#going to be a political genius or even super smart about a lot of things

[toytulini]

Why did you have to read Ben Carson's book to get access to the twilight books? What was stopping you from just getting the twilight books? I'm confused and curious

BKGDJWVIVE oh my god i just saw this sorry. my mom made me read the ben carson book before she was willing to buy me the last 2 books while i was in middle school. it was dumb but in retrospect its so ridiculous its funny.

[octuscle]

I've done a few himbo transformations with the Chronivac, but I'm getting tired of being dumb. I want to be smarter without risking some crazy permanent change. Can you make it so I steal 1 IQ point from everyone who's in the same room as me? They can have it back when they leave.

You are a super Himbo. Always in good shape, always horny. And admittedly also a real feast for the eyes. I like your idea. It's a little bit experimental. But let's give it a try.

You're always the first one at the gym in the morning. You love to start your day pumped up. And it's wonderfully empty at this time of day. No smart alecks to make fun of you. You have the body, you have the face. An IQ of 89 is more than enough for an alpha guy like you! Normally you're done with your program by 07:30. That's when the gym usually fills up. Today it's surprisingly full. There's a congress in town, so lots of external guys always come to work out. By around 07:00 there are already a good 30, maybe 35 people training. One of the guys is really cute. You approach him. You talk about all sorts of things and train the next sets together. It's rare to find someone who has a similar political opinion and is interested in both Italian opera and astronomy at the same time. And who looks so awesome at the same time. You'll get a boner. He notices. You say that unfortunately you have to go now and you're going to take a shower. He says that he hopes you'll see each other again sometime. You see each other in the shower four minutes later. Not a soul around. And you fuck the guy like only a man with a bird's brain can.

You like your work as a motorcycle mechanic. Your machines are just as simple as your brain. You understand them. And you're really good at making them look hot and getting the most out of them. And you like to work alone. It's difficult in a team. Some know-it-all is always making fun of you. Pure envy, you think, and flex your muscles. But it does annoy you a little. That's why you prefer to do things in the evening that don't involve talking. Dancing. Fucking. Or go to the movies. Like tonight. "The Beekeeper". It's supposed to be good.

Shit, your head is starting to pound. The movie theater is maybe half full. You do a quick count. Yes, exactly 378 people. 78 percent male. That was to be expected. According to a rough estimate, they all spent a total of 3,117 dollars on Coke and popcorn. One guy went to the loo for the third time. You've noticed 67 things in the movie so far that are illogical. Bored, you take out a cell phone. You surf to the MIT website. A very interesting article from the mathematics department about the Riemann conjecture. By the end of the movie, you've finished the proof.

Fortunately, your favorite pub, where you're having a nightcap, is almost empty. Your buddy at the bar, a handful of the usual regulars. Your cell phone vibrates incessantly. Lots of calls from unknown callers. From cities you've never heard of. Boston, San Francisco, Cambridge in Massachusetts, Cambridge in England. Göttingen. Isn't that in Poland? What do they all want from you? You turn off your cell phone.

The next morning you have 189 missed calls. You check a few messages. But you can't understand a single word they're saying. Something about genius. And a brain that only exists once. Hehehe, you've heard that a lot about your cock. You're going back to the gym. You're late today. Your crush from yesterday is already here. And so are 40, 50 other people. CNN is on the screens. The headlines are about the proof of Riemann's hypothesis. Your crush asks you if you know what it is. You explain it to him and outline your solution. As best you can reproduce it. It's really complicated. Your crush stares at you open-mouthed. "You've proved Riemann's conjecture?“ You grin a little sheepishly.

Shit, this guy has a hot ass and a talented tongue. But why can't he keep his tongue in check? After a few minutes, the first reporter is in your workshop and asks you about this Riemann shit. Tell him to go to hell. A second, a third reporter arrives. They're on the floor laughing as you answer their questions. The weaklings are about to get the shit kicked out of them. In the afternoon, a courier arrives from this Cambridge, which is not in England. With a letter. An invitation to a ceremony. Whatever that is. And then there's a check inside. A check for a million dollars.

You like airports. A place where you can do sociological studies. You also really enjoyed the flight. The documents that the mathematical institute in Cambridge sent you are very interesting. But you see a few inconsistencies that you would like to discuss. A driver is waiting for you at the airport. You take a deep breath when you are finally out in the fresh air. It's funny, there's a guy holding a board with a name just like yours on it. You walk up to him. "Mr. Wood?" he asks a little incredulously. "Hehehe, someone must have given us that name one early morning. Do you understand, dude? And by the way, my name is Al." Curt is a cool dude. You get to sit up front and talk about football and stuff. Curt lifts iron too. He recommends a good gym near the hotel and campus. Then he tells you stuff like you can freshen up if you want. Then the dean would like to meet you for a private lunch in private. And then the prize will be officially presented in the setting. Then there is also time for your speech. You say that you smell like a real man and don't need to freshen up. And you ask what a dean does and what the hell the speech is all about. Curt grins.

The dean wipes the sweat from his brow. The food tastes quite good, but you would have preferred an honest burger. You don't understand a word of the stuff the old geezer is talking about. He keeps mumbling something about a catastrophe. You ask yourself why you're wearing that stuffy shirt. It would actually be cool right now to just wear a tank top with all the nerds and show off your muscles. Dinner is finally over. The dean, or whatever his name is, stands up and asks you to follow him. You walk towards a really cool looking building, which is called Kresge Auditorium. Funny name. You enter the hall, which is packed with dozens of people, all of whom are beaming with joy at you. The dean waves you off, pulling you along behind him. You are standing in a huge lecture hall where hundreds of people are already waiting. More and more people stream in behind you. The dean asks you to keep your mouth shut for God's sake. Then he gives his opening speech. He gives a somewhat twisted rendition of the essence of Riemann's conjecture. But as far as you know, he's not a mathematician either… The dean ends with the words "…. And yet this man has obviously proved one of the biggest problems in mathematics. Mr. Wood, would you like to say something?“ You interpret his gestures as him asking you to just shut up. But you're here to chat about math. You stand at the lectern. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor for me to speak to you today in this magnificent building. I assume that you are familiar with my remarks on the Riemann conjecture. I don't want to bore you with that either. Let's talk about another interesting topic instead, the P-NP problem." The dean faints.

Shit, the day was really exhausting. You're so happy when Curt finally drives you to the hotel. It's already late, but you still want to make your muscles burn. So you make your way to the gym. There's hardly anyone here at this time of night. One guy looks nice and really hot. You chat a bit. You train together. You both end up in your hotel room and fuck the rest of your brains out. Ian says that you absolutely have to come to Springbreak.

Fuck, Ian was so right. Spring break is awesome! The weather is incredible. Eating, drinking, working out, fucking, partying, all outdoors. You're one of the stars here. Because of your body and your cock. Certainly not because of your head. Hehehe, the 200,000 dollars that you've already spent here from your prize money has certainly contributed to your reputation. The party is in full swing. Suddenly the sky darkens and a thunderstorm with hail breaks out. The party people stream into the hotel lobby. And you flow with them. One of about 400 wet, muscular bodies. You take a quick look around. 423, to be precise.

[judasgot-it]

Tecchou x Reader

"Really? Anything for 20 dollars?"

Scenario: You try not to vomit on Tecchou's shoes after eating one of his food combinations.

Warning: There's vomit. Also might make a part two? I don't know tbh.

As the secretary for the Hunting Dog's, you were privy to a lot of their personal lives. You had access to their medical records, taxes, personal files...as well as seeing just how downright weird they are.

It was no secret that they were bizarre, but the longer you were exposed to them, the more you realized that they were just...like that.

Somehow you still cared about them.

"Tecchou that is nasty, I would rather die than be around that." You could hear yelling from across the building, meaning that the group had come back from a mission.

Which was actually good news seeing as you had managed to finish your paperwork for the day, so you could take your leave without much notice. No one would mind if you left anything for the next day anyway, seeing as no one got much done in the building when they were around.

It wasn't their fault, they were just...loud.

"Why don't we ask y/n? They'll judge it fairly."

Oh great.

You started sneaking around the room, trying to find another exit other than the single door you had to your office. You really wanted to take your early leave without their shenanigans.

Surely there was a secret exit somewhere behind your desk?

Too late. It opened.

"Y/n, could you assist us?" Tecchou sounded far too calm and polite after slamming open your office door, causing another hole into your wall. Jouno followed, leaving the door open as if your privacy didn't matter.

It really didn't, not with this group.

You didn't bother responding, just waiting for them to explain what they were arguing about.

"Tecchou made the most disgusting drink and this time he is actually trying to convince me it's consumable. Please tell him even you won't try it." Jouno was ranting, standing as far as possible from Tecchou who was holding a gallon jug of some strange concoction.

Tecchou, to make a point, took a swing of it, drinking a third of the drink and making a loud noise of satisfaction. Jouno screamed in annoyance.

"OK. What's in it that's so bad?" If you were being honest, you tended to think Jouno was being dramatic sometimes. Soy Sauce Latte's weren't that bad - not a drink of choice, but not exactly worth a tantrum.

"Eggs, Ramen noodles, protein powder, monster energy, sour gummy bears and ginger."

He said it with a straight face as Jouno gagged. It was dramatic but it was warranted this time. You felt bile rise in the back of your throat at even the thought of that. You couldn't even move from your spot.

"Tecchou...what made you think this was a good idea?" You were having a staring contest as he swished his drink around, which you now noticed had a sort of mushy consistency. Did he put it in a blender?

"I combined my lunch with my pre-workout and my snack, it's genius. Now I can take it while I'm on the go."

He took another swing, face unchanging. It was a challenge, almost.

He was a smart man who has gone undefeated in battle, with unquestionable morals. But his idea of a 'genius' drink...

"I'm going to vomit..." Jouno was almost sweating.

"Why would you want me to try that?" You really did not want to try it. The gallon jug was halfway empty now, which astounded you. How did he drink it so fast?

"Please?" His face was genuine. Like a sad puppy.

You looked to the side, and then back at him. Maybe he was secretly a genius, able to toy with your emotions so easily.

His puppy eyes were very persuasive if you were being honest.

"20 dollars. 100 if I vomit. And I take only one swing."

Jouno gagged again.

"Really?! You can be bought out so easily?" Jouno wasn't even drinking it but he was suffering so much, his face red from being near the drink. How was he considered a super soldier?

"Anything for 20 dollars Jouno. Seriously, I did some crazy things before I had this job."

You weren't kidding either. This job payed well enough to keep you in the position, so you didn't bother finding a new one. You weren't exactly the most employable person out there anyway.

"Really? Anything for 20 dollars?" Tecchou walked over to you, handing you the disgusting mixture.

"I'm gonna have to keep that in mind."

His tone sounded odd. Did he really plan on using this against you?

"Please don't make me doing this a regular thing." You looked into the jug finally, seeing the weird piss color of the mixture as it sloshed around in the jug.

Tecchou just smiled at you. You didn't know what his intentions were.

Maybe 20 dollars wasn't enough.

You didn't bother prepping, just raising it up and taking a swing. As you did, you heard Jouno choke on air again.

You choked too as you felt the mixture hit your mouth. It was horrible.

First it was the texture. It was a mixture of liquid and some sort of mashed substance. The gummy bears and Ramen made it a strange mix of chewy and soggy. Then it was the taste. It was everything and nothing. But it sure as hell burned everything it touched. There was a lot of ginger, with a hint of artificial sweetness from the energy drink.

You kept it there, scared to swallow, before you tried to take it all in at once. You had to take the jug away as you choked with your mouth closed, trying not to spit everything out.

You closed your eyes and put a hand over your mouth, forcing yourself to swallow anything left in your mouth. You felt spit quickly building up in your mouth. You swallowed it down, hard - allowing yourself to breathe air finally.

Looking at the jug, you barely had drinken anything. But your stomach felt disgusting, as there was bile building up in the back of your throat.

You felt a hand pat your shoulders, as Tecchou leaned over you. His other hand reached for the jug, now moving to set it aside onto the nearby desk. Thank god.

If you looked at that thing you might vomit enough to reach Jouno, who was practically hiding behind the doorframe in disgust.

"Are you ok?" What a stupid fucking question. You straightened your back, trying to compose yourself despite still feeling unease in your body. You managed to push it aside.

"Yea, I'm fine. But that's absolutely revolting, I have to be completely honest with you."

"I'm surprised you haven't managed to vomit yet. You'd get a hundred dollars out of it." Jouno's face was still red from the gagging he himself was doing, so you felt satisfied that you weren't the only one suffering.

"No, I wouldn't want too. Then I'd have to leave the office for a day while they do a carpet cleaning. I'd rather take the 20 dollars." You finally managed to smile, feeling the horrible sensation of bile and evil settle in your stomach. How it was digesting you didn't want to know.

You turned towards Tecchou, smiling as you held your hand out expectantly for your payout.

It was absolutely disgusting but 20 dollars? Was 20 fucking dollars.

He began reaching for his pocket, looking for his wallet, when you felt the uneasiness come back tenfold.

You put a hand over your mouth, and the next thing you knew, felt nothing but that same burning sensation come back out of your throat.

It was disgusting, and you could faintly hear Jouno leaving as you bent over to relieve some of the pain in your stomach.

As quick as it came it left, and you were left looking at a yellow mess over your pants and on Tecchou's shoes. Your chin was dripping wet and all you wanted to do was sit down.

There was a horrible, awkward pause where neither of you said anything to one other.

"You owe me 100 dollars now."

You were hoping to ease the tension, but you still were heaving after that small event.

Tecchou said nothing as he led you over to your desk chair. His face portrayed nothing to the disgust he was probably feeling at having been vomited on, which you really could commend him on. This was definitely not exciting or fun.

"Let's just get cleaned up right now. Do you have any wipes?"

"In the first drawer to the right."

He leaned over, pulling them out. As gently as a man like him could, he started wiping your pants down with them.

"You don't have to do that." You smiled a little, taking a wipe and wiping off the chunks that got on your shirt. You didn't even drink that much, how was it everywhere?

"It's fine, this is my fault. Let me clean it up." He took a new wipe from the box, wiping off your face. His eyes were concentrated as he wiped a little roughly, trying to make sure you were as clean as possible.

This was embarrassing, as well as a little intimate. You couldn't help the blush that spread across your face at how close he was. It felt nice to be taken care of, but really, like this? This was just gross.

"You know your shoes are still dirty, right?"

He looked down at his, sure enough, vomit soaked shoes. He hummed, cleaning them off as well.

"Sorry about that. Didn't think the drink would be that bad."

There was a pause. He stood up, throwing the dirty wipes into trash under your desk. He then turned to you, his face for once showing bashfulness.

"Is it really that bad?" His eyes were a wide, as if embarrassed at the notion that he might have been a little odd. This might really have been his first time noticing it.

You gave him a small smile, standing up alongside him. The calves of your pants were soaked, as well as the bottom half of your shirt. Thank god you were going to leave work after this.

"Yes. Yes it is. But that's a you thing, and I wouldn't have you any other way." You really did mean those words. He was odd to an extreme, but you wouldn't want him to change. You've grown attached to the odd behavior, it almost makes your day sometimes when it doesn't leave you vomiting on your carpet.

He deserved to know that you did in fact, care about him.

Tecchou stared at you, analyzing your face. You stared back, keeping your smile.

This went on for a while before he finally replied.

"Do you want a ride home?" His hand went to the hilt of his sword, thumbing the cold metal.

You simply nodded, following behind him as he walked out of the office. Tomorrow you could deal with it, as for now you just wanted to get home and change, maybe take a nap.

Tecchou giving you your 100 dollars you could also deal with later.

This honestly turned into something else? Idk, it's kinda gross and also NOT the best but I'm bored at work

[apocalypse-cowboy]

More Headcanons!!!

*Scout has, at some point, ate some of the plants that he was studying

*Not the poisonous ones of course. He isn't THAT stupid

*He was just curious about what they would do if he ate them

*When he got sick from one of them it took a lot of convincing from Ray to stop doing that

*Legend says he still does it anyways, but in secret

*This man is the pettiest person you will ever meet

*One time in college someone was picking on Ray about his appearance or his happy-go-lucky personality

*Then their dorm room was "Naturally" infested with bugs

*Don't ask how he got them. Don't question his methods

*Winston is convinced that Scout would never do such a a thing to someone

*He says that Scout is too nice to do anything like that

*oh my sweet child...you don't know that half of it

*Is just a feral animal compared to Egon

*He bit someone, not hard to bleed mind you, when someone tried to touch him without his consent

*He has GAME BUT DOESN'T EVEN RELIZE IT

*There was one girl who wanted to go out to dinner with him in high school as a date

*Turns out Scout missed the memo and thought it was just her wanting to be friends with him

*When he realized it he said "Oh. You have romantic feelings for me?" he didn't want to hurt the poor girl's feelings too bad so he rejected her advances politely

*He may be a genius, but he is so dumb when it comes to anything romantic

*He holds grudges for ANYTHING

*You did something that he didn't like to him? He's gonna make sure you never forget it

*You decided to insult one of his friends or GOD FORBID his brother? Mans will find something super embarrassing about you and put it out for everyone to hear

*He has so much dirt on people it's heinous

*He had a girlfriend once, but it turned out that she just liked him because he was smart and she could use that to get her grades better

*when he broke up with her he was upset that he was just being used so he has a hard time dating anyone

*Is secretly sensitive and emotional

*He doesn't like this part of himself, but his friends and sibling make sure to remind him that it's okay to feel like that sometimes

*Cried when he saw a stray dog on the walk to a convenience store (totally not projecting idk what u mean 🤷)

*He has a habit of spacing out when people talk sometimes

*It's not to be rude or anything, he just has some trouble sometimes focusing on people who are talking to him

*As mention in my other Headcanons post, when he and Egon where growing up they didn't grow up with half the things kids normally have

*So one time for his birthday, Ray has gotten him a big dog stuffed animal

*At first he didn't think much about it and said thank you, but when he was alone and getting ready to sleep he held it with a big smile on his face

*He still has that plushie to this day and still sleeps with it

*He feels as though he has to do everything by himself and won't ask for help most of the time

*This resulted in him getting burnt out and he had a breakdown in which only Egon could help him get over

*He's gotten better with asking for help nowadays though

*He's a gentleman to people even if they are shitty to him

*He doesn't listen to music often but when he does it's mostly anything classic rock related

*Infodumps his friends, or anyone who is willing to listen, about what is deeply interested at the time

*He also likes the smell of candles and often buys them and puts them around the fire station

[madmadder]

Another unwanted presentation for you to read (or not)

TRIGGER WARNING: I mean it's just detail but I do mention non con briefly and just a lot of gay booty

Why hello Tumblr.

Since my brain didn't let me open this app a lot recently for??? Some reason?? I'm gonna take my revenge and do a full presentation about a song I associate with paras. Because that's fun.

Now this isn't the first para song I wrote down, FAR FROM IT, but I really love it okay leave me alone 🥹

It's called ''Middle of a Breakup'' by Panic! At The Disco, tis about a breakup (would you have guessed??) and people having a bunch of sex which is always fun to hear about. I associate it with two of my paras, Stryne and Octavius, who got married recently (*screeches*). Their relationship is very complicated but not toxic and definitely NOT over. The song reminds me of them not because they're breaking up (dear Lord never!! My babies!!) but because they have this unbelievable passion that just. Grrrr

Stryne

Stryne is the prince of a kingdom named Trys'han. He's an elf and rough shit happened to him and my point was he's SUPER badass. Very stoic and calm in most situations even with extreme danger. He has a very strong Laurent of Vere energy (if you read Captive Prince and you should btw), but I made him before I knew about the book which makes me a genius and C.S. Pacat's soulmate. What? It does

Stryne is known to be one of the most beautiful people ever which puts him in a lot of trouble sometimes cause some people just won't respect consent.

Octavius

Octavius is human and also insane. Like super weird. He's the most polite (and cynical) young king you'll ever meet but also he likes to break bones. Yknow. He rules a kingdom named Tarnstrang.

He actually perfectly ignored Stryne's consent when Stryne was caught as a war prisoner but what's weird is that they ended up in this weird ''enemies with benefits'' thing and they actually fell madly in love?? Idk don't ask me I thought it was weird too but now they're in a somehow healthy relationship. Please keep all questions til the end of the presentation.

The song

Now this song is a frickin banger. I absolutely love it. It has a very vintage vibe which always SLAMS

There's such a strong ''I hate you but I want your titties'' energy that you cannot hate. And the LYRICS!!

''You and me don't deserve each other'': true, Octavius is a huge asshole who doesn't deserve Stryne in the first place and yknow Stryne deserves someone better so that works both ways, BUT!! He makes Octavius be and WANT to be better so Octavius feels like Stryne doesn't deserve him or he doesn't deserve to be happy and married blah blah anyway I'm smart

I also particularly love the lyric that says ''feels like we just met''. Like. Okay. How are you so in love with someone that you feel like you're rediscovering them, I mean that is just AWESOME (sorry aro guys I have much love for you too I swear)

Okay, another one: ''I hate those words like destiny, forever and all time''. Sure they're a bit cheesy together (I mean cmon it's sweet) but they've also been through so much they don't believe in destiny and crap BUT they have found each other and that's awesome. They don't feel like they've been Miraculously Chosen, they simply fell in love and made it work. Awesome. (I'm very pragmatic if you couldn't tell 😂)

Plus: Stryne is an elf and he has been raised to speak VERY correctly so he's almost Shakespearean when he talks and it's very awesome because it clashes with this thought he has: no, there's no destiny, just facts. (Plus it allows his husband to make fun of him)

This is them btw

Anyway. That's it. I just needed to share because my brain is going to explode otherwise. I'm now crawling back to my cave ❤️

[chrisevansluv]

I too strongly believe chris can't actually match a real educated woman. He can only pull a high school drop out, pretentious struggling actor. As soon an academically learned philosophy student will hit him with words, he simply wouldn't be able to hold a conversation for long. They are both same level. No real education is in their brain. Pretentiousness at it's best./ AND THEN sprinkle a little bit of Alba pseudo intellectual shenanigans which Chris can relate to because he’s such a fake deep thinker too.//

Oh my… the tea spilt from these two asks!!! I do believe this is true, tho. He shows himself as this highly educated individual. Even the whole ASP thing is just so annoying to me. You, an actor who didn’t even study in a super renowned acting school (like Tom Hiddleston, for example), are going to teach us, as the uncultured peasants we are, about politics??? He’s so bland in his performances and maaaan do I realise the reason he’s where he’s at, it’s only because he has a “pretty face”. As for Alba, someone in another ask mentioned that they saw somewhere, she is apparently a MENSA level genius. I hiiiighly doubt this tbh. People who are actually geniuses tend to have a wider variety of interests, and tend to shine from a much younger age. The languages probably come from the fact that her mother is a translator. A lot of people, and specially European people, speak not only 5 but more languages. In my experience, if you brag about being THAT smart, you’re not actually smart, you’re just bragging to impress others. Worked for her tho, cause she impressed that man but hey, someone with HIS level of intellectuality would 100% be shocked by someone so bland. Speaks volumes on how talentless they both are.

Another anon:

" I don’t see him as being the person in the relationship doing most of the sacrifices; which he would have to if he actually ends up with a successful woman who indeed has a passion for what she does. / This . Big reason why I don't see chris with really educated woman too . His ego and fragile masculinity couldn't handle that . Beside Alba's and his education levels are same . They both like to project same image to hide that fact they actually aren't educated enough . Beside the way Alba gave up everything no passionate, educated , successful woman will become a doormat of a woman like that . Her lack of success and passion for career , lack of self respect and fake educated image makes her perfect for chris ."

[aclosetfan]

That was the funniest fucking thing and really just nailed almost every fanfic of them ever. And the thing is, half that isn’t even that bad. Because they can do all that but why is it always either gross or just never explained? Blossom especially because she can be stressed but who the fuck died and gave her that job when, realistically, she’d have had to fight to be able to have some control over their missions or whatever seeing as she’s both a girl and a child? And then the blues is just something else entirely😭 I will say though, it always confuses me when fanfic authors allow for Boomer to somehow be a genius but then never give Butch that chance? Is it just a quick and easy way to slide in their favorite abusive/dominate the ‘different girl’ trope? It’s also misogynistic in so many ways cause why’s Boomer smart and then Bubbles isn’t if the only reason Brick was made smart was so he’d be a counter to Blossom? Is this just to shove dumb blonde needs saving? Also, enough give me my himbos!! I’m so glad so many of these tropes have slowly started to fade away and here’s to hoping even more follow, especially the reds are gods oh my fucking god if I have to read one more story (that’s usually pretty well written with an intriguing plot!!!) about how sad and lonely and hated Blossom is and how she’s the most powerful ever but also nobody understand except her sworn enemy who she cannot love because of whatever rules she made up, then I’m gonna lose it. I love these losers so much and it sucks seeing some of them in abusive relationships and then seeing the girls especially have to give up so much of themselves and their development just to be with some boys. If anything, the boys would cling to the girls like they’re life support. If they’re gonna turn good, who better to learn from than the goodest™️? Which just opens up a brilliant story of friendships and team building that has lots of plotlines, with one of the main ones being the boys steady journey to turning a new leaf, like with Another Buttercrush and the boys having to ease back in via power restrictions and community service.

I was just nodding my head, reading along, and then you added the stuff about Another Buttercrush and had an "oh shit, I know that story lol" moment. Thank you! I know too much about the law that, realistically, the boys wouldn't be able to escape some kind of punishment for their past actions. Townsville would be stupid for denying the help of three extra super-powered people, but they have to make their citizens believe they have authority over the boys, so boom, power restrictions. That's boiled down politics, bby.

and it takes some of the pressure off the girls. Yeah, the girls would like the boys to be good, but they can't be judge, jury, and executioner. A lot of fanfics leave out how influential Townsville is in the girls' origin story. I believe it would be just as influential in the boys' redemption arc, and it gives the writers a chance to explore the boys outside of the girls and invent new conflicts, like person v society, instead of just person v person.

And if you're able to remove the sets of triplets from each other in this way, this also improves the girls' characters as well. Setting up a person v society conflict would allow fanfic writers to not only show how Townsville affects the boys but also allow you to explore why Blossom would feel stressed out about being a leader or why Bubbles feels the need to be infantilized not just in the context of their personal relationships with the boys, but as individuals.

However, I don't think most ppl come to this fandom for those deep dives into Townsville, and that's fine. Some people strictly want romance, which, like you were saying, anon, can be done in so many different ways that aren't determinantal to the girls or the boys. But until more ppl want that, we aren't going to get much more variety in stories. It's seriously not fun writing for three notes ngl, so I understand why ppl cut/paste the same boring, overdone, and problematic characterizations since those tropes get traction.

Nearly every time I try to write something serious, I have to sit there and remind myself that fanfic isn't literature in the traditional sense. People don't care about themes and plot lines when they're reading it. They care about their fave characters getting what they feel their fave character deserves. And it's a lil' depressing, but at the very least, I know a few people who agree with us!

In sum:

[emisue-khaleesi]

💫SUE GILBERT SUPREMACY!💫

🔥WE STAND A POWERFUL SMART QUEEN!🔥 *Read it! It's a Facts post! Reblog and break the unknowledge about Sue Gilbert!!🙏*

They really haven't fleshed Sue out in some ways that honors the real Sue in some things! She was so smart, strong and cool, and Yeah! that is seen, her inteligence and determination is seen, for luck! But a lot of things aren't not being said and seen: there has been no commentary whatsoever about her being a WRITER and POET, a MATH GENIUS and MATH TEACHER and super smart aside from her "I have brain too." in 3x05, or no commentary about her scripture and how she also wrote, about her publications and literature interests, Susan was a vivacious, intelligent, and cultivated woman, a great reader, a sparkling conversationalist, and a book collector of wide-ranging interests. Late in life she traveled in Europe several times before her death from heart disease on May 12, 1913.

> SHE ALSO WAS A WRITER AND POET! AND SHE PUBLISHED THINGS TOO! SHE ALSO WAS AN EDITOR AND KNOWN AS A MENTOR! Known as the "most graceful woman in Western Massachusetts", Susan Gilbert wrote essays, reviews, journals, poems, letters, and memorials constantly throughout her life and produced commonplace books and scrapbooks of her own publications in The Springfield Republican! And also a Math Genius! And i'm still wondering why all of this is not seeing? That's one of the big questions I still have for the producers and writers! I HOPE THAT IN THE FINAL CAPS OF THE SEASON THEY ALLUDED TO THIS ON THE SHOW! She deserves more screentime, more explanation of her life, she just deserved and still deserving so much more. She also was so strong and a warrior woman so advanced an intelligent for her time! And yas we can see this for sure! Through the seasons we always see a smart, warrior, worker, determined Sue..but all of this information is not being said! And this season Sue is finally absolutely flourish in all of the senses and she is stoling the show! But they must show all of this and must allude to this! Sue Gilbert Supremacy!🔥

FACTS:

SHE WAS A MATH GENIUS!

SUE WAS SO INTELLIGENT THAT SHE WAS SENT TO STUDY WITH THE BOYS AT AMHERST ACADEMY AND ONE OF HER PROFESSORS EVEN BELIEVED SHE SHOULD GO TO YALE TO STUDY MATH!

SHE COMPLETED HER FORMAL EDUCATION AT THE UTICA FEMALE SEMINARY, KNOWN AS MISS KELLY'S, WHICH EMPHASISED TEACHER TRAINING. THERE, FROM 1848 TO 1850, SUE EXCELLED IN MATHEMATICS, SO MUCH SO THAT ONE INSTRUCTOR, A YALE MAN, TOLD HER THAT SHE OUGHT TO GO TO YALE COLLEGE.

SUE WENT TO MARYLAND AND IT WAS ACTUALLY TO TEACH MATHS. So Susan teaches mathematics at Robert Archer's school in Baltimore, Maryland. (1851-1852) WITH THIS SHE ALSO WANTED TO GAIN HER LIFE BY HER OWN. (not only to be a governess as in the show: to be a math teacher!)

SHE BECAME THE EVERGREENS IN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL CENTRES IN MASSACHUSETS, THANKS TO HER INTELLIGENTNESS AND SPEECHS: SHE TALKED ABOUT FEMINISM, POLITICAL, POETRY, LITERATURE..AND A LOT OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE WENT THERE THROUGH THE YEARS ONLY FOR HER SPEECHS! SHE WAS TRULY AN INFLUENCER IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE! SUCH AN ICON AND INSPIRATION FOR HER TIME! For things like this she was known as the Most graceful woman in Western Massachusetts.

SHE LOVED THE LITERATURE AND READ A LOT. BUT IT'S VERY UNFAIR TO SAY THAT SHE ONLY WAS THE READER OF EMILY DICKINSON BECAUSE DURING ALL OF HER LIFE SHE NEVER CEASED TO WRITE TOO!

SHE WAS A WRITER AND POET.

SHE WROTE IMPORTANT THINGS: THROUGHOUT ALL OF HER LIFE, SUE CONSTANTLY WROTE A LOT OF ESSAYS, POEMS, REVIEWS, CRITICISMS, ARTICLES, DIARIES, LETTERS, MEMORIES AND STORIES (Poems like: "Amor", "Valentines Day", "Of June, and her belongings.", "Fresher than dawn...", "There are three months of the Spring.", "When death with his white fingers."...(etc) Published stories like: "A Hole in Haute Society.", "The Case of the Brannigans", "The Circus Eighty Years Ago."...(etc) Reviews, Essays like: "Draft Essay on architecture.", "Society at Amherst Fifty Years Ago.", "Annals of the Evergreens with "What offering have I, dear Lord", "Review of "Autumn's Divine Beauty Begins", "Draft Essay on Domestic Help.", "A Memory of Dr Elizabeth Blackwell" (first female doctor in the United States)", "Notes toward a Volume of Emily Dickinson's Writings", "Obituary for Emily Dickinson"...(etc)) SHE PUBLISHED MANY THINGS AND EDITED MANY FASCICLES, BOOKS AND ALBUMS BY HERSELF!

SHE ALSO WROTE A LOT OF POEMS AND LETTERS TO EMILY DICKINSON BUT THEY WERE DESTROYED. HARDLY ANY ARE PRESERVED. BUT THEY EXCHANGED A LOT OF THEIR SCRIPTURE. Emily with much admiration, also wrote a lot of poems about Sue's scripture and how she wrote, and about their literature exchange! (Like the one of the spider, the cobweb, and the white arc..also like this one that says a lot: "With the exception of Shakespeare, you have told me of more knowledge than any one living. To say that sincerely is strange praise"..among other poems.)

SHE IS ALSO KNOWN AS AN INTELLIGENT EDITOR AND AS A MENTOR WITH LEVEL!

SUE WAS ALWAYS EMILY'S DICKINSON MENTOR AND PRECEPTOR. Susan, a writer herself, was the most familiar of all the family members with Dickinson’s poetry, having received more than 250 poems from her over the years. At least once she offered constructive criticism and advice, she was her mentor; Emily only changed her poems under the opinion and tips of Sue: Emily only sent her poems drafts to Sue, for this reason: Because SUE WAS HER MUSE BUT ALSO HER MENTOR! (Like "Safe in their alabaster chambers", "I am not suited / dear Emily", "Never mind Emily - to-morrow"...(etc)). THAT'S TRULY ICONIC! Susan’s friendship helped expand the poet’s horizons, and their sharing of books and ideas was a vital component of her intellectual life. So SUE WAS HER AUDIENCE AND MUSE, CONFIDANTE, COLLABORATOR AND CRITIC. HER MENTOR.

SUE GILBERT WAS EMILY'S BEST FRIEND, SISTER IN LAW, LOVER, INSPIRATION, READER, MUSE, MENTOR AND EDITOR.

SUE WAS EMILY'S EDITOR. AND AFTER EMILY'S DEATH SUE EDITED BY HER OWN ALL OF THE EMILY'S POEMS: She bought a printing machine and edited them one by one, doing justice to her poetry.. although a lot of people, including Emily's family! (Some of the worst erasures in E.D poems are being rediscovered made by Lavinia like the mutilation of the "One sister have i in our house") and it must be to said: when Sue was doing her own real edition of Emily's poetry Lavinia didn't let her do it saying that she was doing it too slowly so she take off Sue the manuscripts of Emily's poems and deliver them to Mabel Todd (we all know how she did to Emily's poetry and to the name of Sue Gilbert)..one obstacle more for Sue...but she despite this, kept fighting for bring the real Emily's poetry!.. And in other hand, also Higginson was other obstacle..because he tried to convince Sue to make a different edition about Emily's poetry! And Sue rejected it because the edition that he wanted to do didn't make justice to Emily: 'cause he wanted to erase the context of the poems and make changes on them..so finally Mabel Todd with Higginson made their own edition(erasing Sue of Emily's poetry, erasing the context of her poems and they also changed the metric..) while Sue, despite this, continued fighting for make her own edition, fighting for keep the Emily's legacy safe, showing the real Emily editing the poems by herself one by one..until the last moment of her life(1913), and this mission was so important to her so her daughter Martha continued with it when Sue's died (1914 that edition come to the world), so thanks to this, with Sue's editing, much of Emily's poetry is preserved with her real essence. Yas! SUE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO SPENT THE REST OF HER LIFE TRYING TO COMPILE EMILY'S POEMS IN A WAY THAT SHOWED THE REAL EMILY. THE EMILY THAT SUE KNEW. SUE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO ALWAYS HOLD EMILY, GOT HER AND UNDERSTOOD HER, HER MUSE, HER MENTOR AND KEEPER OF HER LEGACY! SUE FOUGHT FOR EMILY'S POETRY JUSTICE UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE OF HER LIFE! LEGACY KEEPER HERO! *But it wasn't until 1997 with "Open me carefully" when the Emily's poetry was shown with her essence and Sue was finally known as lover and muse in Emily's poetry. Too late, but infinitely glad that it happened, so now Sue can rest absolutely in peace with her mission acomplished and by the side of Emily, in their afterlife marriage!*

So i'm still wondering why all of this is not seeing? That's one of the big questions I still have for the producers and writers! I HOPE THAT IN THE FINAL CAPS OF THE SEASON THEY ALLUDED TO THIS ON THE SHOW! She deserves more screentime, more explanation of her life, she just deserved and still deserving so much more!

💫But once again, Sue Gilbert would be proud of Miss Ella Hunt because she literally gave her name. In every second of screen, in every line, in every moment. And we all are! Thanks Ella you are the best and Sue is a gift! Such an inspiration like you!💫

WE STAND A POWERFUL SMART QUEEN! SUE GILBERT SUPREMACY!💫

MORE FACTS:

> When Sue had to marry Austin, Sue was in deep pain and fear for the wedding and the relationships with Austin.. But Emily and Sue were their own support for each other in that hard time: they were fighting for their relationship even with the marriage in middle: They were fighting with Austin because he knew their relationship, and that marriage was the only way to stay together so they were fighting against Austin for a pact of 3 and for a white marriage! At the end the engagamemt was done but Sue fell very sick for It, she was so scared so the weeding was made 3 years later. She had to be so strong and Brave doing that because she knew that Austin was a bad man but her only opportunity to be with the love of her life was that..so It was the sacrifice. And of course Austin broke the White marriage and the pact of 3 (We know what it means and what it implies) so Sue had 3 baby: Ned, Martha and Gib. But at least with this marriage Emily and Sue managed to be together and live their love.

>Lavinia admired Sue a lot, so much so that she wanted to be just like Sue.

>She was born on December 19, 1830 and she was the youngest of six children. Her mother died when she was 7 and her father when she was 11, so she became orphan at age of eleven. She went through a lot of loss during her whole life, she saw all her family died, her fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, the love of her life.. but she always carried on.

A remarkable death was on 1883.. she had to see her little baby son die, with only eight years, little Gilbert. (Thomas Gilbert(Gib) Dickinson). This death changed the Sue's life and Emily's life too, it was so hard, both went into seclusion ( from here is known that the health of Emily was downing). And Emily died on 1886, so she had to live 27 years without the love of her life. And on 1898 her other son, Edward(Ned) died too. Sue also saw die Lavinia and Austin. Sue Gilbert died on 1913, 12 May.

>So Sue was such an incredible woman who dealt with so much grief and loss throughout her life and was stuck in an unhappy marriage for decades, she lived for 27 years after the death of Emily the love of her life. So I never seen someone stronger than her. Sue was so incredibly strong and such an inspiring woman who always carried on. ICONIC.

***💌For know their complete history you must read: "Open me Carefully. Emily Dickinson's intimate letters to Susan Huntington. Edited by Ellen Louise Hart and Martha Nell Smith." or "Emily Dickinson Cartas de Amor a Susan. Sabina Editorial." or "Rowing in Eden: Rereading Emily Dickinson. Martha Nell Smith." 💌***

MORE FACTS and pics supporting them:

Two of Sue's poems that are preserved:

"I'm waiting but she comes not back." A poem Sue wrote after Emily's death. Dedicated to her.

"One asked, When was the grief?" As the burial allusion "laid thee low" suggests, the poem was probably composed after her son Gib dies.

Editor and Mentor Sue:

*We see mentor Sue in season 3 ep 5 with that iconic poem finally! In the moment with 'Safe in their alabaster chambers'. THAT'S TRULY ICONIC!! AND FOR LUCK WE GOT IT! Emily's mentor was always Sue! Emily only sent Sue poems drafts and she only changed her poems under the opinion and tips of Sue! She was her muse but also her mentor! And this poem is a truly real fact about this and the sample of the literary exchange between them! And we finally got it! Yas! Mentor Sue! We won! JUSTICEEE FOR SUE GILBERT!! FOREVER ICONIC!*

Sue's obituary for Emily:

Susan wrote the poet’s remarkable obituary, which appeared in the Springfield Republican on May 18, 1886. *Sue also dressed Emily with her own designed flannel robe on her deathbed, she made her lie in a white coffin, with orchids and violets (symbol of loyalty) around her neck and two heliotropes (symbol of devotion) in her hand. This last act on Emily's body underlines shows "the deep love they felt for each other", "their shared life, their deep and complex intimacy" and that they both expected a "resurrection after death" of said intimacy.*

The fact that Emily Dickinson died before Sue Gilbert and she not only lost a lover but also a best friend & felt completely alone for 27 years, kept missing Emily is just making me so sad: Sue really spent 27 years without Emily and i would literally sell my soul to read her poems and letters on how she misses Emily and everything they had, it's really unfair. I still crying whenever i remember that ALL of the correspondences Sue has ever sent to Emily was burned as soon as Emily passed away...💔 So Sue was such an incredible woman, she dealt with so much grief and loss throughout her life and was stuck in an unhappy marriage for decades, she lived for 27 years after the death of Emily the love of her life. Sue was so incredibly strong and such an inspiring woman. A truly unsung hero, an inspiration, a Queen! And after all this time I truly know that she is finally happy wherever she is seeing how her legacy is taking place!! And with Emily in their marriage afterlife!Sue Forevermore!

Reference to genius math Sue:

>>>She also was so strong and a warrior woman so advanced an intelligent for her time! And yas we can see this in the show for sure! Through the seasons we always see a smart, warrior, worker, determined Sue..but all of this information is not being said! And Sue truly has the best character development arc! And this season is finally absolutely flourish! Not repressed anymore after all the pain she went through: Sue is finally healed, in peace and all grown as a woman, as a brave strong woman who is ready for risk it all for what she wants and believes and it's not afraid to express it! Finally what she deserves: She is finally embracing herself, being confident, comunicative, open, pure, determined, strong, happy and content with who she is and with who she wants! Fighting for that!..She is not afraid to express herself anymore! Real Sue! Omg please! Such an inspiration! Seeing her like this is what she deserves! Sue's supremacy YAS! And this is actually giving me a sense of peace seeing her happy ahh so satisfying I'll say it officially she's my fav character! It's just making me the happiest one and make me feel butterflies in all of my body and soul! She is stoling the show so Sue is getting what she deserves finally! And she deserves the whole world!💘✨ But despiste all of this she deserves more screentime, more explanation of her life, she just deserved and still deserving so much more because DURING ALL OF HER LIFE SHE NEVER CEASED TO WRITE TOO! SHE WAS ALSO A POET, WRITER, SHE ALSO PUBLISHED, WAS AN EDITOR AND MENTOR AND SHE ALSO WAS A MATH GENIUS! And all of this information can't be hide and must be shown and seen!🔥 I HOPE THAT IN THE FINAL CAPS OF THE SEASON THEY ALLUDED TO THIS ON THE SHOW! It's well deserved! Justice!

But Alena not only honored Emily and her legacy, she honored Sue Gilbert too giving her the praise she deserves not only as Emily's lover but also as inspiration of her poetry and as keeper of Emily's legacy and mentor! THANKS! Poetic Justice!💫

And at least Sue still being the unsung hero of Dickinson’s final season, the real hero! Embracing the mess, Fighting for Emily, for the love! Unapologetically embracing her sexuality, aiding Emily in embracing hers, and questioning + resisting heteronormativity!💥🌈 Thanks Sue & Ella for the positive, empowering rep of queer womxn!💘*

✨SUE GILBERT, SISTER-IN-LAW, BEST FRIEND, THE LOVER, MUSE, MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE CORRESPONDENT, INSPIRATION, THE CORE OF THE POETRY AND LIFE OF EMILY DICKINSON AND HER MENTOR AND EDITOR, THE KEEPER OF HER LEGACY! SUE ALSO WAS A WRITER, POET, KNOWN AS MENTOR OF LEVEL AND AS THE MOST GRACEFUL WOMAN IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...AND ALSO A MATH GENIUS! SUE FOREVERMORE! ✨

Know even more about Sue Gilbert; a Queen, a Hero, Inspirational and Warrior Woman, the strongest! Poet, Writer, Math Genius, Emily's Dickinson Lover, Muse, Mentor and Editor! A ICON! Here:

*💥Reblog and break the unknowledge about Sue Gilbert!💥*

[sokka-with-his-hair-down]

“I might be in love with you.”

“...What?”

“I mean-”

But what did he mean? He meant absolutely nothing other than what he had just said. Nice one, Sokka. Very gentle. Very intimate. Five star flirting.

“Sorry,” Zuko began, looking deeply confused (though frazzled might’ve been a better word). “Did you just say that you’re in love with me?”

Sokka felt his stomach clench. This conversation didn’t seem to be going even remotely uphill, but he already had stepped one foot in his grave, so why not take a swan dive the rest of the way?

“No, I said I think I might be in love with you.”

Zuko, slack jawed, stared at him. He didn’t seem... upset. And he also didn’t seem grossed out (thank the spirits), so at least some of their relationship had the potential to be salvaged after this encounter.

“I...” Zuko seemed to trace the lines of Sokka’s face with his eyes, searching for the answer to a question he hadn’t yet asked. “What... what do you mean?”

Well how was Sokka supposed to answer that? That could mean a million things and have a million answers, and most of them were probably wrong.

So, Sokka did the one thing he knew how to do in situations like these: He was painfully, embarrassingly honest.

“Well,” he began, his hands splayed open in front of him as he searched for the words, “it’s like, I didn’t even know at first. Which, y’know. These things happen over time. Like-like when you laugh and your eyes crinkle, I saw that and thought wow, that’s kind of cute. But like, not in a patronizing childish way! Like in a wait-I-have-a-crush-on-the-Fire-Lord kind of way.”

As Zuko stared dumbly on, Sokka continued, against his better judgement.

“And when you talk politics and sound all smart I just sort of think wow, Zuko’s like, a genius. And that’s hot. Like, I think smart people are hot, okay?” Stop talking. You’re embarrassing yourself. You’re embarrassing Zuko. Shut- “And then you do dumb things like forget to look where you’re walking or trip over your robes and-and it’s kind of charming! And I’m like oh no, I might be in love with Zuko. Not that that’s a bad thing! Well, maybe it is for you, I don’t know, but like, you’re not a bad person to be in love with, I mean. Because I think you’re really cool! Obviously. Which is why I might be in love with you.”

Sokka thought for a moment.

“Actually, now that I’m saying all this out loud, I’m pretty sure I’m definitely in love with you. Which, like, woah, crazy revelation to have while I’m confessing that I’m in love with you, but y’know. Life is like that sometimes. And, well-”

He stopped to take a breath,

“This-this totally doesn’t have to change anything, but I’ve wanted to tell you for the better part of the year because I’ve sort of felt like this for a long time. And I also kind of feel bad for telling you all of this now because you’re super busy and have a lot to think about, and if you never wanna see me again, I’ll be fine. Well, I’ll probably be not fine for a while because I’m in love with you, but if that’s how it’s gotta be, then so be it! So. Yeah.”

Zuko stood still, blinking, face completely expressionless save it be the slight dazed look in his eye.

Sokka suddenly realized how quiet it was when he wasn’t talking, and how awkward that silence was making all of this, so he nodded, turned, and began to walk away. (Because what else was be supposed to do?)

“Sokka.”

Sokka spun around quickly.

Zuko looked down, brow furrowed. “That...”

Sokka’s breath caught as he awaited Zuko’s words.

“That... um...” Zuko looked up pleadingly. “I’m kind of freaking out here.”

Well, that wasn’t good. That was the opposite of good.

“I’m—” Sokka stepped forward, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—shit—I’m sorry.” Why would you tell him all of that?! Can you not keep a single secret?

Zuko stumbled forward a little bit, toward Sokka, whose hands were there to steady him and keep him upright before he even seemed to realized he was falling over.

Sokka’s heart was racing. Had he really just freaked Zuko out so much that he was gonna faint? Was that even a thing? Was Zuko about to pass out because Sokka had just told him he’d been in love with him for who knows how long?

“Zuko, I’m sorry.”

“Stop, I’m—” Zuko seemed to regain his footing a bit, “I’m okay. I’m...”

“Well clearly not, since you look like you’re about to pass out,” Sokka sassed, distressed and unsure what to do with himself other than keep his hands braced on Zuko’s shoulders.

“That’s—it’s fine. It’s—you didn’t-”

“I did,” Sokka groaned. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to, like, freak you out. Or make you almost pass out. If I had known that telling you would do that-”

“Sokka, shut up, that’s-” Zuko said, voice regaining some stability, “that’s not why I... that’s not why that happened.”

Sokka was beginning to wonder if almost fainting had messed with Zuko’s head. “What?”

“I said that’s not why I almost—y’know—”

“What—? Then why—?” Sokka couldn’t seem to find the words to express then why in Tui’s name did you nearly flop onto the floor?

“I just... I just realized something.”

Sokka, embarrassed and frantic, cocked his head and shook it in confusion, defeated. “What?”

Zuko opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking like a rabbit-fish, before he managed to get the words out. “I just realized I might... be... stupidly in love with you too.”

Sokka’s eyes shot wide open. “You—”

And that was all Sokka could manage before he felt lightheaded and it was Zuko’s grip saving him from colliding with the floor.

(Apologies for any typos! Please let me know what you think<3)

[heroeslostintranslation]

~ Da Boiyos! ~

Nicknames, personalities, and which game(s) they’re from. Everything is very subject to change. All but one of these Links are dads who have at least one kid in the 8-12 range. Also worth noting that I’m not a fan of any of the mangas (aside from the one in Hyrule Historia), so these are all based on my impressions of the different Links from their games. I may or may not decide to include other Links later; these are just the ones I’m currently most familiar with. Enjoy, let me know what you think, send me asks, etc.

~~~

Wild (BotW): Dork. Wide-eyed and adventurous. Wicked smart (understands all the Sheikah tech even though it’s not his thing), absolute nerd, obsessively documents everything (both For Science and because memory issues). Has ADHD. Insatiably curious. Is actually genius. Loves puns. Loves kids. Loves horses. Is just as susceptible to homesickness as he is to going stir crazy. Fiercely protective, especially of his family. Interpersonal conflict averse (will shut down rather than argue if someone is really upset). VERY blunt. The Fun / Embarrassing Dad to his & Zelda’s eight kids. Makes a point to spend time one-on-one with each of them. They go on family outings (“adventures”) a ton. 

Sky (SS): Cream puff. Stronk af but zero staying power. Slepby. Tends to sleep at dawn and dusk, often up in the middle of the night. Always tired. Also a playful menace and prankster. Can be a bit catty, but only when he’s really upset. Self esteem issues. Very lovey-dovey with Zelda & their many kids, will give you diabetes. Loves Being A Dad. Very sweet and soft. But also a cold murderous rage machine against anyone / anything that harms or threatens his family. Possible BPD (or tendencies), definitely ADHD. 

Minish (MC/4S): Bean. Blacksmith. Very childlike. Adventuring days are behind him and he is Very Content With That. Loving and playful with Zelda & their three kids, two girls and a boy. Thoughtful, pensive, but makes decisions quickly, processes options lightning fast (had to when divided). Loves teaching his kids about blacksmithing and the Minish, loves watching them learn anything, really. Very Supportive “Be Yourself” Dad.

Time (OoT/MM): Lost boy. Very quiet. Never really grows up. Tries. Just Wants To Be Good. Malon understands and helps a ton. Wants to be a good dad but doesn’t know how. Doesn’t know how to Hylian. Keeps busy with farm work because he feels like he has to be useful or he’s failed. Teenage years were hard. Lots of flashbacks. Major PTSD, but more insidious because he was so young. Dead hand, redead, and moon nightmares. High-functioning autistic? 

Twilight (TP): Responsible, reliable (see: “Surface Pressure” from Encanto). Loves kids to death. Adores animals. Got over Midna quickly (it was intense though) and turned his heart to Ilia. Spirit longs to wander but duty keeps him home. Doesn’t tell his kids about his wolf form, Ilia may or may not know. Hard worker. Loves playing and working with his kids. Extremely hands-on dad. Tends to bury how he feels; just wants to focus on the present & what needs to be done. Extremely practical. 

Sailor (WW/PH): Marshmallow. Not A Pirate & proud of that (though he gets along great with Tetra’s crew). Prefers to be on the “moral high ground” with things. Big Brother instincts to the max, not always a good thing, and not just with Aryll. Wants & strives to live up to his idea of what a Hero is: a paragon of goodness, virtue, and strength. Very emotive. Feels things very strongly, but is motivated rather than paralyzed by his emotions. A bit of a helicopter dad to his & Tetra’s daughter; a bit too protective & super doting. Wrapped around his daughter’s little finger, knows it, and doesn’t mind one bit. 

Roolie (Z1/AoL): Button. Very Polite. Can’t say “no” to a request for help. Very Soft Dad, will discipline but rarely raises his voice. Strict about certain things. Wants to make sure his kids are Decent People despite being royalty (wants to prevent a repeat of Zelda’s brother). Takes them out with him to serve the community to teach them the idea of “serving the people”. Steve Irwin dress code policy (wears comfy adventuring gear to formal castle shindigs ‘cause why not?). Very humble. Still a bit shy around his wife, adores her though.

Captain (HW): Distrusts women, with few exceptions. Married to his Zelda but they keep it out of the public eye. Boy-next-door personality. Has Cia trauma (was her prisoner of war; HW showed the PG version of what happened in the Temple of Souls). Usually takes his son with him (might also have a daughter? maybe several?), tours the country often. Teaches his son chivalry and swordplay, can be fun but rarely has the time to just relax. Gives his kids all the attention he can spare, which is less than he’d like. Naturally charismatic but not so much a “charmer”, more honest and noble. Very Religious, nearly to the point of superstition (but not quite). 

Age (HW: AoC): Naturally stoic with a daredevil streak. Doesn’t Know How To Dad. More apt to duck his head and do as he’s told rather than speak his mind. Doesn’t like rocking the boat. Harbors guilt and uncertainty about his title of Hero; wonders if he even deserves it when time-travel shenanigans had to happen to take down the Calamity. Bottles everything up. Zelda is the one spark of light in his life, and he clings to that tenaciously. Combat & tactical genius, but Does Not Do Puzzles. Doesn’t like ‘em, can’t do ‘em. Soft Inside but doesn’t know how to be soft. 

Feral (HLT AU): Soft boi very hurt. Like a combination of Age & Wild. Extremely serious, doesn’t know how to “lighten up” or joke around, as much as he would like to. Can appreciate humor, camaraderie, and playful banter when he sees it, but he has no idea how to participate. Does Not Like Fighting. He can and he will, but only when he must. Much prefers ranged and stealth over melee, or whatever will end combat the quickest. Has frequent flashbacks. Extremely curious, but nearly silent about it. Trust issues so entrenched that there’s no longer any emotion attached to them; it’s just a fact of life to him. Very careful with his words, tends to (quietly) correct others when they misspeak. Secretly a bean who never wants to hurt anyone (except those who are absolutely evil, but even then he struggles). 

[dragontamer-nia-2]

Olivier [Beyblade theories on crack]

Welcome to my random rants about random beyblade things. I have a lot of things to say about the Euro Team and how tragically underestimated and undervalued they are, as characters, but also as very smart plot devices, so in these posts I'm gonna pick a fight with the writers and yell at clouds while probably drunk. If you want a trip, and you think you don't like the Euro team, then jump on.

This guy. 

I love this guy.

This guy is great and I swear to god they knew what they were doing when they decided when and how to introduce him.

So, from the encounter at the top of the Eiffel Tower in ep 33 we know that this guy is mysterious and that he blades; he randomly starts roasting the Bladebreakers unprovoked, which is always fun, but fucks off before anything interesting can happen. What the writers decided to do in the next episode was split up the team, and have them find out more about Olivier separately: since everywhere they go they meet someone that has at least heard of him, we can't help but feel that this guy is kind of a big deal. From Max we learn that he's bloody rich, from Rei we learn that he's a great cook, from them both (when two guys conveniently share the information right in front of them… anime logic) we learn that he's the best blader in France, and from Takao and Kyouju we learn that he likes art, and… prepare your tinfoil hats, guys, because we're going deep.

The thing is, we know this guy is manipulative, and we know it because he offers Takao lunch in his own super expensive restaurant to distract him from the fact that he just ruined hundreds of people's day. Kyouju even points out that something's wrong when he sees Takao go into the Louvre absolutely furious at Olivier, and then sees them come out like buddies. We also know it because… come on guys, have you seen his face? Have you seen his evil smirk? He's a walking troll face. It's like the animators want us to not trust him. And yet, every background character seemingly adores him, even though we don't really get a specific reason why.

I mean… this is a kids show, I know. And the writing is messy most of the times. But this guy. This guy is shady as fuck. You can take him at face value and assume he's a well-meaning asshole, completely oblivious to normal interpersonal relationships, living in rich people's world where he can just do whatever the fuck he wants. Or. He could be one bad day away from being a chaotic-evil type of supervillain, because it's almost like he's doing everything he possibly can to lure and provoke Takao into battle while holding the façade of smiles and politeness. And the funny thing is that Takao doesn't even notice his intimidation attempts (while Kyouju falls for them at every step)

But, exactly, how manipulative is he? And, more importantly, is he even aware of it? Let's assume the worst about him for a second, that everything he did and said had the purpose to push buttons and provoke a reaction. Then just in episode 34 we have the following:

- He reserves the whole Louvre knowing that the Bladebreakers were going around famous tourists attractions

- He immediately interrupts Takao and makes him waste time on honorifics before letting him speak

- He invites Takao and Kyouju, two guys clearly not dressed for the occasion and who probably don't know proper etiquette, to his high class, really expensive restaurant, serves them delicious food he cooked himself, and even implies that he could kick everyone else out if he wanted to

- He namedrops that one guy from Team Who, in a conversation that really wasn't going in that direction, and then uses the bait to imply that he's much stronger than those guys, knowing fully well that Takao was having a hard time the previous day against them

- He basically corners Takao into battling in the middle of a fucking public park, knowing that there are a lot of people around and everyone wants to see the French champion battle

Now. The thing is, I can't prove he's the Machiavellian mastermind I suspect him to be, and the only way this whole thing works is that, in this episode, Olivier somehow got Takao and Kyouju alone and the rest of the team (Kai in particular) is not there to call Olivier out on his bullshit.

On the Eiffel Tower, at the very end of ep 33, Olivier did mention, among other things, that he has unresolved business with Team Who, and it's Kai that questions him to get more information. And what does Olivier do? He immediately cuts him off with "none of your business" and basically flees. We even get a reaction shot of Kai. Afterwards, Kai goes around trying to find out more information about Olivier on his own, and spies on the battle unseen. What's going on here? Well, Kai is not like his teammates, he's not naive, he knows what manipulation looks like and I think Olivier realizes it. That's why Olivier doesn't even try to play dumb with him like he does with basically everyone else, and that's why Kai circumvents the problem by playing bully with random kids instead of trying to confront him directly.

And I know all of this may be "chemicals are making the frogs gay" level tinfoil, but come on, just look at Olivier's reaction when Takao barges into the Louvre and somehow finds him. What does he looks like he's thinking?

At the end, it doesn't really matter, because Olivier doesn't win like he expects. Granted, at this point he can't lose - because the arc has just begun and Takao needs to work harder, and because Olivier already shit-talked Team Who in two different occasions while the writers want them to be a legit threat for the Bladebreakers. But Olivier can't win either, because we're already at the end of episode 34, we have three teams to juggle, and Takao can't keep losing and having to fight against the same people the whole arc. So they tie… and Olivier is shook. He miscalculated. For some reason this guy, this clueless, impulsive idiot, didn't lose immediately and neatly like he expected. And since Olivier does have honor, and respects people stronger than him, he immediately changes his tone, shuts down the peasants that don't understand these kind of things, and he starts treating Takao like an actual person (kinda).

Option A) Oh, what's this guy doing here while the Louvre should be closed?

Option B) How lucky, I caught him alone

One thing that stands out, though, is that he is the one member of the Euro Team who never loses. They had reasons to make his fight with Takao a tie, but why did they make him tie with Rei? Although I do have my own little theory about this, I noticed that he's the only member of the Euro Team that actually has other things going on in his life other than beyblade. The guy is rich, he is very interested in art, he works as a chef and wins culinary competitions. The fact that he's probably a bored psychopath is balanced by the fact that he seems to have his personal life together, he doesn't put his whole worth into spinning tops clashing against each other, and he has the self-confidence to admit when he was wrong. Which is… more than we say about the other European guys.

So, I'm thinking, because this is called Beyblade theories on crack after all, and there's too much reasonable stuff in this post so far… maybe the writers wanted to use the Euro Team to make a point about not winning, and being ok with it, and they really couldn't make it with the Bladebreakers because they are the protagonists. They can't lose - not permanently. Olivier doesn't win, twice, and… he's shook that he miscalculated, he seems to be honestly confused, his whole drive is not winning, but understand what's going on. That's why he sends the Bladebreakers to Giancarlo, that's why he convinces him to bring them to Ralf, he does want to study Takao, and… is he using the rest of the Euro Team as guinea pigs? Or did he notice something that's missing in them, and subconsciously wants to fix it?

Here's my hot take, and the conclusion to this dumb post. Olivier is not aware of his own machinations. He's a natural manipulator and he has a talent to read people or get info out of them, and he mainly does this by playing dumb and wait until people scream at him who they are and what they want. He reads the Euro Team, he reads the Bladebreakers, and realizes one thing: they could help each other. He baits Takao with the prospect of more beybattles and then follows him to see what happens. If it's chaos, good, if it's some life lesson, better. He manages to get Giancarlo on board and the both of them, combined with Takao, eventually get to Ralf. But what Olivier doesn't realize is that the very thing that he is subconsciously asking Giancarlo, Johnny, and Ralf to fix, is their inability to lean on other people, their skeptical and wary natures, their need to be perfect, without weaknesses, in the eyes of the world; and if Olivier was aware of his own machinations he would have realized sooner that, all this time, all he wanted was to have friends. And if I’m right about anything about this, then the writers will have done a good job with at least one member of the Euro Team, because it’s not only a fucking genius way to introduce the arc, the team, and the theme, but he’s also a damn good character.

I love this guy.

[volvolts]

trying again. im gonna talk about my ocs. its pretty long and kinda incoherent idk

first start with robin

idk how to make the picture smaller so im sorry

- her name is robin wright and she’s 17

BACKSTORY

- her mom is a cyberneticist and her dad is a neurosurgeon. they do research on cyborg’s disease and have a company that makes prosthetics. they’re really rich because if it

- robin also had a twin brother named ronan (she’s the younger twin btw). he died when they were 15 because he had a rare case of cyborg’s disease in the brain. his death was so traumatizing for her that she doesn’t remember the months surrounding his death. she doesn’t even remember the funeral

- after ronan’s death, robin’s parents put her into isolation for two years. they pulled her out of her classes and activities and she barely got human interactions during this time

- eventually she had enough and begged to be allowed out which they do--as long as she has a bodyguard with her at all times. the problem? robin had a hard time getting along with most of them. in fact, ryuji is kind of a last resort. if she doesn’t get on well with him, she’ll most likely be isolated until further notice

random facts

- she’s really smart, a natural genius you could say. she was on her third year in college before she was pulled from it (she’s studying to be a neurosurgeon like her father). she’s one of those organized highlighter/color coded note takers too

- robin is a very compassionate person and is compelled to help others as much as she can. 

- stubborn and determined, she’ll pursue nearly everything and won’t back down until she has answers. sometimes she doesn’t know when to stop and accidentally oversteps her boundaries. it’s not because she’s needlessly nosy but because she wants to know the whole story before she can help them

- she has a overactive imagination and would end up thinking up outlandish ideas to fill in the blanks of things she doesn’t know

- robin is one of those people who’s polite and reserved if she doesn’t know you but will talk your ear off when she’s comfortable with you

- she closer with her father, which is why she’s studying the same subject that he works in

- both of her parents are incredibly successful and she’s expected to do something similar so she has a lot on her shoulders

- she hasn’t worked a day in her life but she has unusually strong endurance and stamina

- she has a dog! he’s a golden retriever and his name is beck. he’s an old dog and she loves him very much 

next is ryuji

- his name is ryuji lor and he’s 22

- he also goes by “ryder” (technically he’s supposed to go by that throughout most of my half-baked story because he never told anyone is real name but that’s beside the point)

- he’s a quarter japanese and three quarters se asian (not really sure what kind yet but im thinking somewhere within the vietnam/laos area)

BACKSTORY 

- a bit of TW: FAMILY ABUSE in this passage so skip if it bothers you:  his mom got pregnant with him while she was in college and because her boyfriend bailed on her and stress of the pregnancy and burnout she dropped out and went back to her family. she was seen as “the good one” of the family and was expected to get a good job to get her family out of poverty however when she came back they were incredibly bitter that she “failed” and would verbally and emotionally put her down. They also blamed ryuji because if he wasn’t born then she wouldn’t have dropped out and he was often ostracized because of it. 

- fortunately he and his mom left when he turned 5. they lived in a small apartment and had to get lots of help from neighbors and friends to make ends meet (mostly to babysit ryuji while his mom worked). ryuji vowed to get smart and get a good job to give his mother the life she deserves (and partly because he feels a part of her really does hate him and he wants to make it up to her somehow because if he doesn’t, was he just a parasite like what his aunts and uncles said?)

- when he turned 10, his mom got married and how he has two moms. they’re hard on him but it’s from a place of love so he tries his best to be a good son by studying and staying out of trouble

- at 17, ryuji has a bit of hope ahead of him. he has a part time job, good grades, and maybe a scholarship if he could qualify. suddenly he’s diagnosed with cyborg’s disease in his eyes and arm. they can’t afford either of his surgeries, let alone one. and that’s not going into the prosthetics and rehab afterwards. at night when they think he’s asleep, ryuji hears his moms arguing about how they’ll be able to afford any of it and what they’ll have to do to pay for it. 

- he can’t take it anymore. he runs away

- he ends up in a city he doesn’t recognize and is just allowing himself to die but he gets saved by irving, a back alley repair doctor. he gets prosthetics thanks to her but is now in a massive debt so he works as her assistant and also finds other jobs on the side to repay it

- his backstory is getting really long so things happen in ryuji’s attempt to make money and he ends up also working with ace, who leads an organized crime group, as a handler whose job is to fight/intimidate/kill whoever. 

- a sudden coincidence also ends up working as robin’s bodyguard which starts everything. honestly he’s didn’t want to do this job at first but robin’s parents are willing to pay a good amount of money and it allows him to have time away from his jobs with ace

random facts

- he’s left hand but learned to be ambidextrous, however he’ll usually default to his left hand

- he wore glasses when he was younger (near sighted; it was super bad but he didn’t like it)

- he’s afraid of dogs. it’s not a full on phobia but they make him uneasy because of a childhood thing. (he’s more of a cat person and maybe pets a few stray cats that come across his house every once in a while)

- he doesn’t like people staring at him. he feels self-conscious because of the scar on his face and the shadowed bags under his eyes and people staring at him don’t help

- ryuji is really good with prosthetics repair and can go into in-depth discussions about the mechanics of it all; he actually really enjoys working on it and actually helped design his own arm

- he’s really smart but he had to work really hard to get there and because he never finished his education, he doesn’t really think he is either

- ryuji tries to give off a “i don’t care about anyone” bravado to try and distance himself from everything. but he really cares. like a lot. the few people he has in his life right now, he’s ride or die for them

- ryuji works himself to death to ignore his problems. he’s afraid if he stops moving, he’ll buckle under the pressure and stop forever

- he has a knife hidden in his prosthetic forearm which he will use if he feels threatened. (it’s probably a stiletto knife or something idk yet)

- ryuji is an early riser; waking up at 9 am feels like sleeping in to him. he’s not even that much of a morning person, its mostly out of habit

then there’s castor

- his name is castor oda and he’s 24

- he’s japanese

BACKSTORY

- he lived in a really strict and controlling family who owned a business where he had his entire life planned out for him up to who he was going to marry. he’s always been angry about it because he has older siblings who will take over the company and it’s clear that more of a control and image thing than anything else

- when he went to college, it was his first time actually be away from his family and became friends with a guy named ben. 

- ben helped castor when his family kicked him out at 19 and gave him a place to stay until he could get back on his feet

- castor loved ben like a brother and is forever grateful for him

- ben mysteriously disappeared when they were 21 and everyone is pretty sure he’s dead but no one knows why

- castor wants to find closure on what happened because he’s definitely sure there’s something shady going on and he’s going to find out what.

- he’s an information broker, occasionally crossing paths with ace to relay and gather info but for the most part, castor has been working alone

- when he’s not doing that though, he works as a barista at a coffee shop

random facts

- he has cyborg’s disease in his right arm and when he lived with his family, he was deeply self-conscious about it

- he hasn’t spoken to his parents since they kicked him out but he still talks to his siblings sometimes; he’s the youngest child with two older sisters

- he always had an inkling that ben had romantic feelings for him, which was unrequited, and castor always felt a little guilty that he never reciprocated or that they never got to talk about it

- castor always wears his red scarf no matter the occasion or weather; he has more scarves but he just likes the red one the best

- people think he’s like calm and collected but in reality he’s an impulsive, emotional driven idiot just like the rest of us

- however he is the master of the polite business smile because of his strict upbringing

- he’s a rather disorganized person

next is irving

- her name is ellie irving and she’s 35

- she’s half black, half white

BACKSTORY 

- i don’t have that much solidified for her backstory yet so it might change fyi

- irving had been doing cybernetic research back in college but someone plagiarized her work and submitted their paper before she came forward

- because the paper was published before she published hers, SHE was initially hit with backlash of plagiarism

- eventually they try to sort it out but in the end, while she proved she didn’t plagiarize the other, she couldn’t prove that she came up with the research first and they just terminated the both her and the plagiarist

- she was barred from going into higher cybernetics research and honestly she’s still a bit bitter about it

- she went into prosthetics repair instead but still struggled to find work because of her alleged reputation, which many still believed she stole another’s work

- eventually she manages to open up a shop that specializes in prosthetic repairs and replacements

random facts

- she’s really harsh and aloof, however she cares in her own way

- honestly irving doesn’t believe herself to be a good person due to how she feels she let herself to bitterly sulk in her anger for so long

- she smokes a bit but she’s trying to cut back lately

- irving won’t pry if you come to her with a broken arm and you need help; she’ll fix you up and leave it at that and allow you to come to her yourself

- she’s incredibly observant and can tell if your lying with just a glance

- she doesn’t know that ryuji works for ace; she’s concerned when he seems more tired than usual but she doesn’t know how to pry

last one cuz im tired

his name is ace (i don’t have a last name for him) and he’s 32

- he owns an organized crime ring; im thinking he’s connected to something bigger and possibly something with the black market

- not much is known about him but he’s a charismatic man and has the intimidation factor 

- he flips his demeanor a lot. one minute he’s jovial and kind then the next he’ll give you thinly veil threats. he mostly does it to keep people on their toes so it’s a power thing

- begrudgingly he’s the closest thing to a father figure ryuji is gonna get

- also the jacket ryuji always wears? it’s a gift from ace

and that’s all i got so far! i have a lot more ocs but i don’t have have a lot of backstory for them yet. let me know what you think of these guys and feel free to ask questions!

[spookyboywhump]

Mayhaps a cool prompt??? Young Everett and Eli at home, sitting together, Everett comforting Eli through fears about future planning?

Hi hello I loved this, and also I’m so sorry in advance for the second half of this drabble because it just kinda happened. Also apparently everything I write with these boys ends up being 2000+ words and a lot of dialogue

CW: Mentions of a neglectful parent

***

 Elias tiredly stared at the screen in front of him, reading and rereading the same paragraph several times, trying to will his brain to cooperate and focus for once. His eyes kept straying away though, glancing around the dark room, looking back to the screen and going over the several tabs he had open, occasionally he’d switch tabs to choose a new song to play on low volume, he usually wasn’t able to focus without music- though right now, even that wasn’t enough. 

 He sighed and moved the laptop off his lap, setting it on the bed and tiredly rubbing his eyes. It was almost midnight, and he already dreaded school the next day because he knew he wouldn’t be getting much sleep. He considered going to try and find something to eat, wondering if that might’ve helped him focus, but he already knew he wouldn’t find anything and he didn’t want to waste his time, not more than he already was anyway. 

 He perked up when he heard the front door to the apartment open, Everett always tried to be quiet so he wouldn’t wake their mom but the door creaked no matter what they tried to do to fix it. Eli liked the warning, liked not being startled when someone came home. It took all his self control to not leap off his bed and go to greet him, he was usually tired when he got home from work and he didn’t want to bother him, though he knew Everett would say he wasn’t. It didn’t take long for him to wander back to their room though, coming in with a plastic bag from the store down the street hanging off his arm. 

 “Hey,” Eli said, looking up at him from where he sat, “How was work?”

 “Exhausting.” He sighed, reaching into the bag and taking out a can, passing it to Elias as he sat down at the desk between their beds, facing his younger brother. “What are you up to?” He asked, gesturing to the computer.

 “School stuff. Looking at colleges and all that, or, trying to anyway. My eyes keep unfocusing.” He said, popping the tab off the energy drink and taking a swig from the can. “Actually, all of me keeps unfocusing.” 

 “You should go to bed then.” Everett told him, though he had been the one to bring him more sugar to keep him up through the night, even getting a can for himself. “Why are you worrying about schools and stuff anyway, aren’t you like, only the second year in high school? You have time, right?” 

 “I guess I have time but, it can’t hurt to start looking early. It’s more wishful thinking than anything.” He shrugged, leaning over to the computer, switching tabs to turn off the music still playing. 

 “What do you mean “wishful thinking”?” He asked.

 “I mean, it’s not like I’m going to actually be able to go to any of them.” He shrugged.

 “What makes you see that? You’re a fucking genius, Eli, you could get into any school you wanted.” He leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs. 

 “It’s not a matter of intelligence or grades, it’s a matter of money. You know, that thing we’re chronically lacking in.” He snickered, setting the can he held on the desk beside him. 

 “Yeah, but aren’t there like, scholarships and shit? I don’t know, I didn’t really get that far, but I’m sure there’s something you could do.”

 “There is, if I could somehow manage going to school all day and working every hour that I’m not at school, homework and assignments be damned. I don’t know if I could even get a job though, and if I lost that job then I’d be fucked.” He said, having already overthought every terrible scenario that could come to pass. He sighed, anxiously running a hand through his hair. “There’s no way to guarantee that it would work out, and that’s assuming I even got accepted in the first place.” 

 “Don’t worry about the money thing, you know I’ll help you.” Everett assured him. “I don’t want you trying to work and go to school at the same time anyway, that would be too much. Besides, you still have time, if you really wanted to you could try working in the summer to save up at least some money.”

 “It’s not… It’s not just the money thing.” He finally admitted, staring down at his lap. “I already know where I wanna try to go, and I’ve already looked at scholarships and stuff, it’s just… it’s out of state, y’know? So I would… I would have to leave…” 

 “... Yeah? Isn’t that a good thing?” He laughed. “I would’ve fucking killed to get away from here when I was your age.”

 “Would you come with me then?” He asked, almost hopefully. “If… if we could just… move there… if you were at least close by, then, I don’t know, maybe…” He said, slowly trailing off when he saw the look on his brother’s face, he already knew what he was going to say. 

 “Eli, you know I can’t leave, not for good like that. Mom needs me around, and… and I think it would be good for you to go out on your own like that. You don’t need me around, you’re more than capable of handling yourself.” He told him, moving to sit beside Elias on his bed. He put his arm around his shoulders, pulling him close as he anxiously picked at the skin around his nails. 

 “It would be easier with you around though… I’ve never just… been away from you…” He’d always been anxious over the thought of being away from Everett, when he was little he’d even cry when he left the house. A part of him knew it was kind of inevitable, either Everett would leave eventually or he would, if only to get away from their mother. He didn’t like to think about it though, the thought of it made him sick. 

 “Well… it might be good for you to be away from me. You’re a super smart kid, Eli, and I know you have big plans for your career and all that. You shouldn’t hold yourself back just because we’d have to be apart. It’ll happen someday, might as well give it a try now- or, well, in two or three years that is.” He told him.

 “Yeah, but- but what if something goes wrong? What-what if I get hurt, or sick, what if you get hurt? What if I need you?” He asked, rambling away as his anxiety got the better of him. 

 “Hey, hey you’ll be fine.” Everett said gently. “We’d still be able to talk, you would come home on breaks, it’s not like it would be for forever.” He told him. 

 “But it would still be a long time. Longer than I’ve ever been away from home, away from you… and that’s even assuming I could get in. I still have a lot of work to do before then, I sure as hell have to keep my grades up-”

 “Kid, I’ve seen your report cards, I don’t think you’ve ever had below an A.”

 “Yeah but-but what if something happens?!” He cried, getting worked up all over again. “What if- I don’t even know! What if I just suddenly forget how to do anything, what if I start messing up, what if I miss a few days and I can’t ever catch up, what-what if-”

 "Elias.” Everett said sternly, and it was enough to shut him up, his brother hardly ever used his full name. “You’re working yourself up over nothing. Just because you can come up with some wild scenario doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, if anything, it’s really, really unlikely it will. I told you, you’re smart, you shouldn’t let all your anxiety hold you back. You could do fucking anything you wanted, you have got to take advantage of that.” Elias groaned, pulling away from Everett only to hide his face in his hands.

 “Every time I think about it though, it’s… it’s fucking terrifying. It’s so fucking scary, and on top of, well, everything else, the schoolwork I already have, and the chance of mom ending up in the hospital again, and you working all the fucking time… it’s scary, and thinking about what’s gonna come after I graduate is even scarier…” 

 “You don’t have to think about it right now then.” Everett told him, putting his hand on Eli’s back. “I’m sure it is scary, so give yourself a break. You still have a lot of time to figure it out, at least for right now, just take a break.” He said. “And you know, you can talk to me if you need to. I might not understand everything you have to say, but at the very least I can listen, and try to help you the best I can.”

 “But I don’t wanna bother you…” He murmured.

 “Eli, you could never bother me. I don’t think you’ve ever bothered anybody in your life-”

 “Mom would say different.”

 “She doesn’t count. Listen, I just want you to know, I’m always ready to listen to you, I’m always ready to help you. I’ve been with you this far, I’m not leaving anytime soon.” He told him. Elias was silent for a while before finally lowering his hands, lifting his head to look at him.

 “Promise…?”

 “Of course I promise.” He smiled at him, reaching up and ruffling his hair before pulling him into a tight hug, Eli finally cracking a smile as he leaned into him. 

 He could never figure out how he did it, but Everett always knew what to say to calm him down, to slow the frantic flow of thoughts that would make him panic when left unattended. He knew that someday they’d have to exist away from each other, and he didn’t know what he would do when that day came, but for right now, all he could do was cling to his brother, and be thankful he was here for him in the moment.

 ***

 Everett sat on his bed, staring at the card in his hand. It was early the next morning, Eli had just left for school and he was only awake because he always made sure to say goodbye before he left. He was alone now, staring at a phone number he’d been debating calling. The man who had given him the card wasn’t as shady as his offer was, he was older, well dressed, he clearly had money and he seemed polite. He wasn’t pushy, unlike everyone else who had offered him a shady job, which made him feel a little less uneasy about this. 

 The man had told him if he changed his mind, he should call him, and he’d handed him that card. He’d dismissed it at first, left it in his jacket pocket and almost forgotten about it. The job he had now was fine, but the man had offered more money, at the time though, he didn’t think it was worth it to risk it, but the offer was starting to appeal to him more and more. He’d gotten Eli talking the night before, and while his brother was in the shower he’d looked into the school he was interested in. Even if he had his tuition covered, there was still the cost of necessities, money in case of an emergency, the cost of getting him there and home on breaks. He couldn’t blame the kid for getting nervous, it was a lot, but maybe, if this offer was as good as it sounded, it would be manageable. 

He knew there was still a couple years until they had to worry about that, but even easing their current financial issues sounded good to him, and he knew it would take some stress off Eli. He knew their mom wasn’t doing well, she’d already spent time in the hospital twice that year and at this point he was the only one who could provide for them. He was just barely making enough to pay rent, keep their phones and internet going, only for Eli to be able to do schoolwork, and he knew they never had enough food- even though he knew he gave money to their mom. If he had the time he’d do the shopping himself, but he didn’t, and he knew Eli didn’t, and even though he felt guilty for it, he was angry that their mother was so unreliable, and that his brother was suffering the most for it. 

 He’d eventually reasoned with himself that it couldn’t hurt to call, couldn’t hurt to get more information. If this really was some miracle, if it was as good as it sounded, then he’d be happy he did it and things would improve, and if it turned out to be a scam or another desperate pervert, then he could forget it ever happened and go back to struggling like normal. It couldn’t hurt though, so finally he dialed the number, and hoped for the best.

[nachotrash]

MORE INCORRECT QUOTES WITH MY MOOTS

ft: @catchmewiddershins @lilikags and @paradise-creator // no haikyuu boys this time

Pauline: No more making fun of me when I misuse dated cultural references, alright? Are we cowabunga on this? Wid, sighing: Fine. We're cowabunga.

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

Pauline: We're having a baby. Shiyu: Oh, congradu- Wid, slamming adoption papers onto teh table: It's you, sign here.

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

Pauline: Why are there little handprints all over the walls? Shiyu, whispering: Why are there little handprints all over the walls? Wid, whispering: Because I have little hands. Shiyu: Because they have little hands.

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

Wid: I was born for politics. I have great hair and I love lying.

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

Lili: Life keeps fucking me and I can't remember the safeword.

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

Wid: Pros and cons of dating me. Wid: Pros. You'll be the cute one. Wid: Cons. Holy shit, where do I begin-

(cons. you're the smart one😔)

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

Shiyu: Sure, you're verified on twitter, but are you verified in the eyes of god?

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

Pauline: Theater kids are just choir kids who joined forces with the band and strings kids.

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

Shiyu: Did you just call me a shrimp, you asshole?! I'm still growing, dammit!

(*lipbites in 166 cm*)

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

Wid: I don't dab. I stab.

(nOw WhEarE HAvE i SeEn ThIs BeFoRe)

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

Shiyu: I scare people a lot because I walk very softly and they don't hear me enter rooms. So when they turn around, I'm just kind of there and their fear fuels me.

(t-pose to assert dominance)

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

Shiyu, as a child, reading their school assignment out loud: I love my library because... Shiyu, mouthing words while writing: I love reading, fuck you.

(lmao baby nacho really be bold)

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

Shiyu: The ‘how the fucks’ and 'why are you so dumbs’ don’t matter. All that matters is that I have a new gun.

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

Lili: It's not ugly, just aesthetically challenged.

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

Pauline: The last time I went to an urgent care clinic, I checked off 'excessive crying' on the symptom list, and then the nurse got really confused and said that was meant for babies.

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

Pauline: All of your existences are confusing. The Squad: How so? Pauline: Your presence is annoying, but the thought of anything bad happening to any of you upsets me.

(we are the squad now)

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

Lili: Blackmail is such an ugly word. I prefer extortion. The X makes it sound cool.

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

Wid: Real life should have a fucking search function, or something. Wid: I need my socks.

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

Pauline: New year, same me. Because I'm perfect.

(yes yes you are how dare you)

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

Shiyu: Yeah I'm LGBT. Shiyu: cuLt leader. Shiyu: God hates me personally. Shiyu: cowBoy hat. Shiyu: *sniffles* Trying my best.

(my asexual ass be like;)

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

Wid: *plays shreksophone* Wid: Woo. Wid: Time to listen to this on loop for all eternity. Shiyu: ...Genius coping mechanism my friend

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

Shiyu: Treat spiders the way you want to be treated. Pauline: Killed without hesitation.

----------

Pauline: The next time I open up to someone, it'll be my autopsy.

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

Pauline: Sometimes, I don’t realize an event was traumatic until I tell it as a funny story and notice everyone is staring at me weird.

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

Pauline: I hate Lili. Shiyu: "Hate' is a strong word. Pauline: I have strong opinions.

(oh no)

----------

Wid: How does that even work? Shiyu, mocking them: hOw dO yOu UsE a cOmPUteR aNd KnOw wHaTS GoiNg oN iT DoEsNt mAke SeNSe?! Wid: Your face doesnt make sense.

(...fair enough)

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

Pauline: Get in, loser, we’re committing vehicular manslaughter!

-----------

Pauline: My stomach growled super loud in French. Pauline: I would like to clarify, my stomach did not speak in French. It growled during French class. Shiyu: Bonjour. Lili: Le growl. Wid: Hon hon hon, feed me a baguette.

(reminds me of the 'ill speak french between your legs' tumblr legend and im wheezing)

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

Shiyu: *tapping fingers on table* Lili: *taps fingers back furiously* Wid: …What’s going on? Pauline: Morse code. They’re talking. Shiyu: -.-- ..- .-. / - …. . / -.-. ..- - . … - Lili: *slams hands on table* YOU TAKE THAT BACK!

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

Shiyu: For self defense reasons, I'm going to pretend to be a burglar and you guys have to act wisely. Wid, Lili, & Pauline: Okay. Shiyu: If you don't want to die, give me all your money. Wid: Bold of you to assume I have money. Lili: Bold of you to assume I don't want to die. Pauline: Bold of you to assume I can die.

(pauline is a goddess. goddesses cant die)

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

Lili: If I punch myself and it hurts, am I weak or strong? Wid: Strong. Shiyu: Weak. Pauline: An idiot, is what your are.

(as long as you dont flinch or scream youre strong. unless you get punched in the gut by someone like ushijima ofc)

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

Shiyu: Those darn tall old people. Wid: Darm em' indeed. Pauline: Don't worry, they'll be gone soon enough. Lili: *sharpening knife* Yes. Dead. The Squad: Lili: Hahaha. Lili: ...Is this self-destructive behaviour?

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

Wid: Oh god, they texted you ‘hi.’’ punctuation only means one thing, Pauline. They're mad at you. Pauline: No, it's Shiyu. They're just being gramatically correct! *meanwhile* Shiyu: And then I used a period so they'd know that I'm mad at them. Lili: A period doesn't say 'I'm mad', it says 'you're dead to me'. Shiyu: I stand by my choice.

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

Wid: What do we think of Shiyu? *pause* Lili: *sighs* Nice pal. Pauline: I think they're gay.

=------------

Wid: Where is Shiyu? Pauline: I'll do you one better, who is Shiyu?? Lili: Here's a better question, why is Shiyu?

(i dont know man. ive been trying to figure it out for the last few years)

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

Wid: On the count of three, what’s your favorite cake? Wid & Lili: One, two, three- Wid & Lili: Chocolate cake, peanutbutter frosting, and chocolate chunks! Shiyu: Our turn, Pauline! One, two, three- Shiyu: Vanilla! Pauline: I’ve never had cake before. What is cake?

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

Pauline: I am darkness. I am an power. I am your worst nightmare. I could kill a man in more ways than you can imagine. I am the night. I am fury, I am a weapon, I am- Wid: A doll. Shiyu: A cinnamon roll. Lili: A sweetheart. Pauline: Pauline: ...stop it.

(cant deny the truth bby)

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

Wid, Pauline & Shiyu: *screaming* Lili: *runs into the room* What's wrong, Shiyu?! Wid: Wait, why are you asking Shiyu that when Pauline and I are also here? Lili: Because Shiyu wouldn't scream unless it's an emergency. You two scream whenever you have the chance.

(i mean... its true )

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

Pauline: What’s wrong? You look 10 seconds away from ripping someone’s throat out. Wid: Fucking Shiyu and Lili were trying to invoke one of the minor gods again last night. I didn't get an ounce of sleep, thanks to their bloody chanting.

(manifests dvalin cause i wanna ride on their back and fall off)

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

Lili: Wake me up- Wid: Before you go go Shiyu: When September ends Pauline: WAKE ME UP INSIDE

(cant wake up- WAKE ME UP INSIDE)

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

Shiyu, watching Pauline & Lili panic : What's going on? Wid: Pauline is having a midlife crisis and Lili is just having a crisis.

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

Lili: *Gasp* Pauline: wHAT?? Lili: What if soy milk is just milk introducing itself in Spanish? Pauline: *inhales* Wid, in another room with Shiyu: Why can I hear screeching?

(shiyu: same shit different day)

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

Shiyu: Christmas is cancelled. Wid: You can't cancel a holiday. Shiyu: Keep it up, Wid, and you'll lose New Year's too. Wid: What does that mean? Shiyu: Lili, take New Year's away from Wid.

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

Pauline: So, are they your friend or... Lili: They’re like Wid, but if Wid was ordered to be around you. Pauline: Oh, so Shiyu. Lili: Precisely!

(if its about how annoyed i always look then you ahve a point)

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

Wid: You’re just being paranoid. Again. Pauline: When have I been paranoid? Wid: Um, when you first met Lili you thought they were an undercover cop…? Pauline: No one has a wart that big, I thought it was a surveillance camera! Wid: And last year you were sure Shiyu was a mermaid! Pauline: They hate wearing shirts! COINCIDENCE?! *Later, when Pauline’s theory is proven wrong* Wid: Do you have anything to say for yourself? Pauline: I still think Shiyu is a mermaid.

(id gladly be one)

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

*Wid drunkenly wanders around the manor and Lili is drunkenly giggling* Shiyu, completely sober: *sighs* Well, looks like it's just me and you against the wold, Pauline. Pauline, going to their room: Nope, just you. *shuts door*

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

Wid: We need to distract these guys. Lili: Leave it to me. Lili: Centaurs have six limbs and are therefore insects. Discuss. Pauline & Shiyu: *immediately begin arguing*

(*pulls out dictionary*)

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

Police: You’re under arrest for trying to carry three people on a single motorcycle. Shiyu, with Wid and Lili behind them: Wait, what do you mean THREE?! Police: Yes…three. Shiyu: Oh, my God— What the fuck!? Police: Wha- Shiyu: Pauline FUCKING FELL OFF!

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

Wid: What is love? Pauline: An emotional minefield. Shiyu: A neurochemical reaction. Lili: Baby don't hurt me.

(BECAUSE FUCK EMOTIONS)

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

Pauline: I currently have 7 empty notebooks and I have no idea what to put in them. Any suggestions? Wid: Put spaghetti in it. Pauline: I am currently taking suggestions from everyone but you. Lili: Put spaghetti in it. Pauline: I am currently taking suggestions from everyone but you two. Shiyu: Put spaghetti in it. Pauline: I am no longer taking suggestions.

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

Shiyu, pointing to the wall: What color is this? Pauline: Gray. Lili: Grey. Shiyu, turning to Wid: Now tell them what color you think it is. Wid: Dark white.

[squid-rp]

River Jones

Angry Blind Werewolf living off of a modest fortune that was shrewdly invested. Respects his alpha (is the most loyal but isn't going to say it openly without good reason), adored his mother and sisters, having to deal with his great-niece showing up out of the blue with her five-year old daughter and keeping them safe on top of everything else going on.

Looking for: His great-niece (just left a bad marriage, has some vague knowledge of the supernatural. Is probably just human, but I'm open).

Bo Brighton

A Regular Ol' Human Hunter in the Circle of Orion, Bo is a diamond in the rough from a midwestern town with a genius intellect who had the misfortune of falling in love with the girl next door when she broke through all his logic and theories of the world with a charming fairytale about falling stars. Vera ended up moving away when her parents divorced, but she and Bo exchanged letters all throughout the rest of their childhood and adolescence . While he didn't look like traditional hunter material in his late teens, Bo was scouted by a set of Hunters who crammed his genius brain chock full of lore of the supernatural and taught him how to fight for himself. He ended up joining the Circle of Orion right as letters from Vera stopped, leading him to wonder if the Supernatural was behind her disappearance.

He's too smart for his own good, tends to ramble, has piss poor social skills at times and has a bunch of knicks and cuts and burns from trying to cobble together some sort of new invention... or make the perfect soufflé (or both).

Looking for: Because I'm terrible, you know full and well that Vera's a GD supernatural. Whoever picks her up gets to pick what she is.

Sarina Corwin

Brackish Siren turned during an adolescent summer afternoon by the river gone terribly wrong. Sarina's sudden change of both diet and demeanor led to great tragedy, leaving her ostracized and out of touch and struggling to learn the ropes on her own. Years spent learning on her own and avoiding hunters has led her to Colorado, where she relishes helping bby supernaturals without a clue find their way in life, while also keeping them safe from hunters.

Looking for: Her concept is still formulating, so she doesn't really have any want ads at this time.

Neriah Hanlon

The Petal and Vine Shop has been a staple of Crow River since the town's inception, all operating out of a dreary-looking Victorian manor owned by the Hanlon family who seems to pass the business and the property from Mother to Daughter throughout the years. These days, the shop is owned by Neriah Hanlon, a Changeling who has secretly been running the shop the entire time. Neriah is something of a town darling -- always willing to lend a helping hand to those who need it, and who would literally give you the shirt off her back and knit you a whole closet if she felt you needed it. In truth, Neriah helps people forget when needed, and as a neutral agent, has probably offered her services to many of the factions within town provided that she gets proper payment of... a secret, a story, a little trinket that has some sentimental value -- anything with meaning.

And for anyone who would threaten her, she'd like to remind you that oleander is such a beautiful bloom, but can be so very poisonous.

Looking for: Still an evolving concept. I kind of want her to be a Mom friend to people, but who can also snap into being TERRIFYING if trifled with. Give her employees at her floral/tea shop/parlor. Give her people she's helped in the past. She's SUPER OLD, and has probably known some of these characters since they were knee high to a grasshopper.

Genevieve Thorne (Née Durand)

Born to a prominent and well-respected family of New York old-money sorcerers, Genevieve was born out of a magically political union and was expected to do the same. While her magical talents were not neglected, Genevieve was always thought of as "less than" when it came to her older brother, even when she proved more capable, more ambitious, and more willing to learn and be more. When the time came, Genevieve ended up showing up to her marriage ceremony, only to end up murdering the groom and most of the wedding attendees (including her own family) with the help of a Vampire that she had fallen head over heels for. While the pair officially tied the knot later, they would refer to that instance as their true wedding.

Genevieve has arrived in Crow River arm-in-arm with her husband, and has made powerful friends to gain a foothold in the city (it does help that Ariana is rather charming and useful) and to gain knowledge. Genevieve's true goal is to find some magical way to render herself immortal while still retaining her magic. Lord only knows if she'll actually find it.... and god help everyone if she does.

Looking for: Her husband, namely. It might also be fun if someone were coming after her for that wedding fiasco.

Everly O'Reilly

A curious creature from her earliest days, Everly had a habit for constantly being underfoot and eavesdropping on everyone's business as a child, which didn't earn her a lot of friends, but did leave her with plenty of time to read and soak up as much knowledge as she could about random subjects during her childhood. As she grew older, Everly became less of a pest and more of an it-girl with an Instagram following to match. She was her school's prom queen, but also the Valedictorian, and she was a shoe in for going to school on a scholarship for journalism. Instead of taking that road, Everly decided to be her own boss and became a Podcaster for things dark and strange and twisted that most people would have balked at investigating. She gained a huge following and her work enabled her to travel the world...

Which is how she ended up in Crow River. Crow River was going to be a quick stop on the way to something greater, but Everly ended up seeing something she shouldn't have seen, and one moment she was snapping a photo... and the next there was darkness...

And then she was literally clawing her way out of the grave in the woods she had been tossed into, newly reborn as a Vara Vampire.

Looking for: She's got "her Yoda" as she likes to say, but I would like to figure out wtf Everly saw that she really shouldn't have, and if anyone needs an accidental Vara bby fledgling that they didn't mean to create, hit me up!

James J. Jamison

A few years ago, James would have said that he was the most unordinary of the unordinary folks. A supernerd to the max (complete with the comic book collection and fondness for dungeons and dragons), James grew up being ostracized by most of his peers because he was VERY HANDS FLAILING ANIMATED LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS THING I LOVE. Cue toilet swirlies in the bathroom during recess and lunch. James made friends with another nerd aficionado in elementary school, but said aficionado never learned a healthy way to heal from the psychological trauma of bullying and turned mean instead, quickly becoming a bully himself once he and James reached high school.

And everything would have been all hunky dory had James not pulled his best "What would Lara Croft do" moment and stood up to his ex-best friend, which ultimately earned him the beat down of his life, but earned him a sea of friends who respected him for what he did.

Flash forward a few years, and James was studying to be a graphic artist and was supporting himself in Portland, Oregon by being a pizza delivery driver...

The last thing he saw was the grill of his ex-best friend's car heading right for him... and the next... being cradled in someone's arms, the wet rain, and then... fire and smoke and ash and...

Confusion. James reawoke as a Phoenix and has been trying to piece things together ever since. Luckily, his parents put out a missing person's report for him and he was quickly picked up by a patrol car. After a few weeks of confusion and therapy, James decided to try and go back to his old life, even if he couldn't remember most of it...

But then a letter beckoned him to Crow River, and like Frodo leaving the Shire, James set off on his quest.

Looking For: I would love it forever if someone wanted to be the person inviting James to Crow River. Like, we can hash out that plot together, but I need it like breathing.

Levison Harding

I admittedly do not know too much about Levison beyond a vague concept of him being a native son of Crow River, and a werebear. He left some odd years ago to do things, and just came back after being captured by a group of individuals who hunted supernatural creatures to make a black market of parts for magical rituals, Vampire blood, etc. I think they originally captured Levison for vampire blood and didn't know he was a werebear until he broke out and murdered the lot of them, taking all of the captives with him in the process of escape.

Now seen as the leading figure for a group of Supernatural refugees, Levison has returned home to try and figure out what his next steps are for both himself and the small group of a misfit found family that he's become the head of.

Looking for: Give me the black market group that he's run afoul of now, and give me his found family. There are no alternatives.

Maira Joshi

Another prominent Crow River family, the Joshi's have been present in Colorado records as early as the late 1800's, and they gained a strange notoriety of mostly having daughters within the family. The current head of the family, Faria, hides her status as a seer in plain sight by offering psychic readings and "mediumship" skills to those who aren't in the know, and her abilities as a seer to those who do. Maira is the youngest of her granddaughters, and showed little affinity for magic and happily went along to become an elementary school nurse. She would have stayed that way had she not started having ominous visions all swirling around Crow River, prompting her to take a position in Crow River and move in with her increasingly ailing grandmother for further instruction. Maira -- by her grandmother's own description -- is a sweet and empathetic soul, more likely to slip into someone's dreams to drive away natural nightmares or induce states of calm on the panicked and suffering. Between her growing skills as a Seer and her knowledge of first aid, her true goal is to help where she can, and to stop the terrible future she occasionally still sees from coming to pass.

(SHE IS VERY SOFT Y'ALL.)

Looking for: Other Joshi seers? IDK, I'M JUST EXCITED.

[blossom-hwa]

Fall [Spiral] - MARK |Swing!|

There are some spoilers for Captain America: Civil War in this chapter, so spoiler alert! Once again, thank you @deathbykpopboys​ for inspiring this series :)

Pairing: Mark x fem!reader

Genre: fluff, angst, Spiderman!au

Triggers: a lot of cursing, violence, PANIC ATTACKS IN THIS CHAPTER (I in no way meant to romanticize these triggers. If you feel I did, please let me know and I will fix it.)

Word Count: 7.5k

As the year goes on, the world starts crashing down.

Arc { 1 - Drifting Apart | 2 - Coming Home } >> Fall { 1 - Spiral | 2 - Rise } >> Release 

NCT Masterlist | Swing!

A couple of weeks pass. Dr. Charles Roberts and several other people are arrested. Things go more or less back to normal here at home. There’s a shitshow happening on the international scale – someone fucking killed the king of Wakanda and tried to take out a whole UN conference with him, and apparently the Winter Soldier is involved, what the fuck is up with that – but at home, things are okay.

The university labs are more or less fixed, so you start heading back there after school. It takes some time to get used to the new layout of things, but the explosion didn’t touch too much – Wang’s lab was much farther down the hall. AcaDec takes a new member, a sophomore named Ash, who’s smart but can’t seem to really fill the hole that Lia left on the team. You find that you do miss her presence.

Patrolling is no longer filled with stewing silence. Instead, it’s comfortable again. Peaceful. You and Mark don’t swing through opposite sides of the city now. You still split up to cover more territory, but you’re never more than a few minutes of swinging from each other.

The cuts heal. The bruises fade. The scars appear, barely paler than your skin, and far fewer of them than you’d expect. Johnny and Mei don’t suspect anything.

So things are back to normal. For the most part.

Until they aren’t.

You and Mark are walking home one day from the bus stop. It’s early evening, but you don’t plan to patrol tonight. Mei just got a raise, so Johnny’s planned a little celebratory dinner for all four of you. It’ll be fun.

Mark stops first. Lost in thought, you don’t notice until you bump into him. “The fuck, Mark –”

And then you see the fanciest, sleekest, most bougie fucking car you’ve ever seen, parked right in front of your shitty little apartment.

You’re burning with questions as the two of you ascend the stairs. How did anyone here get the money for that car?

“Johnny!” you yell, flinging open the door.

“Hello to you too, troublemaker children,” Johnny calls from somewhere. “How was school?”

“Boring,” Mark yells.

“Also boring here, but Dr. Wang made something explode on accident in the lab today.” You carefully leave out the part where the explosion brought you back to that terrifying night on the beach and you spent a couple seconds hyperventilating before one of the graduate students, Yuta, helped you calm down. You drop your bags in the kitchen, then come out to the small living room. “But there’s this crazy fucking car parked outside –”

Mark’s footsteps stop behind you.

You fall silent.

Because Tony fucking Stark is sitting on your tiny ratty couch next to Mei and Johnny, scrutinizing one of Mei’s (probably awful) cookies between his fingers. His eyes flicker toward you, then Mark, and he smiles. “Oh, Ms. L/N, Mr. Lee!”

Mark mumbles something under his breath that sounds something like “dreaming.” You pinch yourself.

Definitely not dreaming.

“Um.” You take a breath, trying to wrap your head around the fact that Tony fucking Stark is in your living room. “Hi?” You wince when that comes out more like a question than a greeting. “I’m Y/N…”

“I’m Mark,” Mark echoes, sounding vaguely dazed.

“Tony,” Tony fucking Stark introduces himself. As if any of you here didn’t know who he was already.

“Uh…” You rack your brains for a polite way to say what you’re thinking. “What… what are you doing here?”

Nice, Y/N, real nice. That’s the definition of polite right there.

“Well, it’s about time we met.” Tony fucking Stark starts winking. Actually, you can’t tell if it’s just a tic or if he’s actually winking. “You’ve been getting my emails, right?”

Definitely winking.

“Yeah…?” Mark replies. “Right. Um, emails about the…”

“You didn’t tell us about the grants!” Mei bursts out.

“Right, the grants.” You swallow. “Um…”

“September Foundation,” Tony fucking Stark supplies. “Research projects. Remember when you applied?”

You nod mutely, feeling slightly sick. Johnny looks something between super elated and incredibly proud and utterly betrayed. He catches your eye and mouths we’re talking about this later.

Something inside you wilts and dies.

Tony fucking Stark smiles. “Well, I approved!” He puts down the cookie. “So now we’re in business.”

“Do you visit all the people to whom you give grants, Dr. Stark, uh, sir?” Mark asks timidly.

“Oh, please don’t call me Doctor. I don’t like that. Mister is fine. And no, just a few.” Tony fucking Stark – you need to stop adding “fucking” there like it’s his middle name – winks again. “We don’t usually give grants to high schoolers, you see, so every time we do, we do something a little special.”

Do you usually do special things for high schoolers who never applied for your grant in the first place?

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Johnny pipes up. He pouts slightly, and you want to melt into the ground out of embarrassment. Why is he pouting. “What’s up with that?”

“Well, uh…” You bite your lip, racing to come up with a believable lie. “We didn’t actually think we were going to get it? Since, uh, on the website, it says that high schoolers are rarely given grants and are discouraged from applying…” You swallow. “So we just didn’t tell anyone we applied.”

Tony fuckin – Tony Stark looks at you appraisingly. You’re not sure if that’s a good thing.

“But even after you got it?” Mei looks between you and Mark. “You couldn’t tell us when you got it?”

Surprisingly, Mark steps up. “Um, well, we know you love surprises.” He scratches the back of his neck. “So we just wanted to wait for the… right time? To surprise you? Didn’t want to steal your thunder with the raise…” His voice cracks slightly at the end of his sentence. You stifle a snicker.

Tony fuck – Tony Stark picks up the cookie again and takes a bite. “This cookie is exceptional,” he says, winking at Mei.

He’s lying. Mei can’t bake. She can barely cook, and then only the most basic things. Why the fuck is he lying –

Oh, no no no, fucking NO, Tony fucking Stark is NOT flirting with Mei.

As it turns out, Tony fucking Stark is flirting with Mei.

You glance at Mark to see him looking extremely uncomfortable and ready to die. Johnny’s looking at you with an evil, amused smile on his face, so he won’t be helping. You decide to put Mark out of his misery.

“Okay, uh, so what exactly did we apply for again?” you say loudly. “Because it was a long time ago. I don’t know if we’ve started on new projects since then.”

“That’s what I’m here to hash out!” Tony Stark flashes a winning smile. “Can I get a few minutes with these two lovely children?”

A chorus of “Sures!” and “Of courses!” sounds from the two other adults sitting on the couch. You zip over to your room, ignoring Mark and Tony fuck – Tony Stark following behind, and immediately slam the door shut.

. . . . .

There are a few seconds of silence before Mark finally decides to cut the crap. “Okay, so, uh, neither of us actually applied for your grant –”

“Nuh uh.” Tony Stark holds up a hand. “Me first.”

Mark shuts up.

“I have a quick question of the, let’s say, rhetorical variety.” He holds up the latest Starkphone – shit, it’s nice – which projects a hologram of Mark swinging off a building and kicking a mugger in the head. You swoop down a second later, pulling another one out of a car.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck –

“That’s you, isn’t it?”

“No,” you snap. “No, that’s not us.”

Mark is ever thankful that you’re by his side, because there’s no way he could keep talk without stuttering right now.

The hologram video changes to Mark catching a speeding vehicle just before it crashes into a building, then to you dodging a hail of bullets. Tony Stark raises an eyebrow. “Look at you go. Impressive.”

“That’s – that’s all on YouTube, you know that, right?” Mark can hear your heart thudding and takes over. “Like, it could be anyone, obviously. Or anything.”

“Yeah, uh huh.” Tony Stark begins looking around the room. “Like those UFOs in Phoenix…”

“Yeah!” Mark nods quickly. “Exactly –”

And then Tony Stark flips up your mattress, revealing the suit neatly folded beneath it. “Oh, what have we here?”

Fuck –

You snatch up the clothes so fast Mark barely realizes you’ve done it. Your eyes are wide.

Utter silence falls in the room.

“So, you two are the spiderkids. Crime fighting spider-people.” Tony Stark raises an eyebrow. “Spider…lings? Spiderboy, Spidergirl…”

“Silk,” you mutter.

“Spiderman,” Mark mumbles. He thinks he’d like to jump off a cliff right about now.

“Not in those onesies, you’re not.”

Okay, that’s a low blow. Mark opens his mouth to retaliate, but you beat him to it. “Not a onesie if it consists of two articles of clothing,” you snap, shoving your clothes back under the mattress. “Can’t believe we were actually having a good day…”

You look like you’re going to start crying or screaming or both. Mark knows that look. It’s the look you get before you start getting really pissed.

He grabs your hand. “Calm,” he murmurs out of the corner of his mouth. Your body relaxes slightly.

Tony Stark looks over at the two of you, both eyebrows raised. “Dating?”

“No,” Mark snaps, ignoring the slight twinge he feels when he says that. “Now seriously, why are you here?” Tony Stark might be one of his technological heroes, but if he doesn’t get to the point soon, he just might lose it.

The billionaire genius mutters something under his breath that Mark can’t quite hear, even with his enhanced hearing. Something about “dating” and “yeah right.”

Mark’s stomach curdles. His cheeks feel hot.

Tony Stark sits himself down on the bed. “Just wanted to thank you two.”

“For what?” you ask.

“You don’t remember?” He raises his hand, fluttering it like it’s flying. “Crashing jet full of dangerous alien tech? Vulture man?”

Oh, right.

The knowledge must register on your faces, because Tony Stark continues. “I’d heard a little bit about the two spiders swinging around Queens at night, but that was what made me actually curious about you two.” He leans his chin into his hand. “So who else knows?”

“One friend,” Mark gets out. “That’s it.”

“Really?” Tony Stark jerks an eyebrow at the door. “Not the older brother? Not the unusually attractive aunt?”

“Okay, no. Just no.” Mark rubs his face with his free hand. He hears a soft, disgusted eep issue from your throat. “No, Mei and Johnny do not know, because if they did, they’d freak the fuck out, and then we’d freak out, and that would be very bad for everyone.”

“Mhm.” Tony Stark throws something. You catch it without blinking an eye. It’s a little canister filled with a sample of your web fluid. “You know what I think is interesting? This webbing. Tensile strength is off the charts. Who manufactured it?”

You swallow. “I did.”

“Interesting. The… web shooting things?”

“Me,” Mark says.

Tony Stark whistles. “And sticking to walls? How do you do that?”

Both of you wince. “Long… story?”

But Tony Stark’s already pulled your suit back out from under the mattress and is peering into the pair of darkened goggles you’ve sewn into the mask. Next to him, Mark sees you cringe. “Lordy! How do you see in these things?”

You snatch the mask back with more force than necessary. “Heightened senses,” you snap. “Sometimes feels like everything’s caving in on you. Goggles make it easier to focus.”

A beat of silence.

“Well, that confirms it.” Tony Stark stands up, only to place himself down on your small desk chair. “You two are in dire need of some upgrades. Systemic. Full-body. One hundred percent. That’s the other reason I’m here.”

Mark can’t deal with this while standing up. He sits on the bed. You follow suit.

“So why do you do this?” Tony Stark waves a hand at the two of you. “I gotta know. What’s your MO? Motivation? What gets you out of bed and into the streets to do the police’s job for them?”

“Well, first of all, the police don’t fucking do their job, so jot that down,” you hiss, fingers digging into Mark’s palm. “Second…” You soften slightly. “If you have the ability to help people. Stop crime. If you have the ability but you don’t use it, and then shit happens…”

Mark takes over when you falter. “Then those things happened because of you.”

More silence.

“So you want to look out for the little guy, make the world a better place.” Tony Stark raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah.”

“Move over.” Tony Stark stands up, motioning to the space on the bed next to you.

You move over.

“Got a passport?” He sits down and raises an eyebrow.

Well, yeah. But the two of you haven’t traveled in a long time, so you don’t know if they’re expired.

“Ever been to Germany?” Tony Stark presses.

“… No?”

He smiles. “Oh, you’ll love it.”

“We can’t go to Germany,” you say, bewilderment etched across your features.

“Why?”

“We have…” Mark winces before he says it. “Homework?”

Tony Stark, Mark’s technological hero, looks supremely disappointed and nonplussed at the same time. Mark thinks he wants to die. “Okay, I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”

“Hey, I’m being serious!” Mark protests. “We literally took the SAT two weeks ago. We can’t just, I don’t know, drop out of school and go out of town –”

“Might be a little dangerous,” Tony Stark mutters, walking to the door. He places his hand on the doorknob. “Better tell handsome brother and Aunt Hottie I’m taking the spiderlings –”

A glob of webbing pins his hand to the door. Mark and Tony Stark swing their heads over to look at you.

“Don’t. Tell. Johnny. Or. Mei,” you enunciate carefully.

For a moment, there’s just dead silence, where Mark tries to figure out what the hell is actually going on and how his day went from being so boring to so eventful in such a bad way.

“All right, Silk.” Tony Stark nods, then points to the webs with his free hand. “Now get me out of this.”

. . . . .

You don’t know how Stark did it, but this suit literally fits you perfectly. Even as you’re hiding in your position, you can’t stop marveling about how smooth it feels against your skin.

It’s black and white, with a hood that keeps your hair back and a mask that somehow lets you breathe easily but is still tight against your skin. There are no visible holes for eyes, but some weird technology lets you see through the material anyway.

It feels perfect.

Tony Stark is a motherfucking genius.

A loud whooshing sound comes from the sky. From your vantage point, hidden inside one of the upper levels of the parking garage, you watch Iron Man and War Machine swoop down to meet Captain America in the middle of the airport.

“Wow, it’s so weird how you run into people at the airport,” Tony Stark says in the most deadpan voice possible, his helmet lowering to reveal his face.

You snicker slightly.

The two sides go back and forth for a bit. Mr. Stark didn’t explain the whole argument, citing the fact that you’re too young to understand (to which you bristled a bit), but he gave you your roles, and you’re not about to question him. Stay quiet and hidden, only come out if there’s actual fighting.

Mark, on the other hand, gets to do something you envy a bit.

He gets to take Captain America’s shield.

Just then, Mr. Stark yells the code word. “Underoos!”

You really stifle a laugh then as Mark swoops in, snatches the shield, webs Captain’s hands together, and lands on the roof of a nearby car.

“Nice job, kid,” Mr. Stark calls.

Somehow, even hidden behind the suit, Mark looks awkward. It’s both embarrassing and endearing at the same time.

Classic Mark. Can barely take a compliment. You cringe slightly as your best friend starts rambling.

“Well, I could’ve stuck the landing better, it’s just, uh, new suit – wait, no, it’s perfect, Mr. Stark, thank you –”

Thankfully, Mr. Stark cuts him off. “That’s good, kid.”

A beat of silence.

“Hey, everyone.” Mark waves awkwardly.

No one waves back. You cringe harder.

The awkward atmosphere turns serious when Mr. Stark opens his mouth again. “What are you doing, Cap?” He sighs so loudly you can hear it even from your hiding spot. “You’re being an idiot. You dragged in Clint, took Wanda from a place she didn’t want to leave, a safe place?” His eyes blaze. “I’m trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart!”

You blink. What?

There’s more that you don’t understand. Something about turning over Barnes, no compunction about hurting people, and then Lang? Who’s Lang?

Apparently Lang is a small dude who becomes a regular-sized dude all in the process of kicking Mark’s face and returning Captain’s shield.

His suit looks like an ant.

You can practically hear the what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck running through Mark’s head as he stands up because you’re feeling it too.

“Two in the parking deck, one of them’s Maximoff,” Mr. Stark says. “I’m getting her. Rhodey, can you take Cap?”

Colonel Rhodes answers in the affirmative. “Got two in the terminal. Wilson and Barnes.”

“Cool. Spiderling? Got that? Keep your distance and web them up.”

“Yeah,” Mark replies, eyes narrowing. He jumps onto the terminal glass.

You race out of the parking garage, careful to stay hidden, then leap across to the terminal in plain sight to many yells of confusion on the ground below. Someone yells, “There’s another one?”

You smirk. “Ready?”

. . . . .

Mark thanks every god he can think of for his sticky abilities as he races across the glass, keeping Wilson and Barnes in sight. He lashes out with both hands, sending two strings of webbing onto the terminal overhanging, then shoves backward.

The momentum of his swing crashes him through the glass. He grits his teeth, waiting for the pain as glass shatters around him, but Mr. Stark has somehow made his suit so that the glass can’t pierce it, no matter how thin the material feels.

Genius.

Swinging through the new hole, you lash out with your feet and and Wilson goes down with a grunt. Another swing, and then Mark’s inside, ready to fight off Barnes.

He doesn’t even think when Barnes swings his arm. His mind flashes back to a fistfight he dealt with a few weeks ago, and on instinct, he catches Barnes’s fist in his hand.

The sound of metal hitting something fills the air. Mark looks, really looks, and sees that it was Barnes’s fist that made the sound.

“You have a metal arm?” Mark blurts out, unable to contain himself. “That’s so cool!”

And then Sam Wilson, apparently recovered from your kick, swoops in and lifts Mark right off the ground. As he tussles with the Falcon, Mark hears you engage Barnes and yell, “Shit, that metal arm really is awesome!”

See? He really can’t be blamed for how cool a bionic arm is, right?

Wilson twists around in midair, giving Mark the opening he needs to attach to the ceiling and swing out of his reach. A terminal sign falls under his weight as he leaps across steel beams, narrowly avoiding blasts of Wilson’s gunfire.

“DUCK!” you scream from farther below.

Mark’s danger sense already warned him, but your added reminder is helpful as he flattens himself on the beam, just in time for the ripped-off billboard to sail over his head like a large frisbee. “Get out of the way!” you yell, leaping onto the same beam just in time to web up Falcon’s chest, sending him spiraling to the floor. As he goes down, Mark webs up the engine pack on his back, then sticks him to the glass barricade around the escalator.

“Those wings carbon fiber?” you call, clinging to one of the directory posts nearby.

“This stuff coming out of you?” Wilson looks at the webbing on his hands in disbelief.

Mark fully ignores him. “Well, if it is, that’d explain the rigidity-flexibility ratio, which is fucking awesome.” You make a noise of agreement.

“I don’t know if you’ve been in a fight before, kid, but there’s not usually this much talking,” Wilson growls.

You snort, beckoning to Mark. “Well, if he wants to be unfriendly, guess we’ll just have to hack up the blueprints later.”

“My bad,” Mark echoes, then leaps back into the rafters as Barnes comes barreling over. One string of fluid and a well-placed swing later, he’s crashing through the glass escalator barrier, sending both men to the ground. From your position on the ceiling, you web them down before they can get back up.

“Hi hello, sorry about this, but all we had to do was impress Mr. Stark.” You shrug, leaping down to crouch next to him on another directory post. “We’d love to talk some more – especially about that bionic arm, that’s so cool, like the wings are cool but the arm is better, but –”

Mark sees Wilson’s hand move before you do. Just as you send out another string of webbing, something flies out, catches it and drags you out of the glass. “Oh, come on!” he hears you yell.

He tries to think of something clever to say to the pair lying on the ground before leaping off to follow you, but all he can come up with is, “For fuck’s sake.”

Mark doesn’t yell that aloud. He just mutters it under his breath before following you out of the terminal.

. . . . .

The rest of the fight, to put it lightly (and in Mr. Stark’s words) is a shitfest.

You think that you and Mark did fine, if there’s even a way you could measure fine in this kind of scenario. You guys actually manage to fuck around with Captain America for a bit until his physics-defying shield clocks Mark’s face.

Something rips apart in your chest during that one horrible second where Mark goes down and you can’t tell if he’s alive or dead. Inwardly, you swear that if Captain America killed your best friend, you’ll murder him, symbol of America or no.

Mark turns out to be fine. He rolls over and just gasps at the sky. You yell at him to stay away and then Captain America drops a passenger boarding bridge for planes onto your head, nearly causing you to spiral into memories of that time Adrian Toomes sent an entire building crashing down on you and Mark.

(“You got heart, kid.” Captain America looks at you appraisingly as your knees buckle under the weight of the bridge. “Where’re you from?”

Between a pounding heart and spiraling thoughts, you somehow manage to answer. “Qu-Queens.”

“Brooklyn.”

“As if –” you gasp, trying to head off the increasing panic – “my history teacher from Brooklyn didn’t repeat that bit of information about you twenty times in the space of one fucking hour.”

You’re not sure, but you think Captain America smiled at that.)

No, you two aren’t the problem. After Mark helps you out from under the bridge and uses his brilliance and love of Star Wars to come up with a fantastic plan to take down a now not-tiny Ant Man (“Okay, anybody on our side hiding any shocking and fantastic abilities they’d like to disclose? I’m open to suggestions.” “Uh, no abilities here, but I’ve got an idea?”).

Ant Man’s hand eventually smacks you and Mark down. Mr. Stark then forces you to stay down with the threat of leaking your spidery secrets to Mei and Johnny, so you two limp out of the picture.

By the time Mr. Stark comes back to collect the two of you – Mark has a splitting headache, and you think you’re on the verge of an anxiety attack or something – the fight’s over. Captain and Barnes have escaped. The other “rogue” Avengers are going to some high-security prison. Colonel Rhodes might possibly be paralyzed.

Mr. Stark doesn’t look great when he tells you two the news. You think you’re just going to pass out.

Two perfect scores on the SAT cheer you up slightly. Johnny and Mei video call in the hotel room in Germany to congratulate you. But Mr. Stark’s anger at Colonel Rhodes’s state – well, more like anger at himself for not having saved his friend – dampens your moods more than slightly.

Mr. Stark apologizes to the two of you back at the hotel. “I’m sorry, kids.” He sighs, rubbing his forehead. “I didn’t think this was really going to come to blows. I shouldn’t have brought you in, though.”

Neither you nor Mark knows exactly what to say to that other than a slightly concussed, “It’s fine.”

You get to keep the suits. Mr. Stark demands you let him know if anything malfunctions, though you have a feeling he’ll know anyway. He designed the suits – there’s no way he wouldn’t install some sort of tracking device or whatever that would let him know how damaged it is.

This Mr. Stark is a far cry from the cocky, flirtatious one you met back at the apartment. Here, you see a softer, more broken side of the confident guy that makes an appearance on TV. He’s nice, you realize. Kind. He’s got a lot of baggage, but he’s trying to do what’s right.

And isn’t that just what you and Mark are trying to do?

Mark’s concussion heals quickly. Mr. Stark postulates that your spider bites gave you speedier healing, which would make sense – now that you think of it, your cuts and bruises after that disastrous homecoming healed rather quickly, quickly enough that Johnny didn’t really notice them.

Mr. Stark takes the two of you back home after a couple of days of rest in the hotel. He’s all cordial smiles when Johnny and Mei come down to get you guys. You’re supposed to go to Stark Industries every Sunday now for regular suit repairs, under the guise that you’re conducting research with that grant he gave you.

Now, you’re not stupid enough to go around publicizing your sort-of relationship with Tony Stark. The man’s practically a god. But someone from school apparently saw the two of you getting out of his car the day you got back from Germany, so now people have a lot of questions they want you answer.

During the space of one week, Flash tries a grand total of five times to bully an answer out of you. Mark has to hold you back from clocking him in the face after the fifth time. After that, you tell everyone you have an internship at Stark Industries, and even though that just spawns more questions, there’s nothing more you’ll say about it.

So life goes on. No one at school knows about your spontaneous, long-weekend trip to Germany. Johnny and Mei just think it’s a perk of being chosen as a September Fund grant winner as a high school student. Only you and Mark know differently, and that’s good. It’s what you decided in the beginning, wasn’t it? You even webbed Tony fucking Stark’s hand to your door to prevent him from blabbing.

Life is normal. You go to school, work in the lab, practice for AcaDec, and patrol. Life is normal.

Until it isn’t.

. . . . .

Mark remembers the exact day he saw the first article. It’s December 15, about a month after Germany. He’s just scrolling through his phone at lunch, half-listening to Haechan complain about something or another, when the story pops up on his news briefing.

Spiderman and Silk: Friends or Foes?

Curious, he taps on the link.

Later, as he sits in physics, shell-shocked, he’ll wish that he never bothered to look at it. He never really searches himself up – it’s just kind of weird. After the fight in Germany, the two of you are more well-known than ever, but when he hears mentions of Spiderman or Silk at school or on the streets, it’s usually good stuff. Or neutral, at least. He hadn’t really felt the need to see what people online have to say about him until that day.

Mark doesn’t know what possessed him to open that article in the first place, but he wishes it had never happened.

Because it isn’t a friendly article. It denounces you and him as half-breeds, some sort of escaped experiment gone wrong. It doesn’t actually pinpoint what experiment or the company that fucked it up – for that, Mark is thankful – but it really does hurt to see that people don’t see the good you two are trying to do, just your strange abilities.

They don’t even think you two are human.

Some of the comments defend the two of you, pointing out the enhanced abilities of other heroes like Captain America. But far more agree with the article’s words, even going so far as to demand the two of you be tried as criminals and put in prison.

That, Mark thinks, is bullshit. Neither of you have ever killed anyone, just knocked people unconscious and webbed them up. Compare that to the gunfights, the muggings, the rapes that could have happened, and he doesn’t think those comments are justified.

But they stay in the back of his mind, and when you ask him why he’s brooding on the train ride to the labs, he’s forced to show you the article. He’s forced to watch you read it, watch your smile fade, and watch you try to put your usual confident face back on. “It’s just an article,” you say flippantly, handing back the phone. “And I think we’re doing fine.”

Mark half agrees. It is just an article, he knows that’s true. But he doesn’t think you really believe that.

Hell, he doesn’t even think he really believes that.

Still, he tries to explain away the extra hour of patrolling he tacks on for himself every night. He leaves you out of it, at first – he just stays on the rooftop for a while longer until he’s sure you’re in bed, and then swings around for a bit more.

Until the night (well, morning) that he returns from that extra hour to see you standing on the rooftop in your pajamas, arms crossed.

“I’m not stupid, you know,” is the first thing you say when he guiltily lands in front of you.

And of course, now he has to let you go with him.

So patrols extend. Mark tells you that it’s just because he wants to make sure he cleans up as much crime as possible. You take that reason with a nod and a “sure,” because even though you believe Mark is a good person to the core (you’ve told him this many times), you also read that article.

You’ve also caught him reading more.

He feels strangely guilty each time you pluck his phone out of his hands and exit the browser app, raising an eyebrow. When that doesn’t stop him, you resort to giving him a punch every time you catch him.

“Are you trying to, like, classically condition me?” Mark complains, rubbing his shoulder. Yeah, he’s extra strong now, but so are you. And your punches hurt.

“Pretty sure it’s operant conditioning. And yes, if that’s what it takes for you to stop reading those shit articles,” you snap, punching him again in the same spot.

It’s hard to stop, though. Mark doesn’t know how celebrities do it. He’s anonymous – he can count the number of people who know his secret identity on one hand – but he still feels so much pressure from these articles to prove them wrong.

But that’s hard to do when they all contradict each other. Some complain that he does too much. Some complain that he does too little. Others just dislike him in general and he really shouldn’t pay attention to those, but he can’t. Day by day, he forces himself to do more – swing faster, punch harder, help more people, put more criminals behind bars.

What else can he do?

. . . . .

You’ve suspected something was wrong with you ever since that explosion in Professor Wang’s lab, the day Tony Stark came to your apartment. Explosions, though uncommon, are still a part of lab life. Usually you’d just look up, snicker at whoever did it, laugh if it was Wang, and get back to work.

That day is the first time you freak out over an explosion. It wasn’t even that big or loud, either. Mei has definitely caused bigger messes in her own apartment.

But it doesn’t matter, because suddenly, you’re back on the beach under a pitch-black sky, feeling yourself being thrown backwards as metal vulture wings tear themselves apart in a shower of beautifully dangerous blue and purple sparks.

Yuta, once you’ve calmed down, tells you that you were hyperventilating. That makes sense. You remember a burning sensation in your chest and your heart beating faster than you ever thought it could. When you’re finally calm, you’re shaking slightly, sweat beading your forehead.

At the time, you don’t plan to tell anyone about it. For all you know, it was just one isolated experience. It probably won’t happen again.

And then Captain America – who is very different from the PSA videos Coach shows you during PE – drops a passenger bridge onto you, sending you back under crushing concrete blocks. You can practically feel the dust clogging your throat and entering your nose as you struggle to respond to what the Captain is saying – because fuck if you’re going to show weakness to a superhero – and even though some part of your brain knows that what you’re feeling isn’t actually real, it feels like it is and that’s enough to start sending you spiraling.

Mark helps you out that time, helping push the bridge off of you even through his pounding headache. As you collapse on the ground, heaving, you’re not sure if he notices the imminent panic attack you’ve just managed to pull yourself out of. You really hope he doesn’t, because he doesn’t seem to be dealing with the same thing – flashbacks, panicking, hyperventilating.

What does it say about you that you are?

But once you get back from Germany, the panic attacks (you’re pretty sure that’s what they are – the symptoms seem to match, at least) subside. You relax back into your friend group, and even though school is more stressful than ever, things feel normal. You feel… fine.

Until Mark finds that article.

There’s a lot on your plate. Even before you got your spidery abilities, you were involved in a lot of things, most of which you haven’t given up because if you did that, a lot of people would get suspicious (or disappointed, which is almost worse).

You and Mark used to just not patrol on AcaDec practice or competition days. You also wouldn’t patrol on nights before big tests, or when you stayed late at the lab to finish something up. But now you do.

It isn’t that article, specifically, that causes you to double down on yourself and work harder than ever. That article was just about stupid things you can’t control, which basically consists of every ability you got after the spider bite. No, it’s the other articles, the ones that point out crime rates increasing and Spiderman and Silk not having enough of an effect on them, that first spawn the problem.

(You’re a hypocrite. You know that. You tell Mark to stop reading the articles because they’re bad for his health, but you read them too. You’re just better at hiding it.

It’s somehow addictive, reading the sickening things that people like to write about the two of you. It’s bad for you, and you know it. But you just can’t stop.)

Stress is a sneaky thing. It’s almost impossible to realize just how stressed you are, you think, until it’s too late. Johnny, when he was at university, put on a confident face for three weeks before midterms and then had a breakdown the day after he finished.

The same thing is happening with you, but you don’t notice it for a long time. The fact that crime rates are increasing just rests in the back of your mind, fueling the extra hours of patrol you do every night, even when you have tests or practice or research papers to write. Not to mention all your homework, too.

The rational part of your mind logically explains away the increasing crime rates. International-scale problems started increasing after the Avengers Initiative became public in 2012 because people believed they could go up against the Avengers and win. They drew the attention of aliens and evil public figures. It’s probably a similar thing here in Queens – people believe they can go up against you and Mark and win. You’ve caught their attention because you have the potential to take down malicious plans.

But what about the crime in other parts of New York, the places you can’t get to? Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t. Queens is big enough on its own. You can’t tackle Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx too.

What do people even want you to do? Everyone always says to just do your best and that’ll be enough, but why is it that once you get a few new abilities, that suddenly isn’t the case?

You can’t save everyone. As much as you want to, you’re only one person.

You can’t.

Then the first panic attack after Germany happens.

You’re at home. You don’t even feel terrible. There are no flashbacks or anything to trigger it, so maybe you don’t have PTSD.

(That conjecture is the one good thing that comes out of this panic attack.)

You’re just lying in your bed, resting for a bit before you go out to patrol, when it suddenly feels like your chest is constricting and you can’t breathe.

Time doesn’t seem to flow. Your heart beats wildly, you’re hyperventilating, and you honestly think you’re about to die. When you finally come out of it, your phone tells you you’ve been stuck in your head for ten minutes.

It felt like so much longer.

You should probably call off patrols tonight. Your mind feels exhausted and you can barely drag your suit out from under your bed, but a recent article eggs you on – crime rates have been spiking recently, and New York’s newest spider vigilantes don’t seem to be doing much for it – so you wave Mark off when he asks if you’re okay and swing into the fading afternoon light.

The next day, you drag yourself to school feeling physically and mentally wiped out (someone decided a rape was necessary at around one in the morning, and you can still feel the poor girl trembling under your hands as you walked her to the nearest hospital) and you sit yourself down for a history test that will determine half of your semester grade.

It’s fine. The test is fine. You get an A, anyway. But the second you walk out of class, the chest pains start coming in again, and you all but sprint to the bathroom to safely panic in one of the stalls.

You’re not fine. You’re definitely not fine. A week later, someone bangs a locker door shut a little too loudly and you barely make it to the bathroom before you start hyperventilating. It’s like the world won’t fucking stop.

Then during winter break, there’s the fight with Johnny.

. . .

You don’t usually fight with your older brother. When you were younger and your parents were still alive, maybe. But after they died, the two of you only had each other, so the fights more or less stopped. Sure, there are the occasional petty spats that devolve into laughter and hugs, but that’s all.

Johnny isn’t stupid, you know. Even with speedier healing than normal, there are still sometimes cuts on your face and bruises on your arms that he can see. And one day, as you two sit down to dinner, he brings them up.

“So, what exactly do you do with your Stark grant?” he asks a bit too casually.

“Oh, I’m working on trying to synthesize that degradable plastic I started on with Wang,” you reply as coolly as possible. “Stark’s got a lot more supplies in his departments than Wang does, and for the most part, he lets Mark and I use whatever we need.”

“He really trusts you a lot,” Johnny says.

You don’t know what to say to that, so you just nod.

“Okay, I’ll cut the crap.” Your brother sighs, putting down his chopsticks. “I don’t like your Stark grant… internship thing, Y/N.”

Several thoughts fly through your mind, but first and foremost is what the fuck?

“W… why?”

“You’ve been hiding things from me ever since you started with him.” Johnny gestures to your face and your arms. “There’s no way you could get scratches or bruises like that from working in a lab. I don’t know what Stark is doing, or whether or not you’re a willing participant in… whatever it is, but if it were up to me, I wouldn’t have you working there anymore.”

“I’m not doing anything dangerous!” you protest, even though you know that’s a lie. Well, it’s not really in relation with your Stark internship. “I’m just – clumsy!”

“Clumsy is Mark’s thing, not yours,” Johnny snaps. “Why are you lying to me?”

Deflect, deflect, deflect –

“Why do you want me to give up the best opportunity that’s come to me in years?” you retort, pushing your chair back.

“You want to talk about giving up things?” Your brother stands up, eyes blazing. “I gave up everything after Mom and Dad died!”

Something cold settles in your stomach. It’s just as you feared. Johnny’s given up so much, and what have you done? Compared to him, you’re so selfish for taking the opportunities that land in your path – AcaDec, working with Wang and now Mr. Stark.

But you can’t give up what you’re doing with Stark. He’s been teaching you and Mark how to repair your suits, but you can’t do it alone just yet. You need to keep learning. You need to keep going.

How can you explain this to Johnny without revealing everything?

A tear slips out of your eye before you realize. Johnny looks slightly stricken, like he didn’t mean to say what he did, but you can’t look at him. “I’m sorry,” you mumble. “Sorry that…” You don’t even know what you’re apologizing for, you just know that you have to.

Then it clicks. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you everything,” you say around the lump in your throat. “If I could, I would. But I can’t.”

If anything, Johnny looks even more upset and confused than before. “Why can’t you tell me?” he asks, voice softer.

“I just can’t,” you say again, trying to convey just how impossible this whole situation is. “It’s not Mr. Stark’s fault. It’s not anything I’ve been doing with him. It’s just me. I… you can’t understand. Not now.”

“I think I should be the judge of that,” Johnny replies.

You shake your head firmly. “Not this time.”

Silence reigns. Your unfinished dinner bowls stand on the table, forgotten.

“I’ll tell you at some point,” you say, biting your lip hard. “You don’t have to trust me. I know how shady this all sounds. I’m not selling drugs or doing anything like that.” You try to breathe calmly. “I’m not going to stop my work with Mr. Stark. It’s important to me. I can give up other things, just not that.”

“Why?” Johnny’s talking again with an acid bite to his voice. “Is he like a father to you now?”

At that, you really flinch. “What?”

“Are you seriously replacing Dad with Tony Stark?” he snaps.

Your brain processes his words.

“What the fuck?” Now you’re angry too, and it’s taking all your effort not break literally anything in the room. Your fists clench into your sides so hard you can feel your nails biting into your palms. “How – how dare you?”

Johnny just looks at you like you’ve betrayed him. “It’s clear to see, Y/N.” His voice is softer, though no less cutting. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

Memories of your own father flash through your head. You don’t know what Johnny is even thinking, but there is no way you could ever replace him. “You’re wrong,” you snap quietly. “You’re completely wrong.”

Then you walk to your room and slam the door shut.

The rest of winter break is awful. Neither you nor Johnny will apologize, and you spend a lot of time crying or heaving on your bed. It doesn’t feel like anything could get worse.

Then Mark gets himself shot.