#i feel somewhat guilty for the outcome

[dipplinduo]

Man, Drayton and Carmine are neck and neck in who should get drunk! I seriously expected Carmine to be in the lead, but a lot of people voted for Drayton too, including myself. Guess they're both getting drunk.

(Context: this poll for this fic)

I have honestly toyed with that idea to some extent because of how CLOSE those polls were and I definitely didn't influence the vote.

You know what, fuck it:

(Reminder: this is a college au fic; characters are in their 20s)

[soaringwide]

Pick a Card: What is blooming for you this spring?

Spring is always a magical time for me, and I know I'm not alone. This time of the year, I can feel excitement rise in my heart, the desire to make plan, to savor life to the fullest. And every time feels different, like I'm living it for the first time, with only a vague memory of what it was before.

So I wanted to make this pick a card collective reading about what is blooming for you this spring? I will leave the message open to welcome any area of life and type of message, and provide not only an energy check, if you will, but some advice on how to welcome it fully.

How does that work?

Take a moment to recollect yourself, breathe, close your eyes if you need to, focus on the moment. Look at the 4 pictures and select the one that draws you in the most. Not the one you think looks cooler but the one that creates that pinching feeling inside of you. The one that makes you feel it has something to say.

It is possible to feel attracted to more than one pile, just as it is possible to only find parts of the reading relevant. Remember that this reading is meant for many people so it won't be perfectly applicable to your situation.

PILE 1

Cards: 3 of Swords Rx + Page of Swords Rx + Death + The Vow + 9 of Wands Rx The Gem / 7 of Swords + 10 of Swords + Stress + Page of Cups + Courage + 5 of Cups Rx + Ace of Swords / The Protectress + The Shaman

For the energy-check part, The Death arrives like the return of lifeblood in the branches, shaking things up to leave space for the new buds that are to come. This beginning of spring, a massive cleanup of old ties and energies is occurring. Cutting away the old to let the new emerge.

You're in the process of leaving behind a tie that, while not negative per say, was definitely something you had to leave behind in order to move forward and rise to the skies. It seems this tie was something you found value in for a very long time, but you made or are making the choice to move forward.

This comes somewhat like a battle you had to experience within you, as it was not easy to separate from and left you feeling victimized and defeated, like the entire world was against you or out to get you. This whole situation caused intense heartache and a feeling of almost unbearable internal pressure which you may have turned against yourself in fits of self destructive impulses and anxiousness.

On some level you were or are still resisting this change, or rather, what this change is going to lead to. You are trying to control the outcome and refusing to surrender due to a lack of trust or faith. You are trying to burn the steps to reach the end of this uncomfortable time quicker.

The good thing is by going through the motion of this change, you are finding your inner light. From the pressure is born a beautiful gemstone that catches on the tiniest gleam. You are also not only learning to stand up for yourself and your values, but also to embark on a new journey.

There will be a time of transition. At first you will feel guilty of what you're leaving behind which will cause a lot of inner turmoil and tears shed. You will feel like you're getting away with something you shouldn't be. You will feel like you've hit rock bottom in a rather dramatic way, but the good thing is that the only way to go is up!

What's going to follow this is that you'll become at peace with your own feelings, will learn to be sovereign in yourself no matter what's happening outside of you. You know yourself and what you stand for and you won't get put out of balance anymore. You're learning the courage it takes to stand up for your emotional peace and you will know how to defend it ferociously.

Once you'll be done mourning what you've lost, you'll find a lot of clarity and desire to initiate the next step of your life in a very stimulating phase full of new ideas. You'll realize that the key thing in your situation is to trust the process and let it flow.

Now onto some advice on how to navigate that:

You need to be mindful of how you spend your energy, and by that I mean, you need to get enough rest. Yes spring is stimulating and you may find yourself wanting to make a billion plans, but you've got to understand that your body and mind need rest and relaxation too. Protect yourself, say no when you need to, even to yourself. The other more spiritual side of this is that you're somewhat vulnerable at the moment and need to be careful not to be swayed by the opinion of others. Stand strongly in your own skin, your own beliefs and don't give into something that doesn't truly align with yourself.

You inner fire is unique and you need to remember that whatever it is you will become, you will always be you in all your beautiful strangeness. So embrace what it is to be you, don't be ashamed of if or try to hide it, and shine of your fucked up light.

PILE 2

I just wanted to preface this reading with a warning, it's a bit difficult but the advice is very hopeful and sweet so please don't feel too down about it because it will get better!

Cards: The Poet + The Queen of Cups Rx + Healing + Ace of Cups Rx + Let go + Courage Rx + Ambition + 5 of Pentacles + Acceptance + The Unseen + Bottled Up + The Pilgrim + Anger / 10 of Pentacles Rx + Forgive + Death Rx + Overwhelmed + High Priestess Rx + Gloom + Blessings and Curses Rx + The Shaman Rx / The Devil + 4 of Swords Rx + 10 of Swords Rx / Temperance Rx + Manic + 9 of Cups + Love + Joy + Harmony

In the first few moments of spring, I see you slowly leaving a phase where you didn't allow your emotional needs to be met, or allowed yourself to feel something specific. Due to past experiences, you've felt like your deep feelings where not listened to and were dismissed. Your own light was not seen and remained in the dark because it seems that no matter what emotion you shared, it only led to chaos around you. You ended up discarding them like an useless relic, baring yourself from the ability to heal with them, ending up stuck in place because you don't see that from accepting the sorrow you can learn lessons that will lead you to bloom again.

You are scared of leaving something behind, something that doesn't fulfill you emotionally like it used to, something you had great ambition for. Maybe it's a relationship. Maybe it's a passion or a dream. Ultimately, this is leaving you feeling like you're stuck in the winter, unable to feel the new energy of spring, because you're not accepting this new wave of change.

You are about to embark on a new journey, but unable that you are to see the top of the mountain, you remain wandering in the snow doubting it's even worth it because all you can see is a difficult path. This is causing a lot of anger, which ironically is the only emotion you let out, everything else is trapped within.

This spring, I see your going through this struggle but learning very important lessons in the process. Basically, you're on a journey of self acceptance, both of your flaws and qualities you don't express to the world.

There will be a need to let go of familial expectations that were placed upon you and to forgive the hurt it did to you. It seems you will be resisting change until it becomes overwhelming in order to force you to make a choice. Once that point is reached, it will be hard to see the situation from a different perspective, as in, you will be emotionally drowning into feelings of despair, but, really, that's necessary because you've been shutting yourself from that for too long, keeping busy in order not to think about it.

The process of spring is to free yourself from those heavy bonds. Here is the advice in order to navigate that better:

First of all, you need to cool down and restore your balance. Don't try to fix things by being overly active but instead try to find some rest and moments of silence to listen within.

Also, there is plenty of love around you to be felt and to enjoy, perhaps even a new relationship or one that you closed yourself to. The advice is to be positive about the future. Really all those advice cards are super bright so you're getting massively encouraged.

You will be able to share joy around you once those dark yucky feelings have been cleared.

What if you stopped resisting? I think you would find change doesn't have to be so difficult and painful, and that there is beauty and sweetness waiting for you just around the corner. Open yourself, be playful, and try to remember the wonder of a child discovering spring once more.

PILE 3

Cards: The Bridge + The Moon + Let Go + 10 of Wands + Relieved + Ace of Pentacles + Queen of Swords Rx + The Comic / The Devil + Renewal Rx + Anger Rx + Strength + Forgive Rx + Page of Cups + You are Deserving / 2 of Swords + Gratitude + 2 of Wands + Gloom + Energy

The energy check in this change of season indicates for you a time of transition, where you're crossing from one stage to the next.

At the moment, you're letting go of the very introspective vibe of winter, that forces us to retreat within and inside and rest while waiting for the return of the light. Perhaps this winter was the opportunity to reflect over something painful for you and you've finally reached the point where you can disengage from it and move forward. Because it seems like a burden you were carrying is being released, which is bringing you a renewed sense of hope. To be more precise, you were working hard to carry that weight and now that you finally were able to release it, you feel at ease again.

You're lightening up, seeing the humor and joy of life and learning to be in a more lighthearted mood. I see you really enjoying this change of season and having some type of mood shift. After the heaviness of winter, your new found freedom gave you a reason to smile again.

It also seems you're getting finally getting some new opportunities that were previously barred from you which caused a lot of resentment, because you felt like you were owed something you weren't getting and it was getting in the way of your prosperity. I see that you still have some work to do on that front as you may be lacking courage to seize those opportunities because you feel too unsure of yourself and vulnerable. You may want to isolate yourself as a mean of protection, despite wanting those opportunities direly.

This spring, I see you will need to be careful not to fall back in your old limiting habit of letting yourself be trampled on. You might have a tendency to repress your anger, because you have been told it's not a good emotion to express, which is true, but in your case, your anger can free you because it makes you aware of other people stepping over your boundaries. I'm not saying go punch your boss in the face, but use this anger to reflect on why exactly you feel disrespected, and use that as a motivation to change your circumstances and honor your boundaries.

I also see, and it's a continuation of the previous message, that you will build your character by learning that you don't always need to forgive. It's okay to burn the bridge and take care of yourself first. You don't need to accommodate everyone. Keep your gentleness for the people who deserve it. And I'm saying that because in your case, the balance is waaay off.

Something else that's coming this spring is a message to open yourself to new emotions, perhaps regarding to love, be it romantic or platonic. There is a strong message that you feel like you are not deserving of it and you are somewhat shutting yourself to discovering this part of yourself. Spring is the seasons where so many bubbly feelings awaken and you can welcome that in your heart.

The advice on how to navigate this time better is to, first, try not to shut yourself off the blessing that are coming to you. It's easy to expect the worse and blinding yourself in the process. The key to move forward is to find a more positive mindset, not to assume that everything will be doom and gloom but daring hoping for the best! A mindset exercise you could use could be gratitude. There's already so much good things happening around you but you might not see it because you focus a lot on the negative. Allow yourself to dream and plan the future from an optimistic perspective.

The final message is very fitting considering the title of this reading, as it is advising you to redirect your energy to make your own flowers bloom, not other's. Work on cultivating a fertile soil within yourself and you will be in a much better mindset to attract good things. Remember that while it is altruistic to want to help others, you can't do it if you are yourself depleted, you need to help yourself first.

PILE 4

Cards: The Fool + Knight of Wands + Joy Rx + 3 of Cups Rx + Intrusive Thoughts + The Mentor + Wounded Heart + The Animal + Jealousy / The Portal + King of Pentacles + Bottled Up Rx + 4 of Cups + Let Go + The Star Rx + Fear / The servant Queen

Much like all piles, the start of spring and current energy check, is the time of a big renewal for you, indicated by the Fool. It's the start of a new journey with a fresh mindset and an adventurous heart. However, I can sense that it's very much a desire of yours at this point and not something you can fully indulge in at the moment.

You don't quite dare to let yourself go to celebrate this new change you feel being birthed inside of you, because you have these automatic intrusive thoughts born from anxiety that you have a hard time detaching from. But I see you working on it with a mentor figure, perhaps a therapist, a teacher or someone wise close to you. You seem to be especially working on emotional wounds that are still fresh, or felt to be still fresh.

Also, you feel energy rise within you, a desire to pursue your passion, to start planning things, perhaps a trip or a festival, but something is stopping you from doing it. It's like you know you want it and will make you happy, but you can't access it and it kills your joy.

As a result, you sort of feel like a caged animal, caged in your routine and full of desire to break free, which leads to feelings of envy for what other are able to enjoy and not you.

What is blooming for you this spring is that, there is some type of adventure to be found despite everything. There is something you don't expect coming for you, a new adventure to be had.

It seems something is going to unlock prosperity-wise, something that has seemed blocked for a while but is finally giving you the ability to soar. However, you will have to seize it and not let your low thoughts get in the way of even noticing it. You will have to learn to let go of that tendency of yours. There is renewal, healing and blessings coming for you, but you will miss out if you let fear dictate your actions.

The advice on how to navigate the season is to stop believing that you don't deserve nice things. You have a tendency to self-sabotage and it's doing you a massive disservice. It ties into what I was saying earlier about not blocking your own blessings because of your negative thoughts, because there is something great within your reach.

You must nurture your mind because it's through your mind that you experience the world. It's like a big lens and if it's dirty you get a blurry vision of reality. Work on cleaning your lens and you will see that the world will become an open field for adventure as a result.

[ithinkabouttzu]

Hey love your bob stuff! Inspired by something I’m fiddling with, can I request how the boys would react to their s/o’s being time travelers? Like from our era and they somehow ended up in the 1940s? They’ve fallen in love by this point or have a really big crush, but then they find out that their love is from, like 80 or so years in the future. They’re a little or let’s be honest, a lot freaked out and have a million questions. They love their s/o’s and stay with them, but the s/o is technically much younger than they are. Just thought of something wacky. Thanks!

a/n: yes thank you for requesting! I hope you enjoy 🧡

Easy co. reacting to their s/o being from the future!

genre: romance, comedy (sci-fi?)

warnings: cursing

description: the men of easy co, reacting to you being from present day.

taglist: @executethyself35 @linhkhanhcps @1waveshortofashipwreck @grumpy-liebgott @barbeygirl @samwinchesterslostshoe @ronsenthal @sweetxvanixlla @mstiemountainhop @imaginethatneathuh @goodluckbabeheffron @resting-distressed-face @bossboudicca (If you want to be on this list, let me know!! :))

BoB masterlist

Dick Winters: He doesn’t believe you for a second. You would probably have to give him some piece of concrete evidence to show him that you are in fact, from the future. Once he is certain that you have time traveled from the future, he gets really stressed (Mental breakdown incoming) The first thing he’s going to be thinking of is how to get you back home to your time safely. He would hate the idea of you leaving him for good, but he knows you deserve to be in your time, not in his. I don’t think he would be too curious about what the future is like, mostly because he likes to stay in the moment as much as possible. I think the older he is to you, the more protective he feels. He doesn’t really see it as an age difference though because you guys are around the same age when you guys meet?

Lewis Nixon: He is very confused.. Like Dick, His logical brain cannot wrap around the fact that you came from the future, 80 years ahead of 1944. Once you do finally convince him that you are a time traveler, he starts fearing the worst: When will you leave him to go back home? “If you aren’t from here, that means you have to go back at some point, right?” He sounds pitiful until you tell him that there isn’t anything to worry about because you aren’t leaving. He does have a few questions. Some about his future self and then just society itself. If you guys met during the war he’d definitely want to know all about the outcome of that too. About the age difference, I think he’d more get a kick out of it then feel weirded out by it, as long as you’re somewhat around his age he doesn’t care.

Carwood Lipton : This man feels SO guilty for no reason. He’s so patient and kind to you whenever you’re having a hard time adjusting to the time period and society norms. “Is it selfish to say that I don’t want you to leave?” He’s sure that you must miss your family, friends, or even just life how it is nowadays. He wouldn’t really ask you a whole lot of questions, it’s more of mostly asking you for stories of your life before you left that time period. The more he’d ask, he would try to get an idea on what life might have been there, If you ever get homesick he’ll try his best making you feel comfortable as possible, For the age difference, I won’t lie, it weighed on his conscious for a good minute, just because he actually is a whole life older than you, also the fact that you technically haven't even been born yet. As long as you aren’t super younger than him once you get to the 40s, he wouldn’t care that much.

Joe Toye : For the longest time he really thinks you're just trying to mess with him. Like the others, once you do give Joe some concrete evidence to show that you are from the future, he feels so confused. I think he would ask you a good bit of questions like, “How did you get here?” or “Why’d you pick the forties?” I think he would also ask a good bit of questions about the future and what it's like there “So how'd this whole war thing turnout? We win right?” He thinks the whole thing is crazy but he loves you too much to care. “Maybe you could take me to the future with you one day.” This guy loves you so much he would drop everything in his time to be with you in yours. For the age difference I don't think he would feel too weirded out. He would find it kind of funny though.

Joe Liebgott: “You’re joking right?” He almost flips his shit when he figures out you aren’t from the forties. “So how the hell did you get here?” You've got him questioning everything now. If time travel is real, so are extraterrestrials and other habitable planets. “So be real with me, Does earth get taken over by robots? Is this why you came here instead?” (if you can tell this guy is a sci-fi baddie) He gets worried for a second that you will have to leave him eventually, he gets so in his head about it that you have to remind him that you aren’t going anywhere. “So you’re from the future, what year were you born then?” Once you tell him this man is SHOCKED. “What a panther, you know I could be your grandpa right?” Even then he’s still gonna be with you so don’t worry.

Bill Guarnere: “What the fuck are you talking about?” He thinks either two things: One you're drunk, or two you've lost your damn mind. “Honey why don’t you just lay down for a minute, I think you’re pretty tired.” You would wait until the next morning to continue the conversation, trying not to freak him out. Once you’re awake the first thing he says to you is, “Doll you were really drunk last night. You were talking about being from the future!” Let's just say he has a hard time adjusting to the whole ��from the future” thing. I think he would ask a few questions, how you got here and how different things are there but doesnt wanna know too much. Knowing him, I don’t think he would really care about the age difference, you’re here with him now so why’s it matter?

George Luz: “Oh honey you’re getting good with the pranks now are ya?” He cannot comprehend the fact that you’re from the future. Once he does start believing you he immediately starts thinking of the worst. “ So if you’re from the future, that means you have to go back at some point right?” *Cue the sad puppy dog eyes* You’re gonna have to remind this guy that you aren’t leaving MULTIPLE times. “So how’s it like over there, you guys drive on air or somethin’?” It would be best to not tell this guy too much about this future because he might just try to take Steve jobs spot on the creation of the iphone. He’s going to constantly tease you about the age difference. “So you like older guys huh? Well you’re in luck” He also loves bringing up the fact that he is technically old enough to be your great grandpa.

Moe Alley: I think he would be the easiest to convince on this kinda thing. What he can’t understand is why you would pick the forties out of all places. “So you just decided you’d want to come back in time during the biggest war the world has seen? I’m starting to question your judgment doll.” Once you tell him that you aren’t going anywhere and hope to stay with him in that time period, he starts getting worried for you. “Won’t you miss your family? I can’t be that special hon.” Like lip, I think he would ask you a lot of questions about your loved ones or what you miss most about your life 80 years in the future. “If you ever wanna go home, just know I wouldn’t be mad at you for it, not for a second.” He doesn’t find the age difference too odd but he would remind you, “If you ever go back, look for me, yeah?”

Eugene Roe: “C’mon now you know that stuff aint real cherie.” He can’t believe it for the longest time. He doesn’t logically or spiritually understand it. Eventually when he's certain that you are from the future, he’s waiting whenever you will have to leave. He can’t bear the thought of watching you go so I think he’d give you the cold shoulder until you reassure him that you aren’t going anywhere. “So did something bad happen there, is that why you left?” He’s very patient with you and is always willing to learn more about how you got here and your adjustments to the time change. He’s a total sweetheart. I could see him trying to find your biological family during the time period so that you could at least have family that you might or might not know there.

Bull Randleman: At first when you tell him he kinda just laughs it off, thinking you’re trying to joke around with him. It’s gonna take a lot of convincing for him to truly believe that you are from the future. “If you’re from the future, why would you decide to come here of all places?” He might have a couple questions about what the futures like, but I think most of his questions would be about the outcome of the war or what the next couple years into the future might look like for him. As long as you’re happy with him in that time period, that’s all that matters to him. The only thing is that he wishes you were able to go back some and see your loved ones occasionally. A part of him feels guilty because he knows that he’s the only thing keeping you in the forties. When he thinks about the age difference, he kinda thinks it’s weird, but he also knows that you and him are the same age when you guys meet, so it doesn’t matter too much to him.

Floyd Talbert: “You’re kidding.. Right?” He’s s gonna ask you that same question just about a hundred times until you swear to him that you wouldn’t kid around like that. “So you’re telling me you came from the year 2024? So what kind of spaceship do you drive, pretty?” Lol you have to give him the anti-climatic truth that we do not in fact drive around in spaceships, and that the future isn’t as different as he thinks. “So does all this mean you might take me to the future with you one day?” Cue in that sly smirk of his. He’d ask a good bit of questions, “How are the babes in the future?” and “How fast do the cars go?” He’s very interested in how things work in modern times. The age difference wouldn’t mind him much, you’re the same age as him in his time period so it doesn’t matter to him.

Skip Muck: He’s very very shocked. It’s gonna take him at least 3-4 business days to process the information you just gave him. Of course he’s going to accept you and accept the fact that you actually aren’t from this time period, but it’s going to take him some time. His curiosity would get the best of him and he would ask you all kinds of questions. You have to remind him that even though you’re eighty years from the future it’s not super different from life in the forties. I think it also helps him gain a lot of new perspectives because of being with you. “So I'm dating someone from the future? That sounds pretty hot.” Like some of the others I feel like he would be the type to tease you on the age difference. “Dang babe I didn’t know you were into guys so much older. I’m sure the guys your age couldn’t compete anyway.”

Don Malarkey: It takes him a good second to process all of the information that you told him. I think instead of asking a bunch of questions about the future he would more so ask questions about the whole time travel thing. How did it happen? Was it an accident? Is there a way to get back home? He tries to be really understanding of the whole situation, how he would feel if he stepped into a hole and ended up in the 1800’s or something like that. He feels really bad about the whole thing, like he’s keeping you back in the forties. You have to remind this guy a lot that you chose to be there with him, not the other way around. Trying to explain what an iphone is to him would be SO funny, “So you can call, and see the other person's face when you do it?” He would tease you about the age difference only a little bit but other than that he wouldn't care much.

Babe Heffron: “Quit lying, There sure as hell isn't any pretty girl like you from the future, they probably all look like aliens!” It takes him forever to actually take the whole thing seriously lmao. Once he does finally start to wrap his head around the whole time travel thing he is so confused as to why you would want to stay once you figured out you were in the middle of a war haha. “A pretty thing like you definitely shouldn't be here, and especially because of me.” At first he would try talking you into going back home, just because he would hate for you to stay somewhere you don’t want, even though it would kill him to watch you go, but he knows you deserve to be back with your people. He’s so sweet about the whole thing. He doesn’t really care about the age difference much, he's one of those, “IF you’re happy, I’m happy” Kind of boyfriends.

Shifty Powers: I think like all of the others (of course) he would have a really hard time trying to comprehend the whole time travel thing. “You’re gonna have to go back home soon, right? I’m sure you miss your folks from back home.” He’s so kind about it all, he might not completely understand the whole thing, but he loves you so he’s down to accept it 100%. Also like some of the other guys he would ask you about the whole outcome of the war. IF they win or not and other questions like that. I don’t think he would ask about anytime farther than 1960. “So you’re telling me they put a man on the moon? No way.” For the age difference he might find it a little silly but he tries not to bring it up, he's not embarrassed or anything, he just doesn't want you to get shy about it.

Frank Perconte: “Stop with the jokes, I know damn well you aint from the 2020’s.” He gives you a “Really?” Look that only a disappointed parent could give when you tell him that you're from the future. Once he’s finally convinced that you’re actually from the future he’s ready for you to go back, get him some cool gadgets, and bring them back to him once you've got them. He is also baffled by the amount of inflation since the 40s “So you’re telling me that a candy bar is 2 dollars? Ain’t no way.” He would ask a couple questions about the future but mostly things about politics, and the war. Maybe about cars and some of his other interests too. For the age difference I think he’s pretty shameless in that aspect. “As long as you’re 18 I could care less.”

Ronald Speirs: The oddest thing about it all is the fact that he isn’t even really surprised when you tell him. “I knew something was up with you honey, just couldn’t figure out what it was.” He’s gonna ask you questions but only in an insanely hot way that makes you feel like you’re being pursued big time (if that makes sense) “So tell me, doll, what’s it like over there? Do you like it? Think maybe I could join you on one of your next little trips” He thinks you must have exceptional taste if you chose to place yourself in the forties of all other time periods. “Maybe I can take you dancing sometime. I think you’d like the change of pace.” For the age difference he doesn’t see it as odd per say, more as really random. If someone thinks it's weird his defense is, “it just happened.”

Johnny Martin: “The hell are you talking about? You hit your head or somethin’?” *Cue in the judgemental auntie look* He’s very confused. While you’re explaining to him how you got here, he’s gonna stop you like 5 times and ask you to explain it all over again for him. “So did it hurt, when you just..got here?” He’s very spooked out by the whole thing but he tries his hardest to understand. Please don’t show him a movie from the present time, if you do, he’ll become obsessed immediately. Literally begging to watch another movie any chance you get. When it comes to the age difference, he would kinda base his opinion on how you feel about it. If you find it funny, then he finds it funny, if you don’t like talking about it, then he won’t talk about it.

Chuck Grant: He’s in absolute awe that the future could be that advanced. Once you tell him you’re from the future he starts to wonder if other people he is close with are also from the future or past. He’s also just a tiny bit bummed out that you didn’t tell him beforehand. “How long were you gonna wait to tell me?” He does worry quite a bit that maybe the differences between the forties and now are too big for you. He just hates for you to get homesick and stay just because of him. “Tell me all about it. What’d ya miss most about the future?” He’s so up for listening to you tell him stories about your life before moving to his time period. “Do you ever want to go back? Maybe take me with you?” For the age difference, I don’t even think it crosses his mind in the first place, he doesn’t comprehend the fact that he’s technically 80 something years older than you.

Skinny Sisk: “Sure and I’m the president of the United States.” I’ll be honest with you, he thinks you're full of shit. When you say time travel all his mind can think of is Alice in Wonderland when she falls down the rabbit hole and ends up in a whole new world. It takes some convincing but he eventually tries to make sense of the whole thing. (please for me show him a sexy red music video and see his reaction.) He really tries to know more about your time just so that you guys will have things to talk about and there won’t be such a cultural barrier between you two. I think he’d really like the fashion for guys in the 2020s, like please go back and get him those chunky sneakers and colorful graphic tees please. Let’s be honest, i doubt that man is going to give any fucks on the age difference, the guy is already unhinged as it is.

David Webster: I feel like he’s definitely one of the guys that believe you right when you tell them; no convincing needed. He’s gonna ask you a ton of questions about everything. How you got here and all that jazz. Definitely gonna interview about it all too, the writer in him just HAS to. He wants to know all about the main differences from then and now. He has such a strong interest in learning about all of this stuff from the 2000’s. “So honey, do you know how to get back? Is there a way you can get there?” He tries to see if you and him could somehow go back in time even farther together to the 1800s or something like that because he’s all about learning.

Buck Compton: Once you tell him all about you being from the future he has to hit you with a corny little joke like, “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” or something along the lines of that. He finds it really interesting but he’s still a bit skeptical about it all. What if you randomly have to leave and don’t exactly get a choice to stay? He finds it all a bit crazy but it opens up his mind a bit to time travel and other spiritual stuff in general! I don’t think he would ask too many questions about the future (because he’s simply just too focused on his time) but he enjoys whenever you tell him stories about the 2000s and anything having to do with the future.

Sorry for the late post folks! I apologize! I hope you all have an amazing holiday! 🤎🧡

[nukaberries]

Hellooo again!! Glad to see your up and going again! could you do sole acting gullible to all of deacons tall tales but they eventually tell him they know he’s making things up but just go along with him cause they like hearing how creative he is with his lies.

HI!! Yeah, it's about time I brought this blog back from the dead lmao, I've been meaning to get around to it for a while now, so this is long overdue. As for this request, I love Deacon so much (I think I just have a soft spot for silly guys w sunglasses tbh???? Because I also love Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat) Deacon deserves way more love though, I don't think I ever would've romanced him personally, but I do wish the option was there for the Deacon lovers.

//

Deacon with a 'Gullible' Sole

Deacon doesn't question it initially, most people tend to fall for his lies, apart from the likes of his fellow Railroad agents, who are more than used to his antics.

Besides, saying he's a synth isn't exactly something that Sole can disprove, unless they plan on killing him to find out, which doesn't sound like an ideal outcome, if you ask him.

But when Sole seems to believe his claim that he's the real leader of the Railroad, no questions asked, he starts to wonder if he's just a good liar or if Sole is somewhat naïve.

He decides to test out his theory, seeing how bold his lies can be until Sole stops falling for them.

At first, he starts small. "Hey, did you know I once beat a Super Mutant to death with a box of Sugar Bombs?"

They eventually get more outlandish, until he's effortlessly convincing Sole that Carrington is a Brahmin, who became sentient and has a really good surgeon.

He has more fun than he expects to, telling the most ridiculous lies he can think of, coming up with intricate stories behind them, more to entertain himself than anything.

Eventually he starts to feel a little guilty about all the lying, surely, this is just bullying at this point, especially when Sole believes him wholeheartedly every single time.

So, he decides to come clean... Well, Glory insists he comes clean, by threatening to put a dead bloatfly in his bed.

Much to his surprise, when he tells Sole the truth, they simply nod and tell him that they've known all along.

He hadn't planned for this outcome, and it starts to make him question the whole situation. Who'd been fooling who?

Sole explains that they'd known he was lying after taking a look at the 'recall code' he'd given them and after that, they'd just enjoyed seeing how creative his lies could get.

Admittedly, Deacon can't help but be impressed that, for once in his life, he's the one being tricked.

But he will make a point to dramatically sulk about it for a few days, his pride is a little hurt after all.

[blorger]

After the 2nd war were the Malfoys sent to Azkaban, was able to escape or did only a little time?

I'm going to be honest with you friend, I'm extremely biased in that I'm a Malfoy stan so my opinions may be skewed; with that said, I honestly don't think a single Malfoy would do any time in Azkaban at all.

First of all, I think that the Malfoys escaping justice yet again would fit with the whole leitmotif of the family, the whole sanctimonia vincet semper, "the Malfoys always land on their feet" thing. Also, I find it very realistic, in that there's always some people that escape justice/come out of conflicts unscathed and it's more often than not the most privileged people in society.

Secondly, I'm honestly unsure of what their charges would be. Take Lucius (the most criminally culpable of them all), what crimes can he be tried for? He spent like 90% of the war wandless and powerless; his house served as a base of sorts for Voldemort, yes, but (if I'm not mistaken) that decision was made while he was still in prison. Speaking of Azkaban, Lucius did not break out of prison himself, he was broken out, and that is a much smaller crime in comparison. Also, Lucius spent the whole of the battle of Hogwarts pointedly not fighting and looking for his son instead (when he wasn't running errands for Voldemort).

I guess you could put him back in Azkaban for the whole department of mysteries kerfuffle but I figure, by the time law and order is restored post-war, the ministry would have bigger fish to fry than wandless pariah Lucius Malfoy. I think house arrest/minimal consequences is the most likely outcome for Lucius and furthermore I believe the loss of prestige post-war would be just as harsh a punishment as prison time for someone like him.

Narcissa is the most clear-cut case of them all: while it is never outright stated wether she is marked or not, it's implied she isn't since she's not present at any DE meeting that take place outside of her house. Like, there's no indication she's there when Voldemort calls the DE over via dark mark after his resurrection. Also, what crimes would she be guilty of? Besides harbouring a criminal -which could argued was done under duress- there's not really a lot that can be attached to her. She also was wandless at the height of the conflict (her wand having gone to Draco), plus there's the whole saving Harry's life thing, which definitely goes a long way.

As for Draco: he was a minor during 6th year, when he went around causing mayhem and trying to make himself kill Dumbledore (which ultimately he did not do). After that, everything he does is under duress, he does not seem to fight in any major battle and, when given the opportunity, he tries to give Harry & co an out (people like to forget that, prior to Crabbe's Big Mistake, Draco was trying to defuse the situation).

All of that aside, Draco is sort of the last living witness for all of his crimes. Has Harry told any non-Ron and Hermione person about what happened on the tower? The newspaper article we see in DH doesn't implicate him and the other people who were up on the astronomy tower are all dead (save for the Carrows, whose testimony wouldn't exactly be considered reliable). Are the people Draco was forced to torture even alive? The only other witness to most of Draco's crimes is Harry, who by the end of the war feels somewhat sympathetic towards him and is likely to aid him should he be prosecuted.

As for any punishments that could be levied against the Malfoys, down and out Draco is a popular trope for storytelling purposes but I don't see it myself.

I simply can't imagine the Malfoy fortune being seized, not only because Bellatrix's wasn't after the first war but also because the ministry of magic's modus operandi seems to oscillate wildly between authoritarian and hands-off libertarian and a post-war government led by the Good Guys would definitely try to avoid going full Orwell. I can see them being made to pay reparations but, like, nothing poverty-worthy (also: are you telling me that a family who managed to stay that rich for that long doesn't know how to hide money?? come on).

So...there's that...this ask got away from me, the Malfoy stan part of me took over, sorry

xoxo

[randomsloredrops]

Random's Filler Drops - The Canonfell Bros

Well, it's time to make filler drops so i can procrastinate on Alpher longer. as you can tell by the name, today...

that's right, canonfell bros. (art made by THE Fella (underfell creator)) Now let me just find the part to add a read more... where is it? let me just find it... and...

. . there we go, read more. Anyways, time to hear my annoying yapping (i got my phd in yapanese instead of english) You see, the fanon interpretations of the fell bros is... disgusting, to say the least. Mainly because of how they assume Fell makes the guys literally ready to kill each other (when canonfell Sans can quite literally WIPE the floor with papyrus, asgore, and undyne when he's pissed off) and also makes the relationship between papyrus and sans... not the greatest. But, canonfell, canonfell, yes, canonfell i forgot i was yapping about that. anyways, cnaonfell (post-edit: i misspelled it but it's funny, so i wont change it) does NOT do that, instead making the brothers just more distant from eachother, considering Papyrus is in the Royal Guard in UF. The canonfell bros are definitely better than the fanonfell bros, seeing as Papyrus and Sans have each others backs, surprisingly. The distance between the brothers is caused specifically by Sans, due to Sand making excuses to not accept help from Papayas. According to the Underfell tumblr (Fella themselves), the relationship is:

Sans to papyrus would be : big brother who feels responsible AND guilty about the outcome of both their lives . He feels useless and can’t bare that he can’t be the one to protect his little brother anymore because he feels like Papyrus doesn’t want him to. Nonetheless he remains distant, but close enough to be there when Papyrus is in serious danger.

Papyrus to sans would be: little brother who became strong enough to be on his own, and somewhat match his older brother. He managed to become who he wanted to be and feels he’s capable of protecting his older brother. He has his own responsibilities to do, so he is often distant from Sans, but still close enough to be there when he’s in serious danger. (that's from the UF tumblr, one of the asks about papayas and sands) Sans also always refers to Papyrus as any sort of word similar to boss, like "jefe", "head honcho", "boss" (ofc), "chief", "commander" (not confirmed), basically anything that means boss. Papyrus also knows NOT to fuck with Sans unless safe to do so, like when Sans is fucking with him, and YES, Papyrus DOES toss Sans across the fucking earth when that happens. Papyrus is also (from my assumption), somewhat protective of Sans, just a little bit, based on a comic of Sans and the chain collar. Time to yap about the comic (sorry). The comic has Papyrus thinking of a plan to restrain Frisk as they travel, while Sans makes a stupid idea. Papyrus finds leash, asks if it belongs to Sans, and Sans says yes. Papyrus says (just assumption on the anger-filled part cause some of it's cut off by papyrus' body and the borders) "OH MY DEAR BROTHER... I KNOW I CAN BE JUDGMENTAL... BUT I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU. YOU CAN TELL ME ANYTHING... NEVER HESITATE TO TELL ME WHEN SOMEONE IS HURTING YOU... BECAUSE SO HELP ME GOD, I WILL TEAR THEM LIMB FROM LIMB (cut off) I WILL TORTURE AND (cut off) UNTIL THEY KNOW NOT TO MESS WITH MY BIG BROTHER!" Yeah, Papyrus DOES care for Sans, he just isn't completely showing it unless it's something like Sans possibly being "hurt" (i still dont know canonfell Sans HP, and I dont want to disturb fella for it, I only saw somebody saying it was 20 instead of 1), but even if he did get hurt, it's obvious that there wouldn't be a trace of them left on the planet. I bet you even the dust is going to be gone. Bro will ULTRAKILL them faster than Papyrus can react. But yeah, the bros technically still care for each other, but it's not very apparent unless it involves something like Papyrus or Sans getting hurt... OH YEAH AND THEY'RE FIGHTING OVER WHO'S COOLER, BUT IMO, SANS JUST GOT THAT CLEAN-ASS DRIP, BRO IS FUCKIN DRIPPED AS FUC-

[jellyfosh]

Chosen is built like a brick shithouse and honestly ur correct for drawing your interpretation of em like that. More ppl should draw the sticks looking like they could crack skulls between their biceps tbh it adds character

Truuueee and honestly

I wanted to give The Redemption Squad more character. Since I put the ask redemption squad, theres very little about them, which I’ll try to focus on as well, each of them will have their own lore. Starting by my interpretation of their figures. This also follows up with that one ask of why Chosen is so big and bit funny looking. I haven’t grown buff guys in a while.

Chosen - Yes, he is big. A freaking walking Bulldozer. He’s most likely an OP TANK. I gave him a prison/Miguel O’Hara/Captain America bod. A powerful beast but a gentle soul (sometimes) He already gone past his hatred to Alan and tries to live peacefully and redeeming himself along with three others. This doesn’t mean he’ll stop using his powers and fight when a cause happens and CG needing him. He mentors Second with his powers once a week. His preferable weapons are his fists and powers. Even though MT and Dark made him gauntlets so he wont feel left out.

Navy - has a veteran/gladiator figure. His body is a bit similar to Chosen but smaller. Lost his arm in one battle (after he left Pink and Purple) so he uses a prosthetic that makes it look like he didn’t lose a limb in the first place. If noticed by few text from previous posts, he mentioned he was in a clan, and that he also has powers. Not powerful like the Hollowheads, but enough to help him in battle. He has gotten over of trying to force Purple to be strong, but he have not talked to Purple as he feels he’s not ready to face his son yet. His choice of weapon is a Great Sword. And the name NAVY is his alias he goes by, His real name is Royal Blue.

Mango Tango/King/MT - I see him having a tall but bit skinny figure. He’s not buff like Navy and Chosen, but he is exceptionally strong. He’s already intimidating by his height alone. He still feels guilty of what he done to the CG and to Purple despite them saying they forgiven him. He just feels the need to redeem himself, he and purple are in better terms and now have a father - son relationship. Purple calls him Baba and Mango spends time with Purple once a week. Sometimes when talking, Mango will kneel down by one knee to hear better and he feels guilty since the person he’s talking too aches their necks (He does it to Dark and Red sometimes). His choice of weapon is the Minecraft staff, Dark had it made for him through his blueprints and altered two Minecraft blocks by coding. He’s somewhat the Mage/Jack of all trades of the group.

Dark - his body reverted back to how he was created by Alan at the beginning. Smallest of the group but tallest to Purple and CG. He doesn’t remember the Showdown and the progression to the point of the Virus (Like Amnesia). He’s most open and got along to Mango and Navy very quickly. Although to Second and CG not very much. Despite his amnesia, Dark still has his love of bugs and coding, which explains he got close to Mango faster since they shared interests. His powers a now a mix so its new change for him as it does not make the same outcome when he had his powers. His choice of weapon are Vira blades/Kusarigama, he recreated his bracelets (muscle memory) but did not include the Delete Code property. As I said, the powers he has are new.

[icanbeyourjedi-writes]

It Was Just A Dream... Chapter Two

Summary: Frankie is all moved in, or is he? A cute game of cat and mouse has an ending you wouldn’t expect, Frankie’s mood swings end with an outcome neither of them expected.  Words: 5,000+ Rating: 18+ Adult Themes Warnings/Triggers:  Addiction, Falling for Your Brothers Friend, Language, OFC is somewhat described as someone with longer hair, but no race/eye color/body type  

A/N: I don’t know much about addiction, just the things that I googled and seen portrayed on TV. This is completely an AU. I had the beginning of this story pop in my head randomly and thought it sounded fun to explore. Sure we all love Frankie was that sweet puppy dog…but what if he had his own inner demons he had to battle with.  The ‘coke charge’ was mentioned in TF and I kinda wanted to explore that side of him. 

**This is written asa  first person, and it's my first time writing in first person, so please be gentle with me. I also include Frankie's POV which will be Bold and Italics

It took two days, four, well three and a half strong men moved all of Frankie’s stuff. My house might be small, but the best part. Despite only having two bedrooms, the bedrooms are huge. The guest room is slightly smaller than my master and there isn’t an attached bathroom but still plenty is space for his stuff. I kept the small desk there, well honestly that was the only thing I had there. Five years of living here and my guest room was still empty. Mostly why I think Benny volunteered my space, I was also someone he knew. All of Frankie’s belongings were still in taped boxes. We didn’t know how long Benny was going to be gone, it made sense to bring more than just a duffle bag of stuff. 

It's been two weeks since he had moved in, his clothes still in boxes, extra bedding still in boxes. He’s been wearing the same gray sweatpants and black shirt since he got here. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a man in specifically gray ones as much as the next girl, but he hasn’t changed. I don’t even know if he has showered. Seeing him all mopey is making me mad and slightly frustrated. I know he would much rather be back at what has been his home for years, but he needs help and I want to help. I just have no idea what I am doing. I’m feeling guilty making him move, and I know I shouldn’t. 

Thanks to having no social life I had a lot of PTO built up, I’ve been off these two weeks trying to help him feel at home. It’s been mostly awkward living with him when it shouldn’t. Awkward grunts, one word answers, he eats alone despite my best efforts. Yesterday he came out of his room and talked to me, it was about a cricket outside his window that just wouldn’t shut up. It was the first time he seemed to be normal? Is that even the right word, what is normal? 

It’s late afternoon, and he had been in his room the entire day. Walking past his room and I see him sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the boxes sitting along the wall picking at his fingernails. He has had mood swings that have him going from happy to sad in seconds.  I thought about walking past him again, keep going on with my day.  But I couldn’t stand seeing the boxes still stacked. It felt like he was ready to move as soon as Benny stepped foot on American soil again, and I was terrified of seeing him live like he didn’t belong here.  I stop and gently tap on the open door, “hey…you want some help with those?”

He doesn’t look up at me, instead he just continues to stare at the box, “there’s just so much, I don’t know where to start” he takes a deep breath hanging his head 

I walk into his room, he is still sitting on the bed. I grab the top box labeled ‘shirts’ and then turn back towards him. I tap his foot with mine, motioning with my head he needs to move. He stands up and watches as I drop the box on the bed and start grabbing a few shirts and put them in one of the many empty drawers. I hear him sigh with disapproval and I look at him “What?” I groan in frustration 

“They need to be folded neatly, and by color. As well as style, but it’s fine…it’s fine. I’ll just do it later” he rubs the back of his neck

Call it being a perfectionist, I call it someone who was trained that everything always had to have order.  Everything needed to have crisp lines, be organized.  Having its rightful spot, years of military training would do this to a person and I was all too aware that it wasn’t fine.

I pull the shirts back out of the drawer, hoping he doesn’t see my eye roll and I set them back in the box. I didn’t expect this to be easy, but I also didn’t expect I was going to have to be his mother and not a friend. I didn’t think I was going to have to tell Frankie to eat, to take a shower. All the things I thought he already knew, was he like this in rehab? “Then refold the shirts and put them in the drawer” shit was that too aggressive? “I think I might make you feel more at home if you do” I put a hand on his shoulder gently rubbing it. 

I watch as he takes a shirt out, folds it meticulously. The edges of the shirt are perfect, he sets it on the bed, his hand running over the shirt, taking out any wrinkles. Every shirt has an order, by color, type, it is memorizing watching him as he moves. Folding every time with such perfection. I have to shake my head and snap out of it, I grab another box and open it to find it stuffed with boxers. He is completely focused on his shirts as I work to put the boxer briefs in a drawer hoping the fold in half method works for him. 

I pull out black pair after black pair.  There was an occasional gray mixed in. After seeing him in those gray sweatpants for the past two weeks my mind can’t help but imagine him in these and how great they would make his thighs look, his…’stop.  Don’t think about that. He’s now your roommate you can’t do that’ all those thots fall when I pull out a baby blue pair with little cat heads wearing headsets. Different types of helicopters fill the empty space between the cat faces. I can’t but giggle holding them up, Frankie stops what he is doing and looks up, “care to explain these” holding the boxers in the air and shake them, I arch an eyebrow at him smiling 

He reaches across and snatches them from my hands “nope…” he paused for a moment fold the boxers in half “you got them” he places them on the bottom of the drawer under the pile of black ones 

“I did?” I truly don’t remember. One would think someone would remember getting boxers that looked like that 

“Yeah, Christmas a few years ago” he returns his focus to the shirts in the box

”Oh my God, you’re right. I did” I laugh

”You said, that I was impossible to shop for, and you wanted something unique to remember you when I was away” 

Frankie is the most impossible person to shop for. He always would say he didn’t need anything, he said to not waste money on a guy like him. He wasn’t worth it. I watch Frankie roll his eyes as I tell him again that he is impossible to shop for. A hint of a smile begins to appear and I think that we might have a breakthrough. I finished the box I was working on, broke it down and leaned it against the wall. Frankie pulls out his last shirt and folds it, setting it on the top of a pile. Grabbing the small stack he turns and starts to put them in the top drawer. I grab the box and start to break it down when I see a film strip inside. I reach in and grab the photos. 

I stare at them, a clean shaven, wide-eyed twenty something Francisco Morales. I had a photo from this shoot, but I never saw these two. It was before his first deployment and the guys went and did some ‘glamor shots’ as a gag gift. Frankie’s in a purple shirt and leather jacket. His brown hair falling perfectly into place. The first photo his hands are in his back pockets. Showing off his impressive chest and broad shoulders, his smile that makes one’s heart beat a little faster and an instant panty dropper. The other, I swear, he could have been a model. His arms crossed over his chest. His biceps bursting the seams of his jacket, his lips pursed together in a brooding expression. Holy shit, he’s hot…“What do we have here?”

Frankie turns and looks at me, it takes a moment for him to realize what I’m holding in my hand. “Give those here” he reaches for them and I quickly pull them away

”Nope…” I laugh and hold them up, inspecting the photos a bit more

”Lex” he says, a bit more authoritative, it’s deep and it’s sexy. He takes a step towards me, I take a couple small steps towards his open door. I try to keep a distance between us 

I have a small idea, “you want them?” I ask slowly moving backward closer to the door, he starts to close the distance nodding his head yes, “then you’ll just have to come and get them” I smile and turn to run through the door. 

He bolts out of the room following me, I forget how fast he is and how incredibly silent he can be. He’s on my heels in an instant and I run a circle around the couch. Heading past him and into the kitchen, stopping at one end of the small island. He’s facing me on the other side “Lex…” he says.  I smile, laugh and run past his outstretched arm.  

“Gotta be quicker than that Morales” I ran around the house again, waiting for him to turn and find me again. I lose my breath as I’m back in his room, the bed as a barrier between us. I look at the photos and see him strut back into his room. I clearly didn’t think this through completely as I find myself trapped on the one side of the bed. Frankie blocking the only exit. He starts to walk around the bed, he’s standing at the end while I move further up closer to the headboard. I’m waiting for him, I have my escape planned. He fakes a step to the left towards me and I step up onto his bed. The piles of shirts start to fall when I bring my other foot up. He reaches across the bed, “Bad move, Miller” he snarls and wraps a hand around my ankle pulling it out and dropping me to the bed. 

I hold the photos above my head, he pulls me closer. Placing his thigh is between my legs and crawling the bed until  he’s hovering over my body. We’re both laughing and I struggle to keep the photos out of his reach. His large hand captures both of my wrists and pins them to the bed. I squirm below him, trying to break free.  “Stop moving” he grunts, his other hand lands on my hip. Holding me tightly in place, my shirt slightly raised and his thumb slowly rubbing against my bare skin. Our laughter slowly turns into heavy breathing. 

His face is so close, I can feel his warm breath. His eyes are so full of life now, I see the small parts of the old Frankie. The Frankie that became a friend, family, a crush. My heart is pounding and I am pretty positive Frankie can hear it, his hand is setting my skin on fire and I have no idea what is happening. But I want to kiss him, I want him to kiss me, I want to feel his lips on mine. “Frankie…” I whisper 

“Hmmm” he leans closer to me, his nose brushing along mine 

I don’t know what I was going to say, I didn’t imagine us ending up like this. I clearly didn’t think this through and I have no idea what to do. Time seems to move slow, and I don’t know how long we stay like this. His eyes focused on mine, I feel like he is looking into my soul. Does he want me to kiss him? Should I kiss him? His hand still wrapped around my wrists, the other still holding my hip. 

“KISS HIM ALREADY” my inner voice yells. I finally make a move, I close the short distance between, my lips just about to touch his when my phone rings in my back pocket. His hand releases my wrists and he sits up on the bed. I close my eyes, wishing I didn’t take so long to make the move. I reach behind me, pulling out my phone. It was work, I smiled and mouth a sorry to him, sliding the answer button and bringing the phone to my ear. “Hello” I stand and walk out of his room 

“Why didn’t I kiss her? She was right there…would she even want me to kiss her?” He thinks to himself, running his fingers through his hair 

He looks at himself in the mirror. The same sweatpants he’s been wearing for well over a week, he looked like a hot mess. At least the shirt was clean, or he thought his shirt was clean. He sees the unruly hair, the 5 o’clock shadow had turned into a fully grown beard. “Because you're a pathetic loser, look at you. She’d never want you to kiss her” that negative voice inside him says. Frankie shakes his head, hands covering his face. He rubs his eyes and tries to remember Will telling him wasn’t.  But the thing is, Will was never a very good liar and the voice becomes louder and louder. 

“Fishie…hey Fish” her voice brings him back. He looks up at her “hey, you ok?

“yeah…yeah” he says, but her face tells him she doesn’t believe him. 

“uhm, ok.  I gotta run to work for a bit. I’m not sure when I’ll be home but there’s money on the table. Order some take out”  

He nods, giving her his best smile and watches as she walks away. He hears the door open and close.  Standing up he peeks his head out the door, he doesn’t hear her. He just needs to take the edge off. He knows he will feel a lot better when he can’t feel anything again. He knows he doesn’t have much left, but enough to last him at least today. He’ll worry about tomorrow-tomorrow. Thank God he hid the green can well enough that Alex didn’t find it. Just one hit, that’s all he needs.

“Take a shower, you’ll feel better after a shower. You’re better than this” he can hear Will’s voice. 

It didn’t.

“Food, get some food. Don’t do this Cat” the voice says

My phone dances on my desk as I finish some paperwork. I had plenty of PTO built up, but the doctor's office had an influx of new patients and I was one of the few who knew how to enter all the data and get them set up. It wasn’t where I pictured myself when I graduated college with a degree in film.  But it’s a good paying job, and it kept me close to home. 

Fishie 🐟: u like Pad Thai 🍲 

Me: Not really, and I don’t think that’s Pad Thai haha

Fishie 🐟: oh ok what u want? 

I type back a response, telling him to order what he wants. The money on the table was for him to do what he wanted. I might not like Pad Thai, but that shouldn’t stop him from ordering it. I finish typing a few things and grab my phone. I walked over to some of my coworkers who were getting ready to head out as well. I lean against Laura’s desk. She was chatting with a few of the nurses, I watched my phone as the little bubble with dots popped up, then disappeared, appeared again, and disappeared again. I sigh, my head drops. His mood swings are driving me insane. 

Me: I like noodles, with teriyaki sauce if that counts as Pad Thai

“What’s up Buttercup” Laura smiles cheerfully

”Have you ever had to help a friend with an addiction?” I look up, the mouths all open “seriously. A friend, not me” 

“What kind of addiction?” Laura asks, she was my go-to at work. Her upbeat attitude always had the answers 

“Narcotics…” I reply 

Is this friend living with you?” a nurse asks 

I tell them how the friend just got out of rehab, I leave out the part that the friend is a he, and the he is Frankie. I tell them how rehab said something about how they shouldn’t be left alone, doctors orders they need to live with someone in case of a relapse. “Sometimes I feel like I see the person I became friends with, then sometimes hhhh-they are a completely different person. Someone I don’t even know and it’s only been two weeks” 

“Just keep being there for them, don’t push too hard. But they need to know you are there for him. I mean them, no matter what it is, they can trust you” she puts a hand on top of mine 

“You can’t give up on them.  No matter how hard they try to push you away, you push back. They’ll have their moments but like Laura said, you just need to be there. Letting them know you won’t give up on them” 

“Thanks,” I take a deep breath and stare at my phone, he still hasn’t responded “I just wish I knew what he needed, he doesn’t talk” 

“Give it time, he will open up when he’s ready” 

'Did she just say he? How does she know' I think

I walk into the house, kicking off my shoes and dropping my purse off on the little side table. I hear grunting from down the hall. ‘Oh please don’t tell me he has a girl here’ I think to myself moving towards his room. “Frankie?” 

T-Shirts he had just folded and pants were thrown into the hall. I move towards the open door dodging pants being thrown out as I get close, I look into his room and it looks like a tornado hit. The mattress shoved against the wall, drawers empty and pulled from the dresser, clothes thrown around the room. I see Frankie bent over in his closet he had on a new pair of dark green sweats on, he’s shirtless. Little water droplets still cling to his hair and a towel draped over the back of a chair. 

“Where the fuck is it?!” he shouts as I watch him throw more things around. 

“Where is what?” I ask, and instantly regret it 

He turned quickly looking at me, his eyes filled with rage and nostrils flaring. I’ve never seen this look before, and he slowly starts to walk towards me. There’s an evil glint to his eye and it scares me. 

“Where the fuck did you put it Alexandra?” He snarls 

“If you told me what you are looking for…” I tried to not raise my voice, trying to keep calm. He needs me to remain calm. 

“YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR! DON’T PLAY STUPID” 

The yelling intensifies and I know the neighbors can hear us, stay calm. Don’t make things worse. 

What happened to the Frankie from earlier? 

“I need you to calm down, Frankie. Please. Just tell me what you're looking for and I can help” I wanna put my hand on his shoulder, ground him. Let him know I’m here, but he’s breathing heavy, his lip curls up in an evil grin. 

“I know you have it!” he says in an oddly calm manner, “JUST GIVE IT TO ME!!!” He yells 

He takes a step closer, he raises his fist. I flinch as the closed hand comes flying towards me and it connects with the wall inches from my head. “Give it to me now Alex” he growls

“What in the hell is your problem!?” I yell shoving his chest back

“You! Benny! This stupid fucking place. I don’t want to be here!” His eyes begin to water and a tear streams down his cheek, he takes a couple steps back

“Fine, then fucking leave! No one is forcing you to be here Francisco” I try to hold back by own tears “I am sick and tired of seeing you being all mopey and shit.  You don’t want to be here, FINE” 

Shit…I am pretty sure I just over stepped. I go to open my mouth to apologize and there is a hard knock at the door followed by a “Police” 

“You called the Police?” He shouts 

“I’ve been standing in front of you the entire time arguing with you. When would I have had time to call the police?” I say, I back up and move towards the front door. The knocks become more aggressive “I’m coming!” 

I unlock the door and see three officers standing there. They all have a concerned look on their faces

”Good evening ma’am. We got a call about some yelling and wanted to make sure everything was ok” the taller officer said

”Everything is fine. It’s great. Just swell” my words are dripped with sarcasm

“Do you mind stepping outside to talk to my partner Officer James” he looks over my shoulder and sees Frankie, “hey there sir.  Mind coming over here for a moment?” 

He is sitting on the porch as she stands by the car. He fucked up, she’s given up on him. He’s given up on himself. 

“What’s your name?” The youngest officer asks him 

Frankie reads the name printed on his chest. T. Baker. “Frank, my name is Frank and everything is fine Officer Baker” 

Baker keeps asking bin questions.  What happened, did she hit him. Did he hit her? How long has he been living here? What was their relationship? Frankie becoming more annoyed with each question. What did it matter? He fucked things up and he needed a hit more then ever. He was looking for his coke, she found him on a downward spiral but there was no way he was going to tell him that. Suddenly the questions take a turn, when Officer Baker notices a tattoo on his chest. 

“What branch?” 

“Excuse me” Frankie responds confused 

“Your tattoo?”

“Oh yeah, Army. Special Ops, I was a pilot” 

He has a tattoo on the left side of his chest, a helicopter flying. A sun and clouds shaded in the background. The helicopter with incredible detail, one of the ones he first learned how to fly. A few men repelling from the bird.  Just below a group of trees

“Thank you for your service sir.  Wait here, I have some stuff for you” Baker nods his head and walks to the patrol car 

He watches him shuffle down the stairs, he sees Alex and for a moment they lock eyes. His heart nearly stops as he sees the tears in her eyes that she quickly wipes away. He caused this pain and for what, a stupid little hit that was nearly enough to take away the pain. He ruined everything. The afternoon was so great, and now she wants him out. Officer Baker was walking back with a stack of papers in his hand. 

“For the hundredth time, he didn’t hurt me. He would never do that” I groaned. I have said the same thing over and over. Are they trying to get a different answer? Despite Frankie punching a hole in the wall, he would never lay a hand on me. 

I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes taking in a deep breath. When I open my eyes, I see Frankie. His eyes locked onto mine. The hurt, the pain, he looks lost. The officer hands him a stack of papers. His hands shaking as he takes them, he turns his head down and he walks into the house. 

“Ms. Miller, if you need anything else please give us a call” the officer sees his small notebook and sticks it in his chest pocket. “Have a good night” he walks past me and heads to his car. 

I head to the steps of my front porch watching the officer who had spoken to Frankie walk down. He stops me before I walk past him, “he’ll be ok. Just give it time. I’ve been there. He’s got a good girlfriend, just be patient with him” 

I stop in my tracks, my jaw drops. What the hell did Frankie tell him? “Wait…what?” I ask. But it was too late, the officer already getting back into his car. I shake my head and walk into the house locking the door behind me. 

It’s getting late and I’m hungry. I walk past the hallway that leads to the bedrooms and notice Frankie bent over picking up the clothes that had been thrown into the hallway. I should say something, I should apologize to him. I get distracted, watching the muscles in his back strain with every movement. ‘Focus Alex’. What is wrong with me, this man just put me through a roller coaster of emotions. I can’t get distracted by something as stupid as watching him work. 

I shake my head and walk towards the kitchen. I hope to find some leftover takeout since I know the fridge is empty. Instead I find the $20 left on the table in the same exact place I left it. I can’t leave, that would require me letting Frankie know, and it might be petty but I really don’t want to talk to him right now, maybe even for the rest of the night. I open the freezer and pray that the ice cream is still there. I open the door and find the pint of cookie dough ice cream still sitting there. I do a little happy dance and grab a spoon. I make my way to the living room and flop down on the sofa, turning on the TV and pop the top off digging in. 

“I fucked up…” he says to himself folding the shirts, putting them back in the dresser. He pushes the mattress back onto the frame and sits on the edge of his bed. He looks up and sees the hole he had punched into the wall. An image of Alex’s face floods his memory. He fucked up so bad that she didn’t even say two words to him when she came back into the house. He left the pamphlets on the coffee table, she’s going to find them. He knows it.

The papers were for local rehabs where VA’s held sobriety classes.  They had everything from AA to NA to Gambling. He didn’t want to go to rehab again, he felt more alone then he ever had there. That’s where he met George, well Steve really. He made it though those 30 days thanks to him smuggling in just enough coke to help them both function like normal adults. Nicole, well she helped in other ways. One keeping his secret and she helped him take his mind off things when he was able to bury himself in her. She wasn’t who he wanted, but she was there.  She was a quick fuck. It didn’t mean anything, and he felt bad when he told her it wasn’t going to last when he left. His mind racing with all these thoughts, he’ll finish cleaning later. He’ll patch the hole tomorrow. Right now he has something bigger to take care of. He needs to repair this whatever-ship he had with Alex. He needs her. 

He plops on the couch next to her, she doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t even look at him, she focused on the ice cream in her hand and the moving pictures on the TV

”Ice cream for dinner?” He asks ‘great icebreaker Morales, you idiot’ his inner demon mocks him 

“Yeah, the perk of being an adult. No one can tell me what to eat Franklin” she stuffs another spoon into her mouth, “that and someone didn’t buy dinner like I told them too” 

‘She called me Franklin…maybe she’s not that mad’ he reads her face, it’s softened…a hint of a smile. Then she said that last part, and it changes to instant regret. She turns to look at him “shit. I’m so sorry that was-“ 

“No…no I deserved that” he interrupts her, “can I have a bite?” 

She eyes him, something between a grin and a smirk on her face. She sticks the spoon into the ice cream and scoops out a tiny pile, moving the spoon to his open mouth. 

“I’m sorry Lex he says mouth full of ice cream

He looks at the ground, he’s picking at his nails. I can see the inner struggle he’s having and it breaks my heart, I have no idea how to help. I watch as his mind tries to find the words he wants to say. I go to open my mouth, but he stops me “I am really sorry” he says again 

“What happened today?” I ask him setting the ice cream on the table and turning to face him 

“I was looking for…fuck…I was looking for some coke. I thought I had some left. I am so sorry. I didn’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this. Rehab didn’t do shit” he’s talking fast and I’m trying to keep up. 

He tells me about George, how they were doing just enough to get by.  Nicole helped them not get caught. He doesn’t know how George was able to get the contraband in, but he did. They exchanged information, and he was helping Frankie. He wasn’t doing as much as he used to, which I guess is good, he thought he had some left.  A small tin can was what he was looking for, he was terrified that I found it when we were unpacking. 

“How many days has it been?” I ask 

“I don’t know, maybe five days?” He doesn’t sound very positive 

“Maybe five days? How many days Frankie?” 

“Three…it’s been three days and I am going crazy” he says ‘then we almost kissed and I panicked and I was on edge and just needed a hit’ he thinks to himself 

“ok” she says and stands up. 

“Wait where are you going?” He asks, panic setting in 

He’s worried that she is going to get his bag, she’s gonna ask him to leave. This is too much, this isn’t what she signed up for. She’s given up on him. His head falls back, he wants this couch to eat him alive. He wanted to disappear before and that feeling is ten times worse, now that she knows his secret. 

She comes back a large poster in her hand, the other has a sharpie and stickers. She sits it on the table and sits on the floor next to Frankie. He watches as she makes little boxes, writing dates, making a calendar. Her tongue peeks out of her tongue as she concentrates on the task at hand. He leans forwards, and continues to watch over her shoulder. She looks up at him, “ok did you use today?”

He shakes his head no “I couldn’t find it”

“right..” she puts a little star sticker on today's date “and you said three days since the last time”

He nods. She puts a sticker on the past three days

“What are you doing?” He asks 

That was a great question. What was I doing? This idea sounded crazy in my head, even more crazy as I explained to Frankie. It would be like a reward chart.  Something like when you were a kid and had chores, you’d get a sticker for each thing completed. The more stickers you get a reward. The more I say this, and look at his face of confusion the more dumb this idea sounded. He isn’t a kid, I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing. 

“This is stupid, just forget it.” I sigh pushing the stuff away from me

His large hands stop the poster from moving, he brings it closer. 

“What is my reward?” He asks curiously 

“Uhm…what do you want?” 

“Pancakes…” he says

”Pancakes? Really?” and he nods “ok how about we start with a week, you make it a week, I’ll make you pancakes” 

“With sprinkles?” His boyish smile is back, his eyes wide and I have a little hope that this stupid, wacky, insane idea might work

I smile and nod at him. I move to sit next to him on the couch, “I’ll have to go buy some. But sure, you can have sprinkles” 

“Hey Lexi, one more thing?” He asks “Can we get some helicopter stickers?”

I smile and cup his cheek, my thumb gently brushing the trimmed beard, “yes Franklin. We can get some helicopter stickers” 

ANN: A huge shout out to @musings-of-a-rose for helping me with this and giving me confidence to post this in first person. I am still terrified of it. @theewokingdead and @heythere-mel for listening to my random ass ideas at all hours. I love each and every one of you.



Looking for more of my fics check out my masterlist. And check out other writers at @littlemisspascal and their library for all Pedro Characters



Just A Dream Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

[queeniecook]

February 12

At the local library in Windenburg, Asa is sitting down for a brief meeting with James. Soon they'd be traveling to James' secret place to do another round of experiments to try to find the cure to vampirism.

"Have you ever considered what will actually happen if-" he was cut off by James' pointed look so he corrected himself "-when it works? Will I rapidly age and die? Or will my body just pick up where I left off as a human?"

James stares at the vampire across from him for a bit before speaking "Given there hasn't been a cure before, I don't know. But you'll be cured, won't you?" James asks him. He really doesn't know what will happen. Both outcomes are fully possible. 

Asa nods his head slightly. Yes, either way he would be free from being a vampire. A small part of him hopes the first option is what happens. He really doesn't wish to start over but he hopes someone like Annalise can. So the bigger part - that is the part that hopes his body will simply start from where it left off. Then Annalise can have a chance to be human again too.

James excuses himself to step outside.

Before he even has a chance to ask, his informant is doing her job of giving him information. "Jillian and Denise are planning a baby shower for Slade."

James shrugs, he figured that would eventually happen. He hadn't seen Jillian since he took her to the hospital or spoken to her, outside of her texting him a thank you and him not responding to it. He'd be lying if he said he didn't somewhat miss their talks about literature.

"It's going to be held at Denise and Garrett's house." 

James raises an eyebrow. He wonders if Dakota will tell Jillian just who her parent's house used to belong to. "Good job, kitten."

The witch has to stop herself from making a face of disgust. She hates being James' informant. This isn't something she willingly signed up for but she and James had made a bargain. He fulfilled his end and she has to fulfill her end, otherwise he'll most likely undo his spell. She doesn't want to think about what would happen if he does. Still, she feels guilty. She likes Dakota and Jillian. Joey has claimed a soft spot in her heart. She hopes soon James will be done with having her spy on them and she can move forward with her life and the man she made a bargain with James for.

[ga-yuu]

WARNING!! The following story contains sexual content.

Sueharu: "Yoshino."

(Ah...)

His long fingers starts to twirl with my hair.

Then a kiss was dropped and my shoulders tremble.

Sueharu: "Do you want to keep what happened today between us?"

Yoshino: "Eh?"

His seductive gaze seeped into my heart.

Sueharu: "You don't have lie to the Shogunate, just keep this part under wraps."

Sueharu: "If you think about it that way, maybe you won't have to feel guilty."

Sueharu: "If the relationship of trust is cracked any further, it could affect the outcome of the battle."

(It won't be my fault?)

(Indeed, the Shogunate would have to devote extra surveillance to me in the midst of an already tense war)

Yoshino: "Just keep this under wraps...huh?"

Sueharu: "I think you need that kind of wisdom to live well."

Sueharu: "If you're not guilty, it's not worth being suspected."

(I wonder if Sueharu-san has lived and succeeded in that way)

Perhaps because of this, Sueharu-san's words have a heavy persuasive power that is not only sweet and beautiful.

(----But)

Yoshino: "No. I don't care if I get more suspicious. I'll report everything that happened today."

Sueharu: "----Oh."

I shook of my hesitation and looked back at Sueharu-san.

Sueharu: "You won't regret it?"

Yoshino: "No. If the suspicions about me affect the war..."

Yoshino: "How that is resolved is for the Shogunate to decide."

Sueharu: "........"

Yoshino: "I don't have the talent of persuading people with words."

Yoshino: "So I will do my best to make sure that any suspicions that are on me, will be cleared by my future behaviour."

Yoshino: "So I think the first step is to tell the truth, even if it goes against you."

Sueharu: "I see."

Sueharu-san looked somewhat satisfied, even though things didn't turn out the way he wanted.

Yoshino: "W-Why are you smiling like that?"

Yoshino: "....Perhaps you think I'd change my mind on the way?"

Sueharu: "No?"

Sueharu: "I've only known you for a short time, but I underestimated you a little."

Sueharu: "You would do what you say. That's the kind of girl you are."

(....! I've been recognised by Sueharu-san.....I hope this doesn't become a problem...)

His gentle hand combs my hair and tucks my hair behind my ear.

Sueharu: "At that time, it was a small test for your character to arouse the Shogunate's suspicions."

Sueharu: "But did I accidently wake up a tigress by any chance?"

Sueharu: "You may end up becoming my natural enemy."

Yoshino: "Sueharu-san...?"

(Has his view of me, changed....?)

The hand that has been touching my hair, caresses my cheek.

Sueharu: "How about I seduce you while I still can and turn you into a good-for-nothing girl?"

Sueharu: "If I teach you a lot of luxuries and things that feels good, ......will you take me seriously?"

The moment when I thought my premonition was right, I was horrified-----

Before I can react, he pulled my closer.

Yoshino: "Wait..."

Sueharu: "If I wait, will you give me a reward?"

(Mm)

Sueharu-san's lips falls on my neck.

(This is bad! If this goes on!)

Yoshino: "Stop!"

Sueharu: "Shh.."

Sueharu: "Keep your voice down. You don't want the children to hear you, right? This might traumatize them."

Yoshino: "Wha...Mm..."

The innocent smiles of the children flashed across my mind and I tried to suppress my voice.

Meanwhile, Sueharu-san showered kisses on my neck and ears nonstop.

(This is something one must do with their lovers...)

When I tried to push him away,

Yoshino: "Ahh...."

His bit my ear and his slippery tongue starts to trace it.

His sharp tongue then starts to penetrate shallowly into my ear.

Yoshino: "Mm...Haa...Sueharu...san....please..Mm."

He supported my body, that was about to fall down....

Sueharu: "Hey, look here."

Yoshino: "....? Mm...."

He snatched my lips. Before I can catch my breath, his tongue enters my lips.

Yoshino: "Mm..mm.....! Stop..."

I immediately bite his tongue and tried to push him away, but...

Sueharu: "Nnm..hey now. What's wrong? Do want something more intense?"

Yoshino: "No...!?"

He inserted a finger into my mouth, slowly rubbing the back of my upper jaw.

Yoshino: "Nn...nn..."

It soon followed with another kiss before I could think how I was reacting.

His tongue tickled my weak spots and brings out my moans.

(T-This is no good)

Yoshino: "Nn...m.m...."

The moment when I decided to gather all my strength and resist once again----

Yoshino: "Ah..Ahh...!?"

His finger sneakily slipped under my collar and scratched my nipple, before I could even process what's happening.

My body kept twitching at the feeling of his finger and his kisses only get deeper.

Sueharu-san relentlessly played with both my nipples, which now became hard.

(My head...I can't think..)

Even after a deep kiss, his fingers continued to stimulate me and I am unable to think about anything.

Sueharu: "Don't forget. This is your punishment for seducing me."

His tongue peeking out of his lips looked extremely sexy.

Sueharu: "Haa....I also didn't mean to come this close."

Sueharu: "I got really excited by the fact that you bit my tongue even when you were melting down."

Sueharu: "Your reactions only sting me more."

Sueharu: "You look so cute that I can't help myself but be mean to you."

(Even though I have to resist)

Yoshino: "Ah...Haa...No....Mor...Ha..."

Sueharu: "Don't worry. I'm not into forcing people. So I won't touch you from here on out unless you want me too."

Yoshino: ".....Mm."

My sluggish body which was melting, is begging me to give in right now.

Sueharu: "If we become lovers, I'll spoil you and love you like this everyday. See, I'm serious....can you accept me?"

Yoshino: "Mm..you don't like me or anything...then why are you...?"

Sueharu: "Eh? I love you."

Yoshino: "....please don't lie..."

Sueharu: "I'm not. I really love you. If you become mine, I'll cherish you so much. What do you say?"

Even though I knew he was just teasing me, my skin felt warm on its own.

I glared at him with my teary eyes.

(Why can't my body listen to me...for once....?)

Yoshino: "I don't want...to be yours...."

Sueharu: "Did I just get dumped? Poor me."

Yoshino: "Ha..you'll someday get stabbed by a woman..."

Sueharu: "If you're the one stabbing me, I'll die happily."

(...Why)

It was suppose to be a joke, but...

For some reason, Sueharu-san was smiling at me sadly.

Sueharu: "If it's you who shakes me or kills me, it's fate, isn't it?

Chapter 6

[nickineuw]

Hey everyone!! Work has kept me extremely busy lately, plus I had major surgery in the beginning of May so I haven’t had time for much. But….I decided to finally started writing a multi-chapter Rivamika fanfic. I’ve had this idea in my head for a while, and I think I’m finally somewhat happy with Chapter 1. I need to join AO3 so I can share it there, but for now here it is. I might modify it slightly before I share on AO3.

Brief summary….first of all, it’s an AU. the idea is that Levi, a successful and wealthy New York lawyer, and Mikasa, an up and coming fashion photographer also from NY, end up staying *very* close to each other while vacationing in a small town in Maryland.

Also, keep in mind I am a scientist. I enjoy writing and reading, but I am not a skilled creative writer like some fanfic authors are. I try!

Title: A Week in Oxford

Chapter 1: Much Needed Break

Levi - Lower Manhattan, New York

Exhausted but finally feeling at ease, Levi began to pack his documents from the trial into his sleek, black leather briefcase. After a long and extensive jury trial, his client, Dimo Reeves, was found not guilty for the crimes of securities fraud and embezzlement, but was found guilty of the misdemeanor of obstruction of justice. The client was more than pleased with the outcome, since the obstruction of justice charge was fairly minor and resulted in simply year one of supervised probation. The evidence against his client for the other two charges was overwhelming, but Mr. Reeves, a prominent Wall Street trader, hired Levi as his lawyer due to Levi’s impressive track record and tenacity for casting doubt on minute aspects of the crime and evidence. The prosecutors were pushing for 10-15 years of incarceration if he were to be found guilty by the jury. But, Levi had won, yet again. He was able to discover small details in the evidence and slight loopholes in the wording of the law to cast just enough doubt in the juror’s minds, and so they found Mr. Reeve’s not guilty. This is where Levi excelled. Over the last decade, he had proven himself to be a highly sought after attorney throughout New York. He had a mind that could easily find these small inconsistencies in both the evidence and the laws, and his skills in arguing and persuasion were second to no one. For all he lacked in stature, he made up for in his tenacity and cutthroat methods in the courtroom, willing to push the comfort level of the judge but knowing when to stop. To put it simply, in the courtroom Levi Ackerman was an imposing threat to the prosecutors that worked against him. This track record skyrocketed Levi as one of the partners of a now top legal group in New York, Smith and Ackerman. His partner and long time best friend, Erwin, glanced at Levi with a wicked smile on his face.

“What? I know that look. It’s usually never good.”

“Am I not allowed to smile? I am well aware of your amazing career history, but even I am impressed with how you managed this case, Levi. Two years and too many sleepless nights for you, my friend. This decision today was solely based on your impressive mind and work ethic. Choosing you as my partner four years ago is a gamble that has paid off well.”

“Tsk, what gamble? You act as if you haven’t been my closest friend for the last 12 years.”

“Even if you were my enemy, I would have chosen you. No one else can command a courtroom the way you can, Levi,” Erwin replied with a smirk. “Now that this case is finally over, I do believe you owe me a promise.”

Levi rolled his eyes, knowing that Erwin would not be one to easily let this go.

“Erwin, I’m fine. I don’t need to go on a shitty break to a shitty small town. Work keeps my mind occupied and you know how much I hate leaving the city.”

“Levi, you can’t continue to live like this. Trust me, your work ethic is above and beyond anything I could have imagined. But, you haven’t taken a day off of work in four years… and that was only because you had to attend your uncle's funeral. I’m convinced if I don’t force this, you would work everyday until you die a crippled, elderly man in a sterile apartment with nothing but career accomplishments to your name. You need a break. You need to interact with people, make friends and connections other than myself or Hange. It’s healthy to take a break and meet people. And you and I both know how much a change of atmosphere might help with your ongoing sleep problems -“

“What sleep problems? I sleep like a baby.”

Rolling his eyes, Erwin knew better. “ Hange says she has to know by this evening. Apparently someone has expressed an interest in renting the cottage during the same week as you.”

“Fine. I’ll think about it while I drive home and give Hange a call either way.”

Knowing that was as good as he was going to get from his cranky, small friend….Erwin nodded.

“Thank you.. Now, I need to get home and take a shower. This courtroom is stifling and I’m fairly certain it hasn’t been dusted properly in over a week.”

Erwin simply chuckled at his friend's quirks, knowing virtually all there was to know about the man who could intimidate an entire courtroom with just his glare, but who was equally as petrified of dust and dirt.

“Levi, as much as I would love to return home myself, there is a rather large crowd of members of the press waiting to speak to us. But, I know your distaste for them, so I will take the lead. The only thing I ask of you is to please behave and mind your temper.”

With another roll of his eyes, Levi began to walk toward the exit of the courtroom. He knew they meant well, but Erwin and Hange could be, well, imposing. They constantly nagged Levi about his workaholic tendencies and urged him to “get out there and meet people.” They asked about Levi’s sleep habits, knowing he suffered from insomnia, although Levi himself has never disclosed to his two closest friends the exact reasons why. The three of them met while attending Cornell University, although Levi was a freshman during the time Erwin and Hange were already juniors despite being the same age. Regardless, sharing an off-campus apartment together brought them close, and the three of them have remained friends since. While Erwin and Levi both attended law school and passed the New York State Bar exam, Hange received her phD in microbiology and works at New York-Presbyterian Hospital as a microbiologist.

Levi felt somewhat refreshed by the cool October air that encompassed him as he stepped outside of the courtroom, with Erwin and Mr. Reeves’s not far behind him. However, it didn’t take long for the hordes of journalists and cameras to force their way into his personal space, immediately agitating Levi and putting him on edge. He didn’t even do well with people he liked invading his space, let alone complete strangers. .

“Mr. Ackerman, how does it feel to be one of the top bachelor’s in New York City?”

“Mr. Ackerman, can you give us a statement on the jury’s decision today? What are your feelings right now?”

While Levi hated the press and attention, he knew this was part of his job. However, Erwin was much more cordial and well spoken, which made him better equipped to handle the PR aspects of their position, so Levi usually left this part to him. Levi’s temper flared though, when one particularly sleezy duo of journalist and cameraman would not relent, and asked Levi a question that went too far.

“Mr. Ackerman, do you feel guilty for willingly representing someone who scammed his clients out of millions? Especially given your own personal history of criminal acts?”

As soon as Erwin heard the question, he tensed. Before he could even react further, Levi had grabbed the camera from the man and slammed it toward the ground, smashing it into pieces. The crowd silenced, and Levi immediately felt every eye on him.

Without missing a beat, and with a broad smile reaching across his photogenic face, Erwin began, “Well then, with that I am glad to take any questions you have for my partner and I regarding the court’s decision in our case today.”

As Levi started to walk away, head down, he thought to himself perhaps he did need a break.

Mikasa - Murray Hill, New York

Mikasa was browsing through the results of her photo shoot today in Murray Hill. Graduating from Columbia University four years ago with a degree in photography, she quickly made a name for herself as a sought after fashion photographer in the city. Not only is it impressive that she was accepted into Columbia, with only a 4% acceptance rate, she was also offered a full scholarship. Of course, being named as the Valedictorian of her graduating high school class helped quite a bit. Mikasa had always been naturally smart, but when paired with her outstanding work ethic and participation in a variety of extracurriculars, she was a perfect candidate for selection for the highly prestigious scholarship Columbia offered her.

After chatting with her client for a bit letting them know when they would be receiving an email of edited proofs, Mikasa packed up her laptop and made the short walk from the studio to the parking garage. Unlike most New Yorkers, Mikasa insisted on bringing her car when she moved into her one-bedroom apartment in the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, New York. There was just too much to explore; too much to see. She usually spent weekends taking long drives outside of the city in search of any and everything she could photograph. Sure, she paid a pretty penny for the parking spot in her neighborhood, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides, her monthly rent of $2,500 was actually quite a steal for the modern, light-filled apartment that she always kept clean and organized. It had all of the necessities….a nice sized bedroom with surprisingly large closet space, a small but full kitchen, even a washer and dryer combo. The money she was making as a fashion photographer certainly didn’t make her rich, but she was more comfortable than she anticipated being at only 25. Plus, she was happy…at least as far as her career was concerned.

It was the middle of October, and the cool breeze and vibrant shades of leaves on the small trees dotting the sidewalks indicated fall had finally arrived. Mikasa loved this time of year, and it reminded her of growing up with the Yeager family in a suburb about an hour outside of the city. Although she suffered from an unimaginable loss as a young child, her years with the Yeager family were filled with love and support. Her second set of parents enrolled her in photography classes, supported her when she felt overwhelmed from her studies and duties as class president, and never missed a single one of her high school soccer games.

Her adoptive brother, Eren, was like a real brother to her in many ways, and she always found herself watching out for him due to his reckless ways. They were the same age, same year in school, and even went to college close to each other. Eren majored in software development and was now working in Philadelphia as a video game designer. He was never as studious as Mikasa was in high school, but he seemed to blossom in his college classes and seemed very happy with his career choice. Their close childhood friend Armin, who graduated as salutatorian right behind Mikasa, also attended Columbia and received his MBA. He also worked in Philadelphia and he and Eren were currently sharing a two bedroom apartment together as roommates.

The relationship between Mikasa and Eren wasn’t always healthy though, and she fears that her co-dependency on him has made it difficult for her to form bonds and friendships with others. One of the reasons Eren repeatedly pushed her away is her tendency to mother those she holds close. Even Armin had mentioned it from time to time. She was well aware of this, but why should she change who she is to please others? So what if she cared too much for people she felt close to? It was a part of who she was, and she didn’t see any need to change that fact.

Aside from Eren, Armin, and her college best friend Sasha, Mikasa didn’t really have anyone else she would consider as more than an acquaintance. Sasha often urged her to meet people and do things other than solitary drives to take photographs. At first, Mikasa dismissed those thoughts. Lately though, she has found herself feeling somewhat lonely, and aching for a connection and companionship. Part of her decision to work in New York and not follow Eren and Armin to Philadelphia was so she could give herself physical distance from the unhealthy relationship that developed between her and Eren over the years. Mikasa knew it was better for her to move on, to find someone who would dedicate their entire self to her and not just lure her in when it was convenient for them. Mikasa truly did want a companion and love, but with such a busy schedule and a small handful of friends, she had no idea how to go about meeting anyone. Plus, she craved for someone who accepted her, flaws and all.

About halfway through her drive home, her phone rang. She pressed the button on her vehicle’s control center to answer via Bluetooth.

“Hey Mikasa! Just wanted to call to check in, see how things went with your big photoshoot this week.”

“Oh hey Sasha! It went really well, the photos turned out amazing… I think the clients are going to be very happy with the finished product.”

“Mika that’s so great! I’m so proud of you! Wanna head out tonight to celebrate? There’s this new restaurant I’ve been dying to try, plus I hear the drinks are amazing too!”

“Actually, I decided I need to get away for a bit. I know it’s last minute, but I think I’m gonna book that AirBnB I was checking out in Maryland the other day.”’

“Seriously Mika? Wow that’s so awesome….damn I wish I could take off a few days and go with! You have to let me know how all of the yummy seafood is down there!!!”

Rolling her eyes, yet smiling, because Mikasa knew how food obsessed her best friend was, she replied, “You know I will Sasha…I always take pics for you too.”

“Yay! Mikasa I’m so happy for you. And who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone while you’re there,” Sasha said with a wink.

“Sasha….the town has a population of 600 people. I highly doubt there would be someone there I could meet.”

“You never know Mikasa! Okay be safe, love ya!”

With a smile, Mikasa replied “You know it. Love you too.”

The cottage was located in a town called Oxford, which had a population of only 600 people. Being a photographer, she was immediately impressed by the contrast of the red park bench which sat just in front of the grey cottage with its dark green shutters. Near the winding brick sidewalk, tulips bloomed in reds, yellows, and whites. She longed to take more photographs of it, and could only imagine how beautiful the entire town must be as well. The cottage had an open floor plan with only one bed and one couch, but this was more than adequate for her needs. Last week, Mikasa had sent a brief email to the host, someone by the name of Hange, and Mikasa was pleased to see that the cottage was available during the week she had in mind. However, due to work demands, Mikasa never had a chance to follow up on the email.

Upon entering her apartment, she decided to open her laptop and view the cottage again, as well as do some research on the surrounding area. She was excited to see that the small town of Oxford and surrounding area provided numerous opportunities for her photography hobby. Sitting along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, the area offered opportunities for her to photograph not only the nature of the area, but also take photos of the hard working local people, known as waterman, who made their living fishing and crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay. There were gorgeous Civil-War era estates to explore, state parks to hike, rivers to kayak, and top-rated seafood restaurants to indulge in. Nearby towns like Easton and St. Michael’s offered boutiques, coffee shops, and local artisan crafts.

Upon checking the website calendar, Mikasa saw that the week she wanted, which started the next day, was still available. Without thinking it over too much, Mikasa clicked on the tab to book her one week stay at the small cottage. Within minutes of making her payment, she received an automatic email from the host. She quickly opened her email app and read that the key would be left under the doormat, and it also provided the exact address. Under the doormat? Didn’t these rentals usually have lockboxes with access codes? Then again, she was going to a very rural place. Maybe things there were just done differently than they were in the city? She pulled her suitcase from her closet and began to pack, excited for her last minute decision to make something happen in her life. The next morning, she would make the drive from New York to the town of Oxford, Maryland.

While Mikasa was excited for the chance to relax and explore a new area, she knew better than to get her hopes up about meeting new people. The town she was traveling to had such a small population, and even the surrounding area was mostly rural. However, the possibility still existed, right? Surely there was someone for her out there, somewhere. Someone who accepted her for who she was….someone who wanted all of her. Maybe she would meet someone special on this trip?

Levi - That evening, Tribeca

Levi pulled his sleek, black Audi into the parking garage under his apartment building. He knew he had royally messed up today, and he knew a lecture from Erwin was forthcoming. But, for now; all he desired was some calming music, a soothing cup of tea, and the view and ambience of his 20th floor apartment. He entered the elevator, hit the floor for 20, and exhaled loudly as he leaned back against the elevator wall. The elevator door opened, and he made the short walk to his door. He immediately felt a sense of calm wash over him when he entered his home. The sleek, grey and black modern furniture he selected contrasted beautifully with the exposed brick walls left after renovations. His kitchen had top of the line, chef grade appliances he loved using while creating new culinary dishes. He had a vast collection of various, rare tea leaves stored in metal tins in a cabinet which took up nearly an entire wall. Windows reaching from floor to ceiling provided a gorgeous view of the city skyline from the 20th floor. Levi wasn’t always fortunate enough to live this way, and while he did appreciate the finer things that his new life could afford, he never forgot his roots and where he came from. Perhaps that’s why he holds himself to such high standards in every aspect of his life now. He knows what it feels like to have nothing, and the fear of people seeing beyond the mask he has created for himself was always lurking. Even that sleezy journalist from earlier today took a low jab at Levi’s past, reminding him that he could never truly escape from who he once was.

While the material things were nice, Levi knew they didn’t make him truly happy. Sure, he had a successful career. He had two close friends. He was well known throughout the city as a tenacious lawyer. He had a gorgeous apartment, a shiny new car, and money to spare. But he wasn’t happy. Not the kind of happy he longed for….a romantic companion. Maybe even love. But, he knew he had a pretty shitty personality, and it was nearly impossible for him to open up to new people. He had no clue how he could find something as elusive as love when he could barely tolerate most people. Still, deep down, Levi craved the feeling of someone who he could call his. Someone who supported him, wasn’t after his money, and who loved him for him. Erwin and Hange were good to Levi, he knew that. He appreciated their friendship. But Levi had never truly experienced love before, in any capacity. Not any he could remember at least. Maybe that’s why he craved for it so badly? Levi didn’t even know where to start though. Hell, he had never even been in a real relationship. His experiences with women were limited to one-night stands and flings, and even those ended years ago as his career began to take up more and more of his time. He knew he had impossibly high standards, and he always seemed to find something wrong with women who were interested in him. Erwin and Hange encouraged him to try to have a more open mind, but when it came to something as important as a relationship, Levi didn’t want to settle. But, Levi was nearly 37 years old. It was high time he took steps to make this happen. Someone was out there, someone made just for him. Someone who wasn’t perfect, but who was perfect for him. Someone like that had to exist? Right?

For now, Levi thought he would start with baby steps. Getting away for a week seemed like a good place to start. His friend, Hange, inherited a cottage in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She had been begging him incessantly to take her up on the offer to stay there for a week, knowing how badly her friend needed time to relax and decompress from his career. He didn’t even know much about the area, only that it was about a 5 hour drive away and was quite rural. As he pondered, Levi thought this was a healthy first step toward exiting his comfort zone, which was basically staying exclusively in the city, and addicting himself with work. Without thinking about it too much, Levi grabbed his cell and hit the contact button for Hange. She answered nearly immediately.

“Levi! To what do I owe the pleasure? Also, I saw that slight mishap on the news earlier….don’t worry, I think he totally deserved it!”

Grumbling, Levi decided that maybe calling Hange was a bad idea after all. The last thing he needed right now was to be reminded of his poor decision making skills earlier in the day. Hange never was one who fully understood boundaries, though. He decided to look past it for now.

“While I appreciate the sentiment, I’m actually calling to see if your offer to stay in the cottage is still good for the week..”

“What? Is this my friend Levi? Levi Ackerman? Willingly asking about taking a week off of work? Are you being held at gunpoint? Is there someone coercing you right now?”

“I’m serious, four-eyes. After today, I decided maybe I really do need this break. I know it’s last minute, but can I stay there or what?”

Without even checking her app, Hange excitedly exclaimed “Of course you can! Well, I did have someone ask about it last week for the same time slot, but I never heard back from her so it’s definitely available. And you know you don’t need to book through the website….this is on me!”

“Hange, I’m only taking you up on this if you accept payment. We’ve been over this before. And for the love of God, I’m only staying there if someone other than you has been cleaning it. Oh…and make sure you mark it as booked on the Airbnb site….last thing I need is some random showing up because you forgot to update the calendar.”

“Of course I’ll update it, I. I’m not an idiot. Yes, my friend Nanaba lives in the area and she cleans and maintains it for me. Well, the key for the cottage is under the doormat. I’ll send you the address. Bye!”

Under the doormat? Didn’t most people have lockboxes with access codes for these rentals? Levi thought his strange friend was a little too trusting at times, but he dismissed it. All he knew is he would be leaving the next morning, to make the drive from New York to the small town of Oxford, Maryland. Levi pulled his suitcases from his closet and started the process of meticulously packing his things.

Little did Levi know that his friend Hange went to sleep peacefully that night, never once updating the Airbnb calendar, never checking her email or app, and not noticing whatsoever how royally she herself had fucked up.

[ponzu]

Haywood – desire, future, hide, secret

Feffin – desire, hate, pain

Berkut – alone, failure, guilty, nightmare

Ceix – bound, hide, skin

ill put these under the cut so i dont explode the dash

haywood:

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?: if asked outright hed say revenge. the right persons blood on his hands. more than that he just wants to feel connections again, but since theyll never feel exactly like what he once had, he wont let anyone try

future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?: he gets killed by a beast hunter for lashing out again. hes confident he wont run into one that Will, so no hes not really trying to avoid that outcome.. or really thinking about it to begin with

hide: What does your OC hide? Why do they hide it?: basically everything lol. he only lets others see him as malicious and threatening anymore.

secret: What's one secret your OC never wants anyone to know about them?: how much of a wuss he really can be. hes really just a reactionary coward

feffin:

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?: she does not know. she genuinely has no idea. shes hoping that will just make itself clear the more she trudges through life

hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred?: somewhat silly answer would be rodents. less silly answer is fire. theyre both linked to the conditions she was raised in as a child. her "home" was infested w rats and she was often threatened with burns for misbehaving

pain: What's the worst pain your OC has ever felt? Do they have a high pain tolerance?: assuming were talking about physical pain then as above itd be the burns inflicted on her. shes had the scars from the worst of them treated by a nen healer so she wouldnt have to remember them. her pain tolerance is still relatively high

berkut:

alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?: he really doesnt let himself be alone for too long. after a period of grief where he remained by himself while mourning, he keeps someone close by or Finds someone to keep him company. if he has to be alone u better believe hes getting lost in his more unfortunate thought webs

failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?: his irrational belief that he could have saved his friend. he has confided in a few friends about it, but even their reassurances will not change his mind

guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it?: kinda the same as above. its irrational but he will not let it go. he doesnt avoid or accept it, he just lets it weigh on him

nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?: his failed hunter exam attempt and his lost friend. he doesnt tell anyone about them despite being rather open about most anything. he finds it to be a silly topic to discuss even if they do tend to affect him pretty greatly

ceix:

bound: Has your OC ever been imprisoned or captured? What happened? How did they get out? Did the experience leave any scars?: not that he remembers. he has no sense of time and cant tell how old his memories are but for all he knows he has protected seig for his whole life

hide: What does your OC hide? Why do they hide it?: nothing! at least not purposefully. or not that he knows of lol. again his memory sucks so if he "hides" anything its really because he just forgot

skin: How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they grapple with anything that lives inside them—a beast, a curse, a failure, a monster? How do they face the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of themself? Are they able to acknowledge it at all?: ceix is proud of his abilities to protect seig and doesnt desire anything else. as far as hes concerned thats all he really needs. when he fails, even if its slightly, he will be hard on himself and acknowledge his shortcomings... even if he doesnt Really have any

thank uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu meefy

[avatarskywalker78]

not so nice OC asks for steph :) break, failure, future, guilt, monster

break - What would cause your OC to break down completely? What do they look like when that happens? Has anyone ever seen them at their lowest?

Losing a friend - specifically losing either Eddie or Alyssa but honestly losing any of her friends would fucking devastate her, like it would absolutely bring her to her knees, especially if it was during a superhero clash, if they were killed by a villain because the survivor's guilt would be horrendous. So far Steph hasn't had to face it...in this timeline, but in the Original Timeline she did end up losing Alyssa in a car accident and was inconsolable for months - Eddie was the one to eventually bring her out of it because he'd been there for her the whole time. It was painful for him to witness because he couldn't help beyond just being there - except of course that meant absolutely everything to Steph, who just needed someone.)

(In the current timeline, 1x07 is gonna put poor Steph through the wringer and ratchets up her determination to train up.)

failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

Again, I know this hasn't happened in the series yet, but she'll consider 1x07 a failure, never mind that there isn't anything she could've done outside of being psychic and being in the building at the time. And there is another incident later on - not gonna go into too much detail, but let's just say a situation escalates despite her best attempts, and she's gonna blame herself for the person going on to hurt others even though it really isn't her fault.

future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?

In terms of external factors, I refer you to break - she cannot stand the thought of losing any of her friends and partly trains up to avoid that ever happening. In terms of Steph personally? Going too far over her limits for her force fields and dying - though Team Shieldmaiden have discussed risk factors, this is still somewhat in the abstract because right now she isn't actively fighting metas, and it's unlikely a metahuman will have enough power to push her over the limits.

(...for now.)

guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it?

Steph's whole thing is that she wants to help as many people as she can - through her physics work, through the Meta Outreach Project, through just being kind to people - and she always feels so guilty when she can't help everyone, when she does, in fact, have to delegate for her own mental health. She knows this is better in the long run but also accepts that the guilt is going to stay for a while (she's trying to work on that though).

monster: Is your OC monstrous in any way? Is there something that makes them monstrous? Are they aware of their own monstrosity? Do they accept it or reject it?

Steph's not monstrous at all.

Not So Nice OC Asks

@shrinkthisviolet @starstruckpurpledragon @daughter-of-melpomene @negative-speedforce

[zuko-always-lies]

I'm kind of curious...how would Iroh and Zuko's relationships change if the latter was born a girl?(My opinion is that it'd be non-existent)

I think this is a very interesting question. I think there are several interesting hints about why Iroh feels such a close connection to Zuko in canon, while having no interest in Azula:

After Lu Ten died, Iroh came to see Zuko as a surrogate or "replacement" son. See "The Siege of the North."

Zuko's characteristics remind Iroh of Ozai when he was younger and make Iroh think he should step in with Zuko to ensure a better outcome and to have the sort of relationship he was unable to have with Ozai. In a sense, Zuko is almost Iroh's surrogate brother here. This is essentially what "The Legacy of the Fire Nation" book says, but it isn't clearly articulated in canon.

Iroh feels guilty for letting Zuko into the war room in the first place and standing by while he was burned and banished.

(Note that Zuko being particularly respectful or nice to Iroh does not seem to be the reason Iroh adores him so much, since from what we see in canon Zuko often behaves very disrespectfully toward Iroh).

If Zuko was a girl, I don't think of these factors would be present. #1 and #2 are obvious, but I also think that, given the Fire Nation's sexism and his own sexism, Iroh almost certainly would not have let a 13 year old "Female Zuko" into the war meeting on his own initiative.

Thus, I don't think he would have had anywhere near as close a relationship with "Female Zuko" as he had with canon Zuko. He might have taken somewhat more interest in her than he does in canon toward Azula, who actively dislikes him, after all, but I doubt he would spend that much energy on "fem Zuko."

Mind you, I also think that the relationship between Azula and "female Zuko" might be better than in canon, as ironically being of the same gender might reduce the competition between them and result in the adults in their lives pitting them against each other less, but I'm not sure.

[k-s-morgan]

What do you like about Ciel Phantomhive from Black Butler? (such as traits or anything he had done)

Ooh, I love pretty much everything about Ciel! He's my most favorite character ever.

I love how smart, cold, and manipulative he can be despite his age. It always pleases me to see that people underestimate him only to realize that he's been trapping them all along. His cleverness is frequently on par with Sebastian's, even though it should be impossible; he finds multiple crimes curious even when they are gruesome; he knows how to play on people's emotions, switching between different personas depending on a situation. He's a powerful enemy and Sebastian complements him instead of doing all the work for him. Ciel deserves his position as the most influential person in the underworld.  

I find his softer qualities absolutely fascinating, too, because they are fraught with endless complexities. Ciel often shows an interesting mix of kindness and nobility. These two qualities exist only together in him - I wouldn't call him kind, exactly, but he's still capable of kindness, and it's nobility that pushes him to it. For example, he tries to be kind to Elisabeth repeatedly, partly because it's his duty and he's a gentleman, but also because he doesn't want to hurt her. He buys an orange from a poor little girl because he feels guilty over violently murdering all those kidnapped children. He's going to the work house for the same reason: his guilt, his determination to compensate for the gravity of what he's done at least partly leads him to doing a good and noble deed by sponsoring the remaining disabled children. Is Ciel terrified and broken by the outcomes of his heated kill order to Sebastian? No, not in the way a genuinely kind person would be. But it still haunts him, and he wants to make things right.

He considers any form of kindness in himself a flaw, likely because he spent several years shaped and affected by a demon, yet he still responds to it in other people. Abberline is a good example. Ciel is genuinely taken aback by him because Abberline is the embodiment of goodness. This softens Ciel's heart toward him. He shows equal softness toward Elisabeth and the servants - these people care about him, and he feels compelled to answer them with similar, somewhat awkward kindness.

Ciel's obsession with Sebastian and his burning need to remain worthy of being consumed by him are amazing to watch, too. Sometimes it feels like Ciel would gladly kill himself just to make Sebastian react - in fact, he almost does it in the anime several times. I always had a feeling that Sebastian is the only person Ciel has 100% genuine, raw, uncontrollable feelings for. The rest of the world is a pale shadow of everything: Ciel does his duty more than really feels deeply for it, but when it comes to Sebastian, we see the unique kind of authenticity.

Ciel's flaws, like losing his temper sometimes, being too tied to his earthly duties like serving the Queen, the unjustified reverence for her only complicate his nature further. He's an endlessly interesting character.  

[late-to-the-magnus-archives]

Corrupted, chapter sixteen - a TMA x Malevolent crossover

A power outage.

An enemy invasion.

An unexpected outcome to a violent evening.

Chapter sixteen of Corrupted, a TMA x Malevolent crossover.

AO3

-------

The wind is absolutely wild out there. Even in the Archives, Tim can hear it: howling. Creaking. Ridiculous and impossible in a city built the way this one is, but all that unseasonable cold had to go somewhere, and physics are what they are.

The power lines keep going down. That means the power is out, and Tim lies in the dark on his squeaky cot.

Quietly, he has to wonder if this is going to be his fate—both eyes dark someday, as he loses more body parts.

So much has happened. “You know,” he says. “I think I’ve adjusted pretty well, given all that’s gone down.��

You have, Tim, says Hastur.

“Not sure I’m taking your word on that one,” says Tim. “Given you’ve never been in this situation.”

I have someone to directly compare you to.

“That Arthur guy.”

Yes.

“So what’d he do?”

Lose his shit, fight, tantrum, fuss, run, and cause innumerable problems for everyone he met.

“Aww, tell me how you really feel,” Tim mutters.

The lights flicker on, making Tim’s eyes water, then flicker off again. He sighs.

I’m serious.

“Well, from what Jon said, this was back in the thirties, right? So he didn’t have therapy and a copious amount of fantasy novels and films to prepare him for it.”

Hastur’s hesitation is an odd one this time. It feels weighted; not guilty, exactly, but reluctant.

Tim frowns. “Out with it.”

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

“Right. There’s something you’re not telling me.” And he guesses: “Something you think I’m not going to like very much.”

Instead of answering, Hastur changes subjects.  You know, I can see, Tim, he says out of nowhere. We don’t have to stay down here, if you don’t want.

“That doesn’t make a lot of—ow.” Lights on; lights off. “How can you? You’re using my rods and cones and whatever.”

I don’t know. It’s curious, isn’t it? I suspect, should you wish to see, you could—but with your track record, you’d make your eyes unable to process light at all, or something, so I’d suggest you just let me navigate.

Tim sighs. “Yeah, that tracks. I feel positively betrayed, you know?”

Betrayed?

“I have magic powers, and I can’t use them, because I keep fucking up,” he says.

Hastur starts to speak.

Tim interrupts. “No, I’m not going to your cultists.”

There’s a pause. Fine.

That’s an awkward disagreement which isn’t getting solved today. “Yeah, let’s go upstairs,” he says. “It’s boring down here.”

You aren’t a man who likes to be idle.

“Called me a shark for it before,” Tim reminds him brightly, and rises.

The cot squeaks.

I find you less a shark these days, says Hastur, as though there are numerous days to consider. I like you more than I like sharks.

“Sharks are cool!” says Tim, inching toward the door, arms out. “All sleek and deadly and ancient.”

Sleek, certainly. Deadly? Somewhat. But you’re not ancient, no matter how old you think thirty is.

“I am well into old wise man of the village, I’ll have you know,” Tim says, finding the doorframe. “Okay. Direct me.”

The Archives are black as pitch, but it seems Hastur is not lying about being able to see. That woman’s idea of organization is madness. Directly ahead of you are two stacks of boxes, three deep, acting like a corridor. Once you’re at the end, two boxes sit directly in the center of the opening.

“I remember that. Have to skinch around that guy,” says Tim and goe to do so. “Hey. Maybe we should make this a game.”

A game?

“Sure. A trust fall, like.”

And what would the stakes be? Hastur rumbles.

Tim reaches the box pile blocking his way and inches right. “I dunno. Sure seems like we’re competing over body parts now, doesn’t it?”

Hastur is silent for a long moment.

Tim kicks the box again. “Oi. Where?”

Once you navigate around this box, take two steps left. Directly ahead of you and six inches to the right will be a stack of paper as tall as your waist, for some reason.

Tim is dearly tempted to hip-check it. “She’s got to be doing this on purpose.”

I’d say so. It’s narrow, so go slowly. You’re free to move forward if you stay straight.

“My friend,” says Tim. “I have never stayed straight in my entire life, and don’t intend to start now.”

Hastur’s laugh is low and dark. Ah, I do like you.

There is less regret in it now. Tim’s not sure what that means. “What’s that mean for me practically?”

I no longer wish to possess your body. I want my own.

Huh. “The one Bouchard’s offering?” says Tim. “The completely theoretical body that requires the help of the guys who want to eat you?”

Yes.

“The fuck why? Not that I want you to want my body, just… you know, I’d like this to make a little sense?”

I never said I didn’t want your body, Tim.

Well, that was a thing to say. Especially the way he said it; low, resonant, taking his time with every syllable, as though imagining his incorporeal mouth doing something else.

Tim stops walking for a moment, then resumes. “Can’t shake me by being sexy. Answer the question.”

Hastur sighs. I’m on a time limit now. I understand this; I’ve come to terms with it.

And just like that, they are on serious topics. “Devil Pants,” says Tim, moving on.

Yes.  I can’t stop him. There’s no one left in this universe who could even be a balancing factor. I’m going to die.

That doesn’t feel good to hear. His heart aches, a little. “Hastur…”

And if I’m going to die, I want to feel fully myself first, Hastur says. I want my godhood back. It’s been fun, playing human; fun, wearing costumes, exploring your amazing world, experiencing all the things you mortal people do. But now that it’s going to be over… I want to die as myself.

Fun. Driving monks mad and who knew what else. What a mess. “All right,” says Tim, logging it away and picking his battles. “So the god-body, then. I get it. I just wish you weren’t giving up so quickly.” His foot hit a box.

Left, then correct right again and continue. There’s no one who can help me, Tim. Hastur’s voice is low.

“Maybe we could pull a bait-and-switch?” says Tim.

Boxes. Left two steps, then forward again. A bait-and-switch?

Tim complies. “You know. Get those fear-thingummies to go after him instead of you.”

It wouldn’t work. Deities my level and lower are fair game to the Fears, but him? Not him.

“Whoa. Really? Devil Pants is that big a deal?”

I am a Great Old One, far from minor. I can—could—create and destroy worlds at whim. But he is an Outer God. His power, compared to mine, is greater than even mine would be compared to an average human’s. He could end your universe, Tim.

“Shit.” Tim shuffles forward. “I’m having trouble picturing this.”

Of course you are. It’s like trying to actually imagine a billion of something. Human minds can’t really do it.

Tim chooses not to be insulted. “Well… is there an an Outer God we can go to for help, then?”

None of them are here now. They left when all the other gods did. Besides, it would do no good even if there were.

“Why?”

Would you care if a single-celled organism called for your aid? Or even hear it?

“If it got my attention, sure,” says Tim. “Seeing as they aren’t sapient, far as I know. Besides, Devil Pants sure seems invested.”

He likes chaos. He likes pain. He’s a sadist. Humans die very prettily.

“Fuck that guy,” says Tim.

Tim. Please show some wisdom.

“He’s already going to hit me with a truck or set me on fire and drop me in an orphanage.”

I promise you, he could do worse.

Tim sighs. “Fair. But why did the Outer Gods leave if they weren’t in danger? Oh, oops.” A stack of paper goes down, sliding all over the floor, judging by the sound. “Sorry, Lara,” Tim stage-whispers.

Lara?

“Elderly Lara Croft.”

Hastur laughs.

Tim finds the stairs. It’s a relief; there’s a weird claustrophobia that comes with this darkness. “Yeah, yeah, I’m a genius. So why no Outer Gods left?”

They left when the rest did. They had various reasons.

“You’re really sure there’s no one here but you.”

If anyone else is, they’ve hidden so well that I haven’t seen them in thousands of years.

“You mean like how you hid?”

Hastur hesitates. And if they were here, they’d have no reason to help me. I have nothing to offer them.

“Maybe I do. Baby Merlin, remember?” He starts on the stairs.

Tim… why would you leverage that? Why would you leverage yourself?

Tim sighs. “You’re an asshole, but you don’t deserve to be eaten, all right?”

Many would argue that I do, says Hastur, low and warm.

“Well, maybe I think nobody does. Anyway, done with basement time! I’m ready to trade in the mole-man existence.”

Hastur chuckles. Tim. We’ve only been down here for two whole hours.

“Unacceptable,” says Tim. “I’m not made of money, you know, and time is  money, so. Transitive properties, or whatever.”

Hastur chuckles again as Tim makes it to the ground floor.

#

It is creepy in the library.

Ambient light through the opaque Victorian windows casts it all in gray and black shadow, and Tim tells himself to stop being spooked.  It’s just shadows. It’s nothing. It is not moving the way he thinks it is.

Regardless, staying still feels unsafe, so he carefully paces. “Do you see anyone?” he says, sotto voce.

No, though Bouchard’s door is open. I feel him in there.

“What, sitting in the dark?”

Probably seeing through the eyes of the whole city, taking in their consternation for his god.

Tim pauses. “You know, my life has gotten really weird?”

We could go talk to him.

Tim snorts. “I’m bored, but I don’t know if I’m that bored.”

I could tell you a story.

That sounds interesting. “A story from the ancient Great Old Whatever! I’m honored. Sure.” His steps seem loud, and Tim tries to quiet them.

Many, many years ago, I saw a portal created by cultists.

“Your cultists?” Tim finds a bookshelf with his hands and slides along it.

Oh, no. Not mine at all. These served one so far above that I don’t think she even knew what they were doing: Shub-Niggurath, Mother Goddess, Lord of the Woods.

“Mother, huh?” asks Tim softly. “Don’t suppose she’s here.”

No, as I said. She was too great to eat, but her children… her uncountable children were in danger. She left and took them so they wouldn’t be eaten.

“Huh. That sounds… responsible?”

Her children are regularly at fault for the destruction of entire worlds and the madness of all who survive.

“Oh. So kinda gray area, then, I get it,” says Tim. “Good mom. Bad citizen.”

Hastur chortles. I really do like you, Tim.

That feels so weird, the way he says that. “Okay. Um. Meaning?”

Meaning, says Hastur, I will try to preserve you.

That feels like the most honest thing he’s said. Tim swallows. “Glad for that. I guess.”

You should be, purrs Hastur, as though conferring a great honor, and continues.

Back to safer topics. “So you saw a door meant for someone else and decided to just slip through. Is it all right if I say I have a bad feeling about this?” says Tim.

Yes, says Hastur. Perhaps if I’d had you, I wouldn’t have made the mistake I did.

Tim had been joking. “Oh, no.”

Oh, yes. I tried to take the portal.

“And?” says Tim, feeling along the bookshelf, stopping beneath a window.

And the humans who’d opened it were in the middle of a fight with other humans, trying to close it. The latter succeeded… and I, the Great Old One was cut in half.

Tim whistles, low. “Where was the portal going?”

To Earth. My Earth, in my universe.

That sounds… bad. “Why would… okay, let’s come back to that. What happened when you were chopped?”

My other half was still sentient, of course.

Oh. “Is that where John came from?”

That’s where John came from.

“Literally part of you? Fuck!” Tim says. “So the Arthur situation. How did—” The front door creaks open, a flashlight shines through, and he stops talking.

A man enters, muttering. It’s Jon and someone else.

Tim frowns. “The hell is he doing out of hos—”

Hastur’s hand reaches, fast, across his waist as if to stop him.

Tim goes still.

“I really don’t think we can do anything for you until the power comes back on, though you’re welcome to sit in our reception area until things calm down out there,” says Jon.

“Thank you, young man,” says an older voice—a strong voice, but strange. It resonates, Tim thinks, like a voice in a steel drum, unnatural, hollow, somehow metallic. “I can normally navigate just fine in this city, but without things like crosswalk alarms, it becomes truly hazardous.”

“I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine.”

“Kindnesses like yours make all the difference, Mister Sims,” says the old man.

Hastur’s silence says much. Tim’s instinct says more: something is very wrong with whoever this is.

The shadows are moving now, for certain; Tim isn’t nuts. They’ve begun to shift, to undulate, seemingly too thick in the limited light from the windows and Jon’s torch.

Hastur is still silent.

You think this guy can hear you? Tim thinks at him.

Hastur squeezes.

Tim steps back between shelves, out of the way of Jon’s questing beam.

Jon passes them without a glance. “I’m afraid I can only offer you water to drink at the moment.”

“Anything is appreciated, Mister Sims,” says the old man, and he turns to look directly at Tim.

The old man is tall, thin, with sparse white hair and a scraggly beard. The thing that matters, though, is his eyes. They are solid white. Absolutely solid, without pupil or iris.

The old man smiles at them, full teeth bared.

Tim stares. That’s not normal, he thinks inanely, and takes another step back.

The shadows actively avoid Jon’s beam, and Jon clearly can’t see them; they curl around his feet, playful and predatory, as though ready to take him down on command. “Here we go. This lobby furniture is at least comfortable.”

The old man carries a cane—white-tipped, the kind a blind man would carry. He’s not holding it that way, though. He’s got one hand on the tip, and one around its shaft, a strangely ready pose. “Many thanks. I don’t suppose we’re near your boss’s office.”

Jon stops walking. The billowing darkness at his feet is hungry, edges licking his clothes. “My boss?” he says.

“Elias Bouchard,” says the old man, and chuckles. “At the moment, anyway.”

Jon has gone as still as a deer in the eyes of a hunter. “You… know him?”

“Indeed, I do,” says the old man, low, as Elias materializes out of nowhere to stand behind Jon.

Though it makes no sense, Tim can clearly see Elias’s eyes, though the rest of him is hidden in silhouetted gloom. “It’s all right, Jon. I’ll take it from here.”

“There you are,” says the old man, low.

“Maxwell,” says Elias Bouchard as if he tastes something bad. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“So you do know each other?” says Jon, his voice unsteady.

“We do,” says the old man. “I need to thank you properly for bringing me in. Couldn’t have gotten near him otherwise.” And then there is a sound.

Tim knows what it is from movies, from games; from countless hours watching television, and he is completely sure what just occurred: the old man’s cane was hiding a knife, and it’s been unsheathed.

The old man grabs too fast for Tim to see. The torch drops to the floor and rolls, splashing their struggling feet with alternating light and darkness.

Tim starts to move. Hastur grips him, tight and warning.

Jon makes a choked sound.

“Now, now,” says the old man, gripping Jon against him tightly. “Don’t struggle. I wouldn’t want my hand to slip.”

Tim clenches his jaw, bends down, and quietly removes his shoes.

No, whispers Hastur, but Tim ignores him.

Elias sighs. “Is this really necessary?”

“Well, you wouldn’t answer my letters,” says the old man.

“Naturally not,” says Elias. “You are going to fail.”

“We will not,” says the old man. “Everything is ready. Mister Pitch is coming. I’m here to give you one final chance. Join me. Leave this nonsense behind.”

Jon lets out a tiny cry, and Tim, creeping closer, has to focus not to breathe like an angry bull.

“Must you molest my librarian?” says Elias. “You’re not making a very good case for your promises of clemency.”

The old man laughs softly. “Librarian? As if that’s what he is. Did you forget I’ve listened to your theories for years? Maybe you think me truly blind?”

Tim won’t just lunge. The lunatic old man has that thin blade to Jon’s throat, and even in this bad light, Tim can see the front of Jon’s shirt is stained dark with his own blood.

What the fuck is wrong with everybody? Why do they keep hurting this guy? Jon didn’t do anything but show kindness to a blind old man!

It’s anger that moves, anger that surges, that translates Tim’s will, and he has no chance to overthink it, to plan, to try to avoid any damage.

Maybe that’s why it works.

The handle of the old man’s cane is suddenly red hot, instant, like a switch flipped on. The old man shouts and flings it, shocked.

Disturbingly fast, Elias grabs Jon and yanks him away.

The old man reaches for them, snarling, shadows moving with his hand as if on a leash.

Tim tackles the old man, counting on inertia and weight and youth—

And finds him solid, shockingly strong, with a grip like ice and an expert twist as though he’s been cage-fighting for years, and for a horrible moment, they grapple. Shadows snake around Tim’s legs with painful tightness, locking his feet in place.

Lights! Tim thinks, and as if he summoned them (which he swears he did not), they suddenly come back on.

The shadows vanish. The strength and solidity of this old man do, too, and abruptly, Tim is bearing a frail old man to the ground with a crunch so unpleasant that he thinks he might have broken all the psycho’s bones.

#

It somehow figures that Daisy Tonner is the cop who shows up.

The ambulance is already there. The old man, whose arm is broken, doesn’t seem upset by any of this. He keeps smiling, face turned unerringly toward Tim wherever he stands, because apparently, it’s What the Hell, Let’s Scare Tim Day.

Finally, they cart Maxwell Rayner off. Jon sits where they put him, looking dazed, the white bandage around his neck redder than Tim likes.

“Why are you here?” Tim asks him quietly.

“I didn’t want to miss anything,” Jon whispers back. “Also, some weird guy came around asking about you, and I didn’t want to risk being overheard if I just called to warn you.”

“What weird guy? And why didn’t you text?” says Tim.

Jon has visibly forgotten text was a thing. He goes red.

“And then Mister Stoker managed to tackle him,” Elias explains, the perfect witness to such random tragedy. “I wish I could tell you more; we simply don’t know what drove this elderly man to come in off the street and accost us.”

“Uh, huh,” says Tonner, not taking notes, watching Elias, unblinking, like a wolf watches a rabbit.

Elias smiles like no rabbit has ever smiled in the history of the world.

Tonner turns on Jon. “Mister Sims, I need more than what you’ve given me. We’re still missing things. Like how the hell his hand is burned in the pattern of that knife handle.”

Jon isn’t a good liar. Fortunately, this isn’t a lie. “I’m sorry,” says Jon. “I don’t know what to tell you. This man came up, and said he needed help, and then when I turned around, he… did this.”

“He’s blind,” Tonner says.

Jon just looks at her, and his tone goes sharp. “And that means he can’t hold a knife? Do your job, detective, and figure it out. I’ve told you the truth, and badgering me won’t produce a different answer.”

Tim flinches. That would go over great.

What a genius, Hastur drawls.

Tonner takes a step toward Jon.

Jon flinches back as if she’d bared her teeth.

Elias steps in, hand on his shoulder. “Easy, Jon. I know you’re stressed. Detective, we’ve all had a terrible day, and may I remind you that we are the victims here? Are we nearly finished?”

Jon looks down, hunched.

Tonner turns toward Tim.

Tim, who has some of Jon’s blood on his hands. Tim, who’s bruised from tackling that startlingly strong man. Tim, who really wanted to never see this woman again in his life.

Tim gives her a thousand-watt smile. “Hello again.”

“Funny, finding you in the middle of this,” says Tonner. “And I suppose you have a perfectly reasonable excuse for being here?”

“Sure do,” says Tim. “I work here.”

She looks deeply startled, and turns to Elias as if offended. “What?”

“He’s my newest employee, detective,” says Elias. “Why?”

“I suppose you’ve got paperwork to back that up?” Tonner challenges.

“Certainly, though I hardly see why it’s relevant to your investigation,” says Elias. “I have nothing to hide. If you want to see it now, I can show you.”

“Show me now,” says Tonner, as though she thinks he’s going to forge it the moment he’s out of sight.

“Well, I’m sure a little harassment is all in a day’s work for you,” Elis says mildly. “This way, please.” He heads for his office.

“Watch it, Bouchard,” Tonner says, on his heels.

Tonner’s partner sighs. She studies Tim, thoughtful, arms crossed. “Anything else you want to say on record?”

What was her name? Hussain? “No, officer. We just got really lucky tonight. No one’s hurt too badly, and I’ll take that as an outcome.”

“Mm,” says Hussain, noncommittal.

“How’s your night going?” says Tim, trying the charm.

“Weird,” says Hussain. “Seems when the lights go out, the crazy fills its place.”

“Right?” says Tim. “Can’t thank you enough for all you do, protecting us ordinary citizens.” He is deadpan.

She eyes him.

His serious expression does not crack.

Hussain gives up. “Mister Sims, we’ll be calling on you later as a witness.”

Jon is touching his white bandage so gingerly, almost as if to convince himself it’s really there. “Of course, officer. Whatever you need.”

Hussain nods and goes to talk to the EMTs.

Jon sighs. “I’m sorry about all this.”

“Not your fault,” Tim murmurs back. “Some lunatic on the street comes in and attacks everybody, it’s hardly your fault.”

“He didn’t attack everybody, though, did he? Just me.” Jon sounds bitter.

Tim’s not sure he can blame him. “Want to stay here tonight?”

“What? In the library?” Jon says as though scandalized.

“Down in the Archives. You’re shaken up, and I think it might do you good to have someone look after you.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need looking after,” Jon says loftily.

“If this were reversed, and you saw me shaky and bleeding from the godsdamned throat, would you say, ‘Hey, good luck!’ and just walk off?” Tim challenges, pushing, urging Jon to accept.

Jon looks uncomfortable. “If you’re sure I won’t be a bother.”

He will.

Tim ignores that. “You won’t.”

“Thank you.” Jon is sincere. His dark eyes are just a touch shiny.

Such an awkward little dude. Tim feels justified in his unspoken adoption.

Tonner suddenly storms past, then spins on her heel, and fixes Tim with a sharp glare. Were her eyes always fucking yellow? “We’re not done, Stoker.”

“Sure?” he says, resisting the urge to get sarcastic.

Tonner stomps off.

Hussain sighs and follows.

The EMTs, having finished, give Jon some final instructions and paperwork, and leave.

Jon stares at nothing, looking gray.

“So,” says Tim to Elias. “Don’t suppose you can explain what just happened?”

“I can,” says Elias. “But not right now. Instead, I’m going to invite you both to my house.”

What?

“Huh?” says Tim.

Jon just blinks owlishly.

“I have plenty of room,” says Elias. “You both require a safe space to unwind tonight, and some food you don’t have to cook. And my home, unlike both of your apartments, is protected.”

“What, like the Institute is protected?” Tim snaps.

“When someone touched by the Eye doesn’t hand-deliver enemies over the doorstep, yes,” says Elias.

Jon hunches again.

Tim’s eyes narrow. “Don’t you fucking dare make him feel bad for this.”

“I won’t,” says Elias with a straight face and wide eyes. “Anyone could have fallen for this.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking no,” says Tim, but Jon interrupts him.

“Will you give us answers if we come?” says Jon.

“Oh, come on, Jon,” Tim murmurs.

“Yes,” says Elias. “You have my word. I will answer questions and explain what just happened.”

Jon looks at Tim, pleading.

The downside of adoption: that look is hard to ignore. He sighs. “You know what? We might as well. This is already all weird and fucked up. Might as well throw an awkward family dinner into the mix.”

Hastur chuckles. Awkward family dinner. Very good.

“I’ll bring the car around. Let’s not linger,” says Elias, and heads for the door.

“You sure about this?” says Tim.

Jon’s look is now hungry, sharp. Unwavering. “Tim, I need to know what’s going on. I need to know if what I saw was real. I need to know what just happened, and who that was.”

“All right, all right, I already agreed,” says Tim.

Foolish, murmurs Hastur. But perhaps expected. He’s driven by his accidental god.

“What’s he saying?” says Jon.

“You really can tell when he’s talking to me, huh?” says Tim.

“Yes,” says Jon. “You change, somehow. It’s hard to explain.”

That is unnerving. Tim swallows.

A polite honk echoes through the front doors.

“Our ride is here,” says Tim dramatically, and helps Jon stand. “Come on. Let’s do this. You got keys?”

“It’s how I let the enemy in,” Jon mutters.

“Not your fault. I’d have helped him, too.”

No, you wouldn’t. You saw the shadows.

Then why didn’t he? Tim thinks at him.

I don’t think he could. This is something the Eye can’t handle well.

A ‘balancing influence,’ Elias had said before, as though some of these things counteracted one another. Why could I see it?

Because of what you are.

Baby Merlin, Tim thinks, keeping an eye out while Jon locks up.

Elias’ car is, of course, ridiculous. Some fancy Mercedes, fortunately a sedan. He smiles behind the wheel.

“Front or back?” says Tim.

“Back,” says Jon at once. “I don’t want to talk.”

“Fair enough.”

As they pull away, Tim pretends not to see the angry shadows lasing around the steps of the Institute, as though angry they can’t wreak vengeance inside.