#even if he was cleared of terrorism he was kidnapped and still involved in the arch

[phoenixandthestral]

Wait, did they never wrap up the plot thread about being Percy being on the national news for domestic terrorism? Or did no one see at him at the arch? Still, he was all over the news thanks to Gabe.

Can't wait for him to start 7th grade and everyone is like "aren't... Aren't you that kid who who blew up the St. Louis Arch???"

[sneverussape]

ripple effect

i have evans!severus on the brain so am clearing out some of the old drafts i've had. :)

@greens-your-color prompt # 81 - FOUND

summary: In which Harry and Kathleen Evans are thrown for a loop when their eldest daughter was supposed to have gone out to buy things for supper but instead comes back with a child which she may or may not have kidnapped.

wc: 2123+ cw: child abandonment and neglect and its possible effects (mainly food insecurity)

--

Harry Evans was rarely out of his depth.

He was an engineer by trade, and so most of the hours of his day involved maths, and he liked that because maths was absolute. There was no problem at work that running the numbers couldn’t resolve. He was a fixer at his core; he provided solutions, and the people he had to tell them to generally always agreed with his recommendations. His life from 8AM to 5PM was routine and predictable, he got paid reasonably well for it, and best of all, he always knew what he was supposed to be doing.

But parenting? Parenting was another matter altogether.

-

Harry Evans tried not to stare at the boy Petunia had dragged through the front door half an hour before supper. Instead, he trained his eyes at the muddy footprints they’d tracked on the runner in the hall and made a mental note to clean it before Kit saw.

“Hello, Pet. Will your friend stay for supper?” he asked. Gentle tones always worked for his eldest daughter; it wouldn’t do to work her into the defensive early in the conversation.

Petunia, to her credit, looked remorseless but furious. At what exactly, he couldn’t tell.

“He’s not my friend,” she said vehemently. “But Dad, I caught him stealing from the grocer and Mr. Hannigan was angry and grabbed him and made me lose the money and…and he’s got no place to go right now, I think.”

Harry took the opportunity to study the boy in front of him. He was small and grubby and looked more like a stray puppy than a child. He had never seen him before in his life and sincerely hoped Petunia had not snatched away the poor little blighter without their parents knowing.

“You think?” Harry echoed carefully. There was a slow-growing terror pooling in his gut at the possibility of Petunia having taken away somebody’s child in a fit of social justice. His guardians could be out of their minds with worry. He had just sent her out for butter and eggs not even an hour past, for God’s sake. He had mincemeat ready and waiting on the counter for that night’s supper. The possibility of her not coming back with the ingredients he needed and instead being presented with a strange boy with an even stranger backstory had not been on his list of expected rational outcomes.

“Darling…” He fought to keep his voice calm. “Darling, where are his parents?”

Who is he? was the question he really wanted to ask but he had already glimpsed back at the boy several times, and had seen fear in the wide eyes that had seemed too big for his small face before they shifted to glare downwards at the carpet. He couldn’t have been more than…four years old? He was smaller than Lily, but had a nervous air about him, and Harry didn’t want to frighten him further. Instead, he trained his eyes on his daughter, who was seemingly intent on giving him a full report.

“They weren’t there.” Petunia frowned in blatant disapproval. “He’s always alone. I see him sometimes, when I take Lily to the playground. He wears the same clothes over and over.”

Interesting.

Harry turned his attention now on the boy, who still had his chin practically tucked into his chest. Petunia had a firm grip on his hand, but hadn’t pulled away at any point in the strange conversation they’d been having. There was a little bit of trust there, then. Or perhaps he was really only just scared?

“Hello there,” Harry peered at him, taking the chance to look at the boy in earnest. He was wearing at least three layers of t-shirts over torn jeans, which wouldn’t have been enough to keep him warm. His thin arms were covered in goosebumps and there was dirt underneath his fingernails. The boy was simply too young to be fending for himself but the longer Harry looked the more it seemed that that was the actuality of the situation. Concern for the boy’s well-being suddenly made his gut churn. “What’s your name?”

The boy didn’t answer and remained standing stock-still.

“His name’s Severus….”

That seemed to get the boy’s attention, and he glared up at Petunia when he heard his name, as though annoyed that she had even known, or had dared to tell an adult. She gave him a glare of equal proportions.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I saved you! I saw you stealing from right under Mr. Hannigan’s nose and he nearly throttled you. I had to lie to him!” she said, sounding affronted not at the near-throttling but at the lying. She turned back to her father. “I had to pay for it with the money you gave me, Dad, I’m sorry, but it was the only way we could go. I didn’t want him to call the police!”

“All right, calm down. I’m sure whatever the issue is with Mr. Hannigan, we can resolve it…” Harry said. He made a mental note to expect a call from Mr. Hannigan, possibly tomorrow. The old grocer was cantankerous on his best days and Harry doubted that he would let that sort of incident go easily. The last thing he needed was to be reported to the council…

“…And then Severus all made the lights in the store explode.”

Harry blinked, wondering if he’d heard wrong. At her words, Severus’ head shot up once more, this time betrayal evident on his face.

“I din’t mean it!” he cried. His dark eyes shone with unshed tears as he looked frantically between Petunia and Harry. “He grabbed me an’ it hurt, then I felt kinda hot and then all the lights went boom!”

Ah. He’d heard right then. Petunia nodded as though to confirm the story and Harry rubbed at his temple to ward off the headache that had built up within the past minute.

“It’s like Lily, Dad.” Petunia sounded more unsure now, and Harry all at once knew why she had thought it was best to just grab the boy and go. “When she does…things. He did it too, and I was scared. I didn’t want him to run away and get into even more trouble, and he doesn’t even have a coat! So, I brought him here.”

Bugger his headache, it had come on fast. He didn’t know where to how to process the information Petunia had just given him. He needed an aspirin. He needed to start dinner. He needed to find out who and where the boy’s parents were and to call them. He needed…

“Harry?” Kit’s voice sounded from the stairs. “Is Petunia back? I heard a commotion…whatever is this mess on the carpet?!”

Harry smiled in spite of himself. Kit always did have impeccable timing.

-

Supper that night was takeaway fish and chips from the corner store which he volunteered to get just so he could take a moment to let the buzzing in his head settle. He left the children with Kit, trusting her to be able to wheedle some more information out of Severus that he wouldn’t have been able to say in front of Harry.

By the time he’d come back, Kit had not only managed to find out a few more things about their young guest but also had been able to convince him to wear one of Lily’s old dressing gowns. Severus looked slightly warmer, if not a smidge uncomfortable. Lily sat beside him at the dining room table and attempted conversation. He didn’t respond but did manage to finish the portion of fish, chips, and mushy peas they had served him. Harry pretended not to notice when he saw Severus cramming a handful of Lily’s own chips into the pockets of his dressing gown when she wasn’t looking.

“Ok, Severus,” Kit’s tone was low and gentle, almost as though she was talking to a skittish colt. After supper they had sent Petunia and Lily to the sitting room to watch TV. It was really so that they could have a modicum of privacy, but Harry didn’t put it past either of his daughters to be listening in on the conversation from the other side of the door. “Could you tell Harry what you told me a little while ago?”

Severus frowned. “Abou’ what?”

“Well, your Da for instance. Is he at work?”

At this, Severus seemed to wilt. “I…dunno. I haven’t seen him.”

“How long?”

“Couple o’ weeks now. He went out one day and never came back.”

The statement triggered alarm bells within Harry. Was he hearing correctly? He threw a concerned look at Kit who raised her eyebrows at him. It gets worse, her expression said.

“Where did he go, Severus? Did he tell you anything before he left?” Harry asked. “Where are you staying?”

“Spinner’s End.”

That was the community across the river, where a lot of the factory laborers lived in. It was a hodgepodge area that had a less-than-rosy reputation and was always in danger of being eradicated completely.

The slums, Harry’s brain had stated for him, unhelpfully. He fought to keep his expression neutral to not distress Severus any further.

“If it’s all right with you, you can stay here for the night, or as long as you need, really,” Harry forced out a smile that he hoped wouldn’t frighten the boy. He resisted touching him, although he wanted very badly to gather the poor mite for a hug. He couldn’t imagine how terrified the poor child was, being in a strange house with people he didn’t know. If he had been in the boy’s shoes, as young and vulnerable as he was, he likely would have already wet himself.

Severus, to his credit, only gave him a solemn nod.

“Will…will ye help me find my Da?” he asked, his voice small as his fingers fidgeted in what seemed to be an unconscious manner. The sound of brittle hope in his tone coupled by the air of ready defeat should he be rejected tore Harry’s heart to pieces.

This was a child. How could anyone abandon their own child? And how long had Severus been wandering about, fending for himself by stealing from stores, and asking other adults to help him, only to be rejected? What world was he living in where people could readily abandon their own flesh and blood when they had only barely learned to put their own clothes on? He doubted Severus could even already tie his own shoes.

Harry wondered if the boy’s father was still even alive and he hoped, rather bitterly, that he wasn’t if only because that was the only explanation that he was willing to accept why he had left his son vulnerable to the fates. Anything other than that ruled him out as a cold-hearted bastard and no, Harry was not going to apologise for it.

“We will look for him,” Harry said. He was careful not to make any promises they couldn’t keep. He could, at the very least, look for Severus’ errant father. He vowed to himself that the man would not know a day of peace if he ever found him. “What was your last name?”

“Snape.” Severus said curtly. “Me Da’s Tobias.”

Tobias Snape. That was a start. Harry Evans slowly uncurled the fist he hadn’t realized he’d clenched on his lap.

“And you can stay here while we do, all right? You’re very welcome in our home, Severus. You can stay for as long as you want to.” He repeated his previous offer for good measure, but changing his words slightly so as to ease him into the notion that he had a choice in the matter. The boy nodded again, but was no less fidgety than before.

“Are you still hungry, Severus?” Kit asked, leaning forward so that they were speaking in near-whispers. Bless his wife’s heart. He could already see that Severus was far more comfortable with her than he realized. “It’s all right, you can eat more if you want, we have plenty of food.”

“No, miss, thank ye,” Severus said softly, although his eyes were on Petunia’s half-eaten cod. Harry felt his heart twinge at the sight.

“Why don’t you help us clear up then?” he said, standing up and tugging on Kit’s sleeve as he went. Thankfully, Kit was always sharp as a tack. “Mrs. Evans and I will go to the kitchen for a moment and then we can all gather the plates and things. You can stay here if you like.”

Severus nodded more eagerly this time, and Harry led Kit out to the kitchen, away from the boy’s line of sight. He reached out and squeezed her hand as they stood under the fluorescent lighting in silence. She squeezed back and Harry counted to thirty in his head.

When they returned to the dining room, Severus was still in his seat, but all the plates had been picked clean. He looked immensely proud of himself and smiled when they approached.

“I’ll help now,” he said, the dressing gown’s pockets overfull as he stood, and Harry smiled at him back.

end.

--

related fic: this much i know is true, when tobias meets severus again

all evans!severus content are tagged. click the link to see the tag. :)

[captmickey]

Terror 4 or Anger 17 for a scene involving Graham and one of the guards?

Went with Anger 17~

---

“Not that I’m doubting your fears, sire, but even I’m beginning to think this is excessive.” Number One sighed as he walked alongside Graham, holding out the lantern to guide their way.

“This isn’t excessive.” Graham countered, his arms crossed to retain some semblance of warmth.

“Really?” Number One, from even underneath his helmet, side-eyed. “A king and captain patrolling the grounds in the middle of the night in the middle of a storm isn’t excessive?”

“Protecting the people isn’t excessive, it’s the bare minimum of what royals do.” Graham said. “Let alone guards after last time’s slip up.”

Number One halted sharply and quickly turned to glare at Graham undividedly. Even underneath the helmet, there was nothing but clear anger that could be read so very loudly and clearly.

He messed up. He knew he messed up. The second those words escaped his lips, Graham knew in the very depths of his soul that he had (no pun intended) royally messed up.

Number One stared at Graham, the shine of the lantern reflecting against the armor looking more like a reflection to the undoubtable inferno-like rage the Captain of the Royal Guard was feeling after that stupid slip of the tongue. 

“What did you say to me?” Number One hissed a demand. “A slip up?”

“I…I… I didn’t mean–”

“No, you perfectly meant that, Pockets.” He pressed. “And while I will admit until my dying days that I should have protected the town better so as five villagers, a con artist of a merchant and his pet, and the blasted king weren’t taken away so methodically, and I will admit that you single handedly brought them all back safe and sound, I will, however, more than happily remind you that it was YOUR slip up just as much as the guards in regards to yourself. YOU walked out, much like tonight, on your own, unsupervised and unarmed and didn’t bother telling anyone.”

Graham fell quiet, the counter he for some stupid reason decided to prep about how it was the guards’ job to protect both civilians and crown evaporated into nothing the moment Number One took accountability. 

And the frustrating thing was he knew Number One was quoting none other than Graham himself when they last talked about upping security in Daventry. 

He couldn’t exactly argue his own words.

“Now, I’ve been frighteningly patient with you in regards to these late night patrols, I even indulged in the idea of having you, the crown, tag along. But what you said was needlessly cruel.” Number One pointed out, his anger still prominent. “Me and my men slipped, I won’t deny that. But don’t you dare insinuate that we’re not trying to make right. That I’m not trying to make right.”

And, annoyingly, Graham knew Number One was right. The Captain had been working tirelessly since before, during, and well after the kidnapping. 

Graham rubbed his arms, trying to find the right words that could put out the flames of anger in the captain. “Right… you’re right. I stepped out of line there. I’m sorry. I guess I’m just… I’m still on edge. And now that we’re in it, I think it might be the exhaustion talking. Not an excuse, I know, but…”

Number One stared at him for a moment and sighed, looking away and lowering his arm to collect himself.

“No… it’s a valid one. I can feel my own patience slipping if me calling you ‘Pockets’ is any indicator.” He admitted.

“It’s alright… I did make us walk late in the rain. And then did what I did.” Graham smiled a little. “And, off the record, I don’t entirely hate the nickname. It’s a nice indicator to me that we’re not being professional for a moment.”

Number One scoffed, but Graham knew that was his own way of saying ‘glad we made amends without me having to spill my emotions, thank you for sparing me from being emotional.’

Graham gently nudged the captain, making sure they were, in fact, on good terms.

“Wanna head back?”

“Stars above, I was waiting for you to suggest it, Pockets.”

[andeatm]

@warisgod is watching lee trip balls on bliss.

he's caught the tail-end of all the cult talk. eden's gate. part-doomsday preppers, part-jesus freaks. all the reason he's trapped in this bible thumping neck of the woods. they went unchecked and now they're terrorizing the nonbelievers. kidnapping, killing, making life hell for the suckers in their warpath. carving a fucked up ironic path into heaven. grade a example of why he doesn't buy into godly bullshit. he doesn't want a part in it if these kinda people are involved. among other reasons. for now, he's hidden in their peripheral by a patch of woods in the whitetail mountains. close enough for curiosity but kept out of reach. they're inadvertently feeding him well with their lone patrols, too. taking one down has been pretty easy so far. just have to catch them with their back turned. he'd gone from collecting lighters as mementoes to fucking rifles. and sometimes a shotgun. could use their own weapons against them if it comes to that. and to think; this shit was almost passed right up if he'd taken a left away from hope county instead of right into it. his fucking luck.

camping next to the water keeps cleaning up easy. surely there's a cabin out here with a shower, but it might be filled with... what're they called? peggies? he doesn't want to risk it. so the blood comes off in a dip that turns into a swim. kept short, though, since the sun's still out. he'll dry off on the shore and hide out in his tent until night falls. or that was his plan until he starts feeling weird after dunking his head. breaching into a sudden floaty feeling taking control of his senses. giving his limbs a mind of their own. staying afloat becomes harder and harder, so he drags himself out onto the grass. what the fuck is going on? he feels high. but a bad high. a high severing him from his own fucking body. he's no stranger to what drugs have to offer, but this is different. did those fuckers dump their own brand of koolaid into the water? bliss. he heard it blared about from their trucks. figured to be more nonsense, but should've been taken as a warning. of course they'd go that fucking far with it.

the ground is pushed away as he stands. there's two of it now. of everything, he realizes, looking around. double clouds, double trees, blurred together in a greenish haze. then the voices start. whispers shouting from a distance then right into the ear he can't hear out of. he can't make them out. just a jumble of words, or maybe there's none at all. a woman's voice, a man's, but one rings clear after a minute: his dad's? the drunk slurring is unmistakable. even if it's not saying anything. turning on his heel, he's not outside anymore. he's in his house. his living room. or a stretched out, inverted version of it. familiar but also like he's a stranger. it's a stranger. he's never been here before, but he won't ever escape. his legs are locked into place. he wants to run but they won't let him. the hushed jargon narrows into a memory playing out in front of him. like he's reliving it but also watching it happen; kayla's cries after being struck, his arm swinging out to make their dad pay for it, being shoved back after bashing the ashtray over his head. all in slow-motion. how it felt when actually happening. falling forever until his cheek ate the corner of the table. and then the ringing in his ear fading into nothing. silence. again. sound stolen for a second time.

closed eyes snap open to the woods again. and he's back in the dirt. is it over? seeing two of his hand when checking for blood tells him he fucking wishes. the whispering is gone. but something else takes place. breathing. struggled breathing. suffocated breathing. knowing breathing. his head lulls over to a face blocked out by duct-tape. deliberately exposing flaring nostrils. dad, it's his dad. no, a hallucination of his dad; but feels so fucking real. and so does the anger. the hatred. the motivation of binding wrists, ankles, making sure he can watch as lee delivers consequence. and do nothing to stop it. lee reaches over to get started but the chance dissipates into smoke. right. he was never fucking there. none of this is real. none of this is real. groaning, he tries to sit up. but gets the wind knocked out of him by an attack out of nowhere. this time, it's his dad; but his mauled, chewed up, mutilated aftermath. flesh and tape hang from his face as his teeth gnash at lee. skinless fingers futilely clawing at the arm thrown up in defense. he's screaming. or maybe lee is. either way, his jaw hangs open from a thread of nerves and viscera. chunks bitten out from his skull, but that's not even fucking possible. his eyes are gone. lee's staring into a pair of hollow, bloody sockets where they should be. a fist crunches into then past his nose as the air is punched. like before, collapsing into a tuft of non-existence. never there. just a drug-fueled mind planting him there.

dry heaving, lee ends up facedown. curled in on himself, and is going to stay like that until this nightmare wears off. nobody is around. even if there was, he doesn't fucking care. he just needs this to be over. sobs shake his body. he's got no control at all.

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Say that the Ganondorfs got caught alive and was tried for their crimes. How would the Ganondorfs (Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Hyrule Warriors, and Tears of the Kingdom) act during their trial?

Here’s how each iteration of Ganondorf might act during their trial, the crimes they’d be charged with, and the likely outcomes:

Wind Waker Ganondorf

Crimes:

Attempted world domination

Destruction of Hyrule

Kidnapping

Terrorism

Trial Behavior: Wind Waker Ganondorf, with his introspective nature, would likely remain composed and dignified during the trial. He might take the opportunity to voice his grievances against Hyrule and its people, explaining his motivations and the hardships of his people in the Gerudo Desert.

Ganondorf: "You judge me for the crimes you deem abhorrent, yet you turn a blind eye to the suffering of my people. The sands of the desert are harsh, unforgiving. I sought only to give my people a better future."

Outcome: Despite his composed defense, he would be sentenced to execution or eternal imprisonment, given the severity of his actions.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Crimes:

High treason

Usurpation of the throne

Mass murder

Kidnapping

Destruction of property

Trial Behavior: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf would be defiant and unapologetic. He would curse out the court, showing no remorse for his actions. He sees himself as above the laws of Hyrule and would likely laugh at the accusations.

Ganondorf: "You dare judge me? I am the rightful ruler of this land! Hyrule belongs to me by right of power. Your judgments are meaningless!"

Outcome: Given his defiance and the severity of his crimes, he would be sentenced to execution, likely by a method meant to prevent his resurrection, such as sealing his essence.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Crimes:

Usurpation

Murder

Attempted world domination

Conspiracy with dark forces

Trial Behavior: Twilight Princess Ganondorf would likely be silent and brooding. He might not engage much with the court, viewing the proceedings as beneath him. If he speaks, it would be to assert his power and destiny.

Ganondorf: "Your judgment is futile. Power is my birthright. Your pathetic attempts to condemn me only prove your weakness."

Outcome: He would be sentenced to execution or eternal imprisonment, with special measures taken to prevent his return.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Crimes:

Attempted world domination

Mass murder

Kidnapping

Destruction of Hyrule’s forces

Trial Behavior: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf would be arrogant and dismissive. He would scoff at the charges and likely mock the court, showing no remorse and making it clear that he still sees himself as a conqueror.

Ganondorf: "You think these chains can hold me? I will rise again, and Hyrule will be mine. Your judgment is irrelevant."

Outcome: He would be sentenced to execution, with extreme measures taken to ensure he cannot return.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Crimes:

Conspiracy with dark forces

Mass murder

Kidnapping

Attempted destruction of Hyrule

Corruption and manipulation of Malice

Trial Behavior: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf would be malevolent and possibly even revel in the chaos he has caused. He might use the trial as a stage to instill fear, showing no remorse and possibly threatening the court.

Ganondorf: "You are but insects before me. Your kingdom will fall, and your lives will be forfeit. My return is inevitable."

Outcome: He would be sentenced to execution, with magical seals and protections placed to ensure his essence cannot return.

General Sentiment Across All Iterations:

Across all iterations, Ganondorf’s demeanor would range from defiant to disdainful, with little to no remorse for his actions. His sentences would be severe, often involving execution or eternal imprisonment, with special measures taken to prevent his return due to the immense threat he poses to Hyrule and its people.

[stormxpadme]

Whumptober 2023 No. 17 - Collar

Scogan Bingo challenge Dessert

That this mission would be an ugly one had been clear from the moment, Scott had learned, Marie and Logan had been kidnapped right off the damn street by some Weapon X goons, of all people, effectively ruining what should have been these two's first mission together after Marie's official appointment to the team. Some kind of trauma waiting for everyone involved at the end of that day? That had been a no-brainer, really. No matter how much Marie had been working her ass off since Alkali Lake to become a valuable fighter in Scott's group and though he was perfectly aware, she would happily suck the life out of him with her bare hand in a death grip around his balls if he'd ever admitted that to her face … That girl still was half a teenager.

Especially after losing a woman Scott had loved to this fucking job not too long ago, it had taken a lot of convincing from both Charles and Logan until he'd reluctantly given in regarding filling Jean's spot among the X-Men with some fresh blood as it was, painfully aware that sooner or later, that would not only be a figure of speech. Naïve as he sometimes still was, even after 15 years in the field, he'd just hoped to have at least a couple of months to go without another catastrophe. After almost running himself entirely into the ground following Jean's demise, barely saved from that particular abyss by a certain other team member whom he'd lately come unexpectedly close to … All Scott needed right now was a fucking break. Sadly, the life of a superhero was rarely considerate of such childish hopes. There was a lot of disillusioning terror about to unload onto their newest fellow warrior; Scott had no illusions about that when he gathered his people in the Blackbird that afternoon, starting up the engines hectically. Cursing under his breath, he followed the path of their missing team members' tracker signals quickly moving north on one monitor with his gaze while maneuvering his beloved jet out of the hangar so quickly, he almost grazed the not-quite-yet open hatch with one wing. Ororo's disapproving frown from the co-pilot seat, he regarded only with a tense shrug. With how things had gone between Logan and him in the last few months, the others probably thought this development was why Scott found it increasingly hard to keep his usual cool about leaving for another possibly deadly quest, and in the very place where Logan had once been tortured beyond comparison and where the X-Men had suffered their worst blow so far no less. But that wasn’t why Scott had to clench his hand so exaggeratedly hard around the stick that day, to hide even from his own blurred sight how much it was shaking.

Logan came with the powers, and in spite of his ongoing amnesia with the experience, too, to deal with another few hours in this insane people's horror cabinet. Scott had spent enough nights lately, holding and talking his partner through one of his PTSD attacks after particularly bad nightmares to be certain of that.

Marie, for reasons of her skin-reactionary mutation alone, would have no one to comfort her like this if this whole thing went as Scott feared, especially not since Bobby had fucked off to run and live alone after Alkali Lake, breaking all those big promises he'd made to the girl about being able to deal with her gift beforehand. The only other person Marie was really close to was probably just being cut into neat little pieces right in front of her eyes, up there in that damn rebuilt Alkali Lake facility. Goddamnit, just when Scott had thought he couldn’t hate these bastards and their whole inhumane illegal experiment fetish even more.

"Focus, my young Captain," a sonorous voice from the seat behind him warned him, a broad blue paw coming to rest on his shoulder when Scott had to correct the jet's position for the fourth time within ten minutes because he just couldn’t concentrate on the radar properly. "It's only been an hour since we got the alert from their car. And their vehicles don’t fly with Shi’ar tech. It's perfectly possible we'll arrive there before they do. We can still get them out of there in time." As so often, the level-headed, analytic mind of a long-lost-thought former team member who had been doing a great job replacing Jean at least in the sick bay after Alkali Lake, helped Scott clear the disturbing fog of his emotions as well. Aim that energy he'd need to come up with a suitable plan as soon as they would be able to tell how much had changed at those damn laboratories since their last disastrous visit there. With a little grimace, he shook out his arm when he realized how tensely he'd really been holding on to that damn stick, an old sting throbbing in his shoulder from some sparring less than a week ago with Marie when she'd almost ripped his damn arm from his socket.

No, physically there was little doubt, the group's rookie would be doing hopefully okay in a confrontation with an unknown number of hostiles. But the biggest traces Logan had walked away with from his own encounters with these psychos were famously located on his soul, and not only because his healing factor rarely allowed scarring.

With a sigh, Scott finally gave in to Ororo's impatient gesture from the neighboring chair and swiped over the brightly blinking display combination that would sign the navigation over to her console. An hour of sitting on the floor cross-legged somewhere in the rear should hopefully ban these useless considerations from his mind. Meditation was something he'd never used to believe in before getting together in some loose relationship with a certain feral, of all people. But something that helped keep even Logan's sometimes so untamable instincts in check probably couldn’t hurt, Scott's own betimes over-obsessive brain stay on the correct course. "You know, I told her I'd only give her one of those uniforms if she was sure she wouldn’t come to regret it. It's not only been six damn weeks."

Ororo reached out to stop him by his wrist when he moved to get up, regarding him with a patient headshake. "We were all surprised you made it through six weeks of her nagging and complaining before you sent her off to that recruitment run with Logan. The guy's been watching your depressed butt ever since our last mission at this place, Scott. He was there when I was certain for weeks after we lost Jean, that I'd find you drowned in your own vodka vomit and tears one morning." Almost a year, and there was still that suspiciously rough tone in Ororo's bright voice at the mention of her best friend's name, that vengeful stare in her black eyes that she tried to hide in vain behind her long white fringe before pulling herself together and turning back to the controls, to Scott's reflection mirrored in them. "I have no idea how he did that, but don’t you think you can trust him to be her shield, too?"

"No idea how he does it either," Scott gave back with a slightly embarrassed shrug, realizing Logan's and his occasional nightly visits in each other's apartments on the teacher's floor had gone even less unnoticed than they'd half and half hoped. Not that Scott had ever been bothered a lot by people gossiping about his love life. He'd honestly had worse headlines. Besides, right now, he'd even put up happily about some think piece regarding Logan's and his alleged kink preferences in the goddamn Daily Bugle if only that meant he wouldn’t have to read a damn obituary or two there tomorrow instead. "Let's just hope, with her, he won't have to. We've left enough blood in that damn lake, 'Ro."

"No more." Ororo squeezed his arm for another brief moment and then released him with a vague nod backward so that he could find the desired few minutes of peace before the new action and drama to be expected.

*****

"I got them." Scott wasn’t sure Ororo and Hank would even be able to hear him over all that screaming, the gunshots, and pained yells – the latter fortunately only from the enemies' side – that he could make out through the open radio line. For now, it didn’t matter either. Too relieved he was that apparently, all that fretting and self-blame over his latest staff decision had been for nothing, as he strode further into the room, locking the door behind him once he was sure he was alone with his missing teammates. A single look at their restrained, partly battered shapes was enough to know, Scott would need all the time he'd asked Ororo and Hank to buy him to free the others, after they'd already wasted far too much of it, making their way into the newly constructed labyrinth of their destination's underground passages unseen. It was both better and worse than he'd feared; Scott already made a mental note that he'd probably have to spend the next few days in Logan's apartment nonstop, making sure that this new most unpleasant encounter with his lover's worst enemies wouldn’t be haunting Logan too badly at night.

But from all he could see in the dark of that moldy cell that the strong flashlight from Scott's belt couldn’t help much, those sick bastards had at least indeed only tried to get through to Logan with their usual primitive methods. Trying to win him back for their psychotic causes once again probably, until the X-Men's arrival had interrupted their sick fetishes. And these assholes hadn’t even given their favorite prisoner a goddamn break when swarming out to try and rid their precious facility of the intruders.

But Marie's bent-over shape, chained to some hook in the ceiling, seemed unmarred at least. Her lips were bleeding a little from where they were stretched by a too-large gag, and her beautiful dark brown eyes were wide open, filled with a hint of fear that Scott had not seen in her in a long time. But her uniform had no tears, her stubborn movements as she tried to free herself from the cuffs around her wrists revealed no impairment of any kind. Only the same broad, red blinking collar around her neck that endangered Logan significantly prevented her from using that super strength she'd recently acquired after touching one of her accidental victims for too long.

All in all, the whole thing was a valuable lesson for both of them regarding the respect for a deadly job and the faith in one's teammates, Scott thought bitterly, as he signaled Marie to stay put, after making sure with a quick Shi’ar signal scanner from his belt there were no cameras or microphones in the room alerting unwanted company anytime soon. He'd have loved to get the girl out of that uncomfortable strappado position immediately, a sight promptly provoking a painful phantom twinge in Scott's own shoulders. For all their bloodlust and ruthlessness, these Weapon X bastard sure as fucked lacked creativity. But freeing Logan from his painful predicament took priority. At least if Scott wanted his lover to walk out of these damn halls on his own two legs. Therefore reluctantly ignoring the headshake from Marie and the muffled whine from her lips, Scott bent over the examination table that Logan was being tied to, seemingly entirely out of it, and rested his hand on his lover's forehead, worried to find it not only bathed in sweat but far too hot.

These fuckers must have cut Logan's femoral artery open a few minutes ago already. Cut – butchered, literally, whole pieces of his flesh ripped from his side and his leg as if someone had torn it out with their bare hands …

For a second time today, Scott had to push deeply rooted hatred and panicked worry back into the furthest corner of his soul lest he'd just rip his VISOR off and shoot a long, deadly blast through this whole damn facility, making these bastards pay for what they kept doing in particular to the man he loved. Not now.

The rest of Logan's uniform at least was still somewhat intact, no other injuries being apparent that Scott could make out at first glance. It was only a matter of picking the lock of that damn inhibitor collar, then those gruesome wounds would close within seconds. By the time Scott would be finished with doing the same for Marie, guy would be back on his feet already, from all Scott had ever seen of that impressive healing factor.

Then they could regroup with the others and get the hell out of here, preferably after blowing this damn facility to fucking pieces for a second time …

"Hands off, Slim."

Scott's fingertips hadn’t even grazed the collar when Logan's voice unexpectedly had him startle back. His limited vision in combination with the bad lighting in here had tricked him. His lover sounded far more awake than anyone with so little blood in their body should be. "Lie still. I'll get you out." He held Logan down by his shoulder when his lover weakly started to struggle against the cuffs around his blood-covered wrists, cranking his head away from Scott with a warning hiss.

"You don't want to touch that," Logan snarled, his eyes darting over to that corner where Marie was cowering, wide with worry for someone he cared for a lot …

And only now Scott realized, he'd got it all wrong a second time. Logan wasn’t the one whose life was in danger. "What does it do?"

"Lock's connected by radio to some switch in the kid's collar. You open it, blades inside that thing will cut her head off. You better be fucking quick, Slim. No idea if that damn mechanism's got a remote ignition, too." Unlike Scott, Logan didn’t even try to keep his increasingly slurred words to a muffled volume not to frighten their young teammate – that was long yesterday's news. They were far beyond sugarcoating. "Forget it," he snapped at Scott when Scott regarded his dangerous injuries with another restless glance, rummaging in his belt for something to at least slow those terrible bleedings down. "Get her out of that thing, now. You hesitate, people die. We don’t wanna learn that lesson around here a second time."

Scott hated Logan for conjuring up that one, that worst pain in his soul in that crucial moment of an impossible decision of all times, and at the same time wanted to kiss those too-dry, insolent lips, out of pure relief that they still could spew that necessary lesson. And out of gratefulness for a much-needed kick in the ass. Sadly, there was no time for that right now either. Not even for using the couple of tools he'd come up with from his belt by the time he knelt down next to Marie, carefully coaxing her to lift her head as much as the painful bondage allowed, making use of her suppressed powers for a brief, soothing caress over her far too-cold hands. With how little he was seeing in here and no idea how the trigger for those deadly weapons he could all but see embedded inside that far too thick collar, was connected to the lock, it was a guessing game, opening that thing without making exactly the wrong movement. "Yeah, this is not gonna work. I have to find a key for this thing."

"By the time you do, we'll both be ghosted," Logan stopped him as sharply as he could still manage with how alarmingly quickly his strength was leaving him. "Or we'll all be particle dust because these lunatics will rather blow this whole facility up a second time with everyone in it than waste a chance to get rid of some of the most powerful of us. Just shoot the damn thing in two, Slim."

"You want me to shoot at her neck." Scott's stomach promptly clenched even worse than this noon when they'd learned about their teammates' dangerous fate.

A disbelieving glance at Logan's ashen, pained grimace sadly had him suspect, that had not been an especially tasteless joke. Bleeding out from a dozen spots at once, even a Wolverine obviously lost his humor. "The collar, not her neck if it's not asked too much," Logan growled at him through his arduous, worryingly slow breathing. "Quit the drama and move, Slim. We're short on time."

"Logan, I can impossibly …" Scott paused, at a total loss, and not only because several, terribly familiar kind of vibrations and the noise of small explosions in the neighboring hallways revealed, they would indeed have to hurry. When Logan just glared at him from his stretcher with feverish eyes and he turned his gaze back to Marie, he was staring into still scared-looking but very determined, flashing pupils, a challenging, impatient nod downward at that damn collar following that was just waiting to kill this damn kid cowering there right in front of Scott …

Only Marie was no longer a kid, hadn’t been for a while. She was a confident young woman early weathered by her burdening mutation and all the losses and tragedies she'd had to encounter since coming to live with Charles. And even on days like this when all the weight of this dangerous job was on her thin shoulders, she was less intimidated than even Scott himself. Marie had faced and beaten death too often already to not flip it off in good old Logan-style when it reached out its spidery hand for her neck, literally.

"Keep away from the blade mechanism," Logan urged him again, seeing Scott fight his inhibition reluctantly. "Breaking piece should be at the back of her neck. Low-pressure blast. You don’t want to shatter her spine. Don't!" he interrupted Scott sharply before he'd even taken a breath, his fingertips leaving the control wheel of his VISOR again already. Logan's voice was shaking dangerously as the exhaustion of his lousy condition threatened to drain his strength. "Christ, Slim, I've seen you coring apples for the kids at breakfast with that damn thing on your eyes. You never got any of your people killed. You're not gonna break that streak now," he added quietly, the never-forgotten grief choking him for a moment that they'd bonded over so deeply back then. Enough for Logan to know exactly what was haunting Scott so much in these moments when maybe for the first time in the field at all, he felt afraid. "Now."

Before he could hesitate for another second and be responsible for them all biting it, because someone in the control center of that damn lab would lose it, Scott reached for his VISOR again and took his shot.

****

"I told you I'm not hungry." Grumbling, Logan turned away from the bedroom door and buried his face in his pillow, apparently determined to continue being an ass about his weakened condition after already refusing to let Hank put him on a drip on the flight home or check up on him on the sick bay.

In this case, Scott had the best arguments to convince his lover to let himself be spoiled though, whether Logan liked it or not. "Marie spent two hours in the kitchen, cooking for you. She said to tell you, if she doesn’t see an empty plate on this tray tomorrow morning, she'll choke you back out personally."

"Kid's spending too much time with me." Indeed, Logan sounded amused more than cranky at once. With a still unnerved sigh, he arduously sat up a little on the mattress, regarding Scott with a withering glance when he stacked a couple of pillows in his back, which Scott masterfully ignored.

Demonstratively, he put down that tray on his lover's legs and pointed at the delicious-smelling grilled chicken and a whole mountain of mashed potatoes, both basically drowning in a whole bottle of BBQ sauce. "Help yourself. Dessert's on me, by the way."

"I don't need dessert, especially not after this." Logan was too grumpy from the weakness in his reloading cells to even catch on the suggestive grin on Scott's lips. "What are you doing here anyway? It's past midnight. You got classes at eight. Get some sleep. Not gonna die on you here in the middle of the night, don’t worry."

"You should realize by now I'd not gonna let you anyway," Scott answered calmly, determined for once to not let Logan provoke him too badly, not after a day filled with so much blood and death, the latter fortunately only with regard to their enemies. Dipping one fingertip into that mess of brown and yellow on Logan's plate, he playfully licked it off to give Logan a better idea of what was to come but gestured over the still almost untouched food then, one eyebrow raised.

Logan let out a dramatic sigh and finally reached for the fork, eating away unceremoniously, quickly and silently, only occasionally throwing Scott a suspicious side glance, not quite sure what to make of his nervous fidgeting on the bed, of his occasional blush as Scott was imaging how the rest of that night would go.

The humiliating loops he'd have to jump through soon had been Marie's idea too, of course, and Scott wasn’t thrilled … But after almost having lost his lover today, he wanted to personally see to Logan being back on his feet as quickly as possible. If that included a mess that Scott's neat freak heart wouldn’t be too happy about, and feeling like an idiot for a hot minute … Well, he was pretty sure, Logan would find ways to make him forget that. Only when there was really nothing left on that plate and Logan had emptied almost the whole jug with orange juice, too, Scott got up from the bed with a satisfied nod. "I'll tell Marie you've been a good boy and see to that dessert in my apartment. Take a shower and come by in ten minutes." With a cheerful whistle, grinning to himself about Logan's increasing confusion, he went to put his plan into action.

****

Considering Logan's irritated mood, Scott wouldn’t have been surprised if his boyfriend had never shown up, but that whole truckload of carbs had apparently revived Logan's energy at least enough to spark curiosity. The rest, a surge of adrenaline seemed to do when he entered Scott's bedroom, to the sight of Scott waiting for him naked, covered in nothing but half a bottle of chocolate sauce and a bit of strategically placed whipped cream. After just staring at him with his mouth hanging open, Logan buried his face in his hands with a dry chuckle and shook his head slowly. If it hadn’t been for that quickly building tent at the front of his loose dark night pants, Scott would have had to seriously worry, he'd scared his lover off with that unbearably mushy idea.

Only when Logan looked at him again and Scott suddenly saw a suspicious glistening in those beautiful hazel eyes, he understood … And there was promptly a thick lump forming in the back of his throat as well. Neither of them said it, not yet. For that, it hadn’t been long enough yet, and they were both still processing the loss, each in their own way … But maybe knowing for sure now that they were perfectly suited to do that together, in spite of all differences, not least because they were ready to go through the necessary sacrifices for the other if necessary … That might be more than enough for the moment. "Come 'ere?"

"So that we're both gonna be a mess? Not gonna happen," Logan smirked, his cheeks increasingly flushed, that deep, determined tone creeping into his voice that Scott had very quickly learned to listen to in their nights together unless he wanted to put up a fight. Which he was rarely in the mood to.

For that, he enjoyed it far too much, handing over the reins to someone he could trust with his body and life not only in the field. Submitting, surrendering his pride, always meant a few blissful hours of forgetting everything making life so difficult for both of them, and that was all that counted. So he didn’t hesitate when Logan snapped his fingers at him, nodding at the ground before the bed, not moving an inch from his spot by the door until Scott had gotten up, his own cheeks inevitably blushing when Logan traded spots with him and he was now standing before his lover nude and decorated like this in all sticky glory.

"You keep this up, I'm gonna be too heavy for active duty soon," Logan murmured fondly, heated, another twitch of need going through that bulge at his front when he reached out to run two fingertips through that mess covering Scott's chest and licked them clean with an audible purr. "I'm gonna have to take it back though: You can cook."

"Logan …" It was impossible for Scott to keep that needy whine out of his voice, his own arousal growing by the second which only that thick, sugary mass of white all over his loins was more or less hiding. But the smallest attempt to reach out for his lover was rewarded with his wrists being caught in a firm grip by supernaturally fast reflexes, guiding him to take his hands behind his back. Right. Definitely one of those nights. "You know I'm still responsible for making you eat up, right?"

"And the best thing about that? We have all night," Logan answered unfazed, looking up at him in amusement, his eyes sparkling as he slowly licked his lips until Scott let out another low moan, his body soon shaking only from being kept waiting and tense like that, turned on more by the second by that piercing, hungry glance. "But since you did a great job today, you deserve a little treat." Unexpectedly burying his strong, large hands in Scott's bare butt cheeks, Logan licked a long, greedy stripe over his chest, and another one when Scott whimpered in want. Within seconds, he'd reduced Scott to a writhing something, never letting him out of his punishing grip as he covered every inch of his shoulders, his pecs, his stomach, with his firm, slow sucking movements, sure to clean every smallest bit of sauce off of him before finally turning to the sensitive, tender skin of his nipples.

A harsh, teasing bite drew a quiet scream from Scott's lips, his hips thrusting forward instinctively, his messy loins pressed against Logan's stomach leaving some of that half-molten, cool cream on his lover. Unable to stifle his desire any longer, Scott finally buried his trembling hands in Logan's hair, a hoarsely whispered plea on his lips, shuddering when Logan still ignored him, soothing his aching nipples with a few soft licks until those spots too were impeccably clean, tightened and pebbled with lust. "More, please …"

"After you made such a mess? Don't think so, Slim." Feigning strictness, Logan pushed him away a little with one hand and scooped up the cream that had ended on his pecs with the fingertips of the other, this time not licking the white, thick mass off though as a lewd smirk spread on his lips. "Got a pretty good idea where this is going though." Not giving Scott a second to think about a probably once more not exactly sanitary plan, he unexpectedly lowered his head to Scott's loins at last. Slowly, inch by inch removing all of that unhealthy sweetness from there too, his iron grip on Scott's hips held him in place while Logan's cream-slippery fingertips were back on his cheeks, dipping between them, teasingly circling the hidden opening there. With his clever lips finally wrapping around the head of Scott's rock-hard cock, Logan chased away any possible protest before Scott could even come up with it, a cautious, slow fingertip breaching him at the same time.

The assault from two sides after so much foreplay was almost enough to make him come on the spot. With a substance not exactly meant for that use though, that stretch was still a challenge which made holding back easier. Scott's hands clawing down on Logan's scalp, he was quickly fighting to stay on his feet as the muscles in his lower body clenched hard, unfulfilled need throbbing through his veins as Logan's teasing tongue bathed every inch of reddened skin, of his swollen, heavy balls, before that deft mouth slipped back over his cock, swallowing him down bit by bit. A second finger buried deep inside him at that point, unerringly hitting his most sensitive spot, it took only a few desperate quick thrusts until Scott was all but hit from behind with his orgasm. He was all but crashing into Logan's arms and was glad when his lover pulled him down next to him for a lewd kiss full of salt and sweetness, moaning against his lips when Scott instinctively reached for him, finishing Logan off for the first time that night with a few unceremonious strokes as well. A breathless chuckle on his lips, Scott sank back on the mattress, wiping his hand clean discreetly on the towel he'd spread there earlier to not make a complete mess of the sheets. "Well, that takes care of the mission Feeding Logan, I guess."

"Shut up," his lover rumbled, still sounding quite breathless but finally back to his full energy and very sated, before curling up by his side with a tired moan, with his head heavy on Scott's chest.

And just like that, for the first time since the disastrous first mission at Alkali Lake almost a year ago, Scott felt happy again.

*******************************************************************************

@whumptober | @whumptober-archive

@scoganbingo

[mkarchin713]

Things where going so great for Jonathan, his skin was clear, his crops where watered and he just had the best sex of his life with a giant flaming haired stud muffin with a sword that sent people to a nightmare dimension. Sure he couldn’t see what the swords victims where going through but damn, that man was so hot it didn't matter. 

And now he had gone and ruined it. 

How was he supposed to know Gotham Academy was having a field trip at the very place he just set off his newest batch of fear gas. Fred would put the fear of god in him if anything happened to Danny and not in the fun way. 

So here he was rushing around the museum, not having a chance to stop and enjoy his victims delicious fear, trying to find Danny before something bad happened to him. 

....

Jonathan was not expecting this. Perhaps he should have considering Danny was related to Fred. He had found Danny and he seemed to be ... unharmed ... but certainly not okay. 

The kid was high as a kite and cuddling the youngest Wayne Brat he still had bite marks from the last time he tried kidnapping the little demon.  Danny’s pupils where the size of dinner plates and he was giggling and snuggling the little monster his classmate who was desperately trying to escape Danny’s bear hug. 

Jonathan would have thought this was the cutest thing ever (next to Fred of course) if not for the fact his boyfriends kid was trippin’ balls and it was all his fault. 

It was his fault right? He highly doubted Danny had gone to school high he hoped, so most likely Danny was having a weird reaction to the fear gas, as was the Wayne kid now that he thought about it.  While the youngest Wayne was definitely out of it he wasn't acting afraid, animalistic yes, but not afraid. And the longer Danny held his classmate captive the calmer the brat seemed to get. Looking around it seemed everyone was less fearful than the people he had passed on the way in, in fact the closer they where to Danny the less afraid they acted. 

No! No, Jonathan, you cannot  conducted experiments on your hopefully future step-son. You want the kid to like you remember. Happy Danny = Happy Daddy = Happy sexy time. 

Oh god how was he going to explain this to Fred without losing him forever, he knew the other rogues where biting at his heals for a chance to get at Fred, he saw Two-Face and that Malone guy sniffing around, he was not going to lose the best thing that has happened to him in years because he accidently dosed Danny. 

Hide him, yes that was it he could hide Danny until he came down from his fear gas high and then bribe the hell out of the kid so he wouldn't tell Fred. He was a genius, even if Gotham University tried to take away his doctorate, they didn't know true genius if it -Stop it Jonathan you have a goal, you can gas the school board later, right now you got to hide Danny, and the Wayne brat too, there was no way he was getting Danny to let go of his classmate without a crowbar and unlike Joker he didn't carry one of those around. 

Oh, Fuck Batman just showed up, and he’s in papa bear mode, he always is when the Wayne’s where involved, no wonder if those rumors about him being Wayne’s sugar daddy where any indication. 

Wait a second - maybe he could use this to his advantage, one step-parent to the other, if he spun this the right way before Batman beat the crap out of him, maybe they both could get in good with their lovers.  

.....

Batman was not willing to help, he was now in Arkham, and he didn’t even have a chance to explain what happened to Fred. That was it, his love life was over, his dreams of skipping through a wasteland of fear with Fred by his side where never going to come true now. They where going to get a cat, and name them Phobos, or Mr. Murder Mittens, which ever fit, and have an amazing old gay queen lifestyle and sow terror into the hearts of their enemies, and now it was never going to happen and it was all his fault. 

....

Jonathan couldn’t believe Fred was here, in Arkham, in the visitors center. Fred had taken the time to come to Arkham just to see him. Jonathan was so happy to see Fred, even if Fred was just hear to officially break his hear into a thousand pieces and ream him out not in the fun way for what happened to Danny. 

....

Fred forgave him

Fred Forgave Him. 

Never in Jonathan’s wildest dreams did he think Fred would forgive him. Fred knew Jonathan wasn't trying to hurt Danny and other than a slight hangover Danny was fine, better even, Danny needed more fear in his diet anyway what ever that meant. 

Fred was interested in his new strain of fear gas. He had relatives that would be affected the same way Danny was and thought it could be marketed as a recreational drug in his homeland. Fred wanted to try some himself when Jonathan got out.

Jonathan couldn’t believe it, just when he thought Fred couldn’t be more perfect, he does something like this. Fred WANTED to try his fear gas strains, he wanted to try his older strains and future strains. Fred didn’t think he was a monster, Fred accepted his obsession with fear, Fred encouraged his research and wanted to help him explore new horizons of fear. 

It was then Jonathan decided, the second he broke out of Arkham he was stealing the biggest diamond he could find and proposing, they could have a fall wedding, right in time for Halloween. oh they could have Nightmare be the flower girl and Danny would be the best man. Jonathan needed to find a maid of honor, and a officiator. oh he had some many things to plan and so little time. 

but first things first, he had an asylum to break out of.  

...

TLDR: Scarecrow accidently gases Danny with fear toxin. luckily ghosts react to fear toxin like a cat would catnip, and absorbing ambient fear is good for baby ghosts like Danny. now that Scarecrow has stopped panicking about how Fred will react he is planning their wedding. 

Damian's new classmate was what most people would deem as strange, Damian however could not see him as anything other than suspicious. Daniel Knight had joined in the midst of the school year, claiming to have moved here with his father Fredric Knight (first area of suspicion, a parent willingly moving both them and their child to Gotham) for a new start following his fathers divorce. The boy was reclusive when not spoken to directly, however he would not stop talking when a topic of his interest would come up. After searching further into his past (as he does with all his classmates) Damian found a relatively normal past, the only outstanding things being a noticeable drop in grades at the beginnings of freshman year relating to an undisclosed accident resulting in lichtenberg scarring starting from Daniels palm, and presumably up his arm being hidden by his sleeve. Apparently this accident left Daniel with irregular tremors and, every once in a blue moon, seizures. Damian had thought about taking this suspicious blockage of information to Tim or the Bat Computer to be bypassed, however the idea of sharing Daniel this cases existence with the rest of his family for some unexplained reason bothered him greatly, so Damian has come to the decision to figure out Knight’s true intentions on his own.

Meanwhile Danny’s just trying to live his new, semi-normal life in peace. After a reveal gone wrong results in some good old vivisection, Jazz Sam and Tucker recruit the help of Clockwork to find Danny a new home, where he can heal from both the physical and mental wounds. Clockwork ends up dumping Danny into the DC universe alongside Fright Knight, who was insistent on going with him, feeling responsible in helping to protect his young prince now since he feels he failed the first time. So with a bit of spacetime razzle dazzle, Tucker messing with stuff he probably shouldn't have messed with and a very tearful goodbye with promises to check in every day, Danny goes off to start his new life as Daniel Knight. It was going ok so far, he took half the year to himself, focusing on healing. Also so Frighty could adjust to the whole pretending to be human thing. Danny doesn't have any friends yet, and to be honest hasn't made the effort to make any (Jazz would be disappointed if she knew that), but there's this one boy in Danny's class who might be even weirder than him. Danny can feel Damian's eyes on him, knows how he follows him around without a sound (Danny really shouldn't be able to tell, he only knows because he isn't fully human(and in a weird way, Danny thinks that's kinda cool)), and whenever they do make eye contact Danny can see and feel the boy fluster and shy away.

Maybe he just needs a friend too.

[zv5x]

Yandere!Jesse Pinkman (Romantic centered headcanons)

hello breaking bad fandom warning ::: implied drug use , manipulation , toxic relationships , unhealthy mindsets , use of the yandere trope , violence , abuse , restraining , abduction and kidnapping , delusional outlooks and relationship paranoia

• It's an evil world Jesse navigates; filled with danger, drugs and dirty money. He's grown to live with himself for existing in it, however, but he himself cannot deny the optics of it all. He sees the wrong in the world whenever he looks at the purer side of it, and this side recently came to include you.

• You weren't like him by any means. Clean in all aspects, of course, and Jesse could tell that if he told you about his lifestyle and occupational choices you'd run the other direction. All things considered, that may be what drew him to you. You showed him kindness, you never rejected him even when he let the cracks in his morality show by mistake. Even when he'd come to you, clearly high on some sort of illegal substance, you bit your tongue and helped him inside. Whenever you felt he needed it, you held his face in your hands and told him that he's, that you're both, going to be alright. That's all Jesse ever wanted; reassurance.

• So much time you spent together, huddled close giggling about nothing or even just sitting near each other in silence. No matter what the situation was, he never felt that comforting aura he sensed from you waver, even if just for a fleeting moment. Before a relationship was even officially established, Jesse knew he loved you. You were so gentle, and in truth, he wanted nothing more than to stay like this forever. However, an internal battle rages on in Jesse's head. No matter how many times you comfort him, his body cannot seem to accept this simple feeling of happiness. To him, his actions and faults would be clear to you eventually, if they're not clear already. His heart will be slammed with ideas of you giving him one last face of disgust before leaving him alone again, until even something like your smile isn't enough to give him that same euphoric rush that it used to.

• Stage one, as it could be referred to, would involve Jesse needing much more consolation than what was usual. He'd go from something as subtle as a statement about the time the two of you spend together, or something as blunt as grabbing you by your shoulders and asking you if you love him like you say you do, Jesse's struggles with accepting your love come out in ways that scare you off more than they intend to.

• Overbearing behavior from a romantic partner is enough to drive anybody away, and thus begins stage two. Jesse sees you distancing yourself from him, and rather than equating his recent behaviors to your lack of interest, he equates it to you confirming his fears. You're disgusted by him, the real him, and if he doesn't act fast he's at complete risk of losing you.

• It was a complete accident. He didn't mean to knock you out, but he can't deny that the benifits that came with the event were pleasing to his scattered brain. It was supposed to be a normal chat, Jesse calling you over yet again to ask about your recent romantic hesitance. It was until he heard you say "that's what I wanted to speak with you about", that his stomach completely dropped. You were tired of waiting for things to get back to normal, you said. You loved him, but you needed him to get better before he can healthily love you. Jesse didn't listen to anything other than what his delusions wanted to hear. You were leaving him, you were leaving him; and in a single, swift movement, a lamp was being smashed against your head.

• At first, came fear; primal fear about his upcoming arrest. Checking your pulse every few seconds, placing his head against your chest to see if you're still breathing, his terror regarding the idea of you being deceased was making him go mad. Eventually, he knew for his safety and yours you needed to be restrained, and that was all she wrote.

• When you awoke, you were horrified to find your wrists and ankles were tied with a cheap rope, the material rubbing against your skin in ways that you knew would cause burns. Jesse seemed more than just happy to see you, and you could almost see the weight being lifted off his shoulders when your eyes first fluttered open. It wasn't as clear to him at first, but seeing you struggle against the ropes with no chance of succeeding made him realize; even if you wanted to, you couldn't leave him now. Not in the position you're in, at least. It made the guilt so much less potent, and he'd gladly grab you and hold you in his lap for hours at a time, rocking you and rambling on about his dealer adventures with who he referred to as "Mr. White"

• All those sweet hugs now felt bitter against your tongue as you sat, completely imprisoned in a way that only Jesse knew about. Finally, his mind accepted that tiny form of happiness you gave him, absolutely oblivious to the fact that his actions meant he'd probably never experience it again.

[madame-fear]

Omg… You know how everyone in the Batman trilogy was (understandably) terrified of DK!Jonathan Crane? How do you think Soft Yandere!Jonathan would react to Y/n, a hostage (who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, not involved in anything bad🤷‍♀️), is scared BUT accidentally says out loud, “Wow that’s hot” out loud in reaction to Jonathan/Scarecrow?😂🤭 And when he hears this and his attention is now in her, she’s like, “Oh dear lord did I say that out loud???”🤦‍♀️🥲 This would definitely awaken Yandere Jonathan lol😳

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YES!!!!!!! ❤ I think he'd be shocked, but deep down inside he'd actually love it 🤭💕

sorry if this is a bit shorter than usual dear!! hope you enjoy your reading! 🥰 (p.s: also, i'm finishing pt 2 of Lovestruck! ;w;)

____________________________________

Gotham City was a terribly dangerous place to walk alone at night, especially for young ladies like you. Unluckily, you had the misfortune of being captured by someone while you were walking back to your home after finishing your work shift.

Slowly blinking a few times, you gently opened your eyes. Your head felt dizzy, as it was spinning around, and the pain you felt was stinging and awfully aching, causing you to quietly groan. Confused, you began looking at your surroundings, absolutely clueless about where you were. It seemed to be an old, dark, abandoned building. Nervousness suddenly began increasing when you realised you were kidnapped, and that your life was currently in danger.

You tried to speak, but it was in vain; your mouth was tightly covered by a piece of cloth. Perhaps, you had no other choice, but accept your faith. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath, immediatly sighing once you heard gentle footsteps coming from behind of you. In a harsh move, the cloth was removed from your mouth, causing you to gasp and quickly open your eyes, immediatly guiding themselves to look up at your kidnapper; only to find a tall man in a suit, and with a brown burlap bag in his head.

Despite the bag in his head, you could still see his beautiful blue eyes through it. "If you make a sound, I'll have no choice but put the cloth back in your mouth." He said sternly, you could only nod. You couldn't possibly be attracted to your kidnapper – no, but there was something about him that quite intrigued you. "You're such a cute pretty face, you're perfect for my experiments. You'll look even more prettier with your eyes full of terror and fear." He traced your jawline with his cold fingertips, causing you to get shivers down your spine and gulp. You felt your heart drop with fear, causing your lips to quiver and body to tremble. Before saying anything else, he looked deep into your eyes, admiring your beauty. He was proud of himself for such fine selection of a young lady for his experiments with fear.

He released his fingers from your jawline, and suddenly took off the burlap bag from his head. You were certainly stunned with his looks: dark, messy short hair, clear blue eyes, and a sharp jawline. You shouldn't feel attracted to your kidnapper, and hell, you didn't even know what he was about to do with you, but no one couldn't deny the fact that he was incredibly attractive and enigmatic. You carefully observed all his actions as he suddenly taked a syringe with a clear liquid out of his pocket, removing it's lid.

The way he observed the liquid inside the syringe so focused on it made him look even hotter, especially with the fact that his dark hair was messy because he harshly removed the bag from his head. The thoughts of all the endless possibilities of what he could do with that syringe suddenly evaporated, your mind focusing on his stunning features. "Wow, that's hot." You mindlessly and breathlessly muttered. He quickly stopped what he was doing, and suddenly turned all his attention to you. Did you just call him...hot?

The whole world stopped around him. He wasn't supposed to be attractive to anyone! Were you being serious, or just trying to distract him? Turning his head around to look at you, his eyebrows were raised out of confusion. "Shit, did I say that out loud?" Gulping in nervousness, you realised your mistake at the sight of him with his eyes widen, and his cheeks with a faint rosyness on them. A soft smile began forming on his lips, and tilted his head to his side. "You did." You swore you had bitten your lip so harshly, that you could taste a bit of your own blood slightly dripping. "I guess I never thought of myself as 'hot', so thank you for the compliment, my dear." Another reason for him to be proud of himself is for being so good at keeping his shit on the outside, even when in the inside he was losing his shit.

A pretty girl like you referring to him as 'hot'? That's new to him, but he's thrilled at the thought of getting used to it. His heart fluttered with many new feelings he never felt before, the idea of using you for his fear experiments didn't feel right; he felt...merciful and uncapable of harming you, now. You were afraid that he might have not enjoyed that as much as he should, but oh how wrong you were. After a few long seconds of staring at the nothingness itself and not saying anything, he looked you again, with a smile on his face. "I shouldn't do this to you." What? This was very unlike him, you certainly had an effect on his way of thinking.

All the new feelings collapsed in both his heart and his mind. A growing need of having you by his side and getting to know just who you were began increasing as seconds passed. You were too precious to be gone anywhere else. "I'm going to release you, but you won't be going anywhere, you're staying in here with me. Promise me, not to make a scandal after I release you." You were confused at the whole situation, but you still nodded in agreement. Wasn't he going to kill or experiment something on you just a few minutes ago? Oh well, you weren't complaining. You didn't mind at all if you had to stay with him for a while.

He untied the cloth that was now around your neck, throwing it randomly to his side. He walked behind of you, and began to untie the ropes that so badly tightened both your hands and legs; the burning sensation you felt around your limbs right where the ropes were tightened, made you sure that they were going to leave some bruises or marks. You immediatly lifted yourself from the chair where you were previously sitting, your whole body stiff from the uncomfortable position you were in. "T-Thank you for sparing me." You managed to shyly and quietly mutter, as you turned around only to meet his soul-piercing blue eyes.

Slowly walking towards you, he left no gap in between your bodies. He raised his hand, only to caress your cheek with the back of his index finger, provoking a smirk on his beautiful face. How he loved the thought of you praising him and being so thankful for him sparing your life.

"No need to thank me, my dear. All you need to do, is promise me you won't leave me, and that you'll behave." Admiring your precious, delicate face, a spark of need for your whole attention and love increased inside of him. With you, he realised how long he's been craving for the type of affection you just gave him, even with a simple small compliment. He was going to make sure you had only eyes for him, and that you'll never, ever leave his side.

[alrightberries]

Hi! So like what if Levi & F!Reader are like cuddling, and Levi over slept (maybe misses a meetings?) and Eren and his squad have to go find him and they see Reader and Levi all cuddly and stuffs. AND THEN Levi become super pissed bc they went into his quarters without permission and blah blah blah (you can decide the rest lolll) basically crack, fluff and humor lol. Please& thank uuu

the short end of the stick

❈ pairing: levi ackerman x reader

❈ genre: fluff, semi-crack ❈ word count: 3.3k

❈ summary: In which the 104th cadets were not prepared to find out that the terrifying and ever-intimidating Captain Levi... is a little spoon.

❈ trigger warnings: implied sex. brief mentions of blood and death. profanity

a/n: i made the reader gender neutral, hope y’all don’t mind. i had too much fun writing this and got kinda carried away. this is my first request ever and i’m glad that i finished it. enjoy!

Eren was shaking.

Sweat dripped down his forehead and his knuckles turned white from how hard he was clenching his fists, nails piercing his skin so harshly he swore it would draw blood. His heart angrily pumped inside his chest, every beat so strong he nearly anticipated for it to jump out of his ribcage at any given moment.

Fear.

He felt fear.

He puts a name to the feeling and it doesn’t make him feel any better. Ears ringing, lungs breathing rapidly as he tries to steady his fear-induced heart. He was hyperventilating. His eyebrows crease from his anxiousness and he feels his knees weaken, daring to give out beneath him. Was he actually shaking right now? He couldn’t even tell.

Vulnerable.

He felt vulnerable.

Eren had seen many horrors throughout his short lifetime. He saw the colossal titan rear its ugly head over Wall Maria as its foot smashed into the wall’s gates, debris flying throughout the district as a boulder crushed his home with his mother still inside. He saw his mother get snapped in half and eaten by a titan right before his very eyes at a tender age as he sat by and could do nothing but watch.

He was orphaned. Forced to grow up too soon, too fast just so he could say he survived. His entire district was left homeless, forced to become refugees as titans rampaged throughout the outer walls, forced plow the fields to combat the famine and hunger, forced to have 250,000 people go on what was essentually a suicide mission to appease the growing population.

He trained in the military. He trained for three gruesome years and had his physical and mental psyche crushed into dust beneath the boots of the commanding officer, only to be thrown into a battle—completely unprepared— with the titans once more before he could even graduate.

He saw his friends, his family, his brothers and sisters in arms get eaten. Killed. Murdered. Swatted away like flies by the very beasts he swore he’d kill.

And yet, nothing could prepare him for this.

Nothing could prepare him for the blood-pumping, adrenaline-induced terror at the mere thought of having to carry out his mission.

Nothing could prepare him for having to wake up Captain Levi from his nap.

Jean groaned. “Dammit, just fucking do it already.”

Eren is snapped out of his reverie, suddenly reminded that he wasn’t alone. His fellow soldiers stood behind him.

“Well if you’re so brave then why don’t you do it, horse-face?” He grits back, turning around and clenching his fists at his side.

He glimpses around the hallway and his eyes loom over his teammates’ amused faces, each painted with a shit-eating grin. Everyone was relieved that they weren’t the ones tagged with waking up the Captain from his nap.

Rumor around the base is, the last person from his original squadron (may they rest in peace) who had to wake up Captain Levi almost had his ear sliced off. Levi wasn’t even carrying any gear or anywhere near a knife.

One look at Mikasa told Eren that even she was glad she didn’t get picked for this task, and he shudders at the thought of being the poor bastard who had to lose his ear just so the Captain wouldn’t be late for his meeting. He quite liked having both of his ears attached to his head, thank you very much.

“It’s your task.”

“Yeah but why is it my task?!”

“Because you drew the short end of the stick, genius.” Jean replies easily.

Oh. Right.

“There has to be something we can do! Another plan. One that doesn’t involve waking up Captain Levi.” His eyes are pleading as he looks at his fellow soldiers, yet none of them seem willing to switch places with him.

Dammit. They were really going to make him work for it.

All his dignity is thrown out the window as Eren quickly gets on his knees and starts begging his friends, the shit-eating grins on their faces turning into wicked smiles as they watch him beg for mercy.

“Mikasa? What about you? Are you seriously going to let them send me to my death?” He asks, but Mikasa simply turns her head the other way as she speaks.

“He won’t kill you. Just sever your ear.”

Eren’s eye twitches.

She looks at him once more. “I’ll pick up your ear and ask the medical unit to sew it back on you. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

As proof, she holds up a glass jar and some tweezers. She had gloves on her hands.

God, he was going to kill his teammates.

Jean, apparently fed up with Eren’s incessant whining, marches towards him and grabs him by the collar, forcing him to stand up.

“Yeager, you trained in the military for three years. You’re a goddam titan shifter. You got kidnapped and held hostage. Three times. Waking up a growth-stunted man won’t be the last of you.”

Jean’s words are reassuring but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. No, his eyes are still amused. Very amused.

Scratch that, he wasn’t going to kill all his comrades. Just Jean. Jean and his extremely punchable horse-face.

Before he could even reply, Eren is shoved inside the Captain’s office with a quick “Off you go!” and the door is quickly shut behind him.

Fear.

This was truly fear.

Captain Levi’s office is empty, Eren notices. It’s spotless as always and tall shelves line every wall, each filled to the brim with books and documents. A lone door sits at the far right wall.

The Captain’s bedroom.

Slowly, with bathed breaths, he forces his legs to walk closer to the door that held his fate. Briefly, Eren thinks about getting some protective ear covers (just in case) but he quickly shoves that idea aside when he realizes that Jean and Conny were likely blocking the door from the outside.

That, and he concludes that the Captain would just break another part of his body. Maybe his hands. He didn’t need ears for handling ODM gear but he did need his hands.

“Captain?” Eren’s voice is weak but clear as he knocks on the door. “Captain Levi, you’re late for your meeting.”

He holds his breath for a few seconds, and there’s no response. He tries once more.

“Captain,” he repeats, louder this time. “Captain, you really need to wake up. Commander Erwin says your attendance is required for the meeting to start.”

But there’s still no response.

His hands are shaky and he’s still extremely nervous, but he knew Captain Levi’s presence was urgent to the meeting. Classified, Commander Erwin had said when he asked what it was about. 

The third time Eren repeats his fruitless endeavors, he realizes that Captain Levi really wasn’t waking up any time soon.

He runs back to the door he came in from.

“Let me out!” He yells, hands throttling the doorknob as he tries to pull the door open but just as he suspected, Jean and Conny are sealing the exit and pulling at the doorknob as well.

“Let me out, dammit! Captain Levi won’t wake up, I don’t wanna die— just let me out!”

His feet are pressed up against the wall at this point and he manages to yank the door open by a few mere inches. A quick glimpse outside confirms his worse fears: all his friends are holding onto the doorknob as well, trying to keep the door closed. Even Mikasa.

He’d never felt so betrayed.

“You got this Eren!” His eyes drift to the back of the group where Sasha was smiling at him with a cheeky grin. “I’m sure the Captain won’t hurt you too badly when you wake him up.”

“No, fuck that! He’ll murder me and say it was because I went ape shit in titan form. He won’t even get arrested!”

It was when he made eye contact with Mikasa when he realized what true betrayal felt like.

“Good luck, Eren.” “No, don’t—!” Mikasa yanks the door close with one strong pull and he falls to the floor, on his ass.

The room is quite once more (save for the cheeky giggles on the other side of the door) and Eren brushes himself off as he stands up. He eyes the door to the Captain’s bedroom and he breathes in deeply when he comes to terms with what he has to do to wake the Captain from his deep slumber. He has to go inside.

He finds himself in front of the door once again, and this time his knocks are a little louder, a little more unsure, as he speaks. “Captain? I don’t think you’re waking up soon. I’m coming in.”

Slowly, he tells himself. Slowly.

Eren wasn’t sure what to expect when he opened the door to Captain Levi’s quarters. Maybe a torture chamber. Maybe swords and skeletons on the wall. Maybe a book on How To Murder With One Glare on a coffee table. He didn’t know.

But oddly, he thinks as he glances around, the Captain’s bedroom is... normal. The room’s dark, with its curtains drawn and the candles unlit. Tall shelves holding an impressive collection of books still line a portion of the walls. A bed is pressed up against the wall opposite the door, and there are two lumps underneath the blankets—

Wait.

Two lumps.

Two.

Captain Levi’s in bed with someone?

“Captain Levi,” Eren quietly calls out. He wonders who the hell managed to catch the Captain’s attention... or if someone even caught his attention at all. Captain Levi could just be hugging a pillow, he reasons. But Eren’s curiosity overtakes his fears and his legs start to walk closer towards the bed. “Captain?”

The blanket was pulled over the two sleeping lumps, and Eren gently tugs it down to reveal their faces.

No way.

No fucking way.

Briefly, Eren is speechless. His words get caught in his throat, hand frozen mid-air as he marvels at the sight of Humanity’s Strongest Soldier cuddled up within the arms of his lover. His normally stoic face is gone, replaced by relaxed eyes and a slightly ajar mouth, one cheek puffed up as it’s squished into his lover’s chest and his head is nuzzled into the crook of their neck. His arms disappear underneath the blankets, but judging by the fact that his lover’s arms were around him, Eren surmised that the Captain’s arms were most likely wrapped around his lover as well.

He looked innocent— cute, almost, and if Eren didn’t have to train under him everyday he might have actually believed that the Captain’s innocent sleeping face could be taken at face value.

Eren recognizes you, as well. He’s seen you around the base with your own squadron, an elite soldier with your own team of other elite soldiers. You’re known around the base as the squad leader who works their team to the ground, training your members so hard that they genuinely considered going to Captain Levi for comfort. But it wasn’t for naught, of course. Your squad’s survived longer than Captain Levi’s (again, may they rest in peace), barely making it out complete when the fiasco with the Female Titan occurred.

“Oi, Eren.” A voice behind him speaks, and Eren is briefly caught off guard as he turns around and makes eye contact with his comrades. Most likely, they got impatient with waiting for him and decided to see if he’d been murdered already.

Great, so now they decide they weren’t scared of going inside the Captain’s room.

“What’s taking so long?” Jean asks.

Eren is still speechless, opting to instead shakily point his finger towards the bed where Levi lay wrapped in your arms.

“H-he’s... he’s—“ “He’s what?”

He gulps and sighs deeply, speaking out so quietly his friends almost didn’t hear, speaking out in a mere shaky whisper as he utters his words.

“He’s a little spoon.”

Chaos is what Eren would use to describe what happened next. His comrades immediately jumped to stand next to him and take a look at the sight on bed, crowding around them as if they were a soap opera.

“Oh my god, he looks so...” Sasha starts in awe, hands on her cheeks and stars in her eyes but unsure how to finish her words.

Eren nods his head, understanding her speechlessness. “Innocent.”

Silently, his friends nod as well. But he couldn’t just stand here and gawk at Captain Levi’s sleeping form, he came here with a mission. “We need to wake him up. He’s already really late.” He says, more to himself than to his friends. He doesn’t wait for his comrades to exit the room as he gently places a hand on the Captain’s shoulders to shake him awake.

“Captain Levi—“

Eren learns his mistake too late as Levi’s eyes immediately snap open, hand clamping down on Eren’s and twisting it behind his back to disarm him.

“Eren!” Mikasa yells behind him, making a move to free him from Levi’s iron clad grip. From the corner of his eyes, Eren sees the person lying down next to Levi quickly sit up and throw something silver, flying past his comrades and towards Mikasa’s head, embedding itself deep within the wood next to her face.

Eren stares at his friends, all silent, frozen with fear, and rooted to their spots as their mouths hang open.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Levi sneers, pushing down on Eren’s arm.

“C-captain, you’re late for the—“ “Holy shit, we’re late for the meeting.” You cut in, eyes wide in realization.

The Captain briefly glimpses at you and clicks his tongue as he releases Eren from his grip, the young soldier immediately slumping to the ground in relief. His arms and legs felt like jello and he could already feel himself melting into the wooden floor.

“Can someone explain to me why you brats thought it would be a good idea to enter my private quarters?” Levi glares. “Without my permission?”

Oh shit. They didn’t think this through.

A cold shiver runs down the soldier’s spines as they unanimously realize their mistake, something that Eren undoubtedly would’ve felt as well if he wasn’t too busy gawking at the realization that Captain Levi was shirtless (probably naked underneath the sheets), and you were shirtless as well (also probably naked underneath the sheets).

Levi catches Eren’s eyes staring at you, and he silently pulls the blanket over your chest and up to your collarbones without breaking his glare at the cadets.

Fuck. Eren thinks, eyes snapping to the ground as a blush creeps up his neck. Captain Levi’s definitely going to cut off both my ears now.

Conny, apparently already cracking under the pressure, flails his arms and yells as he tries to make a run for the door. Before anyone could even blink, another silver blur whizzes through the air, stabbing the wood directly in front of Conny as he freezes.

It was a knife. A fucking butter knife. Why the hell the Captain and his lover keep a butterknife next to them on the bed is something Eren doesn’t want to know.

“Since none of you lot have tongues,” Levi speaks. He’s not going to get an explanation soon. “We’ll discuss punishment later. For now,” He stands up, grabbing a still flustered Eren by the collar and dragging him towards the door, pushing out the rest of the team as well.

Eren doesn’t have time to be relieved about the fact that Captain Levi was not, for a fact, naked and was wearing black boxers. He was too busy getting pushed out the Captain’s bedroom and dragged through the office before finally getting thrown out into the hallway.

“For now, you leave me alone. I have a meeting to attend to.”

Levi slams the door shut at his awestruck soldiers, breathing in a frustrated sigh as he rests his hand on his forehead. He was getting a headache. He feels arms wrap around him from behind, hands resting on his chest. He sighs once more, this time in content, as he leans into your touch.

“Hey,” you kiss neck. “Thought you said you locked the door.”

“I did.” He turns around, still in your arms, and gently places his hands on your face as he kisses your nose. “Someone must’ve accidentally unlocked it when they were trying to grab onto something. Y’know, when they were getting fucked from behind.”

You chuckle. “Well, I’m sure that someone probably got sweet talked into getting fucked against the door.”

You break away from his arms after giving him a kiss, making your way back inside Levi’s bedroom, no doubt to get dressed for the meeting.

He stares at you as you walk, still naked and looking gorgeous. His face may be stoic but his heart was leaping, the gold ring on your left hand that matched his own glimmering in the light.

Your head peaks out from behind his bedroom door. “Round two before the meeting?” You ask cheekily.

Levi rolls his eyes as he makes his way to the bedroom as well, patting your bum as he passes by. “No. We’re already late.”

Eren clutches the pillow to his head, exhausted from the laps he’d done. He glances around the room, eyeing the tired faces of his comrades.

As punishment for invading your privacy, Captain Levi assigned them laps around the base until sundown plus two weeks of stable duty. As punishment for invading his privacy, Captain Levi deemed them unworthy of having their own private space and made the entire squadron bunk together in the small room beside his own. 

Well, the entire squadron except for the Captain himself, at least.

Eren was pretty sure the room they were made to sleep in indefinitely was supposed to be a supply closet of some kind, but it fitted enough bunk beds for the entire team and was deemed a worthy location to carry out the rest of their punishment.

“How long do we have to sleep here?” Sasha asked dreadfully, hands covering her ears in attempts to block out the noises coming from the other room. The sound of a squeaky mattress and a wooden bed slamming against the adjacent wall continued.

“Until we learn our lesson,” Jean quotes the Captain. He himself looked extremely tired but he wasn’t trying to cover his ears like the rest of them were, undoubtedly because he’d already given up on getting a good night’s rest if the bags underneath his eyes were anything to go by.

“I don’t even care how long we have to sleep here anymore.” Conny interjects tiredly. “I just want to know when they’ll ever stop.”

As if to prove his point, a moan is heard through the walls. The soldiers flinch, still not accustomed to the sound. Mikasa silently runs her hands through Eren’s hair to calm him down.

“They’ve been at it for hours,” Jean whispers in horror. “How much stamina do those two have?”

Armin sighs, the bags under his eyes feeling heavier by the second. “They’re elite soldiers who’ve trained for years. They have more stamina than all of us combined.”

The whole room heaves out a collective groan, finally accepting that they weren’t getting any sleep tonight. 

In the other room, Captain Levi bangs his fist against the shared wall. “Oi,” he calls out. “Shut up, you brats. We can hear you.”

Levi thrusts his hips, eyes glancing down at your pleasure-struck face as he grinds into you more. The action causes you to throw your head back and let out a desperate moan, finger nails scratch down his back. He grabs your hands to pin them to the sides of your head, leaning down to whisper “Not too harsh, darling. We don’t want you leaving marks now, do we?” He continues his pace, the bed’s wooden frame slamming against the wall as he once again speaks to his soldiers.

“We have thin walls, y’know.”

alrightberries © 2020. do not modify or repost.

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[screamingatanemptyroom]

Please Fix the Story pt 24 - Sci Fi

The battle with the Hive, and the traveler! Moving onto the end game after this. (Still will take a few parts, but the end is in sight!)

Masterpost linked here.

Enjoy!

_____________________________

The atmosphere in the conference room was tense.

“The numbers don’t look good.” General Gladus stared at the display with a frustrated sigh. “We just have the few Mechs stationed in the Fifteenth Sector. The Hive have a full colony… thousands of drones, directed by a Queen. They have already landed on the nearest moon, destroying the defense base there, and will be within striking distance of the planet in..." He rechecked his numbers. "Eighteen hours.”

Pointing his finger at the hologram, the display zoomed in on the larger dot surrounded by countless other smaller red dots. “The Queen is the key. She controls all the drones. If we take her out, we can halt the invasion long enough for true reinforcements to arrive.”

I nodded, trying to follow along. “So if we don’t have the numbers to defend the planet, we go on the attack and try to strike the Queen?”

“It can take a whole squadron to take out a Queen. “ He quickly put a damper on my excitement, frowning. “A normal Hive drone is the size of a human. She’s larger than two Mechs put together, around six stories tall, with armor to match.”

I thought about the story, what I knew about what technology was available years ahead… Hadn’t Chris gotten a special Mech to fight Queens? “What about a bigger Mech? Big enough to take on the Queen?”

The general paused at that. “The military engineers at the academy have been working on some prototypes… but the bigger a Mech is, the harder it is to control. In a few years we might have one that a single Guardian could operate, but the ones we have now? No one would have the capability…”

“I do.” I interrupted, speaking with certainty. “Let Liam and I try it.”

“Honey, I know you’re a Grade S Guardian, but…”

“I’m more than that. You remember that I almost destabilized? It was because of a sudden increase of my power” Because I’m not really your daughter. “I’m much more powerful than a grade S… “ I reached out and grabbed Liam’s hand. “And that’s not even to mention our 100% resonance match.”

Liam grinned, squeezing my hand. “Trust us, General. Alaira and I can fly anything they can build!”

The General stared at us, obviously unnerved at the idea of sending his daughter into the worst of the fighting. I reached out and grabbed his hand. “Trust me, Dad. I’ll make you proud.”

“…” He let out a long sigh. “I’m already more proud than I could ever be…” He rubbed his forehead. “Fine. Let’s see if you can work the thing… but if you can’t move it perfectly, then the plan gets canceled. I’m not sending you out there to die.”

“Thank you!” Awkwardly hugging him, I felt a twinge of guilt as he patted my back gently.

I wish your daughter could be here to feel your love and pride in her.

“Don’t celebrate too soon… Even if you’re big enough to take on a Queen, we still have to get you to her.”

I stepped closer to the display, studying it. “She’s directly in the center of the army… hiding away on the moon in the ruins of the defense base. With their numbers versus ours… we just don’t have the firepower to get there.”

Warning! Mission Failure Imminent!

As the blue writing and loud warning appeared only to me, I felt no fear, no terror at my imminent doom. It was now more annoying than anything else.

If you're not going to suggest anything helpful, then shut up!

Warning!...

SHUT UP! I screamed in my head, feeling a thread of shadowy power emerge from around me, erasing the words from existence.

The warning fell silent.

What… what was that? Some sort of magic? How much about myself is still hidden in my lost memories?

Enjoying the new silence in my head, I looked over at Liam who was staring at me with a worried look.

“Are you okay? You weren’t responding.”

I reached out, smoothing out his forehead, which was wrinkled with concern. “Yes. It’s difficult to explain, though. What did you say?”

“If we don’t have the troops to blast our way to the Queen, then what about a diversion?” He pointed at the area of the diagram between us and the Hive. “We act like we’re staging a frontal assault, and when they’ve deployed enough forces to weaken the rear, you and I strike from behind!”

The General nodded slowly. “It would take quite an attack to make the Hive divert forces to the front… Even if we threw everything we had and left nothing to protect you two, it might not be enough.”

I grinned. “Don’t worry about protecting us.” Grabbing Liam’s hand I added. “You forget who I matched with. We can handle our own defense. All that’s left is to figure out how to make a big enough distraction to give us a way in.”

“DID SOMEONE CALL FOR A DISTRACTION?!”

Princess Ilene pushed past the guards at the door with the two other girls in her group at her sides. “Sounds like a job for the Harem!”

Liam raised his eyebrow. Harem? He mouthed silently at me. I shook my head, not wanting to get involved.

Alaira’s father did not look impressed. “Princess. I don’t recall you showing any interest in military matters previously.”

“That’s before the Hive kidnapped Chris!” Ilene cracked her knuckles. “Now I gotta go crush some space bugs.”

Who says Chris was kidnapped?

“YEAH!" "We're going to save him!” The other two girls struck dramatic poses on either side of Ilene.

“…” The room stared at them in silence.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, wishing away my headache. “Princess, maybe this would work better if you explained to my father what skills you three brought to the table? “

“… I suppose.” She sniffed, gesturing at Wen grandly. “She has designed a Mech with the ability to tow 50 mini cannons.”

Wen grinned, explaining further. “The guns are strapped to a small engine, and will fly at evenly spaced intervals behind the controlling Mech. It’s still a work in progress… You can’t target, and you can’t control them individually… at least not yet.”

“But that’s still 50 extra shots for one Mech.” General Gladus looked much more interested. “How many have you made?”

“Just one, but if I add a small hologram projector to the guns, it will look like we have 50 fully operational Mechs with us! THAT should get the Hive’s attention.”

Ilene and Allie chimed in. “ We’ve already practiced piloting the Mech and can operate it smoothly.”

“… That… might just work…” He shrugged. “Strong work, Ladies…”

“We call ourselves the Harem… Alaira came up with the name!”

“Don’t credit me, please..”

The General glanced at my cringing expression and chuckled. “…Glad to have you aboard… I think.”

“All right!” The young engineer high-fived her companions, grinning proudly. “I was originally saving this invention for Chris, but now I’m going to use this to SAVE Chris!”

“YEAH!”

“…” The General was now staring at me with a look of consternation, to which I raised my hands helplessly. “…Sure.”

“So that’s the plan then.” I took a deep breath, calming the fast beating of my heart at the thought of the fight to come. “The Harem will distract the Hive, and Liam and I will take out the Queen.”

We’ll save the world.

We’ll complete my mission.

It will work… it has to.

“We’ll strike first thing in the morning.” General Gladus watched me with a worried gaze, but obviously held back from speaking further. “… Good luck.”

_____________________________

Liam and I tested out the massive Mech prototype called the “Queen Killer,” able to move it with an ease that shocked Alaira’s father and the engineers. After confirming the plan a final time, I returned back to my dorm to get some rest before the battle.

I found myself too keyed up to sleep, staring blankly at the ceiling. If we complete the mission, will I get all my memories back? Will I stay in this world or be forced to leave? Will Liam stay with me? My frantic thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on my door.

Wary, I checked the security system, quickly opening the door once I realized who it was.

“Liam, what are you doing here? It’s still a few hours before we’re supposed to meet for the mission.”

Liam wrung his hands together, staring at the floor quietly. “I… was hoping…”

“What is it?”

“Can you come with me?”

At my nod he grabbed my hand and pulled me along. I started to ask where he was taking me, but seeing the determination on his face, fell silent. I didn’t feel any wariness, despite my lack of knowledge of our direction.

_____________________________

“Aren’t you scared?” A voice asked, coming from high above me.

“No.”

“Why not?” The despair in the voice was heartbreaking. “Everyone else is.”

“Because it’s you.” I grinned. “Can’t be scared of you, Liam.”

_____________________________

I blinked, my gaze once again resting on our clasped hands.

I’ll keep trusting you Liam.

He took me to the upper deck of the academy, a large platform surrounded by multiple gardens. In the dead of night, the multicolored flowers and trees were barely visible. Rather than a clear sight, it was a combination of the senses: of impressions of movement, of gentle sounds of the wind swaying the branches and leaves, of brief flashes of colors in the light of the multiple candles that lit up the platform.

In the center of the platform stood a minister, the elderly man looking tired but still smiling gently. Off to the side were the Harem girls, watching silently, and Alaira’s father who stood by with a combination of tears and joy.

The King and Queen were nowhere to be seen.

“This.is…” My voice trailed off, filled with awe at the sheer amount of work it must have taken to move everything up here from the ballroom we had planned it in.

Liam knelt down, holding my hand with a solemn look.

“Alaira... I don’t know if we’re going to survive this battle, but I know one thing: If I’m going to die tomorrow, I want it to be as your husband.”

His hands were shaking with nervousness as they held my own.

“Please marry me.” His words were simple, but they struck my heart with a force that made me sway on my feet.

_____________________________

“Please marry me.” A trembling man held me close.

_____________________________

I smiled at the thought that I had answered this question before. “Yes.”

Liam let out a sigh of relief, standing up and hugging me gently. “Thank you…” He hesitated. “Bel.” The name was spoken only for me to hear, sounding like a prayer.

“You realize we had already planned to get married today?” I chuckled. “You didn’t have to re-propose.”

“I needed to hear it again.”

With a wide grin, he led me over to the center of the platform. There, in front of friends and family, the minister led us through the vows. As I spoke the words, holding Liam’s hands tightly, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had done this multiple times before.

How many lifetimes have I already spent with him? How many times have we been married?

Liam leaned in to kiss me, the gentle movement the barest touch on my lips, and then hugged me tightly against him.

“I love you.” He whispered in my ear.

My father stepped forward and clapped us both on the shoulder. “Alright, kids, that’s enough excitement pre-battle. Go get some sleep. I’ll throw you a combination victory party and wedding reception once we survive the Hive.”

Laughing, Liam and I left the party behind. We were unable to sleep, and simply laid in each other’s arms. My head rested against his chest, hearing his heartbeat and breaths. Closing my eyes, I prayed that we would make it though this battle safely.

And just maybe, if we survive this, I’ll figure out how to get our memories back.

I thought of the shadowy power I had displayed to shut the system warning down, an ability I had tried to repeat without success several times since. I don’t know who or what I am… but I do know one thing:

I won’t accept my fate.

_____________________________

Soon it was time for the battle.

Liam and I boarded the Queen Killer Mech and flew it around the battle site, staying out of range of the Hive’s sensors. We floated in Space watching the holographic display from the Mech's communication system as the Harem and the few soldiers Alaira’s father had brought with him advanced from the front. It looked as if there were over a hundred Mechs, an intimidating site, but we knew it was just an illusion, holograms attached to remote guns. Their actual numbers were quite pitiful compared to the army in front of them.

We could only hope the Hive would fall for the trick.

“Advance!” The General’s voice came over the intercom. I felt myself tremble with nervousness at his serious tone. I wasn’t really his daughter. Most of the time I felt like the worst fraud when I was with him. But I genuinely cared for this gruff, strange man. He loved his daughter, and wasn’t afraid to take on the world to protect her.

I hope he makes it. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach at the thought that he might not.

But if we don’t fight, none of us will.

The army of Mechs, both real and fake, moved forward. As the Hive flew to meet them, I got a close look at them through my headset. I had seen their appearance in Alaira’s memories, but somehow, seeing them with my own eyes was all the more horrifying.

Large insects, each the size of a human, with a black and red exoskeleton that coated everything, even the wings. Enormous pincers grew outwards on their heads, sharp enough to tear a Mech open, to cut a human in half. Their dark, multifaceted eyes took in the space emotionlessly. They were unstoppable, insatiable. The Hive’s only goal was to devour, to destroy. They numbered in the thousands; enough to make even seeing the moon the Queen was hiding on difficult.

I felt a deep feeling of terror growing within me, fear and despair mixing, threatening to take away my reason.

It’s not my emotions.I tried to push down the feeling, but they continued to grow, trying to overwhelm me. It’s Alaira’s.

She had died there, next to that moon, surrounded by the Hive. Their pincers destroyed her Mech, pulled her out from the safety of the piloting sphere. She was overwhelmed, and even with the fracturing of her mind she knew she was doomed.

“Are you okay?” Liam’s voice in my ear calmed me down. “Your strong emotions are interfering with the Connection.” I took a deep breath, repeating silently.

You are not Alaira. You are not Alaira.

I knew exactly what it would feel like to die in battle with the Hive, though.

The Hive started swarming to the front, line. The Queen was directing them to defend her against the “larger” threat. There were only a few hundred left to guard the rear.

“It’s working!” General Gladus’ excited voice sounded out. “They’re falling for it.”

“Then we’ll get to work.”

“… Good luck, Alaira. I love you.”

I hesitated. “… I love you too… Father.”

It was time. I grabbed Liam’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Focus on your shield.”

He took a deep breath. “You know I can’t control it.”

“You can let me in, Liam. You are in control. Use it for its purpose: to protect yourself. To protect me.”

He closed his eyes, positioning himself behind me within the Connection chamber in the Mech. His hands were on my back, and through the physical touch I felt his nervousness. The air around the Mech seemed to shift, and I knew that I had to act quickly before the mental shield weakened.

I flew the Mech forward, quickly reaching the highest speed. At the noise of our passing one of the drones turned to face us. Soon they had swarmed around us, their pincers opened to attack.

FEAR.

Alaira’s emotions were running full force, but I pushed them down once more, going faster. I could feel Liam behind me, keeping the connection between me and the Mech easy despite its enormous size. We flew into the swarm, and the sturdy alien insects splattered against the mental shield, which held firm under the blows.

Liam and I sighed with relief.

“See? You CAN control it!”

“We still have the Queen to deal with.” Liam’s voice was worried, I could feel his concern though our connection. “She’s a little big to be squished by a shield.”

“Well that’s why we brought the big guns.” After a few more moments we broke through the Hive’s line of defense, and landed on the Moon, trying to locate the Queen.

“Where is she?” The scanners were starting to scramble, as if interrupted by an unknown signal. The Hive shouldn’t have that kind of technology, though.

“I don't see her on the Moon's surface. Has she left? First, let’s try the defense fort. It should be big enough to hide the Queen.” At Liam’s suggestion we flew forward, making our way to the building. The clear defense dome seemed intact, the computers opening an airlock, allowing us to pass forward after communicating with our Mech and confirming our identity.

“How would the Queen be here without destroying the dome?” I muttered, trying to scan the surroundings and noting that it was picking up several lifeforms, even if it was still too scrambled to give a clear location.

“ I don’t know, but I don’t think that hole was there before.” Liam tapped my back, and I looked towards the Hanger, the largest building in the complex. A six story hole had been torn out of the front wall. Wary, I moved the Mech closer, ducking down and entering the main area, which was fortunately tall enough to accommodate our oversized Mech.

The area was mostly lit up, a few of the florescent lights sparking and flickering from recent damage. The few Mechs that had remained had been torn to shreds and tossed in a pile. The space was wide-open, extending outwards into shadows.

“What the…?” My voice trailed off in shock as I stared at the unbelievable sight in front of me.

In the center of the hanger stood the Queen. She was bright white with red and black markings along the side of her rotund torso. She brandished hundreds of spiky claws like a millipede, with large bright red wings extended behind her. Towards the top she sported multiple large pincers, with a final one extending from her head. Her eyes glowed with a bright white light, staring at us with fury.

She was frozen into place, unable to make a single movement.

“What is going on?” I whispered to Liam.

“Bel, you actually made it this far!”

A cheerful voice rang out, causing both of us to groan with frustration. A Mech emerged from the shadows, we couldn’t see the pilot, but Liam and I knew who it was and spoke his name together.

“Chris.”

“I keep telling you, it’s not Chris.” The voice coming from the Mech seemed annoyed, the large robot swinging a sword back and forth. “As always, you two are wrong.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, clenching my fists at my side within the Connection Chamber of our Mech.

“Exactly what I told you, Bel: I’m ending this.” He lifted up his Mech’s free hand, and in it was a large bomb blinking with a bright red light. A single red button marked the trigger, and I tensed up as he caressed it lightly with a large metallic finger.

“That’s a uninite bomb.” Liam spoke up. “You’d destroy the moon with one that big! You'll kill us all with the Queen!”

“Exactly! I’m willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to save everyone. Not like you… monster.” He spit out the last word, his voice filled with hatred. “I’m the HERO. I’m the one who everyone cares about. I’m the one SHE SHOULD LOVE!”

“Oh, SHUT UP!” I activated the opening on our Mech, and slid down a cord to the ground, pulling off my helmet to reveal my face. The air inside the defense shield was slightly stale but breathable.

Liam was startled, jumping down to stand beside me. “Bel, wait!”

“It’s okay.” I grinned at him. “Trust me.” The Mech straightened up behind us, falling into a standby position. I looked up at the Mech controlled by the Pseudo-Chris.

“If you’re going to threaten me and insult my husband, then do it to my face.”

“Nice try. If I leave the Mech, I can’t control it. All you’ve managed to do is to give away your only advantage!” He laughed confidently. “I am in control, Bel. The Hive, the Queen… all of it! I’m the only one who can save your soul from destruction.”

“You brought the Hive here… you’re the one who advanced the story so quickly.” I paused, thinking it over. “How come you can go against the story? I always get warnings whenever we stray too far away from our characters.”

“You don’t understand. You never have. All that matters is that the roles are obeyed, that we follow our fate. I may have taken a… detour… but in the end I will fulfill my role as a hero, and save everyone, at the cost of my own life.”

“Why are you doing this?” Liam growled, standing close to me.

“He was hoping that I would give up.” I answered for him calmly, staring up at the Mech with a disgusted expression, “He made a seemingly impossible situation, hoping I would see accepting my fate as my only option.”

I thought of the system's warning that I had no chance of survival. They had tried to manipulate me. Tried to force me to do what they wanted.

But I hadn't.

“You see things so clearly sometimes, Bel.” Chris’ voice showed his approval. “And even though it didn’t work, I can still just end things here. I’ll destroy the Queen, which will complete your mission. The system can erase your memory again and we’ll start over.”

I felt a sense of fear at his words. How many times has this already happened?

“No matter how many times we have to do this, there will only be one outcome in the end: you will accept your fate.”

_____________________________

“You will accept your fate, Bel.” The young handsome man stared at me with disappointment. “You can’t keep hiding with this monster forever.”

“He's not a monster. Besides, you’re the one who sent me to Liam.” I grinned. “You have no one to blame but yourself.”

“It was temporary. You were supposed to be his prisoner.” He snapped. “Now, because of you, he’ll be the first to be destroyed. You can’t distort the higher realm. Everything depends on it.”

“It’s not right…”

“It’s the reality of our roles. Now enough stalling. What will you choose? Will you follow the rules, or will you let everything be destroyed to protect your precious independence?”

“No…”

“Even you can’t be that selfish.” He growled, reaching out to grab my arm painfully. “Accept your fate, Bel.

“NO!”

_____________________________

“NO!” I shook my head, clearing aside the memory. “No matter how many times you ask me. No matter how many worlds you drag me through. No matter how many times my memory is wiped. I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT!”

“Fine. Then it’s time to move to the next world…” His Mech raised its hand holding the bomb.

“You’re pathetic.” My words were quiet, but seemed to echo in the otherwise silent hanger. “Even when we were in the higher realm you were always trying to trick and scheme to get things to go the way you wanted. You thought by forcing me to Liam’s side as his ‘prisoner’ you could force me to accept my fate, but that backfired too, didn’t it?”

“… “ There was a long stunned silence.

“You… you remember?” The Mech’s head shook back and forth in a jerky movement. “No, your memories were wiped!”

I quickly thought through the few memories I had experienced over the last few weeks. “You wanted me to play my part… but I didn’t want to be in a romantic relationship with you. I would solve things my own way, which pissed you off.”

“YOU… NO! YOUR MEMORIES ARE GONE!” The whole Mech was shaking slightly.

“No matter the realm, no matter the roles we play, one thing remains constant: you’re a pathetic loser.” I smiled. “And I like Liam more than you.”

“HE’S A MONSTER! YOU CAN’T LOVE HIM! YOU HAVE TO LOVE ME!”

“Bel…” Liam whispered. “You realize you’re making the unstable man with the bomb angry, right?”

“Trust me, I have a plan… probably.”

“Oh, good.”

I looked up at the Mech, raising my voice. “I’ll never love you!”

“YOU HAVE TO!”

“Get used to disappointment, loser.”

The Mech was shaking more violently as he whispered hoarsely. “Y-you’re lying… you have to be. You don’t have your memories…”

I AM lying. “Too bad for you I’m telling the truth. I remember everything important.”

“…Then what’s my name?”

I spread my hands out helplessly. “Oh buddy, I just said I remembered everything IMPORTANT.” I leaned forward. “You were never important to me. You still aren’t.”

“SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!” The Mech was rocking back and forth with his screams and then suddenly became very still.

“Got him!” I pumped my fist in the air victoriously.

“What’s… what’s happening?! I can’t control my Mech!”

I chuckled at his panicked tone.

“You see, there’s a difference between you and me. You might be the hero, but I’m the one with greater than Level S Guardian abilities. In fact, you used that very trait of mine to try to force me to partner with you. It was a burden before I formed a Connection with Liam, but now?” I reached over and grabbed Liam’s hand. “It makes things really easy. One of the skills I’ve practiced was controlling Mechs from a distance.”

“That’s…”

“Impossible? Only if you’re weak. The distance makes things challenging but it’s still fairly simple for me.” I paused. “By the way, I WAS lying earlier. I needed you to have strong emotions to disrupt your Connection with your Mech so I could take it over.”

“…” Enjoying his stunned silence, I gestured, controlling the “Queen Killer” Mech to step forward.

“Now I could let you blow yourself up and kill the Queen to complete the mission, but unlike you, I don’t feel any satisfaction out of sacrificing myself or others needlessly. I’m also not going to let you die, because I have a feeling that could have negative effects on this world.”

The Queen started moving, whatever restraints the pseudo-Chris had placed on it obviously released. I could feel her anger at being obstructed in her mission. Her overwhelming need to consume life and move on drove her constantly, and even the briefest of pauses enraged her. Her hungry eyes focused on me, sensing a threat.

I released all my abilities to the limit, feeling a light throbbing headache at controlling two Mechs at once, and one of them being the large Queen Killer.

“It’s time for this story to end.” I whispered, feeling satisfaction as the giant robot pulled out a sword and brandished it.

“My mission will be completed.” The sword tore a huge rent in the Queen’s side, spilling green blood. The insect queen screamed in rage and pain, her pincers tearing off some of the armor on the Mech’s arm.

“The world will be saved.” A second strike hit, cutting off several claws. The Queen clamped onto the Mechs’ chest with her mandibles, trying to burrow into the center. I was glad I wasn’t in the suspension gel, feeling the pain of the attack.

“And it will all be done without you.” My Mech swung the sword downward, and the Queen’s head separated from its body. It still clamped onto the chest of the robot, its eyes’ light slowly fading away.

“NOOOO!” Pseudo Chris screamed out, but it was too late. The Queen was dead. Her army would become useless.

The world was safe.

A beautiful chime rang out, and bright blue words formed into the air.

Congratulations!

Mission 100% complete.

**** You have finished the mission! ****

Stay in this world?

YES/NO

“It doesn’t matter if you completed the mission or I did. I still have the next world, and the next and the next!” The Mech was still frozen into place, but it didn’t stop his angry words. “Time is on my side!”

I sighed. “No. It’s not.” As I had completed the mission, I felt a strange surge of power. A similar sensation to when I had stopped the system voice from speaking earlier. I focused carefully, and a shadowy power poured out in the world around me, much stronger than before.

“Bel?” At Liam’s worried question, I turned and smiled at him.

“Don’t worry, Liam. It’s just time to change the game.” He grabbed my hands and nodded silently at my words, supporting me.

I turned my attention to the System’s message.

“We will not stay in this world any longer.” The shadowy power around me increased.

…

WORLD TRANSFER FAILED. UNKNOWN INTERFERENCE.

“Oh, that’s just me. You see… this world’s victory was all I needed to finish piecing together my soul.”

…

“I really do remember everything now.”

And I did. Who I was. Why I had made the deal I had made.

“I fixed every world you sent me to. Without memories. Without my protected status as the heroine. Just a hated side character or villain. Admit it… I won.”

… NOT YET.

“You’re right. There’s still one last story to be fixed.” I grinned at Liam, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. “The Higher Realm.”

Our world.

YOU MUST ACCEPT…

“I must do nothing.” The dark power that surrounded me erased the blue words in the air before they could form that hated sentence. “YOU must transfer us back. Back to the beginning.”

…

…

“Do it.” I gave no room for argument.

…

WORLD TRANSFER INITIATED. LOCATION: THE HIGHER REALM.

“I love you Liam.” I hugged him tightly. “Let’s get married one last time.”

“I love you too… But what do you…?”

TRANSFER COMPLETE.

[minachuuu]

Mafia!Red Velvet Reaction to being teased for their soft spot on their S/O

⚠ TW: Swearing, guns, knifes, mention of kidnapping & murder.

Irene

A feared boss in her city, her gang is known for pledging an undying allegiance to her, and while every rival family tries and tries to look for one, it's bold of anyone to believe Joohyun has any type of weakness. But that doesn't mean that she isn't capable of loving. 

Of course you knew about her job and her status, but everything about her ruthless reputation sounded so wrong to you. She wasn't sinister, heartless and wicked at all, but a super attentive, caring and sweet girlfriend. Your only connection to that world was your girlfriend, both being completely clear that you didn't want in on the business. But even if Joohyun knew to separate her personal life from her workplace, some of her subordinates sometimes mistake her amiability and cross lines she defends very ardently. 

A disappointed and terrified gasp filled the table when a newly promoted subordinate had the guts to get you into the conversation unprompted and even jokingly call you the 'weak spot' of the gang. His laughter started dying after nobody followed him into the joke, only to be instantly cut when the click of a gun was heard at the end of the table. 

"It's never a bad time to remind you all of certain rules," Joohyun's mouth was far from a smile, as she waved the point of the gun around the table, finally landing over the petrified man. "Just in case any of you forgot."

The man gulped hard, his hands shaking in the armrests of his chair as Irene went out in a knife-cutting tension rant, enough to make everyone, even the closest members sweat their nerves out. 

"... But Y/N name is not to be out of anyone's mouth but mine." Joohyun put away the gun, not lowering her guard and the killing glance. "I hope it's perfectly clear, because I only warn once."

Seulgi

If it wasn't for the fact that Seulgi and some of her gang members were on the most wanted lists across the world, anyone could be fooled into thinking they were a totally normal, high-end suburban family. Since you both started seeing each other more seriously, she was clear about her job and identity, and enthusiastically introduced you to her gang. 

Of course you were a little scared at first, but everyone received you with open arms and warm smiles. And even if you wanted nothing to do with the business itself and Seulgi respected that, you couldn't avoid some of the reunions that came with being a partner of the boss. 

"I'm trying to close the deal with the casino owner down the strip, but if he doesn't agree with this final terms we'll be forced to get rid of hi-" You arrived at the table with a hot cup of coffee for her, as her tone, face and eyes completely shifted, glowing mesmerized by your image."Thank you sweetheart, come take a seat!"

The rest of the gang at the table started chuckling at the image in front of them: the one and only unbreakable boss, all melted at the sight of her lover. She scanned around, taken aback by the laughter until one subordinate dared talking. 

"Not to be a disrespectful boss," The man was lightly giggling through his words, but intending no harm. "But it's a little hard to take you seriously about exterminating someone when you look like a huggable teddy bear." 

All the room laughed at the comment, including Seulgi herself. She could take all the teasing the members wanted, but the moment anyone laid a finger over you, it's a total game over for them and they knew it. 

Wendy

There still were some things that you hadn't got completely used to even after all this time dating Seungwan, especially the entire mafia thing. She was such a sweetheart with you that when you joined her and her gang members on the meetings and that sort of stuff, it was so weird for you to listen about kidnappings, money and sometimes even murder coming directly from her mouth as if it was a normal theme for conversation. 

The family actually liked you and had a good relationship with you (Pity for anyone who didn't and Seungwan heard about it), but they also knew that you didn't want to get involved with the business at all, so they mostly stayed out of your way and off their mouths. But there were other unfortunate times when someone blurred the lines and dared crossing them. 

Driving to your summer home, two subordinates, your girlfriend and you joked around like normal people for once. Everything was doing just fine until the man on the copilot seat decided to abuse the trust of the situation a little too much. 

"You should know Y/N," He started chuckling, "I had never seen Seungwan so head-over-heels for a dumb wh*re befor-" 

Not a second had passed when the man was already being pinned back to his seat, with a knife pressed against his throat. 

"I didn't know you decided to practice comedy!" Seungwan kept laughing as she caressed his skin with the blade. "That was to die for! Don't you think?" 

The man immediately apologized, begging for his life with every word, when Seungwan slowly took the knife back to her pocket. 

"It's Mrs. Son for you." She snapped, taking your hand in hers. "You wouldn't want me to remind you about respect a second time."

Joy

For being a big mafia boss, Sooyoung was a pretty venerated figure in the city. Her gang was known mostly for investing around the city and being overall pacific, of course, unless provoked. Nobody could deny the closeness of the family either, but it didn't mean it was all flowers and rainbows, it's a power game after all. 

One that became a little more tense when you started dating the one and only boss, almost immediately after being welcomed into the family. Some of the other members thought you had no right to be by Sooyoung's side all the time, always locked in her office with her when there were members devoting their entire life to the business, as if being her partner was a position to be employed for. 

"I thought the boss would be more intelligent than that," One of the subordinates started, "Y/N has her under their grasp, it's getting ridiculous."

"Y/N doesn't even have the guts it takes to be in the business," Another subordinate followed. "It just makes the boss look wea-" 

"Excuse me? It makes me look how?" Sooyoung's voice coming through the door made every person's hair stand on end, as she walked past fixing the cuffs on her shirt. 

There was nothing that annoyed her more than those comments. Being the chief of a large and busy family was overwhelming at best and the fact that you were a little more outside of the whole thing wasn't a hindrance, it was her perfect escape from this black and white reality she led. 

"There are so many things that can be considered weak, like rumors, infighting, and even that blazer." Sooyoung pointed at one of the subordinates' clothes as she continued talking, everyone's legs shaking from terror. "But loving someone is not and will never be a weakness."

Yeri

When she told you that she was the Kim Yerim, the youngest mafia boss to ever be wanted by governments across the world, you thought it was all a joke. There was no way this caring, funny, kind woman was the one and only leader of the biggest gang in the city. But she was. 

And the surprises definitely didn't stop there. The reputation of the gang was absolutely nothing short of coldblooded, so of course it was surprising when the entire family received you as one of theirs into their circle. You stayed off their affairs, but still were a very welcomed presence at dinner and parties. The higher ranked started treating you as one of their own, teasing you and their boss, drinking and laughing, even protecting you when Yerim wasn't around. 

But there was an unfortunate day for one clerk though, because just as you both were leaving the dinner party, you over heard from his mouth call you both a 'bootlicker boss and their dumb sidechick'. 

"Hey," Yerim's call was enough for the man's face to go translucent, as she pointed back at him. "Follow me to the office please…"

You were safely escorted back to your house, where Yerim arrived later in the evening and refused to talk further on the matter. The next time you came back, you greeted everyone but didn't fail to notice a tense air going around in your presence. That's when it dawned on you. 

That clerk that insulted you was nowhere to be seen. Everyone, even you, knew exactly what happened to him. 

"It's not bad to remind the rest of their place," Yerim placed a kiss on your cheek as she intertwined her fingers with yours. "If I don't set the boundaries, who else will?"

[vulpeskorsak]

Day 5 of Whumptober 2022: If you aim to be a surgeon, make sure you have enough arms

Day 5 of Whumptober 2022!

No. 5 EVERY WHUMPEE’S NEEDS Blood Loss | Running Out of Air | Hyperthermia

Victor is my human fleshsmith inventor (KibblesTasty Homebrew class) from a long-running DnD adventure. Nina is his rogue best friend.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42189717 (AO3 link)

If you aim to be a surgeon, make sure you have enough arms

Victor is lying on his back, his lips stretched in a wild grin, eyes wide with terror, tears drying on his cheeks. His clothes and hair are soaked in his own blood. He bought this shirt only a week ago. And now it is dirty and torn. What a shame.

The wooden floor underneath him is the furthest from a comfortable surface to lie on. But he can’t really get up. Or move at all.

His right arm hurts like crazy, with a deep wound that goes half way around its biceps. He is unsure where his left arm is. Somewhere in the room, he hopes. His vision is blurred and he feels like if he starts moving his head, he might throw up.

A person of some kind stumbles over Victor’s legs and falls backwards out of his sight. The ripple that sends through his body makes everything hurt more. But he does not feel like groaning in pain, so he stays silent. He is getting used to his new condition. He feels oddly calm even with all the ruckus around him.

“Sorry, Vicky!” He hears Nina’s voice. “Just give us half a minute to clear the way and we will get you out of here!”

Victor lets out a weak “uh huh” and regrets it. It is all too much.

He closes his eyes but keeps the smile to reassure Nina and himself that he is still alive. He is glad she came to his rescue. She is a good friend. He never really had those before. He certainly likes her.

She is a half-elf slightly younger than him. 17, perhaps? He never asked. Hopefully he has a chance to do so. If he does not bleed out. She has been frequenting his teacher’s clinic for some non-medical reasons. Something to do with the gang business Jack is involved in. Not that Victor knows much about it. She saw him practicing his lockpicking skills, challenged him to a speed competition and won. They have grown relatively close since.

The young apprentice smiles wider thinking about how nice this is. He got kidnapped and tortured and now he is missing an arm. But somebody other than Jack came to save his sorry ass. And it is not just Nina herself, judging by the fighting sounds all over the place. It is likely that he is just an excuse for whoever Nina’s boss is to bring the fight into the rivaling gang’s den but he is happy to be this excuse.

It does not feel like half a minute. More like an hour before he hears hurried steps finally approaching. He was about to fall asleep.

“Victor! I brought a mage!”

He is forced to open his eyes again. Nina is crouched next to him alongside an elf he has never seen before.

“Don’t worry. It’s going to be alright.” He hears a smooth pleasant voice. “I’m going to stabilize you and then we’ll bring you to your teacher, alright?”

“What… about my arm?” As unpleasant as speaking is, his future as a doctor and researcher with only one arm does not look promising.

“I’ll grab it.” Nina lets out a nervous giggle and leaves his sight once again.

Victor feels the warmth spreading through his body from where the elf’s hand touches his chest and the pain recedes slightly.

A few seconds later he is being picked up, so he lets himself close his eyes and relax once again.

[icedflames]

Can you possibly lay out the reasons why Lucien isn’t a viable option for Elain based on the text? I feel like there are some people that just don’t understand. I’m not trying to be mean, I’m asking because I know you’ll answer respectfully.

Hmm, I don’t think Lucien and Elain would be a bad couple... But I agree, I just don’t think it’s a viable option at this point. 

I think there’s really two reasons: (1) the way Elain and Lucien have been written up until this point and (2) the timing and structure of the last two books.

Elain and Lucien’s Relationship

Lucien is part of Elain’s trauma.

From the shadows near a side door, two figures emerged. I began shaking my head as if I could unsee it as Lucien and Tamlin stepped into the light. (ACOMAF, Chp. 63)

While Lucien does not anticipate that the sisters would be kidnapped, he still participated in Elain’s trauma and Elain is highly aware of that. 

But Elain blinked slowly. “You were in Hybern.” 

“Yes.” It was all he could say. 

“You betrayed us.” (ACOWAR, Chp. 24)

Back to the cauldron scene...

Elain’s foot hit the water, and she screamed—screamed in terror that hit me so deep I began sobbing. “Please,” I said to none of them. (ACOMAF, Chp. 65)

&

And Elain, as if she’d been thrown by a wave, washed onto the stones facedown. Her legs were so pale—so delicate. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen them bare. (ACOMAF, Chp. 65)

&

Elain was still shivering on the wet stones, her nightgown shoved up to her thighs, her small breasts fully visible beneath the soaked fabric. Guards snickered. (ACOMAF, Chp. 65)

Elain is the first to go into the Cauldron. Nobody knew if she would live. She’s kicking the cauldron, screaming, and it’s awful all around. She’s laid bare, completely stripping her of her own modesty. Her own sister can’t remember the last time she had seen her sister’s bare legs. The guards are laughing at her nudity. It’s so humiliating and traumatizing. 

Not only that, but Elain is unwillingly stripped of humanity.

Then Lucien comes into the picture. 

As Lucien took off his jacket, kneeling before Elain. She cringed away from the coat, from him. (ACOMAF, Chp. 65)

&

Lucien’s hands slackened at his sides. His voice broke as he whispered to Elain, “You’re my mate.” (ACOMAF, Chp. 65)

Lucien does not have ill intent, but he laid a claim on her. Not only is Elain not human now, but now she has a mate. A stranger she has never met is now bonded to her forever. 

She has been stripped of her choice to stay human, her choice to choose who she wants to be with.

Lucien’s involvement in that trauma makes it very difficult for the two of them to overcome that. Possible, but difficult. I believe that if SJM wanted to go that route, it would have been sweet and believable.. But then we get the rest of ACOWAR, ACOFAS, and ACOSF...

In ACOWAR, Elain and Lucien have very little progression in their relationship. 

Lucien could not figure out what was wrong with Elain. 

He weighed my tone, and crossed his arms. “Let me do something. About Elain. I heard—from my room. Everything that happened just now. It wouldn’t hurt to have a healer look her over. Externally and internally.”

I was tired enough that I could barely summon the breath to ask, “Do you think the Cauldron made her insane?”

“I think she went through something terrible,” Lucien countered carefully. “And it wouldn’t hurt to have your best healer do a thorough examination.” (ACOWAR, Chp. 27)

Elain was... not herself after the Cauldron. She was withdrawn and depressed. Saying nonsensical things. 

The ancient healer jerked her chin toward Lucien. “See what he can do. If anyone can sense if something is amiss, it’s a mate.” (ACOWAR Chp. 28)

&

“Lucien murmured to me, eye still fixed on Elain, “Should we—does she need …?”

“She doesn’t need anything,” Azriel answered without so much as looking at Lucien.

Elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly.

“We’re the ones who need …” Azriel trailed off. “A seer,” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.” (ACOWAR Chp. 32)

This scene is telling. Majda says, if anybody can sense something is amiss, it’s a mate. Yet Lucien is not the one who makes the seer revelation - it’s Azriel. 

Lucien and Elain have never really... fit. It feels forced and there is a clear lack of progression:

Lucien just stared and stared at my sister, as if he’d never seen her before. (ACOWAR, Chp. 33)

She had chosen him. Elain had been … thrown at him. (ACOWAR, Chp. 24)

Lucien shrugged. “First—here. To help. Then …” Another glance at Elain. “Who knows?” I nudged Elain, who blinked at me, then blurted, “You could come to Velaris.” (ACOWAR Chp. 79)

Elain, at least, would be too polite to send Lucien away when he wanted to help. She was too polite to send him away on a normal day. She just ignored him or barely spoke to him until he got the hint and left. As far as I knew, he hadn’t come within touching distance since the aftermath of that final battle. (ACOFAS Chp. 5)

How Lucien withstood it, I didn’t know. Not that he’d shown any interest in bridging that gap between them. (ACOFAS, Chp. 5)

“But remember that they were engaged. Give her time to accept it.” “To accept a life shackled to me?” My nostrils flared. “That’s not what I meant.” “She wants nothing to do with me.” (ACOFAS, Chp. 18)

“I don’t think she’ll tolerate two minutes alone with me, so forget about two weeks.” His jaw worked as he studied the fire. (ACOFAS, Chp. 18)

“He brought you a present.” Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than I’d ever seen them. “And that entitles him to my time, my affections?”

“No.” I blinked. “But he is a good male.” Despite our harsh words. Despite this Band of Exiles bullshit. “He cares for you.” “He doesn’t know me.” “You don’t give him the chance to even try to do so.” Her mouth tightened, the only sign of anger in her graceful countenance. “I don’t want a mate. I don’t want a male.” (ACOFAS, Chp. 18)

I handed Elain the small box with her name on it. Her smile faded as she opened it. “Enchanted gloves,” she read from the card. “That won’t tear or become too sweaty while gardening.” She set aside the box without looking at it for longer than a moment.” (ACOFAS, Chp. 21)

And then we get into ACOSF where:

“I am not always in this city to see my mate.” The last two words dripped with discomfort. (ACOSF, Chp. 41)

Her brown eyes were wary. Usually, that look was reserved for Lucien. (ACOSF, Chp. 58)

Elain, the wretch, had taken the seat between Feyre and Varian, about as far from Lucien as she could get. Azriel remained in the doorway. (ACOSF, Chp. 58)

Cassian’s heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucien’s face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing. Elain only shrank further into herself, no trace of that newfound boldness to be seen. (ACOSF, Chp. 58)

I really believe... That if Elain and Lucien were going to happen, we would have had some positive progression by this point in the series. Which leads me to my next point...

Elain’s Book is Next

Please see my post on that here! @psychee92 also wrote a great post on that here.

Because Elain’s book is next, this really leaves us with two options for Elain:

Elain accepts the bond

Elain rejects the bond

Elain’s bond is a central issue for her. It makes her uncomfortable and it’s a part of her trauma. Her book will involve a plotline surrounding it. Whether she accepts the bond or not. Whether she chooses Lucien or Azriel. The mating bond is important for Elain’s storyline.

Currently, Elain and Lucien cannot stand to be in the same room as each other. Elain shrinks away from him. I really think that if SJM wanted to go with Elain and Lucien as endgame, we would have some hint that there may be something there. 

If anything, Elain and Lucien are further apart than ever before, despite the bond tying them together. With Elain’s book being next, it’s difficult to picture a satisfying romantic arc between the two of them. It’s going to take a lot to bridge the gap between them and 800 pages is, quite frankly, not enough (especially because SJM has moved into adult book territory and wants to get on with the smut). 

And that’s why I think Elain and Lucien are not a viable option at this point in the series. 

[silver-starlight-99]

Monsters at Work:  The Jokester Generation  Part Four: Steps to an Uncertain Future

Be prepared for one doozy of an info-dump

One of the proudest moments of Tylor Benjamin Tuskmon’s life was the day he graduated Scarer Cum Laude from Monsters University.  It was a hallmark moment for the entire Tuskmon family in fact; as he was the first in his familial line to graduate from college.  Bernard and Millie Tuskmon couldn’t have been prouder of their son, and both were more than happy to share that act.  From as young as five years old, little Tylor was awestruck by the Scarers of Monsters Inc., I imagine like many Monster children his age.  But it wasn’t until the fourth grade that he made the decision to become a full-fledged Scarer once he came of age. 

The boy was a natural talent, with his height and horns giving him quite the intimidating profile.  But much like a certain green, one-eyed monster, Tylor wasn’t afraid to study like mad to perfect his skills, and made a hobby of collecting/memorizing every Scarer Card he could get his claws on.  His parents, despite coming from more of a lower middle-class background, wanted to do everything they could to support their child when they saw the dedication he was putting into his dream-career.  Bernard worked long nights at his family’s hardware store for years, and Millie even pawned off a number of family heirlooms, just to make enough to put their boy through college once the time came.  Add on the special scholarship he received from one of the most prestigious Scaring Schools in the country, and it looked like everyone’s hard work paid off after all.  Sure, that kind of laser-focussed dedication meant he wasn’t as sociable as most his age, but it was worth it if it meant being that much closer to his childhood dream. 

Besides his graduation, the last time Tylor had this much attention on him was during the party hosted by Dean Knight in celebration of him breaking an old MU Scaring record as a part of his final exam.  Beating even James P. Sullivan’s numbers on the Simulation Room, recorded from the monster’s time during the Scare Games. A fact that made its way across the school campus in record time, reaching the ears of a certain brother duo working in MU’s theater department.  They were both friends with the infamous college dropout, and thought he’d be interested to hear his old title was being taken over by this new blood.   

Even if he couldn’t remember the names of most of the people in attendance, despite having been in classes with them for years, Tylor couldn’t have been prouder, knowing all that hard work had been worth it.  Especially so because before leaving the party, his teacher, Professor Shade, pulled him aside to tell him he’d received a letter of recommendation from Monsters Incorporated.  Despite the controversies surrounding the company since the event deemed The Waternoose Scandal, Monsters Inc. was still considered one of the premiere energy factories in the country.  And, looking at the young monster’s impressive list of accomplishments, the Board of Directors wanted to accept him as soon as possible.    

This was everything Tylor Tuskman could’ve wanted.  The chance to live his dream, make his family proud, and make his mark on the world of Scaring.  He thought that after he graduated from college, it would be nothing but smooth sailings.  Little did poor Tylor realize, he would make an astronomical impact on not just the Scaring world, but the Monster world as a whole.  Just… not in the way he expected.  And he had one of his former childhood heroes to thank for that.   

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Most monsters would agree that everything began to change the morning The Waternoose Scandal was released to the public.  Some would argue that it was the initial sighting of the Tiny Terror of Monstropolis at the now famous restaurant Harryhausen’s that got the ball rolling.  Others say that the panic stirred by the escaped child was merely the spark that would ignite the true bonfire that would come to consume the city. 

Tylor Tuskmon was just a bit too young to remember much of the hysteria itself.  The almost two-year-old spent most of the time after the initial sighting held up in his family’s hardware store.  While Bernard worked to keep his family safe and provide his neighboring Monsters tools they could use to defend themselves, should the dangerous creature be spotted in their neighborhood.  It wasn’t until the next morning when Millie saw a televised announcement from the CDA giving a cautionary all-clear that the Tuskmons felt safe enough to take down the boards on their windows.  They, along with many of their other neighbors, spent much of the day in a state of anxiety, with a confused Tylor trying to comprehend why everyone he knew was being so skittish and weird.  By the following morning, it was announced that the CDA had located and returned the child back to it’s world, and their door was shredded for good measure.  The Tuskmon parents heaved a sigh of relief as it seemed things could go back to normal.  However, it wasn’t until three days later that the official story behind the escape was released to the public, and that initial air of dread would be replaced with something new.  

Henry J. Waternoose Ⅲ, during a city-wide energy crisis, was diluting company funds and manipulating his employees to build a prototype for something he’d hoped would reinvent Scream-power extraction.  While effective, it would put Scarers at a higher risk of contamination because of their closer interactions with human children.  And he was willing to put Monster society on-a-whole in danger by kidnapping thousands of kids in order to maintain his machine’s efficiency.  The Tiny Terror was just the guinea pig to test the prototype.  If all this chaos was the result of a single child escaping his grasp, who knows what would befall Monstropolis if a small army of them were able to revolt from their captors?  If not for the courageous, somewhat fool-hearty, actions of Monsters Incorporated’s top Scaring team, the situation could’ve been much worse.  Thankfully, Mr. Waternoose was quickly apprehended, any known conspirators were questioned, and the CDA would remain vigilant in locating any other associates.  One of which being Randal Boggs, another of Monsters Incorporated’s top Scarers, who seemed to have fled the city while James Sullivan and Mike Wazowski focussed their attention on the true head of operations.

Between the media coverage of the CEO’s trial, dealing with the continuing energy crisis, the protests that arose from Monsters angered by the gross negligence of Waternoose’s Scream Extractor plan, and the lingering anxiety from the initial child sighting, things in Monstropolis would remain… let’s say hectic for a while.  Because of The Waternoose Scandal, Anthropophobia was at an all-time high, especially in Monstropolis, where there were more than enough monsters happy to use that lingering paranoia to their advantage.  You’d be surprised by the amount of small and big-budget movies that were produced in response to the whole affair.  Along with Monstropolis politicians that would use this instance to promote themselves as beacons of safety during election campaigns.  Not to mention the dozens of Monsters who’d use The Waternoose Scandal as a way to sell cheap junk to gullible tourists believing they were purchasing actual weapons used against a human.

Meanwhile, as trust in Monsters Inc. was beginning to dwindle, the same could not be said for the CDA.  Mike and Sully may have received the lion’s share of attention and praise for their efforts, but public approval for the Child Detection Agency had reached new heights for their supposed work in apprehending Waternoose and detaining the dangerous child.  And as long as the heroes of the hour were “willing” to vouch for the good work of Roz and her subordinates, she was willing to overlook certain incriminating details that may have fallen through the cracks as she wrote up her report.

It would be two years since The Waternoose Scandal before the dust would truly settle.  While the fear of Humans would remain in the city, much of the initial mania had long-since died down.  Despite receiving a life sentence in the Monstropolis Maximum Security Prison, the former CEO would pass on due to heart complications just a year into his confinement.  Since then, Monsters Inc’s Board of Directors had appointed new CEO, a squirrely fellow named Hunter Tycroft, who was more than willing to comply with the CDA’s occasional sweeps of the factory in hopes of discovering any lingering documents involving Waternoose’s plans for the Scream-Extractor.

As for Mike and Sully, they would eventually go on to continue their good work as the best Scaring team in the city, even breaking the all-time Scaring record; a dream they’d both shared since their first days on the job.  A young Tylor Tuskman, along with many of his peers, would watch in awe from their televisions as mayor Titus Fangmore himself held a ceremony to congratulate the two for their good work.  But to those who truly knew the duo, their fire, that initial passion for their work that drove them to achieve such records, had been fading ever since Waternoose’s arrest.  They did their part to help with the energy crisis, but between Sully’s bout of depression and Mike’s aggravation over the constant harassment by the press, the two were going through the motions for a while.  But with each other’s support, they would eventually get their heads back in the game, and their normally cheerful personalities would return.  To the general public, it seems like things were finally going back to some sense of normal.   

But trust me, in a few years, the duo idolized as heroes, would soon become the center of a cultural upheaval that would drastically affect both Monsters Incorporated and the Monster world as a whole. 

——————————————————————————————————————————-

By the 10-year anniversary of The Waternoose Scandal, things in Monstropolis had almost returned to normal.  Sure, there would be the occasional conspiracy theorist looking to stir up the populace, something that was becoming easier through the development of technology and social media.  But of course, most Monsters are quick to dismiss the more outlandish stories.  I mean, come on; The CDA blackmailing Mike and Sully into assisting with the capture of a door-hopping child?  It sounds like a fun idea for a movie, but that’s just the kind of speculative fiction Monsters make up to milk whatever nostalgia they can from a big event.  Something like that couldn’t have actually happened and been covered up, right?

Well, whatever the case, Mike and Sully are brought in for an interview on national news to commemorate the anniversary, with many of Monstropolis’ citizens tuning in.  And while some of the two’s answers can’t help but feel a bit… scripted at times, things go smoothly.  That is, until the end, where Mike and Sully decide to make an announcement.  For what feels like the first time since the initial incident, the two choose to be more earnest about their time with the human child.  It’s not enough to technically break the vow of silence they had with the CDA, but it’s enough to talk about one specific experience.

It happened all at once, so they didn’t think much of it at the time, but there was something about that instance that always stood out to them.  Monsters had always believed it was a child’s screams that powered their world, yet a giggle had enough energy that it could blow out an entire apartment’s worth of appliances?  They only had a few experiences to go by, but Mike and Sully were at least open to exploring Laugh power as an alternative energy source for their world.  After living through, and being forced to work to their limits during an intense power crisis, there was something appealing about Monsters being able to harvest ten times the normal amount of energy from a single kid.  Of course, all of this was just working off of theories, but the Scarers were eager to reach out to others who’d help them test their ideas.  After all, if this was as successful as they believed it could be, this could completely revolutionize the power-production industry.  That is, if the higher-ups within that same industry were willing to accept the possibility of treating children as something other than a toxic battery. 

Yeah, unsurprisingly, a majority of Monster society had… let’s say conflicted opinions about this.  This wasn’t the first time the idea of alternative energies was brought to the general public, it’s not even the first time someone proposed something cleaner, sometimes with no necessity for a human.  But in a world where companies like Monsters Incorporated, Fear Co and Scream Industries have a monopoly on power distribution, they made sure to deter any who posed a threat to their bottom line.  Many of said companies have some sort of tie to major media outlets, so it doesn’t take much to persuade certain news stations to… alter the public perception of certain individuals.  Or just scare the populace into a frenzy akin to the Satanic Panic of the 80’s at the mere mention of alternative energies.  Monsters Bernard and Millie’s age can remember reading news articles in their high-school years about some kind of whack-job cult that believed the blood and teeth of human children could be turned into a reusable fuel, but only if pulled directly from the source.  Of course such rumors were eventually debunked, but their purpose was fulfilled, and most major cities would come to totally rely on Scream energy.  Leaving many of those same monsters who proposed a change to be publicly shamed into reconforming, or unable to build a functioning prototype for their idea because of a lack of funding.    

But things were different for Mike and Sully.  They weren’t some crackpot duo out to corrupt Monster society, these were the heroes of Monstropolis, the tops of their field in Scaring, and practically paraded by the CDA at any needed opportunity.  And now, they’re saying they’re willing to give it all up because of a hunch from an incident over ten years ago?  They’re claiming that the beings that have terrorized Monsterkind for hundreds of years are creatures that should be entertained and not terrified?  Are human children even truly toxic?!

So, like I said, many in the monster world were split on this idea.  Many of the older generation were quick to dismiss Mike and Sully’s idea, usually because of their own self-interests or internalized perceptions of humans.  One thing’s for sure, it hurt Tylor when Barnard insisted they get rid of all his Mike and Sully memorabilias after the interview, the elder Tuskmon believing the Scarers were just trying to reclaim their fame from ten years ago by making up nonsense about children not being toxic.  It was a sentiment shared by many Monster adults, unable to comprehend that such a seemingly obvious fact of their world was being challenged.  For Tylor’s generation however… things get a bit complicated.

Of course, for kids like Tylor who grew up in a time where anthropophobia was on the rise in their formative years, a fear of Humans was ingrained pretty early on.  But at the same time, these were kids that grew up during The Waternoose Scandal.  The seemingly-irrefutable truths of their parents’ era were being questioned, or outright exposed for their corruption.  Even if most Monsters of this younger generation were still brought up to be scared of humans, there was more than enough evidence for them to consider that perhaps alternative forms of energy production were worth looking into.  Not to mention, with the total boom of human-themed horror films that were brought about by the The Waternoose Scandal, just as many human horror film fanatics come to root for the monsters in movies, there were many Monsters that became fascinated with humans because of such productions.  While the Tuskmons may have considered their son to be a relatively good kid, in a fit of rebellion in his teen years, Tylor would occasionally sneak into his local movie theater to catch an age-inappropriate human-based horror movie.

As the young Monster would grow to hone his scaring skills, Mike and Sully were doing what they could to make leeway with their plan to bring Laugh power to Monstropolis, while dealing with the public backlash they were receiving as a result of their announcement.  Sure the younger generation was open to the possibility, but they needed individuals with a little more credibility in the corporate field to build a working prototype.  Not to mention the ever-daunting question of where exactly could they find Monsters that would be willing to be the test-subjects for such a project?  Because of their… complicated background with the folks at the MU Scaring school, Sully didn’t think it wise to turn to them for help.  Having the vocal support of a famous Scarer could’ve helped to give credibility to their idea, but as expected, most weren’t exactly willing to forfeit their Scaring careers or reputations on such an outlandish idea.

In the end, the only people they could get to listen to them were a little-known organization called CETHCA (Creatures for the Ethical Treatment of Humans and Children Alike.)  Because the Monster world’s understanding of human behavior is so warped, this group could best be described as a weird human appreciation club that was managed by extraterrestrials.  Unlike the general public, these individuals are actually curious to learn more about the habits of the human race, and have often tried to advocate for the proper treatment and compensation of children for their screams.  Of course, the media does what they can to paint these people as  attention-seeking wackjobs.  Sully himself even remembers listening to Waternoose complain about a CETHCA protest during his early days as a Scarer, with the CEO painting the lot as a group just a few steps up from an organized cult, with its Monsters so desperate for validation they’d believe any dangerous notions their leaders told them.

But when they finally caught wind of Mike and Sully’s proposal, they decided to pull their resources together to try and boost the public’s support for the idea.  It wasn’t quite the compensation for children they were hoping for, it was the first time in what felt like a long time someone in the energy business seemed to take an interest in showing these creatures some respect.  Like I said, these guys are certainly more sympathetic to humans, but that doesn’t mean they have the experience to be able to see children as beings equal to them in sapience and intelligence.  While they still didn’t have the most positive reputation in the eyes of the public, CETHCA had slowly received more members as dissatisfaction with Monsters Incorporated’s practices began to grow.  And with the development of social media, what started as an eclectic group of Monsters was soon enough to form a decent following.  And after getting to meet with Mike and Sully themselves, they took to the streets and the internet to spread the word of the power of laughter.

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It had been fifteen years since The Waternoose Scandal.  While their glory years as Monsters Inc’s top Scarers may have been behind them, Mike and Sully remained figues of interest, for better and for worse.  Their advocacy for Laugh power may have gained more legitimacy because of CETHCA’s efforts, but that didn’t mean many of their co-workers were quiet about their discomfort.  If Scarers didn’t have what it took to make children laugh, many would need to be laid off in exchange for those who better fit the bill.  In fact, a lot of Monster culture is based around a Monster’s scariness; for some it’s considered the measure of a true Monster.  There are many businesses outside of Scream production that only exist to try and make a Monster look more threatening.  If Laugh power proved to be more profitable, it meant not just a max layoff of Scarers, but a decline in the world’s economy, one Monsters may not be able to bounce back from.  A few of Monsters Incorporated’s Scarers decided to transfer to other companies, or outright quit to pursue more stable jobs in these unsure times.  If Mike and Sully weren’t doing their best to maintain Monstropolis’ energy levels, the higher ups probably would’ve fired them just to keep the company out of another scandal.

Which made it all the stranger when the two received a message from the Board of Directors.  Beforehand, Monsters Inc. never gave an official statement on whether they were for or against the idea of Laugh power, still just trying to clean up the mess left behind from The Waternoose Scandal.  But suddenly, Mike and Sully received an email stating that the company was interested in experimenting with Laugh power, if only to see for themselves if it was possible to multiply their energy output with just a few tweeks to the typical method.  While skeptical, Sully was just relieved that someone in the higher ups was finally taking their idea seriously, and agreed.  Mike was equally unsure of the Board’s intentions, but decided to use this to his advantage, managing to squeeze out a few work perks and a raise for him and Sully in exchange for his compliance.

From then on came the process of actually building the experimental “Laugh Floor,” and finding the right Monsters that would inevitably become the new faces of Laugh power production, aptly called Jokesters.  Using one of the older Scare floors reserved for members of the occasionally-used night shift, they would begin to build the first Laugh floor.  All that really needed to be modified for the process of energy extraction were the Scream canisters, to adjust to the larger amounts of output produced.  To do so, the Board pulled some strings with their connections at Monsters University, having some of their Scream-Can focussed students earn extra credit by assisting with the prototypes.  What took a bit more work to explain was the request for a simulation dummy that responded with laughter instead of screams.  But hey, as long as MI was willing to be more lenient in accepting their Scaring school students after graduation, the university saw no need to question things further.

With most of the technical stuff sorted out, then came the difficult task of finding the right Jokesters.  In the end, it was decided to be a mix of old Scaring pros to start things off, and then use them to train the fresher faces, as a way to prove that training was accessible to any who were open enough to try.  Mike of course led the charge in Jokester training, working with Ms. Flint to create a step-by-step training guide to eventually be shared with other companies and Scaring schools.  It was here where Mike saw his first recruit, Brian “Phlegm” Bile, a regular in the company’s simulation room who seemed to make a name for himself as the Monster to look to to see what not to do to Scare.  The pratfalls that seemed to keep him from becoming a true Scarer made Phlegm a perfect Jokester candidate.  

The next two actually reached out to Sully.  Scaring legend Carla “Killer Claws” Benitez was interested in the potential of techniques that could produce larger amounts of energy, so she was willing to do her part, even at her older age, to keep the city she loved from having to deal with another energy crisis.  For Rosie “Roaring” Levin, even if it came from a morbid curiosity than anything else, was curious to see how a more human-friendly form of energy-production would work, and so reached out to Sully to see what he had to say.  Lastly, but definitely the most surprising, was Art.  Yup, Mike and Sully’s old Oozma Kappa brother had certainly lived an interesting life since his graduation.  Part of which included joining up with CETHCA, if only to try and broaden his own understanding of the world.  He was actually the one to get the two Scarers connected with the organization.  And now that they were ready to put things in action, he was happy to lend his services as a Jokester.  

Mike included, that totaled to five Jokesters.  An admittedly small number, but something they could hopefully make up for with their extra energy output.  As Sully worked with the mechanical side of putting together the Laugh floor, Mike and Ms. Flint were using trial and error to turn these Scarers into Jokesters, and organizing their findings into a comprehensive manual for future trainees.

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It’s been twenty years since The Waternoose Scandal.  It’s just days away from Tylor Tuskmon’s first day at Monsters Incorporated.  Just a few days before this Scaring pro has his childhood dream turned on his head.  Just two weeks before the city of Monstropolis learns that one of their biggest companies is going through some big managerial changes.  And just a few days before a certain someone makes their official return to the city that changed their life forever.  Will the Monster world be able to survive this inevitable upheaval?  Who knows.  Either way, I suggest you grab a snow cone, you’re gonna want a snack as we wait for this powder keg to go off.   

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By the Gods!  When I started writing these things, I had no idea it was gonna take me this long just to get through my backstory stuff!  Ugh.  Well, it’s finally done.  And you know what?  Back when I did part one, I said I wasn’t planning on turning my ideas into a full-fledged fan-fiction.  Well guess what?  After all the energy I put into this, I’d feel pretty sh*tty if I didn’t bother paying off all the stuff I was building up to.  Yup, looks like I’m writing a fan-fiction for my Monsters at Work au thingy.  Hopefully it shouldn’t take me a whole month before I make another post about this.  But I won’t try to make promises I know I can’t keep.  To the handful of people who bothered to stick around this long, and to read all of my previous rambly-posts, thank you.  And I ask you to stay tuned.  The Jokester Generation is on its way.

[hickeys-dickey]

Pls share your thoughts about the gays in THAT scene… I would love to read them!

Ahh you are too kind, I am but a little swiss cheese brain but I'll try my best to sum up my thoughts, I have too many! I wanted a chance to grab some screenshots too! I'm going to put a read more because this is a long one buckle up lads.

So obviously the whole punishment for Hickey is designed to humiliate him (I would imagine this is one of the reasons his punishment isn't explained to him, because if Hickey truly was a naval petty officer he would know, and I think it's another way for Crozier to essentially say "I see you" and not in a good way). The fact we're not shown the other whippings shows the importance lies in the scene with Hickey.

I've seen a bit of discussion about his charge of "dirtiness", which isn't listed initially when we see him being questioned by the Captains, and whether or not it alludes to homosexuality but on a quick cursory search it does seem to have been used as a euphemism where an outright accusation of sodomy would mean a death sentence. The way Crozier throws it out there, no doubt to heap the humiliation onto Hickey and add crimes to the list to cover the fact he added lashes on to the punishment essentially for a bruised ego (but that's another matter), suggests a whole lot of venom to the accusation. Hickey's pointed look at Irving and Irving's quick shift of his gaze down suggests they both know exactly why Crozier has listed this among Hickey's list of crimes, and Hickey looks furious for it.

But I think this is also ultimately where the panic begins to set in. Again, there are far greater minds than me who have made excellent posts about queer coded characters in the terror, and I think it's no surprise that most of them are the faces that are focused on in this scence. It is clear long before this moment that Crozier's leadership is lacking, and people have already begun to voice concerns fairly loudly. Tozer for one is livid in the wake of Heather being injured, and the marines have clearly started distancing themselves from both the officers and the men. I feel like this scene, for a lot of characters is a point of major shift in either allegiences or character.

Tozer and the Captains are the first faces that are panned to in this scene and I think the expressions speak for themselves.

Tozer is visibly upset/concerned after the first lash. I do think guilt probably has a part to play, in that is was him whole told Hickey where Silna was, and presumably approved enough of the plan to not rat him out to anyone. Again, very probably part of Tozer's anger at Heather being injured due to what he sees is Crozier's poor management. Fitzjames is stoney faced, but is also the only one looking. As a man who many have noted pushes himself to pick emotional scabs, I think it would make sense for someone who is also notably queer coded and stuggles with trauma to make himself look directly at someone being whipped for a crime he himself might commit. Crozier isn't even looking, whether out of suddenly doubting his harshness or simply triggering something in his own memory it's not clear. I think the end of this shot also speaks for itself.

(Fig 1. Three Concerned (very likely not straight) men contemplate)

The lads at the back behind Mr. Johnson are all looking Directly At the whipping as it is taking place. Interestingly none of the men at the front near the table are looking. This is the stewards, officers, and marines. Whether out of respect or also Concern at their own skins (I think every one of these characters has been addressed as being queer coded at some point, minus the marines who are all, except Tozer, fairly nameless characters).

I'm not a gifmaker which is unfortunate for this section, though this is what is gifed in the beautiful gifset by sashneeka I reblogged (x). Tommy is also visibly upset, whether because he knows Tozer was involved in the plot to kidnap Silna and is concerned for him and any of the rest of the crew who had assisted in someway or voiced support. Billy interestingly does look briefly, and sets his jaw after in a way that suggests he's trying to fight the guilt of being the one to tell Irving about the whole affair with Hickey to paint himself in a better light. It could just as easily be Billy there on that table being lashed, but he somehow rationalises it in his head (probably because Hickey is a little bastard) that he was right in what he did. He does look down fairly guiltily after this, so maybe he hasn't quite settled on an opinion. Jopson also looks incredibly concerned/unsettled, and interestingly looks at Hickey right up until the whip hits where he flinches, and not for the only time in this scene. From what we know about Jopson's past, though not at this point, it may well be he is remembering similar punishment/mistreatment and like Fitzjames looks enough to pick the scab open and flinch from his own trauma.

The closeup of Hickey shows the full extent of his rage and humiliation building, and as I think Adam himself said, they whipped something out of Hickey that day and let him reach this potential that lay inside him (to become an even bigger bastard). He's fully severed all ties and feelings of loyalty after this and it becomes full on train to manipulation station from this point. I have a lot of Thoughts about Hickey also (which I am sure you are all aware of) but I think there was some semblance of Hickey attempting to start afresh on this journey, or at the very least keep his head down and go unnoticed. The trouble is, he notices Crozier as a flawed man, and one not from the upper classes like himself, and his ego can't help but think we're not so different, that could be me with the right connections. Well surprise lads, its murder time now and he's gonna make this old man pay for not recognising initiative but punishing it. I do wonder if Crozier wasn't booze sick and rattled from losing even more men under his command, would he not have come down so harshly for someone clearly defying the Articles to do what he thinks is right and save the men (a la Crozier and his fuck you I'm directly contradicting an order and leading this rescue party myself).

Tozer gets another wee closeup here and again looks like he has resolved something in his head too. Most likely that he thinks Crozier an unfit leader, and admiring Hickey for having the balls to do what he did (Hickey also never reveals anyone else who came with him, and when he talks about Hartnell and Mason's part in taking Silna it highlights their skill and bravery and (he thinks) commends them to the Captain. It's probably the only time we see him building up and applauding others). He looks dead ahead here and seems to have a very steely gaze, like yep fuck it looks like I'm going it alone now. It is interesting that Tozer goes from this to notably disliking Hickey (both at the start and when they are packing up - "you've just given me an excuse to give a big shove". This might be anger at Hickey having caused all the issues with Silna after the fact when Heather gets killed at Carnivale), but still follows him in the end. Hickey has the ability to kill, manipulate, steal, basically do whatever needed for their group to get ahead, which means Tozer can be part of the group and not have to dirty his own hands. I think Tozer probably has a complicated relationship with Hickey, but he does fall for the charm hook, line, and sinker, and the fact he seems concerned for him here suggests how easily he is sympathetic to those he sees as being wronged.

Gibby getting Hickey's blood on his hand (ayy) seems to visibly make him blanch, and I do find it interesting that the shot then pans to Tommy as though they are looking at each other when they are stood side by side. The similarities between them maybe? (I've seen and reblogged a lot of discourse about Tommy loving Tozer, maybe another nod to no one being so different to the man on the table?) Irving doesn't get much of a close up in the rest of this scene but bless him he looks equal parts terrified and guilty (another man who has been noted as having a list of many things to distract from the Gay Thoughts like why do you need to distract from Gay Thoughts Irving?). He also has the Far Off Look of trauma about him, probably because he too could just as easily be on that table.

I have many many thoughts about the way Hickey turns to look (and fucking smile???) at Crozier next, which is when Crozier is looking directly at him and Fitzjames looks at him. Like if I were Crozier I think my fucking blood would chill, look at this man. Being humiliated and lashed still hasn't broken him, if anything he has just become fully unhinged and looks at Crozier as though to say "did you really think this would work?". I would also say, this man has fairly quite for someone who is at this stage something like 22 lashes in? Like what the actual fuck Hickey?? I fully belive Hickey to be a psycopath, and most of what he does in the beginning of the series is an attempt to stay hidden until they get to Hawaii and he can ditch the crew, but I think it is fairly safe to say he isn't hiding it any more.

And he knows this is going to make the men doubt Crozier - I can't do a proper search because I am using my work laptop atm, but I seem to remember reading that a punishment greater than 12 lashes required a court martial (probably why Little steps in to say so when Crozier orders his punishment as well as them technically being lost at sea), which would be another strike against him as a Captain. Not only that, but Crozier does seem to grant him some mercy in letting him only be lashed I think 23 or so times? Probably because the tension is fucking palpable in this whole scene and Crozier can either choose to claw back some sense of control on the matter, or deal with the consequences of many people admiring Hickey for what he has done for the crew and start a mutiny. I think this is the first time Fitzjames sees the damage Crozier is doing to himself with his choices as Captain, and is probably just as concerned at the look Hickey is giving him. He knows this has unleashed something in this tiny rat bastard too, and that he will become the physical manifestation of Crozier's self-destructive tendancies. Crozier perpetually comes to everything just a fraction too late to change anything - he never saves any of the men, only comforts them as they die, and a lot of this has to do with his own ego and bad decision making, and I think this is the first example here of the fact his actions are having an effect on others to the point it will be his downfall.

Anyway, to round it off, I think this scene really epitomises the notion that Hickey is a mirror to the rest of the men, and they see their flaws in him. Those who have questioned Crozier's captaincy look concernced knowing they too could be being lashed. They too would have tried to get Silna to stop the Tuunbaq hunting them. Those who are queer or queer coded know they too could be being lashed for it. Crozier himself sees his unwillingness to follow the Articles in him, sees his own insubordination, and feels what Sir John meant when he said his position afforded him deference. Hickey may as well be a metaphor for all the men being lashed, theres not one among them who haven't voiced wanting to do what he has done. Let them without sin and all that. This is make or break for who holds loyalty to the Captain, and the turning point for who is going where. I think everyone except Jopson, Irving and Fitzjames ends up in the mutineers camp, and Irving ends up killed and mutilated by Hickey and Fitzjames is scavanged by them. Theres not one of them that isn't haunted by what happened in this scene, and Hickey would end up being the death of every single one of them. The only one who remains loyal after this is Jopson, who thinks his care and duty to the Captain can outweigh his other sins. Fitzjames and Crozier have a stronger relationship once he recovers from his withdrawal, yes, but Fitzjames also keeps him in check now (I'm thinking of Edward Little being threatened with flogging again because of course I am), and it is another step too late for Crozier's self-destruction. I've seen a Hickey/Fitzjames Christ analogy on here before too, so I hope you'll forgive me in comparing them, but Hickey in this scene really does get punished for everyone else's crimes in this scene, and becomes a sort of Christ-like figure, reborn as a complete version of the worst of himself from the pain of being lashed. They whipped something out of him!! Anyway, that about sums it up!