#hugo: you don't have any plans like that for any of us though right?

[varibean]

varian is ready to kill any of his friends at any moment and i think that’s great of him actually 

[brightcalamity]

Spoilers about late game things:

Man, Wei is weird, isn't he? (This is a compliment) Making an opposite of a guy who is comically evil, and you get a guy who should be...comically good? I hope that's where they're going, because that's how I read him.

Quotes:

Wei:

Well, if you know my brother's birthday, you know mine. But in case you didn't, it's the 14th of Autumn. They say there was a solar eclipse that day.

So are Wei and Yan like those 7 brothers from Portia? Except instead of the colors of the rainbow, they're light and dark? Good and evil? Yan is the dark shadow that blocks out the sun that is Wei? But he's also the guy who shoplifts from Arvio? It actually makes me feel a tiny bit sorry for Yan. Like, was he capable of being any better than he is?

Our father used to always tell us, "Be hard on yourself, go easy on others." He always tried his best with Yan, but my brother... There was no getting through to him. When I moved in, I found engraved in his desk... "Go easy on yourself, go hard on others." How strange that he relishes in such behavior...

Cursed...

I was a guild commissioner previously; I'd regularly join expedition teams going in to the Peripheries. We'd always hire a crack team to fight alongside us. We were careful. Always did everything right. One excursion, my team abandoned me out there, having been paid off by Yan. That... is a story for another time...

Poor Wei...

⁠My brother did always enjoy playing his identity swapping games... Prior to this, the longest he ever got away with it was a month in middle school when I went away for the grammar rodeo... When I got back I had some choice words for him, all of which were carefully constructed semantically!⁠ ⁠ Long ago I had a true love by the name of Esmerelda. She, too, was taken from me by my brother. One day, i came home to find her furious. She claimed that I had said the most horrible things to her. I tried to explain that I have an evil twin...! But she wouldn't believe me...

This poor man....

We send Yan to jail, and we don't have to deal with him again. I can't help but think that Wei is going to be haunted by him for the rest of his life.

Don't worry about my brother coming after either of us. He's safely locked away in a maximum security prison, and his assets have all been frozen. So even if he did have some way to communicate with his shady associates, he'd have no leverage.

:( For your sake, Wei, I hope so.

Hugo:

I feel for Wei. I mean, somewhere, deep down, he's got to have some love for his brother. It must be hard to deal with family like that. People who have just completely lost their way...

I think Wei needs therapy.

Miguel:

Yes. You all are free from Yan's loathsome presence. I however, am forced to bask in it...

You made this bed, Miguel. No, I still feel sorry for you.

Qi:

The twin commissioners are a fantastic study in the nature vs. nurture issue. Of course, these two men have identical DNA, so what exactly led them to become such different people? Hypothesis one: it's the mustache.

I think this is a bias being expressed by the creators of the game which show why they only give us ugly facial hair options.

Unsuur:

With Wei around, it kinda feels like Yan is still a member of town. Except he's, like, good. Most bad guys we meet end up being misunderstood and eventually turn good. It's almost as if... The only way Yan could ever be good is if he were a different person completely. Hm...

This one is probably actual commentary, though, ha.

Venti:

I heard you got a new Commissioner! Did he increase your salary? New healthcare plan? Well, at the very least, is he providing free mustache removals?

Wait! My mustache conspiracy theory! There's more evidence!!!

Okay, I'm kind of bummed because I was searching the wiki for a dialogue line I think is kind of interesting. Like, he says Mi-an is teaching him about "fun." Like, he didn't get it before. He went to grammar contests as a kid. He reads in his spare time. I enjoy the idea of him being just so wholesome and Good that he's just as much of a weirdo as everyone else in town.

Yan also gets disappointed in you when you give him gold and he realizes you probably just found it instead of stealing it. He enjoys his evil. Getting something honestly makes him sick. The closest he comes to giving a shit is if you get to be besties with him and he says he'd try to betray you less than everyone else. He still betrays you basically just as much or even more than them (since you're pals with him).

Hm? Yes, of course, I cheat on the Builder Charts! You'd be a fool not to! Do you have any idea how hard it is to win that thing legitimately? Eh? You don't cheat? What's wrong with you? I thought you were cool! Oh, and don't even think of trying to turn me in. I'll lie!

Since he's evil in like a magic way (and a dumb way, since if he was less like he is, he'd get away with more) I bet he enjoys when he betrays you because you're pals. If he likes you, it's because of the way he sees himself in you. He makes assumptions about your behavior and is disappointed when you act differently than he would. He could have left Wei alone and done his evil, but instead he had to ruin his life over and over.

Anyway, where was I going with this? Oh, yeah. Wei should be his bright mirror. He takes up knitting as a hobby and ends up making baby blankets and caps for cancer patients on the side. He goes on the roller coaster and there's an accident but he fixes whatever broke before anyone got hurt. You see him checking out the new woods and he's walking through it and birds and desert hares flock to him.

If you're going to do the evil twin thing, I think you need to push it until it's ludicrous.

[befuddled-calico-whump]

Small Hints

previous /// Wildefire Masterlist /// next

•°•°•

Gathering allies had proven exceedingly difficult.

Sarah was having a hard time scoping out anyone she could trust not to turn on them, and the few people that she knew hated Corp more than they loved money didn't seem inclined to stick their necks out.

So instead of sending winks and nudges to potential allies, she turned to what had proven to be a wellspring of information: Neath bars. All she had to do was buy a drink and sit and listen. The patrons who had real secrets spoke low enough that they thought they'd go unheard. If Sarah wasn't there to pick up their whispers, they probably would've.

She learned a lot of what she could call fun facts. Who was being sent to kill who and why, who'd been recently redlined or arrested. A few times her ears had pricked up at Cinder's name, but there were never any rumors of his death or capture, only vague comings and goings. She supposed she should consider it good news.

Everything Sarah overheard was decent, but nothing that would help her cause.

Until a name started popping up here and there.

Big Brother.

From what she gathered, Big Brother was some kind of informant for hire. His powers let him see all over the city and beyond. He knew whatever he wanted to know.

And Sarah knew she needed to find him.

She didn't need an army if she had information. With the right intel, the right help, she could dismantle Corp with a few choice words.

All the listening in the world couldn't seem to tell her where she could find him, but it gave her a direction, a target to seek out.

…Even if she didn't know his real name, or what he looked like. The guy was nothing if not careful. But with her sensing abilities and Hugo's help she thought she stood a chance.

“Big Brother..?” Hugo's tone was dubious when she told him the new plan. He was hunched over a laptop as Sarah leaned into the doorway of his room, dark skin cast in the blue glow of the screen, making him look almost ethereal. 

“I'm telling you, this is what we need,” she insisted. “If his powers are as good as I'm hearing they are, we can find a way to hit Corp where it hurts.”

Hugo cast a glance over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “You do realize any search will be oversaturated with conspiracy theorists and media references, right? Even on the dark side?”

She sighed. “I'm aware. That's probably why he chose it as an alias.”

“Oh yeah, that's the reason. Not because he's 'always watching' or anything.” Hugo had turned back around, but she could hear the eye roll in his voice.

“Okay, so it's both.” She adjusted her glasses, pushing them higher on the bridge of her nose. “Just give it a shot, okay?”

“Okay… no promises though. The guy sounds like he doesn't want to be found.” Hugo's hands hovered over the keyboard, and the laptop's screen began to flicker, then flashed rapidly, the images on it shifting and changing as Hugo's powers set to work.

“But he also uses his powers to make money, so he wants to be found by the right people.”

“And where would the right people look?”

Sarah let out an exasperated sigh. “I don't kn—”

“Shit, nevermind, I think I have something.”

She perked up, striding to his side, where the screen had gone still. “Already?”

“It's not much, but…”

It didn't look like it. A poorly formatted forum post with a url that was just a string of numbers and symbols. “Is that… an address?”

“Of a coffee shop, but it's a starting point.”

Sarah grinned down at him. “You really are a genius, huh?”

“Careful, or I'll forget to be humble.”

“Is there anything else on the site?”

The screen flickered again. “Nothing relevant… maybe Bas? I can't tell if it's a name or an acronym.”

“Well, it's something. Thanks, you're the best—”

“Wait.” Hugo was frowning at something on the screen. “Shit… I hope you find him soon.”

She was not a fan of the way he said that. “Why?”

“This post… it's not information for clients. Or an invitation to meet up.” He turned around, his eyes serious. “It's a hit.”

•°•°•

@whumpacabra @enteredin2eternity @kixngiggles @whumpsday @kiichu @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump @shywhumpauthor @distinctlywhumpthing , @bloodinkandashes , @fleur-alise , @whumpy-daydreams , @whumpwillow , @honeycollectswhump

[doughguts-art]

I JUST REALIZED I HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING YOU THIS WHOLE TIME.... I'M A JOKE OF A MAN...... Okay okay okay not gonna reblog to the last one again cuz I'm not one to make super long threads, I'll just explode your inbox again hahshd,,,,

Alright where do I even begin?? Um, first, did something happen to Bandit to make him resort to doing what he does now, or did he just do it out of boredom? Was it that he needed adventure or needed his life to change? Second, can I hear your imaginary scenarios where Bandit meets the guardians??? Pretty please???? I'm really interested to see how he'd treat them!! Third, you said you had a game concept featuring Just Finch, right? Is the game itself currently in production or do you never plan on actually making it? Cuz if you need. Production help.? I'm always willing to be of service?? Okay there's a really low chance you'd accept a stranger's help on a personal project ESPECIALLY since said stranger is still kinda sorta an amateur at everything ever but I'm already so used to helping everyone around me with anything they're doing at any point in time so I thought it'd be kind of me to offer anyways. Sorry though... Anyway back to the Bandit questions! Fourth, if Bandit encountered a burnt, what's his first gut reaction? Obviously I think he'd most likely pull out his gun, but how does he feel? Is he not at all fazed by these shells of people that have become more hostile than they were before, maybe because it's a usual occurrence? Or is part of him still afraid, either because he's disturbed by the uncanny horror in front of him, or because he's aware that if he's not careful enough (despite all the tickets he has for himself) that could easily be him? I need to know if this guy has fears or not!! Fifth, I can't help but be curious to know if there's any songs you associate with Bandit? If I have the time I'll prolly listen to the songs mentioned too lmao,,, And lastly, my favorite thing to think about when it comes to OFF OCs, does Bandit have a competence list? If so, can I please read it, I love making and looking at fanmade competences for some reason, probably because of how creative the nonsensical titles can get while sticking to a single theme, mixed with the general role of the character in battle matching with their personality. But if I'm the only person here that actually cares about that stuff I totally get it!!! And I don't want you to feel pressured to make a set of competences just for this ask either, if you didn't make one you didn't make one and that's okay. I just thought I'd ask if you happened to have one. I think that's all I have for right now, thank you :D

Thank you for following :D Alright, to the questions!

I think you've hit the first question that I can't answer outright because of Lore secrets I'm saving for askbandit. Partially related to the X story, that's all I'll say

Wuhhhh imaginary guardian scenarios?? They're pretty vague but here's some ideas Dedan - Dedan getting increasingly angrier and angrier as he tries to order Bandit around and fails. I also imagine Dedan being confused on who Bandit is, like "DO YOU EVEN WORK HERE?" and Bandit's just "Shouldn't you know that?" Japhet - Like the sketch, Japhet would flap around Bandit and fret about the X. Bandit would probably keep the bird at arm's length though, he rarely lets people close, and Japhet wouldn't be one of those people lol. Enoch - Enoch would have a special bone to pick with Bandit because of the sugar smuggling. He'd try to squish Bandit Judge? - Bandit loves cats. Judge would get many pets, scritches, and treats Sucre? - Sucre is a sugar dealing client for sure. Queen? - I imagine Bandit sarcastically complimenting the architecture of the Room. I imagine the Queen would be passive, maybe laugh a little at his silly musings. Hugo?? - Kick the baby (LMAO KIDDING, KIDDING). Truthfully, maybe they'd talk about comics or something. Idk the room is a weird place and I don't think Bandit and Hugo would ever purposefully meet

Yes, the game is called Project GoldFinch, and it is in production. I haven't done enough to do another big dev progress post, but here's the announcement post if you want the little info I've provided about it. I appreciate the offer to help, but this is a personal project and I feel more comfortable doing the work myself.

This is actually a question I've gotten on askbandit and haven't answered yet, but Bandit is not intimidated by Burnts. Most Burnts (in my lore) aren't necessarily violent, or burn quick enough to that they don't do that much damage, so Bandit wouldn't pay it any mind. If a Burnt was to attack, he would probably choose to avoid it until it recovers rather than shoot though. Also, Bandit doesn't burn, can't burn*, so he doesn't worry. He has no fear. * this info could only be found on his artfight profile previously. Public info but out-of-the-way.

I really should make a Bandit playlist, but the song I currently associate him with the most is Catch Me If You Can by Set It Off. Obvious reasons for that one. I also listen to the music used for his shop theme in UNKNOWN. Also ALSO, I commissioned a really cool person (hai @amygdalum hope you don't mind the tag) to create a Bandit theme inspired by Synchronicity, so if you wanna listen to that, here ya go! I did the cover art on that one.

And finally, competence list. Funny story, I have never actually thought about making a competence list for him, but when Bandit was still the Final Boss in RISE, he did have one (so credit to Brandy again for this, screenshot ripped straight from the old files). These are thematically relevant to his role in the game more than how he is now, but I gotta say, I really like Reckless Charge. If I were to keep any of these, it would be Reckless Charge. That feels very him. The other ones are badass but I see them fitting Tate better. I don't remember if they were changed for Tate or not, but either way, great attack names all around.

Thanks again for the asks ^^

[devilofthehounds]

God Eater 3 Character Novel | Beginning of a Vow: Chapter 5

[image id: A novel cover. Hugo Pennywort from God Eater 3 is leaning against the bars of a prison cell. He is holding up his hand and looking at one of his armlets as if reminiscing. On the other side of the bars is a faded image of a young Hugo looking off into the distance. The text, when translated into English, reads “God Eater 3 Character Novel | Chapter 1: Hugo Edition | Beginning of a Vow”. /end id]

This is a fan translation. Original text here.

Masterpost 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Four people were assigned to the urgent Vajra subjugation mission.

Me. Luca. Din. And...

"...Thank you, Oulu. I didn't think you'd come with us."

"I told you on the way here. Without you and Luca, our plan's sunk. Besides... if Din's in, then so am I."

Carrying his Sniper Gun-type God Arc, Oulu shrugged and smiled.

The landscape of the old city stretched out before our eyes.

Fiery Oracle Cells could be seen clinging to buildings here and there.

We were camped out on top of a crumbling highway.

From this vantage point, our goal was to look around and catch sight of the Vajra.

"How about it, Oulu? Can you see it yet?"

Din stood next to Oulu, handling his aptly named Heavy Moon-type God Arc with ease.

"There are a lot of tall buildings... Just give me a minute..."

Perched atop an abandoned car, scouring the cityscape for signs of the Vajra, Oulu looked like a hunter. Gone was his typical unreliable atmosphere.

"Were the two of you friends before coming to Pennywort?"

Luca tilted his head as he asked. Din snorted.

"Yep. Our parents were Fenrir staff, working together on research to counter the Aragami. Oulu and I have been friends ever since we were kids."

Fenrir—an organization of God Eaters that ruled the world before the Calamity.

"Our parents died protecting us... That day, we swore a vow. We'd carry on our parents' will and become heroes to protect the world from Aragami!"

"That's right. Once we break free from the prison, we'll build a place where dreams can come true. That's why we need the help of not just you two, but all the AGEs."

I was taken aback by how eagerly yet firmly the two of them discussed such lofty ideals.

"'A place where dreams can come true', huh..."

It felt as though I'd found new direction, even though I'd only vaguely dreamed of freedom thus far.

"...! Found it!"

At Oulu's sharp voice, we all tightened our grips on our God Arcs.

"Alright, Hugo, we'll follow your plan. Don't let us down!"

"That's my line. We'll all make it back alive!"

It was meant to be a rallying cry to boost our morale, but... it was hard to suppress the sense of fear growing inside me.

Four kids versus a Vajra.

We'd surely be dancing with death during this mission.

I could tell Din and Oulu were nervous.

My own breathing had become heavy as well. Then—

"Let's all go home together. Then... we'll see tomorrow together, too."

Luca's gentle voice suddenly eased the tension in the air.

Oulu nodded confidently. Din's cheeky smile returned.

I, too, felt a certain power in my hands as I gripped my God Arc.

"Oulu, open fire!"

The sound of a gunshot announced the start of the battle. The accompanying bullet—our will to defy death—pierced the Vajra's body in the distance.

The next moment, a guttural roar that echoed in the pit of my stomach shook the silent city.

"Hit confirmed! It's noticed us!"

"Hugo, Luca, leave the finishing blow to us! Don't die!"

Luca and I jumped off the crumbling highway, exposing ourselves to the still-distant Vajra.

Earthquake-like tremors signaled its approach.

Limbs developed like armor. A vermilion cape fluttering wildly.

The eyes of a predator, never one to lose its prey, locked onto us, causing the earth to tremble furiously.

This was the bestial god—Vajra.

"S-So big...!"

Its divine authority felt as though it could blow away any sense of strength in an instant. I was frozen in place.

But then—

"Hugo."

Time to move.

The sight of Luca looking back at me, only a step away, gave me strength once again.

"...Yeah. Our future lies just beyond this! Let's go!"

The Vajra, now close enough that we could look up at it, leapt toward us.

Escaping the earth-shattering impact, we fired on the Vajra from both sides.

We had one objective. To defend this point with our lives and buy a few precious minutes.

Vajra were said to be able to control electricity. To be specific, if someone were to be hit by an attack from a charged Vajra, they'd be knocked unconscious, ultimately leading to their death.

Our strategy was based around a gunfight at a distance. Between the two of us, Luca and I would be on the lookout for any possible openings to devour.

However, the two of us were at the Vajra's mercy, hopelessly trying to keep up as it continued to outspeed us. Amidst the constant running, we could never get a chance to go on the offensive. We were starting to run out of steam.

At that moment, the Vajra suddenly stopped running and made a threatening motion toward us.

Seeing an opening, Luca rushed forward like an arrow, thrusting forth his God Arc.

At the same time, though, a flash of lightning coursed across the Vajra's cape.

"Luca, no!"

I quickly jumped out and pulled Luca back.

A moment later, countless thunderbolts rained down on the Vajra with a deafening roar.

I'd saved Luca just in time, but we both fell to the ground.

"Ah! Hugo, run—"

Luca's cry came too late as the Vajra kicked up off the ground without mercy.

The bestial god's huge body came down from overhead to crush us.

I was certain we were dead. In the heat of the moment, I at least tried to shield Luca's body.

The next moment—

A bullet came speeding through the air and hit the Vajra in the side, causing its body to crash into the rubble.

"You guys okay?! Move, quick!"

Oulu, who had somehow shifted his position to the roof of an abandoned building, had stopped the Vajra in its tracks.

"Hah... Haha... That was crazy... Thanks, Oulu!"

"Thank you, Oulu!"

Miraculously, he'd managed to save our lives. But even though the battle had just started, we were already down to the wire.

If we stopped for even a moment, we'd be cornered in an instant.

As I grit my teeth, Din's voice rang out above the highway.

"We're ready to go! Don't get caught up in it, you two!"

"Good timing, Din! Luca, let's get out of here!"

Luca and I immediately fled the area.

Right then, the wreckage of the collapsed highway came crashing down with a deafening roar—right on top of the Vajra.

Din's Ray Gun and Heavy Moon had destroyed the crumbling highway, causing it to fall on top of the Vajra.

It was Pennywort's modus operandi: using whatever was available—and it had worked brilliantly.

"Now, everyone!"

Luca, Oulu, and I fired all of our remaining ammo at the Vajra's exposed upper body.

Then—

"Make way for the hero! Eat this!"

Din jumped down and slammed his God Arc—now in Raging Moon form—directly into the Vajra's head.

The Vajra's scraped Oracle Cells danced around like droplets of blood.

I continued pulling the trigger on my God Arc, desperately praying this would end it.

At the end of what felt like an endless offensive, the Vajra finally let out a dying roar, rattling my eardrums. Din stopped the Raging Moon.

An empty silence filled the air.

Facing the Vajra's motionless corpse, I finally let myself speak.

"We... won... We won, right? Right?!"

"Yeah... We did it... We won!"

Without thinking, I yelled out to the sky.

We'd achieved results. The four of us had connected our hopes for tomorrow.

"Phew... Everyone, thanks for your hard work. Guess we're pretty good."

"Heck yeah, we are! We're all here! We made it! Hugo's plan rocked!"

"...Hugo. Will we be able to stay together?"

"Yeah... I still can't believe it, but... no one can complain about results like this."

Luca smiled like always and raised his arm. I moved to respond in kind.

The sound of our armlets colliding would echo throughout the Ashlands, signaling victory.

Or so I thought.

The first thing I noticed was light.

A flash of light that made me reflexively close my eyes.

And immediately after—thunder.

We watched, unable to turn away from the deafening roar.

From the roof of an old cathedral, towering in the distance.

Looking down in our direction, as if taunting us.

Another Vajra.

"...Oulu?"

At the sound of Din's voice, I turned to look.

Oulu, who had been smiling carelessly just seconds ago, had collapsed, his back completely scorched.

"Oulu... Oulu! Hey! Stay with me!"

It was here. Another Vajra, completely unexpected, was here.

It wasn't until I realized that that my mind finally processed the situation.

"Run!"

I screamed the word in a daze. But where could we run? How could we protect ourselves?

In the midst of my panicking, I saw a large, white van that had happened to fall from the highway earlier, inconceivably upright.

"Luca, can you drive?!"

"I'll figure it out!"

Miraculously, the van started. We all got in and sped through the city.

From behind, though, the Vajra was in hot pursuit, running at a tremendous speed.

"Damn you...!"

Din kicked open the door and fired his Ray Gun at the pursuing Vajra.

His remaining ammo pierced the Vajra. However, it wasn't enough to halt the Aragami's momentum as it aimed a ball of lightning at the tires, causing the van's body to bounce violently.

The van crashed into a rock and began to tilt. No matter how hard Luca pressed down on the accelerator, it wouldn't respond.

The Vajra was just around the corner.

"...Oulu's still breathing. It'll be safer for him to stay hidden in the van. We gotta get out of here, regroup, and then come back for him. That's the only way we'll all make it through this alive!"

With that decided, we followed Din, who took the lead and rushed outside.

No matter how hopeless this strategy seemed, we had no choice but to execute it.

Wielding our God Arcs, we forged ahead.

However, as if to trample even our mere illusion of hope, the charged Vajra rushed forward.

"Crap!"

In an instant, Din jumped in front of us and deployed his shield.

But it wasn't enough to stop the full force of the attack from the Vajra's body. The three of us were blown away by a burst of lighting.

Din was hit head-on and crashed into the rubble. Luca's body was sent flying, and he fell into a large hole in the ground.

It had all happened in an instant. And in that instant, it felt as though our thin thread of hope had been ripped to shreds.

"Din... Luca...?"

Barely staying conscious, I managed to get to my feet, leaning on my God Arc for support. But.

"You... You...! Aaaaaaaaaaah!"

Despite my dizziness, I swung my blade down with all my might, but I only managed to nick the Vajra's body.

Right in front of my eyes, it raised its paw.

I was going to die. I was certain. But just as I had that thought—

A bullet came speeding through the air and hit the Vajra in the head, once again saving my life.

Beyond my line of sight, Oulu had somehow managed to crawl out of the van. He smiled as he held up his God Arc.

"You idiot!"

The Vajra lunged toward Oulu and swung its charged paws down.

With a tremendous thunderclap, the entire area shook. The shock caused the ground nearby to completely cave in.

"Oulu...!"

I was alone.

The Vajra slowly turned. Its eyes met mine.

There was nowhere to run. Inescapable death approached with an earth-shaking tremor.

My friends. My friends were dead. Was there no choice but to stay quiet and wait for death...?

"...You gotta be kidding me."

Unable to suppress the emotions that welled up within me, I faced the Vajra, unflinching.

"I made a promise to them."

With a vow burning in my heart, I thrust my God Arc head-on at the raging god.

"I'll live and make it to tomorrow!"

At that moment, golden Oracle energy erupted from my body.

A golden ring surrounded me, and a voice echoed inside my head.

"Hugo!"

Luca's voice echoed inside my head. I could feel his strong will.

"Yeah. We'll definitely make it back alive!"

The moment I let out a cry of determination, there was a flash of light behind me.

A thread of golden light extended from my body.

As if tugging on that dazzling connection.

"...Sorry to keep you waiting, Hugo."

Luca came flying in, carrying his God Arc and blasting away the debris.

"Hah... I don't know how, but I knew you'd come."

I didn't know what this sudden phenomenon of light was, but there was one thing I was sure of.

Neither Luca nor myself had any intention of giving up.

"Hyaaaaaah!"

Our voices overlapped, our movements synchronized, and together, we unleashed our God Arcs in predator form, charging the Vajra at lightning speed.

In an instant, Luca's thoughts flowed into my head, and I knew exactly what he was going to do next.

The Vajra couldn't react to our simultaneous attack. I went into Burst with Luca, then immediately fired a Link Burst Round into his body, transferring the devoured Oracle energy.

Luca, Burst Level increased, slashed the Vajra with his Biting Edge, now transformed into glaive form.

Even the Vajra's counterattack was halted by the tip of Luca's God Arc.

"Hugo!"

Responding to Luca's call as he pushed the Vajra back, I quickly slipped in front of the Vajra.

Luca's warm hand supported my pitiful back in preparation for the recoil.

"This... is for them."

Din and Oulu. Their attacks were still visible on its face. I took aim.

I repeatedly fired off the Impulse Edge in rapid succession.

The Vajra's head was blown to pieces from inside its mouth, and it collapsed helplessly on the ground.

The thunder and roars could no longer be heard. Silence returned to the city.

At the same time, the ring of light connecting me and Luca disappeared.

"Hugo..."

We'd won. We'd stood up to the Aragami and won through sheer force of will.

But.

"Damn it... Damn it!"

We could no longer share in that joy."

"Yo... You alive...?"

I managed to find Din. He was laughing, bleeding profusely in the rubble.

No matter what I did, it wouldn't make a difference.

All I could do was stand there, not knowing what to say.

"...Take this."

With trembling hands, Din removed the choker from around his neck and offered it to me.

"Don't forget... that there was a hero here."

I held tight to the feelings that were offered to me.

"I won't forget... Never!"

Hearing my words, the brave hero finished his mission with a smile on his face.

"...Hugo."

Luca, who had gone to find Oulu, returned with heavy steps.

In his hand was a choker identical to Din's.

This was the Ashlands. Within a few minutes, even their bodies would turn to ash and disappear.

We wouldn't even get the time to mourn their deaths.

Still, there was one thing we could do.

"...We'll take you there."

I swore a vow, clutching the choker entrusted to me.

A place where everyone's dreams could come true.

We would build a place where everyone's wills and wishes could be protected, and deliver the feelings entrusted to us there.

"Their dream... We'll make it come true, for sure."

It was the only way in this world. The only way to connect our wills.

"Luca, will you... will you help me?"

Instead of replying, Luca lifted his hand that was clutching the choker.

Fighting back the tears that were starting to well up, I, too, raised my hand with a wish.

The sound of the vow echoed throughout the sky, where the heroes had returned.

Translator's Note 1 Translator's Note 2

[valeskakingdom]

The Cult (part40)

Days, not even weeks, it has been silent around Scarlet since she decided to disappear in Gotham. She was a shadow in the darkness. No one noticed her, no one saw her, and no one even heard of her. Some people thought she was dead, others thought she moved outta town - which wasn't true, of course.

Scarlet was saving Oswald from Andy's eventual upcoming attacks. She was the silent shadow who surrounded Oswald wherever he was going. She was the one who guaranteed him safety in whatever he was doing - and it worked. On the streets, she saw Andy multiple times, but he didn't see her. She followed him across streets, lanes, and several hidden tracks to see where he was going. He never intended to kill Oswald, every day he had the chance to since the reporters published every step he made on the TV - but apparently, Andy was just searching for his only true love...

Flashback

"Scarlet! Scarlet!" Andy yelled in despair while walking through the Narrows, almost tears filling his brown eyes "I know you're out there! Come out!"

He looked to the left, to the right, up and down, even to the ground but she was nowhere to be found. Scarlet seemed gone since the day she left him. She was just playing with me, Andy thought quite angrily, She wanted to leave me all the time! She has planned it! She just used me for her good! She never loved me as I did!

"Scarlet!" Andy tried again in the hope she would react "I know you just played tricks on me! You did it all the fucking time! You never intended to be mine! You don't love me, you never did, but you still love Jerome!"

"I do not love Jerome," Scarlet scoffed, yelling it back from her hidden place "I never did, and neither did I love you. I think poorly of love; love is a waste of time. Love makes you weak and blind, that's why you've never become aware of any of my purposes"

"So you've planned it all the time," Andy almost murmured, which turned out into a slightly evil laughter "You're truly sharp, my love, sharp and slippery. I knew it all the time, from the moment I first saw you in Arkham up to now"

"And still you were so naive to believe me all the fucking time" Scarlet snickered "You're foolish in being a good criminal. I'm about to say you're nothing but a pussy; a wannabe criminal who talks big and acts like a big boss but in reality, he's just a little scallywag who eagerly tries to crave attention and power"

"If I'm so foolish then why did I capture your imagination?" Andy scoffed "There had to be something that fascinated you about me, otherwise, you would have ignored me, am I right?"

"You're right," Scarlet paused "It was your distant and mysterious nature. You seemed clever and had a high intellect. You seemed to know what you do, you seemed to be more intelligent than others. I thought I could work with you" She sighed "This was up to the point where you told me about your glorious idea of agreeing with Hugo Strange with his special therapy"

"Instead of telling me what I've done wrong, you should realize you're not the perfect criminal either. A professional as you would say can handle things alone even without a partner and doesn't need to run to mommy Cobblepott to get the things you need" Andy kept looking around but she was still not to be found. Where was she? She couldn't be invisible, could she?

"Wow, you fight fire with fire," Scarlet chuckled "Not bad. Though, I know my fire will defeat yours. Asking a friend for help isn't a sin, right? But changing oneself because feelings overcame? That's pretty stupid, especially because your plan didn't work out. I didn't come back to you voluntarily, you kidnapped me!"

"Oh it did work out for me" Andy chuckled devilishly "I gained more power and intelligence, that's all I need for being a better criminal"

"But still, you let your obsession and feelings overcome," Scarlet chuckled "That shows you didn't gain as much intelligence as you thought"

"If you wanna mess with me then why don't you come out? I thought you were so brave" Andy almost hissed with his gritted teeth. He hated this provocation of Scarlet, he knew he wasn't dumb as he knew his feelings didn't overcome him. He wanted to do her a favor. He knew she wanted to see him as much as he did - she was not better than him, she just overplayed it because she didn't want it to be true.

"Fine," Scarlet stepped in front of him out of a dark lane "And now? Do you want to punch me? Do you want to try kidnapping me back? Or do you want to kill me?"

"You deserve any of it," Andy hissed almost aggressively, and quickly pulled a gun out and pointed it straight at Scarlet "I should have done it all the time"

"Oh, no a gun," Scarlet acted bored, waving her hands a little in the air when the rolled her eyes in annoyance "I'm so scared," Scarlet started almost laughing when she kept walking "Please, do you think you can manage to kill me with that little thing?" She pressed her forehead against the barrel with a huge smile on her face. She knew Andy couldn't kill her, he wasn't that tough.

Andy said nothing. He just kept holding the gun against her forehead and watched her. He knew he could manage it, he wouldn't be scared of it, and his still existing feelings for her wouldn't defeat his will to kill her. Not this time.

"So what are you waiting for?" Scarlet giggled "Shoot! Shoot me dead! Go ahead! Or are you a little pussy?"

But suddenly, Andy's hand started trembling. He was full of anger and hate, he couldn't bare it. All this provocation she was doing, the spitefulness, this wrong thing... or that she thought she knew everything better, it was horrible. Everything was horrible! He would love to punch her to death, smash her brain in with the gun or torture her, or shoot her to death, he'd love to see her blood all over her body and on the floor, he'd love to see her gasping for air in her last minutes of living - but all that wouldn't be true. Something in him couldn't kill her. He didn't know what though. Was it fear that he would regret it one day? Or maybe it was the unexpected? No one would ever expect to shoot at the one they loved, right?

"Wow," Scarlet laughed "And you call yourself a big criminal?" She shoved the barrel right in front of her heart, an actual second opportunity for him to shoot her dead "I seemed to be right. You're nothing but a pussy if you can't kill me right away"

Then Scarlet turned around walking a few steps away from him when she suddenly heard him shoot - she stopped walking. She looked down at her body, she wasn't bleeding or anything. She focused on an eventual pain in her back that might be caused by a shot bullet - but there was nothing. He missed his target. Voluntarily or not, she didn't know. It was indeed interesting to see that he dared to shoot in her direction, but it was also poor to see he didn't hit her - as if he was too scared to do it.

"You missed, darling" Scarlet scoffed and kept walking back into the dark lane where she came from.

"One day," Andy almost yelled at her "I'll find you again and then you'll wish you'd never met me!"

End of flashback

It's been a long time since Scarlet saw Andy previous or even his mates. Whenever she went out to watch Oswald, Andy wasn't present. He didn't watch him, he didn't try to be in Oswald's near - nothing. He practically vanished. But did he truly vanish? Or did he want her to think that? Did he hide to observe her? Did he plan on killing her now? This made Scarlet think. She had to be careful. Andy and his staff eventually wait for her in any corner or in any lane to attack her, and she knew she couldn't handle them all alone.

To check on it though, she dared to walk through the streets to see whether she was right or wrong. She focused on people with hats and sunglasses and long coats that would hide their figure - but yet there was none of them. No one observed her, no one walked after her, and no one tried to shoot her. She seemed to be safe.

But suddenly, this happened.

Someone, a tall lanky guy with a hat, a green pullover, and a satchel bumped into her. He looked like a fool, an idiot, a scallywag. He didn't seem to have any friends or real family, he seemed to be a loner who spent his time working and watching TV. There was no chance of getting a girlfriend for him, he was attractive at all, he was ugly - more than that. The word ugly was understated. He was scum, the scum that nobody wanted in this world.

"I'm sorry, I-..." But when he looked at Scarlet, he froze "O-Oh my God-..." He couldn't find the right words. He was shocked, but not in a negative way at all. His dream came true! He finally met her! He found her!

"I assume you know who I am," Scarlet smirked amused, but there was one thing that confused her - his reaction. He wasn't scared at all, he wasn't full of fear, and he didn't want to run away. He was... Happy? Excited? Joyful? Surprised? How come?

"S-Scarlet Patel," the man stuttered "I-I can't believe this, I've been waiting for this moment so long... It's too good to be real" He examined her from head to toe, he still couldn't believe she was standing right in front of him - and then he dared it. He was trying to touch any part of her body to assure himself this was real, but Scarlet's reaction was faster than his. Instead of letting him touch her, she grabbed his throat and tightened her grip instantly so that he would have breathing problems.

"You should be careful what you do, my love," Scarlet chuckled darkly, tightening her grip even more than the man's veins popped out of his head and neck; breathing was no option at that point "Being too brave and euphoric often leads you to death. You should fear me and run away whenever you spot me on the streets because I am your biggest apprehension"

"I...I searched for you...the whole time," The man coughed and forces himself to speak somewhat normally due to these bad circumstances "You...are the one I need...to fulfill my work, you are...the bright spot that brings...light to my darkness"

"Oh, look, he's a poet," Scarlet chuckled "And what work do I fulfill when I let you go?"

"C-come with me..." The man coughed "My... fellows... have waited for this... special moment long enough. They worship...and adore you, as do I"

"Ah, so you're something like a little cult," Scarlet nodded thinking, loosening her grip from his throat a little "A cult that worships and adores a mass murderer and its actions," She thought of all the advantages such a cult could bring her. Being obsessed with her enough, they would follow her, they would obey orders, or even kill for her if needed. That would be just great! She wouldn't need to make an effort to look for men if she plans murders. She would also have butlers that'd do her any favor in this little world.

"It's not only you," The man took some deep breaths, reviving from the tight grip "My cult and I worship your old partner Jerome, as well. You both are persons we desire, whether dead or alive. You are absolute, you are Gotham's true king and Queen"

"Your cult shouldn't worship someone where you don't know what they're capable of," Scarlet grabbed her little knife and placed it under his chin "I wouldn't hesitate to kill you right now, and neither would Jerome if he was still alive"

"But Scarlet, don't you see what opportunities you have with us? We would follow your ways! We would help you with your plans and-..."

"Oh really?" Scarlet smirked wide "You would kill for me and in the name of Jerome? You wouldn't hesitate a minute to stab someone? Or shooting a bullet in another one's body? Or slit someone's throat if I want to? Without remorse? Without guilt?" She poked the knife deeper into his skin "You better not lie right now"

"I would never lie to a true goddess," The man almost stammered in shock, he would never question his loyalty towards her "I promise you, I am at your command"

"I see," Scarlet knew he was talking bullshit, so she decided to play with his mind a little, letting him think she believed him and would love him to join her - she just planned of making use of him and his little scallywag group anyhow "Then tell your name, boy. With whom do I have the honor?"

"Dwight," He smiled wide "Dwight Pollard"

"Well, then, Dwight," Scarlet put the knife down "Show me your little cult. Entertain me, surprise me! I wanna see your little folks' reaction when they see me"

"Of course," Dwight smirked "Please follow me" And so he lead her to the old Paramount theater down the street, where his fellows were already waiting for him. Through some hidden ways, he lead her backstage where he would announce her to come on stage to surprise them all with this glorious appearance. Scarlet complied and got comfortable with any big booster she could find there and waited for her announcement. To her luck, she could watch Dwight from her position. She could see what he was doing, hear what he was saying, and even scan the others' reactions.

"The people of this city are slaves," The light shot up when Dwight spoke through the microphone, and his audience cheered for his appearance "Mhm, see they get up every day and go to work so they can pay their taxes, their mortgages. See, they believe what the papers tell them. They fear what the politicians feed them. See, they are mentally shackled, and yet, they do nothing about it!"

The audience applauded and started cheering. They knew he was right. He spoke the truth, he knew it best! He was the cult's leader, he was the cleverest of all of them and he probably was the most experienced one.

"But there was someone who understood! Someone who poke out, who stood up to the jailers, puppets. A man and a lady with no fear." He suddenly grabbed a little remote out of his pocket, pressed a button and the hidden beamer started playing a tape on the curtains.

"Hello, Gotham City!” Scarlet heard a familiar voice that sent shivers down her spine - it was Jerome’s voice. Hearing it after such a long time was odd to her. She didn't expect to feel a tight feeling in her chest as now. “We're the Maniax. And I'm Jerome, the shot caller of that little gig - and this is my precious Scarlet."

"I'm the little demon that will haunt you in your dreams, either with a gun or a hammer" Scarlet heard herself cackling to it. She remembered the day when they made the tape, it was shortly after they killed Sarah Essen and the cops in the GCPD. It was a literal blood bath, but also one of her best experiences they've made. She would do it over and over again, if Jerome was still alive.

"Wonderful, isn't she?" She could feel his grin when saying that, she didn't need to watch the tape for that "We're here to spread the message of wisdom and hope." Jerome cackled, but stopped immediately when he heard a man groaning - and he shot "Some people have no manners"

This was the moment when the audience laughed and cheered at Jerome's action. Apparently Dwight said the truth about adoring and worshipping them. None of them was shocked or anxious. None of them wanted to run away because they couldn't bare it. Scarlet could feel this certain energy from them. They wanted to be a true part of Jerome and Scarlet, they wanted to be like them because they eventually thought like them, they wanted to follow their rules and visions. It was perfect!

"You’re all prisoners. What you call sanity, is just a prison in your minds that stops you from seeing that you're just tiny little cogs in a giant absurd machine. Wake up!” Jerome yelled the last bit, making the others laugh and cheer again.

"Oh!” You heard Jerome say when the sirens resonated on the tape “Time to go, sweet cheeks, but don't worry. We’ll be back very soon. Hang onto your hats, folk, ‘cause you ain't seen nothing yet!” And again the folk applauded, cheered, and laughed. It was just marvelous to see.

“Alright!” You suddenly heard another familiar voice say, which made Scarlet curious. She tiptoed behind the curtain to peek - in the back, behind the cult, she saw two figures, one stout man with a hat and one tall slim man.

“Time to go home!” When she heard this, she immediately knew who that was - it was Jim Gordon and his partner Harvey Bullock. Just perfect!

“GCPD!” Harvey yelled and fired off a warning shot. Now the crowd started running at first, but soon enough they started attacking Jim and Harvey. They punched them and tugged on their hair and clothes, some of them even started biting them. It was clear to see Harvey and Jim were overwhelmed by all the people.

“Yeah, that's right my fellas!” Scarlet laughed when she came out of her hidden track “Show me your loyalty! Show me how much you adore me and Jerome!” All of them heard this, they cheered, they saw it as some sort of motivation, and especially as proof of their loyalty towards Scarlet - so they kept going.

“Patel!” Gordon yelled through the hall, he tried to come to get her but there were too many cult members who prevented him from attacking their ruler and goddess “Harvey, try to get her from this side! I try to get her from that one!”

“Guess, what I'm trying, James!” Harvey yelled back at him, while he was knocking another cult member out. He had also no access to get Scarlet anyhow. There were too many of them.

“Oh, I need to disappoint you, Jimbo, you won't get me that easily! My fellas will drive you into a corner like a wolf pack a little deer!” Scarlet cackled “No, this is just the beginning of an old dream I had long ago, and this dream will become your biggest nightmare!”

[wandawillkill312]

Batman #125 *Spoilers*

Hey, I know everyone is mostly reacting to what happened to Tim; but let's not forget another important aspect:

...we just lost another major Batman villain- and one of the main ones, at that!

First Deadshot and Manbat- though I'll resurrect them to full health, in my RP'S-, then Anarky, Hugo Strange, Ra's Al Ghul and now Penguin?!!!

He**! In her new series; even Poison Ivy states that she's either dying or is planning to commit suicide by mass genocide- probably the latter.

Man; Batman's rogues are dropping like flies, out here!

I'm not gonna bring up any deaths from "Task Force Z"; because as far as I'm concerned, it's an unofficial "Black Label" series.

But back to the topic: DC you need to stop killing Batman's Rogues, okay?

They are one of the handful of aspects, that makes Batman an interesting Superhero.

And while you're at it; bring back some of Batman's old Gold-Silver Age Rogues, as well- with new looks, of course.

But back to the main topic; a moment of silence for Oswald Cobblepot.

You were a great Batman villain and you gave us great stories.

You will be missed- assuming that you're actually dead!

You probably are, though.

Mercury poisoning is no joke.

Maybe next time, have your chef cook your fish, before you eat it!

I mean; just because you're named after a water bird that eats raw fish, doesn't mean you have to do it too, Ozzie! You Knob!

I mean look at Catwoman! She dresses as an animal that eats raw fish; but she still has the common sense, to eat her seafood cooked- most of the time.

Sushi is a thing; and you can bet that she occasionally indulges, in it.

But you have no excuse, Penguin!

Sorry...had to say all that.

It's tragic that he died, but still!

And for him; it wasn't even sushi, either!

Dude would straight up take a whole raw fish and actually chomp down on it- scales and all!

And in large amounts, as well!

Honestly; I'm actually surprised that he didn't die from Mercury poisoning, sooner.

Come to think of it; I'm also surprised that he wasn't dying from long-term Hypothermia- assuming that the temperature of his Iceberg Lounge was always freezing, which it probably wasn't.

I'm also surprised; that it wasn't diabetes, sirois, lung cancer or a clogged artery, that was doing him in.

Or even a combination of all four- with both Mercury Poisoning and that Cyanide capsule, added at the end.

Talk about a "Sinister Six" XD - oh right, DC Comics.

Not to mention; he also had a short fuse, brought on by his many complexes- including his Napoleon Complex! XD

So it is mindboggling; how anger-fueled strokes and aneurisms, weren't even a death factor for him, when #125 was being made.

But seriously. Penguin should have been dying from those four, that I listed , considering how Ozzie indulged in so much rich and fatty foods, copious amounts of alcohol and excess tobacco, over the years...

Not to mention; I don't think we ever saw him do any form of excercise, in the comics- not to lose weight, but to make sure his ticker and joints, were still working, perfectly.

And now that I'm thinking about it; he probably never brushed his teeth, after stuffing his face, either...🤢

No wonder his lips and saliva were always black, in the movie Batman Returns and in later comics...

Oh God! And he probably forced all his female workers and escorts to kiss him! 🤮

I'm pretty sure they all contracted something, afterwards! 😂

And he was supposed to be "The Gentleman of Crime?" 🤣

Ozzie; you were a gross Human being, with a short fuse, a vindictive attitude and a penchant for physically, mentally, emotionally and socially disfiguring anyone, who had the misfortune of crossing your "Socio-Path"- shout out to Rick Sanchez, for that term-, and doing anything, you saw as an attack, on your fragile ego!

You made a number of bad choices- especially in terms of personal health-, and all of Gotham City won't miss you, one bit- the citizens may remember you a lot and some may even finally get to safely mock you and produce a lot of stuff, in the media, to make you a fixture, in Gotham and cement your legacy...but they most certainly will not miss you!

Ohhh, I like how minutes ago; I was "soft-mourning" Ozzie's death, and now I'm just taking a massive dump, on his grave...

But considering what just happened to Tim- and right after Pride Month, too-; I'm probably the first of many, who will be doing that.

I guess you could say that we'll all be roasting him!

His goose has already been cooked, so why not. XD

Nevertheless; R.I.P. Oswald Cobblepot. AKA, "The Penguin"- "Detective Comics #58, 1941" - "Batman #125, 2022".

Thank you for being a great Batman villain and for making an umbrella of all personal items, one of the many symbols of fear, in Gotham- Oh! And for helping keep the top hat, monocle and tuxedo outfit, in fashion.

Diamond Jim Brady, would be proud:

Also P.S.; in the backup story, with Catwoman...

...yeah.

Silver lining, though; we may get to see Ethan Cobblepot, again- assuming DC remembers, that he exists.

(( To the following accounts:

@multi-muse-transect

@darkknightofgotham

@yellowskinnedwackyman

@trenhead

Please reblog this makeshift eulogy/roast, so it can be shared around the Batman/Comic Book community, on here.

Thanks. 😁👍))

[sebstanseabass]

Afterglow (A Bucky Barnes AU fan fiction) - Chapter 9

Afterglow chapters

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

CHAPTER NINE

For the first time in your life, you awoke in your own pool of sweat and with the fresh thoughts of Bucky as he managed to scoop you up with his strong lean arms and take you right then and there at the kitchen counter in your wild, vivid memory of dreams.

You blamed Nat for this. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't even have inappropriate thoughts towards Bucky. Yes, you did notice his strong masculine exterior, jaw sharp as a killer's knife, body as strong as a boulder, and legs that could easily kill but did you have any thoughts on advancing towards him? No, absolutely not. He was Peter's stepbrother for crying out loud. But last night, something changed in the laws of physics. It was as if two resting bodies silently reacted to one another without a sudden force acting upon the two.

That morning, you didn't dare find out if Bucky was still in your apartment. You skipped your morning run and headed up towards the rooftop using the ladder right outside your window with a hot cup of coffee in your hand (which spilled a bit on the way up, by the way) and enjoyed the scent and sight of the dirtier part of New York City -- all its damp, cigarette covered pavements.

For the next few days, you saw no sign of Bucky. He hadn't been in the bar or in your apartment, as much as you wished he would stop by once in a while. But then, you would hear Peter talk to him on the phone every single night.

You never thought Bucky's lack of presence would start to bother you. It wasn't just the feelings of sudden desire you had for him but also the weird time you shared together -- as if you were just old friends catching up. You found it absolutely crazy how a lot of things just happened in the course of a day.

You wanted to ask Peter about Bucky's whereabouts, just a casual slip of "Hey, where's Bucky?" but you never dared to ask. So when Peter blabbed during a movie night that Bucky had been way too busy managing some business meetings, gatherings, and whatnots ever since he got back in the city, you were more than glad.

Nat had been coming to the bar every night ever since Tuesday, picking up extra shifts. She kept badgering you about Bucky this and Bucky that. She was one of the reasons why you couldn't keep Bucky out of your head. Her sudden long shifts at the bar wasn't only because she was so invested with your nonexistent dating life or, to her, a possibility of one with Bucky, but because she and Steve were secretly hooking up. Of course, she didn't tell you that. It's not like she needed to, anyway. It only took one sniff of Steve's strong scent on hers for you to find out.

Every passing day at the bar felt so slow and the same. The only thing that changed was Peter rejecting a drink on one Thursday night.

"Woah, what got your knickers on a twist?" You asked as soon as he approached the counter.

"I'm just not in the mood, y/n." He sighed. "Can I just have a glass of water, please?"

"Of course. Coming right up." You slid the glass of water on the counter towards him, your fingers drumming against the thick wood. "So, what's bothering you?"

He looked up at you with sulky eyes. "Oh god, you really are a bartender."

"And your best friend. So, what's up?"

He shook his head nothing, sipping the glass of water like a scotch.

His little act was unconvincing. Especially that he didn't try hard enough to conceal whatever he was feeling.

"Parker." You insisted. "Come on, what's up?"

"You see right through me, y/n."

"Don't flatter me too much," you rolled your eyes, "you're just easy to read."

But Peter was also stubborn as a bull. He wouldn't budge or give you any clue on what was bothering him. You thought that leaving him as you tended to other bargoers would eventually give him time to change his mind but you were proven wrong. It itched your brain that he wouldn't tell you whatever it was. You usually told each other everything. But then again, you haven't really been open with him with your growing desire for his stepbrother -- which, you hoped you never would, as you hoped all those feelings would eventually go away and keep it in a state of latency.

Peter stood by his ground, consuming no ounce of alcohol and keeping his mouth shut the rest of the night. You knew when to keep away from other people's business, even if it was your best friend's. You did try to make his evening lighter though, checking up on him and telling some old, classic bartender stories, seeing as he was clearly in an uncomfortable state but all he kept telling you was: "You're killing me, y/n. You're absolutely killing me."

You felt a heavy feeling on your chest with his surprisingly fierce tone. You urged him to go home after that, so he did.

"Dick." You mumbled after he left.

Nick walked towards the counter. "What's wrong with your roommate?"

"Wish I could tell you."

You and Nick have been getting along well despite you rejecting him. Nat kept telling you it was a way of manipulating you or some sort, to get you close to him but nothing has really happened ever since he asked you out. There wasn't a change in mood in the atmosphere, or even the way he treated you. Just some good colleagues working together.

The next night, Peter was more in the mood and even apologized to you for the way he behaved last night. "Now, for some great news."

"Does this mean you're having a drink?" You asked.

He nodded eagerly and patiently waited for his beer. Once he got his cold sip, he continued talking: "So, I've been really in a slump lately because I'm kind of lovesick. But then -- "

"Wait, what did you say?" You knitted your brows together, catching the last word he said. "Did you say lovesick? You son of a bitch, are you in love?"

"Language!" Out of nowhere, Steve yelled over the buzzing noises inside the bar. You snickered and he just gave you a look before he disappeared back into his office.

He is such a grandpa.

Peter chuckled. "To be honest, I have been for a very long time."

Your jaw dropped on the floor, ears all perked up, wanting to hear every detail of this. "And you never thought to tell me? Parker, I've been your best friend since forever. Why the hell wouldn't you tell me?"

"Because..." He trailed off, avoiding your stare. "It's not that big a deal."

"Okay, was this after that bitch Denise?"

"Actually, waaaay before that."

"Oh wow, that long, huh?" You replied. "Oh my god, is it someone we know from college? Shit, is it MJ?"

"No, it's not!" He replied. "And I'm not telling you who because I don't have actual plans on pursuing her." He sighed through his nose while taking a big sip of his beer. He brought down the bottle on the counter with a loud thud.

"So, it's a girl."

He grunted in reply.

You laughed. "So, why not pursue her?" You asked while multitasking. You handed a bowl of peanuts to the man beside Peter who was asking for it. "Is she taken? Does she have a boyfriend? A girlfriend?"

"No, she doesn't."

"So, why the hell not, Parker?"

You impatiently waited for an answer from Peter as it took him a couple of minutes to do so.

"Because I don't think it's a good idea. I don't think it will ever work." He answered, scratching the label on his beer bottle with much frustration. "I've thought about all the probabilities, but every single one of them ends the same."

"And what is that?"

"That it won't work out."

The thing about Peter was he never dive into things headfirst. Even though he was a dumbass, he was always a man of intellect who calculated everything in his head before committing to something.

"Why is it always statistics and probabilities and all that crap with you?" You let out an exasperated sigh. "What if for once in your life, follow your goddamn heart? You keep treating everything with a business mind. Go with what your gut tells you to do. Don't think too much about it because the heart wants what it wants, Parker."

Peter gazed at you for a few moments, perhaps finding the right words to say but he just shook his head and fought against his feelings. "I can't do it, y/n. I badly want to, like, it's already at the tip of my tongue. I badly want to tell her but I can't. I don't want to know what's gonna happen next. I'm just scared of what's gonna happen. I don't think I can take it."

As much as you wanted to convince him to go for the girl, you let it go. You've said what you had to say but it was always up to him whether he takes your advice or not. "So, what now?"

"Well now, I'm going to tell you the good news, the one you robbed me off when you batted in."

You rolled your eyes. "What's the good news, Parker?"

"Me and my colleagues will go on a corporate retreat for at least a week!"

You raised an eyebrow, writing a confused expression on your face. "How is this good news?"

"I'll be gone for a week, away from the city, away from my love problems and all that. I think it'll be good for me." Then, a smile started to form on his lips. "There, I'll leave all my worries behind."

"Parker, it's just a one-week corporate retreat, not a sabbatical." You grimaced, unimpressed with the whole thing. "You're not gonna get over this thing in just seven days."

"You don't know that." He scoffed. "I'll be a new man once I get back. You'll see."

"Sure." You replied, a hint of sarcasm laced in your tone.

"Oh, one more thing!"

"What, another corporate retreat?" You snickered, amused with all the clever remarks you were throwing at him. Peter, on the other hand, wasn't.

"No!" He gave you a look. "Bucky will look after you while I'm gone!"

Shock crossed your face. "Bucky?"

"Yes, me."

And on cue, a figure emerged behind Peter.

You were so bewildered with Peter's troubles that you hadn't noticed Bucky creeping up towards the counter. He was wearing what seemed like a navy blue tailored Hugo Boss suit, paired with a nice, sleek tie. His whole fit, illuminated by the iridescent lights made his blue eyes pop even more. Like last time, he opened up a button on his waist, tossed the end flaps in the air and sat down beside Peter on a high stool.

Watching him, you could feel the air around you tighten, paired with a clump of saliva caught in your throat. He placed his elbow on top of the counter and tucked his chin on his palm.

"B-bucky," you finally breathed, silently choking up on your own saliva, "hey, it's been quite some time."

"Hello, doll." The vowels on his words seemed to drop, accompanied by that rhythmic sound he usually does when he speaks. Oh god, one day with Bucky and I've already picked up on that, you thought. "Missed me?"

You felt some blood quickly rushing to your cheeks but you played it cool. "Don't flatter yourself, James." You pretended to get quite busy, wiping some clean glass off the counter then faced Peter. "So, what's this thing about Bucky looking after me?"

"Well, I'll be gone. You'll be alone. Bucky will look after you." Peter tried to "expound." "What's not adding up, y/n?"

You rolled your eyes at the two and scoffed, placing the glass on the counter. "No, thanks. It's just one week. I can take care of myself."

It was true. You once spent a two-week vacation all by yourself to California after high school and you came home in New Jersey without a scratch -- like a brand-new car. You walked around the place as if it was your turf, and blended in with the locals while basked in the glorious heat of the California sun.

"Bucky insisted." Peter chimed in defensively.

"Oh. Bucky insisted." You said, your gaze averting to Bucky's eyes. "Again, I appreciate the offer but I can handle myself. I'm not a baby."

Bucky, clearly amused with the whole situation, leaned back with careful eyes fixed on yours. "Come on, y/n, don't you want some company?"

"Aren't you busy with your company?" You retorted.

"Yes, I have been but not anymore." He replied. "Unless something comes up. A week without Peter must be somewhat lonely. Come on," he insisted once again, "it's also for me. It'll give me something to do for a week."

"Wait, what?"

"You guys could get to know each other better and get along!" Peter blurted. "And without me around, Bucky won't have someone to hangout with. Please, y/n? I'd feel so much better."

"Hang out? What are you guys, like sixteen?"

Your mind was still set on Bucky's last choice of words but you saved it for later.

"Pleaaaaseee?"

You sighed, knowing you could never refuse your best friend's pleas. "Fine."

"Great!"

"Just for the record," you said, holding up a finger, "I'm just agreeing because of Peter, not because I can't take care of myself."

Peter rolled his eyes while pulling out his phone from his pocket. "Yeah, yeah, you're an independent woman. Okay, I gotta take this call. I'll be right back."

And all then there were two: you and Bucky. While making two grasshoppers for a couple of girls who just entered, you could feel Bucky's intense stare towards you. Your mind, clouded with thoughts, wished it could tap into his and take a sly look at what was going on inside.

You locked eyes as soon as you handed the girls their drinks. Bucky wearing such a neat, tailored suit made you forget about all his child-like ways in Peter's countless stories. All you saw was a man favored by all the gods and at the same time sent by the devil to test you in so many ways imaginable. You wondered if he felt the same. Of course, you weren't like him or any other people carved perfectly by the gods, but his vehement stare said otherwise.

"Are you gonna order a drink?" You asked, breaking the silence, and also your train of thoughts.

"No." He replied. "I'm good."

"Okay."

Peter, where the hell are you?

"Hey, y/n?"

"Yes?"

"You look beautiful tonight."

A plain black tank top, paired with some old jeans, minimal makeup and this man just told you that you looked beautiful. "Well not just tonight. You've always been beautiful. I just hope you know that."

"Okay what has gotten into you? You're being... weird."

He shrugged. "I'm just stating facts."

You hummed, a look of confusion spread across your face. "Thank you, I guess. Y-you look good yourself. Very different from when I first met you." You chuckled.

"Well, I was naked the first time we met so yeah."

Peter got back from his phone call and for the whole night, you spent your time working your shift while Bucky and Peter moved on to play some billiards and darts as well. Nat kept shifting her eyes between you and Bucky and you just shrugged her off, flipping your middle finger on her in which she reciprocated.

The next day, Peter was all set for his corporate retreat, surprised he didn't need any help from me at all. You helped him with some of his bags towards the sidewalk ("Jesus, Parker, are you going out of the country?"). While you waited for his Uber to arrive.

"You better take care of yourself, Parker." You said, standing beside him on the side of the street. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Really? I'm gonna miss you too."

"Well, yeah, of course. You're like a little brother to me." You smiled, ruffling his brown locks even though he was taller than you.

He looked down on the pavement with a tight-lipped smile. "Right, right."

Smiling, you grabbed his hand and leaned your head on his surprisingly broad shoulders. "Come on, cheer up. You needed this, right?"

"Yes, I definitely do." He whispered. "More than you know."

A few seconds later, the Uber arrived. Before climbing in the black vehicle, you were pulled into Peter's embrace with a soft, fluttery kiss landing on your forehead. Taken aback, you just smiled at him and watched the car get tinier and tinier as it drove further.

You got back in the apartment and five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Behind it was a smiling Bucky wearing some casual clothes. "Good morning, doll. Missed me?"

You rolled your eyes letting him inside the apartment. Closing the door behind me, you replied: "You've already used that line last night. Pick another one."

"Aw, you haven't heard the rest of it."

You went to the kitchen, grabbed some water from the fridge, and took a drink. "Which is?"

"Miss me, miss me, now you gotta kiss me."

With unsteady hands, you choked on your water and felt the liquid on your skin as soon as those words left Bucky's mouth. Great now I spilled the drink on my chest.

You turned around only to be faced by Bucky. "Now I gotta what?"

His laughter echoed in the kitchen as he backed away from you. "I'm just messing with you. So, what's for breakfast?"

He left you there standing flabbergasted, with some water dripping down your top and shorts, down to the floor. You bore your eyes into the back of his head as he turned on the television.

Bucky tilted his head towards you, eyed you up and down and finished it with a swipe of his tongue on his lower lip.

Oh, this was going to be a long week.

A long, agonizing week.

[javier-pena]

Hey!! I just want to stop by and say that I absolutely LOVE your writing and I like to ask writers that I admire about their processes. Can I ask what inspires you? What’s your process on creating characters? And do you have any particular thing you do to develop the stories you write -I’ve heard some writers draw their characters just for themselves, that sort of thing-? And just one more question if you want to answer, are you reading anything right now and what are your favorite books?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I’ll just add that your writing inspires me so much, even though I only write for myself. Thank you!!

hi!!!! first of all, thank you so much for sending this ask!!!!!! i will try and answer all your questions 👀 (and i'm very very flattered you admire me and my writing inspires you, this is the best compliment to receive 🥺)

i usually get inspired by movies i watch or music i listen to (seldom by things that happen to me), when i started to write as a kid my stories were tied to my hyperfixations, the first novel (30,000 words story i wrote) was inspired by pirates of the caribbean and when that hyperfixation was replaced by van helsing, i added vampires to the story etc. recently, i listened to an orville peck song, for example, and a line gave me an idea for a plot point that i could add to the hunt. what also helps are my conversations with dani @javierpcna and the questions she asks me about the stories i'm working on.

with creating characters i tried several different things in the past that never really worked for me, especially when it comes to creating characters "on purpose". i used character sheets or made a list of characters i thought the story needs but i always lost interest in my stories after creating the characters. writing fanfiction definitely helps with this because it gives me room to learn about character development and being mindful of motivations and characteristics. now i usually get to know the characters while writing a story. it really works best for me, but i did need years of experimenting to be able to stop stressing about creating characters.

as for developing stories - i also tried several different tactics for that in the past (not drawing though because i cannot draw haha). when i worked on my mentalist fics in 2020 i used a story plotting sheet to plan a story before writing it, which was kinda useful but had its limits. with the book i'm writing, for example, i just started writing the story with no idea how to end it and after i'd written around 20,000 words and spent some times with the characters, it became clear what the ending needs to be. i also sometimes have ideas for specific scenes and write that idea down in 1-2 short sentences, which is really helpful when i get stuck. i tend not to do too much planning because i feel the need to stick to that plan even if i realize the story doesn't really work that way and it makes me frustrated.

and i'm currently reading blood meridian or the evening redness in the west by cormac mccarthy which is a VERY hard book to read, i need to pay attention constantly to get a faint idea about what's going on, mr mccarthy also refused to use quotation marks or apostrophes and some of the dialogue is in spanish (which i don't speak) without any translation. it's definitely one of the hardest books i've ever read, but i'm obsessed with his stylistic choices.

as for my favorite books, i love treasure island (i read it five times haha) and the great gatsby, last year i read the acotar series which i ADORED, the paying guests by sarah waters is definitely also one of my favorite books, i also love the seven husbands of evelyn hugo (which dani recommended to me), the wayfarers series by becky chambers, and to be taught, if fortunate, also by becky chambers

[feminaexlux]

Stronger

Hey hey hey welcome to Part 3 of Miraculous Leap (Part 1). Part 2 is 5 Minutes

Ending this year with Lukanette again! Hoping it brings good tidings for 2021 (better than 2020 that's for sure)! Happy New Year!

FYI: Dewey = Dominic :)

AO3 link!

���

Ladybug brushed away her tears and smiled back up at Viperion. "Okay," she said shakily, nodding to indicate that she understood. "Okay."

They were in the past, or at least they were currently occupying their past selves. Hmm, how long ago was this? Ladybug looked back down at her suit and it was that ridiculous basic-ass red and black polka dot version. She didn't even have her wings. Okay, that narrowed it down to… younger than 16?

Ugh, that sucked. No one in their right mind would ever want to repeat their awkward teenage years over again, but… as much as she loved Dewey and wanted him with her at least right now she wasn't feeling like she'd swallowed a basketball. And she currently didn't have any back pain, which was a bonus.

Tikki, I need my wings, Ladybug thought at Tikki.

Tikki sounded a little startled to be pinged directly like she just was. Oh… um… Okay, Marinette!

She suddenly felt herself being wrenched away from Luka by another person before her wings fully manifested. "H-Hey!" She yelled out.

Chat had pulled her behind him and was aiming his baton at Viperion. "Don't touch her, you jerk! What did you do?! Why'd you make her cry?!"

"Chat… wh-what?" Ladybug sputtered. She heard Viperion growling under his breath.

"Are you okay, Milady?" Chat called out over his shoulder. Oh God, not this phase. She saw Luka clench his jaw and fold his arms but otherwise he was remaining still. Luka was pissed at the way she was being handled but he knew better than to step in and make things worse… Though Marinette knew he had a limit.

Ladybug sighed. "Chat, I'm fine!" Of course Chat wasn't standing down.

"Here's what's going on," Viperion said, sounding clipped. "This akuma controls time. Its power is to swap someone from a different time period in their life to here. Long story short the Ladybug and Viperion here now are from the future. I'm from the future. She's from the future. We're from the same future, since your LB and Viperion got hit with the same blast. We'd both been… taking care of someone, and it was terrifying that he wasn't here with us."

Chat was taken aback and reacted like he'd just been slapped. "Who… Both of…? No, nevermind. You guys… don't look like you're from the future," he said suspiciously.

Viperion took a deep inhale and long exhale in annoyance. "It was a mental swap. Sorry. Should have clarified." Thank God her husband had the patience he did. But oh shit--

"V! 7 o'clock!" Ladybug yelled out, pushing Chat out of her way. Ladybug wasn't 100% certain Viperion had access to all of his abilities so she had started to get her yoyo shield ready. Viperion turned in the direction she specified and caught the blast before it landed, reversing time itself and pushing the blast back to its origin. Okay, that question answered. Viperion had what he needed.

"Wow! What was that?!" Chat cried out in astonishment. "Oh holy crud, Ladybug, you--you can fly?!"

"Chat! Focus! We need to take care of this akuma!" Ladybug called out. The sooner they finish, the sooner she and Luka can get back to… She snorted to herself. What an awkward time for her past self to end up in.

⁂

(Back in the future…)

"I can't believe we have 5 kids," Marinette started laughing. It… oddly didn't bother her all that much. After all, with a certain someone she had imagined having up to 3. 5… was… well, definitely way less believable, but it didn't bother her.

Luka looked a little embarrassed and took a drink of his water. He just shrugged and sat down on the floor next to Marinette, pressing his back up against the edge of the bed. "I didn't have a plan for anything," he said sheepishly. "Just me and my guitar for… ever, I guess."

Marinette blinked in surprise. "You never planned to ask me out?"

"Didn't seem like you'd be interested," he said, raising an eyebrow at her question. "I don't mean for this to sound bad but… I don't know how we got…" He gestured at the room. "Here."

It's 'cause he thinks you're in love with Adrien, duh, Marinette chided herself. But… but was she… really?

"Wait… where are… the kids?" Luka asked.

"With my parents," Marinette answered. "Seems like they all go over pretty regularly," she said, showing Luka her calendar. Every 2 weekends she had an event called "Kids @ T/S," with the alternate weekends being labeled "Kids w/Granarka." Well, that was extremely nice of their parents to take on… "We must like these kids if we wanted 5 of them," Marinette mumbled to herself. She opened up her phone's photos and looked through the albums.

She noticed that Luka had leaned in a little to look over her shoulder. "Sorry," he said, pulling back.

"No, they're… yours too," she laughed. She angled the phone so the both of them could see.

"Harmony" was the oldest at 9, the most recent video had her playing a yellow electric guitar and singing on stage by herself at what looked like a small café. There were so many pictures and videos of her at these showings, and in a number of them it looked like future Luka was just offstage cheering her on.

"Melody" was second oldest at 6, and it seemed like she was a little copy of Marinette herself. Marinette couldn't help but smile down at the photos of her future second daughter dressing up and posing in various costumes and placing scrap fabric pieces together on the floor in make-believe designs. Apparently Marinette would have a protégé to call her own.

"Hugo & Louis" were the twin boys, still toddlers at 3. They always had silly faces on in all the pictures Marinette and Luka scanned. She had a video of future Luka tossing both boys into a ball pit and them giggling like maniacs, enjoying the airtime and landing in an explosion of brightly colored plastic balls.

And finally, "Dominic" was an album full of sonograms. Marinette patted her stomach. "Well, hello Dominic," she said. "I wish we met under better circumstances. I hope you're alright."

There had been another album labeled "Us" that Marinette scrolled through. Stills of future Marinette and future Luka together at award shows or at fashion events. Selfie videos of them sending jokes to one another. Pictures of future Luka working in his studio or playing his guitar or hanging out with friends.

Future Marinette adored him. Every picture had him smiling back or pleasantly surprised.

One selfie from several months ago had him with his arms wrapped around her from behind, leaning down to kiss her shoulder as she held up 3 different positive pregnancy test results in front of the bathroom mirror. Future them looked so happy.

Suddenly an awful, sinking feeling hit Marinette.

"We're not going to remember this," she said to Luka, and it was something like anguish that made her voice sound so raw. "Probably? Sometimes no one remembers what happened when the Miraculous Ladybugs reset everything…" She saw his eyes widen. "I don't… This… I-I… I want to remember this!"

His eyes widened further in surprise as both eyebrows went up. "You do?"

"Yeah! I mean, look at us! We're so… so… Wait… do you want… all this?"

Luka looked somewhat incredulous. "You remember I had zero plans, right? I didn't think about dating or marriage or kids." Marinette felt like a balloon (pregnancy aside) that just got punctured. For some reason her heart ached. "I mean… I never figured I'd get anywhere with you past being your friend. I didn't think you liked me that way at all. This? All this," he pointed at the pictures, "wasn't even a possibility." He closed his eyes.

Marinette wasn't sure what to say.

"Wasn't before," he said quietly, after a few moments. He started staring off into the distance. "Now? Do I want this?" He dropped his gaze to his left ring finger, then back up at her. "Yeah. Yes. But I don't want you to start liking me because of this. Futures aren't ever set in stone." He stared back off into space. "Honestly I want us to forget this. It's nice. Really nice. And maybe it won't happen. It'd hurt a lot to know what I missed out on."

Oh. Oh no. She'd been doing the Chat thing where she was barreling toward a specific outcome without thinking about the process or journey. Luka was right. Maybe it wouldn't happen. Not without her taking honest stock of her feelings first.

Did she want… him?

"It's supposed to lift you up and make you feel stronger." Chat had done that for her once. Then recently it'd been more like "Don't focus on the bad stuff." That didn't stop the bad stuff from existing.

Adrien had done that for her when he said she was the "Everyday Ladybug." And then it felt that no matter what she did he kept getting further and further away. And Adrien hadn't reached back out for her to help close the distance.

"Sorry," Luka said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Guess I'm just… worried."

Marinette looked at him. "No, you're right. It would be unfair if all I wanted was the result." She paused for a few seconds to think her words through.

"I'm not going to start liking you because we got to experience this future," Marinette began again. "I don't even know when it really started. I just know I already do. You've never made me feel like I was wrong. You've never made me doubt myself. You've never made me think for one second I'd have to watch the things I say and the things I do or pretend to be friends with the people who've hurt me. You've always let me be who I am."

He had turned to look at her, worry and concern etched in the furrows of his brows. But the edges had softened as she talked.

Marinette smiled shyly. "I know it's not going to be easy… and it's something we'll have to keep working on… but I'd like to find out how far we can go together." She held out her hand to him, palm up. "I want… us. An us… whatever it looks like in the end."

Luka searched her face for a few heartbeats and took a breath, seemingly content with whatever he found. He gave her a lopsided smile. "I want that too." He reached out and took her hand.

⁂

(The "past")

"Miracu--!" Ladybug was getting ready to launch her Lucky Charm up in the air when Chat stopped her.

"Wait! Wait wait wait. Please. Can… can I talk with you… in private? For a little bit, Milady?" Chat looked down at her pleading with his most pathetic looking kitten eyes and Ladybug sighed. She glanced back at Viperion, who cocked his head a tiny bit to the side and smiled.

Like Luka was shrugging a What can you do?

Marinette winked back a Won't take long, handed Viperion the Lucky Charm, and turned back to Chat. "Alright. The rules are I'm not going to tell you any details but we can talk."

Chat jumped over to another rooftop and down into the alley below, putting a few buildings between him and Viperion. Ladybug followed behind him, floating down with her wings. Chat leaned his back against the brick wall and folded his arms. "Did… I ever have a chance with you?"

Huh. Okay. Chat was more observant than she remembered him being at 15. "Hmm, yes," Ladybug answered. She knew who he was, after all.

"Then… I guess I screwed up," Chat said miserably. "I always thought we were made for each other, you know?"

"We might have been once," Ladybug said gently. "But we both grew up, Chat. Neither of us screwed up at all."

Chat furrowed his brows at that. "Is there anything I can do now to change?"

"You wouldn't be you, Chat." She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug, leaving a hand on his shoulder after stepping back. "I know it's not what you thought you wanted, but your future will still be amazing."

"Are… you happy?"

Ladybug had a serene smile, glancing back in Viperion's general direction with her hands now over her heart. "I am."

Chat stared at her for a bit. Something about the quiet conviction she had was more… meaningful than if she'd been animated about saying it.

There was nothing to prove to anyone. It was just the truth.

Chat sighed audibly. "Okay, Ladybug. Thanks," he gave her a small smile. "Sorry. You need to get back home, right?" Ladybug nodded. "Then let's get going!"

Moments later Ladybug and Chat Noir landed together in front of Viperion, who handed the Lucky Charm back to her. She threw it high into the sky and said "Miraculous Ladybugs!"

Ladybug reached out her hand and Viperion took it in his. They smiled at each other when the waves of ladybugs passed over them.

⁂

Ladybug blinked a few times, her brain a little foggy after being hit with that blast. She'd been trying to save Viperion from the akuma's attack… She must have been a little too slow. Wait, where were they? And Viperion was in front of her now, and he looked… okay?

He was staring down at something. When she looked in the same direction she saw that they were holding hands. A small part of her panicked and wanted to pull away, but… an overwhelmingly larger part of her… liked it? Viperion hadn't pulled away either. So she… didn't pull away.

"Welcome back, Viperbug," Chat laughed, his baton across his shoulders with his hands on either end.

"What… happened?" Ladybug asked, her cheeks slightly pinking as she kept a hold of Viperion. It just felt… kinda nice.

"There was something about the future," Viperion said, still staring down at their linked hands. "I feel like there was something important, but… I can't seem to remember."

"Yeah, you guys got hit by the akuma but we still managed to take care of it. Paris is safe again," Chat smiled. "I'm heading out. See you guys later!" he yelled out, leaping away after saluting.

Huh. It felt like Chat wanted to leave faster than usual. He didn't even stop for their typical "Bien Joué!"

"… I guess we're done here? Alright, I'll drop you back off at home," Ladybug said to Viperion.

⁂

(One day later)

"Hey Marinette," Luka said from behind her. Marinette yelped and windmilled forward, nearly falling over but quickly got back to her feet and spun on her heels to face him. "… Are you looking for Juleka?" He had a smile on his face… one part amusement by her antics and another part joy in seeing her.

She'd come onboard the Liberty and stood on the deck… there wasn't any real reason why, she just kinda… showed up. "Ah haha, um, no, no I a-actually… I was just um! Looking around! Yeah! The-The stage!" Oh God why did she say that.

Luka rolled with it, even though Marinette was certain he knew she just made that up. "Sure, feel free. It's good to see you."

"Too! It's you! I mean it's good to you! See you. Too," she laughed nervously. He moved around her and set his backpack down against the atrium couch. She slapped both hands to her face and cringed when she thought he wasn't looking at her. Auuugh.

"I'm gonna get a snack. Do you want anything?"

She jumped again, hiding her hands behind her back. "Oh! S-sure, thanks, that's great."

"Cool, do you want to follow me down and let me know what you'd like?" She nodded and went to the main cabin with him. She sat down at the kitchen counter bar and asked for juice, sipping it nervously when he sat in the seat next to her.

"I… I actually just wanted to talk with you," she said. "You… said I can just be myself around you." It had been hard to look at him so she just stared at her glass, feeling self conscious.

"Yeah, always," he said easily. He'd gotten some yogurt for himself, but he hadn't opened it up yet. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I… There was… You know…" she started, sighing when she couldn't get the words she wanted out. "I'm not sure how to say it but… have you ever gotten the sense that you… missed something really important? Like you got caught up in something… silly and there was this really cool person you passed by 'cause you were distracted." She finally looked up at him.

"If they're still around you still have a chance to say hi," he smiled at her. "People are pretty chill, and I'm sure they'd love to talk with you." He opened up his yogurt and took a spoonful.

Marinette was pretty sure she was blushing. "Y-Yeah, he's pretty chill. Soooo. Hah, um. Hi."

With the spoon in his mouth he got out a "Hmm?"

"Wanna… see a movie?" She should clarify. "J-Just us! No group!" She should further clarify. "A date! It's a date! I'm asking!"

He swallowed too fast and started coughing. At least he hadn't swallowed the spoon. "Ah," he laughed after recovering. "That sounds great, but…" Marinette's heart jumped into her throat. "I wanna make sure you're… sure," he said awkwardly. "Sure you're not… missing out on what you really want," he added, blushing a bit himself.

"Th-That's why… I'm asking," she said shyly. "I-I think… What I really want is… something new. Someone that helps make me better, you know? Makes me happy too. And… I've been thinking about you."

"Me," he said, sounding a little surprised.

Marinette nodded. "Are… are you… interested?"

He took her hand in his. "Yeah. Definitely."

[portiaphan]

DV Characters as Things Hannibal Buress Has Said

Alex: "I'm a gangsta, and gangstas don't ask questions." Yes they do ask questions! I thought that was a main point of being a gangster. "Hey, mothafucka, where's my money?" That's a question. "Do you want to die tonight?" That's a question too. "What? What?" That's two questions.

Alva: Gibberish rap is - I freestyle all the time, just hangin' out with friends. And sometimes when I'm freestyling, I'll lose my flow, you know, but I'll still wanna - I don't wanna just stop rapping because I lose my flow. So I'll just put in nonsense words till I can bring in regular words again.

Brielle: I couldn't imagine only being an actor or a writer. Because what the hell do I do when I'm not working? Mope?

Battista: I’m a dumb guy. My point of view is limited.

Bellamy: Why are you booing me? I'm right!

Beau: SIX PACK ABS! TEN PACK ABS! TWELVE PACK! What if I want an odd number of abs? What if I want a five pack to show people I'm still humble?

Bernadette: My other airport nemesis is airport security. I don't like them at all. They seem so dedicated to keeping bottled water out of the sky.

Calina: I acknowledge that I jaywalked, I apologize not for the act of jaywalking but how my jaywalking made you feel. I'll try not to jaywalk in the future while you're watching but trust that I'll do it for the rest of my life - it's the best way to go about being a pedestrian.

Castora: There's a lot of dudes in my neighborhood that have handlebar mustaches. Which is cool if you want to have a handlebar mustache but don't try to have a conversation with me like you don't have a handlebar mustache.

Catherine: He said, "Man, we are right by the Adige River. These buildings are 200-300 years old, they have rats everywhere. Even the five-star restaurants have rats!" Somehow he made me feel like the asshole for bringing up rats! I don't know what kind of jedi mind trick that was - it confused the hell out of me because I still ended up ordering food then.

Cyrus: So we talk for a little bit. She says stuff, I say stuff, she says stuff, I say stuff. You know how a conversation works.

Celeste: I get upset easily by people. I saw this guy- he was on the phone. He had the phone between the ear and shoulder like that, but he didn't have anything in his hands. Which is really upsetting! Who the hell do you think you are? This action for people that are multitasking. Where's your other task? You're not doing anything else.

Daphne: He'd be the worst real estate agent ever. "Right here we have a 34 bedroom house. Let me show you around the property. Great features to this place, some of the rooms have extra, smaller rooms in them."

Delilah: I was in Scotland for all of August and it was the darkest time of my life. Mostly 'cause they call cookies biscuits. I don't like that at all. It was an incredible culture shock for me, tough to adjust but I tried for a few weeks. Pass me the chocolate chip BISCUITS. Let's have biscuits and milk, everybody. I love Oreo biscuits. But, in the fourth week, I couldn't handle it no more. THOSE ARE COOKIES THOSE AREN'T BISCUITS. Those are cookies. Cookies are cookies and biscuits are biscuits. If you call cookies biscuits, what do you call biscuits 'cause I'm not saying scones.

Everett: I did not move to Verona with a plan. The first time I moved to Verona, I just popped up. My sister was living here in Verona. I just popped up. She had her baby and a husband, and I just popped up. "Hey, what's up? I got $200 and dreams. Let's do this."

Genevieve: I can't just look at a status and move along. I see a status got 36 'likes' — can't accept it got 36 'likes' and move along. I got to click on it and start reading the names of the people that liked it. "Oh, yeah. Jim would 'like' some shit like that."

Grace: Yo ma, money over everything.

Halcyon: Awe man, I gotta get a team. I don't have a team, I just have friends. I call up my friend, "Hey man, I know you're my friend but I need you on my team right now."

Hazel: You have a regular-sized tub and a miniature tub, the sink.

Henry: You never know what could happen when you go into a store - somebody might pull a Tonya Harding on you and break your knee cap. And now you got your knees all fucked up just ‘cause you wanted to get that vinyl.

Hugo: It sounds like God owed someone some money and they couldn’t get to him, so they murked his son. That’s what I really think happened. Jesus got stabbed up in an alley… but it’s easier to sell crucifixes. You can’t sell a pendant of someone getting shanked up in the alley. It’s a marketing scheme.

Ivan: Come to your place at 5:00 in the morning, eat your food, drink your drinks, leave at 6:30 without fucking like it’s cool. That’s a passive burglary.

Isabelle: Two separate charges $400 at Barnes and Noble. Who balls out of control at Barnes and Noble?

Juliana: Believe in yourself like one of those weird-ass clothing stores that only have six shirts in them. So many questions. How much do these shirts cost? How long have y'all been here? Why is there a DJ?

Katarina: Kill people, burn shit, fuck school, I hate spam emails! That's annoying! You think you have an email from a friend but it's spam.

Lucien: I believe in my ability to not spill food in my pants 'cause I'm a goddamn adult. And I've mastered the art of getting food from my plate to my mouth without messing up my jeans. You need to believe in yourself, too and get your life together, that's for babies. Have some confidence in your eating abilities and hand/eye coordination.

Lucrezia: I'VE ALREADY SEEN LIMITLESS.

Lillian: I'm not a club person, I'm more of a bar/lounge type of person. But, I'll go anywhere if you give me a free bottle of alcohol.

Mikael: I have weird aspirations. Like, I really want to kick a pigeon.

Matthias: It's a weird emotion when you're flattered and cynical at the same time. "Oh, that's nice that you would say that, but what the fuck are you up to?"

Marcelo: I just wear black and gray all the time. If you Google Image me, you'll just see a bunch of black and gray. It's simple. If I like a shirt, I'll buy six or eight of them, wear them back-to-back, and just wait for somebody to say something. "That's the same shirt you wore yesterday." "Yeah, but this one is fresh."

Maeve: When people go through something rough in life, they say, "I'm taking it one day at a time." Yes, so is everybody. Because that's how time works.

Nikolai: But this time, it was me and this old lady we were jaywalking together. We weren't together like that. But if we were, so what? Mind your business.

Odessa: It was a phone interview and sometimes when I do phone interviews and the journalist is boring, I just start saying crazy stuff to make it fun for me.

Olivio: There have been times I’ve been out, and my phone battery is at nine percent, and I was like, "Time to go home."

Orion: Don’t thank the lord. I gave you that compliment, thank me.

Priam: I lost my debit card recently, had five charges on it before I caught it. First charge, $30 Chuckee Cheese. Who goes to Chuckee Cheese as soon as they find a debit card? Are you serious?

Paola: I applied for a job at Starbucks. One of the questions was, 'Why do you want to work at Starbucks?' Uh, because my life is in shambles.

Pandora: I don't even know how to use a semicolon to this day, I use a comma every time. And you know what? If I email somebody and they get upset about me using a comma instead of a semicolon, that's not a person I want to work with anyway. And that's how you weed people out of your life.

Ramona: I went into this restaurant in Verona called The Two Gentlemen. Went into the bathroom at The Two Gentlemen, huuuuge rat in the bathroom at The Two Gentlemen and the rat looked at me like "the fuck you doing here?" That was his vibe, very negative vibe.

Rafaella: Sometimes I get drunk and I get into arguments with taxi drivers. And I get out the cab and I slam the door. That's not the way to win an argument with a taxi driver. The way to win is you get out of the cab and you leave the door open.

Regina: And that was the first time in my life, without any sarcasm, I could say, "What? You want a cookie or something?" Because any other time you say that, you being mean, but I meant it from my heart. "How many cookies you want, man? You want seven cookies? That's way too many cookies. You're being ridiculous right now. You can take, like, three or four cookies and get out of my face. Otherwise, you're taking advantage of my generosity."

Ronan: Wack.

Roman: In my hometown of Verona, I'm kind of a medium deal.

Theodora: We got interns at the job. You can just tell them to do stuff. You gotta be nice, though. I had this cat fax something. I handed him a couple of pages, and I handed him another page. I said, "Hey, man, fax something for yourself, too."

Tomas: Rap videos confuse me cause they have to be continued at the end but the never make a sequel. Where’s the second video? There’s so much suspense!

Trinity: I was at the airport and there was this kid, four or five years old walking with his mommy, fixed his fingers in a fake gun, and then took a shot at me. And I'm looking at the wall to see if there's something on the wall he could've been shooting at 'cause I'm in denial. I look back at him, he looks me in the eyes and takes too more shots. Now I'm hit three times, that's an act of aggression. I need to defend myself.

Valentina: Morpheus, Dorpheus, Orpheus, go eat some walruses. Orifices, porridges. Morpheus, Morpheus. Going to the Buffet and Walruses. Confidence, corpseses. Worcestershire sauce. Go into your orifices. Red pill, blue pill. Morpheus, walruses. Seashells by the seashorpheus. MORPHEUS DRINKING A FORTY IN THE DEATH BASKET.

Vivianne: "We'll keep you in our thoughts" With the other bullshit in your heads? No, keep me out of your thoughts, because I hear some of the stuff you talk about and if that's close to what you're thinking about, I don't want to be around that, so keep me and my family out of your thoughts, unless you're thinking of making me a sandwich.

[itswildwinters]

Hello lovebug and happy December 16th! I hope you're doing well and that you're well rested. I'm a bit late, I'm sorry about that, but I'm wishing you the very best for today–may it bring you the happiness and peacefulness your deserve. I'm a bit tired myself, but it's great knowing I'll be free by next Thursday.

Thank you for your kind words, it seems like you never stop being sweet. And I can admit I've been treating myself, I'm eating so much chocolate. It's my guilty pleasure. Do you have one yourself? And to answer your questions, I don't think I'll have a graduation party, the concept just sounds odd to me–I don't mean to say people shouldn't have it if that's what they want, but it just doesn't fit the person I am. But I can imagine that I'll have a nice meal with my family and potentially a small get together with my closest friends who're probably going to graduate with me. To be honest, I've just made that up since I have no plans at all, but that's my guess! So yeah, thank you for everything, you have no idea how much your words mean to me–they always just feel right.

I like that you seem to embody the French stereotype, but you go girl! Maybe I'll give Victor Hugo a go, just for you and your kind heart. I'm not sure I'm that great at committing to reading classics, so it might not be before a while! As for the Disney version, I'll supposedly be seeing it this week-end, so I'll tell you. Have you a favorite Disney by the way?

That'd be amazing to see Louis perform. I'd probably tear up and stare in disbelief but eh, what can I say. It's not often you can see the sun from this close so I might be blinded by his beauty and deafened by his soft voice. If it ever happens, that is. For now, I'm good looking at him gaining confidence from afar!

I'm glad your get to study the language of your island! Must be nice learning about its roots, keeps the language alive (I know it's not dead but I feel like learnign about a language's history increases its vitality).

You're a curious and ambitious little thing, then. That's amazing. It's lovely reading your excitement over things you're passionate about. You're so, so lovely. I know quite a few things about Britain's history because of my degree (though it's a very specific kind of knowledge...), so I can see why you find it interesting.

That's so exciting that you got to see so many countries. I've actually had the opportunity to visit Bangkok among other destinations. Did you like it? It's beautiful but I went there in July so the clouds were very law in the sky and swollen with rain, so the atmosphere felt very heavy and it was a little bit suffocating–it's not a weather I'm really used to and I still remember my skin getting sticky pretty much as soon as I stepped outside. I loved discovering things about thai culture, too, and it definitely pushed me to try food I'm not used to.

I haven't been reading anything (except for fics), but one of my friends wants me to read Flowers for Algernon, which is a book she read in middle school and couldn't forget, and I'm willing to give it a go. I also bought a book the other day, but I can't remember the title... i'll tell you next time when I find it. I'll probably be reading these once my exams end! And I don't think I've read any of the books you've read, despite having heard of many of them. I know for a fact my mother read "the Handmaid's Tale" and enjoyed it thoroughly so I hope you're having the same experience.

I love how close I feel to you already. Thank you for being a ray on sunshine and making this feel so safe and comforting. You're the best person I could have get assigned to! Sending you a ghost hug and thanking you again for everything you bring to this little bubble. Love you!

Sending frozen kisses and warm hugs your way,

Your Secret Santa

PS: I love this little game of you not knowing who I am and trying to figure it out. It's so hard to determine which info to give, which info to withhold and when to lie, but it's so much fun.

Hello love!! I am so sorry for not answering you yesterday, got caught in a lot of stuff! How are you doing? I’m glad that you’ll soon be free and get some time to yourself, you truly deserve it. I’m doing great, I’m spending time with my family :)!

Chocolate is life!!! But honestly my guilty pleasure is probably tartes (I say it in french because I don’t think the word ‘pie’ quite fits the concept I have in mind). I love tartes aux fraises, tartes aux pommes, tartes aux poires… l love the buttery taste. I have a sweet tooth it’s sooo drastic lmao 😭 but you deserve to treat yourself and if chocolate brings you joy, enjoy it!!

Honestly I don’t think I’ll do anything too when I graduate, so I get you, but a meal with your family does sound nice, as well as get together — it’s just fun I guess? I like the idea of finally rewarding yourself after all the effort spent working and succeeding.

Victor Hugo is, like, the French Charles Dickens!! I love him. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the Disney. I used to love the Little Mermaid, but I think I have different kinds of favourites; for the aesthetic, the drawings and the vibe, my favourite Disney of all time for that is Sleeping Beauty like wow? It’s so beautiful? Everything about is so ethereal. It’s so hard to choose my favourite Disney classic because I grew up with all of them. I love Pocahontas and Bambi, but also Brave (oh god I do love this one). Wow I’m sorry I truly can’t choose one, I’m laughing. What about you?? Any favourite Disney?

You are absolutely right about the concept of language, and especially patois. If one stops speaking it to favour the national language, one stops practicing it and transmitting it down to the next generation, so it dies. Unfortunately since I’ll probably have to go to France for my master degree, I won’t be able to choose it as a second language so I need to get back to German (sniff, it’s so hard).

Honestly if I get to see Louis I’ll just pass out 😭

Oh you minx! You are secretive, you’re good at this, keeping your identity hidden. I love this game.

I found Bangkok a bit meh but I guess that’s because I didn’t know where to truly visit. The weather is a catastrophe there, the pollution rate is horrendous and that’s why you’re literally suffocating. I didn’t like that. The year I went they tried to trigger rain by modifying the molecule thingy of the clouds but it barely worked. I think I didn’t like it because I found it hard to find somewhere to eat. The culture is quite interesting though!! I love thaï food, that blend of sweet and savoury is my fave. I preferred Kuala Lampur though, the centre, where there are shopping malls and food courts is awesome!!

Cant wait to hear about your books! And yes I absolutely love the Handmaid’s Tale, I can’t wait to read the sequel. I think you’ll love it too, it’s very original in the way it depicts a dystopia. I’ve never heard of Flowers of Algernon but I’ll check it out!! It sounds interesting.

Sending you love, you mysterious flower. Speaking — in a way — to you is the highlight of my day. I love you 💝

Yours! 💓

[kinships]

frozcnhearts‌:

The question Norn had asked stayed unanswered by the young man, who ran as quick as his, unexpected tired, legs carried him, but shot her a thankful glance. He was used to be better than this, but the battles before had clearly taken their toll on the AGE. Still, Hugo knew better. Knew, that he had to ignore the polluted air that burned deep in his lungs, making clear that they were outside for far too long already, that he could not give in to his aching legs that surely would scream at him by now if they could. Eyes never looked back however, his gaze was strictly fixated on their surroundings and his mind more than just ready to come up with as many plans as they needed. Dying had never been in his dictionary and the young man would not start with it today neither.

His hand reached out to grab her arm, once more Ogretails blocked their further way. Opening their mouths and did look only all too ready to still what couldn’t be stilled - their endless hunger. He took a sharp turn to the right, thanked in his mind whatever had decided for the weather to be as dry as it was, and pulled the woman with him, before letting go again.

An index finger pointed at one of the many collapsed buildings, which clearly once had been something like an apartment. “ Let’s take a breather there… ”, hah… breather was a good joke, “ …and then we can think about what we gonna do against them. We aren’t going to die here. ”. Last sentence had been something he said quite a lot, more often than not to himself just as much as to those around. “ Doubt that those bastards from Pennywort will bring enforcement. ”, Hugo muttered more to himself than her. They too had been strangely quiet lately though. Either an Aragami got their necks or they enjoyed the show of the two of them getting chased around, after figuring out that there were way too many Aragamis. Which was exciting, but also too dangerous to keep fighting without a plan.

But the Pennywort guards were a problem he didn’t want to care about right now.

Norn had said nothing to him afterwards, focusing on following him and getting out of this situation alive. Once they were safe, she collapsed on the ground, her lungs and legs screaming at her for pushing them so hard. They were out for too long, they couldn't stay any longer out here, otherwise they would die whether either of them wanted it or not. The building provided ample cover for them to hide and recoup, and Norn peeked over the edge to see them sniffing around.

With her breath finally evening out, at least a little, she looks at Hugo, concern obviously written all over her face. "There's maybe....ten? Too many for us to kill on our own." It was possible that they could do it, but they'd risk going into overtime and dying anyway. "Do you think we can lure them into one of these buildings and blow it up?" It was a stretch, the buildings made in the time before the Aragami were sturdy, some still standing tall above them, it would take all their grenades and then some to try and make one fall. She didn't think the Pennywort guards would appreciate them taking such drastic measures either.

"We've gotta get home, Hugo. We can't let the kids come out in this..." They were so young, they couldn't even lift a God Arc, much less fight. They had killed what they came out to hunt, it was a matter of finding a safe evac point now. 

It's then Norn gets an idea, but wonders if Hugo would agree to it. "I can draw them away." She says, standing up, looking serious at her longtime friend. "You can find somewhere that the Port can pick us up, and I can round back to meet you. They're Ogretails, I'm sure I can shake them." Before he can say anything she shakes her head.  

"We don't have a lot of time to argue this, Hugo please."

[canyoutellmewhereithurts-blog]

Character A recovering from years of drug/alcohol abuse, stubbornly refusing the help of Character B. Eventually Character A realizes that they need the help. (Is this good? I don't know if I have to include a fandom or whatever, so this can be for whatever you think works) Thanks :)

Wow, this is the longest one yet and I really should calm down, but yeah, to lazy to shorten it. So, a short note in case you don’t know the fandom. I went with Les Miserables because it’s the only fandom I know with canon alcohol abuse. This is some weird modern day AU, I guess, but in canon it’s Paris, 1830s. Enjolras is a beautiful blonde guy with a fiery passion for France, planning a revolution with a group of friends. One person in the group, Grantaire or R, doesn’t believe in the revolution. He’s only there because he is hopelessly in love with Enjolras. The bad thing is: he shows it by holding long rants in which he doubts everything Enjolras believes in. Joly has some medical knowledge and always thinks everyone is sick or dying. Together with Bossuet he’s R’s best friend. This fic has fairly little to do with Victor Hugo and is mostly fandom-based. Anyway, there’s suffering. Enjoy mymess and please review! 

…

‘R, every time you are this silent, I amworried you are either too drunk to remember where you left yourtongue, or wondering what’s the worst possible thing you could saynext.’The grin was wiped from Joly’s lipswhen Grantaire looked up to him. He wasn’t that charming on the bestof his days, but right now, he looked positively ghostly. The only color on his pale face were the purple bags beneath his eyes andeven though it wasn’t hot in the café, sweat pooled on his brow.‘Jesus, R!’ Joly exclaimed. ‘Are you sick?’He reached out totouch his friends cheek, but Grantaire swept his hand away. 'I amfine.’Joly raised one brow. 'Yeah, sure. I’ll put that on yourtombstone. Now, let me feel if you are running a fever.’Hereached out again. This time, Grantaire stood up. His movements werequick and harsh. With a shock that made his heart clench, Joly realized his hands were shaking. 'I said: I am fine.’ Grantairevoice was filled with more venom than a snakes teeth. Before he waseven aware of it, Joly had backed away a little. He held his voicecarefully calm when he answered: 'I am pretty sure you are not,friend. Why not skip the drinking tonight and go home early? Youshould be in bed.’Instead of answering, Grantaire looked him straight in the eye for a while, his shoulders high and muscles tense.He looked wary, like he hadn’t slept in a long time. Suddenly, heturned around and made his way into the crowd and to the door,pushing everybody to the side that came too close. Everything in Joly wantedto follow him. Make sure he getshome! hismind yelled. Andget him a cup of tea! hisheart supplied. All he did, however, was sit down on a bar stool,facing away from the door, trying not to be tempted. He hadbarely settled when a warm hand touched his shoulder. 'Hey,’ Bossuetgreeted. 'Something up with R? He just walked past me to the door.Didn’t even say hello. I believe he was clutching his stomach.’'Heis sick, I figure,’ Joly answered. 'Was pretty rude about it. I thinkwe should leave him alone for the time being. Give him somespace.’He looked at Bossuet, only to see he was watching the doorlike it could summon back their friend. 'Poor fellow.’Joly justnodded.  

It was not yet half past seven whenJoly entered the café the next evening. It was quiet; the bartenderwas cleaning glasses and only a few tables were taken by coupleshaving hushed conversations. One glance was enough to tell Jolyeverything he needed to know: no Grantaire.Joly’s throat turned a little dry. Hemight never be here this early; Grantaire surely was. He had figuredthat maybe, if it was less busy and the man felt less taken ofguard, he would be more responsive. As if Grantaire could behiding beneath a table or pushed up against a wall, he looked aroundagain, before being startled by a sudden voice.'Joly! You are early, myfriend.’Enjolras was standing in the door way, brushing back hishair and smiling.'Have you seen R?’ Joly burst out.The smile didn’tfalter, but it turned a little grim. 'No, why? He got something tosay? I thought he was awfully quiet last night.’Never in his lifehad Joly been this impatient with the constant struggle between histwo friends. There was a well being dug deep in his stomach, a cold,deep, black feeling creeping up and making his heartbeat frantic. Howcould Enjolras not feel it? 'Look, he was quiet, because he wassick. Now it’s been aday, he doesn’t answer any of my messages and he isn’t here. I amafraid he might be really out of it. Like really, really out.’Whenhe stopped to breathe, Enjolras cocked a brow. 'You shouldease up with the – ’'Worrying, yes, yes, I know.’ Joly noticedhe was moving his hands too much, and let them fall to his side. 'Butthis is different. Anyway, I am going to take a look at his apartment. You coming?’It was the first time Enjolras’s calmslipped. He blinked a few times in rapid succession. 'Why would Icome? He doesn’t even like me.’There was no time for this, butJoly instinctively knew that if Grantaire would take advice fromanyone, it would be Enjolras. So he strode to the door and grabbedhis arm. 'Sure he does. Now come. And hurry up, please.’

They arrived atGrantaire’s apartment about half an hour later, their hair drippingwith late summer rain. Behind a small door, an empty, gloomy hallway was hiding, a staircase leading up to a landing with two more doors.  Quickly, Joly jumped up the stairs, Enjolras followingwith a little more hesitance and grace. Having arived upstairs, Joly chose the left door and knocked, twice. No answer. Again, he knocked, pushing his ear to the door.Absolute silence. Had Grantaire gone out to drink at another pub,where he wouldn’t be bothered? Was he too sick to answer? Or had henever even made it home?Joly knocked afourth time. 'R? Grantaire? You in there? Please answer, man. Weworry.’He looked back atEnjolras, hovering behind him with his hands in his pockets. 'Youcall him.’'What? I –’ Jolycut him short, roughly grabbing him and pushing him to the door.'Come on.’'Okay, alright,eh…’ Enjolras turned to the unforgiving piece of wood that blockedthem from their friend. 'Grantaire? It’s okay if you don’t wantto be bothered, but could you please give us something to work with?Joly is pretty desperate.’ A moment later, as in afterthought, headded: 'And I am kind of starting to worry, too.’A low moananswered them. The sound was too weak to be coming from a grown manthat could drink twice his weight in alcohol, but it was there,nevertheless. Joly felt a warm rush go trough his body, unsure whether it was relieve or fear.'Try the door,’ Enjolrassuddenly advised. He had paled, Joly saw, and a part of him, a meanpart he didn’t want to acknowledge, thought: Good, he is finallygetting it. 'If he was this sick yesterday, he might haveforgotten to lock it.’Joly did as he said; the knob turned underhis hand. He shared a glance with Enjolras before saying: 'Grantaire?We are coming in.’Slowly, preparing for the worst, he opened thedoor. The smell took away his breath. For a moment, he couldn’t findhis friend and he was afraid he had encountered something else, somescary moaning monster, but then he saw Grantaire. The man was lying on thecarpet in front of the couch, curled up and shivering. Joly rushed tohim. Oblivious to the sick on the ground, he knelt next to his friend. 'Hey, man. It’s alright. We are going to take care of you.’Grantaire rolled tohis back, growling. He looked up with red-rimmed eyes. 'Please leave,’he whispered. 'I don’t want you to… see me… like this.’Joly put a hand onhis head and stroked his sweat-soaked curls. 'I am not leaving. We aregoing to get you cleaned up and in bed. Something to drink, medicine. Do you have any idea what this could be? Did you eat something weird?’Grantaire’s eyesfluttered with the touch. His body relaxed slightly, and Joly knew hehad won. 'It’s the… alcohol,’ he whispered.Joly carefullyhooked his hands under his shoulders and pulled him half into hislap. He felt cold, but his shirt was wet like he was the one that hadbeen running through the hosing rain. 'How much did you drink? Do youremember?’'More like… how little,’Grantaire mumbled. 'I stopped.’For a moment, Jolydidn’t know what to answer. All he could do was repeat the words.'You… stopped?’'Enjolras…’ Grantaire muttered. His hand wasraised a little, grabbing thin air, and Joly took it in his. 'Ithought … if I stopped… he would see I have some kind of guts.’Joly met Enjolras’seyes. He was standing a meter back, his hand at his nose, but is wasslowly dropping now. He looked shell shocked.'It’s alright,’Joly repeated. 'That’s so brave, Grantaire, that’s such a great thingto do. I am proud of you. Now let us help, let us make thiseasier.’Finally, Grantaire relaxed all the way. It was like hisbones had turned to jelly; he was suddenly heavy.'Let the bathfill,’ Joly said barked to Enjolras. 'We should clean him. And get some comfortableclothes. Bedroom is to the left, bath second door. But first bring a glassof water. He has lost way to much fluids.’While the bath wasrunning and Enjolras was rummaging trough the closet, Joly helpedGrantaire sit up enough to drink. After a few sips, however, Grantaire whimpered. 'Too much,’ he said,before retching violently. There was little to bring up, but thecoughing alone sounded painful. Joly rubbed his back helplessly and put away the glass for the moment. Getting him into the bath was another fight. Joly asked Enjolrasto help him, but as soon as he came into Grantaire’s view, the manstarted struggling. 'Enjolras,’ he said. 'What are you…? I am okay,I don’t need help. Please, don’t look.’The last words sounded sobroken that Joly could feel their edges rip him apart. To hissurprise, Enjolras reacted with a simple: 'Nothing to be ashamed of,friend. You are taking a big step here. Now let’s get you in thewater and you will feel better soon.’Between the two of them,they hauled him to his feet. The dead weight made their shoulderhunch and their backs ache, but they took it slow, letting Grantaireset the pace. He stumbled with every step, the room clearly spinning around him. Halfway trough they had to stop so he could throw upagain. After every retch, he whimpered. Enjolras held him uprightwhile Joly tried his hardest to provide some warmth and comfort.In the end, theydid get him into the bathroom. Enjolras turned around discretely whileJoly stripped him to his boxers and helped him climb into the tub. There, his feet in the water and the rest of his body trembling, Grantaire stopped. He clutched Joly’s arms, almost painfully so, unwilling to let go.'It’s okay,’ Jolysaid. ‘We are not leaving. You are not alone anymore.’ Grantaire quivered when he was fully in the water. 'No one ever took care of me,’ he whispered.Enjolras came overand settled next to Joly on the edge of the tub. 'We will,’ he saidsternly. The color was back in his face and he was showing some new kind of resolve. 'That’s what we do, don’t we? Fight together.’Grantaire didn’t answer. His eyes closed after a while, his body stilling. For the first time, the lines on his brow smoothed out. Just when Joly thought he had fallen asleepright there, he looked up at them.'Thank you,’ he whispered.

[valeskakingdom]

The Spilled Truth (part34)

"I don't understand your problem with Fish. She seemed okay, maybe a little mysterious." Even though Scarlet decided to stay with Oswald for now, she wasn't averse to meeting Fish again and maybe having a little talk with her. With her attitude and acting, she aroused Scarlet's interest. Fish didn't seem to be an amateur, she was a maker. She had potential. Something told Scarlet, she eventually would have a future with her. She would have more success with her than with Oswald.

"Don't believe anything she's telling you. She's evil. She's a manipulative little rat who loves to make use of people, especially of people like you. She-..."

"She isn't much different than me then, Ossy. The difference is I don't use you as a slave because you're the only one who's giving me a roof over my head" Scarlet chuckled, playing with her knife "But I'm honest with you, her acting made me curious of her."

"She is much different than you, Scarlet, believe me. All she does is make false promises and is building up a toxic relationship with you. She lets you think you're a valuable person for her, but you're not. You're just a toy" He hoped Scarlet would not make the mistake and fall in beside her - as he did in the past. Fish could be a horrible person, especially when she was mad. Through her, he became limp, he was scared of exasperating people because whenever he did with Fish, he got beaten up to a pulp.

"Don't forget about her punishments" Butch reminded him, he knew why Oswald warned her about Fish. He remembered all the people dying that didn't follow her plans or all the people laying unconsciously on the ground full of blood because they made a mistake.

"Oh, yes I remember. I remember how she broke my ankle because she found out I was an informant for the GCPD." Oswald smiled ironically, trying to see it as a joke. But he remembered the pain, all the begs to stop, and the devilish grin she later had on her face when she saw what she has done.

"You're not serious" Scarlet made a facepalm in disappointment. How stupid could Oswald be? Did he work for the GCPD? Wow "You can be happy she wasn't me at that time, Ossy. I would have killed you"

"But see," Oswald gulped "I realized Jim Gordon is not much different than Fish. He utilizes you for his work and throws you away like a piece of trash."

"And still you're in an on-off relationship with him," Scarlet chuckled, shaking her head "You're like my mother, you can't let go of someone through your joyful memories with them. No matter how many times they broke your heart or utilized you for their good - you still come back you can't cope with what they've done to you"

"That's not true!" But when he said that, Scarlet just gave him a look that said it all. She was right, Butch and Oswald knew it either "I didn't intend to ally myself with him in any way. I think I don't need to remind you of the fact we were sent to Arkham thanks to him"

"Oh no, no, no, no, no. We were sent to Arkham because you lied for Jim Gordon, that you killed Galavan!" Scarlet said, "And now you wanna pay him a visit to..."

"I wanna tell the truth about Gotham City! I wanna tell everyone what's out there now! The people have to know!" Oswald then behold the clock, it was time to go to the GCPD where the reporters would wait for all the answers Oswald wanted to make public "Well, enough the speaking now, we have a job to do"

***

"Why is Hugo Strange the only one that's been arrested?" One reporter asked the major maybe a little concerned.

"The situation-..."

"And what about the rumors that Indian Hill is a Wayne Enterprise facility?" The same reporter asked, not even giving the major the chance to speak out "And how many of these escapees are at large? Are we talking about 20, or 30?"

"Excuse me, excuse me-..."

"Just give me a blink if I'm close."

"The situation is firmly in hand." The major finally spoke but before he could say more, he was interrupted by a certain person again.

"Liar!" It was Oswald who stomped forward with Scarlet, the reporters, and the cops as the major was shocked about their appearance - especially about Scarlet. She had the guts to visit the GCPD without even considering that she was surrounded by cops that wouldn't hesitate to arrest her. What was she doing here?

"Oh no," Harvey mumbled to himself because he knew, whenever these two approached, trouble wasn't far away.

"My name is Oswald Cobblepot and this is my dearest friend Scarlet Patel." They both stepped forward as all the reporters started to take pictures and ask questions of them. They were impressed with them appearing suddenly - without bad intentions yet.

"We know who you are, Penguin," Nathaniel Barnes, the captain of the GCPD commented on him "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Oswald smiled "It's more what we want. We want to tell the truth to the people of Gotham. They would have us believe that there is no danger. But I was there, and so was Scarlet, the night those creatures broke out of Indian Hill. I saw them. And I saw who was leading them."

"And I even spoke to the leader. You should treat her with certain respect if you don't wanna end up dead." Scarlet chuckled to herself, she knew they all wouldn't listen to her anyway. They would all try to defeat Fish with their weapons and men - but they would fail.

"Are you saying the escapees are organized?" A reporter asked completely shocked about his claim.

"Hello! That is what I'm saying." Oswald smiled confidently "That is what we are trying to tell you."

"There is absolutely nothing to support that!" The major interfered in a quite aggressive tone. He was no fan of Oswald telling the people what was going on outside, he would just scare them all. People would run away, people would become paranoid, and the whole of Gotham city would end up in chaos.

"I told the police who to look for! I begged them, time and again! And they have done nothing!" Oswald emphasized "And so I am here, we are here, to speak directly to the good people of Gotham! The enemy's name is Fish Mooney."

"Fish Mooney?" Barnes questioned in disbelief "She hasn't been spotted for over six months! She's either long gone or she's dead!"

"She is not! I wasn't hallucinating when she stood in front of me. She spoke to me, she even touched me! She offered me a position in her squad to..."

"To do what? Opening her little club and doing some dirty business?"

"Rather building up a little realm and trying to topple the government" Scarlet shrugged, she was just suggesting though, she had no plan for what Fish wanted to do but everything could be possible. Why else would she lead a bunch of strange creatures and then ask Scarlet to join?

"That's bullshit" Barnes shook his head in disbelief. Scarlet was lying, she just wanted to scare the people to reach fame, and she wanted to prevail in Gotham. That's all.

"I wish I shared your simple belief. She's a criminal. She's a murderer. And God knows what kind of monster Hugo Strange has turned her into. I implore every citizen of Gotham that if you love your family if you love your children, find Fish Mooney. Until then no one is safe." And so Oswald and Scarlet stormed out of the department until they both saw Jim Gordon standing there, annoyed, baffled, and thinking. He heard all that they both said. They were right indeed, but they shouldn't have told the news. Now the reporters would make a big scene of all of it - rightly - but he saw it coming: people would start to have panic attacks, and they would lock themselves in their houses and apartments in the hope to be safe from Fish.

"Hello, Jim,"  Oswald and Scarlet smiled at him, expecting him to say something about their little speech as he always did.

"Oswald, Scarlet" he simply responded without any emotions, he wasn't even looking at them.

"I'm surprised you haven't found Fish Mooney," Oswald stated "I hear you're quite the bounty hunter these days."

"You haven't made it worth my while," Jim said pissed and went away. He had enough of them, enough of his little show, enough of him. He had better stuff to do than dealing with a megalomaniac and a psychopath who thought they'd be the greatest in what they were doing. They were just noobs who just wanted attention.

"Oh," Butch commented "Tough guy now." he scoffed, shaking his head. Jim Gordon was such a snob.

"But he makes a point," Oswald started thinking and left. Jim was right. No one has made it worth catching her, yet - this needs to be changed. He knew he couldn't catch Mooney all alone, even with Scarlet's and Butch's help it will be difficult - so he needed to show Jim, it was worth it.

"Hey, Ossy!" Scarlet almost sprinted after him fast "What do you wanna do now? Where are you going?" She knew there was something in the bush. How else could it be?

"I am gonna visit someone. We all should" Oswald turned to her, giving her a serious look "We have the plan to follow, this is not going to work without them."

***

Not that much later, Oswald, Scarlet, and Butch entered Fish Mooney's little club she used to have built up in the past. The new owner seemed to have a similar taste in Fish now. Music was jamming, the people were dancing and having drinks, and the atmosphere was just perfect - perfect to visit someone. The trio wandered through the crowd of dancing alcoholized people until they saw a familiar person, sitting at the bar, having a drink. It was the blonde bitchy Barbara who was drinking a Martini so all alone, enjoying the atmosphere in the club.

"Ossy," She smiled as she saw him and the others "Butch. What a nice surprise," Then she looked at Scarlet "Oh, I see little miss sunshine calmed down from her little high"

"And I see the little impertinent bitch sits here all alone because she's got no friends except us who just exploit her for favors" Scarlet smirked sarcastically as Barbara remained quiet. She knew she was right.

"Ladies," Oswald warned them two again before he took a deep breath and continued his talk "Forgive me for not coming sooner. This place looks marvelous." They both chuckled "Wouldn't you say so, Butch? Scarlet?"

"Yeah, the place looks great." Butch smiled nodding. He indeed liked that place, just the building was full of bad memories he remembered.

"As I said, you don't have a good taste in interior design, but at least the music is good" Scarlet shrugged.

"I imagined you here about your offer to let us shelter under your umbrella?" Barbara smiled at Ossy. An offer? Was it again something Ossy didn't tell Scarlet? She indeed could imagine but still! They were a team! Everybody had to know about everything - especially when it's about making deals with other people!

"I only want what's best for you," Oswald told her.

"I appreciate the thought." Barbara smiled "But we're both girls. We can handle ourselves. Can't we?" Suddenly another familiar person stepped forward out of the crowd - it was Tabitha. Another nightmare for Butch as for Scarlet. They both knew Barbara and Tabitha didn't like them, Scarlet less than Butch. And this meant if one of them, especially Scarlet, would start provoking them or fighting them it would end up bad. There wouldn't be a way out.

"Sure we can." She walked towards them with a slight grin on his face and stopped at Barbara. You saw that both started something again, whether it was a relationship or not.

"H-h-hey, how are you doing?" Butch stammered, he didn't know how to handle the situation by now, yet, they both were full of surprises.

"You taking care of yourself?" Tabitha gave him a slight smile when she wrapped an arm around Barbara's shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah" Butch nodded with a smile "So how are you doing?"

"You already asked that" Oswald scoffed, shaking his head in annoyance. He finally wanted to come to the main point, time was running which he didn't have. He needed to get caught Fish!

"Listen," Butch coughed slightly "You guys should take him up on his offer. Gotham's full of rough characters. You look great by the way."

"Stop fawning, Butch" Scarlet rolled her eyes in annoyance. She had enough of all that. She didn't even want to be there, especially since she saw the ladies she hated most.

"Wait over there," Even for Oswald it was too much what Butch was doing "Please. I guess, Scarlet and I can handle it pretty well" Butch immediately understood what Oswald meant by that and went a few steps away, on a free table, from the bunch, so that they had enough space and could continue their talk.

"Poor bunny," Barbara sarcastically said, acting like she would feel sorry for Butch "Break-ups are hard"

"I offered to kill you," Oswald fronted, which made Scarlet smile a lot- finally they were talking "I thought it would raise his spirits. It would be my pleasure seeing as how you murdered my mother! But he is nursing some foolish hope that you two will get back together."

"Doesn't that remind you of something, Barbara?" Scarlet chuckled, teasing "Especially when you think of lil Jimbo, how much you hate his girl that she does get all the affection and not you?"

"Doesn't that remind you of something, too, Scarlet?" Barbara hissed, giving her a death glare that was mixed with anger "Maybe something that has to do with Jerome?"

"You're cute," Scarlet chuckled "I put Jerome behind myself and moved on. See, I have friends, I have some work to do - there's no time to think of Jerome, not anymore." That wasn't completely true what she was saying. Indeed, she moved on with her work, she now works in a team, and she used to have a partner in crime - but sometimes she still thought about Jerome. She enjoyed the memories she had, she just enjoyed thinking of him. The emotions she felt when she started thinking of him were gone, though. She didn't feel this anger, this madness, or maybe even a little sadness. She felt nothing anymore.

"Love" Oswald chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood a little, especially between Barbara and Scarlet.

"You can take your offer and stick it up..." Wanted Tabitha to say but she was interrupted by Barbara.

"We'll think about it, Ossy," She said which made Tabitha sigh in annoyance as if she wanted to question whether she was serious or not. Tabitha did not want to cooperate with Oswald or Butch at all - especially not with Scarlet. She'd have loved to say with Barbara alone and manage their stuff.

"Fine," Oswald smiled "But that's not the only reason I am here. Spread the word: I want Fish Mooney. And I will give a million dollars to whoever can bring her to me. Dead or alive, chopped into pieces. I want her." Oswald turned around "Come, Scarlet" and they left Tabitha and Barbara without them having the chance to say a word while Scarlet and Oswald made their way back to Butch.

"Just seeing her kills me, you know?" Butch sighed when he thought back about Tabitha. That woman broke his little heart and he couldn't get over it. He thought about her day by day, night by night. He couldn't stop it, even if he wanted to.

"Get over it," Scarlet and Oswald sighed annoyed in unison "And that child just stole your wallet" Oswald whispered afterwards before leaving the club.

[littlehollyleaf]

@vampirebillionaire - funny you never assumed it was anyone other than Ed who did the killing, cos I was the opposite and have just been assuming that ofc Eddie, even mind controlled, wouldn't have been able to stab a bunch of street thugs to death... idek why my thoughts were so adamant about that! (maybe I felt he didn't have the strength?? certainly it's not his style, but as @vivo-morior-iterum-vivo points out if he's mind controlled then he'd be behaving contrary to his style anyway so that's a moot point!)

You're right that he really could WELL have done it himself and certainly that he might THINK he did it himself while blacked out. Even though they were friendly last we saw there was still an element of antagonism towards Ozzie in Ed (ie. during the bank robbery with Lee). It makes sense Eddie might think that relatively small aspect of his personality could have cranked up to eleven in a new personality and resulted in him unconsciously trying to frame Ozzie / get Ozzie killed (like happened when he unknowingly tried to have Lee killed).

PLUS, if Eddie is being controlled, he and Ozzie are widely known to be antagonistic, so it would be a smart ploy for someone to use Ed to put Ozzie in danger. It's plausible enough that Ed might do such a thing for Ozzie to believe it as well, so if Oz survives he would go after Ed and not the real culprit.

Yeah... assuming mind control... that probably IS the most likely scenario? (though I'm taken with it partly cos it means that surely Eddie will now feel the need to kinda RUSH to Ozzie and explain himself to avoid Ozzie retaliating, which I very much want, so, maybe I just find it likely cos of that :p)

@vivo-morior-iterum-vivo - I don't really think Zsasz fits into this either, he was just one of the killers that came up as I was brainstorming potential perpetrators if not Ed. So yes, agree with you there.

Fair point about it being too soon for a ventriloquist plot. I plumped for him as a mastermind cos I agree that the whole thing doesn't feel like something Hugo would bother with, but while I'm open to J being behind it I'm just not convinced he'd bother either I guess. To cause chaos maybe, that def does have potential to work - have the other criminals pick each other off so he gets the city to himself. But... I'm also not sure if he cares about that? Part of me thinks he's not bothered about what the other criminals are doing and is happy to let him run their own territories however while he focuses on Bruce (100% agree he shot down the chopper - but I'm thinking that was Bruce-related rather than intended to cause a criminal-GCPD scuffle, since it was a Wayne Enterprises helicopter).

The idea that Ozzie is responsible and using Ed to frame himself is fun! :p But I'm with vamps on that atm - Ozzie is in such a position of power I feel like he wouldn't think he needed to be underhand/secret about gaining smaller gang territory/resources, he'd just go ahead and brazenly send his people to attack. Like he said to Jim about the chopper - if he'd done it why would he lie? He's completely open about his crimes atm because he considers himself safe from any/all retaliation. Better to take credit in order to further publicise his power/control.

Good thoughts both of you about Lee's whereabouts rn. I hadn't stopped to consider. Captured or trying to avoid people for fear of killing them both make sense to me.

Re: Jervis at Ace chemicals - this is the one thing that's making me wonder about J being involved with Ed... because if the playing card IS mind control related that keeps pinging as something Hatter would do to me (the card itself even has an Alice in Wonderland sort of design to my eyes - like the caterpillar's smoke?)... so if Jervis IS mixed up with J, but also created a mind control device for use on Ed, then, seems likely all of that would tie together somehow...? The idea that Ed is an experiment for something J has planned for Bruce might be a good shout in which case... but then again, Jervis being at Ace Chemicals might not be an indicator he is working with J at all! So, idk.

Need more information damnit! :p

Oh idea!

Been batting about theories with people about who killed the Street Demon leader etc if it wasn’t Ed

Thoughts include -

is he working with J while blacked out? (either via mind control or as a new personality)

is Hugo or ventriloquist!Penn masterminding the framing of Ozzie, using Ed’s smarts to uncover relevant info then sending in a strong guy like J or Zsasz for violence etc. (I have a minor theory that Jervis might be involved here helping develop a mind control device, @vampirebillionaire thinks the playing card we keep seeing might be such a device which I actually love the thought of)

Then I thought - wait a minute, if we are looking for someone capable of violently killing a bunch of thugs, what about

LEE?

Since spoilers tell us she is ‘switching’ into a kind of violent mode now and then - perhaps she and Ed were working together on the Ozzie frame? Either of their own volition somehow, or because Hugo has programmed them to be used, either by himself or a third party….