#genius deduction ;; answers

[geniusimogene]

{ ...starting fresh! ♥ }

[aventurineswife]

Aventurine, boothill and dr ratio with a s/o who's a detective? :3

Detective on the clock!

Tags: Aventurine x Reader, Boothill x Reader, Ratio x Reader, Detective!Reader, Crime-solving, Witty Banter, Partnership, Mystery, Tension, Fluff, Adventure.

Warnings: Mild Language, Implied Violence, Mentions Of Crime And Investigation, Action, Slight Angst In Boothill's Storyline.

The soft chime of the clock struck midnight as you studied the crime scene evidence, furrowing your brow in concentration. Just as the details started to piece together, a figure slid into the room, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

“Late night again, love?” Aventurine’s smooth voice broke the silence, accompanied by the gentle scent of his cologne as he leaned against your desk, one eyebrow arched in amusement.

“Some people work for a living,” you replied, sparing him a quick, affectionate smile. “Unlike a certain risk-taker who plays the stock market as if it’s a card game.”

Aventurine chuckled, feigning an offended gasp. “Why, I’ll have you know that every investment is as strategic as a chess move. And speaking of strategy…” He slid a small, folded paper across your desk. “I managed to get some information that might help with that case of yours. A little gift, courtesy of the IPC.”

You took the paper, heart thumping as the details unfolded. It was a lead you’d been searching for. “Aventurine… how did you even get this?”

“Do you really want to know?” He grinned, pushing his glasses up. “Or are you happy with the result?”

You leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Sometimes, I think you’re the better detective.”

“Maybe,” he mused with a wink. “But I’d rather leave the real mysteries in your capable hands.”

Together, you returned to your work—one a master of risks, the other a seeker of truth, blending your strengths to bring the shadows into the light.

The galaxy's starry expanse flickered beyond the viewport as Boothill silently reloaded his revolver, checking each chamber with practiced ease. You leaned back, arms folded, watching his every move.

“Any idea what’s waiting for us down there?” you asked, squinting at the worn map on the dashboard. The old freighter rumbled beneath you, navigating its way through treacherous asteroid fields toward the IPC's latest outpost.

Boothill's sharp teeth flashed in a grin. “Justice, sweetheart. That’s all that’s waiting. And maybe a little trouble, if I’m lucky.”

You rolled your eyes but felt your lips twitch into a smile. “Lucky, huh? You mean reckless.”

“That, too,” he drawled, glancing over his shoulder at you. “That’s why I have you, my little detective. Keepin’ me on the straight and narrow.” His eyes gleamed with affection. “Mostly.”

“Someone has to,” you said, crossing the room to stand beside him. “I may not have your… firepower, but I’d like to think my detective instincts are keeping us both alive.”

He reached out, brushing his thumb along your cheek. “Those instincts of yours are sharper than any blade. Once we hit that outpost, keep your eyes open. They’ll have what we need, but I’ll need you watching my back.”

And with a quick, heated kiss, you both turned back to the task at hand—a vengeful cowboy and his vigilant detective, prepared to bring justice to every shadowed corner of the galaxy.

The night was quiet, a stark contrast to the tension brewing in your office. You sifted through case files, piecing together the fragments of an unsolvable mystery. Every clue, every lead pointed toward an unknown answer—until a soft knock at your door made you look up

There he stood: Dr. Veritas Ratio, the renowned genius, a glint of amusement lighting his features. He entered, a scroll of notes in hand. “I heard,” he said in that calm, assured voice, “you were looking for a missing variable.”

You blinked in surprise. “Are you offering help?”

“I’m offering insight,” he replied, placing his notes before you with a flourish. “Intuition, as you call it, though I prefer ‘scientific deduction.’”

You scanned the pages, the tiny puzzle pieces starting to fall into place with Ratio’s guidance. “You did this for me?”

He tilted his head, almost as if the thought of not helping you was absurd. “A detective’s work is not all that different from mine—chasing truth, unraveling the unknown. Besides, I find it... intellectually stimulating.” His hand brushed yours lightly as he took a seat beside you, eyes gleaming with that familiar spark of passion. “Together, I believe we might solve anything.”

You couldn’t help but smile, warmth blooming in your chest. “Then let’s crack this case, shall we?”

And as you both leaned over the papers, minds entwined in a dance of logic and intuition, you felt grateful for the brilliant man who saw mystery in the ordinary and in you, his remarkable detective.

[ticktokrobotsnot]

Vapor

This is Part 2

You can read Part 1 here.

Pairing: Carmen Berzatto x fem!reader 

Summary: An accountant helps Carmen organize his not-so-shit-restaurant and gets invited over for family dinner. 

Word Count: 10k

__

The sky was blood orange and the reflection on the store window was mesmerizing. Y/n was supposed to be in the office getting ready for the full day ahead of her but she couldn’t resist slacking off for a bit, it was nice to finally enjoy the restaurant with no one inside. Y/n needed to be here early when a potential vendor came by to give some quotes. Carmen’s initial reaction was to stand his ground and act like some faux bodyguard because he couldn't fathom why some “sick fuck” would want to be alone with a woman in a restaurant at the ass crack of dawn without them having bad intentions—said it wasn't safe at all. Y/n had to inform him that the, ��sick fuck” was a woman. And as soon as Carmen heard that, and realized they were going to be talking numbers for a while, he ran off to the farmer's market, wanting no part in that snooze fest. 

Y/n grabbed her laptop and started reviewing the binders she organized. Just as y/n was about to check her phone for any messages, she heard a knock at the door. A pretty blond woman looks at y/n with a bit of confusion. This woman wasn’t expecting to see y/n and y/n wasn't expecting to see this woman. Y/n walked to the door and opened a crack. 

“Who are you?” Y/n questioned. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” The women laughed but y/n wasn’t finding this funny.

“Natalie…” Y/n shook her head like a bouncer sending a teeager away without his fake ID.

“Natalie Berzatto.” She clarified and y/n recalled the name as a co-signer for The Beef, now The Bear. Y/n opened the door a bit more to let her in. 

Y/n gave her name but she didn’t know what else to say but Natalie was already filling the space. 

“Hi! It’s so nice to finally meet you, Carmen won't stop talking about you. You really saved our asses. Especially with the file organizing stuff, I found the old payroll stuff in like a minute, you're a real savant with stuff like that. Carmy is a real sticker for cooking but he is a real shit-”. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Natalie was nervous.

Y/n knew that Natalie was a part of Carmen’s family but she didn’t know how they were connected. One plausible scenario was that she was Micheal’s widowed girlfriend or wife, which would explain why anyone would co-sign the disaster that Micheal had created and promptly left. Y/n wondered why Carmen would be getting so chummy with his widowed sister-in-law, but then again men have done worse. 

Y/n bit the bullet, “How do you know Carmen?”

“I'm his sister… Sugar?” Y/n was starting to feel like a real idiot for not being able to piece these easy deductions together, she was losing her edge because it was to fucking early in the morning.

“Yes, Richie told me that “Sugar” was going to stop by this week. What can I do for you?” Y/n didn’t mention that she thought Sugar was going to be a stripper because of the name. 

“Actually I came to pick some old tax stuff… Micheal’s tax returns.” Y/n guided her to the office. Even if she didn’t look back she knew that Natalie was spying on her binders and laptop laid out on the counter, trying to find out a bit about y/n. 

“So, Carmy tells me that you two used to work together back in New York.”

“Yeah it was only for a few years.”

“Were you close?” Natalie probed. 

“We were…strangers at best.” Y/n chose to leave out the messy parts of her and Carmen’s origins. 

Natalie shook her head in disbelief. "That can't be true, he actually came to my place one day, pretty late. You know why?" Y/n, not knowing the answer, simply shrugged her shoulders. 

"He said he needed to make an important phone call, someone from his old job. He said that he wanted to ask for a bit of help." Natalie continued, her voice tinged with wishfulness "I thought maybe he was finally going to therapy or something." Y/n felt a strange sensation, like she was staring directly into the sun, hope gave Natalie a beautiful glow. 

Natalie's smile softened as she added, "And you know what? He made that phone call right on our porch." Her words carried a touch of warmth. "Well, at least he's reaching out for help. It's a good thing, right?"

“I recommended therapy to him too but I think we would need to put a gun to his head for him to actually go." Natalie let out a humored exhale. 

There was a lull of silence after she handed the tax returns. Y/n could sense that Natalie wanted to talk some more so y/n directed her to the bar stools out front. She checked her phone and saw that her vendor had a family emergency and needed to reschedule. After shooting a quick ok, she directed herself to face Natalie. 

"You can ask me anything. I've got plenty of time to kill." Y/n offered, feeling generous considering the recent kiss shared with Natalie's brother just a week ago.

“I was here a few times but I never had a chance to meet you?”

“I was probably apartment hunting.” Natalie looked like she was debating asking her next question.   

“What did you think of Carmen when you guys were back in New York?”

“He was like every other chef.”

“Nothing else? No pulling force?”

“No pulling force.”

“You moved state lines for him and you're saying there was no pulling force?”

“He asked me for help and I gave him some.” 

“You chose to stay. There had to be a pull.”

“The restaurant spoke to my soul, I had to stay.” Y/n was bluffing. 

“Bullshit, there was a pull.” Natalie said with a self fulfilled smirk like she had won a point in their imaginary game.

Natalie continued, “You know, he won a Michelin star. A man who cooks…is not too bad.”

“I don’t eat gourmet food. It’s pretentious.” Y/n didn’t want to make too much out of the kiss and make Carmen panic.

“I'm sure he can make something you will like.” 

“I have yet to eat something of his that would warrant him having a Michelin star.”

“You don’t like his cooking?”

“I don’t like anyone’s cooking.” Natalie couldn’t come up with something else. Point to y/n. A smile spread across y/n’s face and Natalie was relieved to realize that y/n wasn’t being serious. 

“What do you like doing?” Natalie probed. 

“I spend most of my time working here but I also read.” 

“Why did you leave New York?” Natalie blurted out.

“I don’t like working with other people, my boss was all over me. I thought Chicago would be a nice change of pace.” 

Y/n saw Natalie unlock her phone to respond to a text from someone named Pete, who had a pink heart near his name. Y/n knew that memorizing people’s passwords was an invasion of their privacy but it was fun to be a bit nosy. 

Y/n was also tired of getting the third-degree, she was hoping for a few fun questions asking if she ever murdered anyone or if she ever was contacted to be a part of a bank heist. She would be lying if she wasn’t a bit afraid that whatever she said would be relayed to Carmen so she didn’t want to say anything too damning. 

“You read romance?” Y/n saw the book peeking out of Natalie’s bag, it was one that she had read before. 

“Yeah, they’re my guilty pleasure.”

“Mine too. I liked that one.” Y/n pointed at the book peaking out.

“I hate it, it's filled with miscommunication. I’m only finishing it to justify the 12 dollars I spent.” Natalie said with a fake pout. 

“I love miscommunication because I suck at talking to people too. Much better than the one I just finished.”

“What killed your book?”

“Third-act break up.” Natalie nodded her head, it seems like they agreed. 

Y/n couldn't help but feel relieved; while the nature of Y/n's relationship with Carmen remained uncertain, it was evident that Natalie would become a more integral part of the restaurant. Carmen's recent discovery of three hundred thousand dollars hidden in tomato cans had sparked ambitious plans for renovating the place. Even if she ended up being nothing serious with Carmen, she needed to secure a stable support who wouldn’t completely hate her if shit hit the fan. 

They continued to talk about a few books that they had read, a few so trashy that they had to hide their faces in embarrassment from each other when reading the summary out loud. 

The door chimed and both women looked over to Carmen who was holding a few bags of produce and baked goods. Y/n went over and plucked the receipts for the top of one of the bags, she didn’t bother helping Carmen because he wouldn’t have let her help anyways. Carmen was gracious enough to put all the receipts together so she wasn’t digging to find them, she kept a record of them to write them off as a business deduction. 

“Nat, you’re here early?” Carmen spared a glance before opening a box of croissants to share and then disappearing to the kitchen to put everything away. 

“Yeah I had to pick something up, y/n was so kind to help me so early in the morning. Isn’t she just the best?” 

“Yeah…How did it go with the vendor?” Carmen mindlessly mumbled while busying himself with a notebook of recipe ideas. 

“Rescheduled.” Y/n didn’t look up, engrossed in cataloging some expensive mushrooms for record keeping. $268.43 for some mushrooms was honestly so ridiculous y/n needed to squint to see if she was seeing this right. 

“I need to return the favor.” Natalie started.

“It was just a few folders, you really don’t-”

“Why don’t you join us for dinner on friday?” Y/n felt like she was performing front and center.

“I couldn’t-.” 

“Please, Pete never wants to talk to me about…” Natalie was raising her eyebrows in the most unsubtle way possible so she didn’t expose y/n's softer side and her penchant for reading romance novels. Y/n couldn’t help but hide her face in embarrassment, “Yeah…fine. Just tell me what time.”

Observing the exchange, Carmen couldn't help but wonder if this was how dogs felt when humans engaged in their own incomprehensible conversations.

Y/n was starting to feel like she was edging closer and closer to Carmen’s limit. Kissing in the back alley of a restaurant and on the car ride to and from work was very different from being invited to his sister’s house for dinner. It carried a weight of intimacy, commitment, and solidity that made Y/n slightly uneasy, wondering if this was too much for Carmen. She waited for the other shoe to drop, Carmen would subtly show his discontent by telling Natalie that she shouldn’t force y/n to go to that dinner, which was just an excuse to create some distance. Y/n was surprised when Carmen asked what type of desert he should bring instead. 

Y/n kept her cool and excused herself to go to the office so she could get back to work. 

Carmen and Natalie moved to the kitchen where Carmen would experiment for a bit. Natalie sat on a stool next to Carmen who started washing produce. 

“She is very smart.” Natalie whispered. She took a glance at the closed office door.

“Yeah. Great with the books.” Carmen peeled and diced some garlic. 

“Nice too.”

“She is very nice.” Carmen started cutting some nepitella. The additional “very” caused some alarm bells to ring in Natalie’s head. She hid her smirk. 

“Everything about her is nice,” Natalie made sure to pay close attention to Carmen’s face, “Nice personality, nice face-” Carmen took a worried glance at the office door and then looked up at Natalie with wide eyes.

“Why, why, what are you-?” He was flustered. 

“I’m just sharing my observations. You don’t think she has a nice face-?”

“This is a business, we try to keep professional.” Carmen hid his fumble with fake professionality, unfortunately Natalie saw right through it. 

“Try?” Natalie teased. Carmen looked away to pretend to look for some dried porcini. He felt like an idiot. He understood why people used to see him as an easy target when he was younger, he basically showed everyone his buttons, and asked them to get pushed. Carmen continued to chop in silence. 

“I'm sorry, I just got a bit excited. I won't push.” Natalie gave her brother the benefit of the doubt, she always thought he would never get into a serious relationship but he liked y/n and y/n seemed like the serious girlfriend type. Natalie couldn’t help but nudge Carmen in the right direction. 

Carmen chopped in silence for a few minutes, debating if he should tell Natalie about the kiss. In his mind, he didn’t know if it was too soon for him to introduce his girlfriend to his family. Calling y/n his girlfriend felt unreal, past him wouldn’t believe it even if he saw it.  

He handed his notebook to Natalie so she could read measurements to him, he wanted her here for just a bit longer till he gained the courage to tell her about y/n. 

Tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms was the first test item of the morning, and he had to soak the dried porcini for 30 minutes, he was bummed that the market didn't have the fresh kind but he knew he would get the real shit when y/n got a hold of that vendor. He looked up at Natalie and tilted his head to indicate that they should leave. Carmen avoided the alley because he knew that y/n would look there first and he didn’t want her to overhear anything. They walked over to a nearby supermarket and started roaming the aisles. It was nearly empty because it was six in the morning. 

“I did something…and I need you to not…just listen and don’t make it a big deal.”

“I got it, Carmy.” 

“A while ago, I…” Carmen looked at all the different types of instant noodles they had on display. “So, we were in deep shit with these pre-orders and I was a mess and y/n and I were talking after…” Carmen moved over to the boxed pasta, he didn't intend to buy anything but he did read the nutritional facts.

“I umm, asked her to…” Jesus, Carmen wondered, why he didn’t make more friends so he didn’t have to talk to his older sister about something like this. Richie didn’t seem capable of giving any advice that wasn’t, “Just Do It”.

 “We ki…” Natalie kept her face hard but the second that Carmen turned around to look at a box of elbow pasta, she couldn't help herself but let out a small, barely audible squeal of delight. Her eyes widened, and a grin threatened to break through her determined facade. Natalie quickly covered her mouth with her hand, trying to contain her elation, making sure not to let Carmen catch a glimpse. She stifled her excitement with every fiber of her being, preserving the illusion of calmness for when Carmen turned back around, none the wiser.

“It’s been a while, and we k…” Carmen didn’t know how he was supposed to maturely ask for advice when he couldn’t even say a kiss in front of his sister while cringing. Carmen couldn’t do this, it was too open, too vulnerable. 

Nat cut him some slack and started asking questions instead, “Was it a one time thing?” Carmen subtly shook his head no. Her lips parted as she squeezed a jar of Pego to contain herself. 

“Do you regret it?” Carmen didn’t respond but that didn’t mean no, that ment that she was getting closer to the root of the problem.

“Do you think she’s going to regret it?” Carmen’s shoulder’s raised slightly, bingo. 

“Why don’t I gauge how she is feeling at dinner.” Nat knew he was about to run away from her for exposing too much and she had to give him an incentive to not follow his instincts. 

She continued, “We talked earlier, she said she hates your cooking.” Carmen’s head snapped up, Nat knew that y/n was just joking but it was still a bit funny to mess with Carmen. 

The look of shock transported her back to when she was eight sitting next to Carmy and watching Micheal convince him to finish a glass of milk or else he would lose all of his teeth to a calcium deficiency. This wasn’t the time to reminisce but it made her heart warm knowing that even after going through so much, there was still a part of young Carmy that persevered. She was feeling the burning in the back of her eyes, her hormones were making her sentimental. 

“Yeah she said that your food fucking blows.” Carmen caught on and let out a small laugh.

They both roamed in the aisle moving on to juices. Sugar free, diet, pineapple, orange. Carmen’s eyebrows raised when he saw the price of orange juice before putting it down and deciding to just make his own. 

Carmen started, “She isn’t the type of person who changes her mind easily,” but if she can make that shift to see him in a good light, maybe she'll stick around and eventually see the real Carmen—a pathetic, insecure loser. All he did was make a promise to her but he knew it meant nothing without actions, and he was unsure if he could control his anger or keep his obsessiveness in check when something especially difficult happened. If another shit storm made its rounds in the kitchen, would he really be able to be the bigger person? Carmen doubted it. 

Carmen just ripped off the bandaid, “I don’t know how to…I want her to not hate me. I know I'm going to..” Carmen waited till a child next to them moved to the other end of teh aisle towards his dad, “..fuck it up, but I dont want that to happen.” 

“What makes you think she is going to hate you?”

“When we were talking…she told me that I should have done better. And that I…needed to be “stable”, but I don’t know how to be that for myself, let alone someone else.”

“She isn’t asking you to do it for her, she wants you to do it for yourself.” Natalie offered. 

“Its like having to solve a word search to answer a stupid fucking puzzle. I don’t…” Carmen sighed in defeat. Nat knew that he was strong and it was impossible for her to fix this for him but that still made her palms itch seeing him struggle like this. She racked her brain, desperately seeking any glimmer of a solution that could offer him even a shred of relief. 

They both walked out the market towards the restaurant. “It's really hard…and it's not that I don’t want to, it just feels impossible.” Carmen muttered, he was close to giving up. 

A burning sensation welled up in the back of Natalie's throat, and she instinctively placed her hand on Carmen's shoulder as a gesture of support and to her surprise Carmen looked at her, saw her glassy eyes and hugged her. The shock knocked a few tears from her eyes.. 

Carmy was not a selfish person but Nat noticed that he was becoming a bit more aware that he takes up much more space then he originally thought he did. He now knew that his presence was big enough to be able to tear people down but was also big enough to offer meaningful support. He had come to understand his own significance, and this realization struck Natalie like a tidal wave, causing her to burst into uncontrollable sobs. 

“Does crying mean I'm fucked, Sugar?” Carmen asked, his voice tinged with humor and uncertainty, as he gently rubbed Natalie's back for comfort. Nat shook her head no.

“You'll be okay. You always are.” Nat wiped her face before continuing to walk back to the restaurant. 

Carmen snuck a few glances to see what was making his sister a sobbing mess, she wasn’t the type to break down like that, “Are you good?” Natalie nodded her head.

“Everything good at home?” It felt strange to say the word home, even after visiting multiple countries and living in many different apartments, Carmen couldn’t really call any place home. Home was supposed to be a sanctuary of warmth, Carmen's closest experience to that feeling was back in his family house—a place where the warmth was scalding and suffocating. Where it was a constant waiting game, anticipating the intense heat to escalate and cause everything, and everyone, to boil over. 

Carmen was acutely aware that he would never have a home quite like Sugar's. He couldn't help but wonder if he had what it took to be like Pete for someone else—always helpful, kind, and perhaps a little too accommodating. He questioned whether he had the capacity to fulfill that role and maintain his own sense of self. Granted, what about his “self” was worth preserving?

Natalie nodded her head but Carmen wasn’t convinced. “It's just a lot, you know. Seeing the place getting renovated. I used to hate that place, but..” She sighed, “...I picked up Micheal’s tax returns, I didn’t even need them for anything…I just wanted to see them to know what he was going through towards the…'' end. She didn’t need to finish for Carmen to know what she was talking about. They were in front of the restaurant and Carmen gave her a side hug and against his better judgment he tried his hand in verbal reassurance so he could be there for her, fully. 

“I think he tried his best to make everything look fine, and it’s nice to know that he was at least able to pretend till the...end.” Sugar looked up at him and didn’t comment on his successful attempt to be her support, not wanting to scare him. 

They wordlessly walked in the restaurant and Carmen finished up his dish. He made enough for one plate because he was expecting to have to remake it a few times. He grabbed a small plate and served a separate plate for y/n before knocking on her door. She looked up at him, not hearing him and gave him a “hmm” which echoed in his chest. She sat with them in the kitchen, taking her laptop with her. They all took the first bite together. Carmen watched both women’s reactions to gauge their uncensored reactions. Natalie’s eyebrows raised and she gave him a nod of approval. 

Y/n took a bite and looked up from her plate so see Carmen staring at her. “Why are you staring?”

“Do you not like it?” 

“It’s good.” Y/n put her fork down and propped up her head on her hand. 

“But, you didn’t-”

“I’m not really a foodie, so food is never like…” Y/n made an explosion sound and flicked her hands open, “Good, is the best you going to get out of me.” Natalie wondered how a chef and an anti-gourmet foodie were going to work. 

“Is all food just ”good”?” Y/n looked up and tried to think of food that was better than good.

“I like mom's cooking.” 

“What is her food like?”

“Intense…subtly in food doesn’t mean anything to me because I don’t taste the difference.” Carmen was waiting for more for y/n.

“I ate a lot of spicy, sour and bitter food growing up. My mom didn’t think that kids should eat different things than everyone else, so I guess pasta and mushrooms will always be just “good”.” Y/n felt like she was just shitting all over his profession but he asked for her opinion so he couldn’t get offended now. 

Carmen nodded his head before walking away. Y/n pierced her lips and looked over to Natalie wondering if she hurt Carmen’s feelings. Natalie looked just as bewildered. Just as y/n was about to find Carmen, he came out with a few more ingredients.

“What are you making?” 

“Something you will like.” 

“I liked what you made-” 

“Good is not enough.” 

“Come on, Carmen, it's something that everyone will like, it’s going to kill opening day.”

“But you have to like it.” Y/n sighed before indicating that he should continue. 

“You won’t be able to serve the food I like to eat, it would be considered a biological weapon.” Y/n was warning him but Carmen thought she was teasing him. He would learn to listen to her warning in the future. He put the porcini mushrooms to the side before getting started on some penne all’arrabbiata. 

Y/n laughed at him knowing that he wouldn’t have the courage to spice up a dish to her standard before grabbing her laptop so she could get some work done and also talk to Natalie about contractors. 

While Carmen chopped and stirred, y/n subtly glanced up at his flexing back and strong arms. She thought she was hiding it well but when she went to check if Natalie noticed she saw that Natalie was already watching her. Natalie snickered as y/n hid her face behind her laptop to hide her embarrassment. Carmen turned around to see what was so funny but was just met with the view of both of them with their faces hiding behind their hands. 

Y/n felt someone pass behind her and knew it was Sydney without having to look up. “Hey guys, what are we making?” She took a bite out of the pasta, which was slightly cooled but she still nodded her head. 

“It’s fire, chef. It would be great if it was hot, I want to remake it to see what it was supposed to taste like.”

Y/n couldn’t say that she completely forgave Sydney but y/n did respect that she went to Richie to give some type of apology after a while. Y/n could accept that the two of them wouldn’t be best friends, they just needed to be able to work together. 

Y/n went to Carmen’s locker before pulling out a few Tums for everyone, it looks like today was going to be pasta day because of her and she didn’t want to send everyone home with a stomach ache.

Carmen continued with his pasta, and served it in front of y/n. All the women took a bite,

“It’s got a kick to it.” Natalie said while reaching for a food container filled with water while wiping sweat from her brow. Sydney gave Carmen a, “This is fire, chef.” Y/n couldn't help but cringe inwardly at the comment because she knew she couldn't quite match their shared vernacular and the ease with which they expressed themselves with food. What private passion did y/n and Carmen share?

Carmen stared y/n down as she took a bite.

“It’s good.” Carmen waited for her to elaborate. “It’s too subtle.” 

Carmen smirked, “Yeah, next time I'll just make you a ball of fire for you to enjoy.” Y/n gave him a shit eating grin, it was just too fun not to mess with him, and when she saw him smile back she felt a bit of imaginary nostalgia, this was what she longed for back in New York. 

The restaurant was still closed for renovations and after a while a few other crew members came by to do some demo. Y/n was stuck on hold with the inspector's office when she was approached by Natalie, “I’ve got a doctor’s appointment so I've got to go, I’ll see you on Friday at eight.” 

The rest of the week flew by because they were on a very strict time crunch to open in a few months. Y/n wasn’t very worried but she could feel the nerves from everyone else and she knew it would be in bad taste to tell them to toughen up, so she let them be grown ups and deal with their own anxieties. 

On Friday, y/n left early to get ready for dinner, she opened an old moving box and pulled out a dress that she wore to an old work function. It was very tasteful because it was freezing outside. Y/n grabbed her gifts before running into Carmen’s car. Y/n took one look at Carmen and had to do a double take to make sure that she went into the right person’s car. Carmen’s hair was lighty slicked back, probably with pomade, and he was wearing a deep blue sweater with a white collar. 

“I didn’t know you had clothes other than aprons and Dickies.”

“You look..” Carmen marveled at the way her eyes sparkled with an inner radiance, drawing him in like a moth to a flame. He knew he wasn’t able to get the full picture yet because they were in a dark car but he could only imagine what she would do to him when they went to the well lit house. “..great.” Carmen wanted to punch himself for being so unoriginal but he couldn’t focus on anything. 

“Thank you, you look good too. Blue is definitely your color..” Carmen’s fingers loosened around the steering wheel, compliments had always made him uneasy; he spent the majority of his life trying to make himself as small as possible and now he was pushed into the spotlight and he wondered if he even liked it?

“Carmen, can you look at me for a second?” And when he swiveled his head towards y/n, she squished his face lighty before giving his puckered lips a soft kiss. Just as she was about to lean back into her seat, Carmen, unable to resist, slipped his hand beneath her hair, grasping the back of her neck and drawing her in for a deeper, more passionate second kiss. 

Yeah, he liked it.

“We are going to be late.” Y/n whispered before giving him one last peck. Carmen, still in a daze, fiddled with the radio so he could get his head straight. The ride to his sister’s house was quiet barring the soft jazz. Y/n was very nervous, they never had that conversation that said that they were official and for all she knew she was just a friend that Carmen kissed from time to time. She resisted the urge to ask right now because she was scared to find out that they were nothing more. She would savor the few minutes before she was inevitably introduced as a friend, or worse a co-worker. 

They pulled into Natalie’s driveway and got out of the car, y/n grabbed the bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine and they rang the doorbell. 

"Why are you holding the tray like that?" Y/n asked, noticing how Carmen clung to it like a shield. Before she could receive a response, Natalie opened the door with a warm greeting, inviting them inside. Y/n handed over the gifts, but Carmen still clung onto his belongings. Just then, Peter descended the stairs, seemingly about to approach Carmen for a hug before his gaze landed on Carmen's protective tray. He hesitated and stepped back, realizing it was acting as a barrier. Y/n stifled a laugh, biting her cheek to prevent herself from laughing at Carmen’s immaturity.

Carmen greeted, “Pete.” Y/n could feel the dislike and she felt bad for Pete because he seemed nice.

“Carmen, it’s good to see you, man.”

“This is my girlfriend, y/n.” A sense of numbness overwhelmed her. It was like when people get run over by a semi and say that they don’t feel anything. Y/n extended her hand to shake Pete's, and she followed him into the living room. 

Carmen went into the kitchen to help Natalie and y/n made pleasant conversation with Pete, he seemed a bit soft but she could understand why Natalie might want someone like him. Y/n pretended to be interested when he showed her his Cubs memorabilia, she initially thought the Cubs were a fictional sports team made by the New Girl writers. 

Y/n and Pete walked over to the kitchen and asked if they needed any help. Pete looked like he wanted to actually be helpful but y/n had her fingers crossed hoping she didn’t have to do any cooking. It was weird to see Carmen let someone else take the lead while he watched. Even with Sydney, he still watched over everything like a hawk, not because he didn’t trust her, it's just because he wouldn’t let her fail. 

Y/n watched as everyone spoke and she wondered where she fit in. Natalie and Carmen were obviously close and Pete was doing his best to get close to Carmen, trying to bridge the obvious gap between them. Y/n had to stop herself from telling Carmen to either be nicer or for Pete to drop it.

Other than being Carmen’s new “girlfriend” and sharing small talk, what else was there for her to talk about? Y/n didn’t know them well but she could tell there was a lot of subtext between the three of them that added weight to their interactions that she wasn’t privy to yet. She was a flame trying to suck in any bubble of oxygen so she could ignite, she needed more information before she could actually join them.

 It felt like she was reading Dune for the first time, being dropped in the middle of an already moving plot and she was scrambling to play catch up. Carmen had a lot of triggers and she wondered if Natalie was the same. Even if they acted completely differently, y/n could tell that they were sidestepping something, like they were avoiding talking about a gaping bullet wound, and if siblings were acting like that it means that it's a problem with the parents. Despite the fact that they were in the kitchen, the three of them weren’t talking about the food. Y/n made a mental checklist of a few rules; 1. Don’t bring up parents 2. Don't mention food because it's a trigger 3. Pay attention to Natalie because she was not as good at hiding her feelings as Carmen. 

Dinner was served and they all took a seat, y/n took slow sips of wine and saw that Natalie’s wine was slightly darker than hers. Y/n was sitting across Natalie so she recognized the smell too, apple. She was drinking sparkling apple cider. Y/n hid her smirk by talking another sip, she would be a spy or something because she was killing it in the recon department. 

Dinner was starting to feel stiff, y/n took a deep breath and turned to Natalie, “Your cooking is to die for.” Natalie tucked in her lips but couldn’t help but hide her smile, y/n never told Carmen anything like that, barring the first day she got to Chicago, it was a petty way of getting back at him for blindsiding her by calling her his girlfriend. 

“Thanks, It's a family recipe.” Y/n wanted to stab herself with the fork, she just broke rule one and two. Just as y/n was about to make some asinine comment to change topics, Carmen did it for her.

“Can you pass me the bread, Sugar?” Y/n found her opening.

“Sugar, that’s a nice nickname, what’s the story?” 

Natalie paused and y/n had a feeling she fucked up, “We were having this Chrismas family thing and I added a cup of sugar into the gravy instead of salt. The name just stuck.” Y/n definitely fucked up, she was breaking rules left and right. Y/n scrabbled to put herself in the same level as Natalie.

“I’ve been there. My parents were having a few co-worker over for lunch and they brought a box of these expensive mangos and I was told to make some smoothies because it was boiling that day. I filled up the sugar container with salt without noticing and made them smoothies with a ton of salt.” Y/n saw that all eyes were on her and she didn’t allow herself to be nervous because she was trying to get a deeper point across.

Y/n continued, “I have never heard that many people gag all at once.” Their faces broke into a smile.

“What did your mom say?” Bingo, looks like the taboo parent could be narrowed down to their mother. 

“She didn’t say anything bad, she and her co-workers just laughed. I mean I was a kid and we all make mistakes. I ended up making lemonade instead.”

Natalie’s eyes lit up,“It’s a shame that all those mangos went to waste.” Natalie joked. 

“Waste?” Y/n had a fake offense, “I drank the rest to prove that it wasn’t that bad.”

“Was it that bad?” Pete asked.

“My blood pressure was through the roof. It was the first time I ever got a headache.” 

The rest of dinner was a bit more relaxed, y/n was expecting Carmen to talk a bit more because these were his people but it looked like she would have to do the talking for the both of them. They finished up dinner and y/n got up to help them clean up. It was y/n and Carmen alone in the kitchen while Natalie went upstairs to check on something, aka she needed some rest and Pete went to check up on her. 

As Carmen washed the dishes, Y/n stood by, towel in hand, drying them. The domestic scene felt comfortable, yet she couldn't determine if she truly enjoyed this newfound domesticity. She wondered if in Carmen’s eyes she was merely playing the role of the perfect partner – someone who could effortlessly navigate his family dynamics, fix his business, and be his own manic pixie dream girl. 

A selfish thought crossed Y/n's mind. What was she truly gaining from this relationship? She had been too afraid to make a move with Carmen after the kiss, fearing that one misstep could lead her to being shut out completely. She hesitated to voice her preferences about his food, to ask about the nature of their relationship, or to discuss their future plans if this relationship fell through. Y/n wasn't one to dwell in discomfort, except for her previous job, and she felt frustrated that she had to jump through so many hoops just to ensure that Carmen wouldn't leave.

They finished the dishes and y/n could tell that Carmen wanted to check on Natalie but he didn’t want to leave y/n alone. Y/n being a supportive girlfriend, practically pushed him up the steps before walking out the front door and leaning on the porch. Y/n grabbed her jacket and walked out. She underestimated the frigid Chicago air which felt like a sharp slap to her face, serving as a wake-up call. It reminded her that the warm and fuzzy feeling she had been battling within herself was merely fleeting, and that the reality of the world could be much harsher and more painful. 

Y/n couldn’t help but wonder why Carmen was even bothering with her, they had nothing in common but the restaurant. Work was everything for him and Sydney, their shared connection always pulled them together despite both of their volatile personalities. What pulled y/n and Carmen together? They both worked in the restaurant but Carmen didn’t have a passion for running said restaurant, it was a mere obligation that y/n took from him. If she stopped working there, what else did they have in common? 

Y/n came to the daunting realization that Carmen picked Sydney because he saw potential in her, a chance to let both him and her grow. However, he didn’t pick y/n because he saw something deeper in her, it was an act of embarrassed desperation. 

Was she just a means to help Carmen get his shit together? The restaurant meant a lot to Micheal and after he died Carmen stopped seeing the restaurant as something that was out of his reach but as something to connect him to his brother, a small thread connecting the estranged brothers. Y/n was there to hold up the connection in the vaguest of ways, she kept the restaurant afloat so Carmen could come to terms with Micheals’s legacy, good and bad.

She was lost in thought when she heard the door close, she turned her head to see Carmen was already lighting a cigarette. It was difficult for her to be objective when Carmen locked eyes with her with such intensity. Y/n ripped her eyes from him and faced forward looking at the neighbor's yard, they had nice shrubs. 

“I thought you left.” Carmen started as he leaned on the railing with y/n. He looked forward to see what was so interesting that y/n couldn’t look him in the face, it was just some trees.

“I needed some air.”

“You could catch a cold.” 

“I don’t get sick, sick is a mindset.” Y/n was obviously joking. 

She lowered her head so that she could feel the cold metal on her forehead, maybe a different type of pain would make this conversation easier. Her forehead landed on something warm, the back of Carmen’s hand. She turned her head to its side but remained connected to Carmen’s hand. The warmth radiating on her cheek was making her stomach do backflips. Even if she knew she shouldn’t be indulging like this she couldn’t help it. He felt too good and y/n was getting more and more greedy. 

“Hey, Carmen?” Carmen was still staring at y/n. “What do we have in common?” He looked taken aback.

“We like each other…” He was starting to feel the slow slitter of nausea because he knew the other shoe was about to drop.

“If we don’t have much in common, what do we talk about?” 

“We can talk about whatever we like. It’s nice to…be with someone who isn't wrapped up in the same things as me.” Carmen expressed a genuine warmth in his voice. Carmen wanted to say that she made him feel like the roof wasn’t going to collapse on him and that the small things weren’t going to destroy him but it felt selfish to describe how much he cared for her based on how she made him feel and not on facts about her. 

“I don’t care about fancy food.” Y/n blurted out.

Carmen chuckled, “You know about the vendors, where the supplies are sourced, how much they cost, and a bunch of other stuff. You do care, just in a different way than I do.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“It gives me perspective. It’s very realistic and grounded.” Y/n knew he was calling her realistic and grounded. 

“I like hearing you talk about my food.” Carmen offered.

“Even if it’s just “good”?”

“Especially if it's just "good". That means you're telling me the truth.” Carmen recalled a ninth grade world history lesson about the Rosetta Stone, an artifact written in three different languages and made it possible to translate some ancient language. Though he hadn't fully paid attention during the lesson, Carmen now saw the parallel. If Y/n had the courage to express her opinions on his food, it meant she was being honest with him about everything else. 

Y/n cracked a smile before covering her mouth and started laughing. It was a jarring sound, Carmen couldn’t pinpoint what the laugh was meant to convey but he knew it wasn’t good. 

“What?” Carmen asked, Y/n rubbed her face with her cold hands. 

“You said that you were scared of me a while back but now…” Y/n's laughter softened into a smaller chuckle, conveying a mix of amusement and irony.

“I’m scared of you.” The weight was lifted off her shoulders and slammed down on Carmen's. Y/n wondered if this is how the rest of their relationship was going to be; one person transferring their hurt to the other till the weight became too much to bear. 

"It's... I want to bring so many things up to you but..." Y/n wondered if this counted as an accusation. "..you’re so flighty. I don't know what to say that won't make you..." Y/n struggled to find a word that didn't feel so definitive, but the only word that felt honest was, "...leave."

The porch fell into an uneasy silence, both of them grappling with the weight of Y/n's vulnerability.

"I...I didn't realize..." Carmen stammered, his voice betraying his inner turmoil. "I would never just... leave." They both stared in silence, they knew that wasn’t true. Y/n lifted her head leaving the warmth behind, she knew this wouldn’t work if he made false promises. And against everything telling her to just accept his promise as law and ignore any doubts, she couldn’t fool herself like that. 

“That’s such bullshit.” Y/n lighty giggled. It felt as though a shark had promised to stop swimming—it was ingrained in their nature. In that lighthearted moment, a mischievous thought crossed Y/n's mind: What would happen if Carmen actually stopped running away? Would he cease to exist, like a fish in space? 

Her playful musings, though immature, offered a brief respite from the weight of their conversation. It was a temporary escape, a way to diffuse the tension. Y/n noticed that she brought all this shit up to comfort herself but she was giggling to make him feel safe. Even when she knew she shouldn’t, she couldn't help but try to make him feel better. 

As the laughter subsided, Y/n met Carmen's eyes, she forced herself to ignore the emotions he was conveying and instead tried to match his eyes with things she had seen in the past. If this ended poorly, she would miss his eyes the most and she wanted to know what else could match in intensity in case she never got to see him like this ever again, nothing came to mind.

Carmen felt like he was backed into a corner, he couldn’t promise her anything without her, justifiably, doubting him. 

"I don't want to leave you," Carmen offered, his voice carrying a mixture of sincerity and vulnerability. It was the most honest response he could offer at that moment. He couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't feel the urge to run, to escape when things got tough, but he had a genuine desire to stay. 

Y/n's eyes met Carmen's, her expression softened. She knew it wasn't a perfect answer, but it was a step forward. It was enough to know that he acknowledged his own complexities and still chose to be present with her.

They stood in the quiet watching neighbors turn off their living room lights and go upstairs. She wanted to test out whether, “They could talk about whatever they wanted too.” 

“What do you think they’re doing?” Y/n asked, Carmen parted his lips and turned his face to look at y/n so see if she was serious, she was.

“I think they go to bed and she has this super long night time routine and he is already asleep by the time she gets to bed. You?” Y/n knew that if they ever slept over at each other’s place, that’s exactly what would happen between them. 

“She probably got home from a shit day and she starts reading an easy romance book…Do you read any books?”

“They are mostly cooking stuff.” He took a drag from his cigarette.

“You read cookbooks for entertainment?”

“Sometimes, it's a part of the craft.” Carmen realized how fucking pretentious he sounded and was a bit ashamed but seeing y/n refrain from teasing him by bitting her lips made him not want to crawl into a hole and die of shame, her smile was addicting. “…but there is a lot of history and science too. '' Carmen knew he sucked at conversation but he would do anything to keep talking. 

“What was your last book?” 

Y/n and Carmen kept talking till they lost track of time and eventually when they had reached a comfortable lull, y/n could confidently say that they were in fact capable of holding a conversation about mundane shit. 

Against every fiber of her being telling her to end their conversation like this, she couldn’t help but ask, “What happens…if this ends?” Y/n didn’t know if she was supposed to use “if” or “when”; one was cautious, the other was a prophecy. 

Carmen didn’t look back at her, instead giving her, “You’ll still have a job…I’m not a dick…all the time.” Y/n lips curved upwards. 

“Will you be able to work with someone you’ve been in a relationship with?” 

“Yes.” Carmen wondered if the answer could ever be anything other than yes. 

Y/n knew that if this ended badly she would be allowed to stick around so that Carmen would have an excuse to throw himself at his work. She would be the catalyst to merge him from an individual to a vague reflection of Micheal’s legacy. 

Whether or not Carmen knew it, Micheal was a huge influence in his life and just like Micheal began to isolate himself towards the end, Carmen would do the same if they drifted apart. It was his inherent weakness and a relationship gone sour that would make it difficult for him to break the cycle that Micheal had started. 

“I won’t stay if it hurts you, Carmen.”

“I would want you to stay, y/n.”

“There is no trophy that comes with going through unnecessary shit.”

“I know, I would still need you.” Carmen hesitated but eventually placed his hand top on y/n's. 

“Because I can do the books?” Y/n rolled her eyes jokingly. 

“No…you do more than that. You are…” Carmen read books with a shit ton of adjectives, they had to be descriptive to describe food through text. Despite that, he was at a loss for words to describe her.

"You are..." he began again, this time his voice was a little gentler than before. He took a deep breath, hoping that he could find those words that would express everything he felt.

"You are very important to me,". His voice was soft like he was realizing this for the first time. 

The second time was meant for y/n, "You are very important to me."  I love you, y/n. 

Y/n locked eyes with Carmen for a moment. 

"You are important to me too." I love you, Carmen.

Neither of them had the courage to say that to each other, wondering if they were the only one’s feeling like this. 

They both had jackets on but y/n’s hands were freezing and she could feel Carmen’s hand was also ice cold. She knew that they had both reached their limits but y/n couldn’t help but relish in the cold for a bit longer. 

For y/n, the biting cold was always a catalyst for clarity, stripping away the unnecessary and forcing y/n to distill her focus onto the few things that mattered. Amidst the frost, she found solace in the simplicity. It was within this chilling environment that she discovered a clear chance to confront her inner turmoil head-on and confront the world. 

Carmen had always been drawn to the intense heat. It was as if the scorching temperatures matched the fire that burned within him, igniting his passion and driving him forward but leaving him with nothing to look back on. Extreme heat was his poison of choice, his way of confronting the world. 

Carmen’s heat was turning her mind into a messy slurry of slush. Y/n had to force herself to focus despite the fact that Carmen’s hand was providing her with a sliver of intoxicating  warmth.

“You didn’t ask me to be your girlfriend.” Carmen’s head shot up aback by y/n's words. He was excited to introduce her to his family, and he hadn't thought to ask her permission first. He tried to explain himself, his words coming out in a rush.

"I didn't mean to assume anything. I just thought that since we've been seeing each other for a while now, it was... " He took a moment to catch his breath, trying to gather his thoughts.

“I think you should try asking first.” Carmen stared at y/n not knowing if this was a trap to get rejected twice. He opted for silence.

“Carmen, ask me if I want to be your girlfriend?” Carmen didn't want to say the wrong thing, not when it was so important, for someone so important. Carmen trusted y/n so he stubbed his cigarette on the ashtray before taking a deep breath and asking, “Will you be my girlfriend, y/n.” 

Y/n wrapped her freezing hands around his neck accidentally grazing her finger on his neck making him shiver. She leaned in against his lip and even though they had kissed before this, Carmen felt like he couldn’t think. Y/n lips barely touching Carmen’s before whispering a soft, “Yes, Carmy.” 

Carmen closed the small gap between their lips. And y/n felt a gentle heat seep through the folds of her head making it difficult to focus on her freezing fingers, or her numb toes, or her goosebump riddled legs, or her shivering arms. Y/n felt Carmen pull her closer and even though they were as close as physically possible, it wasn’t enough. Carmen’s lips left y/n’s before trailing down the column of her neck, y/n could feel the blossoming of heat radiate from his lips. Y/n’s hands sank down to Carmen’s waist and slowly drifted up his shirt. The cold sent shivers down his spine as y/n’s hands moved at a glacial pace. 

Just as Carmen reached the collar of her jacket he looked up at her and y/n had to resist every irrational and reckless part of her that told her to continue. The realization that they were on Carmen’s sister’s porch made y/n look around to ground herself. She landed on a black box right near the door before looking back to Carmen with her mouth agape and her eyes wide open. 

“What?” Carmen questioned with furrowed eyebrows.

“We are on your sister's porch.” Y/n said with a thousand yard stare and a distant mutter.

“I’m not a fucking animal, obviously we aren’t going to do this here.” Y/n softly grasped Carmen’s face before turning towards the black box, a doorbell camera. 

“Jesus…fuck.” They both looked at each other before y/n scrambled inside with Carmen right behind her. Either they were caught and they had to face Natalie despite the embarrassment or they got to the footage before Natalie saw it.  

Y/n let Carmen lead her to Natalie’s room, who thankfully was still laying on her side, Pete had gone to the restroom. 

Y/n leaned up to Carmen before whispering, “Distract her.” Carmen sat near Natalie and asked her if she wanted some ginger-ale or if he should stop by a pharmacy. 

Natalie's phone was on the nightstand and y/n swiped it when Natalie wasn’t looking before unlocking her phone with the password she acquired from being noisy. She then deleted the footage of the last hour from her Ring app. Y/n wanted to scroll back a few months to watch Carmen call her for the first time but she didn’t have enough time. 

Y/n set the phone exactly how she found it and gave Carmen a subtle thumbs up. 

“I’m fine, I think I need to sleep this off.” Natalie sat up while glancing at y/n and y/n had to resist freezing like a criminal caught in the spotlight. 

“I’m really sorry-” Natalie started.

“Please don’t be. I had a great time. Is there anything we can do for you before we leave?” Y/n felt bad for taking advantage of Natalie’s pregnancy induced sickness but this was a matter of prestige, she wouldn’t be able to set foot in this house if Natalie ever saw the footage.  

Natalie shook her head no and they said their goodbye’s before Camren and y/n practically tripped over themselves running out of that house. They sprinted to the car and slammed the doors shut before bursting out laughing. Y/n felt like she was a teenager again, sneaking her boyfriend out the fire escape before her mom walked in. Carmen pushed his forehead into the steering wheel to laugh and the sound that echoed felt like it was melting itself into y/n’s brain, forever branded into her memory. 

“How many times have you been here, Carmen? You never noticed the fucking camera, you dick?” Y/n struggled to shake off the heat that pulsed up her body, Camren hadn’t even started the car yet and she was burning up. 

“I…I never looked, what kind of freak looks?”Carmen said in between laughs. Y/n gave him a fake look of disapproval.

“Turn the car on, Berzatto, you’re getting on my fucking nerves.”

Carmen turned on his car before pulling out of Natalie’s driveway, he was still snickering and in the streetlight y/n could see his neck turn bright red. 

“Stop by a CVS or something.” Y/n said while fiddling with the radio.

“You think you caught something from Nat.” Y/n resisted telling him that pregnancy wasn’t contagious, men are so fucking stupid. 

“You have condoms on you?” Carmen slammed on the break, lucky they were at a red light.

“N...no.” Scarlet crawled up his neck and up his face. Y/n didn’t know someone’s ears could ever get that red before. Carmen stayed still trying to collect his fractured thoughts. 

“It's green, Carmen.”

He stepped on the gas and y/n was glad that the roads were practically empty because he was driving like he had all the insurance in the world. He pulled over to a Walgreens and ran out of the car. Y/n shook her head at his shit parking, he was in between two spots. Carmen came back in a minute with a plastic bag, y/n could decipher from the shapes that he had also bought some gatorades too. 

Carmen pulled out of the parking lot.

Y/n didn’t recognize the streets on their ride back, “Your place?” 

“Mine is closer.” Carmen replied, his voice tinged with a mix of anticipation.

Y/n could help but giggle, she always loved it when he was desperate. She knew it was wrong, but she always felt such a rush of excitement when her control over him was at its pinnacle and they both knew it.

When they reached a stop sign, y/n glanced over at Camren and saw that he was already looking back at her. 

They couldn’t seem to care that they were wading in uncharted waters and they couldn’t convince themselves that this was going to end badly enough for them to not at least try. If they looked at each other like that, there was no way they were going to let each other go. 

__

End Notes:

Fire + Ice = Vapor; It took me an embarrassing amount of time to think of that.

There is a lot of tension and maturity that needs to be written in smut for it to be good and I just can’t do that. I tried for this one and I had to close my laptop and take a lap because the second hand embarrassment was too much. So those drafts have been deleted and I’m glad I never have to see them again. 

I didn't think people would like Turbulence, I was going to delete it after a few hours and just keep it to myself but i'm glad that people liked it so ig it's here to stay. I tried to keep this one more contained then Turbulence bc writing about multiple days is such a pain.

I really don’t know what else I might write about for these two, or in general, so if you have any suggestions feel free to send them to me. If your suggestion inspires me, you better believe that I'm going to get out of bed at 2 in the morning and start writing. Or we can bury these two in a shallow grave and forget they exist, which is also fine by me because I think fic aged me.

[imagining-in-the-margins]

Viral Video (S.R.)

Summary: Someone recognizes Spencer and Reader from a viral video. Request: Spencer and Bau!Reader are secretly dating and while they’re hanging out with the team someone recognizes them from a photo posted on some Insta/TikTok of them being all lovely dovey in public. Like dancing or holding hands or something Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader Category: Fluff Content Warning: None! Word Count: 1.1k

MASTERLIST

There is something idyllic about a cafe in the early morning. Even with the busy, bustling people, it’s calm compared to the BAU bullpen. That was why, at least once a week, a few of you would sneak out to grab a quiet(er) cup of coffee.

On this day, however, work begins to bleed into the reprieve. Although she isn’t a profiler, Penelope’s attention is fully captured by someone seated behind you. You almost think to ask her what’s going on, although you assume, like usual, she is simply distracted by a beautiful man.

But, as you quickly learn, it’s somewhat of the opposite.

“Why is that teenage girl staring at you two?”

Curious, you glance over your shoulder before you answer. You spot the young woman easily, in part because she tried to hide her ogling the moment you’d turned around.

Using basic logical deduction, you shrug.

“She’s probably staring at Spencer,” you say.

“Why would she be staring at me?” he asks.

On another day, you would mock him for such a stupid question. But you were feeling merciful, so you offer him a simple reassurance.

“You’re very attractive.”

“What?” he balks, “Who thinks that?”

He wouldn’t get his answer.

“No, she’s definitely looking at both of you,” Penelope corrects kindly.

Anxiety begins to blossom throughout your chest as the pressure mounts. You clutch your coffee mug tighter to try to fight the urge to bolt.

The small idiosyncrasy is enough to pique Emily’s interest.

“I don’t think so,” you answer late and with a notable urgency.

You can feel Emily’s eyes on you, burning through your defenses at an alarming rate. You’re almost relieved when you notice her attention shift.

But the panic quickly returns when she speaks.

“Looks like we’re about to find out.”

Slowly, you turn to reveal exactly what you’d expected to find. The young woman stood awkwardly, complete with a nervous smile and her phone held tightly against her chest.

“Sorry, this is super awkward, but are you two the couple from that video in the botanical gardens?” she asks.

You glance at Spencer, who mostly seems perplexed by the question. You are hoping he provides the right answer.

He doesn’t. Instead, he just says, “What?”

“No, sorry,” you shout over him at the same time Penelope asks the question you were dreading.

“What video?”

The girl is thankfully too caught up in your defensive response to answer.

“Oh, I just figured because you’re wearing the same dress and he—,”

From the corner of your eye, you see Emily’s mouth open with an amused shock.

Much louder this time, you squeak, “You have the wrong people, sorry!”

But the others are too intrigued. Over your protests and across the table, Emily shouts, “No, wait, I want to see the video!”

“No, we don’t,” you insist to no avail, “No, we can let the teenage girl go back to her teenage girl life.”

“Sure,” Penelope agrees.

You are almost hopeful until she continues.

“She’s free as a bird… after she shows us the video.”

You can’t blame the girl. She doesn’t realize what she’s doing when she hands the phone to the tech genius and staunch romantic Penelope Garcia. She knows naught of the terror she is inflicting on the pitiful couple she so clearly adores.

You wonder whether you could factor the cost of a teenage girl’s phone into your budget. You decide that you can’t.

As soon as the screen lights hit her eyes, Penelope gasps.

Even without seeing it, you know what it shows. That day is so burned into your brain that it is replaying before you can even think to stop it.

You can almost feel the light summer breeze on your skin. Briefly, your mind is tricked into smelling the hundreds of blooming flowers. You give into the memory, allowing yourself to escape to that magical place—the little garden with its unavoidable romance where the two of you stole a moment.

It was just a dance, a kiss, a silent exchange of sweet nothings. It was something beautiful enough to make up for all the horrors that plagued every other day in your lives.

It was meant to be a secret. Neither of you had realized that there had been at least one person in the audience (and now, unbeknownst to you, millions more).

Still, as you bask in the warmth of a precious memory, you admit to yourself that you wouldn’t have changed it even if you could.

Soon after, you are transported back to the cafe with a chorus of “Awwwe.”

“Oh, how sweet is that?” Emily whispers through a smirk.

You are trying to turn your glare into daggers but it’s difficult when you can’t unpuff stubborn, frustrated cheeks.

“I need this air dropped to my phone like, five minutes ago,” Penelope urges while frantically tapping the poor screen.

Beside the chaos, you swear you see Spencer smile.

“I need to save this and preserve it for a million years,” Penelope practically yells, “Thank you for this. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome?” the young girl laughs. Then, to be clear, she turns to you once more and asks, “So, it is you two, right?”

You sigh.

“Yes. Yes, it is.”

“Oh my god! That’s so cool!” she squeals. “I have like, a million questions.”

“I do, too,” Emily chimes in coolly, “Like, when’s the wedding?”

“Can I be a bridesmaid?” Penelope follows up.

Finally, the girl realizes her error.

“Did they not know?” she gasps.

You don’t know how to answer without making everything worse. So, you dodge the question with a very related proclamation.

“I’m never leaving my house again.”

She is unpersuaded by your disinterest.

“You two are still together, right?” she asks.

For the first time since the start, Spencer speaks. With a lovesick smile plastered on his face, and without a hint of shame, he answers, “Yeah, we are.”

“Do you have social media? So many people would follow you.”

Spencer is wholly uninterested. He looks at you instead, only to find that you have buried your head in your hands.

“Seriously, it’s like right out a storybook,” she continues to gush.

“No, sorry, we don’t.”

His eyes are still on you. His smile grows wider when you abandon your wallowing and begin to wrestle Penelope for the teenager’s phone.

He knows all about the woman behind the tough facade. He recalls her with perfect clarity and even begins to find a hint of her through your almost imperceptible smile.

“But feel free to tell everyone not to worry,” Spencer reassures the somewhat disappointed young woman. “There really is such a thing as a happily ever after.”

(Tell me what you thought about this fic here!)

Looking for more to read? Check out my Masterlist here!

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Complete Taglist (All Works): @cynbx , @emsma11 , @mediocre-writer , @fightingdragonswithwho , @andiebeaword , @jayyeahthatsme 

Thanks for reading!

[3lliesan]

Twst idea: The lazy genius.

What if Yuu was someone brilliant, able to notice smaller details most people aren't able to notice, deduct answers in seconds, and easily analyze people's behavior & habits?

While everyone carefully decides their next moves on the chess board, Yuu already predicted how everything will play out until the end. He just chose not to get involved directly.

Why would he do such a thing?

That'd draw more attention and make things annoying, duh.

Yuu is the magicless student who came to NRC against his own will, no way is he using up most of his free time to do the headmage's chores while he can challenge his brain for fun and mind his own business! (with a few exceptions.)

But when the act of the "laughably average magicless student" slowly slips up as he casually solves problems at incredible efficiency compared to the entire school as if it's a normal thing to do...

People start thinking that maybe the Ramshackle Prefect may be more dangerous than they thought.

[elegantauthor]

Saving Grace Chapter 8

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Aurora Stark

Summary: Zemo gets under Aurora’s skin and shows his hand.

Warnings: allusions to Civil War, manipulation

Series Masterlist

“Care to dance?”

“You aren’t going to take ��no’ for an answer, are you?” Aurora sighed, offering Zemo her arm. She glided onto the dancefloor alongside him, nearly fainting at the sheer amount of emotion engulfing her.

Zemo caught her, slipping one hand around her to touch the small of her back. He pulled her close, supporting most of her weight until she found her footing. “Are you always this affected by crowds?”

“I wouldn’t know.” She paused, wondering how much to divulge. “My powers didn’t start manifesting until after Dad relocated us to the Compound. I didn’t frequent the city after that, and then— well, you know the rest.”

“Ah, yes, forgive me. Your father and James… they were simply a means to a necessary end.”

“An end that pit me against my dad,” she ground out.

“Perhaps, my actions did tip the scales, but it was you who made the decision, was it not?”

Anger prickled under her skin like a quiet brushfire. She swallowed down her retort, hating that was he wasn’t completely wrong. “I shouldn’t have been forced to make the decision in the first place.”

“We all have to make decisions based on our experiences. That is life, and sometimes it deals us a difficult hand. No doubt you’ve been sheltered to the problems of the real world. Your father’s prestige and money breed a certain lifestyle.”

Whereas before she felt nothing, Zemo believed the truth of his words.

“Tell me, with all your empathy, what would you have done in my shoes, had the Avengers destroyed your home, killed your family, and then left you to pick up the pieces?”

Like air seeping out of a balloon, he laid bare more of his emotions. He knew how to shield himself. He allowed her to feel what he wanted her to feel, and right now he was letting her in to the depth of his deepest sorrow.

Tears gathered in her eyes, unshed and brimming her eyelids. “I’m sorry— I had no idea.”

“Of course, you didn’t,” Zemo replied with restrained calm. “You are the daughter of a billionaire. Posh, beautiful, but ignorant. I hold no ill will toward you. Your father, the Avengers… they’re the ones responsible. I’m not a perfect man, but at least I don’t hide behind pretenses. James, on the other hand…”

“What about Bucky?”

At the sudden defensiveness in her tone, Zemo smirked. “Ah, so you’ll listen to reason when it comes to the sins of your father, but turn a blind eye to the Soldat’s. Curious.”

“My dad wasn’t a perfect man, either. But, Bucky… he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“He murdered indiscriminately, or are you as ignorant and blind to the fact that he is history’s most ruthless and feared assassin?”

“I know what he did as the Winter Soldier. I’m not…” She raised her voice, lowering it when she noticed the stares they were garnering. “I’m not as ignorant as you seem to think. HYDRA brainwashed him, his sovereignty stripped away. He wasn’t given a choice.”

“Fair enough. I concede to that point. However, he is still a dangerous man. You saw what he did at the bar.”

“On your command!”

“Precisely. A man who follows, but doesn’t lead. For all your father’s faults, he was a natural-born leader. It makes me wonder why you, the daughter of a genius and a goddess, would choose a soldier? I am reminded of the myth about Mars, the god of war and Venus’ lover.”

Aurora’s heart plummeted. He was so close to guessing who her mother was, mentioning Aphrodite’s Roman counterpart. She couldn’t know for sure, because once again he was a blank canvas, void of emotion. He’d given her a glimpse of his pain, a morsel of the brilliance his mind was capable of, and seeded beneath it all, his desire for revenge.

She didn’t know at what point they’d stopped dancing. Even though they weren’t moving, he still had her by the waist. There was no good way to answer his question. The truth would solidify his deductions, and though she was convinced he’d figured it out, she wasn’t going to make the next phase of his plan easy.

“I see we are at an en passe,” said Zemo, finally.

“I suppose so.” She eased out of his grip, turned to find Bucky among the throng of revelers, but not before Zemo grabbed her upper arm and whispered in her ear.

“Remember what I said about your dear Winter Soldier. I do not intend to leave my work unfinished.”

[demonadelem]

I think a trait of Trucy Wright is most interesting is the fact that she is a genius. Phoenix says as much. Throughout Ace Attorney 4 she is far ahead of Apollo, already being so far ahead, waiting for Apollo to catch up. Trucy is not just perceptive because of her powers but she has her own skills of deduction. She's much like Mia Fey in that aspect, co-council knowing more then the attorney trying to guide them to the answer on their own. This is what differs her the most from other weird girls in Ace Attorney, the obliviousness is just an act.

In another universe where she decided to become a defense attorney instead, it's possible she could have become an attorney as quickly as Franziska.

In conclusion I would like to see Trucy become a defense attorney. Sometime she passed the bar as a hobby and keeps ending up defending clients out of circumstance.

[sorrinslays]

Gepard-Sampo confrontation

Roleswap AU

Gepard is running. That, in it of itself, is not rare. He's used to running. Either from people he stole from or the Silvermane Guards. Sampo Koski, the Captain of the Silvermane Guards, is chasing him. That isn't unusual either.

What is unusual, is that the blonde is panting and struggling to keep going. That is strange. For whatever reason, the Captain is much more determined to catch him. They've been running around for almost six hours with no breaks and, from the looks of it, the blue-haired man can keep going for at least another hour.

That is Unusual. Capital U.

Usually, after an hour or two, Sampo loses him in a chase. Or he gets distracted by other matters. Not today though.

And it's making the thief wonder, what the hell did he do for the Captain to be on his ass this ferociously?! Did he pickpocket from a friend of his? No, that can't be right. Gepard is always mindful to avoid messing with soldiers or any acquaintances of Sampo's. Did he offend the little girls that hover around Sampo at some point? They did come to him the other day asking to play...

Shit, is the Captain hunting him down like some kind of prey because he refused to play hide and seek with them?!?!

This is bad. He's going to get arrested after ten years because he refused to play hide and seek with some toddlers. Is this really how Gepard Landau's story ends?

Too lost in his thoughts, the thief trips, resulting in a crash on the pavement. He can hear playful whistling behind him and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who's humming a tune. "Well hello there Geppie!" a very aggravating voice calls out, chuckling.

Groaning, the blonde gets up, a frown on his face and his ears red. He doesn't grace the Captain with a response as he continues trying to even out his breathing.

"Aw, not even a hello?" this grown ass man fucking pouts, batting his eyelashes and making embarrassing faces. Yet, he's not making any attempts to arrest the thief. Why?

"You're not arresting me," Gepard points out, earning a raised eyebrow.

"Excellent deduction skills Geppie," the jade-eyed man chuckles, "could've mistaken you for a Silvermane."

Ignoring the other's comments, "why?" the thief asks simply.

"Straight to business, eh?" the Captain smiles, "I can work with that," he starts walking towards the other, "I have a deal for you, dearest Landau. One that I think you simply cannot refuse."

The blue-eyed man frowns at that. "Why would the Captain of the Silvermane Guards want to make a deal with someone like me?" he asks.

Sampo tilts his head at that, walking even closer. It feels as though he's circling his prey. "You know the newcomers?" he asks. "What are the names again...?" he hums in thought, clicking his tongue. "May 11th? Dan Feng?"

"March 7th, Dan Heng and the Trailblazer," the blonde answers. "What about them?"

"The supreme guardian just assigned them as criminals," the Captain comments. He keeps his eyes on Gepard, as if waiting for a specific reaction.

"Criminals?" the thief repeats, "why?" he asks. They seemed like good people...

"She accused the three of plotting against her," the jade-eyed man shrugs.

His choice of words is weird. Sampo is smart, especially with words. So there must be a reason behind this odd phrasing. "Why are you telling me all this?" the blue-eyed man asks.

Whatever reaction the Captain was looking for, he must've found it, because he smiles wide, all teeth. "Seele is sent to arrest them tomorrow first thing in the morning," he says, "they are gonna ambush them outside the hotel they are staying at right this second."

Gepard's frown gets deeper as he asks once more, "this is interesting and all, but, again, why are you telling me all this?"

"I need you to take them to the Underworld," the Captain says bluntly.

What.

"What?" the thief asks, "I don't know if you know, but the Underground has been sealed for ten years."

"And that's where my end of the deal comes into play!" Sampo beams, "I'll show you a secret passage to enter the Underworld, without anyone knowing, and in return I need you to guide those three in the Underworld!"

To say Gepard is stunned would be an understatement. "...Secret passage?" he asks with a shaky voice. Those exist? All this time, he could've sneaked off to find his sisters again?

"Yup!" the jade-eyed man popes the 'p'. "Got a couple of those," he answers, "and I'm willing to share one of them. Let's call it an, ah, secret. Just between us, okay, Gep?"

The thief feels tears build up, his vision slightly blurry. It's so overwhelming. He'll be able to see his sisters again. After ten years. All thanks to a guy that is supposed to be arresting him.

"Aw," the other man coos, "don't cry Geppie," he smiles sweetly as he wipes again the tears with his thumbs. All while avoiding touching Gepard as much as possible. "What do ya say?" he asks.

"You've got yourself a deal," the tears are replaced by a look of determination.

Sampo's smile widened, like a cat that caught the canary.

After the "meeting" with the Captain yesterday, Gepard found himself near Goethe Hotel, hiding in one of the numerous alley ways. He is peaking at the main street while the other man is leaning against the wall with a cigarette in his hands, smiling lazily.

"Why are we sitting here?" the blue-eyed man asks, "shouldn't we go and get them before the guards do?"

"And risk being seen with them?" the jade-eyed man raises an eyebrow, "there's no way we can sneak past the guards right now, not to mention the normal folks that are hanging out there."

Frowning, the thief huffs, "then are we doing here?" he eyes the other, who takes a drag out his cigarette. "What's your plan?"

Sampo just smiles, walking over to the other. "We're here," he pauses for a moment for dramatic effect, "to wait for a scene."

Gepard's frown deepens, "what do you-"

The Captain cuts him off, "there it is," he narrows his eyes at the sight just outside the alleyway.

Turning his gaze to where Sampo is looking, he is met with a surprising scene. There, the trailblazers are being led to Qlipoth Fort by some guards. Seele, the commander of the Silvermane Guards, is behind them in the distance. Next to her is Luka, the Intellegence Officer of the Silvermane Guards.

"We should help them," the thief turns back towards the other.

"Not yet," the Captain hums. As he says that, the grey-haired outsider hits one of the guards with their bat before all three of them turn to an alley that is full of fragmentum.

Gepard is about to say something, urge the other to help the outsiders. The jade-eyed man beats him to it, saying, "let's go."

The duo keeps up with the outsiders, making sure to stay hidden from the guards. Soon, Seele separates from the other soldiers and finds the trailblazers.

The commander attacks the outsiders, and the thief turns towards the Captain, "they aren't going to win this," he states, "we need to do something, now."

Sampo's eyes narrow and he takes something out of his pocket. Is that...?

"Is this a bomb?!" the blue-eyed man whisper-yells, "what are you thinking?!"

The jade-eyed man just chuckles, ignoring the other as he lights three small bombs and sends them towards the heated battle.

Immediately, smoke erupts, and a small part of Gepard's mind sighs in relief. The others are coughing and covering their faces as the Captain casually enters the smoke-filled area, completely unaffected.

"I apologize for the interruption!" Sampo says, no hint of struggling to take a breath like the others around him. "But Sampo is not one to turn his back to friends in need. I say what I mean and I mean what I say."

Just as he finishes his little speech, the Trailblazer, the last one conscious, passes out and slowly the smoke dispenses. When the cost is clear, Gepard walks over to the Captain, seeing him pick up Dan Heng and Seele.

As the thief watches Sampo work, an uncomfortable feeling creeps up his spine. He can outrun Gepard and he had smoke bombs with sleeping gas for Qlipoth's sake! For the better part of a decade, he could catch the thief anytime and he just. Chose not to.

Too lost in thought, he didn't noticing the jade-eyed man walk over to him. He jolts violently when he hears the other's voice again, "come on, pretty boy, pick up the other two for me."

Dumbly, the blue-eyed man nods, doing as told. Before he realizes something. "You're taking the commander too?!" he asks, a panicked expression on his face.

"Yup!" Sampo says, popping the 'p' as he starts walking away. Hurrying to catch up with him, Gepard holds the trailblazer and March 7th tighter. "She deserves a change of scenery, don't ya think?"

The thief remains silent, following the other as they pass through never ending alleyways, avoiding all guards. Soon, they are in some sort of tunnel, opened by a manhole cover. And while he knows that he should be paying attention to his surroundings, the blonde can't help but try and make sense of the other's 'plan'.

The Underworld was pretty underprivileged, especially compared to the Overworld. He and his siblings came to realize that when they moved there for the sake of cheaper rent. And, technically speaking, Seele has never really seen the Underworld.

So the jade-eyed man taking the commander there while also saving the criminals from the law does make sense. But what then? Best case scenario Seele manages to go back up and everything goes back to normal and worst case she never gets back and a new commander is selected.

So, again, what is the bluenette's plan? And also why is he actively helping criminals (including Gepard)?

"Ask away," the Captain suddenly says, jolting the other right out of his thoughts.

"What?" the thief frowns, readjusting his hold on the two people he's holding. They take a left turn, he notes.

Sampo chuckles, "you're not good at hiding your thoughts Geppie," he teases, "I can practically hear your thoughts."

Glancing at the man who is walking a few steps ahead, Gepard shakes his head and starts walking a bit faster. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm doing a lot of things right now, Gep," the jade-eyed man smiles, "ya gotta be more specific."

The blonde can't help but frown more, "you know what I mean," he weakly defends, "why are you helping them? And why did you bring Seele with you?" after a small pause, he decides to ask, "why are you helping me?"

The bluenette shrugs at that, "they're not bad people," he states, "and while in the past I might've listened to Natasha no questions asked, her recent orders are..." he hums in thought before shaking his head. "Either way, this one has been staring at the moon so much she has missed the butterflies, don't you think?" he asks, pointing with his head towards the unconscious Seele.

"You are making zero sense right now, just so you know," the blue-eyed man informs the other, "I genuinely don't know how your guards tolerate or even understand you."

The Captain just laughs once more, "where's the fun in making sense?" he asks, although it's obvious he isn't expecting an answer. "As for you," he shifts the topic, "I wouldn't say I'm helping you as much as I'm making profit, you know? You can do what I need you to and I have something you want. A fair deal, really."

Frown deepening, the thief speaks once more. "But what's your plan after this?" he asks, "what is the purpose behind all of this? Do you even have a plan?"

"Would you look at that!" Sampo exclaims, "we're here!" he smiles, "now, just head to Cocolia's clinic, I'm sure you know her, her new clinic is in the center of Boulder Town, a man named Peak is gonna come and help you," he explains, setting Seele and the Trailblazer down, "now I gotta run before Natasha looks for me! Bye Geppie, good luck!" he blows a kiss as he leaves.

Needless to say Gepard is very confused.

[a-forbidden-detective]

When I first read new chapter, I was glad that Toto's character has a development and now not afraid to look at corpses like Ron. Plus I thought he become smarter.

However, once I re-read the chapter, I realized something. Toto hasn't grown at all as a character.

His observation skills for important details have really improved, no doubt about it. But the ability to solve riddles and deduction haven't improved at all. Toto couldn’t do it and still can’t do it. After running around with Ron for over a year, I expected to see at least some kind of thought process.

And that's Toto's problem as a character in the story. He's just... boring.

No matter how much I love Toto, (he is the best in my heart) as a character he is NOT interesting to watch. He is not growing, he is as he was in the beginning “for everything good and fluffy. I value every human life” he remained that way. And it's not a bad thing i think, but compared to others it's boring.

Maybe I'm wrong but tell me how Toto has changed throughout history? And no, there’s no mention of self-confidence here because he still has self-destructive tendencies.

Now let's take others.Ron has obviously changed a lot and that's a good thing. Kawasemi changed and stopped being so strict. Chiori stopped being so a rabid fan of detective. Even Spitz and Amamiya changed somehow. I can't say anything about Toto.

No matter how paradoxical it may sound, the only thing that makes Toto stand out from the rest is his lack of personality and mysteries around him. He literally feels like a piece of cardboard but not as living person.

Most of his actions are literally told but not shown. It's like Toto himself was left out of the picture.

So yea , I think Toto is the character who suffers most at the hands of the author in manga

Heya! Thank you for waiting.

I thought about this long and hard. Like you, I love Toto, seeing that I am a Watsonian first of all. And at times, biased.

It is not easy to give you answers, bc I might change my opinion in the coming days. But for now, I can say that your concerns are valid, that Toto as a character remains somehow stagnant. On the other hand, if you change him, just a little bit, like he has reached Ron’s level in deduction we would lose him as a stand-in for the audience. Seeing that the titular character isn’t Toto, his role is more like Jiminy Cricket. He gives advices, scolds Ron, he can’t arse finding out the solution bc he isn’t the genius character. This is Ron’s place.

Once Akira changes him to something like equal to Ron then in the grand scheme of her storytelling, his role as the receiver of wonderful deduction would be gone.

And in all honesty, it is a bit mind-boggling how will Akira direct Toto’s characterisation in a new direction without involving him as someone who is part of the antagonists or giving us hints of his familial background, if she considers him as a deuteragonist of the story. Bc so far, like any Watson-esque character, he’s become a character in the background, it is the downside of having a genius and eccentric friend.

True, it is frustrating sometimes, and he’s maybe boring bc of it. In truth we applaud him when he shows signs of improvement. But I don’t think he’ll reach Kawasemi’s excellence nor Ron’s genius bc he’s none of these things. Kawasemi changed emotionally and has become a disciple of Toto.

And yet, and yet, Akira seems to be content in status quo.

He is changing but gradually. Maybe, the moment Ron will receive his license is the moment we’ll see Toto can hold his own. Cross my fingers.

PS: that’s why i am counting on the anime crew hoping that they can remedy some issues on Toto’s characterisation, which they did during the first season.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hey! Hope your having a wonderful day, no rush to answer this or anything, but do you know sny fics were john also knows how to make deductions? Hes actually way smarter than he looks and can detuct just as well as sherlock?

Thank you in advance, have a fantastic day! :)

Hi Lovely!

Ah, I don't have many, but what I do have that I know of, I grabbed off this post here:

No Charge by notjustmom (G, 1,742 w., 4 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting AU || Street Artist John, Sherlock Being Sherlock, Art/Drawing) – What if John is a street artist who offers to draw Sherlock...

Q 1 HR by stillwaters01 (G, 1,795 w., 1 Ch. || New Year's Eve, Hurt/Comfort, BAMF John, Friendship, Doctor John) – On New Year’s Eve, Sherlock discovers that sometimes it’s the seemingly innocuous, rather than life-threatening, conditions that can keep John from The Work. And John is reminded just how deeply their friendship runs.

Equilibrium by augustbird (M, 12,351 w., 1 Ch. || Flowers for Algernon Fusion || Jealous then Worried Sherlock, Sick John) – At Baskerville, John is infected by a virus that turns him into a genius. But when the infection progresses into neurodegeneration, it's a race against time to save himself.

And A Doctor by StillWaters1(T, 27,393 w., 6 Ch. || Friendship, Doctor John, Whump, Soldier / Doctor Dichotomy, Five and One) – It was only when people actually saw John working as a physician that they began to understand: that it wasn't just about bullets and IEDs and trauma care under fire. That "doctor" actually covered a pretty wide field. And that John was bloody good at covering ground. 5 times Dr. Watson treated others and 1 time he treated himself.

=====

If anyone has any others, PLEASE do add them, I love fics where John surprises Sherlock in this way! 💜🖤

[crownmemes]

Well, Aren’t You Just a Real Sherlock Holmes? Sentences, Vol. 1

(Sentences for muses that have the uncanny ability to know things about those around them, as well as those that have to put up with this. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"Is there no end to your talents?"

"That's quite enough. Nobody asked you to be observant."

"I hear things, see things, and gradually a picture forms."

"Once you rule out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true."

"You're not very observant, are you?"

"Do you always ask questions that you already know the answers to?"

"I'm smarter than everyone I meet. I know it's bad form to say that, but, in my case, it's a fact."

"You really do notice everything, don't you?"

"It's my business to know what others don't."

"You're every bit as perceptive as they say."

"I get instincts about people. I have an instinct about you."

"I won't insult your intelligence by explaining it to you."

"You have the intellectual tools to make simple deductions. Your failure to apply them in an energetic fashion is a constant source of befuddlement."

"For a genius, you can be remarkably thick."

"How hard do you find it, having to say 'I don't know'?"

"I remember everything. Every single thing."

"It hurts. All this. Everything I see, everything I hear, touch, smell. The conclusions that I'm able to draw, the things that are revealed to me."

"I've gone over all of your cases, and I don't see any signs of genius at all."

"You prove how clever you are on your own patch. This is mine."

"If you seem slow to me, can you imagine what real people are like?"

"I have a gift. I look at people and I see things."

"They say you're a genius. Are you?"

"Maybe there are one or two things that I know that you don't."

"I see everything; that is my curse."

"You have what I would call forensic intuition developed to the point of genius."

"Are you really suggesting what I think you are?"

"So, what happens now? Are you going to make deductions?"

"I don't like not knowing."

"Forget logic. Try empathy."

[cocogrrrl]

Hiii! I hope your enjoying your vacay! I was wondering if you could do kinda like a best friends to lovers Kyle x fem reader :)

passenger in the rain

so what are you gonna do about your impending feelings for your best friend, kyle broflovski?

kyle broflovski x female!reader (best friends to lovers), one sided kenny x reader also no cws wc: 2720

an: thank u anon btw! have a version of this completely different but also finished version of the req! its just angstier and a little longer (it shares some of the same scenes as this one though) lmk if u guys wanna see it ^^ although i don't think its as strong lol

Lingering stares, random reminders of him, and hesitance. That’s what it feels like to be in love with your best friend, Kyle.

“So, how was I back there?” Kyle beamed, all covered in sweat in his jersey. He was practicing with his team for an upcoming basketball game, and he asked you to watch him—be his support, you know? Right now, he was on break.“Do you think the strategy was good? Was one of us doing a bit too much?”

To be honest, you were kinda just looking at Kyle the whole time, inattentive to what he or his team was doing. You were struck by the way his curly hair bounced when he’d make runs and jumps across the court and the way he still look so suave even if, god, he was sweaty.

“Kyle, I don’t think I’m the right person you should be asking these types of questions about. I really don’t know the game works.” You replied, scratching your head.

“Really? YN, we've known each other for years. Ergo, I’m pretty sure I’ve tried teaching you how it works hundreds of times already.”

“And each time, I fail to understand anything. I don’t even know the system for deductions, let alone strategizing a good game.”

“Oh, what would I do without you?”

“You’d be asking a person with proper input on your game right now.”

He clicked his tongue, nodding at your statement. “I agree. You’re very much correct for that.”

“I know I am. I am as interested in sports as you are in my hobbies.”

“And what exactly are your hobbies?”

“...Pottery?” You answered, unsure of yourself as well.

“That’s bullshit! I’m pretty sure you were, like, eleven the last time you did pottery.”

“Actually, I did pottery last week with my cousin, genius.” You said a hand pointed up in an ‘um actually’ manner as well.

“Uhuh, and who picked out the venue and activity?”

“...Them.”

“Knew it.”

You pouted, crossing your arms and giving him a light-hearted little ‘hmph!’ at him. “To be fair, I still was pretty good even after years of not doing it.”

“Mhm.” He smiled, rolling his eyes. “Anyways, gotta go. Coach’s calling. Are you down to hang out after practice?”

“Hell yeah.” You nodded.

“Alright, I think this is the last round. I’ll change after, then I’m all yours.” He said, running off to his game after.

That last part stuck with you. ‘I’m all yours.’ As fucking if. You wished it was true, though, definitely. There was no denying that, to yourself at least, you had a huge crush on your best friend. Why would he like you, though? He’s seen you at your worst. Why would anyone like you after they’ve seen that?

You were just glad to even be his best friend still. You weren’t taking the risk of ruining a gem of a friendship at this moment, though.  You were seated in the bleachers, all your focus on Kyle as he shone in the sea of players. For now, you’ll just have to be a passenger in the rain—waiting for a random train to lead you to an unknown place.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

You really shouldn’t be having feelings for Kyle. Well, you could and you did, but god, did you hate it. You loathed, detested, and abhorred the feeling of falling in love with him—mainly because you hated dealing with your feelings.

It feels so embarrassing to be so head over heels for your best friend and try to cover it up as well. The “what-ifs” of what could and would happen if he found out freaked you out. Would he be cool about it? Probably not. It would be super awkward, and he’d try to play it off, but it’d be too much to bear, and you two would eventually stop being friends. That’s what you think would happen, at least.

Stupid feelings aren’t worth risking for worthwhile, maybe lifetime, happiness.

Then again, you enjoyed where you were right now—in Kyle’s bed beside him. He was completely knocked out, and his jaw was slightly agape, with the softest of snores filling the dead of the room. The sun gently shone on his face, causing him to look a lot warmer than he actually was—since his body temperature was normally cold even during the heat of the summer.

It felt almost saccharine, almost as if you were already together, if not for the fact that there was a barrier to what extent you could stay like this. Maybe you could just play pretend for a bit in moments like these. You sighed at the thought, lifting yourself from the sheets to go fix your bedhead appearance up.

When you got back after tidying yourself up, you were greeted with a disheveled-looking Kyle already awoken. He looked all groggy, with him rubbing his eyes while his poofy hair was flattened on one side. “Good morning…” He croaked out.

“Mornin’.” You tipped your head and smiled, leaning on the door frame. “You look like you slept well.”

“Sure did,” he yawned, stretching out. “What time is it?”

“I believe it is twelve-thirty PM.” You replied, checking the time of your phone. You were right. It was 12:37 PM.

“Shit, really?”

You nodded. “Why?

“I gotta pick up Ike from his friend’s place around two. He has this group project thing. Mom and Dad’s attending a friend’s wedding today, so they dropped him off earlier this morning.”

“You want someone to come along with you?” You hummed, checking your phone to see if you were busy today. To your delight, you weren’t. 

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna worry your parents or anything.” 

“Nah,” you beamed, finding yourself smiling at his worry for your parents. Despite the fact that you two have known each other for nearly forever, therefore you two were always hanging out together, he still was always worried about your parents getting upset. “I’ll just tell them that I’ll be with you for a little bit more.” You added, texting them already.

“Alright, thanks. I’ll go get ready,” he said, grabbing some clothes as he headed to the door—where you were. “Wanna kill time and get coffee later? We still got a little over an hour before we pick Ike up.”

“Definitely.” You grinned. “Can I borrow a shirt, by the way? I forgot to bring some extra clothes. I only have pajamas. I’ll re-wear my pants.”

“Oh, sure, go ahead.” He nodded, already out of the room, but his back turned to seemingly tell you something. “By the way, you left your skirt last time you stayed here. Mom washed it, I’m pretty sure. It’s in my closet, separated from the rest of my clothes.”

“Ah, alright.” You nodded. “Thanks, Kyle.” 

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

You and Kyle were currently lined up in the coffee shop, Tweek Bros. Coffeehouse, actually. You were near the front of the line. Kyle, behind you, was scrolling through his phone as you patiently waited for your turn.

On the way, Kyle insisted it would be his treat—which you fought strongly against. You were embarrassed that he’d pay for something rather small like coffee. You were embarrassed whenever he’d offer to pay for anything at all. Or do anything for you, as a matter of fact. You gave up, though, and he said it was his thank you for accompanying him.

“Next!” Your schoolmate, Tweek, called out. You ushered yourself to the front of the line, Kyle right beside you as you two stood in the front.

“Oh, hello, YN, Kyle.” He greeted, flinching. You and Kyle returned a simple nod and waved to him. “What can I—Ack!—get you today?”

“I’ll have one flat white, and I think Kyle’s order is a cortado, but half the milk and replaced by almond milk instead.” You hummed, leaning closer to him to whisper something. “Lactose intolerant.” You murmured to Tweek, pointing at the boy beside you.

Leaning back, you looked at Kyle for his approval. “Am I correct?” 

“First of all, the whole world doesn’t need to know I’m lactose,” he breathed out, rolling his eyes. “Second of all, I’m surprised you know my order.” He chuckled, handing you the money.

Embarrassment crept up on your cheeks. Why did you know Kyle’s order? I mean, yeah you like him, and you’re also his best friend, but that really doesn’t mean anything! …Right?

“Duh, you’re my friend!” You replied, handing Tweek the money—after which you and Kyle walked around the cafe to find a seat.

“Do you know Wendy, Marj, or even Bebe’s order?” He raised a brow.

“Of course! It’s, uh,” you paused, trying to recall the order. “Joke. I don’t think I know.”

“Yeah? So you somehow know my order?”

“Well, it’s because I spend my time with you the most. I’m bound to know your order.” You said, motioning to a table with two free seats by the window. You two sat down.

“Uhuh,” he replied sarcastically. “And you haven’t been following me around when I get coffee in the morning—”

“—Before 7:30, so there’s still extra time.” You both said at the same time.

“Yeah, actually, I think the reason why I know your order is because you’ve said it a good few times for me to remember it as a part of your morning schedule.”

“That would make sense, but I don’t think I’ve ever told you my morning schedule.”

“What?”

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

Still in the coffee shop, just many moments later, Kyle spoke up. “So, how are you and Kenny?” Kyle asked, scrolling through his phone as he took a sip from his drink.

Kenny is someone you used to like. You used to like him a month ago. God, you would’ve given a world to him, but nothing ever really came of you two. Talking stage, then nothing more. When you realized your feelings for Kyle a couple of weeks ago, everything changed. It’s like a switch inside you flipped, making you have zero attraction for him anymore.

Bitterness tainted your tongue with the question, and you rolled your eyes in reply—though, to your favor, he didn’t catch that. “There’s nothing between us, Kyle. He hasn’t asked me out, I haven’t asked him out either. It’s just a whole bunch of nothingness.”

“Really? Why don’t you take the risk?” He hummed.

“I’m not feeling it.” Liar. 

“That’s what you say about everything else, though.” He huffed.

“Yeah? Well, if something happens, then it happens. I’m taking things my own way.” You yawned. “Besides, you’ve never even got in a relationship with anyone before. No offense, but I don’t think you’re the first person I’m running to for advice.”

“I see your point, but I also have common sense. Something you lack sometimes.”

“Thanks, I guess.” You said, finishing off the rest of your drink. “If something happens, let’s just see what goes.”

“Alright.”

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

A day later, it was the end of class, and you were by your locker with Kyle, fixing your things. You two were in the middle of making plans for what to do after his practice.

“Do you think it’s okay if I skip practice later? I don’t think I’m in the mood to watch you guys.” You hummed, placing some books in your locker before you shut it close.

“Yeah, no stress. I mean, it is my practice. You don’t have to treat it as a bonding activity for us. I just wanted to spend some time with you between breaks, you know?”

“I understand. I really enjoy spending break time with you as well. Even if they’re a bit too short for my liking.”

“Me too.” He sighed.

“Maybe I will stay and watch. Let’s see.” You hummed.

“YN,” a familiar voice caught your attention from behind. It was Kenny. “I, uh, have something to ask you. Can I borrow you for a sec?”

You turned your attention to Kyle for a second. You were pretty sure you two knew where this was going. He teasingly raised his brows twice, mouthing a subtle ‘Get it, girl!’ with a supportive smile to you.

You shifted your focus back to Kenny. “Sure, definitely.” You nodded as he giddily pulled you to the back of the school, where no students were.

Kenny seemed awfully nervous like he knew that you knew what he was about to say. If that was the case, he was right. You hope he had already prepared for rejection as well.

“So, what’s the thing you wanted to ask me?” You feigned naivety, rocking back and forth on your heels. 

“Well, I,” he paused, carefully picking out his words. “I think you’re amazing, and I wanna ask you out on a date.” He coyly muttered, pulling out a small flower he probably got from the garden and handing it to you.

“Kenny…” You cooed, happily picking the flower and tucking it by your ear. Now you felt really bad about what you’re about to do. “You’re really wonderful, but I don’t like you that way. At least not anymore. I’m sorry.”

“You liked me before?” He quirked a brow.

“Yeah, but that was a few weeks ago. Sorry…” You sighed.

“That’s okay.” He smiled. “I do have one question for you, though.” His smile slowly became one of slight worry, almost a frown, actually.

“Yeah? What is it?” 

“You like someone else, don’t you?”

“Yes.” You said, stretching out the ‘s’ at the end. You feel you already knew his next question as well.

“Is it Kyle?”

“...Yeah,” you answered hesitantly. “I don’t think I’m telling him, though. I don’t wanna risk what we already have.”

“YN?” Kenny called. You hummed in reply. “Do it.”

“Why should I?” You raised your brow.

“I’m pretty sure he likes you too. I mean, everyone kind of suspects that at least one of you like the other.”

“Really?” You grinned at the thought of everyone perceiving you two together. He nodded in reply, to which you opened your arms out for him to hug. “Thank you. I have nothing to give you but this. I feel like you need it.” You said, letting out a small laugh.

He nodded and hugged you tight. “Thank you, YN. I’m grateful.” 

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

After a few more moments with Kenny, you finally bid your goodbyes, and you headed back to your locker since you had forgotten your notes for pre-calculus there.

Were you really going to confess to Kyle? Well, with the support of Kenny, you really wanted to now. Maybe you should wait a bit first. You’re probably not ready yet. To your surprise, Kyle was leaning on your locker, scrolling to your phone. You weren’t outside for long, sure, but you thought he’d just show up early at practice like usual.

“Kyle?” You called out.

“There you are.” He smiled, tucking his phone in his pocket as he made eye contact with you. “So, how’d it go? When and where are you two going?”

“Oh, about that,” you sighed, chuckling awkwardly. “I rejected him. So there’s no ‘when and where’ at all.”

“What? But I thought you really liked the guy!” He said, confusion lining his face.

“I mean, I did! But I…” You paused, double thinking your next few words.

“But what?”

You took a deep breath, preparing yourself. Were you really about to do this? “I just never imagined being with anyone else but you.” Yeah, you were.

He paused, processing if what he heard was right. Unfortunately or not for him, you stared him down with a straight face. “YN, don’t joke with me like that.”

“I’m not! I’m being serious.”

“You like me? Like, literally, me?”

“Yes, you!”

“For how long?”

“I realized just recently, but I think I’ve liked you ever since we were kids. I never realized how obvious it was as well. I’m surprised you’re shocked about it 'cause you’ve always known me better than myself.”

“Kiss me.”

You jumped at his words, shifting your stance. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.” 

You hesitantly brought yourself closer to him, your lips hovering over his. You closer your eyes, unable to look at him and bring yourself to it anymore. You supposed he realized just that because he had leaned in and closed the gap for the benefit of the two of you.

[ccrisntok]

for the ask game, how about rose?

MY WIFEEE YESS ROSSEEE.

Ik I obsess over that red twink but God. i love rose. I will gladly yap about her, thank you.

(this is the ask game they're referring to, might wanna sneak a glance at em so my answers make sense!)

Tons of words after the cut!:

1. My favorite thing about Rose is probably the way her photographic memory effects her, especially the uniqueness of it? Like, you'd expect a character with a photographic memory in a Danganronpa-like situation to be a mega genius who helps solve 80% of the case- but really, she's just here, man. Shes no master of deduction, she makes mistakes and misses things, she just wants to be as uninvolved as possible! she purposely tries to sleep through her life so she doesn't need to constantly be overwhelmed with information! aahhhh I could yap for a million years about that point more but let's move on.

2. Thing I don't like... uh... nothing? Like I don't think there's anything in particular I dislike about Rose, whatsoever.

3. "Has it really gotten this bad? I think my brain is falling apart... I can't even recall the day it was when that happened." AUGGHGHG. aughhh. ghgg. hejka. I'm sobbing

4. hahaha... I'd normally say... Nicorose... but... bad things are going down in that direction, so l'll say Whit and Rose actually seem like they'd be good friends (Whit was the first to point out she seemed out of it, and asked how she doing)

5. Terurose... i think that's the ship name. God I'm not normal about it. "It hurts me to look at you" and "everyone who gets close to me eventually dies" but they take comfort in eacgothers presence despite the pain it brings? chat... chat it's over for me... doomed Yuri...

6. Notp (I FORGOT TO DO THIS ONE FOR THE WHIT ANSWERS MY B) ... I mean... I don't have a ship I particularly dislike. I suppose I can't really see her with men, usually. but most is fair game, I don't really mind anything!

7. She used to paint portraits of people she cared about as gifts, but after her work wasn't her own, she obviously couldn't anymore. so she only paints negative things, and then destroys them!

8. I don't think I have one. I kinda like the idea of her being the mastermind, if that's anything...

9. Working for the Knife - Mitski. It's like... made for her, man.

10. Fav cg, and fav sprites!

aahhh!! she's so pretty!! also the way she grabs her hat in her scared sprite is so funny 🙏😭

[minniethemoocherda]

Iridescent: Chapter 16

A/N: I'm not really happy with this chapter. I've been thinking about this scene basically since I came up with the fic and I perhaps because I've been imagining it so long I'll never get it exactly how I want it. IDK. Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed it! XXxxxxx

FF.net

Ao3

Jazz had barely been gone for a week, but Prowl hadn't noticed the role the spy played in keeping up base morale until it was gone. 

Many of the mechs on board the Ark had known Bumblebee since he was a newspark and their overwhelming distress with no immediate outlet had lead to Prowl having to throw more than one mech into the brig for fighting. 

Prowl was surprised to find that he himself was affected by Jazz's absence. He hadn't realised how much the spy had become part of his daily routine what with all their shared reports and overlapping responsibilities. That was until his HUD alerted him to his dangerously low fuel levels as he had spent an entire day in his office without Jazz to trick him into taking a fuel break. Prowl was even surprised to find himself disappointed that they would miss their scheduled chess match. 

His relief when he learnt that Jazz had returned with Bumblebee was short lived as Prowl had quickly been forced to set up an impromptu security detail around the med-bay so that Ratchet could work in peace without being stormed by an army of worried soldiers. Thankfully, by the evening, news had spread that Ratchet had been able to stabilise the young mech and Prowl finally had enough free time to complete his post mission check in with Jazz. 

Or at least he would if he could actually find the mech. 

Prowl had checked his office, the rec room and even the med bay again. But there was no sign of the spy anywhere. Using his powers of deduction, Prowl calculated that there was only place left that Jazz could be. His room. 

Prowl knocked on a door that had been adorned with old band stickers and movie posters who's stars were all long dead by now. There was no answer. Prowl knocked again, more firmly this time. But still there was no reply. 

He tried Jazz's comm link for what felt like the millionth time that day and was unsurprised when this too wielded an unsuccessful result. 

Prowl was about to knock again when he heard a crash from the other side of the door. 

"Commander?" Prowl called out. 

The responding crash was not a good sign. 

At worst fearing that a Deception had managed to track the spy home and attack him in his quarters, Prowl entered his emergency override code and barged the door open.

Prowl had never been to Jazz's room before, so he wasn't sure what he expected it to be like. Perhaps covered more in of the band and movie posters like it had been adorned on the outside. But he certainly had not expected it to look like this. 

Jazz's room was beyond a mess. It was a wreck. It appeared as though someone had literally been tearing at the walls and the stench of highgrade was palpable even from the door. It didn't take a genius to determine that it was emanating from the broken cubes and empty bottles that were smashed all over the floor

Although the wrecked state of the room that was nothing compared to Jazz himself. The spy was shaking as he huddled in the corner, somehow smaller than Prowl had ever seen him before. In his obviously over-charged state, he must not have heard Prowl previous attempts at communication.  

“Are you alri-” 

Before Prowl’s processor could even comprehend what was happening, Jazz had him pinned against the wall, vibro blade stabbed into the metal next to his head. 

The first thing that Prowl's brain registered was that the edge of the blade was coated in the crystals of spilt energon. He did not know who's it previously belonged to. 

Prowl forced his attention back to his fellow commander. Jazz’s eyes were hidden under his visor but even with it being barely two inches from his face, Prowl could tell that whatever the spy was glaring it, it was not at him. It was looking at something that neither of them could see. 

This was not the first time Prowl had been witness to what was now obviously an episode of PTSD. Bluestreak had suffered from many such attacks times after the destruction of Praxus. Although Bluestreak's usually resulted in an uncharacteristic silence, not an attempt at violence. Still Prowl determined that following a similar routine to what he previously did with Bluestreak was the best cause of option. 

“You are on the Ark. You are in your room. And you are safe." Prowl stated, trying not to gag on the stench of waste that overwhelmed him after he opened his mouth. 

Jazz didn’t respond the first time, his visor glassy as coolant leaked from under its rim. He didn’t respond the second time either But by the third, the glassy look had lessened, and despite not being able to see his optics, Prowl could tell that Jazz's eyes were actually looking into Prowl’s even if what they were seeing was still someone else. 

Suddenly Jazz shoved him away and threw the knife so hard it embedded itself to the hilt into the wall. 

Prowl watched as Jazz stalked back and forth across the room, growling nonsense to himself like a caged animal as energon leaking between his seams, splattering the floor in a illuminated coat of pink. 

It wasn't until Prowl's battle computer informed him that Jazz had whether intentionally or not blocked the door, that Prowl realised how much danger he was in.

He had vowed that he wouldn't be swayed by they spy's charisma like the rest of their army had. However, it was now apparent that he too had unwittingly been left defenceless in the wake of Jazz's charms. 

Prowl couldn't help glancing at the knife embedded into the wall. He calculated that his chance of survival relied entirely on it. 

“Have you ever been tortured mech?” Jazz asked suddenly, startling Prowl from his thoughts. 

“No.” Prowl replied.

“Wouldn’t recommend it.” Jazz laughed without any of his usual warmth, the noise coming out delirious and fake. “I did recommend Bumblebee though. I didn't even realise that I had been moulding him into the perfect agent. I sent him on his mission. And I-” Jazz looked down at his fists, balled so tight that Prowl worried the joints would snap. "I did this to him." 

“Megatron was the one who hurt Bumblebee. Not you.” Prowl reminded him, keeping his sights trained on the spy as he tried to creep slowly to the opposite side of the room. 

Jazz gave no outwards appearance that he had heard his words. But he also gave no indication that he hadn't either so Prowl took his chance.

“What do you need Jazz?" he asked "Do you want me to call someone for you?” 

“I can’t fuck Mirage.” 

“Okay”. Prowl was not even going to attempt to decipher the meaning behind that. “I can call Rung?”

As Prowl went to look up the ship’s therapist on his wrist screen, the knife appeared again. This time at his throat. Jazz’s other hand surrounded his wrist. That glossy look returning to his visor. 

“You can’t!" Jazz begged. "If you tell Rung, he’s gonna take me off missions again and he can’t- I can’t- I need-" Jazz struggled to find his words as his vents tripped over each other in a fight to breathe. "You- you can’t tell anyone about this!”

One trait that Prowl had to reluctantly admit he had always admired about Jazz was that no matter the situation, he always exuded an aura of being in total control. That semblance of an aura was now shattered at the sight of the pleading, crying mess of a mech in front of him. 

Prowl clasped his free hand over were Jazz’s was currently wrapped around his arm, hoping it would ground him to their reality. 

“What friends am I going to tell?” Prowl replied in honesty. 

Jazz barked out a laugh. It was harsh and shrill to Prowl’s audio receptors but it was real. 

“Was that a fucking joke? Commander Prowl making jokes? Primus the world really is collapsing in on itself.” That glassy look hadn't entirely gone from Jazz’s visor. But it at least appeared to have shocked him back to this plane of existence as he finally backed away, dropping the knife and letting his other arm go limp, even if his hand still clung to Prowl’s wrist. 

Prowl waited a few minute as Jazz’s breath caught up with his vents, until his breathing was relatively even and the room was almost bathed in silence. 

“What do you need Jazz?” Prowl asked once again. 

“I don’t know.” They were barely above a whisper, but those three words were probably the most truthful Jazz had ever been with him. 

Jazz seemed to finally realise that he was still holding onto Prowl's arm as he snatched his servo back, eyes widening at the small crack in Prowl’s wrist screen. 

To be honest, Prowl hadn’t even noticed it cracking. It didn't even hurt. He’d done more damage accidentally bumping into a desk before. And it wasn't as if this was the worst injury Jazz had ever given him. The scar on his arm stung with the reminder. But drawing attention to that would be more likely to unsettle Jazz further which would not be good for Prowl's odds of survival. Before Prowl could try to diffuse the situation on his own Jazz spoke. 

“You should go.” He said, now refusing to look at Prowl at all. 

Despite his battle computer telling him that he should run, Prowl hesitated. 

Jazz was far still from function at a state of normality but thankfully he was more stable then when he had arrived. 

Yet for some reason, a part of Prowl that didn’t belong to his processor, didn’t want to leave the mech alone. 

However it was impossible to argue with his logic circuits and Prowl knew that leaving was the only way to ensure his spark kept beating.

So with one last look at the mech that Prowl now realised that he knew next to nothing about, he left. 

[satoshi-mochida]

Boyhood’s End launches in Early Access on September 6 - Gematsu

From Gematsu

Episodic science-fiction horror adventure game Boyhood’s End will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam on September 6, publishers WSS playground and PLAYISM, and developer Bukiri Clock announced.

The Early Access version of the game features about 20 percent of the full story. The game is planned to have five chapters, with each chapter releasing one-by-one during Early Access. Once the story is complete, final adjustments will be made based on conversations with the community and a full version will be released. The Early Access period will last for around 10 months.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

When does childhood end? Both humans and the inhuman will find the answer at the end of a cycle of fight and flight. Solve puzzles and explore the world, depicted in hand-drawn pixel art. Watch beautifully animated conversations between the main characters. Join a young boy on his adventure and experience his story set in a hardcore sci-fi world. Boyhood’s End is a juvenile science fiction horror adventure game, in which the world is ruled by a mechanical overlord “R. Karellen.” Every aspect of every person’s life is rated with a “human score,” and R. Karellen decides everything from academic and professional careers, romantic interests, to one’s daily meals. The protagonist, Giovanni, has the lowest human score among the entire human race. Every day, he receives “special treatment” for everything including his meals and classes. On top of that, he gets bullied relentlessly by his classmates at the School, both in real life and online. But one day, everything and everyone in the school starts attacking Giovanni, trying to “remake” him and raise his human score by making him “more human.” A senior student, the famously eccentric genius Campanella, reaches out to Giovanni, and they hop onto (and take over) a driverless train on the galactic railroad. And so, Giovanni gets swept up in a journey to find the “Crimson Southern Cross,” located at the farthest edge of the universe. On their journey, the boys will meet great leaders of the past and pull reckless and destructive “pranks” on them all. Through their encounters with the history, twisted mysteries, and various horrors of the world, they will eventually have to confront the end of their own childhood. Oh, did you hear that? The boys are (pointlessly) sounding the train whistle. Looks like it’s time for the galactic express to depart.

Characters

-Giovanni

“Shut up! I couldn’t care less about your twisted logic, but here’s the thing, I’m a human! And you’d better start treating me like one!”

Has a wanted criminal as a father and the lowest human score in the universe. Gets treated like trash by other people and even the system itself. Has a cynical personality and a sharp tongue, but has a soft spot for his family. Always has to earn money to pay his sister’s hospital fees. Although he lives in an age where humans haven’t had to write programs by themselves for generations, Giovanni knows the ancient craftsman technique of writing his own code from scratch. He frequently uses his coding skills to do shady side gigs on the dark web.

-Campanella

“Come on, show me! Show me the true potential of humanity! Show me something unpredictable, something that could ruin the world as we know it—something a man-made thing could never do!”

Has the highest human score in the Gymnasium, and very talented in everything from academics to sports, but also has the highest total score deduction in the Gymnasium due to his frequent eccentric behavior. Talk about extreme. Campanella holds “humans” in high regard, and acts arrogantly around the inhuman and artificially intelligent R. However, many claim to have seen him chatting and playing around with R for no reason in particular.

Watch a new trailer below.

Worldview Trailer

English

Japanese

Korean

[snappedsky]

Borderlands: Skies the Ultimate Treasure Hunter

Skies continues her hunt for Susan Coldwell

--

New Tales From the Borderlands Part 5

Tediore soldiers bark orders to each other as they fire bullets across the street, many of them in a panic.

A grenade flies out from behind the stone wall they’ve been shooting at. One of them shoots at it, causing it to explode in the air, but it just splits into dozens of smaller grenades. They rain down around the group, pelting them with smaller explosions and knocking them down.

Skies emerges from her cover and marches to the group of downed, groaning soldiers. One by one, she shoots them in their heads with her pistol as she goes by. A few try to fight back by grabbing their guns, but she disarms them easily- quite literally by removing their arm with her fist blade.

She finally stops when only one soldier remains: a captain. As she approaches, he struggles to his feet and arms his SMG. But before he can fire, Skies shoots first and takes out one of his knees. He cries out in pain as he collapses but still tries to aim his gun at her. She’s on him in an instant though, driving her blade through the underside of his elbow. Again, he cries in pain as his gun clatters to the ground.

“I got only one question,” Skies hisses, “and you better have the answer.”

He glares at her through the visor of his helmet. “You...you’re the one who’s been assassinating all of our patrol units.”

“Wow, nice deduction, genius,” she comments, “since you’re so smart, you must know where your boss is. Where’s Susan Coldwell?” He grimaces in pain as Skies digs her blade in his arm. “Even...even if I tell you...you’ll still kill me.”

“I’m gonna kill you either way,” she points out, “so you might as well make yourself useful before you die.”

“I...will never...betray my leader...”

“We’ll see.”

Skies removes her blade from his arm and instead drives it into his uninjured knee, right under his kneecap. The soldier wails and writhes in agony as her blade scrapes against his bone.

“Tell me where she is,” Skies demands, “and all of this ends.”

“I...I don’t know!” he cries, “all I know is, during the invasion she arrived in a ship that hid in the city. It looks like one of the buildings. But I don’t know where, I promise!”

“There,” she sighs, removing her blade. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Before he can reply, she slits his throat and leaves him to bleed out.

“Finally, some progress,” Skies remarks as she scales a nearby building. “All I gotta do is find the new building.”