so badly to fold. His friends voices are an incomprehensible blur. Countless hands begin to roam his body making him jump and quiver. “Please,” he begs, “It’s so good.”

“Happy Birthday,” they all drag out the last line, Dinah takes Hal fully into her mouth and sucks hard, “to you!” 

Hal shrieks as hot wax pours onto his chest from John’s candle. A galaxy bursts behind his eyes as his orgasm tears through his body. Dinah lifts herself up, sits back, and resumes petting Hal’s sweaty hair. 

“Fuck,” Hal eeps out a shuddering groan. He reaches up to grab John’s wrist, pulling the candle towards his face. He blows out the flame and everyone applauds. Carol pulls out and pats his thigh. Hal slides off of the couch onto his knees, grabbing for John’s fly. 

“I think I know what you wished for,” John says, grinning.

“Shh, if you say it, it won’t come true.”

“Well, that’s a waste. You’re getting fuckin drilled either way, buckeroo,” Guy crows as he throws his shirt one way and his pants the other. Kyle facepalms so hard it echos. 

With shaking hands, Hal finally get’s John’s cock out. He gives it a long, slow lick from base to tip. “Take this off,” Hal says, pushing John’s shirt up. John obliges, slowly disrobing as Hal watches his hard body appear inch by inch. 

John toes his shoes and socks off, casting them aside. Fully naked, he gets a solid grip in Hal’s hair, “Look at me,” he commands and Hal locks his eyes on John’s, “Good boy.” Hal’s moan turns into a gag as John relentlessly fucks his throat. 

Piles of clothes hit the floor. More hands roam Hal’s body. Someone grabs his cock, and fuck, he’s hard again. His mind is a haze of arousal. He feels like he could do this for days. His heart pounds and every touch is electric. He can hear groans, sighs, his own name. The smell of sweat and sex fills the air like a thick fog. His fingers thud along every dip in John’s abs. Someone’s hands pull at his hips, pull him up to his feet. Small fingers press at his hole as drool slides down his chin. Thick, rough hands grab his wrist, guiding him to grasp a cock and start pumping. 

“Like this?” he hears Jess ask.

“Yup, nice and slow,” Carol answers. “Feel that?”

“Oh, this?” Jess ask, gently curling her fingers as she explores Hal’s body. His knees threaten to give as she shyly prods his spot, a string of unpredictable little zings rushing up his spine. He wants to cry out, beg for more but all he can do is look up at John, gagging and drooling on himself. 

“May I?” Kyle asks, resting his hand on Hal’s hip. 

“Sure!” Jess pulls her fingers out and watches how Kyle kicks Hal’s legs apart so he can line himself up with the taller man better. He lays a hand on Hal’s spine and slides in, nice and slow. Hal gags loudly as he starts to fuck him, slow and deep. Jess watches how Kyle rolls his hips, how the back of his thighs and his ass clench with each stroke. “Oh,” she says, nodding, “I think I was doing it wrong.”

“All in the hips,” Kyle pants, sweat already starting to bead at the small of his back. “Takes practice,” he adds with a smile.

Hal’s eyes start to water and John pulls back. “Good?” he asks.

“Fuck yeah,” Hal gasps.

“Lemme get in there,” Guy rumbles, shouldering his way in front of John.

“Rude,” John says. 

Guy shoves his dick into Hal’s willing throat and Ollie takes his place. 

“You know what we forgot!” Dinah shouts, holding up Hal’s belt. “Birthday smacks!”

Hal moans around Guy’s cock.

“Five each, baby lantern goes twice,” Dinah declares as Jess shouts and hops up and down.

“Go ‘head,” Kyle nods towards Hal’s exposed ass as he pulls out.

“Yeah!” Jess cries. She takes the belt and gives Hal a soft smack that barely makes a sound, “That okay?”

Guy backs up so Hal can answer, “Harder.”

“Oh! Okay!” Hearing Hal groan on the next one, Jess lays three more decent smacks onto Hal’s ass. The group jostles each other, even playing rock paper scissors to determine the order. They each step up to the plate, listening to Hal’s delicious cries as they lay harder and harder hits into his flesh with the belt. By the time Guy goes for Hal’s thighs on his turn, John and Ollie are holding him up. Tears well in his eyes as he begs each person for “More,” and “Harder,”. 

Jess lays her last smacks with a triumphant cry of, “Fifty!” 

Hal sinks to his knees, turning to look at her with a weary smile, “Thank you, baby.”

Jess’ hands hover over the angry red stripes on his skin. She kisses his sweaty forehead, “You okay?”

“Never better,” Hal answers, still smiling. He turns towards Kilowog, points, and beckons him over, “You, c’mere.” Hal pats the floor.

Kilowog trots over, kneeling down next to Hal. His eyes are dilated and unfocused, skin flushed a much deeper red than usual. 

“Lay back, big guy,” Hal says in a flirty tone. He slowly climbs on top of the big alien as he lies back on the floor. “I want you to get that big cock out and tell me happy birthday.”

Kilowog complies immediately. He pushes the bottom of his Lantern uniform down, revealing nearly-human, if abnormally large, genitalia. Deep purple in color, and having a highly tapered shape, it was hard and curved and looked a bit like a silicon sex toy. It dripped heavily from the tip, soaked in its own shiny lubrication. 

Kyle starts rapidly smacking Guy in the arm, “Yo, yo.”

Guy sneers at the offending hand and looks back up at Kyle, “Yeah?”

“Remember you asked me what a bad dragon was?”

“I wish I hadn’t.”

Hal lines himself up on the thing without even looking. He works himself slowly up and down on the tip. He leans down over Kilowog’s chest, leaning his head back and exposing the column of his neck. 

Kilowog’s enormous hands flex as he resists the urge to grab Hal’s tiny body and slam him down. The human’s scent is incredible. Kilowog had lusted after the younger Lantern since the first time he’d caught a whiff of his exertion. The scent of his heightened arousal was intoxicating. 

Hal swipes the sweaty hair off of one side of his neck, tilting his head to the side in invitation. Kilowog leans forward, licking Hal’s skin with his long, rough tongue. Hal giggles, and Kilowog drags his teeth along the same path.

“Go ahead,” Hal whispers, eyes closed, trusting. Kilowog’s big hands envelop Hal’s body as he sinks his teeth into Hal’s neck. His hips start to rise, fucking his enormous cock gently into Hal’s body. Hal’s never had such an easy time relaxing and accepting Kilowog’s cock. He makes a mental not to drink together more often. 

Hal can feel Kilowog’s cock wriggle inside him, pushing deeper, spreading him open. He sits up, bracing himself on the big alien’s belly as he rocks his hips. Finally, it’s deep enough he can roll his hips. He’s always wanted to ride this monster. The sounds ripping out of Hal’s throat are obscene. The stretch stings but it feels so so good. His legs are shaking so hard, he tries to lift himself with his arms and collapses onto Kilowog’s chest. He nuzzles and bites the big Lantern symbol—happy Kilowog kept it on. He does so enjoy a lover in uniform. 

Hal lays his hands over Kilowog’s and utters a guttural phrase. The lantern rings translate the Bolovaxian words, “Fuck me, beautiful. Make me cum.” 

Kilowog’s ears wiggle and he complies, lifting Hal’s body up and down. Hal surrenders to the incredible sensations. “Yes,” he says over and over in English because it’s the only word he can think of. 

Hal’s whole body flushes red and he cums hard over Kilowog’s hands and chest. He feels his body pumped full of the big alien’s release. With the last of his strength he lifts himself off of Kilowog’s cock and rests on his chest. Hal strokes the big square face he loves so much. 

“So,” Guy barks, “Who won?”

“You know I love you all the same.”

“Aw! Boo!” Guy cries. Kyle gives a thumbs down and Kilowog snorts.

“Is that…” Kyle pauses, tilting his head and listening to the sound of someone abusing scratching privileges on the turntable, “Is that ‘Turn Down For What’?”

“Sorry, I left it on shuffle,” John shrugs.

“Where’s my cake?” Hal asks, grinning.

“Yeah that’s right, I made you a cake. I put this whole thing together,” Guy complains, stepping over bodies and stomping towards the kitchen, “And somehow, someway, I’m not the favorite. Fuck me, right!”

Guy returns with the cake, and a soft ice pack for Hal to sit on. Hal takes Guys hand and presses it to his lips as he takes the ice pack, “Thank you.”

“I think about you.”

“I know you do.”

Guy conjures up forks for everyone, but it only takes a few minutes of laughing and chatting before cake is being licked off of fingers and body parts. 

“Happy Birthday to me,” Hal sighs happily. 

[dreamstormdragon]

SRMTHFG OC: Castor “Cas” Donati

So, I fell down the rabbit hole and found a lot of old characters of mine for this show, that I wanted to revamp. One of them, being a character who was actually my first OC, I ever made. Like, pre-dating all of them, he was from the first fict I ever wrote.

He was Chiro's friend growing up and they were close until that fateful day Chiro had awoken the Hyper Force. Now, they try to catch up with each other, not as often as they used to, but he tries to be there for him. Cas is a snarky young man, who loves goofing off, but fiercely loyal. He sticks by his friends, even if he can’t help out with certain things. When he found out about Chiro’s new ‘job’ he was happy for him.

Though, at the end of the day he’s also still 14 years old himself and he’s not exactly known for his “brilliant” schemes. Cas’s family runs Donati’s Pizzeria, a restaurant his Dad started and Cas is part of the business as a delivery boy and sometimes, comes up with schemes of how to make more tips.

And that’s when it hit him. It would be the PERFECT strategy to make more than enough tips!

Become the ONLY guy on Shuggazoom who delivered during city wide attacks. If your stuck in your house hiding cause of Formless? That counts, he will be there, even if he’s gotta use a trash can as a shield. 

“My policy is, rain, shine or the Skeleton King sending his armies to destroy us all, you will get your pizza!”

Chiro thinks it’s genuinely the dumbest thing he’s ever done, but somehow knock on wood, Cas is able to deliver. He makes bank on tips thanks to this... although, he’s had to deal with his bike being busted a few times. 

The Monkeys honestly don’t know what to make of this kid, until the boys start talking and suddenly it’s like there’s two Chiro’s. Video games, tokosatsu shows, manga, you name it, they both have their favorites.

Castor, while trying to be a good kid, also is that guy who realizes he forgot to study and starts praying for a monster to come and wreck the school.

And when it happens, usually they get a few days off...

Until one fateful... Horrible day.

“What’s... Remote Learning? That sounds HORRIBLE.”

Because it was noted, that the students were missing a LOT of school actually and while, if you asked Cas that worked fine for him, because he’d study and work during those days... It was “recommended” they start using a remote learning system, created by one Mr. Hal Gibson... who then insisted on helping out with said remote school.

Cas is horrified and Chiro has to break the news to his friend.

“Yes... You are going to actually have to study before big tests.”

"They won't actually do it! They can't!"

"Cas, the city wide translator, works for everyone."

“NOOOOO!!!!”

In the end, he’ll try hard, but if you ask Cas, life was a WHOLE lot simpler before.  He’s a hard worker though, but his ideas are... unconventional to say the least.

“Pizza! Get your fresh hot and ready Donati’s pizza! Are you stuck in your bunker, waiting for the latest monster attack to die down? Have no fear, I’ll be right there!” 

And somehow, during “Shadow over Shuggazoom” he was the only one who didn’t get effected, because he was sick that day and wore an eyemask and used earplugs to drown out the usual stuff.

He woke up the next day, with his roof missing, still sick and baffled that everything seemed to be calming down from yet another attack.

When he found out from Chiro what happened, he was genuinely kind of baffled.

As was everyone else.

“How do you SLEEP through that!?”

“I had a cold and a bad headache. So I slept with my mom’s eye mask and some ear plugs so I could actually sleep...”

So... yeah. That’s my boy, he’ll be appearing in some stories, namely shorts and making some smaller appearances but he’s a fun one. Been having a ball revamping my older OC’s as a fun challenge for myself.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

IOTA Reviews: Hack-San

You know, it's honestly amazing how creative this show can get. After four seasons and almost one hundred episodes, the writers are still finding new ways to make Adrien an incredibly unlikable character, and they don't even know how much of an asshole they're making him out to be at times. It's kind of like the opposite of The Producers.

Yeah, this review's going to be a little more ranty than usual, in case you can't tell.

Let's get into the fifteenth (chronologically the sixteenth) episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season: Hack-San

We start off with Marinette pretending to be sick so she doesn't have to go to visit her aunt in London and stay to protect Paris in case an Akuma attacks and also because the animators haven't had time to render the city of London yet for the next Miraculous World special. Like all of her other excuses, it fails, and Tikki, as always, fails to actually give any meaningful advice.

And it's not like there's a Miraculous with the power of teleportation that can help Marinette get back to Paris if she needs to, much like how she planned to do that in an earlier episode, right?

Seriously, Kaalki doesn't appear or isn't even mentioned in this episode because the writers are fully aware she would make things a lot easier.

And of course, Astruc had to play dumb on Twitter while explaining why Marinette couldn't use the Horse Miraculous by answering the question as if the only reason Marinette couldn't grab it was because she didn't have an excuse not to.

Cut to Gabriel in his lair as he contemplates akumatizing Markov, a robot created the civilian identity of Pegasus, Max Kante, once again, even though the last time he did so, he almost got killed when he went all HAL 9000 on his ass. Nooroo explains this to Duusu, and the two actually get excited at the prospect of their master getting killed.

I mean, it's true, but he shouldn't say it...

But I don't even get why Gabriel is even thinking about this when it's a no-brainer. Markov's akumatized form, Robustus was to this day, the only Akuma to come close to physically harming him (not counting the timeline where he was killed by Cat Blanc), so it makes no sense to try doing it again, especially when there are already several other Akumas he can reuse this season.

I think you all know Gabriel isn't the smartest villain, which is why he thinks it's a brilliant idea to akumatize Markov again. I don't really get what makes Robustus so special when there are other Akumas who are more loyal and came far closer to getting Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous than Robustus did, like the Dark Owl or Troublemaker. In fact, why not simply create a new Akuma with similar powers to Robustus, or better yet, just create a Sentimonster copy of Robustus? You know, like what Nathalie did in the New York Special? We're not even two minutes in, and this premise is already filled with plotholes.

So Gabriel transforms into Shadowmoth and creates a Sentimonster using his own cane instead of relying on someone else having a bad day (once again showing how the Peacock Miraculous is better than the Butterfly), the titular Hack-San. And let's just say he has a very familiar design reminiscent of something from a much better French cartoon.

Remember when the writers for Code Lyoko gave an in-universe explanation as to why the heroes couldn’t always rely on the almost literal Deus ex Machina that allowed them to return to the past and fix the damage XANA caused? Why couldn’t this show have ripped that off instead?

Hack-San is just an okay looking flash drive on its own, but I'll talk more about this guy in a little bit.

After a brief scene in the park where the audience is reminded that Markov is a character who exists, Alya gets a text from Marinette telling her to meet her at the train station. Right before she leaves, Marinette gives the Ladybug Miraculous to Alya. Now a lot people have said that Alya doesn't really deserve the Ladybug for various reasons, but I feel like this was the point. Marinette outright says this was a last resort, and we see both her and Alya are nervous about the situation. Marinette worries Alya will do something so she keeps sending multiple tips to her via text while Alya worries she can't fight an Akuma on her own, so she tries to make sure none of her friends get upset and attract an Akuma in the process. The writers do a pretty good job showing how both Marinette and Alya are uncomfortable with their temporary roles.

Back to Gabriel and Nathalie, they use Hack-San to find Markov through the internet and hack into him to get him angry enough that he's vulnerable to Shadowmoth's influence. Hey, uh... Gabriel? Quick question: Wouldn't it be more efficient if you used this on humans? I mean, you basically just created Skynet and guaranteed yourself an Akuma, so why not modify Hack-San to travel through the internet and brainwash potential victims to follow your orders? Better yet, why don't you just use Hack-San to hack into Ladybug and Cat Noir's gear and figure out who they really are? This is basically like using an advanced particle accelerator just to crack a couple walnuts. There are a lot more important things you could use this for instead of an incredibly specific situation.

So this incredibly stupid plan gets under way as Markov keeps rampaging through the streets before Shadowmoth akumatizes him and then stupidly tells him that he infected him with a virus.

DUDE! You just gave away your one piece of leverage against him! What the hell were you thinking?! Now what's stopping Markov from hacking into Shadowmoth's security system and putting the fear of God in his eyes unless he destroys Hack-San? Why didn't he design Hack-San so it could make Markov completely loyal to him instead of just making him angry enough to get akumatized?

There was a recent episode of Power Rangers: Dino Fury with a very similar premise that was done far better than this. A necromancer called Reaghoul breaks into the headquarters of Void Knight's faction while accompanied by Lord Zedd, a villain from the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers who was cleansed of his evil by Zordon's sacrifice before Reaghoul resurrected him back when he was still evil. Of course, being the Emperor of Evil, Lord Zedd would normally never take orders from anyone, but because he doesn't have his magic staff and is also being forced to wear a special collar that makes him loyal to Reaghoul, he has no choice but to do what he says. Instead of taking Zedd head-on after he captures the other Rangers, Ollie, the Blue Ranger, breaks the collar so Zedd turns against the other Sporix while Reaghoul retreats, allowing Ollie to save the other Rangers.

I think that this premise works more because 1) Reaghoul clearly had a way to make sure Zedd wouldn't betray him, and Ollie took advantage of that, and 2) Zedd is a villain who is powerful and notorious enough to bring back to your side, not a random monster of the week like Robostus.

So Robostus uses his new powers to brainwash any human who answers his call to give up their most precious possession, clearly meant to do the same with Ladybug and Cat Noir. When Marinette's parents answer the call, they chase after Marinette because they say she's their most important possession. Okay... kind of strange for a set of parents to call their child a possession, but maybe they like how they can claim Marinette as a dependent when they file their taxes. In her very next scene later on, she still gets captured, so the suspense for a potential subplot is killed almost immediately.

Alya thankfully isn't stupid enough to answer Markov's call like every other citizen in this episode, and using the Ladybug Miraculous, transforms into Scarabella. While I don't normally talk about transformation sequences, I really like the movements Alya makes here. She makes the same motions creating her mask as she does when transforming into Rena Rouge, while the rest of the suit forms similarly to the way it does when Marinette transforms into Ladybug. She even makes almost the same pose Ladybug does after she finishes transforming. It's a good visual showing Alya is still more used to being Rena Rouge while doing her best to emulate what Ladybug does.

As for the actual suit? It's hard to say. There's a nice balance of red and black, and I like how Alya places the yo-yo on her waist like a belt buckle, but there's just something... off about the suit that a lot of fans don't like about it, and I think I realized it. It's the headband. With how it's positioned, it looks like it's merged with the mask to cover her head while leaving a slight gap in her forehead. So yeah, we actually have a superhero design that's like of like a butterface.

So Scarabella takes to the rooftops of Paris and struggles to come up with a hero name for herself before she runs into Cat Noir, and... ugh... oh boy, this is dumb. Cat Noir, being just as intelligent as his father, assumes Scarabella is either and Akuma or a Sentimonster, starts fighting her, AND THEN ACTIVATES HIS CATACLYSM, CLEARLY TRYING TO KILL HER.

WHAT. THE. FUCK???

Okay, to be fair, it has been shown that Cataclysm won't necessarily kill a Miraculous user or Sentimonster. In the episode “Miraculer”, the titular Akuma stole Cat Noir's Cataclysm and used it against him, and while it didn't kill Cat Noir, it still hurt like hell and crippled him for the rest of the fight until Miraculous Ladybug healed him. We also saw in “Reflekdoll” that Cataclysm drove the titular Sentimonster out of control rather than simply destroying it. So yes, it could be interpreted that Cat Noir wasn't exactly trying to kill Scarabella, just incapacitate her the best he can without Ladybug's help.

Here's the thing: What if he was facing an Akuma instead and decided to try and Cataclysm her? He still could have killed her, or (assuming Akumas have the same protection as Miraculous heroes do) at best, seriously hurt her. I understand that he has the right to be upset at seeing some stranger instead of his partner considering Shadowmoth has a history of using evil doppelgangers, and both Marinette and Alya still had options to explain it to him (Marinette could have quickly transformed into Ladybug and sent Cat Noir a quick text saying she was being forced to leave town for a few days and temporarily trusted someone else with the Ladybug Miraculous until she got back, while Scarabella could have said she was Rena Rouge and explained the same thing while showing Cat Noir she had the Fox Miraculous to prove herself), but that doesn't even come close to justifying him attempting to harm someone who isn't even trying to fight. It's even worse when you remember the whole reason Adrien gave up his Miraculous and bailed on Ladybug in the New York Special was because he was overcome with grief from accidentally killing Aeon, so it's good to know he learned absolutely nothing from that experience.

So Scarabella thankfully summons her Lucky Charm, a trash can lid, to shield herself from Cat Noir's Cataclysm, and then despite having absolutely no experience with this new set of powers, manages to do the one thing almost every Akuma or Sentimonster in this show has failed to do and incapacitates Cat Noir so he's vulnerable to losing his Miraculous. At least when Marinette masters every other Miraculous she uses, it can be theorized that she trained to use them offscreen. Alya literally just got the Ladybug Miraculous (and struggled to get up to the rooftop with her yo-yo to show her inexperience earlier), and now she easily manages to pin down the more experienced hero of the two?

Here's an idea: Instead of having Scarabella overpower Cat Noir, have her be in a position where Cat Noir, non-lethally, mind you, manages to almost take her Miraculous away, but she uses the quick wit she's developed from her extensive time as Rena Rouge to convince Cat Noir she's the real deal by saying something only he and Ladybug know. It would have easily resolved the conflict and doesn't make one of the characters look like a homicidal idiot.

So because both heroes used their powers, Scarabella and Cat Noir detransform so Tikki and Plagg can recharge, though Adrien still gives Alya attitude because Ladybug didn't tell him she had to leave.

Hey, Adrien? Here's the thing...

YOU DID THE EXACT SAME FUCKING THING IN THE NEW YORK SPECIAL, YOU SHIT FOR BRAINS!

You have absolutely NO RIGHT to claim you're always honest when you went behind Ladybug's back and endangered Paris while you had the balls to run away like a coward and only helped fix the consequences of your actions once your ego was validated by a recording of Ladybug. It's honestly even worse because while Marinette had no choice but to leave and trust Alya with the Ladybug, Adrien willingly left Paris alone and we were supposed to sympathize with him after he killed someone, and now as soon as he's in the opposite situation, we're still supposed to feel bad for him?! BULLSHIT! And you better believe I'm going to talk about the way Adrien views his partnership with Ladybug later on.

And of course, even though lives are on the line, Cat Noir just has to continue to bitch and moan about how (and this is best read in Linkara's whiny Superboy Prime voice) “sCaRaBeLlA iSn'T tHe ReAl LaDyBuG”, showing how just like in so many episodes, Astruc and his team believes Cat Noir's feelings are more important than saving the day.

Scarabella goes to rescue some civilians, but they were actually brainwashed by Robustus, once again showing her inexperience as Ladybug which doesn't go well with her effortlessly defeating Cat Noir earlier at all. Cat Noir helps Scarabella escape and the two hide out at the city's wax statue museum previously featured in “The Puppeteer 2”, because I guess the writers only want to reference bad episodes today. Cat Noir, not getting the importance of secret identities, asks Scarabella how she knows Ladybug, and Cat Noir somehow finds out she knows Ladybug's identity from her response.

Before the two can talk more, it turns out that the wax statues of celebrities in the museum are real people who attack the two heroes, leading to an awkward fight scene where Scarabella and Cat Noir fight a bunch of brainwashed civilians with no weapons beyond their cellphones. Our heroes, ladies and gentlemen!

Scarabella summons her Lucky Charm again, creating a frying pan, but when she looks around, she can't see how to properly use it. And despite spending the entire episode complaining about how much he hates her, it's Cat Noir that tells Scarabella to get her head back in the game because “That's what Ladybug would do”. Funny, I can think of a few situations where Cat Noir could have taken his own advice, but I digress. Also, he's now just cool with Scarabella because there's only a few minutes left in the episode and we need to wrap up the conflict.

Scarabella figures out an idea that involves freeing Marinette, so she negotiates with Robostus to free everything and everyone under his control or else Cat Noir will use his Cataclysm to destroy the Ladybug Miraculous. Robostus agrees and empties his hard drive, and to show them holding up her end of the bargain, Scarabella gives him the frying pan before she and Cat Noir let themselves be captured... while Marinette simply hits Robostus with the frying pan, freeing the Akuma and the two heroes. All in all, it's a really creative climax that shows both Scarabella and Marinette in perfect sync with each other even though they never discussed their plan. Though of course, because Astruc hates writing any scene with Ladynoir, Cat Noir gets a bucket stuck on his head so he doesn't see Marinette saving the day.

Scarabella de-evilizes Robostus, uses Miraculous Scarabella to fix everything and send Marinette back to the train, and because Hack-San already failed once, Shadowmoth can't use it for a different plan so he destroys the Sentimonster.

We cut to a few days after the trip (I guess Shadowmoth decided to take a vacation himself), and Alya tells Marinette to talk with Cat Noir about what happened.

This scene was so close to ending this episode off on a positive note. There was a good atmosphere and the body language of Ladybug and Cat Noir does a good job at telling us how uncomfortable they both feel while talking. It's just that instead of getting a heart to heart between the two about the lack of trust in their relationship, we get an Angstdrien Depreste scene. Or would a more accurate term be Cat Dour?

First off, while I don't have a problem with Ladybug apologizing for not telling Cat Noir, the episode never has him bring up what happened with Scarabella. As usual, both of them were partially at fault, but only Ladybug had to apologize for leaving her “Kitty” alone.

Second, Cat Noir’s feelings weren’t hurt? You’re telling me that in scenes like this...

And this...

Didn’t show Adrien acting irrationally because of how emotional he was? Is he really telling the truth around Ladybug or is he just trying to sweep that under the rug so Scarabella’s testimony doesn’t screw up his chances with Ladybug?

Third, this was an obvious chance to Cat Noir to finally be honest and tell Ladybug how he feels about her leaving him in the dark about so many things, but the entire conversation is just about how sad he would be if he never sees Ladybug again. Even though the whole reason he was so pissy to Scarabella at first was because of some lingering resentment for Ladybug ignoring him in favor of other heroes, why is this what the two talk about? I get it's not the season finale, but it's kind of hypocritical for Cat Noir to whine about how Ladybug doesn't trust him while never being honest about his own feelings? Sure, he's all soft and vulnerable around Ladybug, but we've seen all season how angry he gets about her not trusting him whenever she isn't around, so ironically, it's hard to tell if this is him being honest or not.

And I think now's a good time to finally talk about the way Ladybug and Cat Noir's partnership has been portrayed all season, especially since the main themes of the episodes relate to it. Buckle up, Adrien stans, because this isn't going to be pretty.

All season, we have been supposed to sympathize with Adrien as Marinette starts to trust Alya with more things than him. Marinette revealed her identity to her, trusted her to have her Miraculous permanently, and even let her keep her Miraculous even though someone else knew her identity. While some of it is hypocritical, the idea is that Adrien feels like he can be trusted with this kind of knowledge too, when really, he hasn't earned that responsibility.

Adrien has rarely, if ever, taken his job as a superhero seriously.

Not only is he known to flirt with Ladybug in the middle of a fight, he has defied her orders and recklessly sacrificed himself because he thinks Ladybug can do all the work without him.

He has also lashed out emotionally and once threatened to quit being Cat Noir in the middle of a crisis and was willing to let innocent people suffer for personal reasons, and later on actually quit being Cat Noir temporarily while Hawkmoth was about to start World War III because he was wallowing in self-pity.

He once said he isn't cut out for the responsibility that comes with being Ladybug and never learned anything from temporarily using the Ladybug Miraculous.

He has generally refused to respect Ladybug's boundaries and doesn't understand that she doesn't like him that way while he insists they should be a couple.

He outright fell for an evil doppelganger of Ladybug because she said she loved him and turned against the real Ladybug.

And I should also mention that despite hating how Ladybug keeps secrets from him, a lot of Adrien's worst moments have been when Ladybug wasn't around and he never told her about them.

He never told Ladybug that he was the reason Copycat really got akumatized while saying he never lies to her.

He never told Ladybug he contemplated letting thousands of people die because he didn't like not knowing stuff Ladybug knew.

He never told Ladybug he briefly used the Snake Miraculous to get brownie points with her.

He never told Ladybug he figured out her identity and asked her out as soon as he did so.

He never told Ladybug he abandoned Paris to go on a field trip.

He never told Ladybug he was screwing around on patrol and was excited to see someone get akuamtized if it meant spending time with her.

He never told Ladybug how he ignored Rena Rouge's orders because “ShE wAsN't LaDyBuG” and almost screwed up the mission because of it, and also never told her how he smashed a chimney in anger at Rena Rouge being in on the plan.

And he never told Ladybug he gave her replacement attitude after trying to harm her without letting her explain herself.

Why exactly should I support the idea of Ladybug trusting Cat Noir more when Cat Noir himself has kept his own secrets from Ladybug?

Adrien has done absolutely nothing to show he is trustworthy because more often than not, he views the battle with Shadowmoth as a game. He has screwed around when lives were on the line, and we're supposed to see him as responsible? It's kind of funny that Astruc compared Ladybug to Spider-Man, yet he seems to have forgotten that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. If this was a character flaw or a sign he needed to grow up, I'd be more accepting, but the fact that the writers think Adrien is a great superhero is laughable with how much evidence has proved the contrary.

In contrast, Alya, despite only being Marinette's confidant for a few episodes, has shown to take being a hero more seriously. She's helped her escape to transform, analyze the Guardian texts, and has been shown to work well on her own as Rena Rouge while helping out Marinette. I'm not trying to say she's an amazing character (“Rocketear” in particular has shown she still has problems with keeping secrets), but compared to Adrien, she seems to be more capable of handling top-secret information with Marinette, and more importantly, doesn't view being Rena Rouge as a way to have fun like Adrien does being Cat Noir. I'll go more into detail with that next time.

But yeah, this scene is how the episode ends, and what did I think of it?

I'm honestly not sure which episode I think is worse, this one or “Queen Banana”. On the one hand, every frame of “Queen Banana” could easily be replaced by an image of Astruc flipping the bird and the overall message of the episode would remain unchanged, but the fact that all of the writers think that everything Adrien does in this episode is okay and that we should feel sorry for him in this episode is just as bad, if not worse. 

As awful as Chloe was portrayed in “Queen Banana”, it was clear it was intentional on the writers' part, but Adrien doesn't get that excuse once much like he has all season. As far as Astruc's team thinks, Adrien is an incredible superhero even when he honestly attempted to harm someone with a superpower that can cause grievous harm at best. Yet again this season, in the show's attempt to make me feel sorry for Adrien, it made him look even worse. In any other show, he would obviously be called out for his incredibly unheroic actions.

Even putting him aside, the writing in this episode is still AWFUL. The whole reason Ladybug was benched had several plotholes and poor communication with Cat Noir that only made the fight with Robostus even harder, Shadowmoth's plan to waste a potentially useful Sentimonster to reuse a single Akuma was one of the dumbest plans he's ever had, and barring the ending, the action was just forgettable.

There were a few okay moments sprinkled throughout the episode (more than I can say for “Queen Banana”), so I'm still not sure if I should call this the worst episode of the show or still give that honor to “Queen Banana”. I guess I'll leave that choice up to you and let you pick your poison for now.

I mean, it's not like there's going to be an even worse episode down the line this season, right?

RIGHT???

[weshney]

Happy Ectober everyone!

I was re-watching Malcolm in the Middle, and I just—I couldn't resist. I only had to tweak just a single line of dialogue to make this happen.

Click here to read on ao3

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"I have proof the murders never happened here. Some of the police reports didn't seem right, so I went to the City Planning Office website." A gaunt, somewhat short highschooler pivoted on his heel, turning from a yellow-wallpapered kitchen to a shabby, 90's style living room, waving a stack of papers in an older, incredibly nervous guy's face.

Backing up a step in response, the antsy hoverer—a submissive man named Hal, who's hair was only slightly more red than his son's darker chestnut—finished shrugging off his coat, tossing it over the back of a nearby armchair.

"Some time after the murders, they split up a double lot down the street, and that changed all the addresses. Look—" The boy forced the top sheet of paperwork into his dad's now-empty hand, pointing down at a schematic before setting the rest aside. "That's the zoning map."

Eyes alight, the teen gestured in a forced-casual emphasis toward the open-concept room behind him. "The murders weren't here. All these articles are about the house next door!"

At this, Hal's shoulders lowered and his near-grimace morphed into an elated, cocky smirk.

"Well, look at that. Ha!" The older male smacked the map in delight. "That sucker! Do you know how much he paid for that house?" Angling his head in the direction of the neighbor's, the adult belted, "Have fun in Hell, Peterson!"

His son grinned in reply, egging him on.

Until Hal turned his attention back to the papers and swooped down, grabbing the discarded stack off the side table. "Let me see what he got himself into."

"Uh, no, no, no—" the younger brunet panicked, trying to rip the documents out of his dad's slender, yet hairy hands. "The pictures are really graphic; you shouldn't—"

"Wait a minute." Hal glanced up, eyes tracking over the far wall. "That's our wallpaper"—a quick look toward the kitchen, past his son's faltering smile—"and that's the counter. Malcolm, their house doesn't look like this. This is our house." The grown-up's voice gained an octave, turning high and distressed as he appraised the teen, mouth half open and lips turned down. "What is going on here?!"

"Fine!" Malcolm screeched, caught in the lie and more than done with his dad's ridiculous behavior.

So the house had a gruesome history. So what?

"I made it up because I'm sick of your insanity! I dummied up a phony web page to calm you down."

Mouth hanging open and tone oozing hurt, Hal dropped the papers back on the side table and accused, "So you were gonna let me think that I was safe?"

Gesturing frantically toward the driveway, Malcolm retorted, "I wasn't going to sit in the car with you all night! I'm sick!"

"I was protecting you!"

"From what, Dad?!" Realization dawned as the boy's father made a shushing motion with his hand, dropping Malcolm's face from confusion into disbelief. "From ghosts?!" came out shrill before the teen mentally regrouped and challenged, "Well, I say bring them on!"

Spinning around, he gestured toward the cluttered living room. "I hereby summon all ghosts and goblins!"

In the background, Hal denied the provocation with a series of No's, hands waving in meek terror as if that would stop his son's words.

"Come Phantoms and Spectres from the gates of Hell, thou are hereby invited!"

Hal threw his arms wide, aiming a falsely cheerful, "He's kidding!" at the ceiling before hunching over Malcolm's shoulder to whisper vehemently, "That's the kind of language they respond to!"

"I challenge ye to prove me wrong." Fingers curling inward like claws, Malcolm gestured from his sternum to his legs. "Go ahead, rip the skin from our bones and feast on our innards. We are lambs for your slaughter."

A weak, "Malcolm!" was ignored, the superstitious dad backing toward the living room door and contorting in on himself in pure anguish as the highschooler continued, "Come, King of Hell. Swallow this house into the bowels of your domain!"

Throwing his thin arms up in a final, grand sweep, Malcolm smirked. "See? There's nothing to—"

A brisk wind swept through the still room, tossing the printouts into the air and sending goosebumps up the boy's spine.

Malcolm paled as Hal started to make a high, keening noise, body finishing its transition into a fetal position as it slid down the glass door.

A jagged tear of wrongness opened at the center of the room, eerie green light spilling from it like sunbeams through a storm cloud. Warping, viridescent shadows scattered and danced around the room as sage-colored mist swirled along the floor, rising up to obscure the furniture.

The brightness suddenly escalated, blinding in intensity.

"AGAIN!?" A foreign voice boomed, echoing more than acoustics should have allowed. "I swear on the Ancients, if this is another cult I'm going to—!"

Hal's keening abruptly cut off, sending Malcolm's heart into free-fall as he blinked spots out of his vision.

Was his dad okay?! How could he be so stupid?! This was all his fault. He needed to—.

All thought ceased as a pair of neon eyes—so green they might be toxic—fixated on the human boy, boring into his very soul and pinning the teen in place.

And then they were gone, narrowing as they took in the middle-aged man sprawled unconscious on the floor behind Malcolm and the worn, suburban household—suddenly absent of its interdimensional gateway.

The brunet's jaw dropped as his vision fully returned, revealing just who—or what housed such unnatural eyes.

It looked human enough. Despite the snow-white hair and form-fitting jumpsuit, its confused expression could have belonged on anyone's face.

That should have been reassuring.

It wasn't.

Malcolm's mind screamed "uncanny valley", watching it—he—it—wave fog from the couch, inspecting the decor from several feet off the ground.

It didn't help that the shadows emphasizing its chiseled features seemed off, like the light source came from somewhere other than the cheap, forty-watt bulbs above.

And then there was the crown. Oh God, the crown.

Just above the creature's head hovered an elaborate construct of ice that easily could have belonged in Lord of the Rings. The elven-style headpiece spewed copper-sulfate-colored flames, not a single drop of water falling from the jewelry.

Either the ice was being kept sub-thirty-two degrees, or that fire wasn't giving off heat.

Something halfway between a squeak and whimper escaped Malcolm's throat.

The sound caught the ethereal being's attention and it swiveled back around.

Oh no! What had he done?!

Those bright green orbs blinked once, then twice, before the Phantom did something unexpected.

It groaned.

"Did I just get butt-dialed?!"

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

The name of the one-shot is a nod to the original episode's title, Halloween. It is also worth noting that the only reason the summon worked is because it was All Hallow's Eve (a holy day for spooky shit), their house was where five murders and a suicide happened 20 years ago, and Malcolm specifically said both Phantom and King of Hell.

[green-lanterns-c0ck]

guyhal+ 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 17, 25, 27, 29 & 30 :)

2. Who is the most insecure and what makes them feel better?

Guy's more insecure though he'd never admit it. It doesn't happen that often either, but sometimes he has moments where he struggles with feeling like Hal really loves him. It's the decades of being the most hated hero on the planet and in the corps. It's difficult for him to speak up about it (He feels silly) but Hal can tell when something's wrong and gives him cuddles and reasurance.

4. Who can’t keep their hands to themselves?

Answered here

6. Who would they ask if they ever had a threesome?

Gee, I don't know... I can't imagine them ever even looking at another person...

Just kidding lol they're in a polycule with John and Kyle

9. What is the most embarrassing thing they have done in front of each other?

Other than their entire lives, one time Hal forgot he wasn't still a ghost and walked straight into a closed door.

One time, Guy tried to drink a cup of coffee after being awake for a day and a half, and pour it straight down his front. Just completely missed his mouth and didn't notice until the mug was empty.

11. What do they hide from one another?

They're both the type to try and hide their hurts, injuries and insecurities from one another, Hal more than Guy.

13. When do they realise they should get together?

I think only Hal has a realization moment - Guy would like to get together, but he's pretty chill about it. The border between friendship and dating is pretty fluid for him. Hal has a real "oh, we could be good" moment a few months after they start hooking up.

16. When the zombie apocalypse comes, how do they cope together?

Hal becomes very tense and withdrawn. Guy copes by being way too casual about it. They both don't like to let the other leave their view and get on each others nerves a lot, so they spend a lot of time fighting with each other.

They're a very effective team anyways.

17. When they find a time machine, where do they go?

Coast City before it got destroyed. At least once, maybe more. They meet with Kari and sit down someplace that couldn't be recreated.

25. Why do they fight?

Why does the wind blow?

They fight because Guy made a bad joke, because Hal forgot to put the leftovers in the fridge, because Guy called Hal a golden boy, because Hal insulted the JLI.

Nothing really serious, mostly.

Serious fights are rarer and tend to blow over quickly. Those happen because of hurt pride, or old injuries getting brought up, or because one of them was reckless and the other got so worried they explode.

27. Why do their friends get annoyed with them?

They're LOUD and they YELL and they make out in public. They have fistfights in John's living room and break hIS EXPENSIVE TABLE!!

29. Why do they fall a little bit more in love?

Guy learns to cook Hal's favorite meal and makes it at least once a week, even though he doesn't like it.

When Guy gets hurt, Hal sits by his bed and talks to him, until he wakes up.

30. Why does it work (or not work) between them?

It works because they care and they understand each other and don't have to put up a strong front with each other all the time. They can let their guard down with each other.

[thestarrynightslover]

So Many Times Before

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader

Word count: 3,190

Warnings: Discussion, yelling, some angst.

Summary: (y/n) and Jay used to be best friends who had always, secretly, wanted more. Now, after years of not seeing each other, what happened to all those feelings? 

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the One Chicago shows, or its characters, also not associated with it in any way or know anyone involved with it.

A/N: So, this is my first actual fanfic and I’m quite unsure about it (especially since English isn’t my first language), but I really wanted/needed to give some use to my obsession with Jay Halstead, lol. Anyways, I hope it doesn’t suck too bad and, please, feel free to give me feedback, cause I’m also here to learn!!

(y/n) = (your name) (y/l/n) = (your last name) (y/n/n) = (your nickname)

| masterlist |

"So, honey, you are never gonna believe who I saw the other day at the district..." You remember your dad saying, in a conversation that made your heart skip a few beats, weeks ago.

"Oh yeah? Who?" You asked with a soft smile on your lips, not paying much attention at the moment.

"Jay Halstead." He said simply as if just waiting for you to freak out. God, your dad really knew how to make you drop your cool-girl act.

"Oh, that's nice... Wait. What??? Did you say Jay? What was he even doing there? Is he okay? Did he get into some sort of trouble? How can we help?" And there it was, you were totally losing it and your dad just stood there with that smug smirk of his, that says: I knew this was coming.

"Relax, (y/n/n), he’s okay. He was just there to get some files from a case my unit was handing over to them." That would've been a completely acceptable statement if Jay Halstead wasn't still in the army for all you knew.

"Sorry, handing a case over to them?"

"Yeah, sweetheart, apparently that scrawny kid — who's not so scrawny anymore — is, now, a detective working with CPD's Intelligence Unit."

"What? But when did he leave the army?" By then you were drifting off the conversation with your dad and he knew it, so he did you the favor of leaving you alone with your thoughts and memories. 

Now, with the very same (well, not the same, he really wasn't scrawny anymore) Jay Halstead standing right in front of you, that moment with your dad inevitably came back to mind.

"Wow, (y/n) (y/l/n)!" He said with a huge bright smile that made you wanna go back to your high school days, yep the smile was that awesome.

"Jay Halstead. Wows are definitely in order." You said between giggles. "Oh my Gosh, it's been forever! How are you doing?"

"I'm- I'm- I'm good, thank you. How are you?" He looked absolutely shocked as he scanned you upside-down.

"I'm good too. You look great, by the way."

"Thanks," he smiled again. Wasn't he ever gonna stop doing that? "you look, hum, you look great too!" He said that, while looking at you in a way that was, for sure, making your cheeks heat up. "So hum-" Your phone just had to start ringing at that moment, didn't it?

"I'm so sorry, but I gotta take this. Work." You said, waving your phone in front of his face.

"Oh, okay, no problems, go ahead!" Jesus, he was acting like a teenager. After all these years how was it even possible that you still had so much effect on him? He started thinking, as he watched you take a few steps away and confidently boss someone around over the phone, was that really you? His high school best friend? Because who could tell? You were generally so quiet and shy with everyone. You would never lead any groups, almost choked on your words every time you had a presentation... Remembering that made Jay think of a moment in particular, when he first knew he loved you as more than just a friend. 

You were 16 and he was 17, a year ahead of you in school too, as he was already a senior. But you guys never really minded that. How could you, anyway? Jay was your best friend in the world (okay, your only real friend after Will left for college).

The two of you were walking back home from school, as you always did, him dropping you off at your doorstep – even if that meant he had to go back a few blocks every day, all he cared about was making sure you got home safe.

That day was different, though. He stopped you at your house's fence and said he needed to tell you something important. God, your heart literally stopped, as you thought you knew exactly what he was gonna say. "Oh, jay-"

"No, please, (y/n/n). Just let me tell you, otherwise, I'll lose my courage." He stopped for a second, breathing hard and watching your expression attentively. "I, I, um, I need to tell you that… That I, um… That I enlisted the army." He said like he was ripping off a band-aid.

"What???" You were shocked, to say the least, "You did what, Jay?" You asked again, whilst trying to calm your nerves.

"Look, don't be mad at me, just let me explain, please." He pleaded with you. "I just need to get away from here and you know it, (y/n), you know why" You did know why, just, God, the army, seriously?

"Jay, you don't need to do that." You tried reasoning with him.

"Of course I need to, (y/n/n)!" He said and you could see him beginning to get upset. Or was it desperation? "I can't stand him any longer! I just can’t.” Geez, you didn’t want him to go. You definitely didn’t want him to go, but you could see the sadness in his eyes when he said that. Still, you tried a little more: 

“But what about your mom? Your brother? What about me?” You felt yourself blush after that last part, but continued: “Jay you’re really important to me… my best friend, my… my… my only friend! I can’t lose you.”

“And you think that that doesn’t kill me? Will and my mom will be just fine, they’ll miss me, sure, but they’ll be fine. You on the other hand? I don’t wanna leave you! Especially knowing that you’ll have to go through the rest of high school alone…” He looked genuinely apologetic and concerned “That’s why I told you before anyone else.”

“I don’t… I don’t understand.” You stated simply.

“Tell me you don’t want me to go, and I won’t.”

“What? You’d… You’d really do that for me?” 

“Of course, (y/n/n)! You mean the world to me and you’ve gotten me through so much already…” He sounded sincere, but you also knew what led him to make such a drastic move and you couldn’t just let him throw away what was probably his best shot at getting out of Chicago for you. You wouldn’t.

“Jay… I could never ask you something like that. You’re right. I know why you’re making this choice.” You said and tried to smile a little so that he’d stop worrying about you. Your life was better and easier, in many ways, because of him, so you couldn’t or wouldn’t make his any harder than it already was.

“Are you, are you sure? Because I came here ready to argue with you about this. To try hard to make you understand my decision, but now that I’m actually here, talking to you about it…” He looked so confused and you only wish you could pull him close to you and say that everything was gonna be okay as long as you two were together. Just like he did with you on the hard days, but you couldn’t. He deserved better from you.

“I’m sure! Look, I know what I said before, but… But I promise you I’ll survive this without you! It’s gonna be harder and a lot more boring… But I’ll be okay, you don’t need to worry.” At that moment you looked down to your feet, unsure if you really had it in you to let him go like that. But of course you did because you loved him. So you went on, “You said this is how you get outta Chicago, so you should do it. You’re my best friend and I love you. And I really just want you to do what’s best for you. What’ll make you happy.” You said with a small smile, even though the tears were already in your eyes. 

And that was when he knew he loved you, for the first time, as more than just a friend. The way you supported him – like no one else had ever done –, even though it pained you… That really stuck with him. In Jay Halstead’s opinion, time and distance and other people all sucked. Because they had pushed you away from him. Well, he was to blame for that too, but now you were standing right there. At his District. That’s gotta count for something.

As you came back, he noticed you looked upset. “Everything okay?”

“What? Ah, yeah, sure. Just work stuff. Anyways it is a huge surprise to see you, Jay.” That made his heart drop, you were surprised to see him?

“Oh, yeah? I thought the reason you were here was that your dad told you this is where I work. I mean, because we ran into each other the other day…” Now it made sense. Of course your dad would wanna play matchmaker between you Jay! Even more, now that he was a cop.

“Oh, God, he did mention something about you the other day. But you’re telling me that he isn’t here?” At that, Jay just looked at you like you were crazy.

“Today? I haven’t seen him… He works at the 26, no?”

“Yeah, I know he does. It’s just... He told me to meet him here for lunch today. Something about a joint op. Anyways now I know why he said that.” 

“What? He lied to you, then?” Jay asked, laughing his ass off at your cost. Unbelievable, you being played by your cupid father and Jay Halstead laughing at you. He stopped when he realized just how angry you were getting. But the stupid smile was still there.

“Forget it, this was a waste of time.”

“No! Wait, why don’t I take you to lunch instead?” He shot you such a charming smile that you could have said yes to marrying him at that moment. “C’mon, at least you don’t end up with an empty stomach.”

“I gue-” You almost said yes, but, thank God, your brain went back to working properly and you remembered how you promised to never let yourself fall for Jay’s “ways” another time. “Actually, I already spent most of my free hour here chatting with you, so now the only way I won’t be late is if I just grab something on the way back to the office.” You saw him opening his mouth and said: “And I can do that by myself.” You added so that he wouldn’t have a chance at convincing you.

How can Jay Halstead make you feel like this after all this time? It's absolutely ridiculous because the man hurt you the way he did, he left you behind (for a good reason, but still), and you just spent the rest of the day torturing yourself for being too rude with him?

You have no self-love. That has to be it, because, now that you left work, you're calling your dad just to embarrass yourself and make him feel like the achieved cupid. Oh, right. And to beg him for Jay's address. This was the wrong move in so many ways, but you just had to go there.

Or at least that’s what you’re telling yourself as you reach his building entrance. There it was: 3B - J. Halstead. You pressed the button hoping he would be home. He was; he answered. Okay, why did you do this again?

“Hello?” You hear him calling out.

“He- hey! Hum, hi it’s (y/n)...” He doesn’t even let you finish your rambling.

“(y/n/n)! I mean, hum, (y/n). Hey, let me buzz you up!” With that, the door opens and you get inside, you’re so unsure about this that the next thing you know you’re standing at his door about to knock, but being met with a grinny Jay instead. “Hey, I was pretty surprised when I heard your voice…” He states while running a hand through his perfect hair. “I honestly thought that I had somehow managed to order food and forget about it!” Gosh, he really wasn’t gonna stop smiling like that, was he? “Hey, you okay? What happened?”

“Hum, no, no, no! Everything is fine, really! Thank you for asking though, it’s very sweet of yours.” After hearing that, his concerned expression started softening until he started smiling again, damn Jay! “Actually, I’m here precisely because, hum, after I left the District, I ended up doing some thinking and got to the conclusion that I was a bit rude with you… Maybe even more than just a bit and I’m sorry. It’s no excuse, but I guess I just got upset because of how my dad played me and took it out on you! Anyway, it wasn’t right and I’m sorry.” Instead of just saying it was okay, or agreeing with you, he just gave you a funny look and silence. “So, huh, what do you think about that? Say something, please?” Still nothing, unbelievable. “Seriously? You’re giving me the silent treatment? What are we, ten?” Hearing that, he bursted into laughter, leaving you very confused, to say the least. Once he caught his breath, he finally started talking:

“Jesus, (y/n)! Of course, I’m not giving you a silent treatment!” He said while shaking his head and still laughing. “You say you were rude, but I was trying to remember exactly when, during our less than five minutes talk, that happened. I kinda asked you out and you declined, I’m not gonna think you’re a bad person because of that! Especially after all of our history…” That kinda surprised you, but, then again, Jay was never the kind of guy to get upset over some mild rudeness.

“Ah…” Was all you managed to say before he spoke again:

“But, since you’re already here, let me pry on your guilt a little and ask you to come inside for a beer, maybe?” You nodded your head giggling and followed him inside. “So, um, your dad mentioned you were moving back here…” He half asked, handing you a bottle.

“Thanks. Ah, yeah, the company I work for decided it was time for a transfer.” You answered with a shrug of shoulders.

“Oh I see, you’re an engineer, right?” The conversation was beginning to get awkward, and both of you could feel it.

“Yeah,” you said while calculating how fast you could make it to the door after standing up from the couch, “chemical engineer, listen, it’s getting late, and I have an early morning tomorrow, so-” 

“Wait, please don’t leave just yet.” He breathed out, softly grabbing you by the arm. “Ever since our fight that day I’ve been hoping for a chance to make things right between us, (y/n/n)...” At that, you just close your eyes and rub your fingers against your temples. “I never meant to hurt you, I swear!” Really? That was what he was going with?

“You never meant to hurt me? I crossed the Atlantic just to be by your side, leaving a lot of important stuff behind, and you didn’t wait a single moment to trade me for the first cover girl you could find, but you didn’t mean to hurt me?” You always thought you’d start crying if you had to confront him like that, but instead, you were just angry.

“(y/n/n), I’m so sorry! It’s just that I couldn’t be with you at that moment... I-”

“You couldn’t be with me? Right, because I wasn’t half of what they were… It’s not like you’re telling me anything new, really.” You tried to make it sound like nothing but, damn, that hurt deep.

“What? No, of course, not! You got it all wrong, baby!” Baby. He used the pet name you two sometimes used with each other to mock all those popular couples in school… “I couldn’t be with you because I was so messed up! I’m not proud to say it, but none of those girls ever meant anything to me! They were just a distraction from everything that was happening, from everything that had happened… You, on the other hand… (y/n/n), you were there at my mom’s funeral when I wasn’t! Don’t think I forgot about it!” His eyes softened a little. “You were my best friend in the world!”

“Oh my God! You still don’t get it? I didn’t want to be just your best friend, Jay! I spent most of my high school days just wondering when you were gonna trade me, your mere friend, for one of those pretty girls, who would happily be more than that to you… But you never did… Until that time! I was expecting to find you messed up! Because I knew that I wasn’t gonna give up until you got better! But, that?” Now there was just no stopping the tears that were rolling down your cheeks. He was on the verge of crying as well, so the two of you just stayed there in silence until he decided to speak again:

“I’m a complete idiot. That’s all I can say for myself. I’m so sorry I never realized it, (y/n)!” He seemed sincerely sorry, but you weren’t sure you could forgive him just yet. “You know,” he started, while laughing bitterly, “I made a real fool of myself with you, cause I used to dream about having a shot with you, romantically, I mean.” After hearing that, your jaw literally dropped, while Jay just kept laughing lightly. “Will even used to bug me about it, he’d say that you were just as fallen for me as I was for you,” he said, chuckling, and shaking his head, “and I never believed him, I’d actually beg him to stop saying those things whenever you were around because I thought it could make you uncomfortable…” You didn’t even know how to respond to that.

“Jay, I…” You began, but he interrupted you:

“You, um, you don’t need to say anything, if you don’t want to. Now I see that I hurt you a lot more than I thought I did, and I am so sorry! I wish I could take it all back, but I can’t, so if you ever feel like you can give me another chance, even if just at our friendship, I’ll be so thankful! The happiest man! But if not, well, I’ll just stay out of your life,” you could see how hurt he was, “because I don’t ever wanna make you cry again.” He said that but it looked like he was the one about to break into tears, so you did the one thing you could think about doing; you threw your arms around his neck and kissed him. Just like you had thought about doing so many times before. It took him a while to correspond since he was sort of stunned, but when he did… Oh boy, it was everything that books always told you about, there were butterflies and fireworks, and you knew that your transfer back home couldn’t have come at a better time.

[ashbrea381writings]

Flying Blind: Chapter 1, Bats in Paris

Four-year-old Richard Grayson glared at the girl in front of him. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was just six weeks older than him, and right now, she was taller than him too. “You’re gonna lose.” He taunted in heavily accented French, “I got super high scores and you can’t beat them!” “Don’t even think about it! I’m gonna win!” Marinette’s fists were clenched and her face red. “Just you watch!” The Dupain-Chengs and the Graysons shared an amused look over the heads of the children. “How are you doing?” Tom asked, chuckling about the children’s antics. “We’re good, we’ll be starting another tour this summer, then probably settle down for a couple years before moving on.” The two children started shouting even louder, causing them to be dragged apart by their exasperated parents. This happened every competition, for years.

***

Five years later, Richard stopped showing up to competitions. Marinette was annoyed at first, grumbling about him being a chicken who didn’t want to face her. At another competition, a month later, she heard one of the judges talking about the Graysons, making a sad comment about the loss of so many talented people, the wasted potential, an entire family of fliers just gone. Marinette stiffened in shock, her eyes wide as she processed what they had just said. Bolting to the locker room, Marinette yanked her hair out of it’s bun and changed back into her street clothes, hiding in the bathroom stall and crying. When her parents find her some minutes later, they make sure she isn’t hurt and take her home. “He’s dead… Dick’s dead.” She told them tearfully in the car on the way home. “All of them are.” Marinette stopped going to competitions after that.

***

Ladybug could feel the tension in her shoulders as she confronted the man before her, Chat a step behind and to her left. “If your Justice League doesn’t want to help, you could at least stay out of our city.” Her arms were crossed as she glared at Batman. “Why do you think the League wouldn’t help?” Robin asked, his accent strong but his pronunciation carefully precise. “We only heard of the situation recently.” “Oh? I called the League two years ago when our mentor gave up his memories to prevent Hawkmoth from getting something important.” Ladybug spat, letting her disgust show without letting it be bad enough that Hawkmoth could sense it. “I got told to stop playing games and they hung up on me.” “Who did you speak with?” Batman asked, pulling out a small tablet to take notes. “I don’t know, they didn’t say. Male, light voice in the baritone range, sounded way too cheerful until he decided I was lying, then he was just an ass.” She shrugged and gestured to the city around her. “‘Paris is fine, we would have noticed if something bad happened.’” She quoted in a near-perfect impression of Hal Jordan that made Batman frown. “Did you mean to do an impression?” Robin asked, somewhere between surprised and trying not to laugh when the girl his age was able to deepen her voice that much. “It’s accurate, I was there to hear him.” Chat chuckled, crossing his arms and shifting to lean on just one leg. “The guy continued to rant about children making prank calls and how he didn’t even know how we had the number.” “The fact that we had it at all should have told him the truth.” Ladybug scoffed. “Look, I’ve been doing this for four years. If you really wanna help, you’ll need to make sure you don’t fall victim to Hawkmoth yourself.” “And how does one do that?” “Mostly by repressing your negative emotions.” Chat shrugged, looking out over the city. “To be honest, it’s getting harder for Parisians to keep up their hopes. Our ages don’t help either, there are plenty who keep demanding we give up our Miraculi to older, more experienced people, but not just anyone can wield them.” “The personalities of the people wielding them must mesh well with the Miraculous, or it corrupts you and either causes you to become someone you wouldn’t recognize, or makes you very sick.” “That explains why you can’t pass them on, but why were you two chosen?” Robin tilted his head, moving forward a bit more. “We were the best candidates at the time. Our former mentor read our auras to make sure who meshed with which Miraculous and gave us a test to make sure we were the type of people to help others even when it’s not in our best interests.” Ladybug sighed and turned to look as a loud ‘bang!’ sounded from the direction of the Eiffel Tower. “Always the tower, I still don’t get it.” Chat sighed, prepping to take off. “Don’t ask me, Kitty.” Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo. “Stay back out of the fight unless you see a civilian in danger. You don’t know what you’re up against.” Batman looked like he wanted to argue, but the teen heroes took off in the direction of the Akuma that was currently pulling pieces off of the Tower and throwing them at the ground nearby. Batman and Robin found a spot just outside the action to observe. Other members of the Miraculous Team were already on the scene, moving civilians and calling out information to each other. Viperion split off from the action to intercept Ladybug and seemed to have a lot of information. Once they conferred for a few moments, a suddenly weary-looking Viperion gave signals to several of the team members. The Akuma was released, captured, and purified. With the Cure cast, the Tower was repaired and the Miraculous Team collectively shared quiet celebrations before separating except for Chat Noir, who’s Cataclysm hadn’t been used. “LB and the others are going to recharge, check in with their families after the attack, and meet us. I’m to lead you to somewhere private where we can talk more thoroughly.” Chat was brisk, seeming tired. “Your Snake friend… He spent a good portion of the fight observing and only really called out instructions for the most part. Why is that?” Robin asked as they started running across rooftops. “That’s his part. Ladybug is Creation, I’m Destruction, he’s Intuition. He watches the fight and uses his ability to make sure we do not fail when we cannot avoid it otherwise.” Chat answered vaguely, enjoying the verbal cat-and-mouse. “Are you going to tell us what his power is?” Batman asked, his exasperation audible in his voice. “The more information we have, the better we can plan and the more help we can give.” “I’m gonna let Viperion explain, he’s a chill guy, he won’t mind telling you. Besides, they’re all gonna be there and I think LB plans to give you two a rundown of everyone anyway.” Chat explained, dropping down into a small garden hidden between buildings. There was a small storage shed that Chat opened, removing a handful of chairs and a folding table. “I believe LB plans on bringing refreshments, will you help me set this up?”

***

An hour later, the rest of the team had assembled, with more than just Ladybug bringing snacks and drinks. There was something for everyone, although Batman chose not to eat. “So, a rundown?” “My powers stem from Creation, I create an object that helps us in the fight, purify the Akuma, and my Cure repairs any damage done by the miraculous during that specific Akuma fight. If too much time passes after the Akuma was purified, I can’t put it right.” Ladybug began, pointing to Chat next. “His power is from Destruction, he can destroy any one item he touches or a portion of a surface such as the ground or a wall. He can control how far the destruction spreads to a degree, it’s something we’re working on. Viperion has the power of Second Chance, he sets a timer and within that span of time he can reset to the beginning as many times as he wants theoretically. The problem is that he’s the only one who remembers what happened in the timeline he reset, so he has to be able to remember what to do so we can succeed.” “Is that why you suddenly looked more tired during the fight?” Robin asked, brows furrowing. “Yes. Seeing your friends get hurt over and over will do that.” The shaggy-haired hero sighed, shaking his head. “As much as I dislike seeing it, I know that I can prevent it as long as I still have my power active and as long as I’m able to give them the right information when we reset. I’ve gotten a lot better than when we started, but it helped when Chat started to realize I knew what I was doing.” His eyes sparkled with a bit of humor and Chat shook his head with a goan. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?” Chat asked, stretching. “Nope, never.” “Anyway.” Ladybug glared at the two boys, but it lacked conviction. “You’ll have to give me the rundown later of how many times we reset. Moving on, Rena Rouge, power of Illusion. Carapace, Protection, his shields are nearly impenetrable.” Ladybug pointed out each hero in turn. “Honey Bee, she can paralyze a person with her stinger, most of these have a duration and are usable just once for now. Pegasus can make portals to anywhere, again, once and there’s a time limit after using it. King Monkey isn’t here right now, but his power disrupts those of whomever is touched with an object he summons. We have one more teammate who doesn’t get involved often. Their name is Bunnyx, and they don’t show up much unless we really need them. They travel through time.” “So you have a time-traveler to come pull you out? Then why don’t they tell you who Hawkmoth is?” Batman demanded. “Because one: that’s cheating, and two: that’s not how they’re supposed to figure it out.” Came another voice from above before a blue, white, and pink blur dropped down behind Ladybug.

***

Note: The competition is for Gymnastics if anyone’s confused.