#buuut i made some mini shorts to go with

[dizziesims]

How we feel about Bratz merch?? 🤔

[cru5h-cascades]

DOLL WOMAN AU: THE ENDING

Welp guess it's time for another Doll Woman AU post! Since I kinda wrote about the rest of the story in the other posts, here's how the AU's story ends...

Instead of Taro actively seeking out Emiko like Junko did in the main game, Taro is instead kidnapped by Emiko and this AU's Junko is there to witness the kidnapping. So after tracking down Emiko (and hearing a bunch of shouting) Junko finds herself at the Doll Cabin™, Emiko's hideout.

"I finally got you this time, big brother. And this time I'm not going to let you get away. I'm finishing what I started and this time nobody is here to save you because I made sure of that oh so long ago... Now hold still you bastard!"

It's here where Junko finds Emiko shot in the leg (but still alive though) and Taro out of breath, with a larger cut over his mini Glasgow smile.

This is when the truth about the crime being investigated in the AU is revealed. Taro reveals that he put the doll in Ayaka's hands after discovering her body and that Ayaka actually killed herself. He had no idea that the doll was actually from Emiko and that he regrets messing with the crime scene to begin with.

Since Emiko is still alive by the end of the AU's story, she's taken to a mental asylum because of her issues. But the story doesn't simply end there and Junko finds out about Emiko's backstory via bonus chapter with a side of slice of life anime. Nope! We get to see what's up with Emiko in a timeskip!

The timeskip happens several months after the events of the kidnapping incident. Emiko had the stitches on her face removed and now she just has a Glascow smile scar. She's also a bit more calmer but still has the same sass she had prior to being sent to the mental asylum. This is where we get an abridged version of Emiko's backstory from her perspective...

"Okay, I'm gonna make this short. You see, my big brother Minoru and I had a shitty childhood. Dad went out for cigarettes and never came back so we were left with our shitty mother who couldn't care less about us. So, big bro and I had to have each other's backs, you know? He took care of me and I tried to keep both of us entertained with these stupid dolls I made. I even made mini versions of us. Buuut one day he got the genius idea to just leave me with that BITCH... I was the one to find his body, you know. And because mommy dearest didn't go to the funeral, I decided to deliver some sweet justice. I got stabby... and then I ended up in juvie. Back then I wasn't mad at him for just leaving, at least not completely. Anyways, after getting out of juvie I got a job as a seamstress and tried to turn my life around. I met this guy, his name's not important, but I thought he was neat, but one day we had a fight and I realized something: he was so much like my brother that he just had to be him... and I hated it. So, you know, I made things right. I knew he was long gone so I made sure of that. But of course I figured I'd get locked up again and so I just ran away. That night I even gave myself those stitch marks on my face I loved all so very much. But even after I killed that guy I just kept seeing big bro everywhere, so I kept trying to make things right. Do I regret killing those boys? Nah. I don't. I'm just making things right. There's no way he'd still be around, so seeing him walking around like nothing happened was just so wrong to me. There you have it. You wanted the truth and now you got it, copper. Whatcha gonna do? Send me to jail now? Well you can't 'cause I'm already here. Now get the hell out of here. I'm pretty sure they want me to do more stupid shit anyways...

After getting the abridged version of the story, Junko talks to one of the doctors working at the facility and gets the actual story, which I've already written about in the first post related to this AU.

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

*cracks knuckles* time be self indulgent as hell (by talking about the technical aspects of the faerie faerie fruit, model banshee. thank you for giving me an excuse to talk more about it/the lore @head-empty-just-ace)

i) i ate the faerie faerie fruit a good chunk of time after we left dawn island (still in the spade pirates era but before we went to the new world) which can be read about here in something also extremely self indulgent. so i chalk it up to a) we're not close to dawn island if he did leave behind a ghost and b) maybe there was no ghost sabo left behind because not all people leave one (which ofc later on i learn sabo was never dead to begin with)

ii) in my universe ghosts do generally stick close to home (aka the region they died in) for various reasons like waiting for family to die so they can move on together or regrets are keeping them tied down. but they can traverse to where there are symbols of themselves

(ex. think an altar for the dead made in their honor/an offering for them/a child is a symbol of their parents so if their kid is alive they can go see them regardless of where they went, etc)

or if they are specifically attached to an individual or group of people (ex. a pirate ghost following their crew). treasured objects can leave behind a spirit too (ex. the merry). animals tend to leave more ghosts behind than humans and a good chunk move as if they haven't even realized they've died. often at sea i see the spirits of sea creatures so it adds a layer to my enjoying the sights

iii) they do remember how they die and their ghosts are in the state they died in. so if a ghost was someone who died getting stabbed to death in the torso, that will reflect on the spirit. a very grim reminder of how their lives came to an end

iv) they eventually pick up that i can see when i am making it clear i'm looking their way and just straight up start talking to them. at first i'm cautious about it because as far as other people are concerned, it looks like i'm just talking to the air but as time goes on i'm more shameless about it. usually the ghosts are very very surprised and make the typical shocked one piece face you know the one

v) i've gotten "help me move on" requests from plenty of ghosts throughout my adventures on the seas. it's kinda like my own mini side plot to whatever main storyline we've got going on

vi) yep i do end up wrapping in ghosts for intel after some time passes to help assess a situation (this comes ahead during our short stay in wano, asking ghosts about the situation and so on and so forth). this becomes particularly important during the 'marshall d teach is a snake' era

but the real bread and butter for the banshee model is that users instinctively wail, keen and scream when someone is going to die soon and i specifically ate it in hopes of preventing the deaths of people i care about if i know it's coming

so i guess for the rapid fire rounds of devil fruit ability explanation if you were curious:

banshee eyes: just the passive ability to see the spirits of the deceased

death sense: an ability with 2 variants but it isn't something i can actually control buuut death's CAN be prevented (contrasted to my banshee novel's verse) is instinctively triggered based on death rearing its head

death sense: warning: i just tear up uncontrollably because death is nearing. but the death is one that is preventable as the loom of fate has not reached a point of no return so there is still time to do something about

death sense: absolution: uncontrollable screams and sobbing that alerts those on the other side death is coming for an intended individual. this is not an avoidable death, the quick time event has been failed gg

mourning keen: forces people within a certain range to grieve and cry uncontrollably, good for incapacitating opponents (or forced therapy jgfngjn you are gonna grieve whether you like it or not)

scream queen: just a loud enough scream to stun people within a certain range (technically nameless but why not give it a title)

heavy metal: i do not control the rate by which people die (nor do i know the 'how', i only know when it's 'near') but there is a limitation to how much loud noise someone can handle before either going deaf or straight up getting unalived so it is curtains. technically a nameless ability but why not give it a name too)

drawbacks:

like i mentioned before, users of this fruit don't know the specific time or date someone will die or how they will die. so if it's a death that is preventable, it's up to the user to piece together the mystery of the specifics and hopefully succeed in avoiding someone dying

users of this fruit can't sense their own death so there are no warnings for if my final hour is coming

death sense is an ability that's passive so i can't control it or stop myself when it triggers and it is pretty draining

you can look kinda crazy just talking to the air from someone else's pov

potential drawback depending on the user: you see ghosts 24/7 and it's not an ability that can be turned off or controlled

person: omg you hate a devil fruit? which one??

me: faerie faerie fruit

person: ✨o✨ oh wow really?! so do you get wings or-

me: not that kind of faerie

person: oh

i have disappointed many a child because of this. sorry tama

[avnkin]

Shake On It [ d. malfoy ]

Author’s Note: I originally planned on posting this as just one long fic buuut instead i’m going to do a mini series, ya know torture you guys just just a lil bit (gif is not mine) also I got all the information about the potions and the ingredients from harry potter wiki and of course I do not own harry potter or the storyline/characters.

Word Count: 8k

Summary: There’s little to nothing Draco values more than his reputation so when he sees it slipping, he’ll do anything in his power to catch it.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader

Warnings: angst, foul language, some bullying and asshole!draco.

This is an AU so all the information doesn’t exactly line up with the hp storyline for example it takes place in sixth year but there’s no Voldemort so Dumbledore doesn’t die etc.

You’d never been much for the ‘social scene’ you just didn’t find enjoyment in the same things your classmates did, so you never really had a big friend group, your only acquaintance having been Irma Prince… The librarian.

That was until your second year when Hermione Granger came into your life like a ray of sunshine brightening up the dark loneliness that had consumed you your first year.

She introduced you to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, although you were never as close with them as you were with Hermione you still couldn’t be more grateful for your newfound friend group, especially since you now didn’t have to endure Draco’s and his fellow Slytherin classmates torment alone.

You were and had always been an easy target for Draco and his entourage since you never really stood up for yourself, instead choosing to ignore how he continuously called you ‘a blood traitor’ for hanging out with ‘the likes of Hermione’ which you never understood, how was someone different from him just because they didn’t have magical parents?

It was a well-known fact that Draco’s father Lucius Malfoy was the cause of his attitude towards muggle-borns, you truly believed that man didn’t have a kind bone in his body.

You remembered once when you’d arrived at platform 9¾ after your third year Draco went to greet his parents and whilst Narcissa (his mother) gave him a big welcoming hug, embracing her son after not having seen him for many months Lucius simply stared down at him with a glare that could only be described as disgust and disappointment before turning and walking away without as much as a greeting to the platinum blond.

Still, that didn’t excuse Draco’s foul behaviour, he was old enough now to have his own opinions and morals and he didn’t seem to be planning on changing them anytime soon.

You were now in your sixth year and unsurprisingly nothing had changed, Draco was still the same arse he’d always been, but as the years went on it was getting progressively easier to ignore him since you’d gotten so used to it.

It almost felt like it had become a part of your daily routine for him to yell something degrading in the hallways, mostly directed at you or Hermione or whatever Gryffindor he felt like bullying that day.

Intently focusing on the potions book that laid opened before you, you carefully followed the detailed instructions, not wanting to get a single thing wrong since you needed at least an outstanding in this class to keep up your average.

The last part was to add: ‘One drop of Unicorn blood’

You grabbed the flask that contained the silver liquid and as steadily as possible you leaned the bottle over your cauldron, letting a small drop slip past the edge and into the black water, but as you began leaning back Pansy Parkinson ‘accidentally’ bumped into you causing the entirety of the bottle to spill into your potion.

You glared up at her as you watched the black liquid turn sickly green instead of sparkly blue as it should. She shrugged her shoulders innocently, before walking back to the station she shared with Draco who greeted her with an amused smirk before turning back to his work.

“Try not to think too much about it” Hermione’s comforting voice sounded from beside you. “I’m so sick of those two” you argued pouring the remaining containments of the cauldron into a sink, now having to start the entire potion all over again.

“I know, I am too” Hermione frowned glaring at the two Slytherins who didn’t even bother to look over at her.

“Miss Y/L/N weren’t you nearly finished a couple of minutes ago?” Professor Slughorn’s voice could be heard from behind you as he looked over your shoulder, an unimpressed look on his face.

“Uh- yes sir it’s just I accidentally put too much Unicorns blood and had to start over again” you lied looking into the now-empty cauldron before you, glaring at Pansy once you heard her quiet laughter from the other side of the classroom.

“Well alright, but I’d hurry if I were you, I’m afraid you’re running a bit short on time” he smiled before moving on to the students sat in front of you.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Hermione frowned once Slughorn was out of earshot, you gave her a knowing look having had this conversation with her on more than one occasion.

Tattling on them wouldn’t change anything it would simply make their torments increase and you didn’t need that, especially with the N.E.W.T.S coming up you didn’t want anything distracting your studies.

Despite having been interrupted by Pansy you managed to be the only one who brewed the potion right and the displeased scowl placed on Pansy’s face as she watched you get praised by the teacher and the rest of the class was nothing but amusing.

Once you were finally dismissed, you were walking alongside Hermione down the long corridors leading to the Great Hall when someone again bumped into you causing all the books you’d been clutching between your arms to go flying towards the ground and you along with them.

“What a klutz” you heard the familiar squeaky voice of Pansy Parkinson, you hurriedly got back up onto your feet whilst Hermione picked up the remaining books that had sprawled all across the stone floor.

“You did that on purpose” you growled charging at Pansy who cowered away from you as you neared her but once she noticed Draco was watching she stopped dead in her tracks, a side smirk resting on her lips before she tilted her head to the side.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about” she innocently smiled before walking around you and back to Draco who held an emotionless expression on his face as he walked with her down the hall.

“Bitch” you mumbled underneath your breath just before Hermione came running up to you. “Are you okay?” she faintly smiled before handing you your things.

“Fine” you deadpanned before the two of you began walking back down the hallway again.

Once you’d made it into the Great Hall you immediately spotted Harry and Ron a smile on your face as you took a seat next to Harry, and Hermione the one next to Ron the previous events being long forgotten as you distracted yourself with the comforting company of your friends.  

“Since when did Y/L/N and Potter become so close?” Draco’s face held a scowl as he watched the two of you interact from afar, he truly didn’t know why it bothered him, but for some reason it did.

“Why do you care?” Pansy replied as she began shifting in her seat to move closer to Draco who almost instinctively moved away causing a bright red tint to appear on her cheeks as she hurriedly moved back to her original seat.

“I don’t” he simply replied tearing his eyes away from you and Harry as he began playing with his food.

“You know what I think” Blaise raised an eyebrow as he daringly stared Draco down, “I think Malfoy’s gone soft” Blaise finished, the words earning loud snickers from the students sat next to them.

Draco’s stomach churned in anger at the words of his best friend throwing the boy a nasty glare before turning back to his food, but Blaise didn’t intend to stop there.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you never pick on her anymore and you always get really defensive whenever- “

“Shut the hell up Blaise” Draco commanded and even though Blaise knew he was skating on thin ice, Draco’s fury only seemed to egg him on further as his eyes wandered towards the Gryffindor table to look at you.

"You know what Malfoy since you claim you have no feelings for her at all I dare you to break her heart"

"What?" Draco questioned genuinely confused at his friends' statement. "Make her fall in love with you and then dump her" Draco looked over at Pansy who seemed almost giddy at the suggestion, of course she'd be happy about this.

Draco thought about it for a moment, he knew that if he didn't do this he'd never hear the end of it, and keeping up his 'I don't care about anyone but myself' attitude had served him well over the years so as he weighed out the pros and the cons it seemed the cons were outnumbered and without a second thought he reached his hand out to Blaise.

"You've got yourself a deal" Draco spoke as they shook hands "and when I win, you'll be my personal servant for the rest of the year" Draco finished as he pulled his hand back causing Blaise's cocky facial expression to quickly drop.

"Fine but when I win, you have to do my homework for Defence Against the Dark Arts till we graduate" Draco rolled his eyes but nodded as he let his hand fall back into his lap.

He stared at you watching as you laughed at something Harry said and couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt knowing what he was about to do, but he shook the feeling away engaging back in the conversation of his friends, pushing all thoughts of you into the back of his mind.

The following week Draco still had yet to make his move on you. He was brainstorming ideas as he made his way to Potions, none of them good enough to follow through with but when he’d finally made his way into the classroom, he went to walk over to Blaise like he usually would but instead he found himself staring at the empty seat next to you.

He looked over at Blaise who was already quizzically staring at him. Draco mouthed a ‘watch this’ in return before he made his way towards you, grabbing a hold of the chair next to yours he stared down at you before asking.

"Is this seat taken?"

You looked up from your book turning to greet who you thought would have been Harry or Ron but instead, you were met with a pair of grey eyes you were not expecting to see, your mouth slightly parting as you stared wide-eyed at him.

"Yes actually-" you began but he had already sat down before you'd been able to reply, placing his backpack on the floor below him.

You raised an eyebrow at the blond, to which he replied by smiling over at you acting as if him sitting there was the most normal thing in the world.

"Do you mind?" you finally managed to choke out as he turned to face you.

"No, not at all" your eyes went wide at his words as you frantically began looking around the classroom for Hermione.

Once you made eye contact with her, you gave her a pleading look silently begging for her to help you, but she only took a hesitant seat next to Neville shrugging her shoulders indicating that there wasn't much she could do.

You grabbed the handle of your backpack beginning to stand up when you felt a hand wrap around your wrist preventing you from moving any further.

"Seems like all the other seats are taken Y/L/N" you frowned at his words turning your head to look around the classroom and sure enough there wasn't a single seat available.

You glared at him before ripping your hand out of his grasp and reluctantly sitting back down.

"Good morning" Slughorn's voice could be heard as he made his way towards the front of the classroom.

"Today we'll be working in pairs so whoever you're sitting next to is your partner for this assignment" your eyes widened in horror at his words as you glanced over at the Slytherin clad boy next to you.

"You're going to be writing an essay on the properties of Moonstone and its uses in Potion making" why did he have to announce this assignment today of all days?

You again looked over at Draco who seemed to be smiling, why was he happy about this? You placed your head in your hands as your mind began to wander, this was probably some stupid plan he and his friends had made to get you to fail the class.

"Professor" you eagerly raised your hand "is it too late to change partners?" you asked, silently begging for him to say no so you could work with Hermione or anyone else for that matter.

"Well I'm afraid everyone else seems to be taken Miss Y/L/N, I'm sure you and Mister Malfoy will be just fine together" you felt a flash off anger as you turned to look at the boy sat next to you.

"I swear if this is your idea of some sort of sick joke Malfoy, I'll hex you into oblivion" you threatened not daring to break eye contact with him, smirking once you noticed his taken aback expression.

"Y/L/N calm down, It's not a joke? You're the best at Potions in our year so I wanted to see if you'd be willing to work together but doesn't look like you have much of a choice now" he shrugged his shoulders; something was definitely off about this.

"So, you couldn't just ask me before we got to class?" his eyes seemed to widen a bit as he thought of a response but you continued before he had the chance to say anything "because I would have said no" and with that, you turned away from him pulling a piece of parchment out of your backpack along with your quill so you could start planning the next few weeks.

As it was nearing the end of the class you and Draco hadn't spoken a word to each other since you'd shut down all his attempts of starting a conversation, not having been interested in anything he had to say.

When class was over you handed Draco the piece of parchment that had a very detailed description of what his part in the project would be, so you'd be able to spend as little time together as possible, although he seemed to be quite displeased at this beginning to protest that you should work together so you'd get a better grade.

"I'm not spending any more time with you than I have to Malfoy so if you'll excuse me" you stood up pushing him out of the way before making your way to Neville's station where Hermione stood shoving her books into her bag.

Once you finally reached her you grabbed her by the arm, quickly pulling her after you out of the classroom. Ignoring her protests until you finally reached an empty corridor, void of any students and teachers.

"Please tell me you saw all that" you pleaded as you let go of her arm.

“You mean Malfoy?” Hermione replied, “yes Malfoy! He’s acting like we’re all of a sudden, the best of friends? Like he didn’t just call me a ‘blood traitor’ last week” you exasperated a scowl on your face.

“I think that was Zabini” Hermione acknowledged making you furrow your brows your mind wandering back to the encounter and sure enough she was right, Zabini had been the one to hurl the insult.

“What does it matter who said it, he’s one of them!” you protested, angrily turning to look at Hermione once you heard her stifled laughter from beside you.

“This isn’t funny! I’m stuck with him for the next- who knows how many weeks on this stupid project” you complained letting your head fall back as you let out a groan.

“Its okay Y/N don’t worry… I reckon he just fancies you” Hermione teased wiggling her eyebrows as she lightly nudged you in the shoulder.

“Have you gone mad?” you practically gasped although you couldn’t help the unfamiliar heat that began rushing to your cheeks at her words.

“Merlin Y/N you’re blushing! You like him?” you frantically covered her mouth as you noticed students beginning to fill the previously empty hallways.

“Would you hush! And no! I do not like Draco Malfoy, I could never like someone like him” you hissed your anger only growing once you noticed the same smile still linger on her lips.

“Whatever you say” Hermione jokingly sing sang, and in response you lightly hit her across the head with a piece of parchment you’d been holding unfortunately not getting the results you wanted since it only seemed to be egging her laughter on more.

“Alright calm down you lunatic I’m only joking” Hermione frowned rubbing the spot on her head you’d begun repeatedly hitting her, “you better be” you hummed, again pulling her after you as you two began walking down the hallways blending into the crowd of students.

“You know I can walk by myself” Hermione frowned once you’d found yourself standing out in the courtyard, your eyes searching for your two other friends since when you had Potions they had a free period which they spent most of their time here.

You finally spotted them sitting on a bench below a large brown oak tree, Seamus and Dean stood in front of them.

It was now Hermione’s turn to pull you away and in mere seconds you were standing next to the four Gryffindor clad boys who all turned their heads towards the two of you.

“Hello” you smiled before looking over at Harry who had already begun scooting over gesturing for you to come and sit down next to him, to which you happily obliged.

They all greeted you and Hermione before continuing their conversation about the upcoming Quidditch game they had against Slytherin next week.

“Yeah well Malfoy hasn’t caught the snitch when competing against Harry once, so I think we’re going to be okay” Ron assured Seamus who didn’t seem to be all that convinced but still began to make his way back into school Dean following behind him shortly after.

“Speaking of Malfoy” Hermione knowingly smirked at you before turning towards the two boys.

“Hermione no-“ you began but it was already too late, “seems he as a little crush” and there it was, you inwardly face palmed feeling the now-familiar heat in your face as you turned away from the confused glances of your two friends.

“Malfoy fancies Y/N?” Ron seemed to be more disgusted rather than confused as he scrunched up his nose.

“Hermione first of all I’m going to kill you! And second of all, he doesn’t like me! He just wanted to be partners on some stupid assignment in Potions” you assured them.

“And you said yes?” Harry perplexed.

“No! Of course not, he- he didn’t give me much of a choice” you rambled scratching the back of your head before glaring over at Hermione.

“What? He forced you to work with him?” Harry again furrowed his brows, “No- or well he sat next to me in class and I couldn’t move anywhere else since all of the other seats were taken and when Professor Slughorn arrived he immediately announced that we’d be working on our essays with whoever sat next to us” you began rambling, causing your three friends to share amused glances, unbeknownst to you.

Harry seemed to understand slowly nodding before claiming him and Ron had quidditch practice pulling the ginger boy along with him out of the courtyard, leaving just you and Hermione.

After a few minutes of silence, you turned to face her, “I think I’m going to go to the library, care to join me?” Hermione shook her head at your words pointing at the book she had just opened already beginning to make herself comfortable on the little bench you’d been sitting on.

You rolled your eyes “suit yourself” you breathed out offering her a small wave as you stood up, which she returned before you began walking back into the crowded hallways.

As you neared the library you began to hear footsteps behind you, smirking since you thought Hermione had changed her mind about joining you.

You turned around expecting to see your best friend but instead, you were met with Draco who now stood still a few feet away from you.

“Are you following me?” you crossed your arms raising an eyebrow at the boy.

He shook his head now walking towards you “just wanted to see if you’d like some company and since you’re heading towards the library we can work on our essay”

“So, you were following me” you accused but before he could answer you continued, “I thought I already told you I’m not spending any more time with you than I have too so if you’ll excuse me” you turned your back to him continuing your way to the library.

“Your loss Y/L/N” you heard him teasingly call after you making a smile appear on your lips which you tried to the best of your ability to contain.

-

Your next Potions class was one you’d been dreading, knowing that the people who were paired together on the essay had also been assigned to sit next to each other, very much to your dismay.

Professor Slughorn had asked all of you to join him at the front of the classroom so he could show you a couple of the potions you’d be brewing for the next couple of weeks and of course the one you’d be working on today.

“And this one right here is-” Slughorn was abruptly cut off by the sound of the classroom door swinging open. You quizzically looked past Slughorn’s shoulder and furrowed your brows at the two boys who had entered.

“Harry?” you asked a bit louder than you intended to causing the attention of the class to turn to Harry and Ron rather than Professor Slughorn.

“Ah! Harry my boy I was beginning to worry, and you’ve brought someone with you I see, what’s your name then?” Slughorn asked, brightly smiling at the two Gryffindors.

“Ron Weasley sir, but I’m dead awful at potions- a menace actually so I’m probably just gonna-“  Ron’s voice wavered as he began to turn around but Harry quickly put his arm out in front of him pushing him back into the classroom.

“Oh, don’t be silly, we’ll sort you out! There are some books in the cupboard over there if you need them” Slughorn pointed towards the end of the classroom where Ron and Harry quickly began fighting over the last book in there.

You and Hermione both gave each other confused glances before your attention was back on the Professor stood in front of you.

“As I was saying I’ve prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these may be?” you quickly raised your hand Hermione copying your actions as Slughorn’s eyes wandered between the two of you before he eventually pointed at you.

“Yes, miss Y/L/N” Slughorn stepped out of the way as you took a step forward towards the two pots that rested on the table.

“This one is Veritaserum a truth-telling serum and that one over there is Amortentia the most powerful love potion in the world. It’s rumoured to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them” you smiled proudly at yourself before taking a step back towards the other students.

You heard Pansy scoff causing you to quickly turn around to glare at her and just as you did you saw Draco elbow her in the side whispering something in her ear before shaking his head at her actions.

You quickly looked away before Draco’s eyes could catch yours since you felt the annoying feeling of warmth rush up into your cheeks and a smile replace the frown you’d indented to direct at Pansy.

“Very good Miss Y/L/N” Slughorn smiled before beginning to tell the students that whoever managed to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death would be walking out of the classroom with one vile of Liquid Luck.

You quickly walked over to your station Draco following in suit behind you as you both turned to page 10 on your ‘advanced potion making’ books.

Your eyes wandered over the page before you spotted the instructions.

1. Cut up one Sopophorus bean.

You frowned down at the text as you glanced between it and the bean, it didn’t look like it was meant to be cut, and your suspicions were right as you began noticing your fellow classmates struggle around you.

Your eyes widened as Draco’s bean came hurling at your face at an ungodly speed, you practically had to throw yourself to the floor so it wouldn’t hit you in the face.

“Bloody hell Y/N are you okay!?” Draco panicked as he rushed to your side offering his hand to help you up which you ignored to distracted by the fact he’d called you by your first name.

You quickly got up onto your feet still ignoring his outstretched hand. You’d never in all your years at Hogwarts heard him call anyone by their first name, let alone you, a Gryffindor he’d hated since the first year.

“What did you just call me?” you asked although it came out a bit harsher then you intended it too. You didn’t mind that he was using your first name you just found it incredibly odd especially for someone like him.

“What, Y/L/N? that’s your name isn’t it” he was acting clueless as he walked back around the table to attend to his potion.

“No, you said Y/N” you raised an eyebrow as you watched him grab another bean now simply resorting to ignoring you, whatever you thought, brewing this potion was more important than what name Draco decided to call you.

As you continued to observe the students around you, you noticed Harry grab a silver knife and slowly press it onto the bean. You mirrored his actions and to your delight, it worked.

“How did you do that?” Draco could be heard from opposite you as he furiously looked between the instructions in his book and the crushed bean in your hand.

“Crush it don’t cut it” you shrugged, your finger traveling further down the page and stopping at the second step.

2. Pour in 250 fl.oz. of Standard potioning water and add 5 oz. of African Sea Salt to the beaker. Set the beaker aside after all the water has been added. Be very careful not to shake or move the beaker now.

The rest of the lesson had gone by in a flash and even though you felt like you’d be the one rewarded with the Liquid Luck, it ended up being Harry and you couldn’t help but wonder how the hell he managed to brew something better than you.

You remembered Harry continuously failing all his Potions classes never getting more than a poor or an acceptable on any of his assignments or tests.

After class you immediately cornered him, and it didn’t take long for him to confess to the book he’d found. Property of the half-blood prince it read and as you flipped through the many pages it had all the ‘correct’ recipes to every single potion you’d be brewing throughout the term.

“I knew it! You’ve always been dreadful at potions” you finally felt at ease knowing that Harry had only won you by cheating, shaking your head as you placed the book back into his arms.

“Hey! I am not ‘dreadful’ at potions” he imitated you his hands making air quotes at the word dreadful, a laugh slipping past your lips as you remembered a certain incident from when you were younger.

“Oh really? Don’t you remember third year when Snape told us to make a shrinking solution and you poured it all over Hermione-“ you began but Harry quickly cut you off.

“Alright! Alright! You’ve made your point now shove off I don’t feel like listening to this story right now” you threw your head back in laughter as you thought back to a tiny Hermione who hadn’t spoken to Harry a whole week after the incident.

“Doesn’t seem like you’re doing a great job with Y/L/N, I reckon Potter’s in there more than you” Blaise sounded amused as he came up behind Draco who was watching yours and Harry’s exchange from afar.

“Don’t worry Blaise, I’m only getting started”

Later in the day you, Harry, Ron and Hermione had all decided to take a little trip down to Hogsmeade for a much needed break from your studies.

“No sit beside me” Harry insisted as the four of you made your way into the Three Broomsticks, you gave him a confused glance but nevertheless dragged the chair out from underneath the table and sat down next to him.

You went to ask why but quickly managed to put two and two together once you noticed professor Slughorn sat at the bar, a beer in his hand as he talked with one of the other professors.

“What’s your deal with Slughorn?” you questioned as Harry began waving the professor over. “I need to get into the slug club” you furrowed your brows but before you could question it any further Slughorn had arrived at your table.

“Ah! Mister Potter lovely to see you, you as well Miss Y/L/N” Slughorn smiled completely disregarding Hermione and Ron who sat opposite you.

“Likewise, Professor” you smiled as he and Harry began talking about something you couldn’t be less interested in, instead your eyes began to wander around the small tavern until they finally landed on Draco who was already staring intently at you.

“You’d be welcomed to Y/L/N” your gaze diverted from the platinum blond towards Slughorn who was smiling brightly down at you. “I’d love too!” you agreed having faintly heard him mention a christmas dinner.

“Wonderful! Look for my owl” you couldn’t help but let out a laugh at Hermione’s face who seemed to be more than distraught that she hadn’t received an invitation of her own.

“Oh, how silly of me Granger, I hope I’ll also be seeing you there” Hermione’s face lit up at his words as she repeatedly nodded, Slughorn awkwardly looking over at Ron before speaking, “good to see you Wallenby”.

You were finally able to let out the laugh you’d been holding in as Slughorn exited the tavern. “Oh, shut up Y/N” Ron frowned crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back into his chair.

When your laughter had finally died down you offered to go and order your drinks since the waiter had yet to make an appearance at your table.

“Four butter beers please” you smiled at the worker as you leaned onto the bar going to turn around but instead you were met with a black suit your eyes wandering upwards to see Draco towering over you.

You cleared your throat causing him to take a step back, “anything I can help you with?” you questioned as Draco stood motionless in front of you.

“Yes, would you like to join me?” Draco asked gesturing to an empty table at the far end of the tavern. You looked over to where he was pointing causing you to quickly spot his friends who were all sat at another table, their eyes set on you.

“Uhm- I think they’d loved to join you” you pointed towards them causing Draco to quickly snap his head in their direction, making them all quickly turn to each other acting as nonchalant as they could.

“But I’d much rather spend time with you” you felt a weird tingly feeling at his words but nonetheless you didn’t dare act on it your eyes going to your friend’s who were all staring quizzically at you.

“Sorry I- Uhm I can’t I came here with them” you gestured towards your table Draco’s eyes following in the direction you pointed before they were back on you.

“Well alright, but you owe me a date then” he winked before turning around and going back to join his Slytherin friends.

Your mouth hung open as you watched him walk away, did he just say date?

You power walked back towards your friends hastily taking a seat next to Harry who already had his eyes glued on you.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Ron asked as soon as you’d fully sat down.

“Oh- Uhm, he just wanted to ask me about our assignment” they all looked skeptical at your reply but didn’t question it any further another topic quickly consuming your table.

“Do any of you have a date to the Jingle Ball?” Hermione’s question rang throughout the table, causing both boys shook their heads and you along with them, in all honesty, you didn’t expect to get asked so you’d probably just end up going with Harry like last year.

“Guess we know who Ginny’s going with” you giggled gesturing towards her and Dean who were currently taking a seat at a table not so far from yours, their fingers wrapped around each other’s.

“I’d like to leave” Ron shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he stared at his sister and who he had once considered a close friend. “Honestly Ron they’re only holding hands” Hermione rolled her eyes.

“And snogging” you added on as Ginny connected her lips with Dean’s. “Yep that’s it we’re leaving” Ron stood up grabbing the coat that hung on the chair beside him.

“Oh come on we haven’t even gotten our orders yet!” you protested as all your friends began to stand up, maybe you should have joined Draco before.

“Fine” you huffed once you noticed they had no intention of staying any longer. “Why don’t you just ask Malfoy to come join you, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind” Ron teased causing you to quickly hit him in the arm.

“Shut up Ron!”

Once you’d all made it back to Hogwarts you and Hermione separated from Ron and Harry since they claimed to have yet another quidditch practice although you figured it was code for going to scout possible dates for the Jingle Ball.

“So, what did Draco really want earlier?” Hermione gave you a knowing look as she lightly bumped you in the shoulder.

“It was so weird he-he said that I owe him a date” your voice was hesitant as you turned your head to look at Hermione who didn’t seem at all surprised.

“Well, now you know who you can go to the Jingle Ball with” she stated matter of factly causing your eyes to widen as you gaped at her.

“Hermione, I love you but have you gone mad? Me and Draco? I don’t think so” you denied but there was still the lingering feeling of hope deep down in your stomach that you tried with all your might to suppress.

“Well he obviously has a thing for you, and I mean he’s not too bad to look at”

“Shove off”

-

You had been actively avoiding Draco ever since the Hogsmeade trip, something about the entire ordeal just felt weird to you, why was he all of a sudden so bold about his apparent feelings towards you when a couple of weeks ago he wouldn’t even look your way.

But it seemed your luck had run out since he now stood in front of you, hand outstretched as he leaned it against the stone wall preventing you from continuing your way to your Transfigurations class.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something” Draco breathed out. He was getting desperate, it was unbearable, the teasing he’d been receiving from his friends once they’d noticed he wasn’t making any progress with you, and he knew if he didn’t do something soon he was going to lose the bet.

“Well can it wait? I need to get to class” you huffed watching as he pushed himself off the wall to come and stand in front of you, causing your body to turn with him, your back eventually colliding with the wall behind you.

“I was wondering” Draco smirked placing a hand next to your head as he leaned in closer towards you, you now only realizing how much taller he was then you as you found yourself craning your neck upwards to meet his eyes.

“Would you like to be my date for the Jingle Ball” the words made your stomach flip and you felt the sudden urge to let out a squeal, but you somehow managed to keep yourself together, taking in a deep breath before you took a step forward his hand slipping from the wall your faces mere centimeters from each other.

“No” you stated watching as his eyes went wide, clearly, he wasn’t anticipating that answer.

“If you want me to even consider going out with you after all the shit you’ve done over the years, you’re going to have to work for it.”

He watched your ascending figure before you fully left his sight and when you did he angrily kicked the wall cursing underneath his breath, he was used to getting everything and anything he ever wanted without as much as a snap of his finger so this was something he wasn’t used too.

The stakes were high, his entire reputation was on the line and he did not intend to give Blaise the satisfaction of being right or his housemates a reason to tease him for what would probably be the rest of his life.

All the girls at this school would practically fall at his feet, why couldn’t you be like those girls? Make this easy for him, not once in his life had Draco Malfoy had a real challenge when it came to girls but now it seemed the tables had turned, he was going to play your game and he was going to win.

-

It was now the day of the Slytherin versus Gryffindor quidditch game. You, Harry and Hermione, were all sat in the Great Hall watching as Ron entered in his Quidditch gear, helmet, and everything.

You had yet to tell Hermione about Draco asking you to the ball since you didn’t really know how you felt about it yourself and also because he probably wouldn’t be asking you out again, you having let him down quite harshly.

You glared over at the Slytherin table once you heard them beginning to yell things along the lines of ‘Ron you’re a loser’, ‘he doesn’t stand a chance’ and ‘nice hat Weasley’.

“Ignore them, Ron, I know you’ll do great” you reassuringly smiled up at your friend as he took a seat opposite you, his face contorted in worry as he looked over at the Slytherin table who continued to laugh at him.

“Yeah, thanks” he gulped once he turned back to face you, this had to have been the first time you’d ever seen Ron leave his food untouched.

“You look dreadful Ron” Luna’s voice could be heard from the other end of the table, your eyes widening as you looked over at her, “Is that why you put something in his drink” she finished, the last part of her sentence directed at Harry.

You looked over at the boy sat next to you and faintly managed to see a glimmer of light before it disappeared fully into his pocket.

“Liquid Luck?” Hermione sounded from opposite you and you finally managed to put two and two together.

“Are you mental Harry? You’ll get in so much trouble if you’re caught” your eyes widened as you watched him pass Ron the cup of pumpkin juice he’d poured his one vile of Liquid Luck into moments ago, well according to Luna at least.

“Don’t drink it Ron” Hermione scolded, before you both gasped as you watched Ron without a moment’s thought chug the remaining juice in his cup.

You watched intently as his frown was turned upside down and he slammed the cup back onto the table, a sly smirk now playing on his lips.

“You could be expelled for that” Hermione pointed out glaring at Harry who innocently smiled at her before shrugging and stating that he had no idea what she was talking about.

“Come on Harry we’ve got a game to win” Ron’s sudden aura of confidence was radiating off of him as he quickly pushed himself away from the table and began exiting the Great Hall.

“We’ll see you guys there?” Harry questioned as he looked between the two of you also beginning to stand up.

“We wouldn’t miss it” Hermione assured him as you both watched him awkwardly wave before he turned to follow Ron.

“This is going to be interesting”

-

Loud screams and chants began filling your ears as you watched the two teams make their way out onto the Quidditch pitch, you and Hermione quickly joined in beginning to clap and cheer as you made eye contact with Ron who looked as ready as ever.

A particular blond seemed to have caught your eye since before you knew it Madame Hooch was announcing the start of the game causing you to snap out of your trance, when you looked back at Draco he was already smirking up at you making you quickly look away as your cheeks turned bright red, pulling your Gryffindor patterned scarf up over your face in hopes that he wouldn’t notice the crimson colour.

“Seekers shake hands!” you watched as Harry and Draco walked up to each other clasping each other’s arms before Draco retorted something in Harry’s direction causing him to quickly pull his hand away from his the game now officially beginning.

It had been almost an hour now and so far Gryffindor was in the lead the score being 23-45. You were beginning to think you’d lost your voice but nevertheless you still raised your hands high in the air and cheered Harry on as he dove towards the snitch with Draco hot on his heels.

You anxiously began biting your nails as the two continuously bumped into each other both their arms outstretched as they neared the golden object.

“Come on Harry” you whispered the anticipation was killing you, but you didn’t have to wait much longer since the two boys suddenly crashed into each other sending them both flying off of their brooms and hurling towards the grass below.

You gasped as you stood up beginning to lean over the railing to get a better look at the two seekers who now both laid on the grass clutching their stomachs, but you widely smiled once you noticed a familiar shimmer coming from Harry’s hand.

“Yes!” you screamed as he carefully sat himself up raising the golden object up into the air for the rest of the stadium to see. Your happiness was quickly replaced with worry once you noticed the Slytherin boy laid next to Harry wasn’t moving.

“Is Malfoy okay?” you frantically shook Hermione as you pointed down at him but Hermione paid you no mind her eyes trained on Ron who was proudly raising his hands in the air as it was announced that Harry had caught the snitch.

Since everybody seemed to be too caught up with themselves you again leaned over the railing before screaming Draco’s name hoping it would at least capture the attention of someone from his team so they could help him.

You felt a wave of relieve wash over you as you watched his previously limp body turn over before he placed his hands on the grass pushing himself to sit up, the hand that wasn’t holding him up immediately going to rub his forehead.

He sent a glare Harry’s way before he grabbed his broom and began storming off the field his teammates following shortly after, for some odd reason you began to feel bad for him as you watched the disapproved glances from his fellow Slytherin’s being thrown his way but you decided to push the feeling away joining in on the celebration of your house.

Once you arrived at the Gryffindor common room a celebration had quickly ensued the hollering of Ron’s last name began sounding all around the room as you began clapping in rhythm to all of their chants, you and Hermione watching as Ron got pushed in the middle of the crowd.

Before you knew it a girl you didn’t know the name of had wrapped her arms around his neck, harshly pulling him down to meet her lips, you gasped as you faintly remembered a conversation between you and Hermione where she’d admitted to harboring a crush on the ginger boy.

You quickly turned to see Hermione pushing her way through the crowd and out of the common room. You began following her but quickly lost sight of her as you tried your best to squeeze through the teenagers who had now begun lifting Ron into the air.

“Hermione!” you called out but it was impossible to hear anything over the celebrations so you gave up on calling out to her simply resorting to pushing the students that stood in your way.

Once you finally managed to reach the door that led out into the hallway you frantically pushed it open beginning to search the corridors for your best friend.

When you rounded a particular corner, you came crashing into a much taller figure then yourself sending you flying towards the ground at the impact.

“Watch where you’re goin-“ the familiar voice of Draco Malfoy sounded from above you but stopped once he made eye contact with you. “Y/L/N?” he questioned before reaching his hand out to you which you accepted letting him pull you back up onto your feet.

“What are you doing out here, shouldn’t you be celebrating?” there was a defiant malice to his tone as he scowled in the direction of your common room where chants could still be faintly heard.

“I could ask you the same thing Malfoy” you raised an eyebrow since you weren’t anywhere near the dungeons where the Slytherin common room was.

“Just needed some air, some people aren’t exactly thrilled with the outcome of today’s game” Draco shrugged causing your stomach to drop slightly at his obvious disappointment. He sat himself down on a bench a heavy sigh leaving his lips as he let his head fall back onto the wall.

You slowly sat down next to him carefully contemplating your next words. “Not that it would mean anything to you but I thought you were really good” you tried to comfort him as you watched a faint smile appear on his lips before he turned his head towards you.

You didn’t realize just how close you were to each other until his eyes quickly looked down to your lips and back into your eyes. You suddenly remembered why you were out here in the first place, your thoughts traveling back to Hermione who had disappeared only moments ago.

“I’m sorry but I really need to go, uh- I’ll uh see you in class” you excused yourself before standing up and continuing your search for your best friend, but a hand wrapping around your wrist stopped you dead in your tracks as you were turned back around.

Your eyes slowly travelled up from Draco’s tight grip on you and back into his icy grey eyes. You carried a confused glance on your face which Draco seemed to notice since he quickly let go of your wrist.

“Thank you” is all he said before he swiftly turned back around and began walking down the corridor, disappearing out of sight.

next part

[husbandohunter]

Hello may I request albedo x shy reader where albedo and reader has feelings for each other but reader is too introverted to do anything and albedo doesn't want to tell as he thinks he scares her as reader always gets red and is stuttering when he talks to her. Klee finds out about this and makes it her mission to get albedo and reader together.

Klee gets albedo to play hide and seek with her and invites reader to play together with her. Albedo is counting down while klee and reader hides. Klee and reader hides in a location that klee always hides in so albedo would find them quickly. While they're hiding where albedo is within hearing distance, klee ask reader about whether she has feelings for albedo or not. Reader then admits to having feelings for albedo and makes klee promise not to to tell him. Albedo having heard all this comes behind reader and says why not, proceeds to bring reader to a private location and tells reader his feelings.

If this is too detailed a shy reader x albedo headcanon is enough.

I Found You [Albedo x Shy!Reader]

Synopsis: For someone as meek and reserved as you, love with Albedo was a game of hide and seek...literally!

Genres: Fluff

(A/n): Ahhh what a cute idea, don’t be afraid to be detailed at all! I love hearing people’s ideas. Buuut kinda went overboard with this one since I am in the narrative mood, hope you don’t mind >//< Word count_2.3k

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Albedo wonders if he had done something wrong?

Three weeks, four days, sixteen minutes and twenty five seconds. To this moment he had counted down every tick of the clock since the day you began avoiding him. That's how he sees it at least. You weren't always deliberately doing this on purpose, as Lisa's personal helper, there were times when you were given a chance to converse with the Chief Alchemist after dropping off the books he requested for research purposes. Albedo would ask how your day went, trying to find out if you wanted to take a short break and drink some of the tea Noelle had prepared for him. Your response was a modest one but he didn't mind, he eventually came to enjoy your tranquil prescence after a long day of work. 

But something changed. Those moments where you came in during your free time have gradually faded to nothing more than swift bows and small greets coming from the door. Every attempt he made to invite you for another tea session you left as quickly as you entered. At first he dismissed these moments, thinking that you were probably too busy with no time to stop by. Albedo was a busy person himself, though, that didn't prevent him from noticing your odd behaviour whenever he saw you in the hallway. Just as he was about to call your name, you avert your eyes and take a sharp turn until you were out of sight, leaving him perplexed and alone. The alchemist couldn't help feel neglected. Compared to everyone else, he was the only one you couldn't approach with ease. It bothered him immensely.

Did he accidentally say something to upset you? Albedo was well aware of his straightforward attitude which might have caused a negative affect on your contrasting, rather delicate personality. But he always felt that he had taken great consideration on how to approach you. Or what if it was the time when he happened to eat the last bite of Noelle's shortcakes? Remembering the afternoon you sat in his office, he recalls that there were exactly five instead of four treats left on the plate. Little by little, they began to disappear, you only ate two while he devoured three. Was this the reason why? No, that can't be it. You were the one who offered and refusing would only be impolite. Unless you felt pressured to do so when he told you that he was very fond of sweets….

Albedo heaves his shoulders and lets out a breathly sigh. He became very melancholy since then, staring out the window from the second floor when there were still unread research reports lying on his desk. His mind was so cluttered that he couldn't bring himself to focus these days. How troublesome. If only he were more adept with the ways of socializing, only then he can figure out what triggers you to be so nervous around him, why you tend to shrink when he gazes into your eyes and how is it that he feels so bitter when seeing you act the complete opposite with someone else.

"Big brother?" asked Klee. She hops off her stool before throwing the box of crayons to the side. The young girl prances her way to where Albedo stood and tugs on the hem of his coat, "Is there something wrong? Why are you sad?"

"Klee," Albedo turns his head in reponse. A pair of oversized cherry orbs looks at him with concern while the girl's bangs falls sideways to frame her petite face. He felt the white fabric crinkling within her grip as she signals him to come down. Placing one knee on the floor, Albedo gently smiled, speaking in his soft and brotherly tone, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Have you finished your drawing?"

"Mhm, almost done!" She throws her hands up and cheers, "But can you help me with the backgrounds? Klee doesn't know how to colour them."

"I don't see why not," agreed the alchemist, "Come, I'll teach you."

Just when Albedo was leading Klee back to the little space he set up for her, a knock was heard on the door. He ushers her to stay put and Klee tries to peer over his shoulder to see who the visitor was. When she recognized you standing at the frame, her smile grew wide in excitement.

It's big sister (Y/n)! Did she come here to play with us too? Oh please please please!

"(Y/n), you're here," Albedo couldn't help the apparent surprise on his face, "What brings you? Is there something I can help you with?"

"Ah sorry to bother, I-I have the documents you requested from the library!" You nervously handed him the folder.

Huh? Klee brings a finger to her chin, That's wierd...Why does she look so scared?

"Thank you (Y/n)," Albedo slips them out of your trembling grasp in the same fashion he would handle old relics on the verge of breaking. It was so long since you last visited him and he didn't want to startle you, "I appreciate you for bringing them here."

You shook your head in response, "It's nothing much…"

There it was again. You were avoiding to look at him in the eye. At this rate the next thing to occur would be you taking your leave and he didn't want that. Not when he finally gets the chance to fix his mistakes. Using his calculative mind, Albedo tries to formulate the best approach to soothe your worries. He thought of the first step, something that would make you more comfortable. Perhaps he could try smiling? Yes, that could do it. They always seem to have positive affects.

"(Y/n)."

He calls you. The sound of your name on his lips brings you out of your frenzy state and you subconciously lifted your gaze, daring to take a small peek over his countenance. 

"I'm very glad to see you again, truly."

Oh!

You froze into place. Your brain stops working and the whole world comes to a halt. It was the sight held in front of you that stole every last breath away leaving you with nothing but butterflies fluttering about. They spread their wings, voraciously swarming from the pit of your stomach, desperate to burst along with the pounding of your heart. Never in your life have you witnessed or even fathomed the idea of how Albedo would look if he smiled but here you were, mesmerized and captivated like a butterfly entranced by the flower's glow.  It blooms. So brilliantly that you couldn't stop yourself from being drawn. Eyes you fought so hard to tear away from, sparkled just for you, crinkling from the impact of his evergrowing smile. It was the feeling that made you fall for him. The same feeling that pushes you to run somewhere far far away, knowing if you flew too close, the outcome would risk everything you were trying to protect. 

"(Y/n)?" The alchemist tilts his head in confusion. He noticed the redness seeping into your features and immediately brings a glove hand to press against your forehead, "Your temperature is rising. Are you feeling sick? You should have told me earlier."

"I can't…" 

"Hm? Why not?"

"Ah I just remembered there's something I need to do!" Taking a step back you gave him a stiff bow, "Good luck in your research Sir Albedo!"

Given no chance to reply, Albedo watched you dash away before disappearing around the corners. He could only stare blankly at the empty space in front of him before dropping his arm back to his side, contemplating; where did I go wrong?

"Does that mean (Y/n) doesn't want to play with us?" Klee said dissapointedly.

"…I suppose."

"Big brother?" Upon hearing Albedo sigh, Klee finally figured out what caused him to falter these days. Perhaps not entirely being the small child she was but there were enough clues to let her know that the relationship between you and Albedo was somewhat strained. To Klee, she saw you both as the bestest friends! And it was only natural that friends play together right?

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

"Eh? You want me to play hide and seek?"

The Spark knight nods heavily as she grinned up at you, "Uh huh, and with big brother!"

"Klee, don't force her if she doesn't want to, it'll be fine with just the two of us," Albedo scolded lightly and folds his arms over his chest.

She only returns him a pout, "But it's fun with more people!"

"Klee-"

"It's okay Sir Albedo, I don't mind," you chimed in at last. You were just taking a stroll near Starfell Lake after you finished organizing the bookshelves in Lisa's stead (as always, she naps while you worked away). All of a sudden, Klee waves over from the otherside and proceeds to drag you into a friendly game for little kids. You weren't sure why she seemed so desperate but…

"Yay!" While jumping side to side, the girl did a little mini dance while waving her arms in the air, "You're the best (Y/n)!"

It was hard to refuse someone as cute as Klee.

"So for the first round, big brother is going to be the one who counts to twenty while you and I go hide so he can never ever find us," Klee informs enthusiastically. 

"Alright, that shouldn't be a problem," said Albedo.

You followed suit with a giggle, "But considering it's you Albedo, I don't think twenty seconds is enough."

He quirks an eyebrow, shocked from the way you referred to him.

"Ah, I-"

"Let's go!" Klee interrupts which you were thankful for, "And no peeking!"

Turning to face the Statue of Seven, Albedo counts down monotonously while you and Klee scrambled for an ideal hiding place. This was not the first time you indulged in one of her many activities, in the past it had almost become part of your daily routine to assist the alchemist in entertaining his little sister. Even Klee was capable to be the seeker for several rounds and Albedo would lead you to a spot nearby yet discreet, just the right amount of difficulty for her to handle.

He wouldn't think of this area again, would he?"

"Six...five...four..."

Eeek! Better hide.

You hopped into the crevice formed between the mountain rocks and crouched down, huddling your knees together against your chest to blend with the shadows. You let out a soft sigh, pleased that you were able to make it in time.

"Wow big sis, I didn't know you would be here too."

The screech nearly escapes when you were startled by a pair of ruby eyes gleaming at you innocently. Klee signals you to stay quiet and you nodded, bringing down the hand that you used to cover your mouth. From a distance you spotted the chief alchemist shifting his footsteps against the grass, though he was far enough on the otherside to not notice you and Klee together in the same room. You beamed softly. He was purposely holding back.

"Pssst! Big sis?" Klee whisper-shouted, "Are you angry at big brother?"

You returned a curious glance, slightly taken aback by the outlandish statement she made, "No of course not. How could I?"

(If anything, it was the contrary).

"Then why are you always running away from him? You guys used to be really good friends, Klee misses you and big brother misses you that's why...that's why he's always sad when you're gone.

"Oh...I-I had no idea..." feelings of guilt begin to emerge when you realized what your action seemed from a different prespective. You were so caught up with being cautious that it prevented you from seeing how Albedo would react on the recieving end. Without knowing, your true colours began to reveal themselves as you could no longer stand the thought of making Klee (making him) upset, "I'm sorry, I'm just not good with words."

The little girl cocks her head to the side.

"Ever since I was little, I never found it easy to make friends. Until now when I finally became Lisa's assistance, I still can't approach other people and they tend to shy away from me since I am...difficult to hold a conversation with..."

Hugging your knees even closer, a fond expression graces your features, "But Albedo was kind to me. He was patient when I didn't know what to say. Whenever I made a mistake, he would always be there to teach me the correct steps. I have alot to thank him for."

"Huh...?"

"I think it's also on of the reason why I fell for him too. But I will never have the courage to say it. I don't want to ruin the friendship we have so I chose to keep it to myself. Though, I guess it only made things worse. So promise me that you won't say anything okay? I'll apologize to him later."

Klee did not respond. She only stares past your shoulder and you immediately spun around to see Albedo standing at the entrace with an expression equivalently shocked as yours.

"(Y/n)...."

"I...I-" you stammered. The embarassment was so unbearable to the point that tears began to form at the corner of your eyes.

"Wait, don't cry. There's no need to because-"

You thrusted your way past him before he could finish his sentence, sprinting to the distance while yelling, "I'M SORRRYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"Wait!" The alchemist chases shortly after, "Come back!"

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

You groaned at the pain throbbing against your skull as you pushed yourself upright. A fallen branch, it was. One you didn't catch before tripping over your steps and tumbling down the hill while landing harshly on the sensitive pad of your elbow. The surroundings seemed unfamiliar to your memory since you never travelled too far from Mondstadt, your vision was filled with nothing but the endless columns of trees and bushes nearby. There were no signs of anyone else within the area.

"I'm lost," you announced in a defeated tone. Something cold taps against the tip of your nose and you realized that the clouds have already gathered over your head, violently spilling the rain down to where you sat. You crawled to a dry space where the tree branches were thick enough to keep the water out. You stayed there, waiting. But waiting for what?

"I can't go back," you meekly say, "I can't see him."

The air was cold and you shiver in response. You hated how much of a coward you could be sometimes. You were always so weak, never having the strength to be courageous for once. Albedo was a beautiful man, he was smart and he was popular, he was everything you're not. There's no way that he'd return your feelings.

However...

"I found you."

Why did he come back?

"Thank goodness you're alright. Are you hurt?" Albedo lowers himself to meet your level. Up close you could see the strands sticking from the side of his golden head and the residues that marred his features. Still, he looked beautiful. Your heart soars from the intense gaze he kept on you, drawing lower until he caught the scrape at the side of your arm. Albedo pulls it forward so that he could examine them at nearer proximity, "Hmm this doesn't look so good. We should head back so I can treat your wounds immediately. Can you stand?"

You nodded. 

"Good. Here, take my hand," he offers his gloved fingers and pulls you up to your feet. You could tell that he was trying to be gentle from the way he adjusted his stance so you wouldn't wobble. Kind. He was so kind.

"Why did you come for me?" You started, "I don't understand."

Albedo frowned. There it was again, the expression he hated. The one where you wouldn't look at him in the eye.

"I just don't want to-"

He didn't even bother with what you wanted to tell him. Instead, Albedo removes his coat almost within an instead and threw it around your shoulders. He wraps you gently, making sure that the rain didn't touch your bare shoulders before bring his arms around your figure and trapping you in his embrace. You could feel his fingers raking against the strands of your hair as your vision was blocked by the star on his neck. A little voice thanked the archons for this particular position, for two reasons in fact. The first being that he wouldn't be able to see your expression, knowing you must've looked as if you ate a bowl of raw Juyeun chilis. The second reason, well, you were simply overjoyed. 

"Do you understand now?" 

Closing your eyes, you succumbed to the grasp of your beloved, "Yes, I do."

"You won't run away?"

His tone was almost a plead. You reassured him by moving your head to the crook of his neck, how foolish for you to assume all this time, "I won't, don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

"I promise."

"Good," Albedo's eyes soften in response as he pulls alway to see your face, "I love you too (Y/n)."

Alas the butterfly and the flower finally united as one. Like nectar, he was sweet. How bold of him. It seems that not only was he able to steal your heart but your first kiss as well.

[mimizepp]

may i please request risotto with a gf whos kinda short (im like 5'5 lmao) and chubby? and she dresses all punk/goth but shes really just into cutesy stuff and her room is filled with plushies and other cute things? srry this is really specific aksjfh

okay risotto would defo have a gf of this exact description at least once in his life. TY FOR THE REQUEST I LOVED WRITING THIS!!! enjoy some fluff + nsfw!

risotto x short chubby goth gf hcs

fluff

- when risotto first saw his gf he loved her dark and slightly alternative aesthetic and was immediately drawn to her (because duh)

- tbh he was a little nervous to approach because she was so damn pretty but he did his best to do it in classic risotto fashion (aka pull a sexy pose speak lowly and stare her down til she responds)

- soon enough he found out that she loves all things cutesy??? he almost immediately fell for her. hard.

- he asked melone about compatiability stuff and dating advice but got really confused

- for their first date he brought gf to the sweetest little cafe and gifted her some delicate pink flowers (he was only a tad embarassed when holding them but gf’s smile made it all worth it)

- he was surprised at how well he and gf connected and it only took a little while for him to become a bit more vulnerable and soften up

- when he first saw gf’s living space he thought it was absolutely adorable and felt strangely cozy (met with la squadra the next day and had to ask them where to find a shop that sold similar stuff) 

- whenever gf reaches her arms up and asks for a kiss or a hug.. he MELTS

- risotto loooves having to bend down to hug gf because of their near-drastic height difference + will eventually tease her about it

- after being together for a while he will often sweep gf off her feet and pepper her in kisses until she’s a giggling mess, only at home of course

- btw ris blushes every time he holds gf because he just loves her so much (wants to be teased about it.. just a lil bit)

- likes randomly surprising gf with mini rilakkuma plushies just so he can see her face light up (also ris reaaaally fucking loves rilakkuma)

- loves when gf runs her hands through his hair (especially when they’re watching tv or cuddled up together late at night)

- will ALWAYS lean into gf’s touch even if they’re out in public.. he can’t help himself (if they’re ever with any la squadra guys it takes everything in him to resist)

- as expected, the guys notice right away and will be quick to very cautiously poke fun

- buys gf sooo many pairs of platform demonias and dr martens (also special orders some for his huge ass self just for fun)

- will also purchase pieces of clothing or cute decor he thinks gf would like just because

- doesn’t say ‘i love you’ too often because he knows if he says it once it’ll just keep coming out 

- when relaxing on his days off, ris always wants to cuddle gf no matter what time of day but hopes that she initiates it

- pls he just wants to hold her and fall asleep to her gentle heartbeat 

- if gf ever wants to try and be his ‘big spoon’ he gets a tiny bit awkward and it’s adorable

- holding / playing with gf’s hands is his fav because they’re so much smaller than his

- feels most at peace when laying his head on gfs thighs or tummy and softly speaking through work stress and anxiety.. again as she plays with his hair (will not talk about his mental health with anyone but gf)

nsfw !

- ris is never more vocal than he is in the bedroom (or wherever else he decides to fuck gf) and speaks in low seductive half-whispers

- size kink

- ‘will i even fit?’

- teases gf until she’s begging him to fuck her (which she may end up regretting tbh)

- ‘i hope you’re ready for me, cara mia..’

- will say ‘fuck, you might be too tight.’ and then slide in right up to the hilt, just to make gf dig her nails into his back and scream in a mess of pain and pleasure

- will be a little gentle the first few times he and gf have sex because his dick is obviously huge and he kinda loves having to keep a slow pace because it’s romantic

- buuut won’t wait very long to go all in and pound the shit out of gf while asking how it feels

- ‘does it hurt when i fuck you like this?’

- ‘it’s cute, seeing you so helpless...’

- would do anything to cum inside gf but also loves finishing on her chest

- if gf is comfortable with it there will defo be loads of choking

- likes when gf gets a little bratty so he can punish her (bending her over his knee and spanking / having her blindfolded on all fours on the bed so he can tease her a bit)

- loves making gf cry during sex, whether that be through absolutely tearing her apart or edging her for far too long

- he will always let gf finish though don’t worry

- loves how she tastes + is AMAZING at oral. he could make gf finish in under a minute but would never let the excitement end so fast

- safe to say it’s canon that whoever risotto fucks won’t be able to walk very well for the next few days

- likes when gf wants to top but will only ever see her attempts at domming as cute

- aftercare is key and he will get gf absolutely anything she needs + will have a cute ass plushie that doubles as a heating pad ready to go :’)

[thesunshinebunny]

Idk if your taking requests right nowww buuut can you do Erik and Damian fighting over s/o? Ahhh sorry if I’m weird nahsjshjd I love ur writing btw❤️💕💖

Oh boy…ohhhhhhh boooy!!! The house is on FIRE

Thank u so much for your sweet comment ❤️❤️❤️❤️

PD: I maaaaaaaaaaaaayyy have used as reference The Prince vs The Brute episode (maybe, it’s a big maybe)

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The day started like any other, a normal day. The sun rising at the horizon, one or two birds singing, the wind hitting lightly on the window and the heat of spring entering through the pores of the skin. Except that, in a normal life, you don't have five incubi sleeping under your same roof, waiting like any mortal for the first rays of the sun to start a productive day. Nor on a normal day is the slight knock on the door, knowing that one of the incubros awaits your response on the other side of it.

But these were normal days for you.

With a hoarse voice you allowed to enter the incubus who was waiting patiently, ignoring the reason for his morning awakening.

"I'm sorry it's too early, I couldn't go back to sleep and ... well, I made you breakfast"

Ahh, Damien, as thoughtful as ever. Even in your sleepy state you could feel the sweetness in his voice and how his feet moved on the carpet, avoiding making any noise that could bother you.

"This is the best way to wake up, thanks Damien." You felt the sheets sink to the empty side of the bed. Damien put the tray on the nightstand and waited for you to straighten up and be able to calmly open your eyes.

It took a few seconds, but when you were finally able to take your eyes off, your sight was rewarded with the warm orange-haired smile. But when your nose unconsciously smelled the aroma of toast with Nutella, your stomach growled with hunger. What a shame.

"Pff- hahaha, I'm glad to hear that you're hungry. I did a lot of things to tell the truth ”

He was right. On the tray you could see the pair of toasts, a cup of freshly made black coffee, a glass with orange juice, a bowl with small slices of fruits and some mini waffles in the shape of a bear.

"How adorable Damien, thank you very much."

"Sorry to disturb you, Your Highness, but ... oh, I see you've already been awakened." Erik was standing under the doorway, holding a huge bouquet of red roses. His gaze however didn’t find yours but his younger brother.

"Good morning Erik, the flowers look beautiful"

"Ah yes! These flowers are fresh from the gazebo, I hope they’re for your delight, your Highness ”

He put the bouquet down on my nightstand and gave you a nice smile before heading back to the door. "I was going to say that breakfast was going to be ready in a few minutes, but apparently my brother went ahead"

And with that he closed the door, leaving you and Damien alone in the room again.

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

During the noon and afternoon, having the mansion almost empty, you devoted yourself to review notes and books that were left in virtual classes. But still spending boring hours just reading, you also had the time to teach Damien. For weeks you was teaching him to read and write and now he can write the whole alphabet and read kids short stories. Sometimes you can see the frustrated face when he try to read your books and don't succeed. 

And that's where you come to the rescue! (baby steps Damien, baby steps)

“The audi… audio-visual montage is a process of uniting… uniting…”

"Uniting pieces of film to create sequences, ending in a final tape"

You appeared discreetly in the library doorframe. Damien was trying again to read a book from one of your subjects and from what you could hear, he had improved, but he had problems him a few words.

"You know the whole book backwards?" Damien scoffed slightly, setting the book down on the small coffee table.

"More or less, I mean, they are going to take an exam soon, it’s better to learn it as soon as possible"

You sat next to him on the sofa, leaving some children's stories on the table. A friend of your parents, who had become a father few years ago, lent them to you for a certain time.

"Thank you for helping me, but you shouldn't waste your time on me." He put his hand over yours and gave you a slight yet sad smile.

"No problem Damien, I like to help you and spend time with you" His eyes began to shine, but not because he’s about to cry, on the contrary, you could see a slight happiness in them. Which disappeared when a melody began to sound from the living room. 

Someone was playing the piano. 

The tune was slow and smooth, I would say even romantic. You and Damien went down the stairs to the source of the sound. In the living room, sitting at the piano, was Erik with a small glass pot with a red rose on it.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness, Damien. I'm sorry for the sound, but it had been days since I played a little ballad and seeing this little rose when I returned from work gave me the necessary energy ”

His slow voice accompanied the notes of the melody, as if he’s singing. As you went down the big stairs, Damien stayed behind you, watching as his older brother used his boring compliments. Perhaps the evening sunrays made the scene more romantic than Damien wanted to accept.

He watched how your gaze was lost between Erik's skillful fingers on the piano and how his gaze was lost on your innocent and happy smile. Damien's eyes flashed with determination; determination of not to let his brother win your heart.

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

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!"

"I'm trying to make us dinner, I don't know what you are trying to do"

A great uproar could be heard coming from the kitchen. Damien and Erik were apparently trying to cook in unison, but they couldn't get along with each other, much less make a decently cooked meal.

"Erik, it should be impossible to say this, but you are burning the water."

"And you Damien, dear little brother, you don't know how to clean a fish bone"

"Do you think you can do better?!"

"What The Hell Is Going On Here?!?!" James stormed into the kitchen to find his two younger brothers barely making a pitched battle in it. Pots scattered on the countertops, small puddles of water and bits of scales on the floor. You didn't have to have the ability to read minds to know that James wasn’t just fucking them up and down, but that he was counting from 0 to 1000 in milliseconds so as not to kill them right now.

“Both of you. OUT. NOW ” Both brothers left the sight of James with their heads down and when they were about to cross the threshold the brunette spoke again “If you have something to fix or just want to have a real fight, go outside to the gazeboo”

When they went out to the dining room they could hear their brother talking on the phone, apparently ordering Chinese food since the food had been spoiled.

"If you end up destroying the plants I will kill you"

A minute later, loud screams could be heard from outside the mansion.

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

"What's going on outside? Who is fighting?” You ran downstars to the dining room trying to understand the situation. You had heard a few small screams a few minutes ago, but didn’t understood a word, not even the context.

"Miss / Mister, you better stay out of this..."

"James? What do you mean?" The incubus was standing in front of the front door holding two bags, apparently of Chinese food. Weird coming from James, who was always willing to cook.

“Well… let's say… Erik and Damien have some business to settle. I don't think it's a good idea that you get involved. ”

You understood very well the fighting between brothers, it was something that an outsider to that bond couldn’t fully involve. You’re about to help James bring the food to the table when the screaming from outside increased.

"YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN ME JUST BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW TO SEDUCE ?!"

"WITH OR WITHOUT MY GIFTS OF SEDUCTION I WILL MAKE THEM FALL IN LOVE WITH ME"

What? What they were fighting about? Or… maybe… for WHO were they fighting?

"I LOVE THEM. I LOVE (Y/N) AS I NEVER LOVED BEFORE”

Oh no. They were fighting over you. 

That’s not good.

"I LOVE THEM TOO, AND I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE THEIR HEART WITHOUT FIGHTING"

You bolted out the door of the gazebo and opened it wide. Even before opening it, you could feel a slight charge of their powers, they were about to transform into their original form and it was better to stop this.

"You better stop that RIGHT NOW"

Both brothers were frozen in their places. Damien's skin tattoos peeked over the collar of his shirt and Erik's eyes shone with that golden color characteristic of his race. They stared at you for a long time, so long it made it uncomfortable. You were about to speak again when Erik cut you off.

“You heard our fight, we have nothing to hide" His eyes returned to normal and he gave Damien and you a sad look.

"I don't want to continue fighting anymore" Damien instead tried to avoid your gaze, like a sad and wet dog, but something in the environment prevented him from avoiding it for a long time.

"Me neither" Erik looked you straight in the eyes while giving off an intense aura "The decision is yours, your Highness"

"Erik! You can't ask them like that out of nowhere”

"It’s not our place to decide who is best for them. It’s their heart”

"In that ... you're right" Damien walked to position himself in front of you "The decision is yours"

.

.

Support me on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/abrightsunshine

[quidfree]

For prompts: any OCs, maybe something like fake relationship? Sorry if you don’t have OCs I’m curiois

i have so many ocs for my original projects that narrowing it down for this was a nightmare buuut here we are anyhow- something v short and dumb

-

“i just don’t see why van and viv couldn’t have done this,” joa says for about the thousandth time when they get there, aware that he’s been stuck on this refrain since two weeks ago and that his partner is near his boiling point but entirely unable to stop complaining. it’s like something in him thinks if he just points it out one more time someone will take notice and put an end to it.

“van and vivienne could have done this,” ezra says, in the voice he uses when he thinks he’s being extremely patient and long-suffering. “but this was your mission, and if you would have preferred to be here with fucking corlett it is not too late for me to trade places.”

“dude,” joa says. ezra shoots him a look.

“you can’t call me dude. we’re madly in love, if you’ll recollect.”

ezra is funny like that; the pissier he gets the more clipped his vowels get, like those rich new england types that had sometimes swung through california on holidays, all east coast condescension. privately joa thinks ezra has more in common with that crowd than he’d care to admit.

“dude, even if we were really-” he waves his hand vaguely “-i’d still call you dude.”

“you call your girlfriends dude?” ezra inquires, shrewdly.

“thought the whole point was the not being a girl thing.”

“corlett,” ezra threatens, so he shuts up. normally ezra wouldn’t do that to him, or at least would never concede defeat, but when ezra’s really angry there’s no scruples to his revenge plans. as much as he feels ready to drink himself sick with nerves and discomfort at the two of them crashing this stupid wedding, having corlett on his arm instead would ensure he died of liver failure before the bride even hit the aisle.

he doesn’t like how antsy this has made him. ezra doesn’t say it but it’s obvious he thinks joa takes some issue with the gay thing, which isn’t true- he’s normally the most adaptable of them to whatever era they get stuck into; he was the first to know about van, and that’s a whole different ballpark. it’s not the couple he cares about, it’s the acting.

all the lying, sneaking bits of the job- subterfuge, vivi would say- he gets it, but he doesn’t like it. even when it’s shit he knows, is good at, like charming strangers or blending into groups, he feels bad for the people he involves. he knows it’s stupid- it’s not like he’s usually hurting anyone, and the whole point is that they’re helping. van finds the whole exercise fun, and vivienne thrives in it; even ezra, who never does anything but play himself, commits to the bit unflinchingly. he’s the only one who gets nauseous each time they make him do some extended charade. he doesn’t know why they couldn’t just go around killing people without lying about it to boot.

normally ezra knows this kind of thing about him, but if ezra has one fault it’s that thing about missing the forest for the trees. when he’s prickly about something he loses his usual invasive-cum-insightful observational skills. that this particular bout of acting is making him more nauseous than usual is neither here nor there.

despite what viv claims, joa is not entirely convinced that ezra can’t read minds, because just as he thinks this, his hand is grabbed with all of the affection of a snake winding around his arm to cut his circulation off. 

“c’mon, suck it up.”

he only just manages to turn his wince into a half-assed grimace, which earns him a foul look.

“i can’t feel my hand.”

“shut up and look like you love me, bride number one is heading this way.”

she is, inexplicably, looking delectable in a pearly white gown, blonde hair piled in curls atop her head. once their presence registers she smiles at them distractedly, eyes scanning them without recognition. it kicks him into work-mode, smile blooming wide and familiar as he extricates his hand from ezra’s to clasp hers.

“miriam! i’m joa, elena’s cousin- tia grassi’s son? and this is my partner ezra. it’s so nice to meet you, you look beautiful.”

“oh, joa, of course,” miriam says, warmly, relaxing as she gestures them in. “it’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

“i’m surprised they have you manning the door,” ezra comments, gesturing to the entrance they’re stood under. “thought that was what the guys in suits were for.”

“sure, sure,” miriam laughs, self-effacingly. “i’m not really playing valet. it’s just we’ve been waiting on the last cake delivery and i’m trying to get the guy through to the back before anyone accidentally tells elena. she’s convinced something’s going to go wrong.”

“sounds familiar,” joa says, with a knowing smile towards ezra, who just about curbs his eyeroll. “also sounds like something you shouldn’t be worrying about on your wedding day. where should we direct him?” 

miriam’s brows raise in surprise; he tries to broadcast sincere helpfulness her way. 

“oh- really? you’d do that?”

“of course. i know how elena gets.”

this sells it; she sighs a little in relief, shakes her head. “you’re a savior. the hall, through the back- it’s just down the ramp and to the left. are you sure?”

“what’s family for?”

only once she’s out of earshot does ezra shoot him a look, eyebrows quirked with amusement.

“what’s family for?”

“fuck you, it worked.”

“your customer service act gives me the hives,” ezra says, although he’s smiling  even as he reclaims his hand in an only marginally less painful grip. joa’s stomach re-knots itself. 

for all that he hates the lying the job involves, there’s something especially discomfiting about roles like these- ones where they keep their names intact, where the stories they construct keep big chunks of their lives unaltered. to the wedding guests they’re still joa and ezra, longtime friends and constantly travelling free-lancers; they may not be time-travellers and there may be some additional intimacy implied, but this joa and ezra have the same back and forth, the same inside jokes, the same dynamic. it makes the lines even blurrier and the lies even more uncomfortable. 

“you look like you’re about to hurl.”

“maybe i am.”

“you’re not. you’re a consummate professional and there’s an agency supervising us and also if you do i’m throwing your mini-fridge out of a window.”

“you wouldn’t like me sober.”

“you wouldn’t like anything sober. i’d tough it out.”

“remind me not to ask you to host my bachelor party.”

“i hate weddings,” ezra says, sourly. joa grins, heartened by his bad mood. viv calls them bad friends for always cheering up at each other’s misery. van calls them disgusting.

“hey, c’mon. this might be fun.”

“oh, sure. i love spending an entire evening pretending to care about two strangers’ impending divorce.”

“oh, c’mon. what about your moms?”

“they’re divorce lawyers. they’re outliers.”

"okay,” joa draws out, just to make him scoff. “themed missions, though. exploding wedding cake? that’s fun.”

“it’s also one of fifteen assassination attempts we’re handling tonight.”

“glass half full, honey.”

ezra flushes an unflattering but extremely charming shade of splotchy red. “half full of arsenic, if case files are to be believed.”

joa sighs, rocking back onto his heels. “talk about cliché, dude. even the cake bomb is more original.”

“messy, though.”

“hey, you love buttercream icing.”

“not mingled with my intestines, i don’t.”

“here comes the truck. are we doing salt lake city sixty five?”

“you read my mind,” ezra agrees, smile curling at the edges of his mouth. “you want the driver?”

so maybe this whole thing won’t entirely suck, joa thinks, smiling back. when ezra’s distracted his hand’s not even that bad to hold.

by the time the afterparty is in full swing, he’s kind of having a good time. foiling assassination attempts always puts him in a good mood, and the service was nice, for what it’s worth- he’d wondered how it would work with two women, but it was sweet in the end, just a couple of tweaks to the sermon and a lot more bridesmaids. he’d cried. ezra had hidden a laugh and complained at length about christianity. dinner had been nice too, although he’d had to eat in quick bursts what with the constant leaving to go thwart ploys to kill the bride. they’d done it under the guise of sneaking out for quickies, an excuse which had earned them surprising amounts of goodwill at their table. gay weddings, and all that.

regardless, they’ve handled attempts numbers one through fourteen and he’s feeling good. the work balances out the awkwardness- sure, he gets queasy when ezra is calmly explaining their meet-cute to strangers, but five minutes later he’s holding a stall door shut while ezra knocks someone’s face into a toilet and it calms his nerves. besides, whoever organised the wedding decided on an open bar for the night, and he’s been downing his fair share of drinks while ezra’s back is turned, which has pushed him into bright magnanimity. ezra will cover for him if he overdoes it, anyways- he still owes him for how coked out he got at that disco in the seventies. 

ezra has launched into a spirited debate of twenty-thirties midwestern politics with some elderly relative; he sips his rum and coke, tuning out the familiar fast-paced scratchy speech to gaze around the room. the music is nice, for the era. so are the brides, currently waltzing merrily around the room and blissfully unaware that this night’s happy ending will set into motion a series of events leading to the discovery of the cure for cancer, or that someone with a penchant for theme has employed fifteen different mediocre hitmen to stop that from happening.

the little themed cocktail umbrella would make a sweet addition to his collection of mementos. as he twirls it he thinks that he was expecting this to be harder, or worse, the whole couples pretence. really dating ezra has just been the exact same as not dating ezra, with some additional niceties thrown in for their audience’s sake. he doesn’t mind the niceties- ezra’s hard to be nice to on the regular, so it’s neat to have him cornered, and besides watching him struggle not to break composure throughout is fun. it’s weirder when it’s ezra’s turn, because ezra’s lying is always half true by default, and it makes him wonder which parts are the lies. 

he’s a little cold in his linen jacket and his drink is gone, so he follows his thoughts and drifts back towards ezra, drapes himself over his back. ezra stiffens like a corpse but doesn’t miss a beat in his sentence, because of course he doesn’t. he’s warm, though, and besides they’re playing pretend boyfriends, so he thinks he’s entitled to some shared heat without it being weird.

“maybe joa could be of use,” ezra is saying currently, obviously trying to throw him under the bus. “joa, do you remember who it was we saw that time with cousin esther at the thing in santa monica?”

“oh, sure,” joa says amiably, chin now resting on his bony shoulder. “rafael.”

the middle-aged couple make noises of recognition; ezra snorts in silent laughter, the movement making his shoulders jump. it’s a lucky guess primarily founded upon the statistics in his actual family. his cousins have shit luck- three of them with the same name has left them with some abominable nicknames. his previously name-dropped tia grassi is the only person stubborn enough to call them all rafael, just in different registers of disappointed suspicion.

ah, his tia grassi. funny woman. mildly terrifying. her fourth wedding had been an event, though he can hardly remember the second half of it, seeing as she’d refused to cater to the child-havers amongst the family and not left any of the punch alcohol-free. all he really remembers is her wedding dress, the cream-coloured version of her default pantsuit with the horrible bow. it’s funny- from where he’s stood there’s a woman right in his line of vision dressed in an orange abomination that looks exactly like the kind of thing only his tia grassi would subject some distant relative to on the day of their wedding.

wait. fuck.

“corazon, my tia grassi is here.”

"no, she’s not.”

“i’m serious, she’s walking right towards us. lady in the orange. fuck, she must be pushing a hundred.”

“shit,” ezra curses, sparing a nod for the couple he was talking to. “excuse us.” 

“she’s following,” joa warns with mild fascination, as they bee-line towards the garden. 

“great,” ezra says, glancing disbelievingly over his shoulder. “why the fuck is she following? and why is she even alive in this decade? how old is that woman?”

“ageless, i don’t know, she probably thinks i’m family,” joa mutters, glancing back. “which i am. just deceased family. she’s not gonna let up, you know.”

“you and your fucking bloodhound relatives. look, we can’t leave, they’re still going to try and do the thing with the fireworks.”

“well, we can’t stay either, or i’m getting marty mcfly’d out of existence, and i’m kinda partial to existing.”

“how is she even following us? scent alone?” ezra mutters, just a shade hysterical, as they wind their way past the bar. “we might have to pull a vermont.”

“oh, dude, no way,” joa says, immediately nauseous. “c’mon. it’s a wedding.”

“you were fine with it when you were beating that guy’s face in with the floral arrangement earlier!”

“yeah, and he was trying to ruin the wedding. this would be us, ruining the wedding. we would be the wedding ruiners.”

“we could choose someone neither of the brides like! they’d be grateful!”

“dude, i am not killing any guests at this wedding.”

“the only other option is worse!”

“no option is worse than murder, ‘zra, that’s kind of murder’s whole thing.”

“yeah? you rather kill hitler or fuck him?”

“always with the ultimatu- woah, woah!”

his second woah gets swallowed, which is probably for the best; ezra’s planting one on him with real determination. his brain short-circuits a bit or something; he doesn’t think to push him off, just lets him at it. it’s usually what works best when ezra’s on a mission, and also as it turns out ezra’s pretty good at the whole kissing thing, and also his nerves are singing and his blood is boiling and he is maybe, potentially kissing back, distractedly and then with intent, their bodies slotting together against the tacky fake rosebush as plastic thorns dig into his back and ezra’s sharp-nailed fingers dig into his shoulders. alcohol has made him warm and fuzzy, but there’s nothing drink-sloppy to it- just continuous, almost familiar ease, and his heart pounding painfully in his chest.

ezra pulls off first, with a nasty sound, head whipping around wildly as joa registers absently that the fireworks were going off in real life too.

“i can’t believe that actually worked.”

“three cheers for latent latin homophobia,” joa says, on auto-pilot, because right, his aunt, and time travel rules, and something. maria joseph and jesus, he’s just kissed a man.

“that and you not being violently sick on me,” ezra says, turning back to face him with his usual frown slotting absently into place. he looks awkward and irritated with his awkwardness and also extremely well-kissed. joa is struck with the realisation that he is entirely fucked in the head, because he finds the picture supremely enticing.

“dude,” he starts, because to be honest they have been skirting around this particular issue for a while and it’s hard to find a time and place to discuss it when it’s not weird or a capital offence. ezra is all narrow-eyed suspicion and coquettishly heaving breaths, which is not helping him focus but definitely helping convince him to labour the point. “i think we should probably- oh, shit, wait, the fireworks.”

he’s running before ezra can so much as cuss, and he gets there just in time, tackling the man right into the bushes and out of harm’s way, voice raised to an apologetic, casual slur even as they grapple for the gun.

“oh, my god, i’m so sorry, i must be drunker than i thought-“

the element of surprise wins him the fight; he manages to slam the guy’s forehead onto a marble lion a couple of times, sound drowned out by the fireworks above.

“honestly,” a slightly out of breath ezra is reproaching nearby, all fond reprobation, and then again once he’s shoved through the bushes himself, losing the affect. “honestly.”

“it’s fine, it’s fine,” joa says, wiping bloody knuckles on the guy’s shirt. “that’s fifteen, right?”

“it’s not fine, it’s fifteen minutes early. if coda is going to send us on these chickenshit gigs you’d think they’d get the fucking timings right.”

“it’s fine, he’s out,” joa repeats, shoving upwards and brushing bits of bush off his clothes. “viv’ll be angry about the suit though.”

“right, like she’s in the costume dep’s good books either after that stunt she pulled with the velvet dress,” ezra snorts, abruptly the voice of reason. “i can’t believe he was fifteen minutes early. that’s twice this week they’ve done this to us.”

“maybe we threw it somehow,” joa defends, rolling his shoulder. “you know the timeline warps the calculations.”

“we didn’t throw anything. twice in a week, seriously. what the fuck do we pay fees for if they can’t even get the timings right? this wouldn’t happen if we had a union.”

“‘zra, there are only ten of us. we are the union.”

“isn’t that a depressing thought. what were you saying earlier?”

“oh, that,” joa says, and then feels sick again. “hey, are you thirsty? i’m pretty thirsty actually.”

“don’t be an asshole.”

“i don’t know, honestly.”

“you’re not doing so hot on the non-asshole front.”

“oh, madre de dios, stop channeling your mom.”

“tu puta madre. i’ll give you passive aggressive.”

“fine,” joa breathes, in one big burst, annoyed and queasy and charmed all in one. “are we- like- ugh, dude, you know what-“

“specify.”

he pauses, exhales. “well, it just feels like maybe we should-“

“probably not.”

“right, but you’d like-“

“does it matter?”

“well, yeah, obviously. it’s just with work, it’s like... you know?”

“sure.”

“not that i...”

“sure.”

“although i don’t actually know if...”

“sure.”

“only then it’s like, overall- i think i want to kiss you off-duty.”

“mazel tov.”

“but would you mind?”

“did the tongue-fucking earlier not broadcast that enough?“

“jesus, dude, we’re at a wedding.”

“a lesbian wedding. that’s their expertise.”

he considers this point.

“hey, you wanna...”

“well, the body,” ezra says, albeit reluctantly. he doesn’t like mess.

“oh, sure,” joa says, thinking. “i guess maybe newark ‘02?”

“yeah, whatever,” ezra shrugs, but there’s a suppressed pleasure in the way he clears his throat. “blue’s your color, you know that?”

“my mom used to say. can you take his feet?”

“jesus, the shoes. hey, did you have some of that cocktail thing earlier?”

“yeah, a couple. there wasn’t extra poison again, was there? because last i saw the res-mac the mormons had it and i so do not want to go to their rooms again.”

“watch the stairs. no, and fuck those guys. i could just taste it earlier. the sour cherry’s not bad but the sugar in this decade tastes weird.”

“the rim is the best part, what the hell?”

“your palate is deranged.”

“you eat pickled fish, jackass.”

“fifteen minutes early. what a schlep.”

“kvetch.” 

“vete a la chingada.”

“don’t i have you for that now?”

“jesus, dude, we’re at a wedding.” 

“funny. so, bar?”

“you have blood all over your cuffs.” 

“like anyone’ll notice. dude, you know they do 360s on ice in this decade?”

“no shit.”

“yeah, right?”

“why the hell are we still standing around not drinking?”

“viv is going to be so mad she missed this.”

“good for her. i’m still pissed about the fucking plath thing.”

“oh, my god, dude. you’re such a hypocrite.”

“name one time-”

“seriously? abbie hoffman?”

“fuck you.”

“holy shit, i think i see my aunt again.”

“are you kidding me? is she part-K9?”

“you’re supposed to be cute about it and kiss me again.”

“i’m not going to be cute about it, i hate that woman. you kiss me since you want to be so cute.”

luckily for the both of them, joa has bad taste. he complies.

[popculturebuffet]

Hickman’s X-Men Line: One Year in Part 1: Prelude, House and Powers of X, X-Men and New Mutants (Hickman)

Under the cut is an explination of how hickman’s run happened (the mass decay will be covered another time probably), and dives into his x-books: house of x, powers of x,x-men and his breif run on new mutants and what i thought. Pax Krakoa baby. 

One year ago, I breathed a sigh of relief as I read the utterly masterful house of x #1.  See for the past few months, i’d been waiting on baited breath for this comic with a level of anticipation not matched by any before or since. Even the debut of a spinoff to Chew, one of my faviorite comics of all time that i deftnetly need to do a retrospective on, this week got within the same galaxy and it still wasn’t on the same level. This was big, grandiose and everything I hoped for. And whatever issues I had as House and it’s sister series came out slowly died out as the full story unfolded, my jaw dropped and my faith in Hickman to save the x-men was  fully delivered. At last the x-men were back on top. And it was going to be one hell of a ride.  

As you probably know the x-men had been treated pretty badly at marvel due to fox having the movie rights, a move that still baffles and frustrates me. Instead of making money to rub in fox’s face by promoting the hell out of them in merchandise, animation, video games and of course comics ALONGSIDE the avengers, they basically ignored the x-men and fantastic four to give fox less to work with to spite them while fox.. entirely ignored this as since both franchises have been around since the 60′s and the x-men had had mountains of spinoffs to give them mountains of characters. So in short: a decision to spite and hurt their compeitors only cost marvel money, pissed off fans and fox’s eventual absortion as far as I can tell had absolutely nothing to do with any of this. 

Thankfully marvel DID stop being stupid eventually and relented: The Fantastic Four came back a year before house of x with a decent run by dan slott, which is thankfully more like earlier spider-man work and ff work, and less like what his spider-man run became from superior onward despite the ocasional misfire but i’ll talk about both runs another day. I mostly bring it up because with this revivial, marvel also slowly reintegrated the four back into the marvel universe and made their return feel like a big deal.  The X-Men however took a bit: while they got an earlier shot at returning with ressurxion. Buuut with the idea of having hickman return in their back pocket, marvel apparently refused, at least according to cullen bunn who I fell has no real reason to lie, to let the writers rock the boat too much and the era perdictably was just meh, especially flagship book X-Men Gold which was written bafflingly by Mark Gugenhiem and outside of one or two good ideas basically felt like the comics equivlent of one of those party store albums where every song is a cover done by someone who couldn’t give half a damn. There were bright spots though with Cullen Bunn finishing out his awesome x-men tenure with x-men blue, Sina Grace’s wonderful iceman that took the wonky execution of Bendis’ decision to make bobby drake gay and made it work beautifully, and the decent if somewhat baffling x-men red. But overall it just felt like a missed opportunity and with the fox deal in bloom and a new EiC, marvel NEEDED something bigger, bolder and grander to do with marvel’s strangest heroes of all. After all all eyes would be on them while Marvel’s Movie department took a few years, probably longer now thanks to the pandemic, to let things cool off before bringing the x-men into the mcu.  Enter Jonathan Hickman: Writer of another one of my faviorite runs of all time, his Fantastic Four run, along with an enjoyable but heavily flawed avengers run, a secret warriors run i’ve read half of that was a hell of a ride, tons of ultimate comics, and a bunch of indies I haven’t read but are probably great. A wordy weirdo and i’m convinced the second coming of grant morrison, and I hope one day the two work together on something tha’ts equal parts weird and amazing.

The morrison comparison is also apt as both came into the X-Men at a time when the x-men badly needed them: Just like Hickman morrison had to deal with a largely stagnant x-men and changed them to fit the times. And yes unsuprisngly i’ll also be covering morrisons run, warts and all, and it’s also one of my faviorite comics of all time. However Hickman was given a huge advtange his spirtiual predecessor, and really few comics writers EVER have gotten: full control of the x-men line.  Unlike morrison who wasn’t even allowed to use certain characters despite writing the main fucking x-book, Hickman got full creative control: full say in the direction of the story, full say in who came on board and to let them pitch whatever they wanted to do. And honestly it’s an apporach that’s not only reovlutionarly but makes the books FEEL like their actually occuring around the same time. Sure their all still seperate entities, but it DOES feel like one coheisive universe. Contrastingly with the avengers Black Panther’s solo has had him on a year long sojurn in space, before returning to earth.. while also running the avengers over in jason aaron’s run and having his own spinoff team, without any fucking clue as to when intergalactic empire of wakanda takes place in relation to everything else. Tony Stark is currently just taking back both his own damn name and the iron man name in his own book, but is also a major player in avengers, and empyre with no mention of his seeming drunken spiral (itw as a ploy) or arno taking up the armor and I feel these issues rather than the neglect the x-men once had are why krakoa’s impact isn’t being felt more in other titles. I’m not saying don’t let books do their own thing, but I am saying let them have fucking consequences and weight instead of just acting like one isn’t happening or at the very least have a character be absent for an arc so you can fit the other stories into continuity easier. As X-Men’s shown it dosen’t stifle inovation and hell even immortal hulk easily fit into no road home with a fucking note saying “this takes place before x issue” it’s not that hard.  This advantage was likely part of Hickman’s terms for coming back. See the x-men were the one thing at marvel he never got to do. The Gillieon and Aaron runs and Bendis runs meant the spot simply wasn’t open and by the time he was leaving it was clear marvel wanted to bury the x-men not praise them, so his ideas had no run. But the X-Men were what got Jonathan into comics. A shocking fact I learned at last years comic con, during which most of the dawn of x titles were revealed, was he WASN’T a fantastic four or avengers fan as a kid, not hating them but like me with the avengers for some time, not really caring about them. But with both runs, he did his homework, read as much as possible, and BECAME a fan, and it shows as both runs show a deep love for both marvel and the teams present. With X-Men they were his dream, his golden goose, his windmill, he just never was in the right place at the right time... but with Marvel needing his starpower and creativity and having nothing to loose with the x-men and badly needing a big run to hlep keep intrest in the x-men till the new movies, he finally was. So seeing the company needed him and he could get his dream and the control he needed, while dc had just taken bendis, didn’t need him and until very recently was ran by a moron, his choice to come back to marvel instead of go to dc as he’s admitted, was obvious. And it ended up being the right one. House and Powers of x were massive creative and commerical hits and the following titles have all been mostly praised. The new direction has been a boon for the franchise,k the fans and marvel.  So being a fan of this direction, as you can tell by the massive intro, to give my thoughts on each book so far: what I think their doing right, where some went wrong etc, since I’d rather wait another year or so befor ediving into these and let some more of hickman’s plans and future story hints spread throughout his books pay off first. WIth that all out of the way it’’s time for a deep dive of x.So grab some plant based snacks, your x-shaped helmets, and your krakoan coffee, it’s time to finally get into hickman’s era of x-men. 

HOUSE OF X AND POWERS OF X The opening salvo and just with two mini series that are one, though why he DIDN’T just have them be one big mini series I genuinely do not know, probably to justify having two diffrent artists to carry the load, is an utter masterpiece. Plain and simple. Let’s get the status quo the series set up out of the way so I can dig into it more: Magento and Xavier were revealed to have been working together for years behind the scenes.. with Moira Mactaggert, one of my favoirite x characters who the series changes utterly and forever. See instead of being the one human who consitantly is on mutants side and one of the x-men’s staunchest allies who sadly hadn’t been resusrected in 20 fucking years, she was a mutant herself, her ablility being reincarnation.. and thus had lived through 9 of her 10 lives seeing mutantkind always loose so told xavier and magneto about this in the hopes of breaking the wheel and letting mutantkind live this time.  However hickman , while revealing the alliance does brilliantly still make it work in continuity for me: it’s clear from moira’s notes in one issue, as house and powers and any following titles love having charts or text based sections that I feel give the comics a unique flavor and really help boost most issues, that Charles optimism she was trying to break him of and faith in humanity took years to fully shatter: he plotted and schemed with her to protect his species but it was clear he probably felt it woudln’t be necessary that humanity would prove her wrong.. and by this series it’s clear, no they haven’t changed, the majority of them just want to genocide mutants and have tried again and again and again while the rest who don’t necessarily want it, paticuarlly the superheroes did nothing while Magneto chaffed against her after the whole “alter his infant self after he was deaged by a mutant he made into a baby to be more pacificsitc which naturally pissed him off when that wore off”. Yes that’s a thing that actually happened pre and post retcons it’s why a survivor of the holocaust is , while not a YOUNG man, still healthy and vibrant. It’s a clever way to not undermine those stories while still telling this one and this retcon is a move I like as unlike most retcons it’s both there to tell a good story and excuted in a way that outside of moira dosen’t undermine anything. The Moira retcon I was and to a degree still am mixed on. While the new version of her is brilliant, creative and intresting and I can’t wait to see what happens with her next time she shows up, I do mourn the old as the x-men had few human allies and now their only big one is now a mutant herself, but it IS in service of a really damn good narraitive and the twist that the bad futures presented were in fact other lives of moira was brilliant, and it’s nice to see SOMETHING done with her. I’d rather something that i have a small problem with lead to really great things and be worth the sacrifice of her former character, than just changing things because “fuck it I want to do this and their letting me do this’ as a lot of retcons tend to be. Hickman’s story needs moira and her cycle of defeat to truly soar to the heights it’s reaching, and to make Charles and Xavier’s back alley actions make sense, so i’ll glady sacrifce one version of a character that I really liked for another version of her that’s also really good.  The other big swing though I was completley on board for: Hinted at early on by serveral dead mutants being alived, after a sucidie mission against new big bads and mutant hating extermists orchis, who are far better written than other extermists,   it’s revealed just why death has seemingly taken a holiday: the big plan that has been decades in the making for xavier and co? That will reshape mutant kind and required working with mr sinsiter of all people? Revivie all dead mutants.  See in a brilliant reveal Cerebro isn’t just a mutant tracker; It’s a copier, copying their essecnes reaguarly and storing them for later, updating them every so often and thus meaning any who died can come back. Why it took Chuck so long to do this is also explained as he needed 5 specific mutant power sets to do it and thus had to wait till they had everything they needed: Goldballs, yes goldballs, spits out his giant golden balls, phrasing, which hickman in an insane and awesome turn revealed to be EGGS. Yes EGGS. Proteus, Moira’s son and former villian whose now pacificed since this body cloning process means he has an infnite suply of xavier bodies to burn through and thus isn’t killing people, warps reality to mamke the eggs viable. Elixir, a healer whose been through some shit the poor guy,gives the eggs , once injected with the mutant in questions dna via syringe because of course, life, and Tempus, goldballs former classmate fellow bendis creation and mistress of time, speeds it up a bit so they don’t have to wait a good few decades for some mutants to rerez. The fifth that makes all this possible is hope summers, mutant messiah and adopted daughter of cable returned to promence once more, whose power is revealed to be power maniulation and thus can boost their powers to the degree neded for this. it’s a BRILLIANT turn that not only undoes all the pointless deaths mutants have undergone, but changes the game: Genocide is now near impossible, as humanity has no idea bout any of htis, and instead of mutant lives going down, they can only go once.. as one man once put it...

And as an x-men fan having watched characters I love die again and again for stupid reasons, especially int he placeholder run right before house of x, this was so satsifying. Everyone the x-men had lost, every character I loved who was gone and forgotten.. they were back or would be back.  And thanks to Krakoa they were thriving: By giving mutantkind a homeland instead of a headquarters, a nation given to one of their own because he demanded itbasically, or an island fortress designed to give a dying species refuge, they have a goregous sentient island (I’ve always loved krakoa for the record though I wonder what happened to his clone son), with abundant food, teleporting gates across the world to visit wherever they like or live in the various worldwide habitats if they please, and peace and security they’ve neve rknown. No more being woken up to get to a panic room because a sentienl attacked. No more having religious maniacs blow up busses containing your tine. No more having the vast majority of the superhero community do nothing as a fucking plauge cloud wipes out your species. Anything apporaching krakoa now has hundreds of the most powerful beings alive defending all mutants.. and that includes the worst of the worst, all given amntesty.. but they must tow the line or else be given a fate worse than death. After years of pain and suffering and misery mutantkind is free safe and happy. They still have to fight to get the rest of their kind out of racist hands and to saftey, the fight’s not over.. but now the odds are in mutantkinds favor. It’s paradise.  And yet this mini, and this whole run dosen’t run from tough issues; The mutants are now isolationists and only mutants are allowed on krakoa itself.. on the one hand this is a bad idelogy and potentially dangerous, instead of fighting for harmony fighting for my land alone.. but it’s also see why Mutantkind has taken to it. The X-Men have tried for at the least a decade in universe and at the most and most likely 15 years to live in harmony, fight for mankind and make peace with them.. and only a small chunk has acutally tried to help them with that. The other large fraction? They either build death machines to try and wipe out all mutants, and in the case of Cassandra NOva who while not a human is still a racist genocidal bitch, SUCCEED in wiping out a large chunk, or do nothing while mutantkind suffers.  The series forces you to think about the implications that marvel comics themselves previous ignored: That with all the superheros in this world who arent mutants.. more often than not htey’ve done fuck all when terrible shit happens. When Genosha died, not a one asked the x-men what happened or tried to hunt down those responsible. When Decemation happened, the avengers were more concerned with helping the x-men cover it up than helping them move on and did nothing as the goverment made xavier’s into a reservation, even after regrestration happened and the goverment had more heroes than ever to spare to helping them. When the T-Mist happened years later instead of stopping terrigin or asking the inhumans to stop it for the good of another race, the rest of the heroes just did fuck all. Sure the avengers were on a budget and the ff were asbent, but there were enough heroes in the world still and enough teams to do something about it and only the ones with mutants on them did!. IT’s hard to say “well you shoudln’t exclude them”.. when the rest of superhero kind has been subtly doing it their whole lives.  But it dosen’t shy away from the claims of racial superiority the isoaltion or the fact the x-men basically sued for nationhood by making requiring recognizing their nation hood the price for trading for their life saving and extending, world changing drugs, which you would still need to buy. There’s other issues, one that i’ll get to in a moment as it was only revealed in x-men. Various characters, Corsair in issue one of the ongoing, the fincial summit in issue 4 and the ff both in house of x #1 and ff/x-men, all question this and some of the ethics. Hickman brilliantly decides instead of just painting the x-men as absolute moral rights, to show their new nation warts and all: the genuine good their doing and trying to do but also the price they have to pay for it and the mistakes they may be making. And the compromise necessary to build a nation. It’s all chiling, compelling shit that’s even more releveant in a time when bigotry is piling up like crazy. Both house and x-men, which i’ll get to in a second, ask questions with no easy answers and it makes them a compelling read.  Also compelling is the two mini series use of flashbacks: The two previous moira timelines, which we learn are just that as we go, are compelling with the apoclaypse timeline having loveable heroes were are heartbroken to see die in the struggle, while the last timeline seemingly sees the mutants turn as bad as the humans.. only to peel back a layer at the end and reveal humans are still very much the real monsters, and them evolving via machine is a threat to mutant kind's natural evolution. It was a good story twist and of course there’s FAR more to dig into in both books, and I defintely will at some point in the future as I said. But there’s tons of great ideas here: Sinsiter not only being a mutant but a reluctant ally, the same of apocalyspe, the heavy questions I got into above, the idea of machines being mutants greatest threat which makes a ton of sense, and the various ones I already went into. I can’t gush about this book enough, but since this is already long enough i’m trying. The point is both mini series are great and how you do a self contianed event perfectlY plenty of consequence, plenty of scope but enough character and brilliant ideas and a FUCK TON of quotable and iconic lines, all blend into one of the very best series i’ve ever read. And lead directly into..

X-Men I talked about a lot of what this book represents above as it’s a direct continuation of the above, but the book on it’s own is still something diffrent. while it continues setting things up, playing with the new toybox hickman set up, and asking the tough questions, x-men does it in a diffrent way. House and Powers bounce around through time while all telling one huge story and one huge bundle of setup for this status quo.  X-Men instead is a bunch of single issues. It’s still a ton of setup, though with enough payoff to house and powers that it at least so far hasn’t become tedious, especailly since hickman specifically has plans for all of it and has shown in the past he’s a long game man when it comes to storytelling, but through more action packed stories that, with the exception of mistque’s spotlight issue so far, have one shared element: Cyclops, aka Scott Summers, who as grand captain of krakoa is the nation’s ruling council’s go to guy for missions and who he himself can form any team he once for any mission.  Cyclops, like the x-men hadn’t been treated well for years; Various characters lambasted him after the phoenix force drove him mad and lead to him killing charles xavier, and before that his run as leader of utopia, not helped by x-force painting him as a cold heartless dickweed, had him forced to make questionable decisions that made fans turn agains thim despite the hard position he was in. But now with the burden of absolute leadership of mutantkind in other hands, HIckman writes scott beautifully and has restored him to his proper place.  WIth Xavier taking over as absolute leader of mutantkind and his race no longer hanging by a thread for the first time in years scott can relax and ENJOY himself. As the first issue shows he has everything he ever could have possibly wanted: A healthy marriage with Jean again, and an open one at that with him free to still see emma and Jean openly seeing Logan. Logan himself no longer trying to murder scott for his mistakes or kill his teenage self due to bad writing, but being his best friend again and also living with him and presumibly having threeways because they have connected bedrooms and of course jean would want both at once. Maybe they also just fuck each other sometimes again the details haven’t exactly been clear but it’d explain the tension disappearing. Maybe the schism would’ve ended quicker if Cyclops and Wolverine just fucked each other after children of the atom. Hey not every question is a deep personal one on krakoa sometimesm it’s just “Are these two fucking and could it have solved things faster in the past if they did?”. Also I almost forgot to mention, and added this near the end of writing this, in additoin to everything else scott now lives ON THE FUCKING MOON, on the blue area with a breathable atompshere, on a moon house with his family and fuckbuddy and Vulcan’s buddys. It’s fucking amazing. But moving back to other things scott’s gotten besides logan’s wang up his butt, as seen in issue one thanks to the gates his dad can now visit anytime, his brothers live with him with Vulcan going from genocidal dickweed to weirdo thanks to his experinces between his “death’ and this series, and he’s just. happy. And as a leader he takes the x-men on thrilling missions: the series combines action with character and worldbuilding and it is great.  The worldbuilding part has been tremendous; we’ve seen new foes in the returning children of the vault and horticulture, aka what if the golden girls were tv ma, and also plant based  supervillians plotting a better future for mankind that krakoa’s drugs clash with. We’ve seen nimrod creeping close, charles and magneto not playing ball with mystique start to backfire, the return of krakoa’s lost love, and in my faviorite arc, we’ve seen broo, one of my faviorite x-people and intellegent brood, eat an egg and thus become god emperor of the brood, not only giving the vicious race a chance to reform but giving the x-men a huge advatange in space, doubeldby events we’ll get to in a second.  And biggest of all we saw the crucible: Since those depwoered by the decimation can get power back by dying again, and to prevent overworking the five with mass sucidies krakoa came up with a nasty solution,: earning resurection via ritual combat. And like the above there aren’t easy answers to this: mass sucidie isn’t better or faster, but having mutatns forced to EARN repowering by dying brutally isn’t a great solution either and is kind of sick. And it also opens up questions about ressurectoin that Nightcrawler feels made need reegion to answer htem. It’s again good heavy instreating stuff.  We also got my faviorite issue #4 where the x-men go to a fincial summit, and while security detail cyclops and gorgon fight off hired goons...

Xavier, Magneto and Apocalypse discuss with world leaders about the implications of krakoa’s policys, with Magneto not hiding his love of flexing his superiority. And Charles ends the confrence, after it’s revealed one hired them in an utterly masterful moment: Taking off his helmet to reveal no this is charles, this is him and that even after they tried assintating him he has and always will love humanity he’s just sick of being treated like crap and suffering for doing it and his people suffering for it and he won’t tolerate this sort of shit again. See it for yourself it’s an absolute triumph:

 It’s a great scene. Overall an utterly great title that really keeps the momentum moving and I feel is only setting up for even more things.. the only real issue is that A) the title’s been slower at coming out than the other dawn of x titles, though in the case of the empyre tie in’s it’s not hteir fault but the rest sure as shit are, and B) that it has mostly been just setup but it’s been good enough and enjoyable enough and I feel payoff is coming, so I truly don’t care. At long last we have a main x-men  book that’s not only fantastic but uttterly engaging and I read most issues multiple times. An utter slam dunk

Giant Sized X-Men: This one is incomplete, so I can’t fully say what the full picture is.. but for the three released so far it’s a mixed bag, though the art in all three is gorgeous as Hickman brought on the best artists in the buisness but it’s telling that while New Mutants bellow had issues that bugged me but was still kinda fun, and the above havem y utter priase I nearly forgot to include these issues. None of them are bad and all have gorgeous art as I said, these are some of the best in the buisness, they feel padded. These were supposed to be annuals, but when they decided to change this to one shots.. they shoudl’ve just made them regular length instead, as there simply isn’t enough story here to fill them and so far only Davis’ issue has both had huge setup (both revealing doug’s fusion with warlock is a secret for some reason and that he is indeed still fully alive and revealing what happened to the x-mansion), and due to Davis background as a writer/artist the pacing to fill one issue and even then it could’ve been trimmed. Not bad and I don’t fault the artists for not being used to being writer/artists or having to do so while also conforming to a larger narriative which likely didn’t help or in the third one’s case having to take over for someone else entirely, but it’s , while not bad no ton par with the two above books and I expect better from hickman. 

New Mutants (HIckman’s Issues)  I’ll cover Brisson’s issues next time as they feel like a diffrent run entirely, but New Mutants was.. a disapointment. I was utterly pumped for this title going in being a huge fan of the team thanks to finally reading the claremont and sikenwitz run and before that re-reading abnett and lannings utterly great run and hey jonathan hickman who’d already done gangbusters was writing it! It had a great roster! 

And it starreed one of hickman’s faviorite mutants and one he’d taken a shine to on avengers, and one of my faviorite superheros, Roberto DeCosta, aka Sunspot. On Avengers hickman took Roberto , already a decent character and made him amazing. He was still rich, young and a playboy as ever.. but he used said wealth and his love of fun wisely. When undercover at an AIM casino instead fo throw down, he offers the agents a free day of partying and gambling on his huge dime, then puts them on payroll as his undercover agents. So to recap Roberto DeCosta won the avengers two valuable double agents in what at the time was one of their biggest threats.. by buying them tons of beer and gambling and presumibly hookers. And later got the loyatly of the rest of AIM through these guys, and when Steve found out tony betrayed him and went off hte deep end hunting him instead of stopping the end of the goddamn world, TOOK OVER AIM HIMSELF IN COMBAT WITH THE AIM SUPREME, and then formed his own avengers. 

Literally. He got his own avengers team, most of which left after the apocalypse but he simply found younger and hungrier replacements, and aim.. with blackjack and hookers. The man is a legend. And knowing Roberto if hookers were actually involved he probably treated them with respect and overpayed them because he’s a class act. Then under Al Ewing’s mighty pen, Roberto not only formed another avengers team since most of the avengers he formed to stop the end of the world were busy elsewhere, of young and great avengers, while dying of the aformentioned death cloud, but became an utterly brilliant chessmaster, only failing ONCE becaue of hydra cap getting into his head while AIM was working for the us goverment towards the end as the USAvengers. And yes that’s a real team. It’s as insane and beautiful as it sounds. And his new avengers once fought american kaiju, a godzilla with a flag painted on it chaning usa. Al Ewing is the best and I love him. But he also became a master stratigest and schemer with schemes within schemes within schemes, his crowning one being faking his own death and using his fake funeral to clear out any remaning enimies in AIm, and only quitting AIM to keep it out of goverment hands and in the hands of a trusted friend. He was and still is one of the best avengers there ever was and ever will be.  But here, as the new mutants go on a road trip to get sam? He’s a fucking dumbass who hires the worst space laywer possible, only gets off trial because Sam and his wife save them, glad they weren’t broken up by the way,  and is utterly useless most of the time. It’s like HIckman forgot the last part of his run.. granted time runs out isn’t very good but still, that wasn’t a good thing to forget and like Hickman wants to ignore ewing’s work for no damn reason, even though Ewing did great things with Roberto and kept him relevant when marvel was choking the x-men to death. It’s fucking embrassing and disapointing to see.  The rest of the New Mutants aren’t much better mostly being happy but also not really acting like themselves, with only mondo really standing out since he gets great moments and hasn’t done anything in a while. And Doug, who I negelcted to mention above is one of my faviorite mutants and thanks to being krakoa’s primary method of commuincation, is now one of krakoa’s most important mutants, has a seat at the council with krakoa, and weirdly has his best friend warlock hiding on his arm for reasons that haven’t been explained yet. In Short doug went from beign forgotten to being used awesomely again. Roberto instead of getting the same is set back as a character and ends the arc deciding to stay in space because he misses sam, and will likely become third in his marriage i’m sure, and wants to bone deathbird, x-men villian and frequent shiar usuper. But while rahne actually being happy is a good sight to behold they , except Dani, really dont’ do much. Though Magik gets a fucking amazing scene where she asks the various assasians sent ot kill them if they want to make out , not only revealing she’s bi, but that she’d prefer that to killing them all but does so when they dumbly refuse .. I mean seriously who, whose not in a relationship that’s open or way older than her, not take her up on that?  The plot their thrust into isnt’ great either, mostly just more setup but not present as well as in x-men about Gladiator giving the shiar empire to xavier’s daughter.. yes charles has a daughter that was created from his and his ex wife lilandra, whose still dead’s dna, and letting DEATHBIRD Of all people teach her instead of his damn self. Xandra taking over isn’t a terrible idea it’s just handeld poorly. It just feels disapointing.. like hickman WANTS to do a JLI style book here but the combination of him only doing one arc and not really wanting to write the characters as they should be, an issue that only pops up here and in the new mutants cameo during x-men proper and not for doug ever, that makes it fall falt.. I mean there are utterly great moments like the above, and hte image i used to lead off their just stifled by misusing roberto and everyone else. 

But overall hickman’s works on x-men  are fucking great, intresting and engaging. I’ve read the issues a ton and will again. One small mistep dosen’t take away from all the large good he’s done and he’s made the franchise feel alive again and hopefully the MCU take on it will take after this run, as it’d be a great way to break from the endless xavier vs magneto battles of the fox universe. So yeah overall 2 great books and a thankfully short misfire, HIckman’s on top. And next time we’ll see who he picked to help him carry the x banner home to us all, and who did well with it and whose stumbled a bit as part two delves into the rest of the dawn of x. For now subscribe for more comics stuff as I plan to get back on that, including I hope a restrospective on the fox era x-men sometime soon, animation reviews, and more fun stuff. And until then, courage. 

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

My trip to London and visiting the Southbank event with Neil, David and Michael 29.5.2019

(about the Good Omens Southbank event 29.5.2019 :))

Since the show came out I didn’t have time to properly sit down and write it all down, but I should before I forget it all! :)

Last week I visited London for just one day, like a ninja, to see the Southbank events and the boys.

I arrived to Stansted ad 12:40 and took the train to London Liverpool Street where I went to the tube heading to the Tottenham Court Road. Fortunately for me had I already visited London once before, 8 years ago I think and since I always keep everything, I was able to find the Oyster card from that time, and didn’t have to get another one, yay! :)

At the tube I of course kept my eyes open for GO stuff and I was not dissapointed! I’ve seen posters for both the show and the Script Book!

Why did I was heading to Tottenham Court Road? Well, it’s near Soho, near the bookshop - the one that was going to be opened there as a promo action displaying a lot of stuff from the show. It was supposed to be opened from June 1, but it never hurts to try.

Near the bookshop I met with @sofacrawler and @scatter-of-light. Unfortunately the bookshop was not opened yet, only for the press (tho apparently that day the bookshop was visited by David Tennant and Michael Sheen who suprised some fans there (x), so perhaps some could go there in the morning, or they won it somewhere :(  :)). 

Buuut guess what, the Bentley was parked in front of it!

(yeah it started raining even tho the forecast said it wouldn’t, I had to buy an umbrella later)

The owner (at least I think it was the owner) was so kind and allowed us to sit in it!!! Yaaaaaaaay, that was amazing :). We also met there Satanic Nuns who took pictures with us :))))

From there we went to take a peek at the Ritz :))).

And then made our way to the Waterloo station for the promo action that as there - in the middle there was a mini Garden of Eden

Huh, I found out I forgot to take a picture of the whole thing :/, but at least something: 

And they were giving away Good Omens apples!

Plus, there were two very cute snakes you could take a picture with! :)

Then came the Satanic Nuns and sang a couple of songs (such as Brand New Baby Smell or some Queen ones!), 

also gave us these lovely cards:

We also met there @assssziraphale, @armageddonwithit and others which I unfortunately don’t know the tumblrs of, but hiiiii, sending you love! :)

From there we made our way Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall (again saying hi to all who said hi to me there, such as @leftywhogirl ! :))

Sooo many people there! 

I sat here, so I had lovely view of the boys:

Before the boys came though they asked us not to take any picture or video, which I respected, so no picture of the boys from me :(. But I’ll try to reproduce what they were speaking about, I am sorry if I don’t remember everything correctly.

They started by showing us a short clip from the video (the end of ep 3 where Crowley says he’s unforgivable, poor snek :(). 

Later they also acted out right there the scene with drunk Crowley and Aziraphale and it was gloooorious! (btw. David of course couldn’t sit normally on the chair again :D).

Thorough the whole event I was either smiling or laughing, our boys were incredibly witty and funny - such as, when Michael was telling the story about how he met Neil (you can listen to it in the Podcast David Tennant did with him) and when he mentioned he had been in Twilight he added something like ‘yes, yes, please stopped with the applause, and sit down, sit down‘ :D, or when they were talking about David tight clothes and his swagger walk David joked that the clothes were so tight he couldn’t walk any other way :D. Also very funny was when the interview said something like Crowley is like an old rock star and David was like ‘Whaaaaat?’ to which Michael added that he shouldn’t worry since somebody today asked him if he was in a fat suit during the shooting (later he spoke about it also at The Graham Norton Show (x))

Neil also spoke about how he go Frances McDormand to play God (x), and that she told him it would only confirm something that her family already suspected :D. Also when he asked the directour Douglas Mackinnon how he would feel about Frances McDormand playing God, he answerd something like, ‘...oh... yes... she will need a lot of directing.’ :)))). 

There was a question about season 2 and Neil was like, ‘Yes, I would also want to see more of Aziraphale and Crowley, but this has taken five years of my life and the book was already there’.

The story I absolutely love was when somebody asked if Terry Pratchett ever played any pranks on Neil and he said that no, but what Terry did do sometimes was when a fan came to him with Good Omens for his signature and told him they will now go to Neil to have both of them he told them ‘Could you give him a message from me? Tell him ’ and now he added some cryptic nonsense like ‘tell him “The starcase is not just a starcase” he will know what I mean’. And then of course they found Neil and told him that with ‘Do you know what it means’ and Neil (tiredly) ‘Yeah, I know what it means.’ :D :D :D

Neil was speaking about two improvised scenes, one of which got into the show (x). :) The other one (spoiler, skip this paragraph if you hadn’t seen the show), was when after the final bench talk they were going through the park and as a camera was taking them from the distance, Neil was only listening and heard some weird stuff Crowley saying bad things about Aziraphale that were not funny, and only then he realized that it was not David who he was hearing, but it was Michael doing pitch perfect Crowley and having fun with it :)). Probably studied him a lot because you-know-what ;).

Neil said that in his first draft which he then sent to Terry there was one demon who went to the meeting of three demons, and he like couldn’t be bothered that much. What Terry did was that he split the demon into the a demon and an angel. He made the demon a little bit like Neil at that time - wearing dark glasses indoors or leather black jacket and the put the original demon characteristics into the angel. :) Michael Sheen then reacted to that that he feels that Crowley and Aziraphale are two parts of one soul that is trying to get back together :).

There was probably more interesting stuff, but I forgot it. If I remember, I’ll add it here :). 

It was very lovely hour and a half and after it ended me and other fans went to the artist door to wait for the boys to get an autograph or a photo. Unfortunately after about 40 minutes I think somebody came to tell us they did not used this door (fiends! :( :)).

Then I travelled by bus to Stansted to spent a night there and then catch my morning flight. I hoped to doze off a little bit there, but let me tell you Stansted is not sleep friendly! They are a few semi-comfortable chairs, but they were of course all occupied, so I bought hot chocolate and sat on cold uncomforable chair at Costa and and read or listened to music. No sleep :(.

After my plane landed, I took train home and after arriving went immediately to sleep... to wake up May 31 for the show to be out. YAY! :)

It was definitely worth it and will cherish this experience forever! :).

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ @sasuhinamonth || SasuHina Month 2019 || Day Two: Vampire AU ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Of Monsters and Men ] [ AO3 Link ]

Traveling the old roads - especially under the cover of night - can lead to some rather...interesting encounters.

Hood drawn, Sasuke meanders the wagon wheel rutted path between the city he’s left behind, and the small village his family calls home. Typically it’s a trek one makes in the daylight hours, but...well, that’s not particularly wise for someone like him.

For the Uchiha, you see...are a clan of vampires. Sunlight isn’t exactly something they want, let alone need. Perhaps not as deadly as many humans like to think it is, but it’s still hardly pleasant. Hence why any traveling he does is typically after sunset. He can make his way by day with the proper clothing, but it’s something he’d rather not risk.

The medicine he went to fetch for his brother can only be found in the city, so the trip is arguably necessary. And thankfully the witch who brews it is accomodating to his kind. After all...witches walk a fine line between Nightwalkers and Daywalkers. Enemies one day, allies the next, depending on the circumstances of either side. The politics, of course, are hardly Sasuke’s concern. All that matters to him is that she gets the job done, and the strange affliction his brother exhibits is kept at bay a while longer.

This he mulls over as he walks. The journey takes two days on foot...at least, at a mortal speed. But he doesn’t want to risk ousting himself as vampiric if he doesn’t have to should he pass a human on the way. It’s hardly a difficult journey...but every outing runs the chance of being discovered by someone who’d like to put a stake through his heart. At times he wonders if they should move closer to town. They’d be nearer to throngs of humans, true...but crowds can serve their purposes. And they’d be nearer to the healing witch.

Though still debating, Sasuke comes up short as his trail of thought stutters to a stop. He can hear voices further up the road. Ensuring the cover of his hood, he keeps on cautiously.

What he finds around the bend is...well, surprising, to say the least.

“You can’t keep doing this!”

“It’s instinct. You try ignoring an itch all over your body day in and day out!”

“Someone is going to - g-going to see you one of these nights! And then what will you do?”

“Tch, humans only see what they want to see!”

“They’re also fearful things. If they see monsters where there’s none, what will they think when they see you?”

Tucked just off the road are a pair of figures. One is a werewolf, fully transformed and clearly in pain. The other, holding his injured arm and giving him a scolding, is what looks like a human woman. But instinct tells Sasuke otherwise.

...she’s a witch.

The wind then shifts, and the wolf tenses as he catches a vampire’s scent. “...we’ve got company.”

Turning with a small gasp, his companion stares with wide, pearlescent eyes.

Sasuke quickly holds up hands in a gesture of peace. “...I don’t mean any harm. Just passing through.”

“Bloodsucker,” the werebeast scoffs, earning a look of disapproval from the woman.

“Kiba, mind your tongue! You’ve no reason to be rude!”

“I’ve been called far worse,” Sasuke assures them, daring to take a few more steps to talk. “Wolves and vampires have never been friendly.”

“Not exactly pleasant to be around someone who always reeks of blood when you’ve a nose as strong as mine,” Kiba counters, lips drawing back in a snarl of disgust.

“Nor do I enjoy the scent of wet dog.”

“Both of you, please,” the witch cuts in, exasperated.

Dropping the argument, Sasuke gives a nod. “...what happened?”

“None of your -”

“A scrap with another wolf,” she offers, ignoring Kiba’s ear-pinning glare. “He’ll be fine. I was just making sure it was clean.”

True to her word, water follows her call, clearing out the gashes along the beast’s forearm.

“So…you are a witch.”

“Mean something by that?” Kiba demands.

“Not at all. I rely on one for my own purposes - I’ve nothing against them. I just wasn’t aware they were so common in these parts.”

“We’re not, believe me. There’s a reason most of us live in hiding.”

“I can relate,” Sasuke replies dryly.

Giving a sympathetic look, she then offers, “I’m Hinata. This is Kiba - we’ve known each other far longer than we’d like to admit.”

“And I’m keen on keeping her safe,” the wolf clarifies.

“Gone and made yourself a familiar?”

“He’s not bound - I’d not do that to him,” Hinata insists. “We’re just friends. Meaning he gets into trouble, and I g-get him out of it again.”

Kiba just gives a huffing breath.

Lip twitching in amusement, Sasuke offers, “I’m Sasuke. Pleasure to meet you both...I suppose.”

“Likewise. Normally I’d wish for better circumstances, but...it can’t be helped. If you travel through here often, odds are we’ll cross paths again. I live just yonder over the hill.”

“And I just past the next town. We’re practically neighbors.”

Smiling, Hinata offers, “Well, we’ll not keep you - I’m sure you’ve a w-wanted to get home. Safe travels, Sasuke.”

“And to you. Until next time.” Giving a polite bend at the waist, he passes the pair and keeps on his way.

...maybe fetching Itachi’s medicine isn’t quite such a bother, after all. He wouldn’t mind seeing her again...

                                                          .oOo.

     All righty, day two! My regular readers surely know of my original monster verse I call Nightwalkers, but for anyone new, it's a bit of a political drama mixed with modern mixed with monsters! I've got oodles of lore to it, but...I won't bore you with the details, lol - my 365 day series has a mini series with in it of this universe, and it's one of my readers' favorites!      This time we're going back in time a good ways to something a bit more medieval, when things weren't QUITE as tense. Monsters are, of course, still hunted...but the politics aren't yet quite so dramatic, haha - and witches are far less rare, and a bit more commonly seen by both sides. Sasuke, obviously, is a vampire...Hinata a witch with a focus in water...and Kiba a werewolf! Because of course he'd be a werewolf xD      Not too much romance in this, buuut more a hint to what might be! Maybe another prompt for this month's event will allow for a sequel. If not...maybe one of my dailies! We'll have to see. But that's all for this piece - thanks for reading!

[fanfic-inator795]

Lego Batman Oneshot: Falling Alone, Flying Together

Plot: Maybe it had been too much to expect that he would completely get over it once he found a new family, but even so... he still wished it didn’t hurt this much. But thankfully, when it comes to this type of pain, he’s not alone.

((Okay so, I know the death of Robin’s parents wasn’t really elaborated on in the movie - considering how they died, that’s understandable that they wouldn’t talk about it much in a kids movie - but I still feel like he’d be effected by it. So, this is just a quick oneshot centered around that, with some Batdad and birb son moments too. Enjoy!))

It had been a pretty peaceful night so far. The only crime committed had been a couple attempted robberies - and the robbers didn’t even have any guns! Just a baseball bat and a hockey stick. Of course, once they saw that it was the infamous Dark Knight and Boy Wonder after them and not just the police, they gave themselves up pretty quickly. 

Despite the lack of crime however, Batman still insisted on sticking around, just in case. Leave it to the Batman to always have his guard up, even when nothing was going wrong. But Dick didn’t mind at all. Whether they were in Wayne Manor or in the Batmobile parked in some alley, as long as he was with his padre, it would still be a fun time.

Currently the two of them were listening to the police scanner, waiting to see if any other crimes would pop up that night. Although, since there wasn’t much going on tonight, Batman allowed Robin to quietly listen to one of his favorite pop music stations on the radio, just so they wouldn’t be too bored. The Dynamic Duo had also made a quick stop at a nearby gas station, with Batman grabbing a coffee and Robin happily snatching up a couple backs of mini sandwich-cookies. 

As he took another sip of his coffee, the Dark Knight narrowed his eyes a bit. “Something big is going to happen tonight...”

“Mm?” Robin swallowed his bite before looking at him curiously, “You think so?”

“Yes,” Batman replied firmly, “I can feel it in my guts... My super tuned-into-my-instincts bat-guts that are totally never wrong.”

“Huh...” His son thought for a couple moments as he chewed on another cookie, “Who do you think will try something tonight? Two-Face? Mr. Freeze?”

Batman gave a small hum. “Nah, it’s going to be something big. And unfortunately, there’s only one villain in this city who could pull off something that’s both big, memorable AND destructive.”

Robin nodded as he quickly made a serious face to match his father’s. “Yeah, no doubt about that, Batdad... But-” He started to smile, his eager determination clearly shining through. “-even if it is big, we’ll still be able to take care of it, no problem! Right?”

Unable to help himself, Batman smirked back at him. “Right. We just have to keep on our toes and wait for him to strike. Wait for an explosion, or a siren, or-”

Suddenly, there was a noise. It almost sounded like a scream, followed by an explosion - though it didn’t really sound like the explosions they were used to hearing on the job. Eyes wide, Robin stood up on his seat and pressed his face to the windshield, trying to get the best look at it. “...Or a fireworks display?” he asked, finishing the sentence.

Batman blinked. “A... wait, what? Ugh, hang on a sec.” Pressing a button, a small section of the Batmobile’s roof opened up, allowing the hero to poke his head up through it and see what was going on. As he did this, two more fireworks - a yellow and a green one - were launched up into the sky and mixed with the purple one that had just exploded. 

“Um, can fireworks be filled with laughing gas?” Robin asked, looking confused, as well as a bit concerned. He didn’t really mind the Joker - especially since he did help them save Gotham several months ago - but he still knew the clown was pretty dangerous when it came to his schemes.

As he watched the sparks and ashes of the fireworks fall while two more were launched to take their place, Batman shook his head. “No... But they can attract people’s attention.” Specifically, his attention. “Looks like Joker’s doing another one of his ‘grand show’ schemes.” The hero still remembered the parade with the Prince music all those years ago. There had also been the gameshow and the casino, and of course plenty of carnivals. 

So, the question was: Just what did this psychotic jester have in store for them tonight?

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait too long for an answer. As soon as Batman sat back down in his seat, both the radio and the police scanner cut out, producing nothing but static for a couple seconds. As soon as the static cleared, a familiar and gleefully evil voice began to speak. 

“Hello there, Gotham City! Guess who~? Come on, go ahead and guess! No idea? Well, time’s up - IT’S ME! The Joker!” The Joker then let out a laugh, though neither Batman nor Robin were too intimidated by it (in fact, Batman just rolled his eyes at it).

“I’d like to announce a special one-night only event!” Joker continued as bouncy music began playing in the background, “Just a little something I’d like to call-” There was a long drumroll. “...Joker’s Big-Top Bonanza! Ha! Hilarious, right?”

Robin’s eyes widened. “Big top...”

“Bonanza?” Batman repeated, raising an eyebrow, “The heck is-? Wait. Big top? If it’s a big top, then that means-”

“-He’s probably got a circus set up somewhere...” his sidekick/son quietly finished for him.

“Huh... I’m actually surprised that this is his first circus-themed scheme. What with the whole clown shtick and everything. What, did he just forget that circuses existed until just now?”

“I guess,” Robin shrugged. Again, the boy’s voice was quiet, and instead of watching the radio, he was now looking down at the floor of the car.

Given that he had made quite an improvement on his parenting skills in the past few months, perhaps Batman would have asked him if he was alright. Unfortunately, the Joker’s announcement wasn’t finished yet, and Batman couldn’t afford to miss any details. So, he listened on. 

“Now I realize this is kind of short notice, but good news Gothamites: You’re not the ones I’m inviting!” The Joker then paused as a recording of a disappointed audience going “Awww” played. 

“Oh, but don’t fret! After tonight’s performance, I suspect I’ll have two new members of my big top that I’ll be GLAD to show off for tomorrow’s early morning show - which will be in the center of the city! No having to worry about parking fees here! Buuut until then, our show’s going to be just outside the south side of Gotham... So come and get me, Batman~” 

With that, the radio returned to static, which Batman quickly turned off, growling slightly as he did. Without much of an element of surprise on their part, there was no doubt that the Joker would have plenty of dangerous tricks and traps awaiting them in that giant circus tent of his... 

But the heroes didn’t have a choice! "I guess we’ll just have to make sure this circus performance is one night only!” Batman declared as he narrowed his eyes, “Ready, Robin? ...Robin?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah,” Robin nodded, glancing up slightly, “I’m ready.” 

The Dark Knight stared at him for a moment. That definitely wasn’t his son’s usual level of enthusiasm... Especially when compared to how determined and excited he had been just a few minutes ago. “Uh, everything oka-?”

“Yeah!” Robin replied quickly - almost a little too quickly - as he forced a smile, “Now, come on, Batdad! Let’s go take that clown down!”

“...Right,” Batman mumbled as he started the car, still keeping an eye on the Boy Wonder as he did so, “Yeah, let’s go.” 

The car ride was silent yet quick, and thanks to the garishness of the Joker’s circus set-up (completely with bright spotlights and more fireworks going off every few minutes), their greatest enemy’s location was very easy to find even without an actual address. And as soon as the tires of the Batmobile screeched to a halt, the Dynamic Duo jumped out and started making a run for the biggest tent - no doubt the one that the Joker would be hiding in.  

“Keep your guard up!” Batman ordered as they ran. The hero had already taken out a bat-a-rang and was preparing for the worst.

“I’m on it, Padre!” Robin shouted back at him. He glanced around at their colorful surroundings. There didn’t look like there were any circus cannons set up, or circus animals hiding and waiting to attack, or- ...Or...

The Boy Wonder slowed slightly as he really started to take in the sights - the all too familiar sights for him. Smaller tents that would usually be used as dressing rooms, numerous barrels that someone his size could (and did) use to help him jump high and practice flips. Even the cheesy circus music that was playing in the background was familiar...

“Ugh!” He shook his head. “Come on, Grayson!” He had to focus on the mission! After all, Batman would never let familiar stuff like this get in his way! 

...Though, speaking of Batman, he did briefly glance back at his son as he heard this - and again, he felt a pinch of concern. But unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough time to deal with it now, so he made a note to talk to Robin about it later. 

As they got closer to the grand center-ring of the Joker’s scheme, various traps started going off beside them. Catapults that threw acid-filled pies, machines that formed sticky (and suffocating) clouds of cotton candy, and (of course) plenty of laughing gas-filled balloons that popped at random. 

Thankfully, with enough skill and precision, these were all easily dodged by the two heroes - and without anything else to stop them, Batman and Robin pushed their way through the fabric ‘doors’, into the tent - and right into a spotlight.

“Well, well, well! Glad you two could finally make it!” Joker’s voice greeted, though it was hard to tell where it was coming from. 

“It’s not like we really had a choice,” Batman retorted as he and Robin got into fighting positions, “Now show yourself so we can-”

Joker tsk tsk’d at him. “Not so fast, Batsy! After all, this is a circus! We can’t just have one of our normal fights! We have to turn it into a real showstopper! Buuut, I guess if you really want to fight me that badly... You’ll just have to come and get me!”

With that, all the lights in the tent came up - allowing the duo to see everything that was set up around them. Along with Harley Quinn, there must have been at least fifty other hired minions there, all wearing clown make-up with weapons in hand, ready to fight! 

As for the Joker, he just stood on a high platform above them in the center, wearing a ringmaster’s top hat just for the occasion as laughed. “Although, you may have to get through my funny friends first! Haha! A pretty great crew, don’t you think?”

“Tc’ch, I’ve seen better,” Batman retorted, far from being intimidated despite being clearly outnumbered. But what did that matter? He was Batman! With his fighting skills and his sidekick to help him out, he would have no problem taking all of them out

However, while Batman was focusing on their soon-to-be opponents, Robin was barely looking at them. No, instead his eyes had been caught by the simple trapeze set-up above them. He hadn’t seen a trapeze since... 

Hearing that Robin had gone quiet once again, Batman figured that now would be a good time to give out some good ol’ fatherly encouragement. That would help, right? “Don’t get too intimidated, kid” he told him quietly as he stretched his legs a bit, “I mean, if you could fight off a ton of villains from a prison dimension, then I know that you can do this!” 

“Oh, uh, right...” Robin nodded, forcing his eyes away from the trapeze and giving his father another small smile, “Yeah.” 

“Ugh, okay okay, enough stalling already!” the Joker shouted from above, impatiently tapping his foot a bit, “You’re the one who wanted to fight, Batman! So either come up here and fight me, or you could just entertain me instead!”

A nearby clown minion grinned at his cue and got out a throwing knife - but before it could even be thrown, it was knocked out of his hand by a bat-a-rang. “No thanks!” Batman shouted back, “I don’t think it’ll take us too long to get up there, with or without stalling!” With that, he and Robin ran out onto the circus floor, their own fists and weapons at the ready.

Despite the Dark Knight’s boasting though, the Joker just smirked back at him. “Hmph, we’ll see about that~”

The fight started almost instantly. When the two weren’t dodging fists, they were dodging things being thrown at them from above - from more throwing knives, to juggler pins and balls, to even peanuts! 

Luckily, Robin’s bo-staff made knocking these objects away easy! “I’ve got your back, Padre!” Robin told him, narrowing his eyes a bit as he batted away another ball. 

*POW!* “Thanks, Boy-Wonder!” Batman replied over his shoulder while his opponent fell to the floor. Two more clowns ran towards him, but the hero was quickly able to grab hold of them. *BAM! SMACK!*

Still trying to focus on giving his father cover, Robin couldn’t help but glance back up at the trapeze. Most of the minions were standing on the platforms, wanting a better opportunity to properly aim. However, he could see a couple of them - with guns, no less! - start to pull the trapeze rope towards them and grab hold of it...

“Hey!” The boy flinched slightly at his Batman’s sudden yell, though he quickly figured out that the call hadn’t been for him. Instead it was for the various circus minions who, rather than trying to attack them, were now racing past them. “I guess you spent so much on the decoration and atmosphere here that you had to cheap out on the hired help,” Batman commented as he looked back up at the Joker’s center platform.

The Clown Prince of Crime however just rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, Bats, I thought you were one of the smart heroes! You should know that you can’t have just one act in a Big-Top Bonanza! That would be BORING! And I don’t do boring. But fear not, our next act is coming right now, and it’s sure to knock you off your feet~!”

There was a honk, and the Dynamic Duo quickly turned around. Needless to say, they were pretty shocked to see not one, not three, but a little over a dozen clowns on roller skates and unicycles - and even a few of them in a clown car! - barreling towards them. And of course, dressed in a brand-new sparkly jester outfit with her own skates shined, Harley was leading the pack.

“Hey Bats!” she shouted as she started to get out her giant hammer, “Didn’t that butler of yours ever tell you not to play in the street?!”

Batman growled, and with really no other option, he and Robin started to run. “Just keep moving!” he shouted to his sidekick, “Serpentine, serpentine!”

“On- EEP!” Robin yelled as he just barely avoided getting run over by a unicycle, “O-On it, Batdad!

With how many obstacles there were to avoid, it was pretty crazy! However, the two heroes knew how to stay light on their feet. They would also make sure to knock down any clown that they could whenever they got the chance, just so they wouldn’t be able to quickly turn around and try to run them over again. 

Dealing with the clown car had been a bit difficult, since it was a bit too big to simply jump over, but with enough timing and speed, it was able to be dodged at least. A quick Bat-a-Rang in the tailpipe later, and it was down for the count! Even Harley’s destructive hammer was used against her, with Robin distracting her as a target while Batman grabbed the back end of it and used all his strength to swing it away - and taking Harley with it. 

Taking a moment to rest, the two heroes smiled at each other. “Looks like traffic is clear!” Robin announced.

“Heh, nice one, kid,” Batman nodded - though if he was being honest, the kid could still use a couple more ‘Cool One-Liners For Superheroes’ lessons. “Okay, now we just have to-”

Another sound pierced the air. However, this time it wasn’t a car or unicycle horn, but instead almost sounded like a trumpet or something. Slowly, the duo turned towards the one area of the circus floor that hadn’t been lit up, and watched as an absolutely huge figure emerged from the darkness. Its tiny eyes glaring, its trunk - slow but powerful - already swinging, and as it came to a halt, it started to stomp and dig its foot into the ground like an angry bull. 

“Holy pachyderm,” Robin mumbled, taking a couple steps back.

Batman on the other hand just threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “SERIOUSLY?!” he shouted, and the Joker just laughed and laughed. It looked like he really had gone all out with this scheme. 

“Come on, Jumbo!” the Joker yelled, “It’s playtime!” The elephant let out another mighty call, preparing to charge. They certainly couldn’t run away from it, it would catch up to them in a matter of seconds! Even splitting up would still lead to one of them probably getting flattened! So, they would just have to go with plan B.

“Ready, Robin?” Batman asked, holding out his hand. 

Putting on a determined face, Robin looked at him. “Ready!” He took his father’s hand, while his other hand gripped his bo-staff tightly. The elephant began to run towards them... and Batman and Robin ran towards it.

The Joker blinked. “Whoa, never thought I’d see the Bat play chicken with an elephant!” he commented as he pulled a bucket of popcorn from out of nowhere, “But hey, I’m not complaining!” 

The three of them were getting closer, with the elephant of course being much faster. However, it wasn’t until they were a mere few feet apart that the Dynamic Duo put their plan into action. 

Stabbing his bo-staff into the ground, Robin propelled both himself and Batman up into the air, the two of them just narrowly missing the elephant’s head. Instead, they landed on its back for just a split second, using it as a jumping off point to jump even higher and farther - just far enough to grab onto the ladder that led to the Joker’s platform.

“...” Looking down at them with his sharp-toothed mouth agape, the Joker barely even noticed when he dropped his popcorn out of shock. 

“Well, with that super-cool stunt out of the way,” Batman started to say as he gave another smirk, “How’s about we take the express way up?” 

“Sounds like a good idea to me!” Robin nodded. They got out their grappling hooks and shot them upwards, hooking them into the fabric ceiling. 

Growling, the Joker turned his attention back to the minions on the surrounding platforms. “Alright guys, let’s give them one last trick before the grand finale!”

Hearing a chorus of “Right, boss!” both Batman and Robin turned to see what the clowns were up to - but only Robin’s eyes widened at the sight. 

Just as he had noticed before, some of the clown minions had switched from using simple weapons to actual guns. Not only that, but they were going to use the length and angle of the trapeze to try and get a better shot. Without any more hesitation, the clowns grabbed hold of the ropes and started swinging. “Pew pew!” “Pew pew pew!”

“Come on!” he heard Batman say, “Let’s give them a moving target!” Batman pressed the retract button on his Bat-grappling hook, and shot up into the sky. Pushing aside his anxieties the best he could, Robin did the same. 

“Pew pew pew!” Pewpewpew!” As he and his father continued towards the Joker - occasionally stopping or swinging to the other side of the platform, just to keep it hard for them to hit their enemies to hit their target - Robin watched the would-be assassins, unable to take his eyes off them. Though, it wasn’t because of fear. ...At least, not out of fear for himself. 

With each of them using one hand to hold a gun, the minions didn’t exactly have the highest grip on the trapeze ropes. And despite all that he had set up, the Joker hadn’t bothered putting up a safety net. 

“They’re going to fall... T-They’re going to fall!”

“Huh?” Batman glanced back at him, “What’d you say, kid?”

“They’re-” There was a shout. Robin felt himself gasp as he saw the clown start to lose his grip. Of course, the minion dropped his gun in an attempt to regain his balance, but it was too late. 

For a moment, Robin felt the urge to swing forward while letting go of his grappling hook. To swing down and try to save the circus-themed minion, no matter how dangerous it might have been.

And for a moment, Robin didn’t see a faceless minion. Instead, he saw a man and a woman, dressed in matching red, acrobatic uniforms...

“WHOA!” Another nearby minion shouted. Before his fellow clown could fall more than just a foot or so, he was able to grab him, stopping his descent. Both of them then gave sheepish looks as the Joker yelled at them, saying something about “needing to be professional” and not make mistakes that could ruin the fun.

The hired clown-man was safe. No one was dead. ...And yet Dick couldn’t stop shaking. 

“Alright, Joker,” Batman told his greatest enemy as he finally reached the platform, “It’s over. Your big ‘grand finale’ has been canceled.”

The Joker grinned as he got out a lion tamer’s whip. “We’ll see about that,” he replied, tipping his top hat a bit towards the Bat.

As Batman glared, he heard tiny feet land behind him. “Alright Robin,” he whispered, “I’ll take him on in front, and you try to knock him off balance from behind.”

“I-I-” Dick clenched his eyes shut for a moment. He could still see them falling, hear their screams in his ear. “B-Batdad, I-”

“What, do you want to go with the classic distraction plan instead?” Batman asked, still keeping his eyes focused on the Joker, “Well, if you think you can avoid that whip of is-”

“No, Padre, I- I need to-”

“Oh! Wait! New plan, we both take him on from the front and fight him at the same time! A full, head-on fight! That should tire him out.”

“But Batman-!”

“We just need to make sure to time our punches just right so he can’t land any hits on us.”

“Batman-!”

“Okay kid, on three. One, two-!”

“BRUCE!”

The entirety of the tent fell silent. Blinking, Batman turned to look at the boy - and was shocked at how frightened he looked. Even the Joker was surprised enough to go silent at the sight.

“Robin...?” Batman asked finally. 

Dick looked away. “I just - I’m sorry. I-I can’t stay here.” He was ashamed, but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t be there any longer. “I have to... to go h-home.” Considering where he was plus all the resurfacing memories, it took a moment for him to remember to call Wayne Manor his home. 

“But...” If his son hadn’t looked so frightened, maybe Batman would’ve been angry or annoyed with him for just bailing. But even if he wasn’t angry, he was still pretty confused. “Wait, Robin-”

But Dick just ignored him. Turning around and taking aim with his grappling hook once more, he fired, swung down back onto the circus floor, and ran out as fast as he could without another word. 

“...Wow... I mean, heh, I know I can be intimidating but... enough to call out for his other dad? Geez...” 

Batman glared at the Joker, despite the clown’s concerned look. It would seem that whatever the Joker had done to freak Dick out, it hadn’t been done on purpose. Sure, the Joker could definitely be cruel at times, but he had taken a liking to the Boy Wonder (as had most of the other villains in Gotham). He would still fight the kid, but he probably wouldn’t try to hurt him emotionally (or even hurt him too seriously physically) like he would with Batman.

Still, whether or not the Joker was in the wrong in this case, Batman still had a job to do and a circus to stop. So, the fight was back on...

Thankfully, the rest of their battle didn’t take too long, since neither of them were really in the mood to fight now. And, as soon as the GCPD had the Joker in their custody, Batman drove off in the Batmobile. Of course, without Robin there, the car was filled with a familiar yet still noticeable silence.

“...Hey, ‘Puter?” Batman spoke up as he got onto the highway.

There was a small chime. “What’s up?” the Bat Computer asked.

“Do you know if Dick made it home yet?”

“Okay, accessing Wayne Manor security footage.” There were a few moments of silence. “It looks like Dick is in his room.”

The Dark Knight gave a small sigh of relief. “Good, good. Thanks.” ...Still, even with his son safely at home, Batman still couldn’t completely shake the worry he was feeling. “Just what was going on with him tonight?” he mumbled. He had been just fine, up until they heard about the Joker’s circus plan. And the longer they were there, the more upset Dick had gotten.

“I just - I’m sorry. I-I can’t stay here. I have to go h-home.” “They’re going to fall. T-They’re going to fall!”

“Hmm... ‘Puter?” “Yes?” “Look up the family name ‘Grayson’. After a moment, he added, “And look it up with the word ‘Circus’ next to it.” 

The Bat Computer gave a small beep - a sort of quick “Yes Sir” - as it searched through the various databases that it could connect to in a matter of seconds. ‘Puter then beeped again. “I found a newspaper article that features ‘Grayson’ and ‘Circus’. Would you like me to read it?” 

“Yeah,” the hero replied simply, though even if his tone was flat, he couldn’t help but be a bit curious.

“Okay... The date is from April 19th, 2015-” A little over two years ago. Dick probably would have been nine or ten years old then. “-And the article reads ‘Tragedy at Traveling Circus. Last night, the famous Haley’s Circus made a stop near Gotham City. Unfortunately, what started out as a fun and thrilled filled night ended in tragedy. One of the performers at Haley’s Circus was a family of acrobats known as The Flying Graysons.” 

Acrobats, huh? Given how skilled the kid was in both acrobatics and gymnastics (plus gymkata) and how it seemed like he was always climbing or jumping off of stuff, it wasn’t too surprising that Dick came from a whole family of acrobats. “The Flying Graysons - John and Mary Grayson, as well as their son who is still in training - were known for performing death-defying stunts without the aid of a safety net.” As soon as he heard that, Batman’s eyes widened. He could feel his heart start to sink a bit, and Alfred’s words from what felt like a lifetime ago began to echo through his mind. 

“You two have a lot in common... He lost his parents at a young age.”

“According to Mr. Haley, the two elder Graysons had been performing for years, and he never felt like they were truly putting themselves at risk because of how skillful they were. But it seems last night’s performance had nothing to do with the level of difficulty of the stunt. Numerous witness have confirmed that during the performance, one of the trapeze ropes broke just before John and Mary were able to land safely on the next platform and causing the two acrobats to fall, receiving fatal injuries. The reason for the equipment failure is still being investigated. The only survivor of the Flying Graysons act is John and Mary’s young son, who had been only a spectator during the performance, Rich-”

Batman pressed the mute button on the radio, silencing ‘Puter. He didn’t need to hear anymore. “Dick...” 

Once he arrived home, Batman didn’t even bother driving through the Bat Cave. He could worry about parking the Batmobile later. For the time being, he just parked it in front of his manor, put it into ‘street mode’, and went inside.

“Sir?”Alfred asked, glancing up from his dusting as soon as he heard the front door open. Though, given how clean everything already was (plus the concerned look on his butler’s face), Batman could suspect that the older gentleman was just keeping himself busy. “I-”

“I need to talk to Dick,” Batman stated, his tone stern yet soft. Determined, yet caring. Understanding completely, Alfred stepped aside and gave his master a quiet “Good luck” as he went upstairs. 

Dick’s bedroom door was shut, and Batman couldn’t hear any noises. Not even sniffling. For a moment, Batman wondered if the boy had just fallen asleep. Maybe their talk would be better suited for the morning... But then he remember just how distraught Dick had been, as well as how lonely being an orphan could be at times - and that was more than enough motivation to push Batman into knocking on the door.

A couple seconds passed before he heard an answer. “I’m not hungry, Grandpa...”

“It’s me,” Batman corrected him through the door. When that didn’t get a reply, he asked, “Can I come in?”

“...Okay.”

Taking a deep breath, the Dark Knight slowly opened the door. Save for a small bedside lamp, the lights in the room were off. However, instead of laying down on the bed, Dick was sitting on the edge of it in his pajamas, holding himself tightly with his head hanging low. 

Batman started to walk over to him, but then stopped. After a moment of thought, he took off his cowl. His hair popped into place just as he sat down on the bed. For several moments, neither of them said a word. 

“...Batman,” Dick began suddenly, still keeping his head low, “Am... Am I grounded for just, leaving you to deal with the Joker alone like that?” 

Had it not been for the solemn situation, maybe Bruce would’ve smiled a bit at that. “Nah, not this time, kid,” he told him, shaking his head.

“Okay...” Dick winced slightly, squeezing his arms a bit. “Though, I’m still sorry about it. I-It wasn’t exactly a heroic thing to do...”

“It’s alright,” Bruce quietly insisted, “I... I understand why you had to leave.” Dick didn’t say anything, but the unmasked hero did see him blink a few times, trying his hardest to hold back his tears. 

“...I uh, already know the details of... of what you had to go through, but... if you wanna talk about it, I’m here to listen. And yeah, I know from personal experience that talking about this stuff isn’t exactly fun, but... admittedly, it does help.”

Again, Dick waited to give a reply, though it didn’t seem to be out of hesitation. Bruce could see that the boy was thinking, trying to figure out what he needed to say while separating thoughts from memories. So, Bruce was patient, and even glanced away from Dick, not wanting to inadvertently put pressure on him to say something he wasn’t ready to talk about. So, he just put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and waited. 

Eventually, Dick did start to speak, and began with one simple question: “D-Do you... Do you know why I wanted to get adopted so badly?”

Turning his gaze back over to the boy, Bruce slowly shook his head.

“It wasn’t because I wanted to r-replace them or, or anything like that. I’d never want to do that. Not ever. But, I just... I thought that, i-if I could just find a new family to be with, m-maybe- maybe it wouldn’t feel so bad.” Dick’s voice started to crack as the tears finally started to fall. Bruce’s frown deepened as he started to gently rub Dick’s back, soothing him the best he could.

Unfortunately for the time being, it didn’t seem to help much. “M-Maybe I wouldn’t feel as a-alone, and- and maybe it w-wouldn’t hurt as much... A-And it’s mostly worked! I-I love being in a family with you and A-Alfred and Barbara! But...” He finally looked up at his adoptive father, eyes watery. “But... i-it never really stops hurting, does it?”

Bruce gave a small sigh. “No... It doesn’t,” he answered.

Dick sniffled, his lip now quivering a bit. Before he could say anything more, Bruce gently pulled him into a hug. Unable to help himself, the boy started to sob into his chest, occasionally mumbling things like “It’s not fair” and “I still miss them” and even “I’m sorry”. Whether he was apologizing for crying or for missing his parents - his mom and his real dad - Bruce wasn’t sure.

But even so, Bruce just stayed silent and continued to hold him, rubbing his back and occasionally shushing him. It was what Alfred would do for him whenever he broke down as a child - and if it worked then, hopefully it would work now. 

It took a while (as was to be expected) but eventually Dick’s sobs did start to soften, though he still sniffled a bit as he held onto Bruce. “I know that... that they would want me to be happy, but... i-it’s hard sometimes... Really hard.”

“Yeah, I know...” Bruce agreed, giving another small sigh, “I know.” You could move on from death, you could even become a super-tough and awesome vigilante, but you could never truly forget... But, just like with the other emotions and feelings Bruce had been learning about lately, maybe that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

Bruce glanced up, gazing out the window and out towards the lights of Gotham. “...You’re right. They wouldn’t want you to feel sad all the time. They would want you to be happy, and make your own life for yourself - and trust me, you’re already doing a great job with that. And, in case you ever think otherwise, I know that they wouldn’t mind you meeting new people too. Making new friends, a new family... They wouldn’t want you feeling guilty over that stuff.”

He felt Dick give a small nod. “Can’t stop letting people in,” he quietly quoted, “Right?”

That time, Bruce did smile, just a little. “Right. But at the same time, as hard as it is... it’s okay to feel sad too.” 

“H-Huh? Dick sniffled.

Bruce closed his eyes. “No one says that you have to completely forget about them, or about how you feel. It’s... It’s alright to miss them... To wish that they were still here, or remember them, or even cry for a bit. It may not feel the greatest but, you don’t have to feel guilty about doing it either. ...Better than always pretending or repressing it...” Like a certain bat-themed hero who maybe wasn’t the best role model, even if he usually meant well. 

“...Yeah” he heard Dick reply as he opened his eyes, the boy’s voice a lot steadier now, “I know.”

"Good. So, yeah...” He started to loosen his hug, but before the two of them completely separated, Bruce remembered one last thing he wanted to tell him. “And Dick?”

Dick glanced up at him. “Yeah, Batman?”

“Just- ...For the times when it does hurt - when you need to cry or, or take a day off to mourn or anything like that - just remember that... I’m here for you. We’re here for you. No matter what.”

“...” Even as a couple more tears fell from his eyes, they weren’t enough to stop Dick from smiling. “Heh, o-okay,” he said as he moved back into Bruce’s arms, hugging him tightly. And of course, Bruce returned the hug without hesitation. 

“...So,” the billionaire started to say once their hug ended, “I guess I should let you get some sleep now. I mean, it’s sorta late.” Though really it wasn’t THAT late, at least when compared to how late the two of them usually stayed up. Still, he wanted Dick to get some well-deserved rest.

But Dick, on the other hand... “Uh, yeah, I guess it is kinda late. But, I’m not really that sleepy. So...” He gave a bit of a sheepish look, staying close to his adoptive father’s side. “Maybe, we could just hang out the rest of the night?”

Thanks to being a pretty good detective, Bruce knew how to read between the lines - though even if he wasn’t, he would still know what the boy was trying to say. You helped me feel better, but I still don’t really want to be alone right now. Another feeling he could admit to having at times, even if he usually hid or ignored it. 

But he would do no such thing tonight. Instead, Bruce just smiled at him. “Yeah. Sounds like a good idea to me.”

Dick smiled back. “Thanks... Thanks, Padre.”

“No problem, kid.”

()()()()()()()()()

It was nearly sunrise when Alfred found the two of them in the living room on the couch. Bruce was still in his Batman costume, minus the cowl, while Dick was in his pajamas. Between the two of them on the coffee table was a plate of cookies. Or rather, there had been a plate of cookies there, but now it was just crumbs. On the TV, an old recording of ‘The Gray Ghost’ (an old favorite of Bruce’s from his childhood) was continuing to play despite no one watching it. 

But none of those things were of any importance to Alfred. Instead, the butler could only focus on his two young masters, smiling softly as he watched them sleep. Dick was using his father’s lap as a pillow, and Bruce had a hand on his son’s shoulder. And, despite the rough night they’d had, it still looked like the two of them were having a peaceful sleep, not even waking up when Alfred placed a couple blankets over them. Surely a bit of sleeping in wouldn’t do the duo any real harm...

Given what they had went through at such young ages, the butler of course sympathized with the two of them greatly, but he also knew that they would be alright. Yes, the two orphans-turned-superheroes would always have a certain weight on their shoulders, and they would always have days where their hearts would be heavy as memories, both good and bad, played in their minds. They would always feel that loss... But they would also feel what they’ve gained over time, as well. 

It would always hurt, but at the same time, at least both of them now knew that they weren’t alone in their pain. Despite tragedy, they had found each other, and that was all that mattered.

THE END

[tigerlover16-uk]

Update on GT re-watch

well, I just finished watching the start of the Baby Saga, the mini-arc set on that robot planet I already can’t remember the name of. Aaaaand... I’ll give it credit, it was better than the vast majority of the Black Star arc before it. But that’s not saying much because that saga was boring as heck.

I dunno, the whole time I was watching this little arc something just felt off. I mean, the animation was fantastic, the music was pretty good, and the idea of these episodes sounds great on paper... buuut, the episodes themselves were just kinda meh at best. I don’t know if it was to do with the writing or that I already wasn’t that invested because of the last string of episodes, but a lot of things in this episode just didn’t work for me. Giru’s supposed face turn was probably the most interesting thing they do with him in the series from what I remember, but honestly he was such an uninteresting character and kind of annoying in some of the previous episodes (Though episode 15 was a good showing for him, if not Pan) that as a result, I didn’t really care much for the supposed drama of his betrayal, and the twist that he was actually double crossing the villains and helping our heroes, while it was pretty clever, it still didn’t make me care. The little guy’s kinda cute, but he feels like such a pointless and dull character most of the time that I didn’t feel any weight to this little character arc.

Pan was arguably at her best here that she’s been in the series so far, but that’s only a minor step up. General Rilldo was an awesome idea for a character and I like what we got from him, he feels like he could have been an interesting arc villain on his own, but he’s killed off in such an anti-climactic fashion. For a villain that was stated to be more powerful than Majin Buu and had some unique characteristics and abilities, he never really got to amount to much apart from a decent fight with Goku. Speaking of, the action was alright, better than the short and dull fights we’ve got so far, but nothing on the level of Z’s fights so far. Dr Myuu, honestly when I first saw him I liked him and I thought he was going to be an interesting or at least entertaining villain while he was around, but he turned out to be pretty boring by the end. He was just a generic insane evil scientist with delusions of grandeur that’s willing to do horrible things for his own greedy purposes. His personality was flat, he had generic motivations and dialogue, and while I think it had more to do with the delivery of the dub actor his breakdown at the end of the arc really wasn’t as sad as I think the writers wanted it to be. He was lame, and honestly he makes me miss Dr Gero a little.

Even Baby felt kind of underwhelming. I know he was fresh out of his pod, but going down after a single hit just felt kind of lame, and while the ending should have been really cool and a great twist... the voice they gave him was just really dumb that I couldn’t take it seriously. I remember that scene being a lot better in the dub I watched as a kid. Does Baby sound better in the Japanese version where the scene plays out better? I dunno, I don’t understand Japanese so I couldn’t judge the performance if I wanted to, though next time I watch the series it’ll be the subs to see if it is an improvement. If I even want to re-watch GT when I’m done with this.

Other than that? Everything just felt sort of... okay...ish? Nothing all that bad, barely anything great apart from some cool moments and dialogue scattered about, a few jokes here and there that made me grin a little but nothing that funny. It was just meh from start to finish.

Which is odd, because it feels like I should have liked these episodes a lot more than I did, but as I was watching I just got an increasing sense of “Yeah, yeah, just skip to the good parts” and they never came. I know I’m doing a poor job explaining myself here, but I’m having a hard time making sense of my feelings on these episodes myself. I’ve been watching plenty of saga’s from all three other Dragon Ball series lately, and they all left me feeling a lot more positive emotions than I did here. Even the Pilaf Saga, which I feel was the weakest of the Dragon Ball sagas and had a lot of jokes I didn’t like, mostly the really pervy ones, had me suitably entertained and invested all the way through. Even with all the problems the arc had, I still had a blast with the Future Trunks Saga, so much more there I could enjoy and get invested in. Heck, the Resurrection F retelling was less underwhelming than this. And in Z I can easily sit back and enjoy a long stream of episodes from any point in the series. Yet with most of GT so far, it’s felt like a chore to sit through.

And I don’t like that this is the feeling I’m getting. I remember enjoying this show as a kid and I’ve wanted to defend it for years from people saying how completely awful and worthless it is, how it really did have value even in spite of it’s faults. And while I’m still confident that everything in this saga going forward is a ton better written and more enjoyable, I’m having a hard time believing it’s going to be worth it by the end to have first had to sit through all this boredom. Honestly, it’s no wonder everyone was so mad at this series back in the day. For every interesting idea it has, the good animation and the occasionally good moments of action and character moments, it’s a slog to sit through and really boring, with none of the charm of the previous two Dragon ball series.

And people say this show is better than Super? In my last post on GT, I mentioned that episode 16 of Super made me laugh more and left me more entertained than the entirety of GT up to episode 13 with maybe the exception of episode 2 which was pretty fun. And so far, that still holds true. I don’t know, maybe part of it is just me and I’m still having a hard time trying to work out exactly what it is that’s going on here, but this re-watch has been a real revelation for me... in a bad way.

I really didn’t want to be a negative nancy. I still want to be one of those people that can confidently say he likes GT even if it was flawed, but so far I’m feeling really down about it. Oh, and I’ve still got the Super 17 arc to look forward to which I vividly remember was pretty bad, and watching the Gogeta vs Omega Shenron fight on YouTube proved how boring that fight was leaving me with little enthusiasm for that part of the Shadow Dragons arc. (Shakes fist half heartedly in the air with a sarcastic “Woo hoo”).

sigh. Do I sound like a jerk? I really don’t want to be a jerk, i thought i was going to like this show by now and have a good time, especially hearing testimonies from other fans about how underappreciated GT is, but i just can’t force myself to enjoy what I’ve seen so far. At the very least, i should be at the part where things start to really pick up if memory serves, so here’s hoping the excitement picks up soon. But I’m just not feeling the magic I’ve come to associate from watching Dragon ball so far with this series.