#he had to leave home to know the importance of it

[taraljc]

okay you guys here's what I remember from my 6th grade English class which also involved me reading every single book in the library on Greek mythology:

The biggest guns in 12 Olympians are the sons and daughters of Kronos the god of time. They fought the Titans and then took over their jobs but did a really shitty job in a lot of cases and they should have probably let Helios and the rest of the Titans alone. but Zeus had mad hate on for his dad Kronos and that's why they were banished to a prison in the underworld.

Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, Hestia were born of Kronos. Athene, Aphrodite, Ares, Hephaestas, Apollo and Artemis, and Hermes were born of pretty much mostly Zeus and sometimes Hera. We only really hear about Poseidon's kids when they're half human and do heroic shit. Recognising that their family are assholes and they want nothing to do with them, Hades and Persephone have dogs instead of kids and their dog is named Spot.

Iris is Hera's messenger. You can only see where she's been by the rainbow in the sky in her wake.

Hermes is a trickster and a thief and also a messenger. He also likes to tinker in his off time and create things like musical instruments and occasionally steals entire flocks of sheep for the lols.

Demeter is in charge of growing things and the harvest. For reasons that absolutely defy understanding, she hook up with Zeus that one time and they had a daughter. Persephone or Kore is the goddess of spring and the queen of the afterlife with her husband Hades. His realm includes all of the afterlife including the Elysian Fields.

Herakles is an asshole and should not have been included.

Dionysus is the god of wine, however you got to watch out for his groupies cos they might rip to pieces so that you're just a singing head for millennia.

Morpheus is the god of sleep, and he had a child with Calliope one of the muses whom they named Orpheus.

Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory, and the mother of Calliope and her sisters also called the muses.

In between hitting people with the dodgeball and turning women into trees, Apollo drives his chariot across the sky from dawn till dusk.

In between turning dudes into deer and driving her chariot across the sky from dusk till dawn, Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and patron and protector of single women.

Eris is is goddess of chaos, and should not be invited to any weddings.

Hestia is the goddess of the hearth and the home, and most importantly is in charge of fire.

Athene who had no mother but burst fourth full grown from Zeus's brow is goddess of strategy and she and Ares fucking hate each other like a whole lot.

Hephaestas was wed to Aphrodite but she cheated on him with Ares. Her son Eros the god of love is mostly famous for falling in love with Psyche, and then failing to protect her from his mother until the 11th hour.

The Fates are in charge of the whole ball of wax. they spin the thread, they weave the thread into the tapestry of time and existence and then they cut the thread when it has run its course. they're almost always betrayed as a triple goddess: maiden, mother, crone. Their names are Clotho the spinner, Lachesis the weaver, and Atropos who has the scissors and therefore the last word. Literally.

Another triple goddess motif are The Kindly Ones or the Erinyes, whose job it is to meet out justice. so if you spill family blood, you end up on their shit list. Their names are Alecto, Tisphone, and Megaera. They are fucking hardcore, and people in their crosshairs generally referred to them as The Furies.

I'm leaving out a lot. like a lot a lot. What's important to know is that these whackos were more inbred than the Habsburgs, and most human beings either tried to bribe them with sacrifices in their temples, or just stay the fuck out of their way because the gods do not care about anybody except the gods.

Also if you were really good with snakes and hit with the dodgeball of prophecy, as an Oracle your job was to tell people shit they don't want to know so that in trying to avert fate they'll end up creating the very situation they were trying to avoid.

One way that people tried to stay the hell out of the way was by becoming clergy. Unfortunately, when you dedicate your life to the service of one of the gods, this also put you in their crosshairs way too often particularly as Apollo thinks he is God's gift and is constantly recruiting lovers from his own temples. And if you said no, he just might curse you with that goddamn dodgeball with the kicker that no-one will ever believe you, which is what happened to Cassandra.

Even wise Athene would go off her head and turn you into a spider if you pissed her off. Pretty much the only dude that I can think of out of this entire bunch of miscreants who has never hurt anybody is Hestia. Which is probably why they leave her off the list all the time even though she is Hera and Demeter's sister and therefore one of the most powerful of the gods.

Anyway now you're all caught up! Go out there and read about Zeus having sex with way too many people occasionally while wearing a fursuit. And don't say you haven't been warned.

this website’s easy watch. *dangles a bunch of greek gods like keys*

[lexirosewrites]

Hiii I don’t usually go here, but I have had a few Disjointed Thoughts(™) for like WEEKS and I finally decided to share on this, the most holy (hole-y, hah) of days, Slick Sunday.

SO. O!Steve, A!Eddie, shocking. Steve is excruciatingly aware that, physically? He’s not really the Ideal Omega, at least by societal standards. Or his parents’ standards. Or his own, if he lets himself think about it too much, but that’s why he simply Does Not Think About It. Emotionally, he’s pretty solid. He absolutely loves his forcibly-adopted, feral, teenage pups. He’s excited to have his own one day, and to have an Alpha who loves him and their pups. He is always taking care of somebody, particularly the people he cares about, and most of the time it’s not even a conscious choice.

Physically, though?

Physically, he’s taller than an omega usually is. He spent so much time doing sports before he presented, and then after to keep up the image. Plus, let's be honest, he's absolutely keeping himself in shape and strong enough to defend/protect his little chosen pack. No matter how he or other people might feel about it, nothing is as important as keeping everyone safe, even after the UD is taken care of.

He and Eddie have been getting close, though. Eddie made enough anti-secondary-gender-roles speeches in school that Steve's pretty sure he won't mind that Steve is more invested in keeping them all safe than playing the part of “good little omega.” He was certainly impressed when Steve had to bite a bat in the Upside Down, and that's not very Omegan. The problem is, Eddie is such a perfect Alpha. Robin always makes a face when he says it, but Steve can feel it in his soul. Eddie is loud, exuberant, fiercely loyal, and protective of anyone who might need it, particularly when he cares about them. He's good with his hands, between his guitars and tinkering with his van when it has a new issue every month. He bickers with Wayne constantly over bills, trying to get his uncle to let him help more, leaving stray bills in Wayne's pockets when he loses the argument.

If Eddie can be such a good Alpha, Steve can try and be a better Omega, just a little. He does tone his more Alpha-like tendencies down a little, just to be safe- doesn't bring up playing sports/working out as much when Eddie's around, asks Eddie to help move things instead of just doing it himself, lets other people grab stuff from high shelves rather than volunteering himself. It seems to be going well, all things considered. He and A!Robin (who knows about the Omega-image issues, but not that he's been playing a bit more of the helpless Omega for Eddie, because she absolutely wouldn't approve) are sure Eddie's going to ask him to start courting any day now, really!!

To hopefully kick-start the process, Steve eagerly volunteers to help Wayne with some manual labor. Something with the siding of the trailer; it won’t be difficult, but it'll be a lot easier with two people. He'd have helped anyway, of course, but he's very aware that Eddie is devoted to his uncle and wants him taken care of. Surely, if there's anything that would outweigh any distaste from the non-Omega-like behavior, it's helping Wayne. The day of, though, he's on a ladder (Wayne is holding the ladder steady; Steve threw a hissy fit when he tried to go up himself), hammering in the last couple nails when Eddie gets home.

Normally, Eddie seems ecstatic to see Steve in any scenario- at one of their houses, after Hellfire to take the kids home, the few times they've passed each other in the grocery store- but when Steve looks over to say hi, he doesn't look… pleased. He actually looks kind of. Angry? Maybe? His eyes are blank, not filled with the warmth he's used to. His mouth is pressed together in a thin line, jaw clenched.

Steve has gotten pretty good at reading Eddie, knows his facial expressions like the back of his hand, but this is new. New and not happy. It makes him self-conscious, make him want to jump off the ladder and go beg forgiveness from his Alpha for whatever he did, but Steve pushes it down. He's got a job to finish, and if that face is directed at him for too long there's a good chance he's going to start whining- or worse, crying. Eddie gets back in his van immediately, though, driving off who knows where. Steve tells himself he was probably just having a bad day, and didn't want company. That's just a thing that happens. Nothing immediately to do with Steve, surely, and Wayne doesn't seem bothered so it's fine. Definitely.

A few days pass, and the party are all at Steve's house. The pups (who are nearly grown, now, but that doesn't stop them from being Steve's Pups, okay?) are mostly in the pool. The technically-adults are enjoying the sun and calling out warnings when the play-fighting gets a little too rough. Steve and Lucas are practicing basketball a few feet away, trying to nail a particular, super impressive move that even Steve can only do with about 40% accuracy. (I don't know basketball, I'm sure something like this has to exist though, right??? Indulge me lol) The two of them have been at it all summer, to better Lucas’ chance of getting varsity next school year.

Then Lucas nails it. Absolutely picture-perfect form, better than even Steve has ever done it. And they go NUTS. Everyone is looking over, confused but generally amused at their antics. Steve is so proud that he doesn't even think about it, just lifts Lucas up so he's sitting on one of Steve's shoulders, so Steve can hold him up with one arm and gesture wildly with the other while parading Lucas around, explaining exactly why this is so impressive to the non-athletes.

Except. Then he happens to look over at Eddie. And it's the face from the other day. Closer now, he can see that Eddie's knuckles are white where they're clenched around his beer bottle. Steve still can't get a read on it, and Eddie hasn't been in the pool yet so the scent blocker is keeping Steve from being able to tell what's the matter. Again, Steve's first instinct is to figure out what he did, how he can be better. But this is Eddie. He's probably just bitter about a sports thing interrupting whatever nerd conversation he was probably having, and he'll get over it quickly. Besides, Lucas deserves his moment.

Eddie is fine the rest of the night, and it doesn't come up, so Steve manages to mostly forget about it. But a week or two later, Steve is dropping Max off at home after physical therapy, and she's clearly too tired and exhausted for the stairs but she'll never admit it. Steve moves slowly, telegraphing his intentions as obviously as he can to give her an out, but she doesn't take it. So he picks her up, gently as possible, and carries her up the steps, grabbing her crutches as well.

He doesn't push it, even if his Omega would be thrilled to bring her in and make sure she gets settled and drinks some water, because it'd make her uncomfortable and this is already a lot. They don't talk about it, they just say their goodbyes and Steve goes to drive home. He glances over at the Munson's trailer, purely out of habit, and in the window is Eddie. With the same facial expression as before. He turns away from the window before Steve can react, and the curtain is pulled.

Steve has the whole way home to question this, and the only similarity between the two events that could have caused that face is… Steve being too Alpha-like. The manual labor, carrying the pups around. He's too strong, too big. He's not a good Omega, and his Alph- Eddie, who isn't his Alpha yet and maybe now never will be- Eddie doesn't like it. He drops. Hard. He's not sure how he makes it back to his house, or inside. The next thing he knows, he's sitting next to the phone, Robin's voice coming distant but frantic from where it's dangling by the cord next to him.

Then she's there, in front of him. Worried, clearly, but Steve can't bring himself to do anything about it. He just stares. Time passes, clearly, because at some point he finds himself in his own bed, nest haphazarly built up around him where someone presumably tried to make it bigger without disturbing anything, staring blankly at the ceiling with Robin pressed against him.

His face is wet.

His eyes hurt.

Oh. He's been crying.

He remembers why.

His breath catches, and it's enough to get Robin's attention. She scrambles up, holding his face while she takes exaggerated breaths. He matches her breathing until he's sure they're past the risk of hyperventilating. He tells her everything- not just the times Eddie has seemed upset, but every time he's tried to be better, to be less, every time he's questioned if it would ever be enough. She clearly wants to comment, but she lets him get it all out first. When it's clear he's done, she bundles him in her arms. Calls him a dingus, so he'll crack a smile. They slowly transfer back down the stairs, curling up in a mass of limbs in front of the tv to watch whatever they can find without getting up.

Steve drives her home around midnight, knowing she has work tomorrow and he's got the day off. He swears he's fine, that he'll call if something changes. He waves her off, drives away, and heads in the opposite direction of home. He's okay for now, but if he goes home, he'll think about how empty it is, how he may never have an Alpha to help him fill the space and the quiet, and he won't be okay for long.

He ends up at the quarry. Still quiet, and he's still alone, but at least it's intentional here. He's not exactly watching the clock, but he's only idly thrown a handful of rocks down into the water when he hears a noise he could pick out anywhere. Eddie's van is pulling up, faster even than the ridiculous speeds he usually does. The gravel flies up as he slams on breaks, and the headlights are still fading out when Eddie throws himself out the door.

He hurries towards Steve, and when he's close enough, he drops to his knees. Steve tries to ask, tries to pull him up because that can't be good for Eddie's knees, especially when he's clearly in his pajamas and some untied shoes but Eddie grabs his hand and holds it in both of his own. Trips over his words as he tries to explain, rambles that Robin had called him after she got home, that Eddie had immediately run out the door, went to the house first and then drove around to find Steve.

Steve can feel the shame heating his cheeks, prickling in his gut. He's already mentally cursing Robin's overprotective nature. Of course she'd immediately tried to defend him. She'd probably told Eddie off, something embarrassing about leading him on or believing too much in gender roles despite his own nonconformity or whatever else. Steve tries to pull his hand away, but Eddie's got a firm grip and pleading eyes, and Steve's Omega is too desperate for some approval after his drop earlier to try too hard.

Eddie looks like he's tearing up, and Steve is too caught off guard by this whole thing to hold back the whine it pulls out of him. Even if he's hurt, seeing Eddie upset almost hurts his Omega more than anything else. Eddie's eyes go wide, and he surges to his feet, pressing Steve's hand to his chest and letting a reassuring rumble answer. Steve hates himself a little bit for how much it does calm him down.

Eddie rushes to explain. He's in love with Steve. He thinks Steve's easily the best Omega he's ever met, loves how much he cares for the people around him and protects their pups (Steve tries valiantly to ignore how his heart skips a beat at it being THEIR pups. He fails). The face Steve has been seeing has been Eddie straining to keep his Alpha from begging to bond with Steve on sight. Eddie wanted to court him, wanted to take it slow and romance him and do things properly because Steve deserves it, not ask Steve to have his babies in front of all their friends.

He's been waiting to ask, has been making Steve his own battle jacket since he'd liked Eddie's in the Upside Down as a first courting gift. Apparently, tracking down patches for artists Steve likes is a lot harder than finding patches for Eddie's favorites, and hand-sewing them all on has taken even longer. It's everything Steve could have ever hoped to want and so much more, and Eddie's not wearing any scent blockers, so underneath the heady smell of leather and comfort and Eddie, Steve can tell he's being honest.

The misunderstandings are forgiven. They start courting immediately, and Eddie gives him his own vest to wear as an IOU until Steve's is done. Robin is very mildly scolded for spilling Steve's business, which is cancelled out by the grin on Steve's face as he does it and the hug she tackles him in immediately after says she doesn't regret a thing. It's okay, though. Neither does Steve.

-irrelevantbutembarrassing

chomping on insecure omega Steve because he’s so biteable💕

[aangelinakii]

JUSTICE LEAGUE AS GIRL PARENTS.

characters written about in this piece : bruce wayne, clark kent, diana prince, barry allen, oliver queen

note : when i tell you this is the cutest freaking idea

requested !!

BRUCE WAYNE.

when she's first born, bruce holds his little girl like he's got the whole world in his hands; so delicate, he can morph it however he wants — but he knows she's his first chance to not mess up. he has had adopted sons and daughters, but this daughter is his. like damian, she shares the wayne name. he's just in awe, wrapped completely around her fingers. don't leave him alone with her for too long, because he WILL sit down and have a tea party with all her stuffies and get insanely immersed in it. when she begins to ask for things, he'll get them in an instant, but will still be conscious as to not raise a spoiled child so he'll hold back for a few days or weeks.... and then bam !! "i have a surprise for you, my little dolly" and she just comes in super nervous but excited, and he's got the stuffed kitty cat she saw in a shop window the other day

CLARK KENT.

please don't even get me started. clark would be so emotional because what do you mean this is his own flesh and blood ??? he's come so far from his home planet, and it feels so real that he's having a daughter. because of this he would feel she is just god sent, and treat her as if she was. he's a very soft man with his daughter, never too harsh or loud, never heavy-handed. his daughter deserves the very best, the very kindest version of him. he's the dad that lets his face be used as a canvas for makeup or face paint (and he wouldn't rather be anywhere else, he's quite happy his face being used for the sake of art). for the times his partner isn't around, he also learns how to do his daughter's hair because he thinks it's important she can be happy with how she looks even when it's with him... but he's not very good anyway

DIANA PRINCE.

oh when i say she would be the best girl mum. she grew up surrounded by women, she has a natural instinct for these things, to be nurturing but not over-protective; loving but not smothering. she'd want her daughter to learn things on her own, like the consequences of her actions and be a little tough love like that, but other than that, diana would be the best play buddy. she's super active so she'd have no problem giving her partner a bit of childcare break; maybe the 2 am wake-ups are a bit of a nuisance, but diana can handle it best. knowing her own strength, she would be so so careful with her little girl, wanting her to know only a kind hand.

BARRY ALLEN.

such a dad joke type. does the whole "hi hungry i'm dad" almost every time, but then he almost got a kitchen knife thrown at him once so he stopped. i think when his daughter is first born he's quite nervous, because he's a man, he doesn't know the first thing about being a woman and doesn't want to mess his daughter up for it. soon he learns it's not so difficult, but it's definitely on his mind as she gets older. barry is the definition of dad music, like he gets her into all these bands he grew up with, and gets her into his generation's films,, and he would take her out and get her to experience the world. it also helps that he's the fastest man in the world, so he could take her anywhere anytime she likes. would never miss a dance recital or band performance, or sports game, depending on any extra-curricular activity she does,, but i just know he'd be the best supportive dad.

OLIVER QUEEN.

ollie is a confident man, but even he feels a wave of nerves at the birth of his daughter. he wants to be perfect, a role model; but, now with this bundle of heart in his hands, he begins to second-guess himself, wonder if he can even do it. at times i think he could be distant in his doubts, but when he's present, holding her hand as she walks on half-walls, tying her hair back when eating messy food or finger painting, he's the best dad a little girl could ask for. i could see him being slightly over protective as she gets older, especially with boys or with bullies or bad friends. he'd never do anything she didn't want him to, but trust me ollie would have no issue having a go at someone who hurts the one he's most proud of. gives the best hugs and, with a squeeze on the shoulder, reminds her she's all he lives for.

[insidekatmind]

Your Brother's Best Friend- Noni Madueke

Wearning: slight smut

Request: yes!

Being Levi Colwill’s younger sister wasn’t always easy, especially with how protective he was of you. Ever since you were little, Levi had always kept an eye on anyone who came near you, which made you feel safe but sometimes a bit suffocated. Now that he played for Chelsea, his life was a whirlwind of training sessions, matches, and, of course, his teammates.

Among them was Noni Madueke. His radiant smile, contagious energy, and the way he joked with you every time he came over were impossible to ignore. You found yourself looking for any excuse to spend even a few minutes with him whenever he came home with Levi after training.

“Y/N, are you really staring at the wall, or are you watching someone?” Levi’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts as you sat on the couch. Noni had just gone into the kitchen to grab a drink, and, of course, your eyes had followed his every move.

“What? No! I’m just… thinking!” you replied, trying to sound casual. Levi raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Uh-huh, sure. Keep your eyes off my teammates, okay? Especially Noni.”

“Oh, come on, that would never happen!” you lied, trying to hide the blush creeping across your cheeks.

Right at that moment, Noni walked back in with his signature grin and a couple of jokes ready to go. “What’s the topic? Hope you weren’t talking about me, eh?”

Your heart did a somersault, but you just laughed nervously. “Nothing important, we were just chatting.”

He gave you a curious yet kind look, the kind that made you feel like you were the only person in the room. He asked you about your university course, and as you talked, it felt like the rest of the world disappeared.

When Levi noticed that Noni was paying you just a little too much attention, he stepped in. “Alright, enough chit-chat. Noni, let’s go. We’ve got clips from yesterday’s match to review.”

Noni chuckled but, before following Levi, he glanced back at you. “See you later, Y/N.”

And as your heart raced, you couldn’t help but hope that “see you later” meant much more than just a quick chat.

The next day Noni shows up at your house.“Hi, if you're looking for Levi, he's not at home right now,” you say, trying to act normal.

Noni’s cheerful smile widens upon seeing you.“I know, I came to see you, actually,” he replies, his voice oozing confidence.

Your heart flips. He came to see you? Why?

A hundred thoughts race through your mind, but you try to hide the excitement bubbling up. “Me? Why?”

Noni takes a step closer, his eyes never leaving yours.“I figured I needed a break from all the football talk. Plus, I wanted to spend some time with a beautiful girl.”

Your cheeks flush at his compliment. It’s hard to think straight when he’s standing so close to you.Clearing your throat, you manage to stutter out a response. “Wh-what do you want to do then?”

Noni grins, enjoying the flustered look on your face.“I don’t know… maybe we could have a quick chat? We’ve never really talked much just the two of us, have we?”

You nod, feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. Spending time alone with him is both thrilling and terrifying.“Sure, yeah, we can chat.”

You let him into your house while you try not to freak out and close the door.

Noni follows you inside, his presence filling the room as you both find a place to sit down. He flops onto the couch, completely at ease, while you perch nervously on the edge of the armchair opposite him, trying to slow your racing heart.“So,” he begins, a playful smile on his lips, “What shall we chat about?”

Your mind goes blank for a moment as his piercing gaze fixates on you. You’re used to seeing his carefree smile and hearing his jokes and banter. Being alone with him feels different. Suddenly, your brain can’t seem to come up with a single topic of conversation.“Um… I don’t know… you tell me,” you say, attempting to sound casual.

Noni leans back on the couch, one arm stretched out across the back, still gazing at you intently.“Well, let’s see… what’s your favorite color?” he asks, with a smirk.

You smile in amusement at his question. "Do you want to know my favorite color?"

Noni chuckles, enjoying the exchange.“I do. It’s a very important question.”

You roll your eyes, but there’s a hint of a smile on your lips. You can’t believe he’s asking about something so trivial.“Fine. My favorite color is purple.”

Noni raises an eyebrow, pretending to consider your answer.“Purple... interesting choice.”

You can’t help but smile at his exaggerated response. “What’s yours then?”

He pretends to think about it for a moment, though you’re sure he knows his answer immediately.“Mine is whatever color your cheeks turn when you’re embarrassed.”

You blushed at his words and looked away, biting your lip to hide the smile that was breaking out of you.

Noni watches you intently as the blush spreads across your cheeks. He clearly enjoys the effect he has on you.“See, that’s the color I’m talking about,” he grins, pointing at your flushed face. “That’s the prettiest color there is.”

You try to regain your composure and look him in the eye.“You say that to every girl, don’t you?”It’s a half-joke, but there’s a hint of insecurity in your voice. Noni’s smooth with everyone, why should you be any different?

Noni cocks his head, his smile faltering for a moment. He seems to pick up on the hint of vulnerability in your tone.“You think I say that to every girl?” he asks, a flicker of seriousness in his expression.

You shrug, trying to play it cool. “I don’t know, you seem pretty charming with everyone around.”

Noni leans forward, his eyes locked on yours.“Maybe it’s different with you.”

Those few words send a shiver down your spine, but you keep your cool and raise an eyebrow skeptically. “Oh really? What makes me different?”

Noni contemplates his next words for a moment, his gaze intensifying.“It’s just… when I’m with you, it doesn’t feel like a game. It feels different. Real.”His words hang in the air, making your heart pound even faster. You’re not sure if he’s just flattering you or if he really means what he’s saying.

You try to keep your voice steady, not wanting him to realize how much his words affect you.“Real how?” you ask, searching his face for any hint of insincerity.

Noni takes a moment to reply. When he does, his voice is softer, more sincere.“With you, it’s not just about the football or the banter. I like talking to you. Genuinely. It feels like we’re actually connecting, and I don’t feel that with just anyone.”

You smiled softly at his words and you could feel the butterflies in your stomach.Seeing your soft smile, Noni's gaze softens further. He leans back against the couch again, watching you intently.

"You know, I don't think you even realize how cute you look right now," he says quietly, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

Your heart skips another beat at his compliment. You quickly look down, trying to hide the redness in your cheeks that you know is giving you away."Stop it," you say with a shy smile.

But Noni’s not finished. He moves a little closer to you, his voice dropping to a low, intimate tone."No, seriously. You're so damn cute when you're flustered."

You can feel his eyes on you, making you feel a mix of nervous and exhilarated. His proximity is intoxicating, and the air between you feels charged."I... I'm not trying to be cute," you stutter, still unable to meet his gaze.

Noni chuckles, clearly enjoying the effect he has on you."I know you're not trying. That's what makes it so adorable."

You finally muster up the courage to look at him, and when you do, his gaze pins you in place. It’s intense, almost overwhelming. But there’s something else in his eyes too – a hint of desire, and a flicker of something deeper.

As he speaks again, his voice is barely above a whisper.“You drive me crazy when you blush like that, you know.”

You gulp, feeling the truth of his words sink in. The way he’s looking at you sends a shiver down your spine."I..." you start, but your voice trails off. You can’t form a coherent thought with him so close and his eyes on you like that.

He notices your struggle, and a slow, languid smile curls at the corners of his mouth. He obviously enjoys having you at a loss for words.

The tension between you grows more intense by the second. He slowly reaches out and places a hand on your knee. The touch of his fingers on your skin sends electricity through your body."You know," he murmurs, moving his face closer to yours, "I'd love to see just how red you can get."His words are like a flame igniting a fire within you.

You can feel your heart racing in your chest as he inches nearer. He's so close now you can smell his cologne, a perfect mix of spicy and musky. All your rational thoughts seem to disappear, leaving only the pounding in your chest and the burning desire in your veins.

"I..." you begin again, but he cuts you off with a knowing smile.

"Shh," he whispers, bringing his fingers to your lips delicately."Don't overthink it. Just let me do this." His other hand moves up to caress your cheek, the pads of his fingers soft against your skin. You’re lost in his eyes and the sensations he's evoking within you that you barely notice him leaning in even closer."Just... relax," he murmurs, his breath warm on your face.

He's so close now you could count every one of his eyelashes. Your breaths mingle together, and you feel as though the world has shrank to just the two of you.With a tender yet firm touch, he slides his hand behind your neck, pulling you even closer. The way he touches you is electrifying, sending sparks through every nerve in your body.

"You're trembling," he whispers, his lips so close to yours now you can almost taste them. "Are you nervous?"

You nod. It's a lie. You’re not nervous. You're overwhelmed, excited, yearning.

"Good" he says, the word a hot breath against your mouth. "That means you want this as badly as I do."

And then, finally, his lips brush against yours. It's a soft, hesitant touch at first, as if he's testing your reaction. But as soon as your lips respond eagerly to his, he leans in further, deepening the kiss.Your mind goes blank, consumed by the feel of his lips on yours, the taste of him on your tongue. Every nerve in your body is alive and on fire.

The hand on your neck tightens, pulling you against him. Your bodies are flush now, molded to each other. His free hand slips from your knee to your waist, pulling you even closer. The contact is almost dizzying.

He breaks the kiss momentarily, his forehead resting against yours, eyes still closed."You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that," he whispers, his voice hoarse with desire.

You let out a shaky sigh, your head reeling from the kiss. Your hands find their way to his shoulders, gripping them tightly as you try to ground yourself."You... you have?" you manage to ask, your own voice sounding foreign to your ears.

Noni opens his eyes, his gaze intense as it locks with yours."For weeks. Maybe months," he admits, his fingers idly tracing patterns on your waist.

"I've wanted you from the first moment I saw you."His confession sends a thrill through you, making your heart pound even louder. You can’t believe he's been harboring this kind of feelings for so long."But... why didn’t you say anything?" you ask, searching his face.

He smiles at your question, but there’s a hint of sadness in his eyes."Your brother would've killed me," he laughs quietly.

The mention of your brother snaps you back to reality for a moment. It’s true. Levi would absolutely lose his mind if he knew about this.You bite your lip, not wanting to think about that right now. Right now, you just want to be with Noni and forget everything else.

Noni seems to pick up on your concern, and he gently tilts your chin up, meeting your eyes.“Don’t worry about him. For now, just focus on me.”

He leans in again, capturing your lips in another fiery kiss. This time there’s no hesitation, just raw, unfiltered passion.His hands move to your thighs, gripping them firmly as he pulls you up closer. Your legs wrap around his waist instinctively, and you find yourself straddling him, the heat between you almost unbearable.

Your fingers slide into his hair, grabbing handfuls as you kiss him back with equal fervor.His hands now free, they explore your body greedily, tracing up your back and along your arms, as if trying to memorize every curve.The sensations he’s evoking in you are unlike anything you’ve felt before, and you find yourself yearning for more, arching against him shamelessly.

He groans into your mouth, the sound sending shivers down your spine. His hands move down to your hips, anchoring you firmly against him. You can feel the evidence of his desire for you, pressing into your core, making you want him even more.He kisses along your jawline, his lips leaving a trail of fire on your skin. He continue down your neck, lingering on your pulse point, eliciting a gasp from you.

“God, you’re driving me crazy,” he murmurs against your skin, his breath hot and uneven. He nips at your collarbone, sucking at the sensitive flesh in a way that makes your head swim.His hands pull at the hem of your shirt, untucking it from your jeans, his fingers gently caressing the bare skin of your back. The touch of his fingers is like a brand, marking you as his.

The need to feel closer, to feel his skin against yours, is overwhelming. You tug at his shirt, wanting to get it off, but Noni stops you, his hands finding your wrists and pinning them to the couch cushion beside your head.He pulls away from your neck just enough to look at you, eyes fiery and dark with a hunger that makes you shiver.

"Slow down," he breathes, his voice gravelly. "We've got plenty of time."

You try to catch your breath, your body thrumming with unsatisfied desire. Noni notices and smirks, enjoying your impatient state."Slow," he repeats, this time emphasizing the word with a slow, deliberate roll of his hips against yours.

A strangled gasp escapes you, the friction of his body grinding against yours sending a wave of pleasure through you.

The smirk on his face grows as he feels the effect he’s having on you."Feels good, doesn’t it?" he murmurs, his gaze never leaving yours.

Noni does it again, grinding against you slowly but firmly, eliciting another gasp from you. You can feel him against you, hard and ready, and it’s driving you wild.

“I want to touch you,” you say, your voice a bit whiny.

“You are touching me,” Noni points out, still grinding against you tantalizingly. “Be patient.”

You bite your lip, trying to regain some control over yourself. But it’s difficult when he’s looking at you like that, like you’re the most desirable woman he’s ever seen.

He lets go of your wrists, his hands moving down to the button of your jeans.“Is this what you want?” he asks, hooking a finger in the waistband.

You nod, unable to form words, your heart pounding with anticipation. His free hand slides up under your shirt, splaying across your stomach. You arch against him, wanting – needing – more touch.

Noni unbuttons your jeans, his fingers sliding slowly down the zipper. His hands linger at the edge, teasingly not going any further. Each touch is like a taunt, making you ache for more. You squirm under him, unable to bear the torturous slowness of his movements.

"Noni, please," you whisper, your voice taut with need. "Stop teasing me."He chuckles, clearly enjoying the effect he’s having on you.

“But I like teasing you,” he murmurs, his fingers tracing lazy circles on your exposed skin. “Your body responds so beautifully when I play with you.”

Despite your protests, he continues his torturous pace, his hand finally sliding into your jeans, caressing the sensitive skin of your hip. You arch against him again, a small moan escaping your lips."God, you're so ready for me, aren't you?" he whispers, his voice rough with desire.

You can’t deny it. Every inch of your body is burning for his touch, yearning for more than the teases he’s currently giving you. You feel like you’re going to burst, like you need him in ways you’ve never needed anything before.“Noni, please,” you say again, your hands fisting the fabric of his shirt. “I can’t take this anymore. I need you.”

His answering smile is almost predatory. He can tell he’s got you exactly where he wants.“What do you need?” He asks, his fingers continuing their slow, lazy movements. The hand under your shirt slides up higher, just grazing the underside of your breast.

You can barely string a coherent thought together, let alone form a proper sentence.“You,” you manage to say, your voice breathless. “I need you. All of you.”

His smile widens at your words, and his fingers start to move a little faster now.“Is that right?” he asks, his voice a low growl now. “You want all of me, don’t you?

“Yes,” you breathe, your body responding to his every touch. “All of you. Please, Noni. Don’t make me wait any longer.”

Noni leans in to your ear, his breath hot against your skin. “Impatient,” he murmurs, nipping at your earlobe.

“Can you blame me?” you ask, your voice wavering as his fingers start to dip even lower. “You’ve been torturing me.”

He pulls back slightly, his eyes finding yours. The heat in them makes your heart skip a beat.“Patience is a virtue,” he reminds you, his tone almost chiding. “And I want you to beg for it.”

You almost let out a whine at his words. He wants you to beg? You’re already on the verge of begging, but you’re not quite there yet. You hold onto the last shred of pride you have left and shake your head.“I’m not going to beg,” you say, trying to sound defiant.

His eyes flash with desire as he leans in closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.“Oh you will,” he says, his lips right next to your ear. “I’m going to make sure of it.”

You were about to say something but you hear a door open, you quickly get off Noni and fix yourself trying to act normal.Noni is equally caught off guard, and he stands up, adjusting his shirt and trying to look casual.

Levi steps into the room, his gaze moving between you two. There's a moment of awkward silence as he takes in the scene before him.His eyes narrow slightly as they land on you, and then on Noni, who's standing a little too close to you for comfort.

"Everything okay in here?" Levi asks, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Yeah, everything's fine," you say, a little too quickly. You hope he doesn't notice how out of breath you are.

Levi's eyes flick back to Noni, his expression cool."What are you doing here?" he asks, his tone clearly hostile.

Noni responds with an easy smile, as if this kind of hostility is nothing new to him."Just wanted to stop by and say hi," he says smoothly. "Is that a crime?"Levi scowls at his response, his hackles clearly raised.

You notice your brother's look inviting you to go to your room and you nod, getting up. "Ok, it's getting late, I better go to my room" you murmur, giving Noni one last look.

Noni locks eyes with you, the intense heat still there, but you can also see a trace of disappointment at the premature end of your time together.You give him a small smile, silently communicating that you'd wanted things to end differently too.

As you walk by Levi, heading towards your room, you can feel his eyes boring into the side of your head, but you don't dare look back.You close the door quietly behind you, your heart still racing from Noni's proximity and your brother's unexpected appearance.

You flop down on your bed, not bothering to undress. Your mind is racing with thoughts of what might have happened if Levi hadn't interrupted you. You know you shouldn't, but you can't help but wonder...

[justastraymoa]

Yet Unnamed

Chapter 3

Masterlist

Korean is in italics.

Warnings for Yet Unnamed: Kidnapping, cuffs, injuries, drugging by injection, mentions of needles, lots of swearing, kissing, fluff, angst, idiots in love all around.

Nothing within reflects anyone or anything irl. Pics off pinterest.

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When you woke next, it was morning, and you were in Chan's bed. Well. Your bed. You could smell the unmistakable scent of breakfast foods.

Groaning through a stretch you were awake, but not ready to get out of bed yet. You were warm and comfortable. The mattress on this bed was so good!

Your muscles were sore from stress and using them to the max to fight off the kidnappers. The ache only making itself known after a hot shower and a good nights rest.

"Y/n! Breakfast's ready!" Someone shouted from outside the room.

You groaned again trying to decide if you were hungry enough to get up. Also weighing the odds of the others leaving you alone if you didn't make an appearance soon.

The second question was answered not even a full minute later when your door opened and a mass off messy blonde hair crawled into the bed next to you.

"Did you hear Lino?" Felix asked as he snuggled up to you.

"Mhm. Comfy." You grumble.

"I helped him." Felix revealed with a hint of pride.

You snort. "I remember your attempt at pancakes."

"I've gotten better since then. Been practicing." He whined. The sound made you giggle.

"Is everyone here?" You had met most everyone last night, but you were still nervous today.

Today there would be questions. And small talk. Getting to know each other and not knowing how to act around the other. Talking about the future.

Felix flung a leg over me. "Yah. Hyune and Lino are excited to officially meet you. Lino insisted on carrying you to bed last night and everything."

You blushed at the thought of THE Lee Know carrying you to bed princess style. Your head resting on his chest and possibly drooling all over him. You probably drooled on Felixs lap too. Ugh!

Eventually you both got out of bed.

"You are tiny." Lee Know stated as soon as he saw you.

You look down at your body. You were average height and weight. Overweight by Korean standards for sure. You wouldn't say tiny at all. "Um, thanks?" You weren't sure he meant it as a compliment, but generally being 'tiny' isn't a negative thing.

Lee Know handed me a plate of food. "You need to eat."

You shrugged not arguing. Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day after all. "Your food is very good." You complimented as you sat and started on your food.

You smirked as Lee Knows cheeks reddened tomato red. He rubbed his nose and turned away with a nod, not saying anything.

Hyunjin sat across from you with a shy smile. You smiled back easily, insides melting at how cutely shy he was being.

Felix sat near Hyunjin, picking at his plate of food instead of getting his own. It was oddly domestic and adorable to watch. And it must have been a normal occurrence because Hyunjin seemed to be moving bits of food closer to Felix for him to grab. Making sure he got a good mix of all the items available.

Everyone chatted idly as you ate but seemed to be giving you some space. You were thankful. Not awake enough yet for the world and its insanity. At the same time, you kinda felt anxious, like the moments before removing a band aid when you know its gunna hurt so you are clenched tight and psyching yourself up.

It was time to rip off the band aid. Proverbially. "I am sorry for kicking you out of your own home last night." You looked at Lee Know, Hyunjin, I.N, and Seungmin when you said this. Even if I.N and Seungmin ended up coming home early.

Hyunjin waved your apology off. "Don't worry about it. Lee Know and I had a wonderful date night." He smiled over at Lee Know when he said this, who had a soft look on his face.

That reminded you of one of your questions regarding this soul bond group. STAYS had theories of course, but neither JYPE nor Stray Kids have ever confirmed any relationships within the group. "So, you two are together?"

Hyunjin nodded and shrugged, mouth full of pancake.

"We are all kind of in an open poly relationship thing with each other." Chan tried to explain.

"We don't so much think about labels as much as being with who we want , doing what we want. What feels right in that moment." I.N helped out.

You nod in understanding. It wasn't unheard of in soul groups. Other famous people have described it as finding the person you needed in that moment. I.N was saying the same.

And it explains why they never confirmed relationships to the media. Honestly STAY loved it though. They could ship whoever they wanted, and they would be right. Even if they didn't know it for sure.

"Is that...is that okay?" Felix asked. He looked worried, studying your facial expressions for a negative reaction.

You smile. "Absolutely. I was just thinking that no matter who STAY shipped they would be right. And we go feral for ships."

"Are you STAY then?" Changbin asked. He was sat close beside you.

You thought about it. You were in kind of an odd position now. "Yes? I mean I was, you know, before. And I guess my love of your music and stage personas hasn't changed."

"And JYP didn't make anything any easier." Bin scoffed.

"He went about it wrong, but he was only trying to help everyone." Chan was trying to play devil's advocate so there wouldn't be a more hostile work environment than usual. It was understandable.

However, Bin was not having any of it. Chans words seemed to piss him off. He snatched my arm and thrust it towards Chan. "He hurt y/n! Kidnapped her, drugged her! Left physical marks on her!" He snapped. Even angry his grip on my arm was gentle, careful of the bruising.

Reminding himself of all this seemed to really upset him and Bin pulled you into his lap, arms around you loosely in case you didn't want to be there.

Your heart skipped about 7 beats and you could feel your face burn, but you didn't move to get off either. As odd and new as all this was, that place in your chest felt good whenever one of them was affectionate with you.

Instead of overthinking it you let yourself lean back into Bins chest, dragging your plate of food closer so you could continue eating.

"I know exactly what he did, Bin. And I said he was wrong. I only meant that his intentions were in the right place."

"Plus, I mean, he did bring y/n to us." Han pointed out.

"And because of what JYP did we almost lost her, and we have to keep her a hidden. Keep her tucked away like a dirty secret." Bin squeezed your middle tighter as he said this, his voice thinning as he talked about almost losing you.

Absentmindedly you rubbed his forearm in comfort. You couldn't exactly say he was wrong. You knew the consequences of anyone finding out how you got to Korea. The kidnapping would linger over the group for a long time.

The room was silent after this. The air thick with sadness and frustration.

"I really want to show you off." Felix mumbled. The broken look on his face squeezed your heart uncomfortably.

"Its not possible. Not right now." You reply into the following silence.

"Easy fix. We show you off! Screw what anyone says!" Lee Know snapped glaring at you.

I looked away. "What he did - how this started - it will always hang over our heads if we let it get out."

"It doesn't have to! You are making it!"

You knew he was lashing out in hurt, but you couldn't help the defensive anger building in your chest. You push away your plate and sat forward. "And when they question our soul bond? When it ends Stray Kids? Everything you have ever worked for. It's dangerous enough even keeping me hidden!"

The reminder of the consequences seemed to bring everyone up short. You don't think anyone really thought that far ahead. Didn't think of how the world and its harshness would tear apart everything they were everything you all were.

Chan took a shaky breath. "She is right. It would end Stray Kids, and we can't risk it."

Lee Know hit the table with his fist before storming off, a door slamming a couple seconds later making me flinch lightly in surprise.

Sighing and blinking back frustrated tears you pat Bins hand before standing up. "I'm going to go talk to him." You whisper.

"Third door." Seungmin responded.

You knocked on my door lightly, knowing everyone was listening. "Lee Know?" You called.

"Go away!" Came the reply.

"Do you really want that?" You would leave if he wanted, but for some reason you didn't think that was what he really, truly wanted.

There was silence before the door opened just enough for Lee Know to pull you in and shut the door again firmly.

You immediately had and armful of Lee Know as he wrapped around you and hid in your hair with a suspiciously wet sniff.

"Just got you and I don't want to leave you behind."

You rubbed his back gently. "I'm sorry, Lee Know. I can't be the reason all your hard work goes to waste."

"What's the point of it? It won't ever feel like we are whole when we are away!"

"You will still have each other. That will never change. And you will always come back to me."

"It hurts. Without you, it hurts. It's like you are the center - the heart of our soul group. And it hurts when you aren't with us."

You knew it hurt, you knew because even thinking and talking about them leaving you behind hurt. But there was no other way. Not until someone came up with a way to hide your origin story.

"You will get used to the hurt eventually. And you will be too busy while you are working to really notice it. It will become normal." Even if you never wanted it to feel normal. You never wanted to be left behind, abandoned all alone in this apartment. In this country and city you didn't know.

Lee Know didn't answer, just kept holding onto you, sniffing occasionally.

Your moment was interrupted by raised voices from out in the living room. Sounds of slamming and shouts in Korean muffled through the closed door you were behind. You pulled apart and glanced at each other before leaving the room cautiously. Lee Know took the lead, hand reaching back to keep you behind him and so he knew where you were.

What - or rather who - you saw made you wish you stayed in the bedroom.

JYPs nasty self stood in the doorway.

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A/N: I had originally planned on posting every Friday. However, I can already see that I am not going to stick to that.

Since this one is already written and all I am doing is typing it up and changing/adding things as I go, I am already up to chapter 7 being ready to be posted and it makes me itch to have them just sit them.

That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to more in the future. (the near future most likely)

Yet Unnamed Taglist: @fackeraccount @velvetmoonlght @hyunjinstolemyheart @vampkittenb82 @happy-jj @estella-novella @demigoddreamon-blog @tiana-maxivar @ms-flowergirl @jennibahng @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @mimimiloomeelomi @simpforskz143148 @xxeiraxx @lil-bear08 @brbwritingfanfic

General Taglist @stellasays45 @beebee18 @weird-bookworm @velvetmoonlght

[fashionteahouse]

Ahem.. I'm not gonna say anything important (tbh) but.. I've been looking for a vampire reader (like a Cullen) x Paul or Embry and I can't find anything. I'm dying. Like.. WHYYY?? WHY ALWAYS HUMAN READER😭💔

i like this idea ! hope you enjoy :)

secret - paul x reader

Eyes rolled hard.

You were tired of the same routine.

How foolish was it to continue to have to move. You actually liked Washington.

“It’s unsafe for me to stay.” Edward says in deep sorrow.

The family were actually considering.

“We just got here three years ago. One human and you’re ready to crumble.” you mutter. Rosalie snickered at this.

“Don’t be so hard on him.” Carlisle says with great reasoning.

“While you all figure out the next location again, I’m going for a run.” you say.

You out in a flash.

You sulked high in the trees with a crouch. It was completely unfair how when Edward said jump, the rest of the Cullens had no problem asking how high.

It was clear favoritism.

You understood that he was the first adoptive child, but it was as if no one else’s opinion mattered. Your mind thought about just leaving, but Carlisle taught you everything you knew about the life of a vampire.

You were grateful, you were on the brink of death with all hope loss. It wasn’t until he was your doctor, nursing you back to health. You weren’t getting any better and he had taken a liken to you. He saved you. You will always be thankful to him for that.

A sound of a set of paws made you snap out of your head. You peered down and it was one of the biggest animals that you have seen.

You had already fed so you weren’t in the mood to hunt for it. But, you didn’t feel the need to even if you wanted to.

Its large head seemed to know right where you were. It didn’t run or scurry away like other animals did.

You got to see the color of their large eyes. It was as if everything was in slow motion. It was a sensation that vibrated throughout your frozen body.

It ran away before you could question any further.

Your mind was preoccupied as you went back home.

Paul was pissed.

He shook and trembled as he cursed.

“A fucking cold one.”

He felt that the spirits above were messing with him. Punishing him even

“No fucking way.”

He kept it a secret from that day forward.

You didn’t tell the Cullens about the animal you had seen. You instead thought of each animal in alphabetical order.

“I’m so glad you’re back. Your vision went to black.” Alice says with worry as you went to your room.

“I’m fine.” you say.

“Just be careful.” she warns gently. You wave her off.

As the rest of the Cullens went to hunt, you stayed back. Your mind thought back to the wolf.

You tried to read a book but your mind kept thinking about its gorgeous fur. It looked soft to the touch. It was an animal. Why you were so fixated on an animal, you just didn’t know.

You kept it a secret from that day forward.

The Cullens were packing up the home. You didn’t start packing your room. You stood stubbornly as Esme tried to convince you.

“I want to stay here. I don’t want to leave.” you say. You felt the need to stay.

“Y/N, we’re a family. We can’t just leave you behind”.

“It’s unfair Esme. Had Edward not been so blinded, we would still be able to stay.” you say with frustration.

“You can’t help who you love, Y/N. Had this been you, we would support you 100%.”

“But, I wouldn’t fall in love with food. A human.” you say bitterly.

“You don’t know that for sure. We all don’t know who we end up falling in love with. Alice is worried that if you stay, you will be in great danger. Your future isn’t clear.”

“I think we rely on Alice’s visions way too much, don’t you think?”

“Please, Y/N.” Esme begs softly.

You watch as she retreats.

You leave out as the rest of the family is preoccupied.

Ithaca.

You rolled your eyes even harder. All for Edward. The golden child. Letting him pick the location and all.

You crouched high on the tree again. A small part of you hoped that the animal stumbled upon you. But, you figured that chance was slim to none.

That’s when you heard the crunches of leaves and branches. The large animal froze. It was same one. You felt yourself get excited.

“Beautiful.” you whisper to it. The fur was silver and the body was majestic.

You watched as the animal cocked its head to the side.

Before you knew it, you watched in shock as the shimmer of the animal became a human. A muscular human. A naked human.

He covered his center with a large hand. He looked up at you with hard eyes. It was as if he tried to glare at you but he couldn’t bring it to his face.

“Are you stalking me or something?” he asked.

“No.” you say in a small voice.

“This is my second time seeing you.”

“This is my second time seeing you as well.” you say to him.

You jump down to get a closer look. He still kept his distance but he was even more beautiful up close.

Paul felt ashamed. He felt ashamed for feeling himself grow, he felt that his ancestors was looking down at him, shaking their heads.

For a bloodsucker, he genuinely felt you were beautiful. Drop dead gorgeous. He felt his curious mind get the best of him on how it could work. He shook his head.

“You turn into…?”

“A wolf.” he answered.

“A beautiful wolf.” you say as you look at him and his chiseled chest.

“You checking me out, too?” he asks.

You look up and you see a faint smirk.

“Maybe.” you say with your own smirk.

“Heard your family is leaving. Too bad the fun can’t begin.”

Your eyes grow wide a bit as you roll them, “Yeah..I don’t want to leave…It’s all because of..” you grumble.

He chuckled at your attitude. He was amused.

“If you don’t want to leave, why are you leaving?” he found himself asking. “Can’t even keep my fucking mouth shut.” he scolded in his brain.

“Because apparently Edward runs the household. It’s totally unfair…We warned him to stay away from….Bella Swan…But he was oh so curious of why he couldn’t read her mind.” you say.

“Read her mind?” he asks as you both walk.

“Yeah. That’s what he can do. Everyone except hers.”

“Vampire have superpowers and shit now?”

“You know..?” you ask in surprise.

“That’s why I transform into a wolf. To kill your kind off.”

You halt your steps as he takes a predatory step towards you. It wasn’t fear that you felt, it was rather excitement.

“Can you spare me? At least?”

“I’ll think about it.” he says in a seductive tone.

“A flirt, I see.” you whisper. His slow smirk was handsome on his face.

You hear your name ring out. The man turns away and you watch as he’s off on his own. You find out that he’s fast.

Alice rushes towards you and gasps, “You smell like..A shapeshifter. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s probably why I can’t see you. Come on, we have to get back.” she says.

You look in the direction he left. You felt yourself get sad that you never caught his name.

It was like his own dirty little secret. Paul soon found out he liked secrets.

He liked whatever game it was, he didn’t want it to end.

“We leave in the morning.” Carlisle announced to everyone. Edward seemed pleased.

“I’m staying.” you announce.

Shock surrounds the room. Rosalie stands next to Emmett with her arms crossed as he has an arm around her shoulders.

“Me and Emmett aren’t coming to Ithaca.” Rosalie announced.

“We can’t separate! We’re a family.” Alice says.

“Well, I don’t want to go to Ithaca.” Rosalie says.

“Yeah, me neither.” you say.

“And I’m going wherever Rose goes…We’ll see each other again. It’s happened before. We always reunite.” Emmett says.

“But..But..But it could be years before that happens.” Esme says sadly.

“I will stay and keep the house in order.” you offer with a small smile.

“Are you sure, Y/N…?” Carlisle asks.

You nod.

“I’m worried Y/N. That’s why you need to come with us. A shapeshifter was close to you and anything could happen while we’re away. I can’t even see your future anymore. Just please, come with us.” Alice begs you.

“Y/N, is that true?” Carlisle asks you.

“Maybe? That’s what Alice says. I was only lounging in a tree.” you say and you kept picturing deers because you could tell Edward was searching through your mind.

“Please don’t leave Forks. Got it? I personally will come to check in on you from time to time.” Carlisle says.

You nod with an, “Okay.”

You say goodbye to them all before the sunrise.

Edward watched you closely.

“What?” you ask annoyed.

“I know you’re up to something.”

“You always think I’m up to something.” you say as you remember the times he tattled on you time and time again.

“I always catch you…..I will miss you, Y/N.” he says.

You’re shocked.

“You will?”

He nods once. He even gives you a quick but sincere hug.

“Like Emmett said..We will reunite.” you say softly.

Edward grinned only slightly before he’s off right with the other Cullens.

The home was empty. You looked around. The patter of rain started to pour down.

You go out since you liked the feeling of rain on your skin.

You choose another spot, you were surprised that you felt the presence of the wolf.

You turn around and give it a brilliant smile. You watch as they slowly trot to where you were. It was much bigger up close.

Your hand reach out and the feeling of the fur almost made your golden eyes roll to the back of your head.

“They all left. It’s just me.” you say.

The wolf doesn’t say anything and you noticed something tied around their ankle.

They shimmer back to a human and the handsome man is back in your view. You saw a quick peak at his center before you turn your head. A deep chuckle hits your sensitive ears and you look again and this time shorts is on his body.

You stand up from where you were sitting and he raked his dark eyes up and down at you. You shift on your feet.

“A leech that’s nervous?”

“Is that what you call us?” you ask.

He nods.

“What do you call us? Giant dogs?”

You snort, “No….Alice said a shapeshifter so…?”

“That’s what I am.”

“Huh.” you say in thought.

“It’s just you at the house?”

“Yeah…Do..You…Want..To come over?” you ask shyly.

“Yeah.” he says.

You both walked back to the Cullen household. His eyes take in the home.

You watch in amazement as he was already dry. No towel needed.

“Like what you see?” his deep voice echoed in the home.

Your breath hitched, “You dried off so fast.” you say.

He takes your wrist, pulling you close and you felt a tad bit nervous. He pressed your cool hand to his chest. You both groan a bit at the difference in body temperature. You cooled him down and he warmed you up.

“You’re…Hot.” you say.

His smile made you feel excited and you playfully roll your eyes as he took the double meaning and rolled with it.

“They really left.” he says as he still had a hot hand on your wrist.

“Yeah.” you say quietly.

“So…Do you have a room?”

You nod with a slight smile.

He walked close behind you up the stairs, his hand grabbing onto the railing, very close to yours.

“This is my domain.” you say with a humorous tone.

He walked in and he looked around. Picking up things and observing them.

“You’ve been to…A lot of places.”

“Yeah.” you say.

“What’s your favorite place?” he asks as he looks back to you. He’s close to you again and your eyes settled to his chest.

“Here.”

You felt his warm fingers lift your chin up, “My eyes are up here.”

You breathe out a small chuckle as his dominant eyes search for yours.

“No bed..” he says as he walked around you.

“Yeah…I don’t sleep.” you say with a slight laugh. He flops down on the couch you had in your room. He was comfortable. Too comfortable. You enjoyed the sight as he had his hands behind his head.

“Where am I gonna sleep, then?”

You froze. You watch as his smirk grew.

“I can…I can buy you a bed.” you offer. He gets up and walks close up to you and you felt the heat come off of his body. His eyes were fierce with dominance.

“Alright I’m off.” he says. You rush as he was already outside.

“Wait!” you say. He stops and turns around.

“What’s your name? I’m Y/N.”

He gives you a look that made your legs wobbly, you hold onto the outside stairs railing.

“Paul.”

With a blink, he’s gone. He stayed in your brain as you slowly close the front door, as you whisper his name. You lean your back to the door as you felt a smile crept in your lips as you whispered his name again. It felt great coming out of your mouth.

[casuallivi]

The Midnight Kiss

Enjoy. Comments are welcomed and cherished :)

Part 10: Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George

Her leg shock with anxiety the entire uber ride to the airport, the noises of the big city doing nothing to drown the variety of wild imaginative scenarios her mind had been creating since leaving Azriel and his ex to have a cozy one-o-one. Elain hadn’t been able to get a hold of her boyfriend for the last three days – that is, if he still was even her boyfriend. A loud groan escaped her at the same time the driver did a sharp stop to avoid crashing in the car in front of them. She checked her wrist watch. Damn it, she was late, late! It was just her luck forgetting to plug her phone the night before a trip. Elain needed to get a grip and take her head out of the clouds! She was a mess since Friday.

When the drop dead gorgeous woman Azriel refused to call and ex had rolled up at Marinos on Friday, Elain idiot-self thought it was a good idea to give them a bit of space. After leaving the conference room, Elain waited in the lobby for about an hour before hunger was clawing her insides like a wild beast. She texted Az to let him know she would be at the Wendy’s across the street and ordered two meal sets for the both of them. Elain ate her food, scrolled on the gram, munched his fries, sipped his watered down drink, scrolled some more, and nothing. By the time the employees began to stack the chairs and give her pointed looks, she apologized for the delay and left, Azriel having successfully ignored her texts and calls for the last three hours, the last bit of hope of finding him getting blow like yesterday’s birthday candle when she returned to the building and didn’t find his car in the parking lot.

Her attentive and sensitive about priory agreed upon engagements boyfriend left her behind when they were supposed to go on a date, a date consisting of delicious homemade food and Elain finally meeting Azriel’s place. Was it her fault for leaving first? Hadn’t he read her text about Wendy’s? Was he mad that she decided to eat without him? Or was it because he had someone else to take home today? Someone whose importance span in the many years from his youth to adulthood? Someone who refused to properly date him but had no qualms in reaping the fruits of his adoring affection.

Sniffing in bed and stress-eating his now cold triple baconburger, Elain could not help but feel like the development of the night was her fault. Christ, why couldn’t she be like those obsessive girlfriends who would not aloud their boyfriends to set a foot away from them, especially when pretty women were in the vicinity? Damn her and her stupid confidence in their individual boundaries and trust in their relationship. Screw that, Elain was going full toxic next time! Yeah, maybe like that she would not be here mopping and wondering about what the heck had happened to Azriel. 

And speaking of Azriel…. The more the thought about, the more she grew mad at him! No matter what he had to discuss with blondie, she was sure it wasn’t so long he could not spare a minute to text or call her, let her know he would not take her home. One last frustrated bite to his sandwich and Elain decided that yes, Azriel should be the receiver of her anger, not herself. She decided then and there that she would not be calling him. Azriel should be the one calling her and giving a good explanation for prioritizing the wrong lady in the equation. Yes, she would not forgive him for leaving her behind without some good groveling.

In the end, her resilience amounted to almost nothing. As Saturday came and went without a single smoke signal or nothing, her resentment turned to concern. Was Azriel okay? Had something truly bad happened to him? Did blondie finished stabbing his heart and ripping it out of his chest? Or worse, did blondie managed to crawl back into his heart?  Had they gone back together and now Azriel didn't know how to dump Elain’s ass? Sweet lord in heaven, was he gonna fire her now that he was back in the arms of the prettier match? Oh no, her rent was due in one week, how was Elain supposed to afford rent now? What about the new sofa she ordered online?! Her back could only handle so much sitting on the floor before collapsing, she needed this sofa! And what about their relationship? The relationship he said to mean for real! Was it just a long term joke? Was he now badmouthing her to his ex, kissing her slender neck and telling her all about Elain’s crazy new year’s eve agenda?

Jesus, kill me now.

By the time she stumbled into the airport, Elain was breathless, but she took little time to spot the familiar faces of Nuala and Miguel in the far end of their terminal.

“Angelita, aqui! This way!” Miguel waved her closer.

Elain waved back, ordering the wild inauspicious scenarios to go away.

“Girl, our boarding is about to begin.” Nuala reprehended.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, my alarm was off.” She apologized to her team members, finally noticing three small carry-ons neatly arranged beside a big bright fuchsia one, rolling her own dusk pink carry-on beside his, confusion evident in her raised brows.

Before she could ask any questions, a loud whistle resonated from behind her.

“Howdy, pumpkin! Should I be expecting milk anytime soon?”

Elain wondered if her cow print shirt was a bit much as she turned in the direction of Cassian’s familiar voice, the smile in his tone plastered all over his face as he pretended to throw a lasso at her. For the first time since she meet him, Elain felt no urge to rebuke Cass, his ever present smirk making her mildly annoyed instead of flushed. First of all, what was he doing here? Then her eyes drifted to the one waltzing behind him and her stomach dropped, her face heating from a different emotion entirely. 

Elain flushed, her short washed-jeans overall and dark brown boots seeming like the silliest outfit of the world in comparison to Morrigan deep purple off-shoulder dress, her elegant neck and collarbone in perfectly display for the world to admire. Fabric flow effortlessly all the way to her ankles, the long sleeves giving the piece a regal feeling, the material so delicate one could see glimpses of her marble skin beneath it, the click of her heels making sure she was real and not a fruit of Elain’s imagination.

Nuala took a step near her friend and kicked her shin, mouthing “close your mouth”. Elain pretended to clean the sweat in her open lip and closed he mouth, which was literally hanging open.

Cassian caught her staring and grinned, thinking she was looking at him and not past him. “The girlfriend is here at last, I thought you were both ditching us.”

Cassian was talking again but Elain wasn’t hearing a word, eyes going back and forth between him and the silent Morrigan who matched his step without a word, the hem of her dress sweeping the floor dramatically. Morrigan’s cunning eyes were covered by a pair of expensive sunglasses but Elain was sure she was looking at her too, her head bobbing slightly up and down as she appraised her love rival.

Christ, why was she wearing that in the airport? Every time Elain encountered this woman she was left feeling underdress when she was the overdressed one! Cassian, on the other hand, looked like he was ready for a vacation, sporting a hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts and flip flops

“Where's Marino?” Elain asked no one in particular.

Miguel frowned.

“Isn’t he with you?”

“Mhm,” Nuala agreed. “His phone is off, we thought he was with you.”

“No, he’s not with me.” If Elain wasn’t already breathless from all her running, she would be turning breathless now. Azriel was never late. Never. “He was supposed to be here. He’s always the first one in.”

Elain picked her phone and dialed his number, stopping when she remembered he had not answered her once in the last days.

“Call him.” She asked Cassian.

“Already did. No sign at the strip club. Underground rooms and all that.”

Elain rolled her eyes, mustering courage to call him herself.

“That’s not funny Cass, something could have happened to him. And why are you here again?”

“Wow Lainy, no need to be so thrilled to have me.” Cassian raised a hand to his heart, pretending to be heart.

Elain ignored him, her eyes scanning the airport.

“Where are you Az…” she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

“Relax, he’ll show. He must have lost track of time styling his hair or some shit.”

Now see, at any other moment his jab might have been funny, but have Cassian making fun of Azriel while she was seriously worried about him was starting to piss her off. Elain glared at him, imagining herself tugging his stupid ponytail until he came to his senses. His brother was missing and he was wasting time being sarcastic! The line rang till it died in her ear, Elain rubbing her face before calling Azriel again. All this radio silence was really worrying her now. What if he got in to an accident and none of them knew about it? What if his body has been laying cold in a morgue since friday?

Sweat dripped down her armpit and Elain fanned herself with her free hand. It was hot or was it her? Elain was about to shove her pride where the sun didn’t reach and ask Morrigan when was the last time she saw Az when something caught the corner of her eye.

Slowly, she lowered her phone, zooming in the missing man making his way through the crowded space, shoulders hunched and dragging his luggage as one does to a body, a cartoonish dark cloud shooting lightnings straight to his head and making the air denser. Elain rubbed her eyes, trying to rid herself of the illusion her anxious mind had casted, but the vision did not fade. In fact, the vision nodded at Nuala’s frenetic waving hand crisscrossing bodies till he was standing in front of her.

This man couldn’t be…. Could he?

No, no. No way he would leave the house like that.

Would he?

Elain’s eyes lowered to his left hand, quickly spotting the signet ring with a gracious M he always wore on his pinky. A twin to his brother’s ring. A Marino heirloom gifted to them by their mother before she passed away. 

Oh. My. God.

This disheveled man was Azriel!

And Azriel was wearing… he was wearing….

Elain’s eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets, because Azriel was wearing sweatpants! Dear lord, the man was wearing sweatpants. Sweatpants! And it didn’t match the hoodie either! Cold shivers ran down her body, and Elain could swear somewhere outside thunderstorm was brewing, even though the sun had nearly burned her alive once she was of her uber.

There he was. The man who had not so friendly ghosted her harder than Casper, the man who she had never seen sporting anything below a business casual look, the man who wore a suit even to a goddamn get along in Cerridwen rooftop, that same man was now wearing a mismatched combo of purple sweatpants and the most hideous orange hoodie Elain had ever seen. His usually perfectly cut and stylished hair was messy and sticking out from beneath a worn-out cap, a pair of vintage sunglasses covering half his face, the other half gone under the shadow of a beard that had no business looking that good in such a mess of a man. Elain didn’t even know he could grow a beard!

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly, unable to hide her concern, only to regret 0.5 seconds later when he completely ignored her.

Sharp hazel eyes popped over the rim of his black sunglasses, apparently counting the staff members till he spotted two who made him squint.

“What are you doing?” he said, his voice low and tight.

Elain followed his line of sight, her eyes meeting Cassian’s, who was now seated and chewing gum. He winked at her, spreading his legs further apart in a move that would have Elain gulping not too long ago.

“Waiting for you,” he said simple. Elain didn’t know if he was oblivious to Azriel’s agitated state of if he was pretending to be. “As is everyone else. You know, nowadays we have this amazing device called ‘watch’. You should get one.”

“Why are you here, Cassian?” Azriel rephrased impatiently. 

“Isn’t this a business trip? I’m here to do business.”

“I don’t need you here. I don’t want you here.”

Elain, Nuala and Miguel exchanged looks. The photoshoot trip was originally scheduled for the four of them, and the models would arrive on set on the next day. Except, earlier that morning Miguel received a call from Cassian asking which flight they were taking, and when he arrived at the airport Miguel spotted Cassian chatting with Morrigan, who was dressed in Valentino from head to toe and doing a marvelous job ignoring his good morning.

“Don’t worry, resting bitch face is her best angle.”  Cassian laughed it off

Miguel couldn’t mention any of this now with all that tension in the air, but the group sure would be debriefing everything later.

“Can you take anything seriously?”

“I take many things seriously,” Cassian said, feigning offense. “Like this,” he gestured to himself. “You don’t just wake up looking this good. It takes effort, discipline—”

“Cassian!” Azriel cut him, his bad mood turning worse. “I’m not playing with you.”

Cassian’s teasing expression faltered for a moment, something almost thoughtful flickering in his eyes. Fixing the imaginary wrinkles of his Hawaiian tee, Cassian stood, the mirth she was used to seeing in his eyes nowhere to be found.

“Weren’t you the one whining about being understaffed? Well, I brought you a staff,” he pointed at himself, “a fucking expensive one. And a model too,” he pointed at Morrigan. “You are welcome. Now stop being a little bitch and let’s get going before we miss our flight, huh?!”

Azriel’s jaw tightened. “I don’t need your help.”

Then his gaze shifted to Morrigan. The other woman who Azriel didn’t acknowledge since his arrival hadn’t take her eyes of him for a second, making Elain’s imagination fertile again. “And I definitely don’t need hers.”

Cassian shrugged. “Well, tough shit. My presence is hella expensive, but I choose to be here, so stop being an ungrateful little bitch and enjoy the free ride.”

Cassian tapped his brother’s chest, collecting his and Morrigan’s suitcases before moving to the front gate, Nuala and Miguel awkwardly glancing between the brothers before following him, Elain staying behind with Azriel, who had yet to look at her.

Elain knew this wasn’t good time to question him, but all this anxiety and tension was driving her mad! She had to ask at least one question, one miserable question that was eating her mind away.

“Are you okay?” she asked again.

“I’m fine.” He answered annoyed, stalking ahead without her.

Oh, hell no. She had been worried sick about him and that's how he was treating her?

That rude son of a–

+

The plane touched down in the small, sleepy town of Redhaven just as the last of the evening turned into night. The airport was barely a blip on the map, the kind of place where the ticket counter doubled as a café and announcements were shouted left and right. Soon as they landed, Miguel went on a mission to exchange their rented car for a minivan to fit everybody, Azriel snatching the keys the second he was back.

“Sit on the front.” He ordered the male that wasn’t his relative.

He’s avoiding me again, Elain thought glaring at the back of his head, childish idiot.

Azriel had not sat beside her in the airplane ride either. At least he had not sat with the model, who he seemed intent in ignoring as much as he was avoiding Elain.

Elain slid into the middle row next to Nuala, who gave her a questioning look but said nothing. Elain fastened her seatbelt, reading herself for another round of brooding silence, Cassian and Morrigan occupying the last row, each one lost in their own phone.

In the plane Azriel sat at an aisle seat with other unknown passengers and stared at his laptop the entire time, boring stupid excel sheets covering the screen. Now, he drove with the same laser focus, his hands gripping the steering wheel like it might shatter if he let go.

Elain starred at the back of his head, feeling divided between knowing what the hell was he was thinking or beating his ass for daring to treat her like this. Hell would be damn if she ever approached him again after he shut her down in the airport. At this rhythm her dating life would burn out quick as it began, once again woven by the whims of Azriel Marino.   

At that moment her stomach growled. Loud. The awful noise filling the silent ride louder than the trumpets of the apocalypse. Finally, Azriel’s eyes meet hers through the rear mirror, the glint in them indecipherable.

“I’m hungry,” she said quietly.

“Me too.” Nuala complained.

Elain had skipped lunch in her hurry to the airport, and then her stomach was too unsettled to handle food, the horrid mood of their trip making her queasy inside. Azriel said nothing but Elain saw he readjusting the GPS, a cute roadside dinner appearing at their left ten minutes later.

The place was decent enough, bright neon lights casting a cheerful glow on the cracked parking lot. Azriel parked without a word, heading inside ahead of the group as if they weren’t even there. The diner’s interior was all checkered floors and red vinyl booths, the kind of nostalgic charm that made her smile despite her awful driver.

The group moved in direction of a corner booth, Azriel going to the counter, Morrigan lingering near the jukebox, her sunglasses now perched on her head. Elain ignored them all and headed to the bathroom, the queasiness in her belly now turned into a full on stomachache. Her stomach had always been sensitive to her emotions, and today they were out of control!

+

Elain was embarrassed to admit she spent a little more time than necessary inside the bathroom stall. Freaking automatic flushing! Why couldn’t bathroom be manual and easy to use? Not trusting machines, she passed her hand over the sensor one last time, not very ecologic of her part, but she could help it. Enough! She should return to her table before all the food was gone.

Elain exited the stall humming, but stomach ache nearly returned in full when she recognized the tall blonde in a shimmering gown by the sink, using her fingers to comb her perfectly flattened sunny hair.

Her eyes snapped to Elain’s reflection in the mirror, a glimmer of recognition passing behind them. Elain turned the faucet on feeling self-conscious, the model broke the silence first.

“You again. Azzy’s assistant.” She emphasized the last word with a tone meant to make Elain feel inferior.

“His photographer.” Elain corrected politely, making sure to edge her voice as well.

Normally Elain would have no problem being mistaken by Karen, Azriel’s real assistant. Being her boss’ assistant was not for the faint of heart, and the small brunet held their office record of the person who Azriel took the longest to make cry. Elain didn’t last a week. Let that be known that she cried from frustration! Still, a measly week. And what was it with the sudden nickname drop? This whole Azzy stuff was an awful nickname and she would really appreciate if people stopped calling him that.

“That must have hurt.” Elain turned to the model to find her eyes cast down as she stared at the faded scars running the length of her knee. Her lips creased, grossed out by it.

“Yeah,” she said unsure of how to react.

“I barely noticed your limp.”

“I don’t have one." Okay, was she imagining it, or was this woman deliberately trying to be rude? "Recovered completely in physiotherapy.”

Elain soaped her hands quicker, her gut urging her to get the hell out of this bathroom.

“A word of advice?” Morrigan didn’t wait for an answer, her acid words pouring like lava from an erupting volcano. “Try some pants next time. Or at least a piece of clothing that covers everything that needs to be covered.”

Nope, not imagining.

“Excuse me?”

Hard brown eyes did a slow inventory of Elain’s body, grimacing at her clothes. Elain looked down on herself to see nothing wrong with her outfit. She was dressed appropriately and comfortable for a day long trip. Her clothes were clean and smelling good, but Morrigan’s nose wrinkling made it seem like she was cow shit on the road.

“Is there a problem with my clothes?”

“Your taste is… peculiar.” Morrigan produced a lipstick from her mini purse, applying a new coat of bright cherry red as if she had all the time in the world. “It’s fine, tho. We both know you won’t keep dressing like that for much long.”

Elain frowned. “I won’t?”

“Did he sleep with you?” The question was unexpected, spoken with brazen confidence and catching Elain out of guard, whose face turned fifty shades of red. Morrigan’s mirror reflection smirked with bright red lips. "I knew it. I knew he didn't."

"Who say we didn't?"

"You didn't." She says with conviction. "You think this is the first time this happens? The first time he uses other women to make me jealous? It isn't. But he never crossed the line, never sleeps with them, and he never will. He wouldn't hurt me like that."

Elain could barely contain her shock. Hurt her? For fuck sakes she's dating his fucking brother!

“Right now you are trying really hard to make a man way above your league to look at you, that's how I know you won't be dressing like this for long. Azriel might be giving you time of his day now, but that man is obsessed with fashion, style, elegance, to reach his standard would require some drastic upgrade form your part. I would recommend pitch black tights if you are so set on showing your legs around.”

Elain was rendered speechless, not believing those absurd words were coming from a person’s mouth. Wait a minute. Did a grown ass woman really just tried to make her feel ashamed of herself, for having a scar, in the bathroom of a roadside dinner? Laughter escaped her shocked lips.

Who did this girl think she was? Some Dollar Tree version of Regina George? What the hell was going on! Elain couldn’t contain herself any longer. She refused to let people walk all over her in this goddamn awful day.

Had Morrigan bothered to learn a bit about Elain before going on her insult rampant, she’d have known that Elain has two sisters, and if there’s one thing that growing in a house full of girls taught her, was how to keep her spirits up in a verbal sparing.

In order to bully a bully, you have to take what he hates the most and turn it against him. And right now, for whatever stupid reason she carved in her head, what Morrigan seemed to hate the most was Elain.

“Is this a prank? Is that your way to congratulate me and say, ‘Yey, we are basically sisters now!’?”

Mor carefully created persona soured, her megawatt smile dying down.

“Are you mad? Why would I be your sister?”

Now Elain smile was so real it hurt her cheeks. “Because we are dating brothers.” She pointed to the shocked blonde, “you dating Cass,” then to herself, “me dating Azzy. That makes us sis-ters. We even look alike.” Elain beamed, clapping her hands excitedly.

Morrigan face turned green like she was about to be sick.

“I look nothing like you!” she raged.

“Oh, but you do. Brown eyes, golden hair, lovely smiles. I was almost a model as well you know, but taking pictures is much more fulfilling.”

“You think you are funny?”

“I think your attempt to patronize me is pathetic.” Elain shook her hands hard enough to sprinkle Morrigan with water, the blonde squealing away from her. “By the way, it’s okay for me to have peculiar taste, Az is the one with good taste in our relationship. He's dating me after all."

Elain hummed drying her hands, Morrigan still glaring at her as someone who wanted to pick a fight. Elain was having none of that. She was way too strong to fight with this skinny idiot, one punch from her and half her teeth would be knocked out.

"Enjoy your night. I’ll tell Azzy you said hi.”

It was offical. This trip was the worst ever!

Once she was out of the bathroom and out of the blond’s sight, Elain took her phone and texted a quick message for her sister.

Nes, hypothetically, if I go to jail for aggravated assault will you bail me?

A minute later came her response. A short,

No.

Then,

Because I’d be locked beside you.

Then,

Who’s the bitch?

---

I imagine Mor to dress something flashy and completely out of hand like this

[chiasaaa]

—i’ll be your model

itoshi sae x f! reader

summary: dating a fashion designer has its pros and cons the same way dating a famous football player has its own. however, sae realized that you haven’t used one particular pro yet in your three years of dating.

warning: english is not my first language. apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors.

— itoshi sae is the kind of man whom his lover could describe as selfless. contrary to popular opinion, getting to know sae proves that point pretty well. sae will always come to your beck and call. he will provide you things you both need and want without you having to ask. he will most definitely drop whatever it could be he’s doing if it meant tending to your requests.

it already nearly happened one time when you called thirty minutes before an important match, telling him that you need to go to your gynecologist for your yearly check-up. it wasn’t anything serious, but he meant every fibre of his being when he said he’s going to drive all the way back just to accompany you.

if it weren’t for you threatening to lock the doors of your home from him, he would have ditched the game altogether and leave billions of fans disappointed along with his team. it was a good thing he ended up with someone like you.

someday, the whole world will thank you for it.

call him a lovesick fool, but itoshi sae will always and forever be hopelessly in love with you. he doesn’t mind if you want to go to greece in three hours; he’d already booked the earliest flight there. it indeed happened when you both sat in your living room one valentine’s day and you joked about making spontaneous plans like flying out to greece just to have a moonlit dinner with the temple of artemis in view. sae hadn’t known you were joking because he fished his phone out quick to do whatever it is you kept blabbering on.

candlelit dinner? check.

romantic violin music? check.

private villa overlooking a beautiful view? check.

economy tickets? he booked first-class.

and of course, he had long prepared his gift and your five-flower bouquet. you weren’t one for big bouquets as you loved preserving them in frames, and so you requested that if he were to give you such, he will have to make do with only five main flowers.

doesn’t mean he can stop putting blind boxes in them, though. you’re quite the menace when it comes to it.

sae had continuously provided you all your wants and needs, yet the one thing he finally realized is that you never asked for any of it.

much like today, as you’re earnestly looking through portfolios of famous celebrities who proposed to be your brand’s model. you did think that it’s about time for you to expand your model pool (you’re in it for the money) and you searched high and low for the perfect person to adorn your new creations.

specifically, the men’s product line.

sae picks up one of the photos you have scattered on the countertop, realizing that it was none other than isagi yoichi.

“athletes are part of your options?” he asks, turning the page to you. you didn’t even bother looking up as you responded back.

“yep, i’m looking through other athletes i can reach out to as an endorser.”

weird. isn’t he an athlete?

why didn’t you ask him first?

sae sets his teacup down its designated saucer, breathing in and out shortly to prepare himself for yet another confrontation. he’s still in the process of being more honest with you, when it comes to how he feels about certain things happening within your relationship. sae always tries his very best for you, and that includes biting back his usually sharp tongue because he knows how sensitive you can get.

“i assume you have strict requirements in finding one?”

“not really. i just need to look for someone who i can say is the one for the job,” you finally look up, smiling tiredly, “the same way i saw it when i looked at you.”

he must be dying early because the way you said it might as well make him combust. his heart pounded against his rib violently, wondering what you meant behind such words.

you knew he had fallen in love with you since you kicked a ball straight to his head (accidentally), but when was this time you’ve known he’s the one with a simple gaze?

as heart-fluttering as it is to think about, it’s not the current matter at hand. he couldn’t help but frown a little at the realization that he wasn’t the first person you thought of when you wanted to have a celebrity model your work.

he’s pretty famous, isn’t he?

not only that, you have always been so vocal about how he’s so handsome that the model industry’s lucky he chose to play football as his career path. that has to account for something, right?

as a fashion designer, you have one of the most keen eyes when it comes to potential models.

you’ve seen it in him.

“what do you mean by that?”

“exactly as it means, querido.” you hum, already back to work. you take a pencil from the counter and used it to tie your hair effortlessly, a few strands falling to frame your beautiful face. if it wasn’t for the fact that this is a big deal to him, sae would have long been hypnotized by your beauty.

“why don’t you use me, then?” he said it in a way that showed how upset he actually is about the situation. you couldn’t have possible missed that, and you really didn’t. you look up from your work, hiking your specs right up your nose with the joint of your finger.

“what do you mean?”

“exactly as it means, hermosa.”

you snort. of course, sae used your own words against you. though, you couldn’t say that you didn’t expect that from him. sae is too selfless for his own good, and as his partner, you’re not about to let him sabotage himself with this ridiculous adventure of over-generosity. you didn’t even know it was a thing until you met him.

as much as you loved that he will sacrifice anything and everything for the people he cares for, you must admit that it bothers you a little. that is why you took control of what you can and avoided his involvement as much as possible.

“i can’t possibly do that to you.” was your response after a short while, propping an elbow on the granite to rest your chin upon the palm of your hand. you twist the stool you’re sitting on to face him, taking his hand with your free one. “i’m not about to use you for my own benefit, querido. i didn’t date you just to have your face on my brand and milk you.”

“but you’re not,” sae raises your locked hands, planting a gentle kiss on the back of your palm. “i want to do this for you. honestly, i’m a little upset that i wasn’t the first person you thought of.”

you chuckle. “didn’t you hear me earlier? i said i’m looking for someone who will make me think ‘he’s the one!’ the same way you made me think that.”

the confusion soon replaced by embarrassment in the form of tinted cheeks and reddening ear tips had you pause for a little.

“did you take that in the romantic context?” giggling, you lean closer to him and ruffled his hair. “you’re my blueprint right now as i searched through these files. i was looking for someone like you.”

then, as if there’s a sudden change in the wind, sae regained his confidence and fired back at you.

“there’s no one else like me.” he takes your chin between his fingers. “so use me, hermosa.”

and you gave in the same way you allowed him to kiss you long and deep, telling you in every way possible that he loves you even after the universe collapses.

itoshi sae is a selfless man, yet you didn’t know that he’s only ever like that when it comes to you.

it didn’t matter if it was spontaneous trips, ditching big games, or standing in front of the camera for you.

whatever it is, as long as it’s you, then he will do everything in his power to make it come true.

[reyesstrand]

If you’re still doing them Maddie, I wish you would write a fic where TK cooks for Carlos for the first time 💖

The weight of a long shift—a week of them, all spilling into each other like dominos—digs into Carlos’ shoulders as he sighs and stretches his neck and thumbs the ridges of his house key before shoving it in the lock.

TK’s been texting him most of the day, just aimless, endearing tangents about a dream he had the night before and the cheesy medical procedurals available to him on streaming, along with a smiley selfie or two, and it’s kept him upright. Upright through the back-to-back domestic disturbances; the multi-vehicle pileups. Carlos didn’t want to bug him with talk of work when his boyfriend’s still on mandatory leave, but he thinks it’s been written on his face, lately, just how tired he is.

“Hey babe.”

Tired enough to not even register TK standing by the dining table, in a pair of dark jeans and t-shirt. His bandage pokes over the edge of his collar, and Carlos focuses on it like he always does; on how much is being held together with stitches and gauze, on how quickly a life—the most important life—could’ve been taken away. Carlos’ eyes drift up to his boyfriend’s face: the slight pinkness to his cheeks, the soft creases around his eyes.

“Hey,” Carlos says, stepping in close and accepting the hug TK pulls him into. “I thought we were meeting up tomorrow night.”

TK’s gaze is warm when he pulls back from the hug and instead cups Carlos’ face. “We still are. I just wanted to check in on you tonight.”

“I’m fine,” Carlos insists, reaching up to gently squeeze at TK’s wrists, sparing an extra second to feel the thrum of his pulse under his thumbs.

“Baby, you’re running on fumes.”

Carlos bites the inside of his cheek, allowing himself to absorb the pet name TK’s been using more and more; allowing himself to wonder what exactly gave himself away to his boyfriend.

“I thought you could use a night in,” TK continues, lacing their fingers together now so he can tug Carlos further into the house; into the kitchen, which he is just now noticing has been used. “The market didn’t have red snapper,” TK pauses, his eyes flashing with mischief as their gazes lock, “but the guy told me the salmon was super fresh. It needs like, two more minutes in the oven and then we can eat.”

Carlos takes it all in: the mixing bowl full of a salad, complete with roasted nuts and segments of citrus; the smell of garlic and onion; the candlelight filling the room. TK gives him a nervous little smile as he gently moves around him in the small space when the timer goes off, filling their plates with fluffy, herbed rice and filets topped with lemon slices.

“Let me help you,” Carlos says, finally finding his voice after watching his boyfriend in quiet wonder.

“I can handle two plates, babe,” TK teases, jerking his chin toward the dressed table. “Go sit. Let me take care of you for once, Reyes.”

He listens to TK and sits in his usual chair, imagining his boyfriend in his home, humming along to music blasting from his phone as he diced vegetables and prepped dozens of ingredients so it could all come together in time. It’s a sight he hopes to come home to forever. It’s a sight he hopes to witness; to be a part of, next time.

Once they’re across from each other, Carlos’ stomach growls. He’d barely had time for a protein bar in the first half of his shift. He brings a forkful to his mouth and hums happily as flavour bursts over his tongue.

“I didn’t know you could cook like this,” Carlos admits, as the side of his fork glides through the fish.

“Well, you’re always so particular about your recipes,” TK jokes, before shrugging his good shoulder. He reaches across the table and squeezes Carlos’ hand. “I want to do this for you more. I want to do this together.”

“I’d love that,” Carlos smiles, thumb stroking over TK’s knuckles. Suddenly not wanting to hold it in anymore, and feeling brave in the golden light of their moment together, Carlos says: “I love you.”

TK beams. There’s something like wonder in his eyes when he replies, “I love you too.”

It feels like a mortal failing to not kiss him in this moment, and so Carlos does; pushing his chair back and leaning over at the waist to cup TK’s jaw in his palm and press their mouths together. Their lips move in an easy slide, and TK tastes of citrus, of something distinctly himself.

It’s kind of like coming home. And Carlos never wants it to fade away.

(i wish you would write a fic where…game!)

[zepskies]

Aww thank you, lovely friend!! 🥹💕 I tried my best to end this series with a bang lol, but also in a hopefully satisfying way that ties up the most important loose ends. I canNOT wait to dive into your thoughts on the grand finale!!

well, what a start! the action scenes were playing so vividly in my head, i loved all the details <3 and mato being a good son-in-law! love to see it 🤣

Ooh I'm so glad the action was gripping and vivid enough for you!! I don't love writing action scenes because it can be a lot of moving parts, but I try my best to make sure certain details stick out. And yesss Mato is on his A game now actually working with Dean! loll

felt a variety of emotions with this lol. sammy!!! i had a feeling he'd hear the commotion, so glad he's back!💓 (by now i think i've established my love for sam pretty well. 😂) i felt a bit confused too because cas what are you doinggg 😩 hopefully playing chess or something. 🤔 and it makes me sad that sam lost his hat, but his horse!!🥺 i'm not sure if it was his personal horse (like dean's baby) or not, however they shared a journey together :') wherever he ended up, i hope he's alright 💕

Oh I don't blame you loll. 😅 The "wtf?!" feeling with Cas was very intentional, even with the "yay!" of Sam being back in the game (even though he lost his hat and horse 🥲). But your instincts are right -- both of them were definitely playing chess on that one. I'm actually glad you wondered if it was Sam's personal horse because it's a thought I had and wondered if I should include that detail. In my head it wasn't his personal horse, but like you said, still a horse he shared a journey with. 💙 Though I also didn't specify this in the chapter, Cas/the soldiers took possession of Sam's horse, but he got him back afterwards (in the aftermath of it all).

phew 😅 also i cannot stop picturing the colonel from kfc every time sanderson gets mentioned 😭 white suit and all, the image won't leave my head loll

ahahaha yesss that's exactly what I was picturing, with Asmodeus's punk ass. 😂😂

absolutely beautiful <3 may he rest peacefully :(

Aw thank you for highlighting that line and Tahatan's dying words -- def one of my favorite lines for this entire series honestly.

i still don't like him but i will admit, this made me chuckle a little 😂 i really feel for mila and her people. it's just so unfair to be uprooted from your home like that :( and of course that grimy gremlin would go back on his word. the anxiety of it all 😩

Otaktay's redemption arc is slow on this one lol but I liked giving him that throwaway line. 😂

Oh yes, I drew historically from the "Trail of Tears" in American history, where the Native Americans/Indians were forced from their lands and they had to travel onwards to find new territory. It's a dark time that tends to be glossed over.

Yuuup gotta have our "bad guy goes back on his word" moment! 😅 If you've ever seen the movie Prince of Egypt, it's like that moment when the Jews are being chased after by the Pharaoh Rameses after he initially released them from slavery.

awwwww hell yeah i know that's right dean!!!😭🤍

hahaa YES! Dean's made his choice. 😌

ah yes that delicious pre-established relationship danger and peril angst, my hearttt 🥺 i love them sm<3

That moment where there's no time for goodbye, knowing you mind not see your loved one again. 🥲

i will admit this made me giggle 😭 I'm so sorry dean lmaoo :') the fight scenes were so cool though!! again, very vivid in my mind. didn't expect the otaktay save, but i'm glad he's gained some sense. and oh jack, i am glad he was spared but he fr just needs to distance himself from the colonel and his bs 🤠

ahaha I thought it was kinda funny too, ngl. 😂 Aw yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the fight scenes and that they felt vivid in your mind! Otaktay did step up, didn't he? Some new respect is brewing between him and Dean (finally), and you're very right loll. Jack just needs to go home and start a new life. Same with Cas and Benny tbh. 🥲

this was so cute 🥺 i was worried for her, but once again we see she's just as strong as she is stubborn loll

Oh yeah, Mila's still as tenacious and stubborn as ever! lol Pregnant ladies still kick ass, amirite? 😘

period benny. goodbyeeeeee and good riddance colonel 💅🏽 Šóta choosing peace was so mature of him, i'm glad he's not being so hotheaded anymore. completely understandable though given all that has happened.

Right?!! 😂 Begone, bitch~

And Šóta is finally maturing -- his father's death hit him hard, and he's learning what it takes to be a true leader. 💜

crying. just the sweetestttt 💞💞 to no one's surprise, i'm so glad sam decided to stay longer 🤣💗 given the circumstances i'm not sure how often he would be able to visit once he returns to his city civilian life, but at least for now he gets to spend time with his brother and good people -- family :3💘

Sam wants to stay with his bro as long as possible now that he's found him, especially for his nephew's birth. 🥹 And for that reason too (not knowing if he'll be able to visit again, or if so, how often). Family indeed! 💞💞

this had me meltinggggg 💓 they're going to be the sweetest parents. they're already so sweet to each other, i can't 🥺

You know, I did intend to stop here with Mila and Dean, but maaaaybe I'll have to come back to see how they're doing as parents and pillars of their tribe. 😏💓

sobbing. i love them so much, this was the most beautiful ending 💕 another wonderful series zep!!🤍:)

Omg thank you so much, Julia!! You don't know how wonderful it's been to get your support on this very niche little series that I didn't know if anyone would even want to read. 🥹 I always appreciate your input, but especially on The Honorable Choice/Outlander series. 💕

Outlander - Part 4

Pairing: Dean Winchester x OFC 

Summary: Dean Winchester has been stripped of his military rank, but he’s living happier with his new wife, trying to adjust to a new life in her tribe. What will it take for her people to accept him, especially when the battle for her heart might not be completely won? 

AN: Happy Birthday, Dean Winchester!! 🥳 Now, the actual grand finale…

Disclaimer: I first got inspired to write The Honorable Choice for @jacklesversebingo after a recent rewatch of Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron (with a tinge of Yellowstone in the mix). I’ve done a fair bit of research for this now ongoing series, both on the Native American Lakota tribe, and on American history during this time in the late 1800s; AKA: the Old West, during the American Indian Wars.

Jacklesverse Bingo24 Prompt: Western AU

Song Inspo: The Spirit Soundtrack

Word Count: 6K

Tags/Warnings: 18+ only. Protective Dean, survival situations, blood and violence, angst, fluff, and spice.~

🐎 Series Masterlist || Bingo Masterlist

Part 4: One People

Dean straps on his bow and arrow, but first he takes up his gun from his thigh holster. Then he saddles up Mato and climbs up on his back.

The horse is raring to go, and for once he responds to the firmness of Dean’s tone and trusts him enough to obey his commands.

Šóta, Otaktay, and the other men do the same with their horses. Soon, they’re thundering down the hill into the village.

It’s already chaos.

Dean recognizes the blue uniforms of the U.S. Cavalrymen tearing through tipis and shooting with rifles and revolvers. They must’ve tracked Šóta and his men back to the village.

Men and horses are the main targets, but women and children are getting caught in the crossfire. Šóta purposefully knocks his horse into an officer who had his weapon aimed at Misae and her two daughters. Otaktay guides them in the opposite direction, pointing the way to escape into the forest.

Dean rides onward through the village. He and Mato leap over fallen bodies and horses, and Dean shoots at an officer who would’ve shot him first. He has to be careful with his bullets though. He only has two left.

He fights his way to the center, all the while searching for any sight of Mila’s dark hair. It’s almost impossible to see with so many people running and screaming and fighting. But when he hears a familiar voice, Dean cuts to an abrupt stop.

Chief Tahatan rides his horse, white and dappled black. He wields an ax as the horse rears up on his hind legs and lets loose a powerful bray. Just ahead of him is Colonel Sanderson, flanked by Benny and another officer. The Colonel holds a rifle poised in his hands.

“Stop!” Dean shouts.

He rides hard towards the scene. He takes aim with his gun, and he shoots. The bullet clips Sanderson in the shoulder. Yelling in pain, he recoils from the force of the bullet and misses his shot.

Dean’s just not fast enough.

The Colonel’s bullet ricochets off the ground and hits Tahatan’s horse. The animal whinnies and buckles, and he brings Tahatan down along with him, rolling onto his side and crushing the Chief’s legs and most of his torso under the horse’s weight. Dean hears the crunch of bone as the Chief utters a stifled grunt.

Gritting his teeth, Dean brings Mato to a short stop in front of the Chief. Dean aims his gun at the Colonel. By now, the man is clutching his bleeding shoulder and staring at his former captain in disbelief. Benny is maybe a little less shocked to see Dean, but there’s conflict in his eyes—happiness mixed with turmoil.

The other officer is Jack Kline. He recognizes Dean too, with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

“You…” Sanderson trails. He blinks, his brows furrowing. “Dean Winchester.”

Other officers come to join him, both on their horses and on foot. A few of them have wrangled women and their children, along with a few men. One man is dragging Mila along by the arm, even though she pulls and struggles against his hold. He has a long, jagged cut over one closed eye that streams with blood, and Dean doesn’t have to wonder how it got there. The man holds Mila’s own knife to her throat.

Dean’s heart falls into his stomach as he meets her gaze. Hers is angry, until she finds him. Her brown eyes are relieved and hopeful, but then worried for him. Dean reads it all there. He knows her face as well as he knows his own.

“Now this is what we call an interesting development,” Sanderson says, dragging Dean’s attention back to him.

Dean only feels moderately better when Šóta, Otaktay, Chatan, and a couple of the other men come to flank him on either side. Weaya manages to shuffle away from the officer at her back, just to go to Tahatan. He’s still lying there under his horse, breathing shallowly. Šóta itches to climb down from his horse and go to his father, but he can’t allow Dean to stand on his own.

“Apparently your death has been greatly exaggerated, son,” Sanderson says. He glances at Benny, who wears a grim, guilty frown.

“I’m not your fucking son,” Dean says, his voice laden with grit. His hand tightens on his raised gun.

Sanderson tsks at him while Jack wraps a rag tightly around his arm to help stem the bleeding. Afterwards, he adjusts his blue jacket and his Stetson.

“Is this really how you’ve been living for all these months? Like a dog, sleeping in the thatch with the fleas,” he remarks as he glances around. But his gaze stops on Mila. His brows crunch together as recognition dawns in his eyes.

“Ah, now I see why,” he says. He reaches for his pistol at his belt and points it at Mila, like it’s merely an extension of his hand. Dean’s jaw clenches. Chatan and Šóta become even more tense; their horses shift in place, picking up on their riders’ unrest. Sanderson notes their reactions, and finally Dean’s too.

“Instead of putting this savage bitch down, you took her for yourself, didn’t you?” Sanderson wonders aloud. His face breaks into amusement, as his deep chuckle echoes in the clearing. “You threw it all away. A promising career, your respect as a man, and even your life. A traitor to your goddamn country. And for what?”

His thumb pulls back the safety on his revolver.

“Enough, you bastard. You deal with me,” Dean tersely demands. He slowly lowers his gun, and his last bullet. “Let her go. Let them all go, and you can have me. Court martial me. Hell, put me in front of a firing squad, or put me down like a dog if that’s what you want… But let them go.” 

Mila breaths in sharply. She stares at Dean like she wants to protest.

“Ah, but ya see, I didn’t come here for you,” Sanderson says. Without taking his aim off Mila, his shifts his gaze down to Tahatan, who struggles for every breath. “I’m gonna wash this land clean, from here to the West Coast. However long it takes.”

“Colonel!” an officer calls out. He approaches on a horse, though he leads a man by a rope that ties his wrists behind his back.

Dean’s eyes widen in shock. It’s Cas, and he has Sam as his captive. Sam is dirtier and more disheveled since Dean saw him off not too long ago. He’s lost his hat and his horse, but he doesn’t look afraid when he meets Dean’s gaze, then the assessing Colonel.

“Mr. Winchester. I should’ve known,” Sanderson says dryly. “Here to reacquaint yourself with your brother? Though I’ve got a feeling you already have.”

“What’re you gonna do about it? Kill me?” Sam says. “In case you’ve forgotten, I work for the government too. I’m a prosecutor for all the surrounding counties in Kansas City.”

Sanderson raises a brow. “Is that supposed to intimidate me, son?”

“It should, Colonel,” Sam says. He nods at his brother. “The world already thinks he’s dead. Fine. But there’s plenty of people who know I traveled to Fort Laramie. People high up in the chain of command. If you hurt me, my brother, or these people, someone’s gonna hear about it. And soon.”

“He’s got a point there, Colonel,” Benny says.

“You shut the fuck up!” Sanderson barks at his captain. “You’re lucky I don’t shoot you down where you stand. You and Novak. But believe you me, I’ll be dealin’ with you later.”

Sanderson continues to seethe. He thinks hard about the decision he makes next as he stares down at Sam, and then back up at Dean. He grits his teeth, his mustache twitching. Dean holds his breath, though he briefly meets eyes with his brother.

Slowly, Sanderson lowers his weapon away from Mila. Dean can breathe again, if shallowly. He doesn’t drop his guard though. In fact, he watches Sanderson even closer.

“I’ll give you dirty mongrels one hour to clear out of here,” Sanderson says, his eyes narrowed. “Anything left gets tied down and burned to charcoal.”

With that, he sharply tugs on his horse’s reins. He commands his men to fall back, and like the soldiers they are, they obey. Benny and Cas both cast Dean a backwards glance—one that tells Dean that he still has the loyalty of his friends. He now realizes that Cas brought Sam back for a purpose; it wasn’t to hurt him, but to help him. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if the whole “capture” was Sam’s idea.

After the soldiers clear out of the area with the Colonel, Dean and the other men dismount from their horses. He beelines for Mila, gathering her into the safety of his arms. Then he spares a hand to grab his brother’s shoulder as he smiles.

“I think I’m more glad to see you the second time,” Dean remarks.

“I’ll take that,” Sam says. His grin is infectious, but Dean returns his attention to his wife. He touches her cheek and runs his assessing gaze over her body. He frowns as he examines the thin cut along her neck where the soldier pressed the blade of her knife.

“You okay? Are you hurt?” he asks.

Mila shakes her head. “I’m fine.” Though she inspects him the same way with a wandering hand across his chest. Dean takes that hand and gives her a reassuring smile.

It falls when he hears Weaya crying. She sits beside three other women, including Šóta’s mother.

“Father,” Šóta says lowly. His voice is a rasp as he kneels beside Tahatan’s broken body, holding his hand. The chief manages to raise his head slightly. He looks at his son, and then his gaze travels. Eventually, it falls on Dean.

Tahatan smiles.

“Under this sky,” he says. “We are one people.”

 He takes three more labored breaths before his eyes close. Šóta lays his father’s limp hand over his chest, which no longer moves.

Šóta’s mother gently raises her husband’s head to remove his long headdress. Among other things, it’s made of leather, glass beads, horsehair, and eagle tail feathers. Each feather represents a warrior’s honor earned in war, like a soldier’s insignia. 

With shaking hands, she places it on Šóta’s head. He takes a deep breath, and he looks up at the many tear-stained faces that mirror his own.

“We have to go,” he says.

Sam stays to help mobilize the tribe. He helps a mother join her children into one of the caravans, then he and Otaktay heft rolled up tipis and supplies into the back of it.

“You are a law man?” Otaktay asks him.

Sam nods. “That’s right.”

“Make better laws,” Otaktay says, and walks away.

Sam is left with a bemused look on his face. Dean comes over and thumps him on the back.

“Making friends?” he says dryly.

“Don’t think so,” Sam replies. He shakes his head and follows his brother over to the second caravan.

“Eh, consider yourself lucky. That guy pretty much hates my guts,” Dean whispers.

Sam raises his brows. “What?”

Dean explains the story in its simplest, briefest terms. Meanwhile, the mood around their packing is somber and quiet.

For Mila, it feels wrong. It’s wrong for them to have to leave the river where they’ve tilled and nurtured the land for three generations. It’s wrong to leave Chief Tahatan’s body wrapped beside Takoda’s on the hill without at least one proper night of mourning. She feels her grief down to her very core, but all she can do is sit in the caravan beside her mother and hold protective hands around the small swell of her stomach. Her tears fall silently down her cheeks and dissolve between the indigo beads on her dress.

She only raises her head when Chatan comes to check on her and her mother. He touches Mila’s cheek, drying her tears there. He leans in to kiss Weaya’s hand.

“We leave soon,” he says.

“Where is Dean?” Mila asks.

“Helping Šóta,” Chatan replies, but he stops short and corrects himself. “He helps our Chief.”

A few moments later, the caravans begin to move as the horses pull with the reins. Šóta leads at the front with a few of the warriors, but the rest of them ride strategically around and behind the caravans. Sam and Dean fall back to ride beside Mila’s caravan, where Chatan sits at the helm. Sam has been given the horse of a fallen warrior, while Dean rides Mato.

Despite how low she feels, Mila smiles at the sight of her horse allowing Dean to ride him, even with a saddle and bridle.

“Mato is being agreeable,” she remarks.

“You sound surprised,” Dean says, teasing slightly. “Told you I’d get him to trust me eventually.”

“More like wear him down,” she quips back.

“Hey, he impregnated my mare. Without my say so, I might add. I’d say we’re proper father and son-in-law.”

“Yes,” Chatan chimes in wryly. “That is what that means.”

Mila scoffs at him, but the gleam of good humor in his eyes amuses her. She smiles as she rubs a hand over her belly. Dean smiles too. It’s strange that he can still do that after a night like tonight, but seeing Chatan do it, along with Sam, and Mila, and her mother too, it gives him hope for them—for all of them.

Until the first gunshot fires into the air.

Dean freezes. His body coils tight, and he turns to look sharply over his shoulder.

He shouldn’t be surprised that Colonel Sanderson went back on his word. His cavalrymen are gaining behind them on horseback, hooting and hollering like it’s a game for sport. His jaw clenching in both anger and determination, Dean tells Chatan to speed up the caravan. He locks eyes with Mila for a moment.

Be safe, he tries to say with that look.

Then he gives Sam a nod; together they speed up to alert Šóta at the front.

“They’re gaining on us,” Dean says, gesturing behind them. “We need to lead them away from the caravans and pick ‘em off—as many as we can.”

Šóta nods in grim agreement, but he has a moment of hesitation as he considers Dean.

“You go with the caravans,” he says.

Dean shakes his head. “No, I’m ending this. Once and for all.”

“You are willing to fight your people?” Šóta asks.

The set of Dean’s determined face doesn’t change.

“I’m protecting my people,” he says. He looks to Sam. “Stay with the caravans. Make sure they get across the river.”

Sam agrees, and the men split ways. Dean turns Mato away from the group along with Šóta and Otaktay, and a few other warriors. The caravans continue with Sam to help guide them. Mila clings to the edge and watches with growing dread as her husband rides farther and farther away from her.

Dean can’t allow himself to look back. Instead of drawing his gun, he reaches for his bow strapped to his back and an arrow from his quiver. He takes aim at the first soldier he sees raise his gun, along with a steadying breath, and he shoots his arrow before the other man can fire. The arrow embeds itself in the man’s chest and knocks him clean off his horse.

Šóta and Otaktay follow suit. They shout out yips and battle cries on the air as they take aim. The soldiers begin to scatter out of their formation. They weren’t expecting the Lakota to go on the offensive. Sanderson has conveniently let his men ride ahead of him, but Dean hears him giving the orders from behind. The Colonel has his left arm wrapped in a sling while he holds his gun aloft.

“All right, mustang,” Dean says to Mato, tightening his hands on the reins. “Remind ‘em why they should be scared a’ you.”

He gives the stallion a subtle kick. It’s just enough for him to pick up into a full gallop. Dean tucks his head down and lets the horse speed forward like a bullet carving across the plain. The soldiers take aim, but that’s when Šóta and Otaktay join in from behind. They begin to take down the uniformed men, one by one as they weave between bullets. 

Dean tears between two officers and unbalances them. Mato, with his big head and chest, bulldozes straight through them. They shout in surprise and fear, and one of them even topples off his horse. Dean banks left and turns Mato around to finish what he started.

He retrieves his knife from his thigh holster and slices into one man’s neck, making him choke on his own blood. Dean forcefully takes the rifle off another man, and after flipping it around, hits him dead between the eyes with the butt of it—once, then twice until his nose breaks. He careens back off his horse into the dirt. Dean wracks the rifle and shoots the man for good measure.

The sound of a safety clicking back alerts him and turns his head, but he’s too late.

An arrow flies into the officer’s throat.

Dean looks over sharply. He finds Otaktay, lowering his bow.

Dean’s eyes widen. The other man just saved his life.

Dean nods in thanks, and Otaktay slowly returns the gesture. The moment is cut short, however, when Dean sharpens in alarm. Instead of opening his mouth to warn, he knows he has no time, not even to grab another arrow. He just throws his knife.

It carves through the air and hits Jack Kline where his arm meets his shoulder—his shooting arm that would’ve clipped Otaktay with his pistol. Jack falls off his horse and hits the ground hard, the air leaving his lungs in a hot rush. He groans in pain while clutching his arm. It’s not an easy wound, but he’ll live…as long as Otaktay doesn’t kill him first. Still on his horse, he towers over the younger man with another arrow notched.

“Wait!” Dean shouts.

He meant what he said about finishing this, but now looking at Jack, all Dean sees is a kid following orders. He doesn’t deserve to die like this, hundreds of miles away from home, just trying to make something of himself.

Otaktay looks up, wasting a precious second. Another beat, and a bullet tears into him, almost forcing him off his horse. Dean grits his teeth and speeds forward. Šóta rejoins them in time to help lead Otaktay away; he’s been hit in the side. There’s no telling how deep, but all Dean can focus on is the path ahead.

He comes face to face with Colonel Sanderson.

Dean raises his bow and arrow and ducks his head against another bullet, still shooting off his arrow. It misses its aim at the horse’s legs, but it spooks him enough to whinny in distress. It begins to buck off the Colonel.

“Whoa!” he shouts, trying to take back control of the horse. Dean rides in close and cracks a fist across Sanderson’s face. His head whips back with a pained grunt. Dean grabs his wrist and twists, until he feels tendons popping and the gun loosened from the other man’s hand. Then, Dean brings his elbow up into Sanderson’s nose and spills blood.

“Fuck!” Sanderson growls. He manages to land a punch of his own with his left arm, despite how it makes his shoulder bleed again. Dean recovers from the blow to his cheek and goes to grab that wound, digging in his fingers hard. He’s satisfied by the howl of pain Sanderson lets loose.

Dean doesn’t care if it’s a dirty tactic. He’s taking any opportunity he can, because right now, it’s not about his honor. It’s about protecting what’s his.

But Sanderson fights back just as dirty. He grabs Dean by the back of his neck and headbutts him, so hard he sees stars. Sanderson lands one more kick to Dean’s chest that almost sends him off of Mato. Dean has to grab on tight to the saddle and pull himself up, just in time for a lassoed rope to circle around his neck. Dean’s eyes fly wide in alarm. He slips his hand between the rope and his neck just in time before it tightens—because Sanderson tugs hard as he urges his horse into a gallop.

“Aw, sh—” Dean is yanked off Mato. He lands hard in the dirt, before he begins to be dragged across it.

Once again, the current is strong across Little Cheyenne. The first caravan has more horses to pull it through, but the caravan that Chatan is trying to lead starts to take on water. Mila and her mother sit behind him, along with Misae and her daughters, Tahatan’s widows, and Eyota and her husband.

The colt is doing his best to keep going, but Baby and two of the other horses are struggling in the pull of the river. They’ve hit a deeper patch under the water, and now it’s all the way up to Baby’s chest. She can’t handle the weight of the caravan along with the river’s current.

Sam comes closer with rope in hand, but Mila can see in his eyes that he’s trying to decide what to do. She grasps the edge of the caravan to pull herself up, and she points to the black mare.

“She needs help!” she calls out to him.

“Mila, sit down!” Chatan orders.

Mila turns back to her father with a determined set to her face. She knows his ankle has never healed entirely right. If he tries to do what she’s about to do, he’d probably fall into the river and get trampled by the horses. She knows what she must do.

She carefully stands up all the way and moves to the edge of the caravan, ignoring her father and mother trying to stop her. Sam’s eyes grow wide, but he tries to come in closer to support her. She steps out onto Baby’s back and slides into an astride position. The frigid water climbs up Mila’s dress and reaches her waist, making her shiver, but she ignores that too. She reaches out for Sam.

“Throw me the rope!” she calls out.

Sam follows her lead and does what she says. Mila not only catches the rope, but loops the ends of it around Baby’s bridle and around her chest. It’s hard work, especially because Mila has to tread water just to get the rope around the mare’s wide chest, but Sam helps her as much as he can.

When they’ve finished securing the ropes, Sam pulls ahead. With his horse leading Baby, she gets the momentum she needs to climb out of the dip, and eventually, cross the rest of the river.

Mila is sopping wet by the time they make it to the other side. Her braid has come loose, and so her hair becomes a black curtain around her face. She clings to Baby as she catches her breath, stroking the horse’s neck.

“Good girl. Big, strong girl,” she soothes. “Your father will be proud of you.”

Speaking of, Mila turns to look back. Across the river, the men are still fighting off the soldiers that sought to finish what they started last night. Mila scans with narrowed eyes for Dean.

“You all right?” Sam asks. He sidles up next to her and grasps her shoulder to make sure.

“Fine,” she breathes.

But she hesitates on a sharp inhale. Her brows furrow as she tries to make sure of what she’s seeing. Her mouth drops open in shock.

“Sam!” She points out the shape of a man she thinks is Dean. Sam follows her line of vision and becomes just as alarmed at what he sees.

Mila immediately takes her father’s knife from her shoe and cuts the ropes that bind Baby to the caravan. Mila puts her fingers to her lips and whistles sharply instead of kicking the mare. Baby sharpens to attention and heeds the command, just like she’s done for Dean a hundred times before.

Mila guides her back through the river.

Dean is being road hauled across the plain. He hits every bump, rock, twig, and dry patch of dirt in several yards as he twists and struggles to break free.

He lost his knife to save Otaktay, and he’s probably lost all his arrows along with his bow. Dean grits his teeth, as he can hear Sanderson’s insane hooting and hollering on the wind whipping past his ears, and not much else.

He doesn’t know where Šóta is, or if even Otaktay’s still alive, but his last thoughts aren’t about them. Instinctively, he thinks of his wife. It’s not even a coherent thought. It’s just her name, her face, her hand on his heart.

And the rope snaps.

Dean grunts as his momentum slows. He rolls across the dirt and grass to a stop. He probably has road burns and cuts and bruises all down his back, but at least he can stare up at the morning sun and breathe.

Heaving for free air, he tugs the rope from around his neck and shoves it off. He hears familiar horse hooves galloping his way. Somehow, he manages to raise his head.

Now, either the sun is playing tricks on him, or a black shape is thundering towards him.

Apparently, his eyes aren’t lying to him. Baby slows to a stop, and Mila climbs down from her back. Mila rushes to his side and kneels beside him after putting away her knife. She takes his face into her gentle hands.

“Dean?” she says, her voice tinged with desperation.

He grabs onto her wrist and smiles weakly, looking up at her soulful brown eyes.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” he says.

She sighs and shakes her head, despite the tears in her eyes.

“Be quiet,” she laughs. Dean just grins.

She cups the back of his neck and guides him up slowly into a sitting position. His back is a bloody mess, but they’ll deal with that later.

“You all right, brother?”

Dean’s smile drops. He clutches at Mila’s arm protectively, but he looks up at Benny Lafitte. His horse shifts in place. Dean finally notices Sam is there too, with his gun trained on Benny. But Benny’s gun is raised right back at Sam.

They’re joined by Colonel Sanderson. He wears a self-satisfied look on his face as he approaches with his pistol held aloft.

“Well, well,” he drawls. “Ain’t this a picture. Traitors and savages.”

Mila keeps her back to the Colonel; she stubbornly defends Dean with her body, even though he’s gathered her to his chest protectively. With his right hand, he subtly reaches for the gun holster at his thigh. One last weapon. One last shot.

He shares a look with Mila, silently asking her to trust him. She gives him a subtle nod.

“Captain Lafitte,” Sanderson addresses Benny, even though his gaze is straight on Dean and Mila. He holds Sam in his periphery. “Now’s the time to take a stand. Are you gonna serve your country and put these three in the ground where they belong, or are you gonna join ‘em?”

Benny stares back at his superior officer. He thought he understood before, but today is when he truly understands why Dean made his choice.

Benny lowers his weapon down to his side.

“This ain’t the law,” he says. “This ain’t justice. It’s just pride, plain and simple. Your pride, Colonel.”

After a moment of genuine surprise, Sanderson rolls his eyes. He shifts his gun off of Sam and points it at Benny next.

A trigger fires, but the bullet that hits its mark is not the Colonel’s.

It’s Dean’s, and it hits Asmodeus Sanderson between the eyes.

Dean lowers his silver, smoking Colt down at his side, where Mila moved just in time for Dean to take his shot. He holds her to him now, taking in deep breaths.

Benny and Sam both look to Dean with shock still in their eyes, but before either of them can say anything, they notice Cas stumbling over on foot with a wounded Jack Kline leaning heavily on him. They’re flanked on both sides by Šóta and Otaktay. The latter has a cloth tied tight around his middle. His bullet wound just looks like a nasty graze.

The other warriors that remain follow behind, and they have Mato and Baby in tow by their bridles.

Dean realizes that Cas and Jack are the only other survivors from the rest of the unit. Šóta has taken them prisoner. He orders the other men to force Benny off of his horse. They shove him closer to Cas and Jack.

Dean quickly tries to raise up onto his knees, though it’s hard for him to stand. Mila helps him the rest of the way, and he keeps his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“We will make an example of these,” Šóta says, nodding at Cas, Jack, and Benny. They look rightly nervous, shifting their gazes towards Dean.

Dean raises his hands to placate Šóta (and hopefully reassure his friends).

“Šóta, I know these guys. They were my men,” he says. “They were just following the Colonel’s orders.”

“And what does that mean to me, Dean Winchester?” Šóta says. He climbs down from his horse, his headdress of feathers tousled as a breeze rushes through.

“It means they won’t follow us,” Dean says. “They won’t tell the Army what actually happened here. They’ll keep their word if I ask them to. So I’m asking you…trust me. Trust me like you’ve trusted me before.”

Šóta seems to consider it, even though he doesn’t exactly like the idea. Otaktay seems to like it even less.

“We won’t betray you, Chief,” Benny says to Šóta, and to the other warriors. “We respect you, and we don’t want any more trouble. For us, or for Dean.”

Šóta considers this with a tilt of his head. Before he decides, first, he turns to Otaktay. Other than Dean, he’s now the man Šóta trusts most.

Otaktay looks over at Dean. Between them, there’s an understanding. Finally, there’s also respect. Otaktay returns his gaze to his leader, and he nods.

Šóta expels a deep breath. He addresses the three soldiers.

“Go. Go in peace, or next time, there will not be peace,” he says.

The soldiers breathe in relief.

Dean steps forward with Mila’s help. There he shakes each man’s hand. He’s said goodbye to Cas and Benny before, but somehow, this feels even more final than the last.

Benny and Cas are given back their horses. They help Jack up first, then Cas climbs up with him. Benny mounts his own horse, and Sam, Dean, and the Lakota watch them leave the way they came.

It takes days to cross the plains and maneuver through the mountains, but Šóta leads the rest of the tribe to safety within Sioux territory. They find a place to settle along the Big Cheyenne River, northeast of the Black Hills.

There they will learn the land and what to plant and forage there for the late autumn harvest, as summer ends. There is where they will honor the dead who couldn’t make the journey. There is where their traditions will be celebrated, old and new.

Like today. The men have painted each other with blue circles around their faces and blue lines across their foreheads, chins, and cheekbones. The women are painted similarly in red. It symbolizes change in its many forms, but most of all, it symbolizes new relationships, and new responsibilities.

Today, it’s Huŋkápi. The Making of Relatives. This ceremony formally welcomes Dean into the tribe by marriage. It also recognizes Sam as his brother, and so, it acknowledges Sam as a friend to their tribe as well. They are now all family. One people.

Dean sits with his brother around the large firepit, where a roasted boar is already half-eaten. Dean has shared a lot of meals with these people, but somehow, this one is the best he’s ever eaten. Maybe it’s the company, he thinks, as he laughs at some old story Sam is trying to tell.

“No, no, no, that’s not what happened. Let me tell it—”

“What, so you can make stuff up?”

“Oh, I’m making stuff up?”

Mila giggles quietly, but it’s enough to earn Dean’s attention. She sits at his left, and he turns to her with an amused smile.

“What’re you laughing at?” he teases. His arm wraps around her waist and pulls her in.

“You,” she replies. “You and your brother. You’re worse than me and Šóta.”

Dean chuckles and shakes his head. He points over at her cousin, their esteemed Chief, who’s busy making shadow creatures with exaggerated voices to impress the kids. Right now, it’s a big grizzly bear that threatens to eat the closest child.

“Worse than the grizzly?” Dean says.

“Hmm, maybe not,” she says with a laugh.

That evening, Dean is glad he convinced Sam to start sleeping in his own tipi. He agreed to stay until Mila has the baby, but while Dean is grateful to have his brother here for a few more months, he still wants some much-needed privacy with his wife.

He “helps” her undress for bed, all the while distracting her with lingering kisses across her neck and shoulders, winding his fingers into her long hair. He wraps his arms around her and cups her full breasts from behind, satisfied by the arousing way she moans.

“They’re heavier,” Dean whispers in her ear, gently squeezing her breasts. She hums in response. “Your thighs and hips are thicker too, nice and soft for me.” He squeezes those too for good measure.

“I am changing,” she admits. “Are they good changes?”

“Hell yeah,” Dean says, his lips moving against her throat. He gently turns her around and guides her down to lay on the bedding and furs. He palms at the best change of all—the growing swell of her belly. She’s gotten bigger, and growing a little more each week. Dean really wants to meet his kid.

He dips down to lay a path of slow, tender kisses down between her breasts, and over her belly. Mila smiles and threads her fingers through his hair. It’s getting long, brushing past his ears.

“Do you want a son, or a daughter?” she asks him. It’s not the first time she’s asked, but she wonders if his answer will change now, after everything they’ve gone through to get here. She finds that her own answer hasn’t changed.

Dean shakes his head. “I don’t care. Either one.”

All he wants is for the baby to be healthy, and for Mila to be healthy too. He moves back up to claim her lips. When he kisses her like this, he hopes she knows what he’s really saying. Just in case, he says it anyway. He says it out loud to her for the first time.

“I love you,” he says. He pauses, then smiles a little. “You know, you’re the only woman I’ve ever said that to.”

She smiles, because she knows. With her hand over his heart, she knows.

And when their son is born a few months later, she has a dream. She dreams of an eagle’s wings that shift from white to gold in the light.

Dean plans to give him a name he picked out weeks before, Elijah. It was his father’s middle name. But she will also give their son a name.

Ikíphi, the name her uncle, Chief Tahatan, gave Dean Winchester himself.

Because one day, she knows her son will be worthy of it.

AN: And there we have it! A more definitive end to Dean and Mila's story. 🥹

For those of you who read and enjoyed this, thank you so much for sticking with me through this sequel of The Honorable Choice. This was an idea that wouldn't let go of me once I started, and it's the first time that I've written something like this. 💖💖

Pronunciation Guide:

Wašíču ("wash-ee-jew") Šóta ("sho-tah") Chatan ("chat-tan") Tahatan ("ta-hat-tann") Otaktay ("ogh-tac-tay") Weaya ("we-ayy-ya") Takoda ("ta-koda") Mato ("matt-toe") Misae ("mee-sah-eh")

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[itsnesss]

can you do a miguel diaz fic where reader doesn’t come from a good family but it’s her birthday and miguel, carmen, and his yaya celebrate with reader and its really sweet (and the whole celebrating is miguel’s idea)

𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 | miguel diaz × fem!reader

summary | the request

warnings | fluff, kissing, mention of a bad past

word count | 2.0 k

author's note | it would help me a lot if you liked, commented and reposted so that more people read what I write and don't forget to follow me, thanks ᡣ𐭩

You don’t know why, but today feels different. It’s your birthday, but you’re not expecting much. In your world, days like this often go unnoticed. Today, like any other, feels like just a date on the calendar—a reminder of what you don’t have, and never have had.

You’re at Miguel’s house. He invited you over, like he always does, but there’s something about his demeanor that suggests there’s more to it. He looks at you with a smile you can’t quite read, a mix of nervousness and excitement, as if he’s the one with something to celebrate.

"Everything okay?" you ask, watching as he paces back and forth, his eyes glued to his phone.

"Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m… just getting something ready. Don’t worry about it," he replies, almost as if he’s trying to hide something.

You feel a little uneasy. Miguel has always been kind to you, much more than you think you deserve, but you can’t shake the feeling that something is up. Something you’re not sure you’re ready for.

"Getting what ready?" you press, unable to stop yourself.

Miguel smiles, a flicker of mystery in his eyes. "You’ll see."

The sound of the front door opening makes you turn your head. Carmen, Miguel’s mom, walks in carrying a tray full of what looks like cookies. Yaya, Miguel’s grandmother, follows behind her, her slow, graceful steps exuding warmth. Both have that familiar, welcoming look that always leaves you feeling a little self-conscious, like you’re more important than you believe you are.

"Happy birthday!" Carmen says with a bright smile as she sets the cookies on the table. "Miguel didn’t let me say anything earlier, but… he didn’t want you to feel alone."

"Yes, happy birthday, mija!" Yaya greets you gently, pulling you into a warm hug that almost feels like home.

Your heart starts beating faster than usual. This… this isn’t what you expected. In fact, you didn’t even know you were expecting anything. But now, with Carmen and Yaya showering you with affection, you feel something you’ve never felt before. A warmth rises in your throat, your eyes beginning to sting with emotion.

"Miguel, what’s going on?" you ask, your voice cracking as you look around, unsure if you’re dreaming or if this is real.

Miguel looks at you with a warm smile, his expression almost nervous. "This is all for you. I wanted your birthday to be special. I think you deserve something good, even if it’s just for today."

The room fills with laughter and conversation. Carmen and Yaya take care of the food while Miguel watches you quietly, as if every move you make is something he wants to memorize. You feel a little out of place, but the warmth of the atmosphere begins to wrap around you. Somehow, in this house, with these people, you feel like you’re not invisible.

"Come on, open your gift," Miguel says, pulling a small box from his jacket pocket. He hands it to you with a soft smile, as if he’s nervous about how you’ll react.

You open it slowly, almost in disbelief, and inside is a simple but beautiful necklace. A delicate silver heart with a small detail in the center. It’s perfect. And it’s yours. You’ve never had something so lovely.

"Do you like it?" Miguel asks, his voice low, as if your answer really matters to him.

"It’s… it’s perfect, Miguel," you say, your voice thick with emotion. You don’t know what to do; you can’t stop staring at the necklace. "Thank you."

Miguel steps a little closer. "I’m glad you like it." Then, with a mischievous smile, he adds, "Want me to put it on for you?"

You nod, surprised at how simple the gesture is yet how much it makes your heart race. Miguel carefully picks up the necklace and fastens it around your neck. The light brush of his hands against your skin leaves an odd, pleasant sensation.

The afternoon passes with more laughter and chatter. Yaya shares stories from her youth, Carmen talks about how Miguel has always been a good kid, and you listen intently, trying to absorb every moment. For the first time, you feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself, something you never thought you’d experience.

Later, when dinner is served and everyone is gathered around the table, Miguel leans toward you, his gaze locked on yours.

"Do you want to go for a walk? I have one more surprise for you," he says, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

You nod, though part of you is nervous about what’s coming. But there’s something about the way Miguel looks at you that makes you trust him completely.

Night has fallen, and the two of you walk through the quiet streets under the city lights. Miguel leads the way, taking his time, enjoying the comfortable silence between you. Eventually, you arrive at a small park with a single bench beneath a tree. Miguel sits down first and gestures for you to join him.

"Sometimes, the simplest moments are the best ones," Miguel says as he looks at you, as if he’s assessing something. "And this… this is for you."

You sit beside him, staring at the horizon. You don’t know what to say, but you realize you don’t need to. His presence is enough. In this moment, all you need is to be here, with him.

"Thank you for everything, Miguel," you murmur, unsure if words can truly convey what you’re feeling.

Miguel leans in closer, and before you can react, his lips meet yours in a gentle kiss. It’s sweet, like everything he’s done for you today. A kiss that makes you forget your insecurities and doubts, that makes you feel like someone who’s worth something.

When he pulls back, he looks at you with a genuine, almost shy smile. "You don’t have to thank me. I just want you to know that I care about you. You’re important to me."

When you both return to Miguel’s house, the warmth of the home is still alive, and you realize that, even though life has never been easy for you, maybe this moment will change everything. Because here, with Miguel, Carmen, and Yaya, you feel something you haven’t felt in a long time: a sense of belonging.

[annymation]

Sonic Movie 4 Theory 💙

Hey guys! Since Sonic Movie 3 has been consuming my brain, specially that post credits scene, I’ve decided to write down my predictions to what will happen in the next movie.

I’ll probably be wrong, but that’s ok, theories are not meant to be 100% accurate, they’re just fun to make, and I’ve came up with some ideas that I really wanna share, feel free to share your own theories in the comments or add whatever you think might make my theory even better.

Alright, let’s begin

What can we learn from Amy’s first appearance?

So from the little time we get from her we can catch a few things:

1. She already has plenty of fighting experience against these Metal Sonics

2. Her hammer is futuristic looking

3. She has a hooded cape, like, she’s not meant to be seen by anyone else

4. This last one is important: Her smile implies she already knows Sonic

With all of that in mind, I believe this Amy is from the future, but as I’ll explain, she’s not from far away in the future, rather… She’s from the time Sonic Movie 4 ends.

That’ll make sense in a sec, probably, I hope so, we'll see.

To make this theory make sense, first, imma talk about where I got my inspiration for it… Soooo

Have you guys watched Howl’s Moving Castle?

The Howl’s Moving Castle paradox theory✨

That’s how I’m calling my theory by the way, since it was what inspired the whole idea of it.

So, to explain my theory, I’ll have to give yall a mild spoiler of this Studio Ghibli movie, in case you haven’t watched it, it’s surprisingly not a big deal in the narrative but in any case, you’ve been warned.

Still here? Good, so here's the spoiler

At the end of Howl’s Moving Castle, we get a scene Sophie goes back in time, she sees past Howl, and screams to him, asking him to come find her in the future, as she’s being sucked in back to present day

This scene gives new meaning to the scene at the start of the movie when Howl “first met” Sophie, and he said:

Soooo why am I bringing this up? Well, I believe Amy is having the same role Sophie had in that movie, and of course, Sonic is getting Howl’s role, but, while in Howl’s Moving Castle we followed Sophie’s point of view, in Sonic 4, it's like we're following Howl's POV, or in this case, Sonic's.

You might already have an idea where I’m going with this.

Where Is Present Amy?

As I've mentioned, I believe that Amy we saw at the post credits scene is from the future, well, that begs the question, where is the Amy from the NOW?

That's up to Sonic to find out.

Just like how Sophie was forcefully brought back to her time after meeting past Howl, I believe this Amy will disappear too, because she can’t stay in that point in time for too long, but before disappearing, she’ll ask Sonic to look for her in their home planet, which we'll be referring to as Mobius.

However, before she can tell him specifically where he can find her, her time will run out. Future Amy will be gone, leaving behind a very confused blue hedgehog, and one sack of rings.

Before she left, all she had time to tell Sonic was “find me on planet mobius, on the island-“ and then she was gone in a poof of green sparkles reminiscent of the green stars we see when time traveling in Sonic CD.

With that as their only clue, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles will have a very hard time finding her, considering that the whole planet is full of islands.

South Island, Christmas Island, Cocoa Island, Starfall Islands, West Side Island and MANY many more.

But despite the odds not being in their favor, they go anyway, with backpacks full of snacks for the trip of course, and the rings Future Amy left behind.

We’d get, let’s say, a 3 minutes montage accompanied with music of the boys going through various Game locations, from both old and new Sonic games, and probably some much needed lore exposition from Knuckles and Tails, with Sonic being amazed by the planet he never got to know more about.

That’d satisfy fans that want to see more game lore stuff while also not costing the animators that much to design all the anthropomorphic animal characters in the background and so on.

Of course, it’s not easy finding a pink hedgehog among millions of other animal people in a whole planet, but Sonic doesn’t care, he gotta know who she was, and how she can help them deal with those knock-off robot versions of him, they may strike again at any moment... Also she was really pretty but that surely is unrelated to why he wants to find her so much *cough cough*

So, to make matters worse, the wind blows away a sketch Sonic had made of Amy to help them identify her, it falls on a lake, but, much to the boys luck, it’s pulled out of the water by a fishing hook… And they encounter a certain big friendly purple cat.

Yeah, I know this is getting into fanfic territory, but hey, with the little info I have currently I kinda have to make stuff up, plus, the writers have shown interest in inserting Big the Cat in these movies for a WHILE now, but never got a good excuse to do it. This is my take on how they could implement him into the narrative in a natural way, that wouldn't just make the 3D modelers make a whole BIG character to be a blink and you'll miss it reference in the background.

Back to the plot, Big gives them the sketch back, but with it being all wet, they don’t have much hope left that they’ll ever find the girl they’re looking for. Big laments that their drawing got ruined, and as they’re leaving he casually adds “It was a really good drawing of Amy, I’m sure she’d like it”

Their ears perk up as they quickly turn to the cat, and Big confirms he does know her, they’re neighbors, and she was currently on an adventure of her own, apparently looking for some kind of “destined encounter” as she had put it. Big gives them the location where they can find her.

Which would be riiiiiiiight here

I believe this location is called Never Lake, but Idk if it's canon or just an Archie Comics thing, either way, I'm calling it Never Lake.

Anyway this segment is already getting pretty long so I’ll make this brief, Sonic finds Amy, on his own, Knuckles and Tails went to different sides of the island to look for her, it’s important their first meeting is just the two of them.

I have three ideas to how this first meeting could go:

When he finds her, she could either be on her own, distracted as she checks her tarot cards and Sonic awkwardly interrupts it, startling her, making the cards flow away in the wind, to which Sonic catches them quickly, which both impresses Amy and proves to her the cards were right, she got her destined encounter.

2. Alternatively, she could not be alone, she was being attacked by a group of hooligans *cough cough* Fang, Bean and Bark *cough cough* and Sonic proceeds to save her while being a lil a snarky trickster and making her laugh during the whole rescue.

Either one of these first encounter ideas works for me because both set up Amy being certain Sonic is the one her cards told her about, however, even though seeing more mobian characters and get a cute scene of Sonic fighting bad guys is cool, I do prefer option number one, for reasons that will become more clear in a sec.

. . .

Ok the sec is over, the reason is because I think another Metal Sonic would show up and try to kidnap Amy and having her being rescued twice is redundant, his motivation? Some version of her from a different point in time just wrecked a whole army of them of course, so he's trying to get her before she can become that future self (time travel sure is messy to write but work with me here)

Sonic, now accompanied with Tails and Knuckles defeat him, preferably also with Amy's help so we can get some main 4 action we've been waiting for, and now, they got a deactivated Metal Sonic laying on the floor, ready for Tails to take to his workshop (aka the garage) and figure out where, or rather, when this thing came from, get some memory files, and most importantly, find out how it time travels.

Gathering all that data, Tails is able to unlock the secrets of time travel, and also he figures out that changing the past will not change the future this Metal Sonic comes from, how is that? Welp, let me explain

How Will Time Travel Work?

In science fiction there are 3 types of time travel theories:

The Fixed Timeline

The Dynamic Timeline

The Multiverse

For this theory, we are going with the idea Sonic 4 will follow the rules of the Multiverse Theory

Don't let that name fool you, I'm not saying we gonna get Sonics from other universes crossing over like game Sonic, boom Sonic, Sanic or whatever, no, here's how it works:

According to this theory, when a time traveler journeys to the past, or future, they do not travel within their own timeline but rather to a parallel timeline. This means that any actions taken in the past do not affect their original timeline, thereby avoiding paradoxes.

Think of it this way, let's say you have two choices, you can choose between going to the mall or staying home, in one timeline you chose to stay home, in the other you went to the mall, in this theory, those two timelines still exist as different universes, like a river dividing in two different directions, the choices we make create different branching timelines.

I think a fun way Tails could explain this to the group would be using the logic of video games, like, imagine he explaining while geeking out and we get visuals referencing classic Sonic games.

In a video game, there's two ways a level can go, you either pass, or you get a game over, now, what happens when you get a game over? As in, what happens in the game's story, well, the bad guy wins, but that doesn't really matter since you can just restart and try again, right? Right, at the end of the game we always end with the "timeline" where the hero didn't die at all, but, what about those alternative timelines we DID get a game over?

Tails explains that he believes these robot versions of Sonic come from an alternative timeline where Sonic DID get a "game over", thus creating a "Bad Future".

By saying "game over" Tails would't be implying Sonic died btw, he believes Sonic just got captured in this alternative future and needs some help heheh how naive what, who said that?

Anyway, now that we got the logistics of time travel, I guess it's about time we address the metallic hedgehog in the room.

What's The Deal With Metal Sonic(s)

So, from the little we've seen from Metal in that post credit scene, one thing is certain, he wanted Sonic dead.

That to me at least kinda confirms the movie will work with the Multiverse logic in mind, because otherwise, if Metal were to kill past Sonic then the events in the timeline would change drastically, that is, if we were going with a Dynamic timeline where past events affect the future. In the Multiverse theory, killing Sonic in that moment would simply create a new timeline where Sonic just went for a race with Tails and Knuckles, disappeared and never came back home, a new bad future.

And that, my friends, is what I think those Metal Sonic's were trying to do, going back in time to different moments where Sonic was alone, distracted and helpless, just to eliminate him over and over and over again, creating a bunch of branching timelines where Sonic get's his game over, by an enemy he doesn't even know.

Think of it as Metal taking the "There can only be one Sonic" thing to the next level, there can only be one timeline where a Sonic wins, and that Sonic is ME.

It makes sense right? At least I think it does, you tell me.

I'm working with what we've seen so far, all we got was Sonic distracted and all alone, then Metal showing up like the Exterminator, indicating he's from the future, put those two informations together and my brain says "Metal is going back in time to kill Sonic in all the moments in his life he was alone and distracted"....... My brain is kinda crazy tho ngl.

And with the little information we got I'm about to go even crazier as I explain what lead to Metal's creation.

I'm still pondering how Eggman would work in this theory, I'm torn between just saying he died and Shadow survived and crash landed because he's just THAT durable, or, both him and Shadow time traveled to the future through Chaos Control. Either way, sounds good, I'm undecided, but let's say Agent Stone started to work on Metal Sonic first, then a few years later Robotnik just popped up again in the narrative because Shadow just made a Chaos Control that took them to the future actually, so they're fiiiiiine, this is the part of the theory I'm least sure of.

Events That Lead To The Bad Future

In this segment I'll describe what I believe happens in the alternative timeline Metal Sonic comes from, all the following events would be narrated through exposition and flashbacks, not actually play out in the movie for too long, just thought it was important to make that clear.

After the events of Sonic 3, Stone spiraled down into deep resentment towards Team Sonic, believing it's Sonic's fault for the doctor slowly going insane and ultimately resulting in his supposed death.

So, he decides to finish what the doctor started, by creating a robot that could not only match, but also surpass Sonic.

We know from Sonic 2 that Stone has at the very least SOME knowledge of technology, he changed a whole coffee shop into a secret base. However, even though he is skilled, I don't think Stone could ever make Metal Sonic on his first try (Nor Eggman honestly)

So he started with prototypes, sending them to cause havoc so Sonic and friends would fight them, and he could collect more data about how Sonic fights

And each time, model after model, Sonic would always beat these "knockoff" Sonics, and each time, they'd come back improved, but never good enough to defeat them.

Perfect opportunity for us to get a flashback or exposition with these guys being these prototypes

Years go by, let's say, 5 years, with Sonic now being 20 years old, Knuckles is 21 and Tails is 13, and in between that time Eggman and Shadow also came back through Shadow's Chaos Control (Again, this is the part of the theory I'm most iffy about, could use some ideas from ya'll).

So far the future is bright for the boys, they went through many adventures together, are way more skilled and fought so many pesky robots it's practically a game for them at this point.

It's not a game for prototype Metal though, who has retained the memories of all his defeats, every single time Sonic has mocked him with a cheeky grin, every failure, reminding him he's not good enough.

From that, something sparks inside of Metal's programing...

Hatred.

He's tired of this vicious cycle, tired of following orders from both Eggman and Stone. However, he's still confined by his programming, an un-willing servant who wants to break free but simply can't.

Until one day, Metal get's a whole new look, as usual, he's sent to fight Sonic and friends, once again as he always does... But something different happens.

He manages to disobey.

When Eggman orders Metal to attack Sonic, Metal decides a diferent strategy, and attacks Tails instead, knowing that Sonic would throw himself in front of his little brother to protect him, and indeed that's what happens... Metal did't miss his shot.

For the first time in one of these battles Sonic got injured, not seriously injured but enough to impress Eggman, shock Stone and give Metal a huge boost in his confidence, and mainly his ego.

The villains get away, with Stone now worried with how Metal seems to be deviating from his programing and wanting to do things his own way, while Eggman is just over the moon knowing Metal's artificial intelligence has advanced so much, he decides to go a step further, giving Metal more freedom to do as he pleases without the need of commands, and also uses Sonic's quill to power him even more, announcing their little project is out of beta, and Metal Sonic is their final design.

Little did they know, Metal had other plans.

Neo Metal Takeover

Yeah you've read the title, you knew it was coming, I need this boy in the movies very badly.

Basically, Metal Sonic upgraded himself, gave himself a voice, an identity, seeing himself as Sonic perfected, a Sonic that wasn't held back by fear of losing his loved ones nor bound by any morals. He was Neo Metal Sonic.

Just like in Sonic heroes, Neo rebels against Eggman and Agent Stone, and goes to defeat Sonic his own way, in a permanent way that would finally put an end to the endless cycle.

They put up a good fight, but ultimately, Sonic in a trapped, Neo Metal wins, he has Sonic right where he wants him and Tails and Knuckles can only watch, he's ready to give the killing blow... But... Sonic doesn't look defeated.

He smiles... That same determined smile Metal has seen over and over again, and in fact, Sonic doesn't even look at Neo at all, he just turns to Tails, eyes full of hope as he says "It's up to you now, I'm counting on you"

He probably would say something to Knuckles too but in true middle child mocking older sibling fashion he'd just go "You better beat this piece of scrap metal or I'm SOOOO gonna come back as a ghost to haunt you"

So yeah anyway, alternative future Sonic dies, rip, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow (bet you forgot he was alive) all fail to defeat Neo because dude can just copy abilities and also he made a bunch of Metal Sonic clones.

He proceeds to take over the world under the disguise of Eggman (because just like in Heroes he can shapeshift) following exactly how the doctor envisioned the world, dominated by machines and pollution, sooooooo yeah, we get our Bad Future! Uhuuuuul!

You'd think after all that Neo would be satisfied, right? He'd just lay back and enjoy his world domination... But nope! He couldn't accept that in Sonic's final moments the hedgehog still had that gleam of hope in his eyes. Neo didn't win, not really, because he never got to break Sonic's spirit.

Neo decides to fix that.

Now, I don't know how they gonna deal with the means Time Travel is activated, it could be with the Time Stones like in Sonic CD, but I don't know where Neo could find those, or, it could be with the Chaos Emeralds like it is in Sonic 06. Either way, the point is that Neo figured out how to time travel, and he chose to use that power to be the ultimate hater.

So, we circle back to where we've started, when I said Metal Sonic is going back in time to different moments where Sonic was alone, just to kill him, over and over and over again.

Needles to say, Neo Metal Sonic got issues.

Of course it's not exactly HIM who is doing it, Neo is still in his empire in the bad future, while his clones are doing the job of killing a bunch of past Sonics, but still, they're all connected in the same network, like they're all the same character.

Sooo anyway, you might be wondering, where the heck is Amy?

So, Back To Amy

You may have noticed I didn't mention Amy at all during this whole explanation about how the bad future came to be, welp, that's because she's not from that timeline.

Now this is the part it's kinda confusing and I remind ya'll about the whole "Howl's Moving Castle" paradox I've mentioned in the beginning, logically it doesn't make much sense, but I'm looking at this in a POETIC way, like they were destined to meet and the stars aligned yadda yadda yadda that kind of stuff.

Logically, it doesn't make sense Howl met Sophie because her future self from a few days in the future told him to come find her in the future, since she only time traveled BECAUSE she met him in the first place, and yet, we don't question it, we just think it's cute.

The same way, in this theory, it doesn't make sense Sonic met Amy because her future self from a few days in the future told him to come find her in the present, since she only time traveled BECAUSE she met him in the first place, and yet, I'm asking you guys to not question it, we just think it's cute, and writing time travel sucks.

Anyway, so what do I think will be Amy's role in this story?

Well firstly, she falls for Sonic, that much I feel certain about, but her role won't be just fangirl and be all sticky, after being rescued from that Metal Sonic attack, she's HYPED to join Sonic and the others in this adventure, she wants to help them the best she can, even if her hammer is just a toy hammer (yeah she only get's the futuristic one later) and she's not as fast as Sonic, she still promises to not leave them until they defeat those robots, and thus, she fits right in with the team.

She's girly, enthusiastic, has a heart of gold, and most of all, she's optimistic.

Once Tails finishes building the time travel gizmo, which as I've mentioned before, could be on Sonic's shoes or a wrist watch, they're all set to go to this bad future, believing they can help their future selves deal with these robots.

However, Sonic can only time travel if he runs very fast for a long time, and he can't really do that carrying Amy, Tails & Knuckles on his arms, right?

So, Knuckles decides to stay behind, trusting on Amy to be the muscle of the team in his absence. Sonic carries Amy on his arms, while Tails holds tightly to his back. As Sonic runs, the speed builds and builds to the point sparkles start to glow around him, but, Sonic runs so fast, Tails can't hold on and... Tails let go and falls before they time traveled, being left behind in the present.

Sonic and Amy are on their own in the bad future, and Neo Metal Sonic couldn't be happier to get his second chance.

With that said... I'm gonna stop here.

Final Notes

I could go on detailing how I think the events would play out from here, but I'll just summarize with a few bullet points:

As soon as Sonic and Amy get to the bad future they're already chased down and captured, and Sonic loses the gizmo that allows him to time travel, thus they're trapped there for a good chunck of the movie.

Tom and Maddie are still in this story, in the first act they support the boys going to their homeworld to find Amy, giving them snacks for the trip and just asking them to be careful. They help out Tails when he's making his time travel gizmo, and in the second act, we see them in the bad future, along with other humans who are trying to hide from Neo Metal, like a kind of resistance group.

Throughout the narrative, Amy with her positivity would be the source of hope Sonic needs in order to overcome all the pain he'll endure seeing this horrible future. No matter how bad things get, Amy believes in him, and in turn Sonic believes in himself, even if his future self lost, that Sonic didn't have an Amy, so there's still a chance.

Sonic also helps Amy in her own character journey, she doesn't see herself as a heroine, and is deeply insecure about her future, hence why she's so interested in tarot cards, so she can be sure of what's gonna happen next, however, Sonic teaches her to see her own value, and how amazing she already is in the present. They both highlight the best parts of one another.

You may be wondering where Tails, Knuckles and Shadow are in this bad future. Well ya'll might hate me for this, but I do like a good cliche, and it sure is a cliche that in dystopian alternate future you see your loved ones turned into mind controlled robot versions of themselves... Yeah

What can I say? I love some angst. Also, it would be a neat callback to the roboticization thing from the Archie Comics.

Shadow wouldn't be roboticized, he'd be locked up by Neo. Sonic and Amy find him and free him, we get a heartwarming moment where Sonic is relieved he's alive, and they get at least one ally that can help them figure out how to fix all this mess.

6. Eggman and Stone could be locked up along with Shadow, and I can only imagine how pissed off Sonic would be seeing the doctor again, I need Shadow and Amy holding him while Eggman comedically runs away scared.

7. Climax of the movie would be Neo and Sonic having a race for the Master Emerald, and just to prove he doesn't need any upgrades to beat Sonic he reverts back to his original smaller form we all know as Metal Sonic. The race is actually a distraction so Amy, Shadow, Eggman and other human characters can free Tails and Knuckles from their roboticized state. Of course, Sonic wins, Neo get's mad and almost emotional about the fact he can't even beat a younger version of his "loathsome copy" in a race. Sonic tries to reach out to him and reassure him he doesn't have to be perfect (or some other kind of lesson like that), and extends a hand just like he has done to his two other rivals in the past... Neo Metals says "naaaaah f*** that" and grabs the Master Emerald, turning himself into Metal Overlord, and THEN we get our final climax.

Obviously Sonic wins, all the metal sonics were controlled by Neo so they deactivate when he's destroyed. But before Sonic goes back to his time, Tails, now conscious, points out that the shenanigans Neo Metal pulled with time travel has created a bunch of divergent timelines where Metal Sonics have killed Sonic in the past, which is pretty bad for the time stream as a whole.

Amy offers herself to time travel to the same points in time these Metal Sonics went, saying she can defeat them before they hurt Sonic in any timeline. It's too risky for Sonic to do that himself, since if he's seen or touched by any of his past selves it could be a bit troublesome.

Soooo yeah, that's what Amy was doing in the post credit scene, just doing a clean sweep of all the Metals who tried to hurt her darling Sonic. Using a hammer that future Tails designed that allows her to time jump directly to all those Metals, but she can't stay in those points in time for too long.

And with that, I think we're done.

Final Thoughts

Although I'm happy with this theory I do recognize the chances of it being right are VERY low.

The tone of these movies is quite different from all of this, the implications of Sonic dying, even if not shown of screen, might be a bit too much for Paramount to accept, and even SEGA honestly.

But hey, it happened in 06 so there's a small chance I suppose.

The point of this theory really is that I hope we get to SEE Amy develop into that Amy we saw in the post credits, and the idea of her going back in time to save Sonic over and over again just sounds very cute to me, for once she's the one saving him and not the other way around.

All in all, I hope you enjoyed this theory/almost fanfic. Please leave your opinion, constructive criticism and questions in the comments! Hope we can improve these ideas together!

Thank You For Reading!

[oldmanfuckerbrigade]

please tell me you're going to expand on why the newsies movie is perfection and the musical is ass, I'd love to see it

(because you are right)

yknow, i was gonna save my rant for my imaginary video essay but it’s too in my head now so i might as well do the deep dive here. you asked so i shall deliver! (Be forewarned this is long as fuck i didnt know how much i needed to say until i started writing this)

Newsies is a (Gay) Love Story and That’s Why The Musical Fails™️

Ok. So. First and foremost, let’s talk about Newsies 1992. To be fair to my own biases, I have a very strong personal connection to 92sies, it was the first musical I ever saw on screen - one of the first movies I ever watched PERIOD - and some of my first memories are of listening to the soundtrack. So you could, on a certain level, chalk up my vehemence about its quality to my fondness for it, and I will gladly admit to that.

BUT. I have now been on this earth for 20 years, and in those 20 years I’ve watched a lot of movies, and a LOT of musicals (and am now studying film full time yippee for me). So I think I can say confidently, with my broadened tastes, that Newsies (1992) is a goddamn masterpiece of a movie musical.

It succeeds spectacularly in both regards, as a film and a musical. It had a stacked deck going in honestly, with directing and choreo both done by Kenny Ortega of High School Musical fame, as well as music by the inimitable Alan Menken. You know this shit was boutta pop off. From a filmmaking standpoint, it’s beautiful. Gorgeous matte paintings in the wide shots, fantastic set work and costume design, as well as the lighting and cinematography being on. fucking. point. every damn time it’s so good it makes me sick. You don’t even need me to say anything about the acting, cause we already know it’s phenomenal.

As a musical, it’s also right on the money. Every tenet of musical theater is respected, we have our intro ensemble number, introducing us to the world, the people within it, and the stakes of the story that we’ll follow. We have our absolute fucking BANGER of an “i want” song which Christian Bale puts his whole Baleussy into. And ofc we have some fantastic call-to-action, come-together, and uplifting songs and dance numbers.

But most importantly, every song does the one of two things any musical theater number should do: advance the story or give us insight into a characters thoughts and feelings. Let’s talk about them all in order (i promise this is gonna tie in to the stage show in a second just bare with me):

The Music

Carrying the Banner is ofc our opening theme, introducing us to the world and characters. Where and when are we, who are the heroes of our story? This is the “known” part of our hero’s journey, the home base and the place to which we will return. This is our Normal Time.

Santa Fe is, as we all know, Jack’s “I want” song, the song that tells the audience the hopes and dreams of our main character, so we can understand, well, what he wants. We can discover through this song what Jack’s character is all about. Through both what he has, what he lacks (or perceives he does) and what he hopes to gain. Jack has no family, he’s alone, but he has seemingly given up on ever being NOT alone, so he pins all his hopes for a better life on the mirage of Santa Fe. If he can pave his own way in the world, leave the city which has done nothing but take from him, maybe he can feel whole again. He’s a dreamer, despite his rough exterior, and he dreams of a life of freedom, beyond what he can find in New York. So there we get, all wrapped in a tidy bow, the essence of Jack Kelly’s character. a deeper look beyond what we have seen up until this point. Ok moving on.

In between Santa Fe and The World Will Know we have a small song which Medda sings. While that song in and of itself isn’t terribly important (it’s just part of her show), the scene that it’s in is VERY important. This is where we have an introduction to one of the few people we could consider part of Jack’s family, as a sort of mother/aunt figure. Overall it serves to give Jack more humanity, therefore giving our audience surrogate David (and hey i’m gonna go off about Davey just gimme a minute) more reason to trust Jack, and thereby the audience can trust him as well. We also get a little interaction between Jack and Davey that was pretty much ripped wholecloth from the movie and supplanted on Jack and Katherine in the show. It’s literally the same shit, Dave and Katherine are mistrustful of Jack and his intentions, they argue, it’s homoerotic as fuck, and it all takes place at the theater. (And also we get the one scene in the movie that does a weak ass attempt to un-gay David by having him drool over a pretty lady. It does not work lmfao).

The World Will Know is a standard call-to-action, but it by no means is mid-tier in any way. This shit slaps. HARD. We have Jack as the voice of the people convincing the gang of erstwhile children to band together with him on this, and stand up for their rights. This is also the first real time we get Jack and David teaming up to achieve a goal. Jack may be the voice of the people, but it’s David who’s the brains behind the operation, knowing what to say and do, while Jack has the respect and tenacity to put it forward. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. BECAUSE THE STAGE SHOW ALL BUT BRUSHES OFF DAVID’S INVOLVEMENT IN THIS SCENE, SO IT NO LONGER SERVES IT ENTIRE PURPOSE. A big secondary point of this scene is to illustrate that while Jack and David are strong boys independently, they work so much better together, and are able to achieve what they wouldn’t normally, alone. And the musical does not understand this. But i’ll get to that later.

Seize the Day is David’s first step towards standing in his own power. The newsies are losing steam on the strike train after Brooklyn refuses to join so David is the one to raise everyone’s morale and bring back their fighting spirit, getting all the other boys to take up the call, preaching brotherhood and community, the strength of standing together. Here is your come-together song. But this is the important thing: It’s David who does it. The song becomes an ensemble number as it goes on but HE is the one who STARTS it. David was hesitant to really rally behind the strike at first, but now he’s all in, he’s connected with the boys and he believes in the cause (thanks to the spirit that Jack brought to it, and how much Jack believe in it cough cough). He does start it in the musical as well, but the tone is very different, it’s only after Jack’s urging that he says anything. Bro didn’t even have to say shit in the movie. But whatever moving on.

King of New York is a hard song to mess up. It’s just good. and fun. and I like it. It probably has the least to do with moving the plot forward or giving us an internal look on any specific characters. It’s an ensemble and dance number. I do like it better in the movie rather than onstage, though that’s mostly personal preference. The stage show kind of beats it to death, like why is it 10 minutes long I swear to god. They know it’s a good song and they wanna capitalize on it, which makes it all seem kind of transparently cynical to me. it’s still like, good and the dancers are on top of it but….its too much y'know. The movie just has a good time with it. Because it’s a good time. Also Jack is there in the movie and he’s not in the stage show for some reason, I forget why. Probably because of some plot contrivance they got from trying to shove new elements into an already lock tight story. sorry ok back to actual critique.

Once and For All is like maybe my favorite song of the whole soundtrack. It just eats. Every time. This is the song we should play while smashing in the heads of the capitalist pigs that run our stupid fucking country. It’s a banger. AND it moves the plot forward, which is always a slay. Let’s make that underground pape and radicalize all the child workers being abused across the city!! yeah!!!

And then we got our TWWK and CtB reprises to tie up the ending in a neat little bow, bringing us back around the our beginning, a la the hero’s journey. We’ve completed our circle and are back to the beginning, changed but better for it, with our characters at transformed equilibrium, the evil vanquished, and bright days ahead. Jack realizes that he doesn’t need to chase the illusion of Santa Fe when what he really wants and needs is to be with the people who love him, the family that was right under his nose the whole time. David is a full fledged newsie, has come out of his shell, become more confident in himself, and his relationship with Jack is assured. So. Let’s talk about Jack and David.

Jack and David

Historians would call them “good friends”. This whole section is gonna be me preaching to the choir, so to speak, so I’ll try and keep this concise. We all know they’re gay, everyone and their mother knows they’re gay, so why is it important? It’s not like that shit is actually baked into the story right? WRONG. Jack and David are at the heart of the story of Newsies. Jack may be the “““main character”””, but David is the impetus for the events of the story, the driving force behind the plot. He is, in essence, the call to adventure that our hero Jack receives at the start of his arc.

He is also the audience surrogate. It’s through him that we learn the ways of the newsies, the ins and outs of the newsboy life, the trials and tribulations. It’s through him that we come to know Jack’s character on a deeper level. We only get Santa Fe after Jack has met Dave’s family (talk about U-Haul lesbians like my god he knew the guy for a DAY and he was already meeting the parents), and we get to see how seeing David’s loving family is painful for Jack, how he grieves that lack of connection but copes by pinning his hopes on Santa Fe. Most everywhere we see Jack go, we see it because David goes too. (MOST. There are exceptions, like his talk with Pulitzer. But of course, David is still RELEVANT in that scene). We see the story through David’s eyes.

Which is why the musical fails.

Because in the musical, David is so far removed from the narrative you could replace him with any guy and it would still work. He is an after thought, all but scrubbed from the script, and for why???

This I don’t have an answer for, which is really frustrating. My best guess is that it was a well-intentioned but misguided attempt to tighten up the script by placing Jack as the main character. And to make room for Katherine.

Oh Katherine….I used to really vehemently hate Katherine, and her addition to the story. I’ve obviously grown since then, I can recognize her importance as a woman within the story, and how that is important for young people to see in media. But also. She is unnecessary. TO THE PLOT. I won’t speak to her necessity from a larger, misogyny-on-the-world-stage level, but to the actual plot itself she is completely unnecessary. And you know how I know? Because they took movie David’s whole personality and just copy and pasted it onto her.

Ok now hear me out, I KNOW that it is not 1:1, but it really doesn’t have to be. If you step back and look at the bare essentials, it is the same shit. Jack and Katherine have the same enemies to lovers type dynamic that was Davey and Jack’s in the movie. There’s the initial mistrust, the dislike, she’s very professional, and kind of a know-it-all. Jack is the charming street rat, all dry wit and golden retriever energy. They tease and bicker and snap at each other. Exactly like Dave and Jack did in 92. Watching both versions back to back made this almost glaringly obvious to me. Like it was actually kind of shocking how obvious it was.

And the thing is, I understand why they did it! Sarah was such a nothingburger character in the movie (sorry Sarah, love you in fics, hate your actress with a burning passion) that they knew they had to add SOMETHING more to any potential romance subplot, and if they were conveniently sidelining David’s character anyway, why not take some cues from the most powerful relationship in the film? I understand the logic behind it, I really do.

But. That still leaves David, flopping around the script like a severed limb, with nowhere to go and nothing to do to help the plot. Cause here’s the thing, his and Jack's relationship is what makes the movie. I don’t care if I'm fandom-goggling this my tin hat is ON I have a MASTERS in FUJOSHI STUDIES. The movie is at its core, about brotherhood and community. It’s about boyhood and friendship and banding together with your peers to achieve great things. They give us this theme through Jack and Dave.

Dave is an outsider, unfamiliar to the ways of the street kids and working within a community like that. Jack is old hat to it, born and bred in it, it’s his home and his family. They come together through a twist of fate, Jack initially thinking only about what’ll earn him the most money at the end of the day, and Davey rightfully mistrustful of him. But they end up forming an organic bond through the strike, finding common ground with one another, and realizing if they team up they can accomplish great things. We see them struggle together, and break apart for a bit. We see Jack realize he’s gotten too close to this boy, brought him into something dangerous and now he genuinely cares for him which is even worse. David goes so far as to break Jack out of jail, but not before Pulitzer can get to him and threaten him with the one thing Jack will take seriously: David. Jack is forced to destroy David's and the rest of the newsies' trust just to keep them safe.

But through all this, facing incredible adversity, dangerous circumstances, gaining and losing a close friend, David is forced to come into his own, take on a role of leadership and stand up for what he believes in. In this way, his own character arc is fulfilled, by the end of the movie. And the one thing that gets Jack back to the newsies? Why David being in trouble, of course. The one thing he hoped to avoid by agreeing to Pulitzers terms. That’s all it takes for him to take it all back, the prospect of David being in danger.

BRO. WHEN I SAY. THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS WHAT DRIVES THE PLOT. I FUCKING MEAN IT.

And y'know they make their own paper and radicalize all the kids in the city, they go to Pulitzer TOGETHER. BY THE WAY. TOGETHER. Which the musical cannot seem to understand. It’s only as a united front that they are able to beat Pulitzer and win fair terms for the newsies. And then jacks like ahhh yeah im goin to santa fe so long fuckers and then is like never mind actually i wanna come back and kiss Dav- I mean Sarah.

Which is also a hilarious fucking scene to me like that whole last interaction between Dave and Jack is so damn romantic in tone that the only way for the tension to break was with a kiss, so they had to have Sarah come in out of nowhere to kiss Jack 💀 like they knew that shit was leading to something but they couldn’t have the boys kiss obviously so they had to throw a woman in there real quick.

-

So. tldr. I meant this to be a lot more organized and make a lot more sense than it did but oh well. The reason the musical fails is because it fails to recognize that Dave and Jack are EQUALLY both the main characters, you can’t have one without the other, their partnership is the core force of the plot and story, without both of them you are left with something resembling the story you once knew, but with none of the heart and spirit of the original.

Other Technical Things That Are Bad

i wanted to take a second and just touch on some smaller details that also stood out to me, but are less connected to my central thesis.

//

Costumes. Oh boy did they fuck that one up on stage. Now to be fair, I’ve only seen the 2017 pro shot and one (1) local children’s production. Not any of the other runs or anything. So I'm only talking about what I’ve seen here. But what I’ve seen is Not Good. There’s already a lot of names and faces flying around in the movie which are hard to keep track of as it is, but everyone looks different enough from the person next to them that you know who your main players are. Each kid has his own way of dressing, unique color palette, accessories, and other styling choices that make them stand out. If you know who you're looking for, you can pick out any named newsie from any of the major ensemble scenes. You can't do that with the show. Everyone is wearing a variation of the same bland shirts and pants, and the color palette is dull gray-brown across the board. I'm not saying you have to go crazy with colors and shit, the costumes in the movie are believably period accurate, but I can still tell Racetrack from Mush without having to squint. (Also hey shout out to whoever decided to do that little red/blue color palette motif on movie Jack and Dave. I see you, and I appreciate you.)

//

The new songs suck but what can you do :/. Sorry to Alan Menken you ate with the movie my guy but you were just not on your A-game with this one. I didn’t even know it was still Menken doing the music in the stage show honestly, with how different and sucky the new songs were. Personal taste on this one I guess. But I don’t like them. Why does Pulitzer need a song. Literally why. If they had to give any pre-existing character their own song it should've been David! Like literally no question about it, it should have been David. Also why are we doing Santa Fe at the opening?? Did we forget how musicals work?? We never open with the "I want" song! ESPECIALLY if it's a ballad!!

//

The set. Yeah I’m really here to tear everything down ig, I didn’t know I had this many gripes until I started writing this sorry guys 😭 But yeah it’s not as gooood. And I'm like. ok. I know they were never gonna be able to do anything close to the movie. It’s onstage. They had to make sacrifices. But tell me why it all had to be cool toned?? The movie's color palette is so nice and warm, it feels antiquated but also real, it’s homey and nice. But also unforgiving and rough when it needs to be. They could’ve done that with lighting and shit onstage, changing the tone when it needs to, but instead they opted to throw out the warm tones for mostly cool gray steel backdrops. Whatever. I’m not a set tech. They know better than me.

//

THAT KID. IS SO MOTHERFUCKING ANNOYING. I AM SO SORRY. BUT IT IS HOW I FEEL. No hate at all to the kid playing Les in the 2017 pro shot, he was just a child he was doing his best not his fault at all. I’m choosing to blame the writing. But also goddamn if that kid's choices for delivery did not grate on my ears. His voice. just. did not sit right with me idk. Les in the movie is such a cute and endearing kid, I always adored him as he reminded me a lot of my own younger brothers. But this kidddd. is so unlikeable it’s like, going PAST annoying unfunny comic relief character straight into “how the fuck did anyone think this was a good idea”.

//

The ending suuuuuucks boooooo it’s bad I don’t like it I'm kinda running outta steam here but I still got shit to say so fuck it we ball. it’s so over explained that it’s just. just dumb. It just becomes dumb at a certain point. Jack going to do cartoons for Pulitzer??? What??? Don’t get me wrong I actually really love them giving him artistic talent I think that really adds some actually GOOD dimension to his character, but this????? Really????? Everything is just so like *perfectly* wrapped up that it totally destroys my suspension of disbelief. In the movie it’s definitely very wish-fulfilling and unrealistic, but it’s from the perspective of kids. It’s exactly as a kid would perceive it. And we don’t see exactly how the conceding of Pulitzer goes down and we SHOULDN’T!! Because then it gets all bogged down with the logistics of it all which is exactly what happened to the play! We don’t need all the details, we just need to know they won.

//

This one isn’t a gripe actually because I apparently DO have love in my heart: I love musical Crutchie. I love him, I love him so much my sweet boy. I love him being Jack’s little brother I love them having that deeper connection. I love Crutchie in the movie so to see him getting more screen time (so to speak) is just lovely. The one change I agree with. I love you forever Crutchie.

ok i’ve been writing for hours and my hands gonna fall off so im done now. if i think of anything else…well, you’ll just have to wait for my video essay i guess.

[hishighnesstheprincess]

Shadow finds out about a very special event.

During his brief time with Maria and the Professor, Shadow had not been permitted to leave the military base he had first woken up in. It had been well within his capability to do so, but where would he have gone? Maria and the Professor were there, and he knew his departure would have caused problems for them. The outside world was an unknown place until Maria had snuck him out of the facility one night, and the most appealing thing about it had been the stars far above them that not even he could reach. His limited contact with humans had not endeared him to the idea of society, and Maria’s fascination with nature had failed to rub off on him. He had contented himself with waiting until the scientists were done with him, and then perhaps traveling with Maria and her family, to see what other places she wanted to take him. 

Now, of course, he regretted not leaving when he had the chance. No matter how badly things might have gone for him, it would have been far preferable to what had actually happened. Maria had died in their attempt to escape, and Shadow had been locked away, unable to see the world she had died to try and get him to. 

So all he knew about the world he could now call home was what he had been shown all those years ago. Maria had been lonely, same as him, and had found her comfort in news, movies, tv shows, books- anything she could get her hands on. And she had shown all of it to Shadow, resulting in many a disorganized, but passionate lecture on many things to do with the outside world. Whenever there was a human settlement that she recognized in a TV show, or a movie that they watched, she would point it out to Shadow, promising him that they would visit each and every one. 

When he had expressed this to Sonic, the other hedgehog had (predictably) overreacted. Suddenly he was dragging Shadow out every weekend to visit any and every place of importance in the human world. Admittedly he was kind enough to keep their visits brief, and confined to rooftops so they wouldn’t be hassled by humans (at least until the paparazzi inevitably noticed them and started trying to climb whatever building they were currently on top of). 

Right now, they were in New York, supervised by both of Sonic’s brothers, who evidently did not trust Shadow yet. Shadow’s teleportation abilities allowed him to visit whatever place on the globe they wanted, though they primarily confined themselves to the USA because it meant they weren’t trying to sightsee in the middle of the night, due to time differences. 

So far, Shadow had failed to see the appeal of human society. The Wachowskis had proved themselves exceptionally generous, as had Maria, but they were the exceptions to the rule. Humans were loud, obnoxious, and in this city they were perhaps the loudest and most obnoxious Shadow had ever seen them. 

Not entirely unlike the hedgehog right next to him, who was busy finishing up a monologue about the so-called “cultural importance” of this place. “-and that’s when France decided to give us that big statue, how they got it across the ocean in the 1800s I don’t know, but it’s meant to be a welcoming sign to immigrants or something-”

“Yes, I remember seeing it in old newsreels,” Shadow said, impatiently. “It’s one of the most famous landmarks in the entire world, you don’t have to explain it to me.”

“Sonic’s just trying to be nice to you, Shadow,” Tails said. “You don’t have to be mean about it if he’s telling you something you already know.”

Shadow grunted, not conceding the point or arguing against it. 

“Yeah, and that’s about it in terms of all the big landmarks. New York’s more known for its culture than the actual city, but we can’t really go to Harlem, so I guess I’ll just have to buy some pizza before we leave…”

Sonic “bought” food from restaurants by running to the nearest store, stealing a random meal out of someone’s hands, and slamming a 100 dollar bill down on the counter, along with an apology note. How the Wachowskis afforded this particular method of dining-and-dashing, Shadow had no idea, but so far it had netted them around 30 tolerable meals, 7 good ones, and 12 terrible ones. Looking at the city below, he didn’t have high hopes for today. 

Hoping to delay, he scanned the city for something else to do, before his eyes landed on a certain… inconsistency. 

“Sonic,” Shadow said, confused. “Where are the towers?”

Sonic tripped off the roof. 

Tails yelled and flew off the roof after his brother, despite the fact that Sonic would most definitely survive the fall. Neither Shadow nor Knuckles moved an inch, though Knuckles was now staring in the direction Shadow was looking at. “What towers?” the echidna said, his eyebrows furrowed. “The humans have built tall structures everywhere, but there is nothing here that would qualify as a tower.”

“Back in the 70s, there were two buildings that stood above the rest of the skyline. Maria told me that they were the tallest buildings in the world."

Knuckles scoffed. “Perhaps the rest of the city has simply grown to the same size as the first two?”

“Yeah, no, uh, that’s… not what happened,” Sonic said, Tails having hoisted him back up over the edge again. “They’re, uh. Not there anymore.”

“Why?” Shadow asked. “It would be a monumental waste of resources to build two structures that large, only to tear them down.”

Sonic coughed into his hand, looking rather distressed for some reason. “That’s also not what happened. Uh… back in like, 2001 or something, some terrorists hijacked a few planes and kinda… flew them into the Twin Towers.”

“Oh.” Shadow paused. “And then what?”

“Wha-what do you mean, and then what? A lot of people died and the towers fell down, that’s what happened! A third one hit the Pentagon!” Sonic waved his arms about, like this was a matter of great importance. “It was horrible!”

“Well, obviously. But why not just rebuild the towers?” 

“Because they wanted to, I don’t know, remember what happened, or something? A few thousand people died, you don’t tend to just rebuild after that.”

Shadow snorted. “If humanity limited its ambition based on the atrocities it has caused, witnessed, and been victim to, then it would be very limited indeed.”

“Can you stop talking like you’re in some fanfiction written by an edgy loser, I swear to god. Take it up with the Mayor or something, if you want them to be rebuilt.”

“What the hell is fanfiction?”

“Uh-”

“Were there hundreds of terrorists? How were they entirely able to take over several planes?” Knuckles asked, his eyebrows furrowed. “And what is preventing them from trying it again? There are larger buildings now, surely they could find another target and attack it.”

“Thanks for that happy thought, Knuckles,” Sonic grumbled into his hands. “Mom and dad want us to become legal citizens one day, you know?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Sonic made incoherent noises into his palms, before raising his head again. “First off, the reason it can’t happen again is because they actually made airport security a thing after the attack. Second off, this is why we’re on the no-fly list-”

“How are we on the no-fly list if we’re not citizens? The government doesn't even want to acknowledge that we exist,” Tails said.

“Because the government does whatever it wants to do-”

“What if the government was responsible for the attack?”

Sonic stared at Knuckles, shocked into pure silence, as the echidna continued. “By allowing such an attack on a national source of pride, they could have united the country, villainized any groups that opposed them, and gained a massive amount of sympathy all at once.”

“I- Knuckles, Knuckles, buddy.” Sonic took a deep breath. “No. You don’t wanna go down that road. Stop.”

“So we know who was responsible?”

“Yes, we do. It was some loser in a basement.”

“So some loser in a basement was capable of hijacking several planes and attacking several of the most important locations in the United States, but the government was not able to predict or prevent an attack?”

“I’m being hyperbolic-”

Shadow, who had been watching the conversation spiral out of control, decided to step in and make everything worse for Sonic. “Perhaps if GUN had freed me from my stasis, I could have prevented the attacks.”

“What if GUN was behind the attack,” Knuckles said, like this was some terrible revelation. “It all makes perfect sense!”

“This is why I don’t let you watch Fox News,” Sonic hissed at his older brother, before turning to Shadow. “And considering that there is a 99.99% chance neither the government nor GUN knew about the attacks ahead of time, I doubt they would have done anything, which you definitely know.”

Shadow smirked at him, and didn’t even have to say anything else before Tails latched onto the subject. “Actually, could we have prevented the attacks? If we’d been around back then, maybe we could have-”

“Nope, no, not happening, we are not talking about this,” Sonic said. “I’m not going to entertain the hypotheticals of which terrorist attacks we could maybe stop.”

“Why not, hedgehog?” Shadow said. “We all know the reason GUN is ignoring our presence is because there are some scenarios no ordinary humans are equipped to deal with.”

Sonic shot him a murderous death glare as Tails continued rambling. “Maybe we couldn’t have predicted the first attack, but Wikipedia says that there was 17 minutes between the towers being hit, so maybe we could have had Shadow teleport on board, you three take out the terrorists, and I can pilot-”

“Why are we talking about this,” Sonic said into his hands. “Why.”

“Teleporting onto a moving plane could potentially be a useful skill for Shadow to learn. And you, blue hedgehog, need to learn how to fight better, especially after your lackluster performance against Shadow when we were enemies!”

Sonic’s entire body twitched right before he visibly puffed himself up for an argument with his older brother, and Shadow smiled to himself. This was definitely more entertaining than just getting pizza and going home. 

“Sonic?” Tails asked, after they had all made their way back to the attic and settled down to go to sleep. 

“What, Tails,” Sonic said, completely exhausted.

“Do you think, hypothetically, the Tornado-”

“No.”

[thesunshinenotebook]

Ok, so! Besides the usual, “Of course Newt made it to the safe haven, what are you talking about?? What's page 250???” jokes, I've also seen a couple of posts recently by people who were annoyed that we literally refuse to accept this man's death. And so I throw my opinion into the void. Yes, I love fix-it fics and AUs where Newt lives. In fact, they're all canon to me. But! From an analytical standpoint, I bring this controversial (??) opinion:

Newt had to catch the Flare. He had to die.

In this slightly long and largely unedited essay, I will explain why…

Newt not being immune, besides adding emotional turmoil and intense pain to the story, also added humanity to the Flare, the disease that robs people of their humanity. The Cranks could be perceived as soulless monsters, obstacles, plot development and nothing more. We know that they theoretically used to be humans, and we feel pity for them on some level, but it’s not the focus of our attention. Newt changes that, because Newt is a Crank, and Newt is a human, and we love Newt. I’m aware that other characters were infected before Newt was (in the book all of the Gladers thought that they were infected and in the movie Winston and Brenda actually were), but I feel like Newt being such an important character and getting the virus really brought this point home.

The entire series revolves around the choice between two evils: let the world fall to disease, or torture children for a theoretical cure. Newt experienced both sides of the issues (fell to the disease AND was also tortured for research before that, the poor guy). He understood the need for a cure better than anyone, but he also knew exactly what WICKED would do to get it. And guess what? Torturing children is never ethical!

Newt couldn't live, because then it would just be Thomas and friends vs. the inferior losers with the Flare. Newt didn’t deserve to die, but his friends didn’t exactly deserve for him to live (though they didn’t deserve to lose him, either). The world is unfair, and they couldn’t win everything. This, again, shows the complexity of the issue, challenging Thomas's decision to leave the city and give up on the idea of a cure.

Another issue brought up by Newt's catching the Flare and his subsequent death is this continuous motif of memory and identity, which obviously played a huge role in the rest of the series as well (everyone losing their memories before the maze, writing their names on the wall, remembering all of their friends that died). Newt has always been selfless and caring, and this continues even as he begins to lose his sanity and himself. Newt wants to hang on to who he is rather than turning into a monster, and, ultimately, he chooses death over losing himself. He lives on in memory, though, as well as through his journal. There are so many other complexities to Newt's story; questions of identity, depression, selflessness, bottled emotions, and love. All of this immensely complicates his death, and the fact that it was technically suicide. It's so important to have characters like Newt in fiction, if only to explore the depths of these issues. So many of us can see so much of ourselves in Newt. His story might not give us all the answers, but it does give us a reason to hope.

The truth is that life is unfair. Newt's situation emphasizes how true this is in the story, humanizing the Flare virus and drawing a direct comparison between wicked's goal and the goal of the kids who are running from them. Our world today is similarly unfair, though obviously in different ways. There are challenges and setbacks and hurt, just like in the story, but Newt proves that these troubles aren't all that there is. We can't escape every problem, but we can make the most of what we do have. We can love and joke and laugh with others, even if the world is falling apart. The ending might be sad, but the pages in the middle can still make us smile, and maybe help us inspire the next person to do the same. 

[rickybaby]

The Guardian// Lucille Clifton The book of light: “climbing”// The Players’ Tribune Listen to the Honey Badger