#i have a feeling that gen 9 will catch up soon at least for me

[brigatebajor]

idk if i said that i probably have. but the one thing gen 7 did so so right is the starters literally all of them are just top notch best set of starters ever

[katymacsupernatural]

Not My Reality Part 3

Jensen Ackles x Reader

Story Summary: Y/N wakes up in a nightmare. Is it her new reality, or can she figure out how to fix it. How can she get pack to her husband Jensen?

Catch Up Here: Part 1, Part 2

A/N: There is going to be 1 more part.

Jared excused himself for a phone call with his wife, leaving you in awkward silence with Jensen. You opened your mouth to speak, before deciding not to. Jensen kept rubbing the back of his neck, clearly as uncomfortable as you.

Finally, after the silence was unbearable, you gave in. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah,” he answered, seeming slightly relieved that you had spoken first. Sinking down onto the low, cream-colored couch, his body was still tense as if he was waiting for the other bomb to drop. 

You carefully sat down across from him, wishing you could reach out and thread your fingers through his. To feel his strong arms wrapped tight around him, his voice deep as he told you everything would be okay.

“What’s the question?” He asked, pulling your attention back to this Jensen. The one who could barely look at you, and when he did it was with contempt.

“What happened between you, and the...real Y/N? I can tell something happened.”

His jaw clenched and he looked away for a moment. “Listen, it doesn’t matter. I can just tell you’re not her, and we need to figure out how to fix this. It makes me feel like I’m in an episode of Supernatural. Not just filming it.”

“Please, tell me,” you insisted. “I’d like to know.”

“Our Y/N, she’s gone through some troubling times,” he started slowly. “She’s been into drugs, alcohol. You name it, she’s probably tried it. She’s talented, but she lets things get in the way. We’ve tried to help her, but she’s so needy. And then, one night after a long night of filming, I came back to my trailer, and she was laying on my bed, completely nude. I tried dressing her in one of my shirts. Tried pushing her out the door, but her hands were everywhere. Then Dee walked in, and well...it took me almost a month before I was out of the dog house.”

You could see the hurt still in his eyes, the anger at being manhandled like that. His marriage had almost been ruined by your alter ego. It made sense why he was a little mad. “I’m so sorry. I promise I’m nothing like that.”

“I’m beginning to notice,” he answered. “But I think we need to keep moving. If Dee knows you’re here, things might not go well.”

Jared had just finished his phone call, coming back into the room. “Then why bring me here? I don’t want to cause any more trouble for you.”

“Gen was back,” he explained. “And I really didn’t want to explain you.”

“What the hell are we going to do?” You had no idea where to even start. “Do we travel up to Vancouver, and see if that changes anything?”

“It’s our best bet,” Jared agreed. “I can have my plane up and running in around an hour.”

He left again to make plans, and you sat there with Jensen nervously tapping your leg. “I can’t believe this is really happening,” he muttered. “And in your...version of the life, you’re married to me? But we both still work on Supernatural?”

“Yeah,” you answered. “Happily married. Jared’s both of our friends. And you and I...well we just getting ready to start the next chapter of our life together.” 

“Hey guys, have you heard?” Jared came rushing back into the living room, his phone in his hand and his eyes huge. “When I went to call for my plane, they said that all flights are grounded for right now. Because of the craziest electrical storm.”

“So we’re not going to Vancouver?” You asked, disappointed, wondering what was going to happen next.

“There’s more!” Jared insisted, handing the phone to Jensen, leaving you in suspense. “You’ll never guess where this storm happened.”

You quickly left your chair, sitting down beside Jensen, trying to ignore the way his leg tightened and he pulled away from you. You looked over his shoulder, seeing the article on the screen, your mouth dropping in disbelief. 

“No way. Lawrence Kansas. That has to be some sort of sign. Right?” You couldn’t believe it. Your life had been turned upside down, just like an episode of Supernatural. And now this freak storming was happening right above the birthplace of Sam and Dean Winchester. Things had to be connected. 

“I think instead of flying maybe we should be driving through Kansas. Maybe we can get some answers,” Jensen finally spoke up. “This all has to be related somehow.” 

“Roadtrip!” You all three exclaimed. “But first, some explaining to the wives,” Jared sighed. “We’ll leave in five.”

You anxiously waited outside by Jensen’s SUV, and soon enough both men exited the garage, a duffle bag in Jensen’s hand. You sat in the backseat, letting both men sit upfront. Staring out the window as they talked quietly, you couldn’t help but wonder. Is this what had turned your life upside down? A freak storm. And maybe, heading to Kansas would get you back to your life. And your Jensen. 

“You okay back there Y/N?” Jared asked, more comfortable around you than Jensen. “At least we have a lead.”

“Yeah,” you answered, yawning. “How far is the drive?”

Jensen was the one to answer this time. “9 hours or so. Why don’t you try to get some sleep.”

You didn’t have to be told twice. Stretching out in the roomy backseat of his SUV, you nestled your head against the window. Closing your eyes, you let your mind relax. This day had been nothing but traumatic, and you were exhausted.

“Y/N wake up,” Jared gently shook your shoulder, waking you up. “We’re stopped for food and gas. Now’s the time to use the bathroom.”

He left the door open, and you slowly climbed out of the car, yawning and stretching as you did so. The brilliant blue sky had long since darkened to a deep teal, and you wondered exactly how long you had slept. 

“We’re not stopping for dinner so I suggest getting enough snacks to tide you over,” Jensen startled you. He was leaning against the side of the SUV, waiting as it slowly filled up. 

Before heading inside to take care of business, you stayed beside him, enjoying the cool night air. “How far are we away?”

“Another three hours maybe,” he answered. “It won’t be too long now. But please don’t be too disappointed if this Lawrence thing doesn’t work out.” 

“I’m just grateful for you, and Jared, for helping me out. You could have just thrown me out, let me fend for myself,” you awkwardly patted his shoulder, wishing he was yours. At least for a moment so you could feel his arms around you. Holding back tears as your heart ached to be home, you rounded the SUV, heading into the small convenience store. 

After using the restroom, you piled your arms full of snacks. Things for you, along with a couple of items for Jensen in case he didn’t make his way inside. Jared paid for the snacks, and you followed him outside. Silently climbing in the back of the SUV, you couldn’t help but feel your nerves start to rise as you Lawrence grew ever closer.

Dean/Jensen Tags: @acortez82​​ @acreativelydifferentlove​​ @adoptdontshoppets​​ @a-girl-who-loves-disney​​ @akshi8278​​   @bi-danvers0​  @cap-just-said-language​​ @colette2537​​   @deansgirl215​​  @flamencodiva​​ @hamiltrash1411​​ @its-not-a-tulpa​​ @jerkbitchidjitassbutt​​ @justanotherwinchester​​ @just-another-winchester​​ @karouwinchester​​ @keikoraventeller​​  @krys198478​ @librarygeekery​​ @magssteenkamp​​ @misspygmypie​​ @mlovesstories​​ @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk​​  @mrspeacem1nusone​​ @nothinbuttrouble2​​ @ria132love​​ @ruprecht0420​​  @screechingartisancashbailiff​   @sortaathief​​ @superseejay721517​​ @squirrelnotsam​​ @team-free-will-you-idjiot​​ @thing-you-do-with-that-thing​​ @thoughts-and-funnies​ @torn-and-frayed​​ @tricksterdean​​ @wonderfulworldofwinchester​​ @woodworthti666​​ @beabutterfly987​ @pink-sparkly-witch​ @sexyvixen7​ @alwaysananglophile @supernatural3002​

Not My Reality Tags: @infinityspaceuniverse​ @supernatural3002​ @dean-winchesters-gardian-angel​ @thevelvetseries​ @lexeeehhh​ @erule​

Forever Tags: @aditimukul​​ @alexwinchester23​​ @algudaodoce03-blog​​ @amanda-teaches​​ @andreaaalove​​   @artisticpoet​​ @atc74​​ @be-amaziing​​ @camelotandastronauts​ @caswinchester2000​​ @cpag7​​ @chelsea072498​​  @closetspngirl​​ @deanwanddamons​​ @docharleythegeekqueen​​ @emoryhemsworth​​ @ericaprice2008​​  @esoltis280​​   @tatted-trina6​ @foxyjwls007​​ @gh0stgurl​​ @goldenolaf25​​ @growningupgeek​​  @heartislubbingdubbing​​ @heyitscam99​​ @hobby27​​ @horsegirly99blog​​ @imsuperawkward​​ @internationalmusicteacher​​ @iwriteaboutdean​​  @jayankles​​ @jensen-gal​​ @justsomedreaming​​ @just-another-busyfangirl @karlee-fay-my-wayward-son​​ @linki-locks11​​ @littleblue5mcdork​​  @lowlyapprentice​​   @mersuperwholocked-lowlife​​ @mogaruke​​ @monkeymcpoopoo​​ @musiclovinchic93​​  @nanie5​​   @percussiongirl2017​​ @plaid-lover-bay25​​   @roonyxx​​ @ronja-uebrick​​ @roxyspearing​​  @samanddeanmyheroes​​ @sandlee44​​ @shamelesslydean​​ @simonsbluee​​ @sillesworldofwriting​​ @sgarrett49​​ @spnbaby-67​​ @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester​​ @spnwoman​​   @superbadassnatural​​ @thatcrazybookwormgeek​​   @thewinchesterchronicles​​ @valsworldofcreativity​ @vvinch3st3r​​  @whimsicalrobots​​ @winchester-writes​​ @zombiewerewolfqueen​​

[obi-wkenobi]

2021 Fic Review

Thank you for the tag @treescape, @binaryeclipse and @shywhitemoose 💙

total number of completed works: 12 for 2021

total word count: 119,008 for 2021

looking back did you write more, less, or the expected amount of fic this year?: about the expected amount I think. I didn’t set myself any goals for 2021, so anything written was an achievement.

your own favorite story of this year?: Awed (Obikin) or days 6, 9, 12, 16, 19, 22, 26, and 27 (gen.) from my Whumptober contribution. These are the ones I’m quite proud of and am often tempted to expand upon in some way.

did you take any writing risks this year?: I did my first ever month long challenge with Whumptober, which was very hard. I wrote at least half of my entries before the event began, but definitely felt the stress when I found the days catching up with me, and my slow writing, for the rest of the prompts towards the end of the month. It was absolutely worth it though. I came up with ideas and AUs that I never would have considered otherwise, and it was also my first time writing gen instead of ship writing. It helped me realise that I can write certain characters outside of how I’ve always written them.

do you have any fanfic goals for the new year?: no, not really. As soon as I set goals for myself I start to flounder and stress that I’m not going to meet them. For myself, they’re more of a hindrance than a help. However, I would like to open up my inbox for prompts at some point. I’ve never done that before and am a bit nervous about it, but hopefully that’ll happen at some point this year.

most popular story of the year?: In terms of hits, Whumptober 2021, which isn’t surprising considering that I updated it everyday. In terms of kudos, Discovered Desire.

story most under-appreciated?: Probably If you love me, let me go. I spent roughly four months writing this fic, not continuously, but pretty persistently. It’s my least popular fic, but it’s one of my favourites. It’s a sad fic and so that may be why it hasn’t done as well as my other ones. Anyway, I think the emotional nature of the fic more than makes up for the sad ending.

most fun story to write?: Talk to me. I’m not the biggest fan of modern AUs, but this was a lot of fun to write as it challenged me and kept my attention. Also, it was very nice not having to remember all the in-universe terminology and rules that I usually try to remember when writing in the gffa.

most unintentionally telling story?: Easily Discovered Desire. Daddy Obi-Wan? Yes please.

biggest disappointment?: I’ve been feeling quite insecure in my writing in the past two months and I think that’s reflected in my most recent fic, Bloom the want. I’m currently trying to finish up chapter 2 of it, but I’m deleting and redoing everything I write and eurgh, why is it taking me so long? 

biggest surprise?: The love that After everything, only us received. I hadn’t planned on writing it and didn’t think much of it when it was completed. Apparently, the fandom really wanted some older Obikin...which yeah, I don’t blame them haha. Also, the feedback and love I had for my Denial, then acceptance series. Many people have told me that it’s their favourite piece of my writing and I’m all?? Thank you, though I never would have thought so. I’m happy with the series, but it’s not my best writing, imo. 

my favorite part of fandom this year?: All the new people that have joined the fandom! We reached 5k fics on AO3 in 2021, and considering when I joined the fandom nearly two years ago we only had just over 2k, that’s pretty damn impressive. Now we all need to be prepared for another influx once the Kenobi series comes out.

No pressure tagging!: @unspuncreature @leaffall15 @pontah @lowstandards @gay-cheerios @edge-ofnight

[love-bokumono-fics]

WIP Wednesday - Trio of Towns

Trio of Towns has no shortage of wonderful works that are in progress. Some of them I know are years in the making and I always look forward to an update.

So here's hoping you find a new story to love!

If you're reading or writing a Trio of Towns WIP that didn't get featured today, please feel more than welcome to drop it in the Submission box and share with the rest of us! (When I only share 10 fics at a time, there's always something that's bound to be missed.)

Two in One - by PineconeTheKitten; WIP, 1/?, 1.3k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Ford/Wayne, Female Farmer/Ford, Female Farmer/Wayne; Characters: Female Farmer, Ford, Wayne, Dessie, Inari, Witchie

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Magic Revealed, Gods, Goddesses, Spirits

Summary: Ford and Wayne were once two people. Now they aren't. Holly doesn't know what to do. As it turns out, Ward is pretty into Holly, and she into him.

Two Individuals in Love can be Asexual, a Case Study - by chickadeequill; WIP, 1/?, <1k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Farmer/Ford; Characters: Ford, Female Farmer, Wayne

Additional Tags: Asexual Relationship, Romantic Fluff

Summary: After years of painstakingly avoiding romance, the town's eligible and single doctor Ford finds himself facing a simple question: is there room in his life for love? It seems the hardworking farmer just past the crossroads is still single as well, and Ford just can't figure out why she keeps declining advances from the other eligible singles in all three towns.

Watered-Down Ideals - by LemWrites; WIP, 3/?, 4k

Rating: Not Rated; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: M/M, Multi

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Farmer/Ludus; Characters: Original Male Character(s), Frank, Megan, Hector, Colin, Noel | Noelle

Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Fluff, Self Confidence Issues, ADHD, I gave a farmer adhd and anxiety, this may have more projection then intended

Summary: Join Steve, the newly appointed farmer in the Trio of Towns world, on a journey full of; useless gay pinning, being a disaster, self hatred and more!

Earth and Rebirth - by TheBeckster; WIP, 17/?, 66k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: Multi, Gen

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Characters: Holly | Nanami, Frank, Marlena, Wayne, Ford, Lisette, Brad, Carrie, everyone

Additional Tags: Undecided Relationship(s), Additional Tags to Be Added, lots of headcanons, Minor Character Death, Eventual Friends to Lovers, I'm not going to tag every single character, but they will all have a part in the story, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, New friends and found family, world building, Angst with a Happy Ending, Holly is an extrovert, endgame ship tbd, Cover Art

Summary: Holly considered herself fortunate to be living about as close to the dream as any young twenty-something could. A great family, a loving husband, and well, she'd admit their apartment was awful, but they'd be moving onto bigger and better things soon enough. She truthfully couldn't wish for more. But when an accident rips it all away from her, Holly finds herself seeking a change of scenery. Her Uncle's farm out in the middle of nowhere is the perfect place for her to hide to mourn. A familiar story with a twist or two.

Fire and Dew - by Juliko; WIP, 9/26, 73k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Yuzuki/Original Character(s)

Characters: Original Female Character(s), Yuzuki, Sumomo, Lisette, Colin, Wayne, Brad, Carrie, Shizu, Yaichi, Tatsumi, Omiyo, Umekichi, Lynn, Marlena, Daryl | Darius, Ittetsu, Moriya

Additional Tags: farming, Slice of Life, Drama, Family Drama, Family Issues, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Original Character(s), Major Original Character(s), Female Character of Color, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Friendship/Love, Past Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Humor, Eventual Happy Ending, Comedy, Friends to Lovers, Adoption, Sick Character, Lulukoko characters won't appear in this fic, Falling In Love, Dorks, Ableism, Happy Ending, Romantic Fluff, Break Up, Past Relationship(s), Cows, Chickens, Sheep, Rabbits, Flowers, Stimming, Family Fluff, Bisexual Female Character, Pansexual Character, Lesbian Character, Children, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma

Summary: For as long as she could remember, Harper Leigh Maxwell's dream has always been to become a farmer, but her father's job makes it hard to do so, since it involves lots of moving. After graduating from college, she finally decides to take a chance and get her own farm. She's determined to make the most of this opportunity and do what she's wanted. In the process, she makes new friends, learns many new things, and faces many hardships. One of the friends she makes is Yuzuki Fujiwara, a mellow, sweet natured man from the town of Tsuyukusa who doesn't have the best constitution. The two of them form a strong connection that may even end up blossoming into love. But Harper's past might make things complicated, and when it threatens to catch up with her, she may find herself facing the demons from her pre-adoption early childhood. This is the story of two different people, with different interests, passions, and paths in life, walking the same dirt road every day...

Tiny Steps to Big Leaps - by Distracteddiddlin; WIP, 29/?, 28k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Other

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Ford/Holly | Nanami; Characters: Ford, Holly | Nanami, Brad, Wayne

Additional Tags: Fluff, Developing Relationship, surprise parenting, rating and tags will update, NB Farmer, Idiots in Love, Wet Dream, Love Confessions, oh it's fucking started now, Mildly Dubious Consent, for like the smallest split second

Summary: Me while writing this months ago: what if I did that that Ford/farmer fic again but with a twist? Basically it's what if Ford accidentally became a single dad after the farmer meets him

Stranded - by TheBeckster; WIP, 2/?, 4k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Gen

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Ludus & Siluka, Ludus & Iluka, Iluka & Siluka; Characters: Ludus, Iluka, Siluka, Tototara, Zahau, Caolila

Additional Tags: all aboard the childhood trauma boat!, Pre-Canon, Peril, Wilderness Survival, Mild Blood

Summary: Desperate for an adventure to break up the interminable boredom of a long summer, three kids set to the high seas and get way more adventure than they ever hoped for or wanted. AKA: Let's explore the Lulukoko Trio's shared childhood trauma!

Trio Of Towns - Figuring Out Love - by vampireprincess624; WIP, 6/?, 5k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: Multi

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Ford/Pixie; Characters: Ford, Pixie, Wayne, Brad, Lisette, Carrie, Noelle, Colin, Miranda, Frank, Megan, Hector, Other(s)

Summary: Pixie Fawn is left with a mess she has to sort out after leaving Ludus at their wedding because Ford, who had been away for seven months, appeared as a guest. But how is fixing things with the stubborn doctor more difficult than sorting things out with her ex husband-to-be? Are they destined to be friends or will their stronger feelings for each other lead to love? A lot of Ford/Pixie scenes where they figure out their love for each other. This is Part 3 to my series, Life In The Towns, and I strongly advise you read Part 1 (or at least the last few chapters) before this, but it should still make sense anyway. Hope you enjoy :)

The House That We Built - by CherryQDoodles; WIP, 2/?, 8k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Holly | Nanami/Ludus; Characters: Ludus, Original Characters, Lulukoko Villagers, Westown Villagers, Tsuyukusa Villagers

Additional Tags: Slow Burn, story building, Learning from the Past, Tons of fluffy moments, farmlife shenanigans, Festivals, Romance, Dark skinned MC, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Summary: Nicola knew as soon as she was able to talk that she was very different from the family she was raised in. From her dark skin to her snow white hair she stuck out as the black sheep, but she loved them like they were her blood, and vice versa. But Nicola always dreamed of wanting more: to become a farmer. Growing crops, raising animals and everything in between! She just had to convince her father that she could handle the hard work within two years time. Follow Nicola's journey to becoming the best farmer she dreams of, and her adventures in the Trio of Towns!

Ford's Roses - by thelighthouse33; WIP, 5/?, 3k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandom: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Farmer/Ford; Characters: Ford, Female Farmer, Wayne, Megan, Frank, Miranda, Carrie, Brad, Lisette, Noel | Noelle, Colin

Additional Tags: My First Work in This Fandom, better late than never, Ford x Holly, Story of Seasons Trio of Towns, Harvest Moon - Freeform, Gaming

Summary: This is a story of how the doctor of Westown, in charge of The White Capsule Clinic, falls in love with the new farm girl...

[neon-moon-beam]

What I Hope For Gen 9 (Mostly Scarlet and Violet)

Disclaimers:

These are just my opinions.

I haven’t played 6th or 7th Gen yet.

It sounds like I don’t like SwSh; I actually really enjoyed them. I’m using them for comparison here because besides Legends: Arceus, they’re the most recent games I’ve really played, and for everything I enjoyed, there were a lot of things I did not and hope are toned down or not used again in Gen 9. Post under a cut due to length.

What I’d like to see:

Even better character customization options. I know being able to customize much more than skin and sometimes hair color at the very start, and then later hair color and style, eye color, and clothes probably won’t be seen any time soon, but it would be nice if they at least stopped gender locking hairstyles and clothes, go the route Animal Crossing went.

More open world, which it seems like we’re getting. I liked in Legends: Arceus how you could just throw a ball and potentially catch something, as well as being able to see shiny Pokemon immediately.

The return of crafting, but also being able to make more than Poke Balls, healing, and battle items. I really enjoyed the cooking aspect of BotW, so I’d like a game where you can forage and shop for ingredients and cook something for yourself (maybe to heal if you get attacked by wild Pokemon?) and/or your Pokemon in a camping setting like SwSh, just with more options than adding an main ingredient and berries.

A bigger world. Legends: Arceus feels very small once you’ve explored all the areas for the first time (and especially after getting Braviary), as do a lot of other regions once you’ve been everywhere. Galar felt small, and some of the routes were just tiny. Earlier Gens had tiny routes too, but somehow going to 3D made short routes feel even shorter than Gen 5 and earlier to me.

Alternative paths to getting 8 badges and challenging the League. It would be nice to have another way to unlock new areas, new items in stores, progress in general, etc. Or even a game where you could do a combo of things and say, have one badge, one contest ribbon, and a certain amount of the Dex filled out be the equivalent of what having three badges in another game would do and unlock things. I know we probably won’t get this though.

More interacting with your Pokemon in the overworld. Having Pokemon follow you (but less glitchy please!), more varied interactions with them (bring back being able to pet Pokemon, please!)

I’m enjoying seeing more characterization for NPCs than earlier Gens. I want to see more of that.

More exploring, more locations off the main path that you have to find for yourself, and more locations that are completely optional vs every location is required at some point. It was really rewarding to find these in earlier games, but later games seem to hold your hand and lead you to everything.

What I don’t want to see:      

The constant hand-holding through the entire main storyline; I don’t need characters to stop me every time I reach a town or other location to challenge me to a battle or catch me up to the plot, I don’t need the villain team, sleeping or otherwise immovable Pokemon, or anything else blocking the exit of every town until I get a badge or complete another requirement, preventing any real exploration. Something that was fun about earlier games (as in Gens 1 through 4 at least) was you could sometimes progress a little further than the current town and badge you were working on, limited only by Pokemon and trainers who were overleveled for you, and HMs you didn’t have yet. This was useful for leveling and if you had Fly, you could fly ahead to the next town so long as you’d visited it before, upon beating the Gym, etc. SwSh refused to let the player progress AT ALL and it wasn’t fun.

Just being given things, like being handed Legendaries or other usually hard to obtain Pokemon (like getting Mew or Jirachi after one badge in BDSP, so long as you had a SwSh file and/or Let’s Go Pikachu or Eevee). Working for those and having an actual fight was part of the fun and challenge of the games.

Battles that are essentially playable cutscenes. Going back to SwSh (again), there was no real risk with Eternatus, and knowing it was a guaranteed capture took away a lot of the excitement. Yes, the Max Den has guaranteed captures, but you’re not guaranteed to get to the Legendary in the first place, and you might lose the battle even if you do and have to start over. At least that was a challenge.

Less linear progression around the region (but not the way you’re thrown all over Sinnoh in D/P/Pt and BDSP either). It’s boring when every town after the first or second has a badge, and you can only go one way, especially coupled with the hand-holding and not being allowed to progress. It’s nice to have a break from the plot here and there.

This push and expectation that your starter is going to be in your party AND be your ace. SwSh pushed that harder than any other game I’d seen (I haven’t played 6th or 7th Gen yet), and ironically was the first game where I didn’t feel much of anything for any of the starters. In previous games, I have kept my starter in my party the whole time. Many NPCs around Galar talk about how special your starter is, etc, and even Leon has a team with two Pokemon tailored to your starter—the starter with the type advantage, and one Pokemon with a disadvantage. I ended up with a team that did not include my starter in SwSh as well as BDSP.

Special treatment for Charizard. I remember everyone wondering why it had to have two mega-evolutions in 6th Gen, and then in SwSh it was super annoying to keep hearing about Leon and his “unbeatable Charizard”, despite all the new Pokemon they could have chosen to be his ace. I don’t understand why they showcased a Kanto starter again instead of something new to really make the region feel fresh.

Too much attention on the Kanto starters as whole, such as being given one or all postgame, or giving them special forms (whatever the new gimmick will be in this Gen, if they do one). There are seven other Gens of starters besides the new ones we’re getting to pick from in Gen 9. It would be nice to see some of those again (and especially ones that were Dexit’d from SwSh).    

The battle style of Legends: Arceus, in that you can be up against 4-5 Pokemon sometimes, which worst case scenario means you’re outsped and have to wait 8-10 turns to move, and are likely knocked out regardless of level and type matchups. Constantly being one on one and having everything take exactly one turn isn’t realistic, but being ganged up on all the time is very annoying. I’d like to see more of a balance (and less random Pokemon inviting themselves to the battle—this means you, Paras).

 No more being forced to only battle with one Pokemon while a trainer can send out two or three. If it’s a doubles, let the player send out two! And just bring back triples and rotation if they’re going to send out three. I’m hoping that people sending out multiple Pokemon while you can only use one was just a way to show that people in Hisui really didn’t know how to battle before the player and Ingo showed them.

I don’t want to have to go back to the same area every time I want to go somewhere else, the way you have to go back to Jubilife to go to another area in Legends: Arceus. I want to be able to just walk, ride a Pokemon, or fast travel between any locations.

What I want to see outside of Scarlet and Violet:

 Another Legends title

Ports, not remakes of 5th Gen (unless they go really, really hard with the remakes—the quality of BDSP has me worried)

INGO AND DAWN/LUCAS HAVE RETURNED TO THEIR PROPER TIME AND PLACE AND EVERYTHING IS GOOD

[inknopewetrust]

adieu, remember me. (1)

The Old Guard Booker x Female! Original Character

Summary: After a few years away, one member of the immortal team must return to protect their immortality and secrets as enemies begin to uncover their past.

Word Count: 1.6k 

Warnings: nothing yet!

Parts: ... | 2 | part 2 coming soon!

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think about the work and it will def be more than 2 or 3 parts and longer than this one. Requests are CLOSED at the moment and I apologize in advance for any mis-wording or spelling in different languages because I don’t know french/italian but I feel in some cases it was necessary to use for character interactions. Published on 8/9/2020.

if you want to be tagged for the next part please let me know!

All original content is owned by me. Anything from the film/comic is property of the writers, studio, and director. Gif not by me.

Versailles evolves every so often but over 172 odd years, more visitors pack its halls and recall its history. Tourists from around the world flock to the once functional palace and the home of infamous, complicated monarchs. Passed the sweeping halls and the paintings of untouchable status, a special exhibit was placed at the end of the hall with cases full of crowned jewels of French royalty.

Tourists flashed photos of crowns and rings and pearls that adorned the exhibit cases. In the center of the room laid perhaps the most famous of jewels, as well as the crowns that found themselves on the heads of women who suffered terrible fates. The Hope Diamond sat in a case between crowns that once adorned it and worn by Marie Antoinette and Louis Philippe I’s controversial daughter, Vivienne, Duchess of Auvergne. On loan from its final resting place at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the diamond once found itself imbedded in each of the crowns on momentous occasions.

Crown worn by Vivienne, Duchess of Auvergne and third daughter of King Louis Philippe, killed by French revolutionaries in February 1848. Crown was commissioned by the King for his daughter’s twenty-eighth birthday. Was worn on the night of her death on 24th of February, 1848.

Twenty-eight. 172 years later she still remember the party, the food, the smell of the candles that burned from the chandelier and the man who caught her heart. Pretentious was the only word that came to mind when she thought of the party and the woman. At the time she felt deception too but the world has a funny way of making villains look like heroes depending on the perspective.

Clara felt the surge of memories remind her of the life she knew before the one she was in now. She didn’t know how long she had stood in front of that particular case with that particular diamond and crown but by the time her feet began to ache she knew it had been long enough. Clara also wasn’t sure how long a small English girl had been standing next to her, also staring at the silver diamond encrusted crown and the plaque underneath it.

“You know, she’s kind of a rebel and I dig it. It reminds me of Princess Margaret in a way. She was Queen Elizabeth’s sister and she partied a lot too.”

“Excuse me?”

“Vivienne. She was a rebel in her own right and I admire her for it.” The woman turned, her face meeting the girl taking notes on a piece of paper. The girl couldn’t have been more than thirteen and certainly had a bold personality if she was talking to someone she didn’t know.

“The revolutionaries didn’t see it that way, so why would you?”

“She was independent. I think it was progressive and cool for her not to follow the rules of her family. Not to mention the glamour in her style. She had the best dresses and crowns since well, Marie Antoinette probably.”

“That’s a little naïve, no?” The woman raised her brow at the student but the girl simply shrugged. The young one looked at the older woman and analyzed her face and features as she spoke.

“She spent the people’s money like water and saw no problem with the poverty in the streets. Vivienne was oblivious to the world around her because she lived in a world of riches with everyone at her disposal.”

“Perhaps.” The girl paused before continuing. “There’s a tv show about her on... um-I don’t remember- HBO maybe and they say she took a commoner for a lover and he sold her secrets to the revolutionaries which led to her death. Her body disappeared after the broke into the castle and people think they threw her body in the Seine.”

“I would advise you to stop watching whatever movies are giving you that perspective on the issue because it’s not true.” Clara scoffed and turned away from the girl.

The girl listened but was too entranced by the figure in front of her eyes. Brown hair, medium length, waved. She looked nice to say the least. She had on pretty clothes and may have been an employee because she knew so much but the girl wasn’t sure. All the student was certain of was that the woman standing in front of her looked very much like the Duchess in the paintings that lined the modern wing.

“You look like her.” The girl told her and she put her pencil down holding the pad of paper at her side. Before she had a chance to answer the girl, a teacher called out to the students as a signal to leave and the girl picked up her bag.

“Have a nice day.”

The girl left with the class and the woman stayed in front of the case watching them leave the room before turning back to the crown that once adorned her own head. A soft rumble came from her pocket and she pulled out the burner phone with a number she didn’t recognize but an area code she did, Goussainville.

France, safe house #4

“Hello?”

“Clara.” The Italian on the other line sounded relieved that she simply picked up the phone. Clara’s face contorted into one of worry than one of happiness she had been called.

“Nicolo, s’il tu plaît dites-moi que tout va bien?” Clara moved over to a window, away from the crowds to answer the call she had been anticipating for the last day. She dreamt of a black girl and her throat being sliced open. Waking up gasping for breath that wasn’t her own and cautious of who it might be.

“No-no. Il y en a un nouveau ... mais ce n'est pas le problème. les gens essaient de nous trouver et Dieu sait quoi.” Nicky told her and Clara felt helpless, disappointed in herself that she wasn’t there to help them. Not only was there someone new who needed guidance but the others needed her too if they were going to protect their own skin.

“Andy went to get her. We are at the safe house in Goussainville and they should be here later today. If you can make it... we really need you, Clara.” Clara sighed and looked out the window that faced the vast gardens the palace was surrounded by. Serenity before the inevitable storm.

“He’d kill me if he knew I’m telling you this but Booker needs you. It’s getting worse since the last time he saw you and I am not sure what to do.”

“That was three weeks ago, Nicky.”

“I can’t explain it... it’s just gotten worse. I know he has to help himself but he’s always a bit brighter when you’re around.”

“I can be there later tonight. What time are they getting in?”

“7.”

“I can be there at 8. I’m in France so I’ll take a train as soon as I can.”

“We will be waiting.” Nicky told her and she hung up the phone. Clara looked back at that glimmering crown and what the young girl said about the Duchess. Naïvety at its finest.

At the safe house in Gousssainville, the three immortal men unpacked the bag they brought and washed up after the ambush in Afghanistan. Nicky stood alongside the small counter space prepping dinner when Booker came to fill a cup with wine.

“Who was on the phone?” Booker asked in a low grumble and Nicky set down the knife he was using to slice tomatoes.

“It was Clara. I called her and told her we needed her here. She dreamt of the girl too.”

“And?” Booker pushed further and downed his glass in an instant upon the news.

“She could catch a train to be here at 8.”

“How did she sound?”

“Worried.”

Booker nodded and filled his glass again before going to sit in front of the tv in a chair he had designated as his own many years ago. Nicky watched as he sat, drank more and tried to remove himself from his thoughts but was too lost to do so. He was observant and cared deeply for the others in his life but there was only so much he could do for a man as stubborn as Booker.

“Hai bisogno di aiuto?” Joe called out to Nicky from everyone’s shared bedroom before also joining the two in the common space. Nicky shook his head and glanced at Booker who wasn’t looking but certainly listening.

“I called Clara. She is on her way to us now. She knows we are in trouble.” Joe smiled at Nicky and gave him a quick peck. While they were all very close, Joe and Nicky had taken Clara under their wings and helped her acclimate to the world as an immortal, especially after they found her and the two french immortals clashed. 

“It’s been too long. I miss that woman.”

“We all do.” Nicky said before returning to his meal. Without much time having gone by, the door to the cemetery sounded and Andy walked through the door with a nervous woman behind them. The girl was young, no more than 25 and had blood stained on her forehead. One hand was clutching her arm but out of nervousness not injury. Her eyes looked at the three men. Two sat staring at her in chairs and the other by the refrigerator and the only sound that played was the cheering of fans from a football match that played on the widescreen. Andy looked over her shoulder and then back again, breaking the silence to introduce the newest member of The Old Guard.  

“Everyone, this is Nile.”

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

Tag List: (Let me know if you’d like to be tagged for the next part!) 

@holychocopie 

[undertalethingems]

Bark at the Moon Chapter 9: Setup and Punchline

<Previous / Next>

Or read on my Ao3>

Rating, Setting: Gen, Pre-canon

Chapter Warnings: None

Chapter Summary: Terrorizing Snowdin is fun enough, but Flowey wants more--where's Papyrus in all of this...?

Flowey suppressed a giggle as he hid beneath the lowest branches of a pine. Two monsters--a purple deer and a double-eared fox--were hiking just outside Snowdin. Idiots. Didn't they know there was a beast running loose?!

Flowey's smile turned jagged. There was a crack, and plumes of snow burst around the hapless monsters. Withdrawing his vines, he sent them running with a shower of pellets, delighting in their screams. He'd gotten bored of killing, but instilling fear in people was still fun and he had the perfect scapegoat.

Well, more like scape-dragon. His little rumor had done the trick. Even if he couldn't get Sans to attack, the townsfolk were so used to nothing happening it was easy to whip them into a panic. A prod here, a nudge there, a hail of bullets in between, and all of Snowdin had been buzzing within a week. He'd given it another just to really let it set in--and then let his pet go.

Flowey hadn't actually seen Sans in a while now, though he'd noticed his tracks around town and heard him howling at night. To think the toughest opponent he'd ever faced could be reduced to hiding in the shadows and relying on people's trash to get by! Though... that's more or less what all of monster kind was doing... A simple fact of life wasn't the best insult. Flowey frowned, his gloating spoiled. So much for that.

His fun over for now, he left his hiding spot to check in on the latest with the Guard. They usually met around this time to discuss the day's orders now that living in Snowdin had actually become eventful. Flowey liked keeping track of just how much chaos he'd caused, so he popped up beneath another tree and eagerly listened in.

"Undyne should be here soon, right?" Doggo was saying, and there was a rustle--presumably one of the Dogi nodding.

"We're supposed to meet with her at nine sharp. I wonder what our orders will be now that we know the beast is real," Dogamy said, and Doggo growled.

"I don't like it. We can't smell it, barely anyone's seen it--and its tracks just disappear into nowhere! Maybe it did eat Sans and stole his weird... appearing without moving thing..."

Flowey stifled a laugh. How were they all so dumb?!

Dogamy sighed. "Those brothers sure were something... at least Undyne told us Papyrus is okay."

Huh. So someone knew where Papyrus was...

"I've just gotta wonder about Sans after he was so worked up... and then he got sick, and we haven't seen him since. I hope he hasn't... you know..."

Doggo huffed. "Yeah. Damn. Oh hey--there's Greater Dog with the rest of 'em, guess it's time. Undyne's probably two steps behind 'em."

Flowey ducked a little closer to the ground to see better. He could hear the clanking of armor as Greater and Lesser Dogs trotted up with Dogaressa in tow. All the dogs shuffled around each other happily, sniffing and yipping; Flowey gagged as the Dogi kissed each other sloppily. Then someone started the morning howl, and they collectively threw their heads back to cry, their hot breath sending plumes of vapor into the chilled air.

Flowey found it all incredibly dumb.

Metal clanking rose over their voices, and their howls died away as they turned to salute their captain. She returned the gesture as she surveyed her troops, and sighed. She looked troubled.

"Anything to report before I begin?"

"No ma'am," Dogaressa replied firmly, "to our knowledge, there have been no further incidents. What are our orders for the day?"

Undyne nodded. "Right. We need to see if we can capture this... creature. It's clearly not a human, which means it has to be a monster somehow, so I don't want anyone hurting it. Whoever they are WON'T escape justice. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" they chorused.

"Good. Now, if it's scavenging from people's trash... that's gotta mean it's hungry."

"I can relate," Doggo murmured wryly, and Dogamy elbowed him.

"Ahem," Undyne growled, then continued. "What I was saying was, we might be able to lure it out with food. Today, I want everyone to scout out places that look promising--where there's been a lot of tracks, places that naturally make escape difficult. We're NOT letting this thing get away."

Flowey quietly scoffed--good luck with that plan. Sans wouldn't be found if he didn't want to be, and he couldn't be caught so easily either. He would know--he'd had to keep him tied up personally at all times just to keep him from disappearing on a whim. This would be hilarious. Even more so if he messed with them the whole time. The guards broke their huddle to get to work, and Flowey followed with full intent to sabotage.

He dumped snow on the Dogi, threw a stick for Greater Dog that sent him skidding across a patch of ice, and kept pulling on Doggo's tail when he wasn't looking; Undyne was harder to mess with, but he still managed to clock her in the helmet with a big icicle. By the time the morning shift was over, he'd made a thorough nuisance of himself and was quite pleased.

"Maybe this beast is actually a ghost, and they're playing poltergeist with us," Doggo growled dejectedly during one of their breaks, and Greater Dog whined in agreement.

"We'll question the ghost cousins if we have to, but I want everyone to focus on our goal," Undyne commanded. "There's already been one incident today. Let's do everything we can to make sure there's not another. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!"

Flowey had gotten bored of messing with them, so he left them and settled for poking around town to see what other havoc he could cause while the Guard was occupied. There wasn't much--everyone had taken to keeping their things and themselves indoors, so the most he could do was tap on windows and scratch at walls. But not being able to see the fear on his victim's faces took the fun out of it, and he grew bored of that too. He might as well wait for Undyne to get home so he could find out where Papyrus was.

He wasn't sad to exchange Snowdin's ice for Waterfall's mud, popping up in the corridor just outside Undyne's home. He'd hang out here, then maybe catch her attention as she passed by.

The wait was almost unbearable, but he finally heard her clanking down the passage and wriggled with excitement. Finally, he'd be able to question her--wait, where was she going? She'd passed by and continued down the hall. Flowey lowered a brow, and ducked down to follow her. At one point he overshot--she'd stopped somewhere behind him, at a cleft in the rock walls that wasn't really a path. She sprang up, and he burrowed as fast as he could to catch up before he lost sight of her completely.

He came out in time to see her finish vaulting up the walls and frowned. It could take him hours to find a route through the rock... but he didn't want to keep sitting around. He wanted--needed--to know what Undyne was doing, because this pathway was new. He grit his teeth, and sent out his roots to feel for weak points in the rock.

He finally emerged on a landing some twenty feet above the spot he'd left, and muddy boot prints confirmed this was where Undyne had come through. He peered down the corridor they led into, and cautiously made his way forward. There wouldn't be so many places to hide here--but not far from the exit, he found a nook between a few stalagmites and hung back, listening as Undyne spoke.

"Yeah, sorry about that. There's just... a lot going on with this investigation. Nothing serious, don't worry! But it's got the Guard all worked up and someone's gotta keep 'em on task, y'know?"

"Of course!" Papyrus replied.

Flowey frowned. Papyrus was way out here? Why?!

"Are you sure I can't help yet?"

"No, we can handle it," Undyne replied firmly. "We're close to a breakthrough, I can feel it!"

He heard Papyrus huff. "I'm sure your investigation would be over instantly if I helped, but fine... Anyway! You wanted a sparring session tonight!"

"YEAH! Gotta stay sharp, especially now that there's an active threat. Plus, you're perfect for helping me against--" Undyne cut herself off.

"Against anything!" Papyrus supplied.

"Yeah," Undyne agreed. "Alright, let's get into positions... and, whenever you're ready!"

Flowey heard the familiar ping of a blue attack, and Undyne was already laughing eagerly.

"Right off the bat! Hell yeah, bring it ON!"

Flowey listened to them clash, wishing there was some way to watch--but he hadn't found any more weak points in the surrounding rock. Drilling straight through would take forever--they'd be done by then. So he sat back and listened, and flinched at the hum of a 'special attack'. Flowey shook his head. 'Gaster Blaster' was a cooler name than that, but he never could get Papyrus to use it.

"Hah! You're hardly TRYING!" Undyne taunted as she undoubtedly summoned a ton of spears. "Now, dodge THIS!"

He could almost picture Papyrus darting around each crashing spear--but the sounds he heard didn't match. They were scratchy, clicky, came too close together to make sense with his mental image. Flowey furrowed his brow. What the heck was Papyrus doing? Walking on bone stilts?

A raspy yelp startled him from his thoughts.

"Oh geez, sorry!" Undyne called. "Are you okay?"

More clicking sounds, and Papyrus cleared his throat. "Yes! I was simply startled by that arrangement, that's all! It was very good!"

"Fuhuhuhu, thanks! I based it on a thing Alphys showed me--I'm gonna surprise the humans by using their own tactics against them!"

"Clever! It certainly caught me off guard! But soon! I'll be on the Guard! Nyeh heh heh heh heh!"

Undyne burst out laughing. "Not so fast! You gotta get through me first, punk! Come on! Prove you've got what it takes!"

Their sparring match began anew, and Flowey continued to eavesdrop. Papyrus seemed to be using his special attack more often than usual--maybe he was getting over thinking he had to 'save it' to keep it special. But... oddly... it sounded like Undyne was holding back? For all her boasting, he could hear it--she wasn't using as many spears as she usually did.

Papyrus confirmed it. "Hmph! You tell me to go all out! But you! You're holding back on me! You think I can't take it?"

"No!"

Papyrus gave an offended gasp. "You don't?!"

"No! That's not what I meant!" Undyne retorted. "I meant 'no' I think you can! I just! Don't--I don't feel like it! Ngaaaah!"

Well, that sounded like the usual number of spears.

"See! I knew you could do better!" Papyrus cheered when the salvo was over. "I even got hit a few times! But this battle isn't over yet!"

"... I dunno, Papyrus. I don't wanna hurt you anymore."

A huff. "You keep saying that! Or things like it! I know you're a very strong monster--you're the Captain! But! You seem to be afraid of everyone else hurting me too, and though it's true I don't wish to be seen, that is not the same... as being able to handle myself in battle! Nyeh!"

Undyne grunted, apparently taken off-guard by his attack. Flowey pondered his words--he didn't want to be seen? He was Papyrus, he always wanted to be seen...

"That's not it!" Undyne grunted. "It's--attacking you right now... feels like attacking a puppy!"

There was a long pause as the battle ground to a halt, but Papyrus finally spoke.

"... I see."

"No, I mean--it's just--you're already so nice! And then, everything that's happened getting you down--I dunno, it doesn't feel fair anymore."

"Our fights are very fair, Undyne! Perhaps the most fair! I am not, despite appearances, a puppy, but a very capable and dedicated warrior!"

Despite appearances!? Flowey's mind raced. If he was right--no, no, he needed to see. He hoped this little chat would wrap up soon, it was getting in the way!

Undyne sighed heavily. "I know, but... Listen, forget I said anything. You're a great fighter. There's just been a bunch of junk that doesn't make sense lately. Let's head home and get dinner, that'll clear both our heads."

"... Okay. I'm sure whatever feelings you're struggling with will be subdued by punching vegetables!"

"Yeah! Need any help packing up?"

"No, I can manage!"

Flowey cheered internally, then ducked back and waited. He could hear Undyne's armor clanging as she approached, and the rustling as Papyrus gathered up whatever stuff he had. And then, more clicking, a steady rhythm against the cavern floor. Flowey practically vibrated with excitement as it grew louder, nearer. The hall darkened briefly as Undyne filled the entrance then passed, and then it darkened again--though not as much, and Flowey kept his eyes riveted to the opening.

Oh.

OH.

There it was. Flowey watched, tucked in his corner, as a tall skeletal creature walked by with an easy grace, its slender claws clicking on the stone. It carried its long head high, with bright orange eye lights reflecting on the corridor walls. A red scarf was draped around its neck, some sort of brightly patterned sash or skirt wrapped around its hips, and a light satchel was slung from its tall dorsal spines. A long, whiplike tail trailed behind, flicking idly as it walked.

Flowey almost couldn't believe his eyes as he passed by, but there was no mistake. It was so familiar, but different. No wonder Sans hadn't been bothered by threats of Papyrus finding out what he was... because he was like that too. They were both freaks who didn't want anyone finding out. A wide grin spread on Flowey's face, and he ducked out to go somewhere private--somewhere he could laugh freely.

Oh, this was all too perfect! He had to do something with this--and already had the groundwork laid out. Now, to figure out just how to use it...

[unforth]

May Trope Mayhem Fill Day 13: First Kiss

Fandom: Star Wars Eps 7 - 9

Ship: Finn/Poe Dameron

Rating: Gen

Tags: Post canon, fluff with a splash of angstful pining, love confessions, first kiss

Words: 1,987

First time in like a week one of these fills was short enough that I felt it was appropriate to post the whole thing to Tumblr. Also, first time since the event started that I didn’t write either Chinese or Japanese fandom. :D Here, have some Stormpilot.

Xposted to AO3

@duckprintspress​

Rolling onto his side, Finn swung a hand behind himself to catch his balance before he could tumble off the edge of the narrow X Wing nose (was it even called a nose? Finn wasn’t sure, and wasn’t in the mood for the good-natured ribbing he’d sustain if he asked). Poe lay beside him, so close that their sides had been pressed together before Finn moved; he made holding his position look effortless, as effortless as he made flying look, as effortless as he made rebelling look, as effortless as he made smiling look. Lips spread in a relaxed grin, Poe stared up at the night sky over D’Qar, reflected stars sparkling in the depths of his dark eyes. A breeze tousled brown locks over his face and shifted the folds of his loose shirt.

He’s gorgeous.

Am I allowed to think that? I wish I knew. I wish I could ask. And...maybe I can...I wish I knew why I feel like I can’t…

...don’t be an idiot, FN-21-- Finn. I feel I can’t because I’m scared of what’ll happen if I say something I shouldn’t.

I can’t risk losing what we have now.

So - let’s keep things safe, instead.

“What happens now?” Finn asked. Even speaking barely above a whisper, Finn’s voice sounded loud in his ears in the forest night. Insects chirped, branches creaked, leaves rustled, something called low and eerie from the darkness, and Poe’s breathing ebbed and flowed in sof rushes of air. Speaking seemed to shatter something, and Finn wished he hadn’t, but Poe didn’t react as though he’d done anything wrong; he wiggled onto his side, slid an arm under himself, set his elbow on the hard metal of the X Wing and propped his head up on the hand, and directed toward Finn the same easy look that, moments before, had stared up at the sky. One of those gusting exhales brushed over Finn’s face, warm and humid, and stole Finn’s breath away.

“What doesn’t happen now?” Poe replied avidly. “The sky’s the limit, literally. Rey’s got that whole Jedi-Sith fusion plan going on, and the politicians are doing, I dunno, the same crap they always do, and I’m still training folks at the academy...there’s sure enough to keep busy with! I guess the question is - what do you want to happen now? What do you want to do, Finn?”

(read more)

“I want to stay by your side.” The answer, the truth, slipped from Finn before he could stop it. A dash of panic set his heart to racing - what if Poe misunderstood what he meant? What if Poe understood what he meant? - and he continued in a rush, “You know. Rehabilitating the former Storm Troopers. Helping them integrate. Retraining the ones who want it. All that kind of…” Searching for the right words, he raised an arm and waved vaguely at the ait; tiny bugs flitted away as though he movement threatened them; it didn’t - the only threat was to his own precarious perch, and he caught himself with a foot thrown behind himself and a boot stomped hard against the angled side of the ship. “...stuff like that.”

“Awesome stuff like that, yeah.” Poe’s eagerness was spectacular, his implicit support calming. “But honestly? Not exactly what I meant.”

“No?”

Poe shook his head; even that didn’t damage his positioning. Truly, the man was a wonder in everything he did.

But he didn’t answer.

“Something wrong?” Finn asked leadingly, nervously.

“No...and yes,” Poe sighed, slumping onto his back and pressing his palms into his eyes. “Fuck, I’m bad at this.”

“Bad at what?”

“Usually, it’s so easy.”

“What’s easy?”

“I just...go to the person, say how I feel and what I’d like to do, they go, ‘cool, yeah, let’s do that!’ or ‘I’d rather not’ or, at worst, ‘ew, no, get away,’ and that’s that - it’s all good, we do what we do, we don’t do what we don’t do, and life goes on.”

“I literally couldn’t have less idea what you’re talking about.” Finn scowled, disgruntled. He knew that Poe was forward in stating his desires and approaching people he was interested in. That was part of why Finn felt so sure he wasn’t allowed to want - all that confidence had never been directed toward Finn, at least not ‘like that.’ If Poe wanted what Finn wanted, why hadn’t he just said something?

Takes one to know one, Finn - I feel how I feel, and I want what I want, but I haven’t said anything either…

“But you…” Poe directed his speech toward the fathomless sky, not sparing Finn’s interjections a reaction. “...Fuck, I don’t know. What am I even saying?”

“That’s what I’m wondering,” said Finn. “ ‘Cause it almost sounds like you’re suggesting that you’ve got feelings and...doings...that you want to say, except for whatever reason, you’re putting me in a different category than...like...everyone else?”

Please don’t...please tell me I’m just another person…

“Uh, duh?”

...or say that. Oh, that stings.

“Oh,” muttered Finn. Shifting his leg, he let gravity take him and did a controlled tumble down to the runway, landing in a squat.

“Finn?” Poe called after him. Glaring at nothing, Finn rose and stalked toward the barracks.

“Wait up!”

He knew he was being unreasonable.

“Come on, don’t be like that!”

He knew he was being unfair.

“Will you just stop?”

He knew that, if he wanted Poe to talk to him, his current behavior was guaranteed to produce the exact opposite result.

“You don’t understand!”

He knew, knew, that Poe didn’t see him as merely an ex-Stormtrooper, merely a former soldier, merely a murderer who had to learn to assume the facsimile of personhood.

“Aaargh, you’re being impossible!”

He doesn’t see me that way.

“This is exactly why I didn’t know what to say!”

I see me that way.

“I love you!” Poe’s voice, breathless and sincere, shouted out loudly enough in the night that the birds and animals went silent.

Finn froze.

Pounding footsteps raced up behind him and Poe sprinted to his side, overran by several steps, stopped huffing and puffing with his hands on his knees and his breath making foggy clouds in the chill night air before him.

“I know...I know what you’re thinking,” Poe said. “I get what you’re afraid of. And you’re not wrong.” I’m not? “I don’t see you like those people. Because you’re not those people. They could be anyone, but you’re Finn.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” asked Finn acidly. I’m sure it is. He said he loved me. He said...he really said…

“If I cared less, I could talk about it more.”

“...that sounds like something I’ve heard before…”

“Whatever, it’s from some book the General recommended, it doesn’t matter,” said Poe, waving away Finn’s words. “What matters is you. You matter too much for me to risk hurting you. You’re too important for me to take for granted. You’re too special for me to sanguinely accept that if I say the wrong thing, you’ll walk away. And then I said the wrong thing anyway, and you did walk away, and I don’t know how to fix it.”

He looks so earnest, so genuine, so beautiful, that Finn’s heart ached.

“Can I fix it?” Poe implored.

His concerns sound so similar to my own...he comes from a place of experience, and I from a place of inexperience, but the fears are the same.

“Tell me how, and I’ll do it.”

And now I know - there’s nothing for me to be afraid, because he’s told me how he feels, and I know it’s the truth.

“Because I’ve lost everyone - almost everyone - and I can’t lose you too, Finn.”

I’ve told him nothing.

“You won’t,” Finn said; a moment of shame and worry had him looking around, looking down, his toe scuffing the dirt of the path...and then he shook his head, crossed the couple steps separating them, threw his arms around Poe’s shoulders, and pulled him into a rough hug. “You never will.” A helpless noise burst from Poe and then he relaxed into the embrace, putting one arm around Finn’s waist, another around his shoulders, and holding him like he never meant to let go.

“Finn…”

“I love you, Poe,” Finn murmured, shifting his head against the side of Poe’s face, delighting in the tingle of scruff tickling against his cheek, adoring being able to whisper the truth into Poe’s ear. “Seriously.” Poe breathed a word - it might have been yes! but Finn wasn’t sure - and hugged him more tightly. “I really, really, love you.”

“Really, really?” asked Poe, voice rolling with laughter.

“Really, really.”

“Just to be abso-fricken-lutely clear, you don’t mean, like...bro-love?”

“I mean, like, I can’t remember the last time I looked at your face and didn’t imagine kissing you senseless.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s...that’s really, really.”

“Yup.”

“Awesome.” And Poe dropped an arm, leaned back, and hesitated a moment as he gazed at Finn’s face...and he lifted a hand to Finn’s face, ran calloused fingers over his cheek, and then leaned forward and brought their lips together softly, slowly, gently.

Finn had seen a lot of people kiss since he joined the Rebellion.

Finn had been kissed, and kissed others, a whole mess of time - in grief, in celebration, in relief, in greeting. So many cultures kissed casually, he’d learned to do the same.

Finn thought he knew what a kiss was.

Easing into lip-on-lip contact with Poe, Finn realized with crystal-clear, fuzzy-warm clarity, he had no idea what a kiss was.

And he was really, really looking forward to finding out.

He and Poe would have to experiment a great deal until Finn understood, profoundly, how all those other kisses were different from exchanging tender intimacies with the man he’s loved and wanted since roughly 10 Standard Minutes after they met.

Too soon, the kiss ended. There was a soft mwap as they drew apart. Finn’s lips tingled pleasantly, warmth suffusing his chest; flicking out his tongue, he moistened the skin and delighted at the flavor of Poe in his mouth.

He opened his eyes.

Poe was staring avidly at his mouth.

“That good, Finn?” he asked, voice low and throaty.

“You tell me,” Finn replied.

“How about we both work on the sharing-and-caring?”

“It was fantastic, Poe.”

“Right?! It really was!”

“Really, really!”

“Super really, really!”

“Ultra really, really.”

“Mega really, really.”

“Ice-cream-with-a-cherry-on-top really, really.”

“Where did you even learn that?” laughed Poe. “Ginormously re--”

“Question.”

“Anything, Finn.”

“Why are we talking about it when we could be doing it again?”

“...valid. Really valid.”

“Really, really valid?”

Snorting, Poe smacked a quick kiss on his lips again - Finn chased him futilely as he leaned away - and broke their embrace to take Finn’s hand.

“My bunk or yours?”

“My bunk is literally a bunk,” replied Finn.

“And mine isn’t?”

“Yeah, but yours is in a room, with a door, and no bunkmates.”

“...they haven’t given you your own room?!”

“How do you not know that?”

“You literally saved the galaxy.”

“We all literally saved the galaxy.”

“I...you...fucking damn, okay, tomorrow, we’re going to fix that.”

“And right now?”

“Right now...my bunk. Definitely my bunk. Right, Finn?”

“Really, really right, Poe.”

“Stop that,” groaned Poe, laughing again.

“Never,” promised Finn with a grin, and delighted in the matching grin he got back.

“That’s right. Never. Never stop.”

“I really, really won’t.”

“Fuck, do I love you…”

And, beaming, beyond happy, Finn allowed himself to be drawn to Poe’s room.

Had he truly been so worried about how things would go if he spoke his heart?

Now, he was really, really not worried.

And he knew - he was in for a really, really, excellent night…

...and he’d never have to really, really, worry about Poe’s heart again.

Really, really.

[lilixloveswriting]

Shell

Whumptober 2020 Day 19 (Prompt: Grief | Mourning Loved One | Survivor’s Guilt)

Fandom: BNHA (This is an AU for my Next Gen...AU...😬)

Characters: Hitoshi Midoriya (OC), Mitsuko Midoriya kinda, she’s dead (OC), Izuku Midoriya, Ochaco Uraraka, Katsuki Bakugo, Saisho Kirishima (OC), Eijiro Kirishima mentioned, also dead, Kayda Todoroki (OC), Hisao Todoroki (OC), Akio Todoroki haha...you guessed it (OC)

Word Count: 4582

A/N: This may be a mistake since y’all don’t know these characters yet but it just fits all the criteria for today’s prompt and I just couldn’t pass it up. Umm so I wrote this in the car when I couldn’t sleep on a road trip from 2 am to 9 am. I never acctually planned on posting it anywhere, so...idek what I’m trying to say. It’s the darkest thing I had written at that point (and imo, still is my darkest piece) so...yeah. Buckle up, it’s a sad one also please note canon Hitoshi is not this mean

TW: swearing, dissociation, suicidal ideation, child whump (Hitoshi is 13/14), survivor’s guilt (obvi), grief (obvi), family member death, past death of minor (Mitsuko - age 17), emotional detatchment, blood, ptsd flashback (nightmare), panic attack mention, vomiting mention, eventually Hitoshi has a well deserved emotional breakdown

The pencil spun around Hitoshi's knuckles in sync with the second hand of the clock. He stared at it, waiting for it to hypnotize him so that he didn't have to be there for the rest of his session. It wasn't anything personal, his therapist was fine. Today was just a bad day. Not that his days were ever good, but today was a particularly bad one. One where he felt like running out into traffic, just to see what would happen.

"Hitoshi?"

His voice seemed so far away in his dissociative state. It was nice, kind of comforting actually. More so than the unbearable ringing that would occur sometimes when someone spoke to him. The accident fucked his hearing, that's what the doctors said. The accident fucked a lot of things.

56, 57, 58, 59, 4:00

Hitoshi snapped into action, catching his pencil in his hand and slipping it into his bag as he lobbed it over his shoulder.

"Who's coming to get you today, Hitoshi?"

"My dad." He responded with a grumble, not that it was any of his business.

"Okay. Is he here, or would you like me to wait with you?"

Hitoshi shrugged his shoulders, biting back a sarcastic remark as he turned the door handle to exit his therapist's office and enter the hallway. He knew the way back to the waiting room all too well by now: a left, then two rights, down the elevator, and straight down the hall. Hitoshi heard muffled sobbing as he passed one of the doors, sparing it a glance before continuing. He wondered what her problem was. He was a little bit envious, for whatever it was, at least she could express how she was feeling. Hitoshi never felt anything but anger. Sometimes he never felt anything at all.

He made a beeline for the stairway, not too keen on sitting in another silent room with his therapist.

"Getting your steps in today?"

Hitoshi rolled his eyes as he swung himself around the flat bit of the stairwell. Their session was over, couldn't this guy shut up?

He arrived at the waiting room soon enough, tucking his thumbs into his backpack straps as he scanned the room for his dad. Not here yet.

"Not here yet?"

"No, dingbat. Do you see him?"

"Hm. I've got some time before my next appointment. I can stick around for a while."

"Fuuuck me."

"Hey! Sorry, I went to the bathroom." Hitoshi turned towards the cheery voice he knew so well, a small sigh of relief escaping his lungs. "Hey, kiddo-" Izuku placed his hands on Hitoshi's shoulders, faltering as he moved and shoved the front door open. "Hey, hold on!" He called after his son, and Hitoshi did slow down, but he didn't stop. He left the building, then walked a few steps down the sidewalk, perching himself on the ledge of the window sill, his back to the building.

"Uhh…" Izuku sighed, "bad day?"

The therapist gave a vague shrug and Izuku frowned.

"What did he say? Did something happen at school? Did I do something? His mom?"

The therapist smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Midoriya. You should talk to your son."

Izuku bit down on his lip. "Please, just…tell me something. Anything." The words begged to escape his throat, but he swallowed them down and nodded. He understood doctor-patient confidentiality, but that didn't make it any less frustrating.

He bid Hitoshi's therapist goodbye, then joined his son on the sidewalk.

"Hey, kiddo." Izuku's voice sounded far away too, and Hitoshi wasn't sure if he wanted it to this time. He continued to stare at the curb of the sidewalk, the whizzing of tires lulling him off into another dissociative state. His father's voice was muffled and he didn't remember the walk from the sidewalk to the car.

"What's wrong, Hito?" Izuku turned to him, and he couldn't will himself to look away from the dashboard. 

He didn't know what was wrong. Nothing, nothing was really wrong, but everything was wrong at the same time. He felt so fucking numb but ached all over at the same time. It was exhausting, he just wanted everything to stop. He wanted everyone to stop trying to fix him; he couldn't be fixed.

Hitoshi took a deep breath, willing all of his effort to move his tongue. "Nothing, I'm just tired." it was silent in the car, nobody moved and a wave of guilt washed over Hitoshi, though he wasn't sure what for.

"Survivor's guilt is a common occurrence. It won't be unusual for Hitoshi to feel as though he did something wrong for surviving the crash. Getting him into therapy sessions now is probably the best course of action."

"Can we go home now?" Hitoshi inhaled again as he reached for his seatbelt, jerking it over his body and clicking it into the buckle.

His dad put the car into drive and Hitoshi rested his head on the window.

"You wanna get some ice cream?" Izuku asked. Hitoshi shrugged and ten minutes later he had a chocolate ice cream cone in his hand. He had grown to hate the taste, but he ate it anyway because it made Izuku feel better. 

It still felt wrong not to pass any napkins to Mitsuko to get it out of her hair.

Izuku flipped on the lights to his apartment; the "bachelor pad" as he called it. He had turned Hitoshi on to the idea of a man den when he was ten. They both knew this wasn't what he meant.

"Do you wanna-"

"I've got homework," Hitoshi said, heading straight to his room and shutting the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and told himself that he didn't care enough to put them away, but the way they were scattered across the floor was a little too much like her, so he picked them up and lined them up against the wall.

He fell back onto his bed, exhaling deeply as he stared up at the popcorn ceiling. His room here wasn't too bad, it was a decent size and his dad even bought him a desk and helped him decorate it with figurines and pictures. He put the pictures away though, they made him feel uneasy. 

"Hey," There was a short knock at the door and it slowly creaked open. Izuku stuck his head inside. "I know you want to be alone right now, but keep the door open, yeah? Just a crack, okay?"

Hitoshi sat up a bit and nodded at his dad, who gave him a weak smile in return.

"Okay. Thank you." He said, and Hitoshi appreciated that he didn't pry, even though he knew his father was worried. "Uh, is there anything you want for dinner?"

Hitoshi shrugged and Izuku sighed.

"Okay. Think about it and let me know, okay?"

Hitoshi nodded a little, knowing he wasn't going to decide on anything. He really didn't care.

"Okay. I'll leave you alone now. I love you," Izuku said and Hitoshi gave him a small smile, then he left, pulling the door closed with about an inch to spare.

Hitoshi let his head fall back onto the bed, exhaling in a puff as another wave of guilt crashed over him. He always saw the look in his father's eyes. 

"Please give me something. Anything."

But he couldn't, no matter how badly he wanted to. He didn't even know what to say. His dad had always been emotional, he wondered how many nights he spent crying because Hitoshi couldn't even manage an "I love you."

He wanted to cry. He couldn't really remember what crying felt like, but he knew he used to feel better after he did. Now, he just felt bad all the time. He was tired of it.

Hitoshi flipped over onto his stomach, trapping his pillow between his arms and his face as his eyes fell on his bag. He had homework, but he couldn't convince himself to do it. The mere thought of it was exhausting and Hitoshi turned his head the other way, towards the wall. 

The blood coated his fingers like syrup, making an awful squelching sound as it mixed with his tears. He applied pressure, he heard that somewhere, a tv show, he thinks. It was supposed to make the bleeding better or something, but it kept leaking and it soaked into his jeans and shirt and skin. He must not have been doing it right, maybe he was pressing too hard because Mitsuko kept gasping for air. Maybe he was choking her. 

She turned to him and took in a shaky breath, eyes wide and bloodshot and she whispered in a spine chilling voice, "Help me, Hito."

Hitoshi gasped and in the moment of fear, loosened his grip on Mitsuko's neck. She screamed as the ground caved in, swallowing her whole, and Hitoshi couldn't do anything but scream her name as he reached in after her.

Hitoshi opened his eyes and lifted his head from his pillow, blinking a few times before looking around the room. He sighed, realizing it had been a dream. He wasn't sure which reality he would rather be in.

The faint smell of food caused him to sit up fully, and he looked at his nightstand to see a plate of pizza waiting for him. His dad had to eat alone again. Dick move, Hitoshi.

He rubbed his eyes as they fell on the window, the sun had already set. How long had he slept for? Hitoshi yawned and swung his legs over the side of his bed, taking a second before standing up and opening his door. He went to the living room, a short walk in the small apartment. His dad turned his head from the tv as Hitoshi stepped into the room, greeting him with a small smile. 

"Hey. I don't know if you saw, but I left you some pizza. But if you don't want that then I can see what else I can make you."

Hitoshi shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's fine." He whispered, and if you weren't listening for it you wouldn't have heard it. 

"Okay. Mom called. I told her you were sleeping. You want me to call her back?"

Hitoshi shook his head and Izuku tilted his head to the side.

"Sweetie, you should call your mom." He said, prompting a sigh and a bit of an eye-roll from his son. He nodded in the end, though, so Izuku counted that as a victory.

"Later."

"Not too late. She probably has a shift in the morning, she'll be going to bed soon."

Hitoshi didn't respond to that. Instead, he walked around the couch and sat down next to his father. "What are you watching?" He asked, and Izuku was thrilled to be getting this many words out of him.

"I don't know. The news. Nothing special."

"Pro Heroes Ground Zero and Chargebolt work together in EPIC villain take down!" Izuku cleared his throat, switching the tv off before standing abruptly.

"Alright, it's late. Call your mom and get ready for bed, okay?" Izuku ruffled his hair and planted a kiss on his head. "Goodnight, I love you." He said, then went to his room.

Hitoshi stared straight ahead at the switched-off tv. He should get to bed soon so his dad's sleep didn't suffer. Izuku always waited until Hitoshi had gone to bed before actually sleeping himself. He sighed, staring at the phone on the coffee table. He didn't want to call his mom; calling his mother actually involved talking, and she was much more thorough than his father was. He didn't want to deal with that today. Still, if he didn't call her then it'd be his father who suffered and Hitoshi didn't want that.

She picked up on the third ring.

"What, Izuku?"

"Mom." Hitoshi said, leaning into the phone as it rested on his palm.

"Oh, hi honey. What are you doing on Dad's phone?"

Hitoshi shrugged, sighing in frustration as he realized she couldn't see him. "It was closer than mine."

His mother laughed. "Lazy butt. How was your day?"

"Fine."

"How was your meeting with your therapist?"

"Fine."

"Okay…how's Daddy?"

Hitoshi sighed as he looked over the top of the couch to his dad's room, door open and light on. "I'm slowly killing him."

"Fine."

"Okay, can you give me more than that, please? I miss you. Pretty please?"

Again, Hitoshi sighed. "He's okay. We got ice cream."

"Oooh what's the occasion?"

"He's sad that I won't speak to him." "Just…guys being dudes."

Ochako laughed, which provided some type of relief, even if it was only temporary. "Alright, did you guys get your homework done?"

"Yeah," He lied. He didn't want his dad to get reprimanded for his own destructive tendencies.

"Did you have a lot?"

"Not really."

"Any you struggled with?"

Hitoshi cursed silently, looking for a bullshit answer. "Algebra." Mitsuko was good at algebra.

"Oh, ummm, well did you two get it? If not you could snap a pic and send it to me and I can help. Or you could ask Kayda, I'm sure she'd love to help you."

"We figured it out."

"Of course you did, you're so smart." There was a pause when Hitoshi didn't respond. "Your dad is pretty good at algebra, huh?"

Hitoshi sighed. "Yeah." That's where Mitsuko got it. 

"Okay, well it's getting late. As much I know you love talking to me, you need to get your rest."

"Okay."

"Okay. I love you, bubba. Goodnight."

"Night." He said and hung up the phone, letting it sit idly in his lap before he moved. He went to his father's room and peeked inside to see the bathroom door closed. He must have been showering. Hitoshi left his phone on his bed, then went back to his own bedroom. He laid down on his bed, not bothering to get under the covers, figuring he'd just get up and shower when he'd inevitably wake up again in two hours. Everything felt heavy, especially his eyelids, and he let them fall closed as he drifted off into the night.

✱✱✱

Hitoshi kicked at the ground as his hands gripped the sides of the chair. His cousin sat in the one next to him, resting her chin on her hand.

"He doesn't need whatever the hell this is, Katsuki-"

"I don't have anything to do with this, don't start with me."

Hitoshi sighed and bent down to pick up his backpack just as Katsuki and his mom burst through the door to the principal's office. His mom rushed over to him, cupping his face in her hands and repeatedly asking if he was injured. Hitoshi pushed her off and started towards the door, scoffing when Ochako blocked his path.

"Hitoshi, what happened?"

The brunette glanced at his cousin who rolled her eyes as she picked up her bag. "Nothing."

"Obviously, it's not nothing if you're both here-"

"Okay, would you shut up and let me parent my own kid?" Katsuki spat, and Ochako scoffed.

"You're not doing a very good job-"

"Mom," Hitoshi whined. Nothing good was going to come from this.

"Saisho, what the hell happened?" Katsuki asked and the girl rolled her eyes. "Don't you dare roll your eyes at me, do you know how many strings I had to pull to come get you?"

"Oh, yeah. 'Cause it's my fault, right? It's always my fault." She pushed past her dad, ignoring his angry shouts and walked out of the door. Hitoshi slipped around his mother, following Saisho's lead. He just wanted to go home.

"This is the third call I've gotten this month. Saisho, whatever the hell this is, you need to get it together because I'm sick of it."

"What do you think, I like you coming to my school and screaming at me in the halls?!" Saisho whipped around and shouted right back at her father, a few spikes growing on her arms. "Yeah, it's the highlight of my freaking week!"

"Watch your mouth!" Katsuki scolded her but she was ready to fire back with more sarcasm.

"It wasn't her fault, she had a panic attack!" Hitoshi shouted over them, grabbing both of their attention as well as his mother's. Quieter, he continued, "They pick on her, they wouldn't leave her alone. So I stepped in and then her quirk was all…you know and then…"

"What…is this true?" Katsuki turned to Saisho, who's breathing had picked up as she stared at Hitoshi. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you don't listen! It doesn't matter."

"Of course, it matters. How could you even think that? You're supposed to tell me stuff like this-"

"She was just scared-" Hitoshi started, but was quickly stopped by a wry cry.

"Oh my GOD!" Saisho wrung her fingers through her hair, pulling at her scalp in frustration. She turned to Hitoshi, "Would you FUCK OFF?! Stop fighting my battles for me!"

"Hey!" Ochako stepped up next to Hitoshi, offended for her son who simply sighed and cast his gaze to the floor.

"Hey! Not okay!" Katsuki grabbed onto her wrist and she growled, yanking it away with all her might but still not able to get free.

"LET GO! Don't touch me! Stop!" She cried, clawing at Katsuki's hand. "Ugh! None of this would be happening if Dad was here!" She yelled, and that was enough for Katsuki to loosen his grip in shock. Saisho immediately ripped her hand away, stumbling backward in a fit of tears.

"I'm here! I'm here, sorry I'm late!" Izuku threw open the double doors, slowing down at the sight in front of him. "What…what's going on?"

Saisho let out one more frustrated sob and stomped forward, shoving past Izuku to the parking lot. 

Izuku gave Katsuki a look, which he ignored and started after his daughter. Izuku grabbed him by the arm before he could get passed. "Hey-"

"Don't touch me!" Katsuki yanked his arm away, whipping around to face Izuku. "You're not the only one who lost someone in that accident, you know?! And that's what it was, an accident! It was an ACCIDENT! I'm sorry! You know I'm sorry! And you can punish me all you want, but don't you fucking drag her into it because she lost a parent!" He pointed out at the parking lot, tears welling up in his eyes and Hitoshi realized this was the first time he'd actually seen his uncle cry.

Izuku didn't stop him from leaving after that, and the broken family watched the blond storm out of the school.

"Okay…what the heck did I miss?" Izuku held his arms out to his sides as he approached his son and ex wife. 

"More like why the hell did you miss? Izuku, where were you? I know they called you after they called me." Ochako stepped towards him, arms crossed over her chest. 

"I was working-"

"So was I."

"I was all the way across town!"

"What happened to your super speed, Mr. Full Cowling?" 

"Okay, I'm not doing this with you right now. Hitoshi-"

"No, you don't get to do that. You don't get to dodge my questions like they aren't important."

"I am trying to check on our son!"

"He's fine! I already checked, because I was here."

"Well I am here now and I would still like to know what happened."

"He was in a fight!"

"You were in a fight?!" Izuku echoed, turning to Hitoshi with a shocked look on his face.

Hitoshi raised his eyebrows and his mouth dropped open in surprise. "What?! No, it wasn't a fight-" He started, but was interrupted by his mother before he could finish. 

"Maybe you could have done something to prevent it if you actually talked to him."

Izuku recoiled, his eyebrows furrowing and his mouth morphing into a scowl. "I do talk to him."

"Oh yeah? What do you talk about?"

"We…Ochako, this isn't fair-"

"You want to know what isn't fair? What isn't fair is that I'm stuck being his mom after you decided to be his friend! Let me guess what you had for dinner last night: whatever he wanted?"

Izuku frowned. "Actually, we had pizza."

"Oh, pizza! Even better!"

Hitoshi shut his eyes, scrunching his nose up as they continued to bicker. He was sure the classrooms down the hall could hear, and he didn't need to add anything else to his souring reputation. "You guys, can we please go home-"

"Shush!"

"Not now!"

This was how they'd been since the funeral. They argued constantly; over why the dishes weren't done (Mitsuko always did them), about who's turn it was to buy groceries (Mitsuko did most of the shopping), about whether they were going to keep Mitsuko's door open or closed.

The last one didn't last long because Izuku moved out a few months after. He wanted her door closed, but now Ochako could keep it open. 

They argued over Hitoshi a lot too, and he remembered when he first saw the headlines: "Pro Heroes Deku and Uravity Messy Divorce After Loss of Child!"

He threw up after reading it.

Things were better after they separated. Well, not better, but at least they weren't fighting all the time. They had gotten better at communicating, but he still hated being in the same room with both of them at a time. It was times like these where he wished his sister was still here, or at least that Saisho didn't hate him. 

He guessed this was the type of stuff he was supposed to tell his therapist. But how was he supposed to say it when it felt like talking about her was forbidden? Her name was like a lit match, waiting to be dropped on a stick of dynamite embedded deep inside of the Earth's core, ready to blow his world to pieces. He lost himself in these thoughts, spiraling down and down and down until he'd forgotten what reality he was in.

His dissociation was dangerous because he would sometimes wander without realizing it until someone woke him up. This time, it was Hisao.

Hitoshi blinked as Hisao shook his shoulder, staring at him with a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay? Here, come in." He ushered and Hitoshi listened realizing his clothes were damp. He must have walked there in the rain.

"KAYDAAA!" Hisao shouted, and from the annoyed look on his face it didn't seem like it was the first time. "I don't know where she is. Damn, I've got a thing to go to, I just stopped by to pick up some tools. Here, uh-" He flipped the switch to the fireplace and it lit up. "I'll go get you some dry clothes."

"What do you want?" Kayda came down the stairs, her irritated expression faltering as she laid eyes on Hitoshi. "Hito-chan…what…?" She started and looked to Hisao who shrugged, bounding up the stairs to get clothes for Hitoshi.

Kayda finished down the stairs and jogged over to Hitoshi, who was shivering now. "What are you doing here?"

Hitoshi shrugged. "I don't know." He truly didn't.

She frowned and grabbed a blanket from the couch, wrapping it around his shoulders.

"Mom and dad were fighting." He mumbled and her shoulders slumped. He felt bad for unloading onto her like this. Mitsuko was her best friend after all. 

"Okay! They're gonna be pretty big, but it's better than what you're wearing, so," Hisao appeared next to them, handing Kayda the dry clothes. "I'm late to meet with Jisoo, so are you guys okay? Should I…?"

Kayda shook her head. "Go on, we'll be fine."

Hisao muttered a quiet "kay" and quickly left the house, leaving Kayda and Hitoshi alone. 

"Here, why don't we get you changed?" Kayda helped him stand and led him to the bathroom, handing him the clothes before he closed the door.

About fifteen minutes later, he was curled up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate. 

"You know," Kayda sighed, picking at the blankets they were curled up with, "When Akio died…I wanted to die too. Well, not literally. I just couldn't…grasp the concept of living in a world where he didn't exist. I was so mad at him for…leaving me behind."

Hitoshi stared down into his cup. "It's not the same."

Kayda looked at him, then swallowed and nodded, sniffling. "I know."

Now he made her cry. When was this ever going to get any easier?

"I guess what I mean is," She sighed once more, allowing her hands to fall into her lap, "I've lost two important people within the last couple of years. So if you ever need someone to talk to…"

Hitoshi nodded. Kayda was nice, she had always been nice to him. But if he couldn't talk to his therapist, someone who his parents were paying to listen, how was he supposed to talk to his dead sister's best friend?

"Why didn't I wake up sooner?" Well,he's done it. Kayda raised an eyebrow and he, somehow, continued, "If I had…" He stopped, an involuntary sob bobbing in his throat, "She was just…lying there. She was all alone." He whimpered and his vision went blurry before he felt a warm wetness on his cheeks. "If I had…if I had woken up…s-sooner-" He coughed in his own tears, bringing a hand up to cover his face.

It had been a long time since he cried, and now that it was finally happening he didn't like it. His face was hot, and his head felt like it was going to explode from the sheer effort he was putting in to keep his tears from falling. Effort that didn't matter, because they were falling anyway, like a dam that had been patched up with gum, water spurting out of every crack, every crevice it could find. And to top it all off there was this sharp pain in his chest and he couldn't stop his lungs from seizing as he gasped for air, choking on his sobs and coughing when he couldn't get enough of it.

Warm arms restricted his shaking and he pressed his head into Kayda's chest, her hug providing some sense of security as he cried until his eyes swelled. Mitsuko would have made fun of him for this, and the thought only made him cry harder, pleading to some sentient being for the past year to have been a nightmare. Unfortunately for Hitoshi, said sentient being must not exist, because his desperate prayers went unheard. 

She whispered little reassurances, and though he didn't believe them, they made him feel a little bit better. His breathing slowed and his cheeks dried, though his head still pounded like a drum. He would have fallen asleep if he hadn't pulled away, hiccuping as he wiped at his eye.

"I should tell my parents where I am." He mumbled, taking out his phone and struggling to type in the pass code with his shaky hand.

"They don't know?" Kayda inquired, to which Hitoshi shook his head. He hadn't told him he was leaving, and they had been too caught up in their argument to notice. 

He shot them a text, nothing fancy or anything more than an address. He didn't want to talk to them. He was tired. 

But he did feel better. Even if it was just a little bit.

[transxfiles]

A Roll Of The Dice by two_drama_nerds_in_a_boat | @homeworkforpigeons

Summary: Star Trek is an incredibly popular tabletop roleplaying game. Mostly gen with some Spirk at the end.

Word Count: 1822

Find this fic on AO3

Gliding through the stars would never get boring, he decided. Even at Warp Speed 9, with all the bright lights zipping past him so quickly they were nothing more than blurry spots in the sky, it was a simultaneously haunting and stunning sight. The Captain sighed, leaning back in his chair-

“Oh, do get on with it Jim,” muttered Hikaru from across the table, rolling dice between his fingers. “We don’t have all day.”

“But the monologues are important. For… character development.”

Nyota rolled her eyes. “Not when you spend an hour on them every turn. Besides, we already let you have the Captain’s Log thing. Now come on. I want to fight some hostile aliens.”

“Aren’t you supposed to stay on ship with Scotty in case things go wrong, Communications Officer?”

“Goddamit you two,” Bones said, fist slamming the table, sending papers fluttering and figurines toppling onto the board.  “We’ll never get anything done with the two of you fighting.”

“Come on Jim,” said Rand, shoving some dice into his hand. “Your. Turn.”

He looked at Spock, who just did that thing where he would raise only the one eyebrow, and sighed in defeat.

“Fine.”

He dropped the dice, watching them roll until they made their way a surprising distance from him, finally stopping by Scotty.

No one really knew how they’d all gotten together. Jim had to admit, they were an odd group.

In the end, they were all just sort of bored, and lonely, and they needed something to do after school. Originally, it had just been Jim and Bones. They took turns DMing, setting up short campaigns for the others to play, but it got incredibly boring very quickly. They got tired of it. They needed a permanent DM - so they’d found Spock, who, despite his attempt to put on mask of no emotion, seemed to take both happiness and pride in being Dungeon Master. And after that, everyone else had sort of fallen into place. Because once they had Spock, they at least a consistent location to play - his basement. Which, though still not ideal, was better than bouncing between Jim’s too-cramped (shared with his brother) bedroom and Bones’s tiny garden shed. So while Spock’s basement was a bit musty, it was honestly ideal, really, because though it was dark and sometimes damp, they made it their own. They had a little cooler with snacks and drinks it, and they’d put down a rug, and they had a little table, and every time a new person joined them they all went down to the local flea market as a group and helped pick out a chair for them, and ever so slowly the basement became theirs.

After Spock joined, Nyota was close behind him. She was new to their school that year, and she wanted friends, so she sought them out. She knew Spock through T’Pring, of course, and though Spock’s relationship with T’Pring was more than a bit strained, still, Nyota didn’t seem to mind. She wanted “Something amusing to do outside of school,” she’d said, something to “fill the time” and “make an afternoon more enjoyable.” A statement to which Jim had (nearly) replied with a few lewd, though somewhat humorous comments - though he did instead opt to stay quiet.  Somewhat due to Bones kicking him not-so-discreetly in the shin, telling him that “She won’t stay if you don’t play nice.”

And with Uhura came Rand, a new friend of hers, and with Rand came Chapel, a blonde girl Jim recognized from one of his science classes (he was taking a lot of those; it was one of the few things in school he actually enjoyed taking part in, and since he was on one of those advanced tracks, he was taking as many as possible) and it also drew a young Scottish kid, who was quickly nicknamed Scotty (because if you’re that goddam Scottish, James Tiberius Kirk is sure as hell going to give you some sort of nickname) and Scotty drew a kid named Hikaru, and Hikaru drew in the Russian exchange student, Pavel, and in some way or another, they managed to get together enough people to create a long-term campaign.

They named their ship the Enterprise, and decided on their mission: To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life, and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before.

(That last bit used to be no man, but Nyota, Rand, and Chapel had all insisted that was at least a little bit sexist, and so they decided to change it to no one.)

The first time they’d all played a campaign on their own had resulted in some of the most fun Jim had in months. Spock DMed (of course) and they got to go down to a planet for shore leave and Scotty got with some prostitute (or planned to, at least) and then she was murdered and they all needed to work together to solve the mystery, and it turned out that the entity that had murdered the woman was actually Jack The Ripper (a reveal that had prompted many of them to ask Spock what exactly he was on when he wrote this) who was an immortal alien who basically ate fear.

“The crew of the Starship Enterprise is once more face to face with the hostile Klingons,” Spock said, hiding behind his notepad.

Jim grinned. “I walk past the Science Officer, our hands brushing as-”

“Oh shut up,” said Nyota, obviously suppressing a giggle. “You’ve tried to seduce him, what? Thirty times now?” She looked to Chekov. “How close am I?”

“Well, it’s a bit higher than the thirties,” he said. The bastard was reaching into his backpack for a notebook, no doubt to add another tally to some list he’d made for keeping score.

“I’m getting closer every time!” Jim said.

Spock raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Roll for charisma,” he sighed.

He did, tossing the die across the table. And, as was the usual, he rolled a two.

“Oh come on,” Jim groaned. “Can I try again?”

“Jim, we have discussed this before. You cannot spend the entire game attempting to seduce your Science Officer.”

“Now that we have gotten that over with,” Spock said, “I feel as though I must inform you that, due to a yet unknown technical malfunction, you now find yourself stranded in uncharted space, and, as I previously stated, surrounded by Klingon warbirds.”

After that, the game resumed as usual.

There was, of course, a miraculous victory from the crew of the Enterprise (with only a few casualties, mostly in the NPC department) and somehow Jim’s player character had ended up shirtless again, but they defeated the Klingons and saved the day. And then, soon enough, it was seven in the evening.

Time to leave.

Jim made his way over to the sofa, picking up his backpack where he’d dropped it earlier that evening. He slipped it over his shoulders before turning to his friends.

“Psst,” Jim said, careful to be quiet as he beckoned Nyota and Bones over to him. “Guys.”

Bones looked confused at first, but after a glance at Jim’s face, he knew exactly what was going on. “Oh no. No, nope, no way, not gonna happen.”

“Jim,” Nyota said, trying a different approach, “come on. Just wait a little longer if you’re nervous. I told you I could coach you if you wanted, and that offer still stands.”

“I don’t know… I just. Ugh. I have this gut feeling that I have to do it now.”

“Then just do it!” Bones said, voice getting gruffer with each passing moment. “You don’t need us with you to ask him out.”

“Well, it would be helpful?”

“Helpful,” Nyota deadpanned.

“Like… cheerleaders?”

"Cheerleaders?" Bones made a face.

“You’ve never actually asked someone out before have you.”

“Sure I have!”

Nyota and Bones gave each other a look.

“Please,” he hissed, voice still held at a whisper. No one could really explain why, but Spock had excellent hearing. He was just kind of like that. And Jim wasn’t willing to let him overhear this conversation. “You don't have to be right next to me, just nearby? In case something goes wrong. Or I catch on fire. Or Spock catches on fire…”

“I’ve got a date with T’Pring,” said Nyota. “I can’t help you with your love life right now, Jim.”

“Bones looked up. “Sorry Jimmy Boy. I’m busy too.”

“What? No excuse Bones? At least Nyota had something prepared.”

“Oh shut up.”

“You shut up.”

“You-”

“-are both acting like toddlers,” Nyota finished. “Come on Jim, get it together. Ask him out.”

“On what? A date? Does Spock even do dating?”

“You’ll never know until you get your shit together.”

With that, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and left, saying goodbye to them all on her way up the stairs.

Jim groaned.

“Well, that’s one way to do it,” Bones muttered.

“Bones…”

“Come on Jim, it’s not that hard. You just go over to him, tell him you like him. Ask him if he wants to go out with you.”

“And what do I do if he says no?”

“Say that it’s okay, you understand. Smile. Hold it together until you get somewhere you can cry safely.”

“Bones.”

“What? It’s solid advice.”

“Okay.” Jim took a deep breath. “What if he says yes?”

“You tell him that you’re really happy, and you like him a lot. I’d say give him a hug or something, but this is Spock we’re talking about, so avoid physical contact for now. And whatever you do, don’t say ‘cool’.”

“Don’t say cool?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Just don’t do it.”  

“Mm-hm. That’s how you charmed Miriam?”

“Oh shut up.”

And then, as though following in Nyota’s footsteps (probably purposefully, the bastard), Bones grabbed his backpack and ran up the stairs. Leaving Jim alone with Spock in the basement.

“Fuck,” Jim muttered.

“I fail to see a reason for such language,” a cool voice said from behind him.

Jim almost jumped out of his skin.

He spun around, face-to-face with the boy himself.

"Hi Spock!" Said Jim, voice jumping an octave from nerves.

Cue signature eyebrow raise. "Jim."

Jim took a deep breath. "I was wondering..." he felt his hands drop to his pockets as he tried to get the words out. "Well, you see... I like you-"

"I should hope so. We spend a fair amount of time together, in school and outside of it."

"Spock-"

"I am messing with you, Jim."

Jim looked up.

Spock was smiling.

Jim looked up the stairs, eyes tracing the paths Nyota and Bones had taken, then looked back at the ground at his feet, then looked back at Spock. "Did you overhear-?"

"Your entire conversation?" Spock shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Do you want to-?"

"Yes."

"Oh... wow, I...."

"Jim?"

"Spock?"

"Do not say 'cool'."

[multifandomfanficreclist]

Avengers/Marvel Fic Mass Post

The Fool in the Mirror - Steve/Bucky - https://archiveofourown.org/works/16457597/chapters/38540813

The Avengers, SHIELD, and the world at large have underestimated the pain that Steve Rogers is in.

The night after a near brush with a suicide attempt, Steve discovers the world of support omegas, and in his desperation for relief from the battlefield of his brain, demands to have one.

Enter Bucky Barnes: retired marine, millennial, amputee, brother, son, and support omega. He maybe, just maybe, can help a broken alpha heal in the twenty-first century.

Mokusatsu - Clint/Bucky/Steve - https://archiveofourown.org/series/1001244

Clint Barton has been strung along from abusive relationship to abusive relationship all his life. Not that he would use the word “abusive”. He would argue that, as a sub, he was born to take whatever it is his dom feels like throwing at him.

But even with that attitude, he’s nervous about his current situation. Trapped in a bureaucratically mandated relationship with not one but two doms is going to be difficult and dangerous. Especially since these two doms are both members of the Avengers themselves.

He hopes that whenever he disappoints them, they’ll have at least a little pity on him, even though he knows he won’t deserve it.

The Inverse - Peter/Wade - https://archiveofourown.org/works/14901540/chapters/34513938

Deadpool doesn't have to try very hard to hide his second gender anymore because ever since Weapon X, no one in their right mind would ever believe that Wade Wilson was an omega. It doesn't matter anyway, because Wade knows no Alpha would keep a male omega. No alpha WANTS one, much less one that's as scarred and unstable as he is. . . Apparently, Spiderman was born to break every rule Wade has ever known.

Flight Ready - Clint/Darcy - https://archiveofourown.org/works/7353286/chapters/16702690

Clint:

“I got a call a few years back about this kid in a circus who seemed to be a step or two above the usual carnie. Problem was, the kid disappeared on me. Got a bump on my radar two states over with a couple of police reports about a Winged One pegging assholes with pellets and a slingshot. Then you disappeared again.  And that really pissed me off.  Because I need people who can sight a prick at a thousand yards and bean him in the ass with a pebble.” Fury drank his coffee and frowned at it. “That is really shitty coffee.”  

Darcy:

“I’m not waiting for a soulmate. I’m not wasting my life waiting for someone who might not show up until I’m ninety,” Darcy snapped.

A Clint x Darcy AU with wings, soulmarks, missed connections, and, of course, falling in love.

The Tipping Point - Steve/Bucky - https://archiveofourown.org/works/19763158

 When Steve opens the door, Bucky is standing on the other side, a few feet closer than he’d been the night before, and the cat is sitting back upon his shoulder.

 “Hi, Bucky,” Steve says, smiling like this is a normal thing to be happening to them.

***

Bucky shows up at Steve's door a week after he pulled him out of the Potomac. He brings his cat with him.

Eventually, they stay.

Lucky in Love - Clint/Bucky - https://archiveofourown.org/works/17230013/chapters/40516820

Clint is only a couple of sips into his cardboard cup of coffee, his brain barely out of neutral,  which is probably why it takes him so long to realize that some damn psycho is trying to kidnap his dog.

Excerpt:

“I’m not some charity case,” Bucky says pugnaciously.

“I didn’t think you were,” Clint answers back readily enough. “I mean, I can tell you’re fucked up for sure, but of the two of us, I’m probably the bigger disaster. My sleep schedule is shit, and I drink coffee straight from the pot. I sing in the shower even though I’m deaf as fuck. I have arrows everywhere because I’m an archer — did I tell you that? And I was raised in a literal circus, so I’m not exactly domestic. Let’s see, what else?” He squints down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. “Oh, yeah, I won the building in a poker game with the Russian mafia and every once in awhile they show up and try to take it back, but usually I handle it, no problem.  Uh...”

Clint happens to looks up and Bucky’s eyes are wide, his mouth hanging open. Clint’s hand freezes where he’s rubbing the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed. Yeah, when you put it all out there at once, it doesn’t sound so good.

A Mask of My Disguise - Bucky/Darcy - https://archiveofourown.org/works/7215742/chapters/16375378

He didn't think much of her at first. She drank bubble tea every day for Christ's sake. But he won't make that mistake again--not when her taser stares down his nose.

"I really hope you didn't think I couldn't handle myself."

It’s Just the Nearness of You - Steve/Bucky - https://archiveofourown.org/series/579796

The growl started as soon as Steve stepped through the cell door.

Steve was barefoot and empty-handed, dressed only in sweatpants and a tank top. He spun in a slow circle to show there were no weapons tucked into his waistband or hidden at the small of his back. No threat, his lowered gaze and open palms said.

It was a lie, and the other man in the room knew it. Steve’s body was weapon enough.

(Post-CA:TWS Bucky catches up on gentle skin contact, courtesy of Steve.)

Flag On the Play - Gen Steve Tony - https://archiveofourown.org/works/5024848

Steve is haunted by a phantom pain he can't explain, and isn't sure how to ask for help. Fortunately, Tony is pretty sure he knows what's wrong, and how to sell the Avengers on fixing it.

Sidereel - Steve/Bucky - https://archiveofourown.org/works/17646137/chapters/41611757

“…The modern viewer must remember that prior to the 1960s, soulmark portraits were the ultimate in taboo. But one can see how an artist like Captain Rogers would feel compelled to pick up his sketchbook…

...Captain Rogers never did a self-portrait; we can only speculate who his soulmate — or soulmates — might have been."

Franklin, Hannah. “Howling Commandos Leave their Mark in Portrait Series by Captain America.” Newsweek, July 9, 2009.

Yes, Captain - Steve/Bucky - https://archiveofourown.org/works/1670411/chapters/3546059

Starts pre-Serum, in which Bucky takes seriously terrible care of himself because he’s trying to stifle the feelings he keeps having for Steve. Steve gets so pissed that he flat out orders Bucky into eating and sleeping and they both quickly realize Bucky loves being ordered around, but their new-forged domestic bliss is quickly damaged by the encroaching war.

~

“Yes, Captain,” Bucky sasses, when he’s capable of speech again.

Steve stills. His head tilts very slightly. Not shocked, not angry. Considering.

Bucky feels adrenaline flood through his body. This little punk is ninety pounds wet, and Bucky is absolutely frozen in his chair intimidated by him.

Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me - Bucky/Darcy - https://archiveofourown.org/works/3670266/chapters/8113752

Darcy is thirty feet out of Stark-cum-Avengers Tower when she starts craving cinnamon rolls--the sticky-sweet iced-up old-fashioned kind, yummy and messy and dripping gooshy icing all over your mouth and hands and down your yuuuup, yup, that is a super, super fertile omega that she is smelling, holy shit is it ever.

“Jesus Christ,” she groans in frustration, then follows her alpha instincts (and, more easily and importantly, her nose) to go track them down. They’re in the middle of New York City; middle of the day or not, not checking on somebody who smells like that is, like, the ultimate dick move.

[thorsstorms]

Abroad Pt. 7

Summary: Being the Hemsworth Kids’ Nanny, you were vowed to keep it strictly professional for their sake, but do the stolen glances go unnoticed between you both?

Word count: 4.1k

Warnings: little anxiety. smut, oral (f recieving) +18!!

A/N:  The California wildfires were so so devastating and scary. You can google for more videos of people trying to escape the fires and it serious makes my heart race watching it. Miley and Liam losing their home breaks my heart, the interview she did afterwards, she tried to stay calm and upbeat but you could tell underneath it freaks her out. 

Masterlist

You sat waiting on the bleachers at your brothers college baseball game, waiting on the call. Your parents were tucked down in front of you in their stadium chairs. You watched patiently as the sun sunk lower in the sky. You could see your brother pull his sunglasses off his hat and shield his eyes out in center field.

The clock read 8:40PM. It’s almost 7 PM, his time, and he still hadn’t texted at least. Impatience grew quietly and your leg started to bounce anxiously. Staring at the clock on your phone, tapping it every now and then to keep it alive.

He had been texting you briefly this morning telling you that they were all getting freaked out as the wildfires grew closer, they were packing their things and keeping it all in the garage incase they needed a quick out. You told him to be careful and don’t take any chances, but of course he blows it off with a smile saying not to worry.

Cheering ripped you out of your gaze. You looked up just in time to see a ball bounce off the left field fence and your brother rounding second. You gazed out as he settled at third, wondering how they were already at the top of another inning. You watched as he looked towards you, tipping his helmet in acknowledgement, he knew you weren’t watching. Great.

8:45PM. You walked down the stands after Ty and two others came home, most likely sealing their win. You pressed the facetime button and waited. Facetime unavailable? You clicked the call button and it went straight to voicemail. Okay his phone is dead, they were probably out all day getting things situated. One of the kids probably drained it. You continued making excuses for him. After all, you did have a tendency to worry about what always turns out to be not a problem. You pushed down the uneasy feeling, ready to ride out the rest of this game.

“Did he answer?” Your dad asked as you settled behind him again. Of course he knew everything. It was a superpower of his, or any father really.

“No, I’ll try again later, I don’t wanna miss the game,” you turned your phone on full volume and set it down next to you. But not without sending Miley a text asking what was going on.

9:37PM. You were back home and just cancelled on your ice cream date with your closest cousin. This feeling wasn’t shaking and it almost made you physically sick.

“He hasn’t called, Ty. And she hasn’t even read the text!” Ty, still in his uniform, just got home and was standing in the doorway to the guest room while you were sat on the bed with a death grip on the phone.

“Im sure they are OK, you said it yourself this morning that they were keeping any eye on it,” though he tried, his words were not soothing. He stood awkwardly in the doorway and you sat silently on the bed. There was nothing you could do about it. You didn’t have Liam’s number, and who’s to say that he would answer either?

“Let’s just look at the news, they’ve been covering the fires LIVE for weeks now.” You followed him to the living room where he turned on CNN. They had another phone video from a family inside the car trying to evacuate. Flames and debris were scattering across the road and you could hear the panic in their voices as they drove through it.  

“Ty, I don’t want to watch this,” you mumbled, but not making an effort to look away. You read the story headline at the bottom of the screen referencing Malibu homes being helpless. Another mumbled ‘oh my god’ escaped your lips as you stared with panicked features at the television screen.

Suddenly, you had a lightbulb moment, there was one more number you could try. Gen! She was in the city, safe from the fires, and you knew that for sure. Immediately after clicking her name, she answered on the first ring.

“Gen! What is going on!”

“Can you get ahold of Chris?”

“Can you send me Liam’s number? I don’t have it.”

“(Y/N) I don’t know he hasn’t responded all day. I didnt even think about calling Liam,” she scolded herself over the phone. You yapped at her to quickly send it to you. As soon as the contact came through you were calling.

No answer. You shook your head to yourself, staring at the call log.

“Ty, something is wrong. When my flight lands tomorrow, I’m going to be stranded at the airport because not one of them grabbed a damn phone charger! Their house is probably burning up right now, if it isn’t yet, it’s about to be.” You knew you sounded crazy. You probably looked crazy too.

“(Y/N) chill out, he is a grown ass man and hopefully smart enough to leave when he should. Or better yet, they are probably out at a bar drinking a damn beer, perfectly fine.” You rolled your eyes at your father. You knew sure as hell they couldn’t go to a bar, but your father didn’t have to think about those things.

You went to bed that night with little to no sleep. Forever staring silently at your phone sitting still on the bed side table for most of the night, ready to answer it within a second if it rang. It didn’t.

8AM. Your flight didn’t leave until 1PM and you were ready to leave the house at 8AM. The conflict you had between wanting to rush back versus spend as much of these last few hours with your family almost tore you in half. Regardless, you knew you weren’t leaving till 1PM.

9AM. You were seated at the breakfast bar in your grandmother's house. The entire family came for a breakfast to tell you goodbye with no idea how long it would be till you came back. You shoved around a single, half eaten pancake, hardly able to rack up an appetite. You tried their phones again this morning. Nothing. You sat numbly, sending small smiles and ‘I’ll miss you too’’s around to everyone.

11AM. Even though it was early for your small airport, you sat anxiously in the correct terminal. The people surrounding you were boarding a flight before yours. Even some netflix wasn’t able to catch your attention as you watched the clocks and randomly tried one of their phone numbers again. Gen was going to meet you at the baggage claim when you landed. You at least had the knowledge to call her for backup so you weren’t stranded. You could figure this out and locate them together. One could only hope that Chris remembered what time your flight landed.

12:35PM. You sat in your assigned seat after boarding the flight. Without making an effort to pull out headphones and get comfortable, you stared at the lock screen while the flight attendants went through the safety motions in the isle. It was a picture that Miley sent you the day after you left. She snuck a picture of Chris laying between your legs, his arms wrapped around your waist, using you as his pillow. You were both passed out on her couch. When you asked her why, she just sent a shrugging emoji saying it was ‘too cute’. You smiled slightly at the photo. She was right, it is cute.

1:30PM was when you landed in LAX. The time change saving you a few. Taking your phone off airplane mode, the notifications could not come in fast enough. That’s because there weren’t any. A text from your mother saying don’t wait so long to come back, and to let them know how things play out. But honestly, if someone could let you know how things were going to play out, that would be great. You pulled your back pack over your shoulders and speed walked through the crowd to the baggage claim. Your eyes scanned the crowds for Gen, looking for her against everyone else but didn’t spy her anywhere. You turned towards the carousel keeping an eye out for your bag, all while double checking your call log and text messages. Still nothing.

After a couple minutes, your bag finally started to come around towards you. You glanced one more time around you for Gen but came up empty. You sighed and started to walk closer to your bag. Just as you were stepping closer, a hand reached it and grabbed the handle, hauling it off the belt.

“Hey, that one’s mine,” your heart sank, confrontation is the worst thing in the world, but the second you saw who was grabbing it, your breath was taken away. Chris’s eyes were full of humor, he had to know it scared you that your bag would be taken.

“Oh my god!” You lunged your arms over his shoulders, knocking his hat off in the process. His familiarity flooded your sense and you felt yourself let go of so much weight that had been lingering around. “Your phone. You are here,” you mumbled incoherently into his shoulder as you tried to swallow tears of relief that pricked at the back of your eyes. You felt his grip tighten and your feet hitch off the ground.

“I’m here, I know! I’m sorry,” feeling him shaking from laughing. You could feel your body warm in his embrace against the cold airport air. Squeezing around his shoulders reminding you he was actually here, no more waiting and worrying. Your feet hit the ground when you pulled back reluctantly, keeping your fingers locked behind his neck, grounding your senses.

“Don’t laugh! I was so worried,” a stray tear escaped and he quickly wiped it away and pulled your face to his. Rightfully so, you missed him so much, and you let him know. He kissed you rushed, putting his apology into it. Your hands rested down his chest, against his shirt as he pulled away too soon.

“I knew you would be.” He spoke quietly, scanning your eyes, making sure you were okay. A small smile was all he needed. He pulled you in again for a quick kiss before picking up his hat and throwing it back on. You giggled out an apology while he put it on. He grabbed the handle of the suitcase and your hand in his. He quickly scanned his surroundings, you too, but everyone seemed to be minding their own business. It seemed a little too good to be true but you didn’t dwell on it. You both quickly walked towards the doors to the parking lot while you fired a million questions that he had trouble keeping up with.

You got your answers, sure enough, as he drove. You didn’t know where you were going, but he seemed like he did. Having the energy to ask where you both were headed escaped your mind as you thought about Miley and Liam losing their house and all their belongings. Sadness filled your heart for her, a tornado took your home when you were younger as well, but you were maybe 8 years old, and were able to rebuild and find some belongings around the area. You pulled into a driveway of a mid sized home, that you came to figure was your place to stay till you leave town. You caught Liams truck in the driveway. Chris parked the car and gave your hand a squeeze.

“It will all turn out,” he said while you both opened the doors.

Inside you were attacked by the kids, giving each of them a squeeze. You hugged them close, missing them just as much as their father.

“You can’t leave for that long ever again,” India whispered into your ear. “Papa missed you too much.”

You whispered right back before letting her go, “I’ll try my best.” She pulled away shyly and walked across the room to a couch where she was seated on a tablet before you came in. You scanned the room and spotted Miley sitting at a dining room table ignoring everyone else in the house. She sat still with her back to you with a phone pressed to her ear.

Chris shut the door loudly behind you making you jump a bit in your spot. He pressed a kiss to your temple and walked past you, disappearing into a hallway, suitcase and backpack pulling along with him.

At the door closing, she finally turned around and saw you. You walked over the boys at your feet and met her in the dining room, crushing her in a hug.  After talking for a while, you got the gist that she was able to figure things out. She laughed about going to the store to buy a new phone charger for everyone, somehow finding humor in all the missed calls and texts from you to her. You glanced at the table she was sitting at and spotted, along with hers, one other phone plugged in charging as well. She caught you eyeing them on the table.

“Guess chargers weren’t that important to us,” she laughed awkwardly.

“I’m just happy everyone is okay.” It was the truth. She was still shaken, you can see that visually. It probably hasn’t manifested fully yet. After chatting a bit more and seeing Liam out on the back patio on hold with his insurance, you followed after Chris, finding him after he disappeared in the hallway. The master of the house was cute, and perfect for you both. Your suitcase was half empty on the bed as he was hanging up a shirt in the closet, next to his unpacked suitcase.

“You don’t have to do that,” you said, watching him from the doorway.

“We are going to be here for two weeks (Y/N), I want to,” okay, can’t argue with that. The bed looked so inviting after a sleepless and anxiety filled night. You climbed and laid across it, resting your head on your folded hands, sighing.

“I need a nap,” you mumbled, closing your eyes. Chris abandoned his station in the closet and crossed the room. The bed dipped beside you and he pulled you closer, pushing his arm under your head. His other hand ran across your back, he kissed your forehead lightly.

“You are so nice,” you giggled quietly. “Nice to cuddle.”

“Nice huh?” You didn’t open your eyes, but you could hear the smile in his voice. The 10 seconds of quiet you received came to a halt when you both heard one of the boys scream for him across the house. Peaking one eye open, not wanting to move, you saw Chris throw a hand over his face in annoyance. You watched his face closely as he rolled on his back and stared at the ceiling fan.

“Papa!” Tristan yelled again. You rolled your eyes at his laziness and started to pull off the bed.

“I’ll go see what he wants, make him stop yelling.” Chris didn’t make a move to stop you, but his head followed you around the bed and watched you out the door, disappear around the hallway corner.

After about 30 minutes, you figured out the tv and put on a movie for the kids, sitting with them until the calm down. They sat silently while you were in the kitchen with miley, and when you returned to the living room, they were all three asleep. Guess they didn’t get much sleep last night either. You whispered to Miley that they were all asleep in there and that you were going to try to take a nap as well. A suggestive wink and wave of her hands was all you needed to round to corner and head back to the bed.

When you walked back in the room, Chris was breathing evenly and laying still on the bed. You quietly shut the door behind you and took off your shoes, next to where Chris kicked his off. He looked so inviting to cuddle up to but you were trying so hard not to wake him up. The throw on the end of the bed looked soft and was going to have to do because he was laying on top of all the covers. You returned to your spot and slid between his arms. He adjusted slightly, pushing you closer with a hand on your back. A lazy and quick kiss pressed to your forehead was brief and he was out like a light again, probably didn’t fully wake up in the first place. You nestled quietly and felt a weight lift off your shoulders. It was a relief to be back in his arms, all is as right as it can be.

11PM. You woke up cold, as always. Except it was dark out and there was no reason for him to leave you hanging. Its startled you slightly when you could tell the sun was down from the closed blinds on the window. You searched your pockets for your phone. You felt like it was a trick being played on you when you saw that it was past 11PM. You stilled and tried to listen beyond the bedroom door for any sign of life but it was dead quiet. You slid off the bed and flipped on the light, digging through drawers for pajamas, turning up with leggings and a baseball t-shirt of your brothers.

You creaked open the bedroom door and still didn’t hear anything. The house was still, the upstairs lights turned on, the kids were probably asleep up there. You continued till you saw movement out the back windows. Peering through the back door you spotted the three sitting on the patio furniture. Just talking, it seemed. You watched as Liam sat back and slid a hand down his face, probably stressing out. A habit they both have in common, you learned. You pushed the door open and all eyes turned to you.

“Hey, did we wake you up?” Chris asked, craning his neck around the back of his seat. You shook your head and made your way towards him.

“I woke up because I was cold. You always disappear,” you hughed, messing up his hair with your fingers. The other two let out a low ‘ooooo’ and he turned back to them to flip them off.

“Even when I am around your always still cold,” he complained. Just on time and breeze caught you and you shivered slightly. It wasn’t even the slightest bit chilly, he was right.

“My point!” he pointed up at you laughing, the other two joining in.

“Yea, yea. I’m going back to bed.” They all three followed you in after you told them what time it was. Miley and Liam trudged up the stairs while Chris followed you to the room.

11:20PM. You were snuggled into the covers while he turned the lights off, the lamp on, and the fan on, smirking at you. He started to strip his clothes down to his boxers, and you got to smirk while watching him. He crawled in next to you, and boy was he a sight to look at. You could stare all day. You missed him enough that you did so, shamelessly, though he wasn’t allowed to say anything because he does the same thing.

An arm slid underneath you, he pulled you to him and laid his head on your chest like you were a pillow. Fingers automatically finding themselves at the nape of his neck, and the other resting on his arm. You sighed as goosebumps covered your arms because they were now above the warmth of the blanket. Your fingers rubbed down his spine and and pressed against his muscles and he hummed in appreciation. Of course, now you were wide awake after sleeping so long. You waited patiently until you thought his breathing evened out, to stop moving your hands. He shrugged his shoulders like a needy child when your movements stilled.

“I was so worried Chris,” you whispered.

“I know, I’m sorry.” He lifted his head and found your lips in the moon lit darkness and placed a chaste kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” You could see his eyes and feel his body still against yours.

“You, what?” He lowered his head pressing a kiss to your jaw lightly flowing lower to your neck.

“I love you,” you said slowly, feeling foreign coming out of your mouth. His lips left your neck, cold in his absence. Though he wasn’t gone for long, a slow and hard kiss pressed against your lips, eyes falling closed to the darkened room. He kissed you slowly, drawing his tongue in and showing his love for you endlessly. It was sweet, slow, and sensual in its own way. His stubble ran across your skin, leaving a tickle in its wake that you loved so much. When he pulled away, he kissed across your neck, leaving you to catch your breath. One hand was gripped softly behind your neck, giving himself more room while the other squeezed harder around your waist. He took his sweet time feeling you out, sliding your annoying in-the-way shirt off and paying attention to your chest that was rising and falling under his touch. You gasped as he payed attention to your nipples that grew hard quickly against the cold air and his fingertips.

“Say it again,” he demanded across your skin. Trying to grasp yourself to reality from his assault, you murmured ‘I love you’.

His hands flooded to your leggings and easily slid them under you and down your legs. Goosebumps rose across your skin and he ran his hands up your legs, finding home on your waist against underwear that hadn’t come off.

“Just take them off,” you told him breathlessly. You expected to see him fight off a smirk against your eager tone but there was no reaction except for lust flooding his features. As soon as they slipped past your ankles his hands where under your knees, carving a spot for him. He laid open mouth kisses down the inside of your thighs, making you humm in frustration.

“Love, do you even know how long you made me hold out?” He squeezed the back of your thighs playfully. “Let me enjoy this.” He settled himself lower against the bed and you could feel your heels rest against his back, your legs over his shoulders as he traced around where you wanted him most. You were almost shaking with anticipation, feeling his hot breath over you.

You licked a hot strip up your center, flicking your clit with his tongue. Your hips shuttered under his fingertips. You forcefully closed your mouth in attempt to silence yourself as he licked around your clit and held your hips down from moving. His hands eventually found yours and pulled one away from covering your mouth, intertwining his fingers with yours. His tongue dipped around and circled your entrance, and you gasped at the new feeling. He pulled up and bit playfully on the inside of your thigh.

“Let me hear you,” his voice broke your trance. Your own hands ghosted his as he ran his up your abdomen, his fingertips feeling hot over your skin, while sinking back down towards your heat, assaulting you with his tongue. He was treating you so good, adding fingers, one after another, stretching you for him. You came quickly on his tongue, not really giving you a choice, complying.

“Are you, enjoying it yet?” you asked breathlessly as he kissed up your abdomen. He grazed his teeth over your nipple, pulling a shocked noise from you.

“I am,” he said quickly, sucking a love bite at the base of your neck, giving you a moment to breathe normally again.

“I love you,” you said again, it spilling out as if against your will. Chris pulled off the bed and disappeared into the closet, emerging again with a foil pack in his fingers. You watched him with a small smile on your face, not missing his outline in the black boxers he was wearing. He looked at you as he crossed the room, on a sex high with your hair spread across the sheets and a love drunk smile. He was the lucky one here.

“I hope you don’t always move that slow,” you teased as he took his time padding across the room.

“That’s all up to you, beautiful,” he crawled up next to you pulled you close, kissing you deeply, lighting another fire inside you, though it never seemed to dim. You were the lucky one here.

Taglist: @keithseabrook27 @odinson-barnes @jonsnowisthesexiestbastard 

@weekendswithnewtmas @innerpaperexpertcloud @toomanyflowerboys @thefashioncomplex @basmaraafat

A/N: Going to try and get the next chapter up before April 26th! we need a little promo tour in this. What happens when the reader meets Evans? lmao.

[soaringeag1e]

Part 43 --- Final ---

Jensen x Reader

Warnings: Family!Feels, Swearing?

Words: 2,134

Previous Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

Can’t believe this is coming to an end. I want to thank every single one of you, whether you’ve been with me for the last four years or you’ve been with me for four days. This has been my longest series and my most loved by all of you. First with Lucky and now ending with Family, it’s been a beautiful ride. 

Thank you!!

“Where’s your brother?” Karlie came running through the side doors, grabbing a plastic cup from the counter and begging for you to fill it up.

“Playing with Shep and Odette outside.” You leaned back slightly, getting a good view of the playground and seeing just that. The three of them were digging up the sand underneath the slide. “When are we gonna eat?”

“Not until everyone gets here.”

“When is that?” After filling her cup you looked at her with raised brows, the same “mom” look you always gave when your kids, or even Jared’s, asked you a question that they knew you didn’t know the answer to. Though the younger ones got a pass most of the time because they really don’t know better.

“I don’t know. It should be soon, but we need to wait to make sure everyone makes it here safe. Until then, your grandma made some of your favorite snacks.” you pointed towards the long table near the front entrance of the place, her gaze catching all the appetizers in the distance.

“If you take some, can you please take a few out to your brother and everyone else too, please.” She nodded with her water cup up to her lips and slowly walked away from you, heading right for the food.

“I’m gonna go grab another table.” You turned as you felt a hand on your waist, knowing it was Jensen before he started talking.

“You think we’ll need one?” Another table rested against the adjacent wall from the appetizers holding food for dinner. You and Gen made a lot of it, but you all had friends and family bring at least one of their favorite dishes too if they could, and it was filling up fast.

“Yeah. Just in case anyway. I mean, we’re still waiting on Misha and his family, um.....Jeff and Hilarie have been in town for a day....maybe two.” he questioned himself, not sure when everyone was getting in. But you couldn’t say either. “So, they may be bringing something. My parents along with Mackenzie and Josh should be here soon and you know my mom will bring at least two to three dishes alone.”

“Okay. I got the point.” you chuckled, resting your hand against his chest. “You need help?”

“No, I think I got it.” he quickly placed a kiss on your lips before jogging to the back.

Everything was going smoothly, but when it came to big gatherings like this, you both always hustled even if it wasn’t necessary. You wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

A mixture of the kids screams made your eyes jump out to the playground and when you saw that they were all laughing and running around, a smile grew. Jensen was right, this place did turn out to be perfect for families.

Feeling your phone vibrate in your pocket, you reached in and pulled it out, only hearing your normal ringtone for a brief second before you answered it. You kept a close eye on your phone because this place was kinda tucked away and it was easy for some to pass right by and get lost. But the name that flashed on your screen wasn’t one that you were expecting to walk through the door anytime soon.

“Hey stranger.”

“Hey.” Your smile grew a little more as you heard a voice you missed terribly.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to call and wish you and everyone down there a happy new year, and...well, I know your party’s about to start and I wanted to say sorry again for not being able to make it.”

“No. Matt....” you turned away from the playground just as Jensen and Gino came barreling out of the back with another long table. And Matt, who was your good friend Andrew’s brother, of course you wished he was here, but you didn’t want him feeling guilty for not flying out.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I didn’t expect you to get the invitation and just pack up and leave.” His chuckle on the other end brought your smile back. “I just figured if you had the chance it would have been great to see you. But I know you’re busy and everything so....”

“It definitely would have been great to see you.” Silence took over as you thought back to when you last saw him, but that memory was so distant.

“We’ll get together soon. Somehow, okay? Even if Jensen and I have to fly back there.”

“No! Absolutely not. You two have been coming to me for far too long. It’s my turn to make the trip. That and you guys have three kids to lug around.”

“Well then get your ass down here, Klingler.” A last name you haven’t said in years and yet it didn’t feel like a stranger at all.

“I will. Soon.” he said after you both enjoyed a nice laugh.

“Okay. I’m holding you to it.”

“I would expect nothing less.” Just as he said that you saw a few more guests of yours show up.

“I would hope not.” you waved over towards the front entrance, getting the attention of some of the new arrivals. “Alright, bud, I’m going to let you go. But send love to the folks and I hope you guys have a happy new year.”

“Same to you. Love ya.”

“Love ya too.” The older gentleman at the entrance locked eyes with you the second you hung up with Matt and slid your phone back in your pocket. The same man that you’ve known for just as long as you’ve known Jensen.

“JD!” 

“Hey, beautiful.” Jeffrey instantly wrapped his arms around you and you enjoyed it very much for it had been a few years since you had seen him. “It’s been too long.”

“I know.” you smiled at Hilarie as you pulled away. “I need to make it up to the farm sometime.”

“Yes you do, because it’s not only our family that’s growing.” Jeff’s hand gently ran over Hilarie’s stomach.

“Oh, man. Fury family expanding too?” Jeff hummed with a light nod. “You excited, Gus?” you smiled, looking down at their son.

“Yeah.” he spoke shyly, curling into his moms side.

“Yeah? Well, if you want, Karlie and the rest of the gang are out on the playground. That way you don’t have to hang out with us crazy adults.” Tilting his head up, he quickly got the okay from mom and dad and then he took off for the door as if his life depended on it.

“Now, where is that new little baby of yours?” Hilarie’s eyes scanned the room, looking for your one month old son.

“I’m sure if you can find Gen, you’ll find him.” With the mission in mind she gave you and her husband a quick smile then began to move around the room.

“How ya doing, kid?” Jeffrey’s voice pulled your gaze back to him and away from his wandering wife.

“Good. Real good.”

“Yeah?” You nodded softly, but before the conversation could go on you both heard Jensen a few feet away.

“Try to pop that leg in first.” Him and Gino were struggling to get the legs locked on the table they brought out, but as Gino did as Jensen directed it seemed to fix the problem.

“How about him?” 

“He’s good.” Turning back to him you smiled softly. 

“Yeah? I heard he’s been doing better for the last year or so.” You hummed in response.

“This place has helped a lot.”

“There he is!” Jensen cut your conversation short. A big brotherly hug between the two made you smile and when they pulled away Jensen pulled you close. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Me too. I’ve got the gang wandering around somewhere.” he pointed over your guys’ shoulder before looking between the two of you and smiling. “The place looks amazing, J. You did great.”

“Yeah, we’re pretty proud of it.” Jensen squeezed you tight, smiling down at you.

Jeffrey looked between you both, a large smile on his face with the love he had for the both of you being clear to everyone in the room if they were paying attention.

“Alright you two.” Jeff’s eyes quickly shot around the room. “I’m gonna go find my wife and hopefully be able to hold that new little boy of yours, but I’ll see you both in a little while.” he patted Jensen on the back as he walked away and that’s when you and Jensen took in the room full of friends and family for the first time without thinking of what else you needed to get done.

“You were right.” Your soft voice made Jensen look down at you seeing that you were resting your head on his right shoulder.

“About what?”

“This place. It’s perfect.” Jensen’s smile grew slightly, the fact that you seemed to have the same amount of love that he had for the brewery warmed his heart to a whole other level.

The smiles and laughter of everyone around you was music to your ears and as Jensen’s hand gently ran up and down your arm, you pulled your head off his shoulder to look up at him. His loving smile confirmed that he was your Jensen again. It was no longer forced or hiding something behind it. This was the Jensen you fell for years ago and still loved deeply.

“Come here for a minute.” Jensen’s hand gently pulled on your shoulder before sliding down your back and grabbing a hold of your left hand, pulling you towards the double doors that lead to the brewing room.

You glanced over your shoulder for a moment, looking over all your guests once more before disappearing into a much quieter place. Jensen continued to pull you a little further in so that you both weren’t within sight of people passing by.

“What’s going on?” Jensen took your hands in his, not answering your question as he smiled down at you. Between his smile and the way he was looking at you, all you could think about was how that was exactly the way he looked at you on your wedding day.

“I can’t even begin to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Especially these last couple years.”

“Jensen....” He squeezed your hands gently, cutting you off.

“No, just....give me a second.” Pressing you lips together, you forced yourself to stay silent.

“There are so many moments that I know it would have been so easy for you to give up on me, and you didn’t, and that’s why I love you so much. You are literally my rock and if I didn’t have you in my life....I know that there would always be a huge part of me that would be missing, and that’s not a life I even want to think about having.” he was holding himself together shockingly well, though there were tears beginning to gloss his eyes. You however, you were quickly becoming a mess. A few tears had already escaped and if he didn’t stop soon there would for sure be plenty more.

“Again....I will never be able to make up for everything I put you through...” he reached into his back pocket as you shook your head.

“Jensen...” your voice cracked as you tried to object but then he pulled a pamphlet in front of you.

“But I hope this is a good start.” Confused, your eyes shot up to his before looking back at the pamphlet and taking it from him, slowly opening it up.

“I figured after we open this place up you and I can get out of dodge for awhile. Get a break and just be with each other.” Two plane tickets to the Cayman Islands peeked out from it’s holder inside the pamphlet. “I’ve already talked to my parents and yours, along with Jared and Gen...they’re going to split watching the kids for us.” Your throat was tight and you couldn’t swallow, but you were beyond happy.

“What do ya think?”

“I..I think...” Forcing a swallow, you finally looked up into the green eyes you loved so much. “I think that I can’t wait to pack.” He didn’t expect you to say no, but the pure happiness in your eyes made his smile grow from ear to ear.

His right hand quickly, but gently found your cheek and he pulled you close, pressing his lips to yours. Everything was finally falling back into place and Jensen was so happy that what he was going through before had finally fell into the background in his life, and the things that made him happy, the most important things in his life, were front and center.

[1-800-divorce]

I thought you weren't getting SwSh and had other games you were more interested in? How do you like the game thus far? I haven't played SwSh, it's the first Pokémon game I haven't played on launch day in 20 years.

There are still other games I want, but none of them are out or will be that soon (I’m on the fence about Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and God Eater 3). I already got DQ XI, which I really wanted, so all that was left was pokemon. I know I wasn’t going to, but I’m weak and caved because all my friends got it and I wanted to play with them and not feel like I was missing out.

There are some major flaws:

The plot. Plot is unpolished and leaves a lot of questions. You don’t really know what’s going on most of the time because the adults talk down to you and keep you out of the loop so that you can focus on your gym challenge. On one hand that makes sense because you’re a kid so you shouldn’t be burdened with taking care of their problems, but on the other hand it’s weird since it’s always been the case in the past that the kid has to clean up the mess of the adults. There’s no clear antagonist until the very end and at that point it’s like “Right, what’s all this then?” It’s thrown at you out of nowhere, not even a mention of the antagonist group until you’re already facing them.

The graphics. They’re fine for the most part. There are some weird texture and shadows/reflections not lining up, and it’s a little fuzzy in some areas, but it’s not awful. However, for how big pokemon is and how anticipated the games are, these should’ve been cleaned up.

Online (link trades/battles). If you played Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, finding people is the same. There’s no friend list, which is a huge pain because you can and do still match up to random people even when you use a code. There’s no GTS, and yes, I know it was always filled with garbage and people asking for an arceus in return for a freshly caught magikarp, but at least you could search for specific things you needed. Now you have to hope that if you show a pokemon to some random person you match with online that they understand you’re trying to fill your dex.

Online continued (sticker system). The sticker system that notifies you when there are new raids open is also frustrating at best. It may update on the side of your screen like a laggy live feed, but you may not see that notification when you go to the online menu to join a raid you saw pop up. It doesn’t refresh frequently or consistently so often times you’ll miss things. The only way to ensure you’ll see a raid from someone you want to do raid battles with is to exchange friend codes, because you see random people trading, battling, camping, and doing raids. Most of the time you’ll see people join raids that you can’t see the invite to (it’s just “Player joined up with other people in a raid!” and you see people defeat/catch a raid pokemon that you never saw the invite to. The only way I’ve so far heard to get around this is to exchange your League Card to keep the sticker feed refreshing. It’s annoying.

The Wild Area. You’ll be spending most of your time here when you aren’t doing going from gym to gym whether it’s to grind for exp, exp candies, TRs (like the old-school TMs where they break after one use and you get them as rewards from raids), items to sell for money, etc. However, because it’s so huge and the game shows both real players (if you’re online) and NPCs there’s obvious lag as you adventure around.

However, despite all the flaws it’s a pretty fun game, especially with friends to do raid battles with. The main story is very short and can go from 6-10 hours depending on how fast you get through everything. Despite the frustrations, it satisfies the desire for a “new pokemon game” itch. I also got over leveled by accident by gym four and stayed that way until the champion battle, but I don’t mind the exp always on (it’s been like that in JRPG games for a long time, so that’s a petty complaint, in my opinion). I’ve already put in over 100 hours to complete the dex and do a lot of raid battles the most. It’s reaching a point where I’m running out of things I want to do, but it was still an entertaining game. I do think, however, that $60+tax is steep for what you get. $50 would’ve been more fair.

I also like how all the gym leaders aren’t a one-and-done deal, but rather pop up at a few points throughout the game. I found some new top favorite pokemon, which I haven’t felt that way since gen 4, and I really enjoyed all the characters in SwSh – they all had some depth to them, which was refreshing. Is it the best pokemon game? No, I wouldn’t say so, but it was more enjoyable than XY and SM/USUM making BW/BW2 the last enjoyable pokemon games to me. I don’t necessarily agree with the 9/10 ratings the games got, but they were still enjoyable.

Also, the complaint about reusing pokemon models? Stupid.

[afteriwake]

What I’ll Write/Requests

(as of 9/20/19)

Since this is currently on my commission page and I’m no longer doing fic commissions, I figured I should copy it & update it with the new fandoms I do? So here it is.

Requests are currently CLOSED until I catch up on the hundreds of prompts I have at both my blogs. The only exception is if I reblog a prompt/prompt list here.

The following is a list of fandoms I write and characters/ships I feel most comfortable writing:

Sherlock I’ll write just about any ship you can throw at me. I write F/F fic (with the exception of NC-17 fic), M/M fic (with the exceptions of NC-17 fic and anything other than Mystrade, Sheriarty and MorMor, and Johnlock for special friends), M/F fic (almost any ship, NC-17 rating only for Sherlock Holmes/Female Character pairing fics) and select OT3s (Sherlock/Mary/John, Sherlock/Molly/Irene, Lestrade/Mycroft/Anthea and Molly/Moriarty/Moran). No Mrs. Hudson pairing fics except the canon one and Wilf from DW; no Magnussen or other bad guys not already mentioned above.

Doctor Who Generally I only write Eleventh Doctor era and some of Twelfth Doctor era (I am not current with Rose, Martha, Donna, Bill and The Fam eras yet, but I have all the box sets by Doctor save Thirteen). At the moment I mostly can write Eleven, River, Amy, Rory, Martha and Mickey, and can kind of write Clara, Vastra, Jenny, Strax, Jack and a few other recurring ones…ship wise I write Rory/Amy, Eleven/River and Vastra/Jenny (though I can possibly be persuaded to write Twelve/Clara, maybe, depending on the prompt). No NC-17 fic.

Elementary I’m much better at Joan, Marcus, Gregson and Alfredo than Sherlock. My only real ship for this show that I’ve written is Marcus/Joan though I’d love to try Jamie and Sherlock/Jamie in a twisted sense or Jamie/Joan. Also, fair warning: I’m mostly familiar with season 1 and the Kitty arc in season 3, but I have access to all the season save the last one via my library..

Star Trek: Alternate Original Series I do not do a whole lot of ships for this verse aside from Spock/Uhura, Sulu/Ben and a kind of biased Kirk/Uhura (I RP that ship in one of my games) personally but I am willing to write any ship except Bones/Carol (I have issues with that one). I do write slash ships for this series; just ask and I’ll see what I can do. I do not really write Scotty or Chekov with their accents often though I will through in Chekov using Russian occasionally. I will also acknowledge aspects of the Discovery verse (ie, usually Michael Burnham on her own, but occasionally Tilly and other Discovery characters as they might be in the AOS series). No NC-17 for any ship except Kirk/Uhura, and then only in my RP verse fics.

Marvel Cinematic Universe Ship wise I’m pretty open amongst Captain America characters, as well my personal OT5 is any combination of Steve/Sam/Bucky/Nat/Clint with a dash of either Peggy or Sharon given the situation. AoS I’m pretty much either Coulson/May or Daisy/Jemma at the moment (though I will write a few other ships for both, like Jemma/Fitz, but NOT Skyward). I am familiar with Thor characters, Peter Parker, Iron Man characters, Stephen Strange, Wong, and Shuri. Anything else, please ask and I’ll see what I can do. I do have access to the entire MCU to watch, but prefer to avoid certain movies. Will write NC-17, but it depends on the characters/ships.

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries I’m pretty much primarily a Jack/Phryne writer in this fandom. I can do a decent Dot and Hugh but I haven’t attempted anyone else. Also, shorter stories are best. Will not write NC-17 for this fandom. Am planning to add “Crypt of Tears” to the list of what I’m familiar with when it comes out.

Star Wars Movieverse I’m still refamiliarizing myself with this series (so far I’m current/mostly current on the original trilogy sequel trilogy so far and “Rogue One”) but I’m pretty fair game as to characters and ships I will write for those three sections of it. However, I will only write brother/sister Luke & Leia stories, and when it comes to Rogue One I’m iffy on just who I can write since all I’ve written so far is a Jyn POV piece. Other than that, feel free to toss an idea at me prior to requesting and I’ll give a more resolute yes or no answer. No NC-17 for this fandom

NEW FANDOM - Good Omens So I am vastly more familiar with the book than the miniseries, but I do have access to the miniseries and plan on watching it soon. I will probably end up writing Aziraphale/Crowley and Gabriel/Beelzebub because that’s what my enabler writes, but feel free to toss other ideas at me. No NC-17 for this fandom, and would actually prefer a ton of gen prompts if given prompts for this fandom.

NEW FANDOM - DCCU So I’m limited in this one, as the only one I’ve attempted is Wondertrev fic, but I’ve seen “Batman vs Superman” and “Wonder Woman” and am planning on watching the rest at some point. Would probably feel most comfortable with Wondertrev, Clois and Wonderbat. No NC-17 for now.

NEW FANDOM - Legends Of Tomorrow I am much much more familiar with this show than the rest of the DCTV shows, having seen the first season and following various developments since here on Tumblr. As I am still in Series 1, will probably focus on Captain Canary for a while until I get used to the newer characters. Potentially will write Avalance, Constagreen, Zari/Amaya and Constantine/Sara as I get more into the show. No NC-17 so far.

NEW FANDOM - DCAU Very very familiar with the random DCAU shows (minus Superman: TAS and The Zeta Project). Big Harley/Ivy fan, big Wonderbat fan, Big Question/Huntress fan, big Green Arrow/Black Canary fan, big Batcat fan, big Terry/Dana fan. Don’t know how well I can write all of the above except I know I can write Harley/Ivy, as I already have. No NC-17. For other characters in DCAU (excluding The Zeta Project, Superman: TAS and Static Shock for the moment) ask and we’ll see what I can do.

NEW FANDOM - Midsomer Murders So this one…I’ve watched pretty much every episode up to Winters at least once, if not more? I’m willing to give any character and implied/hinted at/”will they or won’t they?” ship a chance. Send me Jones prompts and I may give you a longer fic (he’s my fave). No NC-17 for now, nothing probably over 500 words for most fics until I get more comfortable in this fandom.

CROSSOVER SHIPS I do write crossover ships as well! Most of them are Sherlock oriented, but I ship McCoy/Molly (Star Trek AOS/Sherlock), Khan/Molly (Star Trek AOS/Sherlock), Sherlock/Amy (Sherlock/Doctor Who), Lestrade/Donna (Sherlock/Doctor Who), Eleven/Molly (Doctor Who/Sherlock), Rory/Molly (Doctor Who/Sherlock), Martin/Molly (Cabin Pressure/Sherlock), Bucky/Clara (MCU/Doctor Who) and McCoy/Donna (Star Trek AOS/Doctor Who). Other potential crossovers are welcome, just run the ship and a prompt by me and we’ll see if I can make it work.

Also old fandoms I could be persuaded to do again (but under very limited and probably non-shippy circumstances, and not for anything long unless it’s for a special present) would include Bleach, St. Trinians movies, CSIverse and early season Supernatural.

[ghostmartyr]

Pokémon FireRed Nuzlocke [Part 1]

-claps hands together- Okay, this one’s going to be a little different. My primary goal when I first started the Nuzlocke thing was to replay games with some more variety in the choices. The Nuzlocke element was more about limiting the chaos of the Randomizer than really doing a proper Nuzlocke.

This, though, is going back to the basics. It should be very fun.

Rules:

After possessing poke balls, only the first pokemon of any route is eligible for catch.

Barring duplicates. Waiting until an unregistered pokemon appears is valid.

Any pokemon that faints will be considered dead, and go into a specified box.

Each pokemon must be nicknamed.

Starter pokemon is determined by Trainer ID number.

Team wipe means the run’s over.

Plus one extra special one:

Only battling Trainers is allowed.

No grinding. The only smudge line is that if I can’t run away from a pokemon, I am allowed to defeat it. I’m not going to be locked into a situation where a wild pokemon ends everything because it’s too fast and I’m not allowed to attack it.

My expectation is that I’m going to fail at least a few times. So the part tag on these posts isn’t going to necessarily match where I’m at in the game. I’m just going to keep on until the Elite Four is beaten.

Hopefully this is as exciting as I’m wanting it to be!

Heyo prof.

Geez, the moments before you have the option to adjust the text speed are the worst.

In the spirit of having fun, I’m not going to go with my standard. For this game, I shall be... Coin. Only in caps, because I think gen three is still a gen where all of the names of stuff come in caps. Gotta make sure I fit in.

I love video games.

Rival names are always so difficult. You can be Turq. Also in screamy caps.

First thing’s first, after changing the text speed. Into my computer for a Potion. Which I never knew about until I started watching people play these games on the internet.

Second thing is...

ID number.

Bulbapedia says 4-6 is Fire. Yoooo.

Who knows if we’ll even have a chance to watch that play out. We have to make it through the rival fight first, and that’s pretty much RNG.

Charmander, your name shall be Heero.

First fight of the game.

Scratch, Tackle, Scratch, Tackle, Scratch, Tackle...

Yay, we get to continue forward!

Heero is level 6 now.

One day, this stat chart might be of interest to me.

Heero is a Calm female Charmander. She knows Scratch and Growl.

Up to Viridian, grabbing Oak’s Parcel, down to Pallet, delivering Oak’s Parcel... Pokedex get, and we have five poke balls! Plus vague instructions to visit our rival’s sister for a Town Map.

Route 1 reentered, and our first available catch appears.

What I’m dying to know is if I get exp for catching in this gen. I can’t remember.

Yay!

Nope on the exp, though.

Rattata’s name is going to be Cat.

Cat is going in the box. The experiment of this first run is going to be how far Heero can push. I have a limited amount of exp to harvest, and I want to have it go to something I’m planning on using for a while. Who knows how this will turn out.

Route 22 is going to be briefly examined for our next partner. We’ll be back later to fight Turq, but right now he would eat us alive.

First thing is Rattata. Nope.

FUCK YES.

Maybe. This is still complicated.

Caught!

Going with a theme here... Allenby.

Old dude int town teaches us how to catch stuff, he gives us the Teachy TV which I don’t think I’ve ever touched except by accident, yay, we move forward.

Into Route 2. I walk through the grass without getting anything, and you know what, for now that’s fine. Into Viridian Forest we go, and that means it’s finally time for trainers.

Allenby is going to be in front for as much as I can keep her. As much as I like the possibility of just training Heero into the invincible Charmander that laughs in the face of Brock... lol.

Bug Catcher Rick is our first fight outside Turq! He has a level 6 Weedle. ...This is already uncomfortable. Yep, Poison Sting poisons Allenby. But Allenby wins and grows to level 5.

Rick also has a Caterpie.

...I have Potions. I should have bought Antidotes, but I forget how low the HP is early on, and also that walking probably does damage. But Allenby should be able to take on a Caterpie. Maybe.

With the help of a Potion.

And when we’re running around trying to find an Antidote, a Caterpie appears.

Her name can be Rain.

Now I have the delightful project of looking at the menu every few seconds to check if it’s time to give Allenby a Potion. I... think it’s fewer steps to one of the Antidotes hidden in the forest than the Pokemon Center or Mart.

The exciting challenges of early gens.

...Fuck it, I don’t know where the Antidote is. I’m going to try out rushing to the Center.

One more Potion.

Made it.

Rain, into the box.

I’m buying ten Antidotes. Three more Poke Balls, and five Potions.

Back in Route 2, a Pidgey wants to join the box squad.

...

And I wasn’t going to use it anytime soon anyway, but I turned my brain off and didn’t nickname it. Sigh. Uh, for future reference, the Pidgey’s name is Ren. I don’t think I can change it until Lavender Town, but that’s its name.

Fight number two.

Opening with a level 7 Weedle.

Allenby makes it to 6 beating it. Allenby learns Low Kick!

Another level 7 Weedle follows.

Allenby is finally poisoned. After a lot of good luck. Needs a Potion before I can use an Antidote, because the Weedle’s probably going to use Poison Sting again, and if I use an Antidote, Allenby’s health is low enough that a Poison Sting + poison would be an issue.

Nope, it uses String Shot.

Allenby makes it to level 7.

And Doug’s last thing is Kakuna. Well, this will take forever, but that’s fine. Doug down.

I realized I didn’t do this for her. So here. Have a timely picture. And I finally found the Antidote. It was just in the middle of the path.

Missed the name. Don’t ask why. But Allenby faces a level 7 Caterpie. Allenby wins and is now level 8 (also the dude’s name is Anthony). Level 8 Caterpie comes out to pick up the slack.

Bug Catcher Charlie is next, and yay, Metapod. Allenby is level 9. A Caterpie and Metapod later, Charlie’s out.

Next up, Bug Catcher Sammy. He’s got a level 9 Weedle. Ick. But it’s gone now, even though Allenby is poisoned. Congrats on level 10, btw. Antidote time.

That’s all we have available before Brock, and that means we’re going back to Route 22 to fight Turq. If memory serves, he has two. His starter, and... I want to say Pidgey? With the Pidgey out front?

So Allenby gets to play second fiddle to Heero for a little bit. Hopefully Heero will survive long enough to get some exp before post-Brock, since she won’t have any participation points for that fight.

Happy fun times with rival.

Hey, I got it right!

He has his. level 9 Pidgey. Oh geez.

Yeah, Heero can’t handle this. Allenby? Save her?

Allenby succeeds. Heero grows to level 7. And learns Ember!

Squirtle comes out, and it’s level 9 too.

Allenby wins. Nice.

Brock time, I guess.

Iconic.

Camper Liam sends out a level 10 Geodude for Allenby to hopefully eat. Allenby does, and reaches level 11. Even better, Allenby learns Karate Chop! Liam sends out a level 11 Sandshrew. Allenby beats it and all that’s left to the gym is Brock.

Don’t worry, kid, we still love you.

Back to the Center to heal, then. Brock.

Hi. I’m Coin. I’m on a path of destruction.

Level 12 Geodude is my first opponent.

Aaaaand it’s gone. Allenby gets to live to level 12.

Level 14 Onix.

Allenby wins!

First badge get. Heero gets to go back into the first slot for switch training. Then Running Shoes for me! Yay!

Right we go, and Bug Catcher Colton is our first post-Brock opponent. He has a level 10 Caterpie. Heero handles it, and reaches level 8. Level 10 Weedle up next. Heero wins again, and level 9 she hits. Another level 10 Caterpie. That’s enough to get Heero up to 10! It costs and Antidote, but whatever.

Lass Janice is up next. She has a level 9 Pidgey. Then surprise, she has another. Heero hits 11.

This isn’t especially important I just wanted to break up the wall of text.

She has a level 10 Rattata.

She also has a level 10 female Nidoran. It poisons Allenby, who has to go in after Heero is nearly felled by two Tail Whips worth of Quick Attack. Allenby is level 13, and I’m about to be down another Antidote.

Trip to the Pokemon Center, and then it’s Bug Catcher Greg. He’s got a level 9 Weedle. Thankfully Heero can nail those in one shot, and is now level 12. Level 9 Kakuna. Level 9 Caterpie. Wait, let me guess, level 9 Metapod? Yep.

Yay Heero. Heero now knows Metal Claw. Double yay.

Next up is Bug Catcher James. He’s got a level 11 Caterpie. He’s also got a level 11 Metapod. Heero thanks them for the exp.

Lass Robin follows with her Jigglypuff. It is level 14, so I think I will let Allenby help out after Heero gets a nom in. I also think it’s time for Allenby to be up front again, if only for a little while. I’m still getting a feel for how to distribute the exp. In this case, I let Heero handle all the Bug Catchers, and intended for Allenby to get all the other trainers. Lass Robin moves, so I wasn’t sure if she was a trainer NPC or standard NPC.

Youngster Calvin! What’s on your agenda?

A level 14 Spearow.

I’m going to let Allenby stay in for a hit. Tune in to see how much I am filled with regret.

Peck is unpleasant, but Karate Chop can finish it in two, so that’s how we’re gonna do.

Same, my man.

Youngster Ben. With the level 11 Rattata. And the level 11 Ekans. With Intimidate. Ugh. And Wrap. More ugh. But Allenby makes it to level 14 through Ben’s contributions.

So there’s grass on this here route. Time to see if we’re getting another one for the box, or maybe adding someone to the team.

Box buddy. Hm. You can be... Herine.

The dude selling the Magikarp in front of Mt. Moon is technically in Route 4, so that Magikarp could conceivably count, but Magikarp needs loads of experience to level up to something usable. Efficiency demands we not add it.

The art they’ve added into these is really pretty. I like it a lot.

Mt. Moon gives us a level 7 female Zubat. Another for the box. Her name’s Dini.

Now for the long, long, long trek through a cave where I can’t attack any of the constantly spawning creatures. Yaay.

Bug Catcher Kent wants to spice it up with a battle. He has a level 11 Weedle. Allenby takes that, Heero nabs the level 11 Kakuna.

Lass Iris is also here. She has a Clefairy, and since Fairy Type doesn’t exist yet, tear it up Allenby.

I have no memory of what Type theme you have in this gen. I want to say Magnemite...? Yeah, level 11 Magnemite. Followed by a level 11 Voltorb.

Allenby grows to level 15!

There looks to be a Bug Catcher for Heero around the corner. Bug Catcher Robby. He’s got a level 10 Caterpie.

On a related note, Heero is level 15 now!

Hm. I think I want to check something really fast. Because I don’t have a ban on guides in this Nuzlocke. Eh, okay, that’s not going to work. I wondered if maybe exp needed to reach the next level changed when a pokemon evolved. It looks like no after a brief thing. Species line determines it, not present form. Moves are affected, but that’s a different...

I should look that up.

Okay, for my current team, I think I don’t want to delay evolution for anything. Risk is high, benefit is nil.

Anyway, Robby has a level 10 Metapod. Followed by a level 10 Caterpie.

I pick up a Rare Candy.

I haven’t decided how I feel about Rare Candy on this run.

She has a level 11 Oddish, making me happy I got lazy with switching Heero out of first position. Allenby can tackle her level 11 Bellsprout. No I’m not assigning EV preference that would be a level of insanity beyond anything I could manage shut up.

...I took a break to talk to a friend and I think I’m lost.

Youngster Josh wants to battle! Youngster Josh bringing it with the level 11 Rattata! Youngster Josh bringing it with the level 10 Rattata! Youngster Josh bringing it with the level 10 Zubat!

Heero can eat that one.

Heero hits level 16, and I think I know what that means!

She’s a good girl.

Hiker Marcos wants to fight now. He has a level 10 Geodude. And another one. And a level 10 Onix.

Allenby is level 16 now. Yay.

Um. Okay. I’m going to try to unlost myself. I think the ladder furthest from the entrance is the one that goes forward, but even more than usual, I want to be sure I explore everywhere.

This is how the most popular game franchise in the world starts.

No, Sandshrew should never be made to do evil. A curse upon you, grunt. It’s level 11. A baby.

The Rattata’s on-brand, though.

Congrats on level 17, Allenby. Heero can take the level 11 Zubat. She even does.

Another ladder, another Grunt. Another level 11 Zubat. A new addition of a level 11 Ekans. It is not match for our fierce team.

A different grunt has a level 13 Rattata. Allenby is not impressed. Also a level 13 Sandshrew. I am not impressed. This other Grunt also has a level 13 Rattata. Allenby is level 18. Heero gets the level 13 Zubat.

You don’t need to tell me that.

Super Nerd Miguel has a Grimer. It knows Poison Gas.

I forgot how much I hate poison. Level 12 Koffing is next. I need to spend two turns on Antidote and Potion. Heero gets the level 12 Voltorb since Allenby has kind of taken a beating from the poison. Because poison is awful.

Welcome to level 17, Heero.

I take the Dome Fossil, since the plot makes you take stuff from the poor guy.

I use an Escape Rope to get back to the Pokemon Center. I think this is the last stretch of Mt. Moon and there are some trainers outside. I’d rather everyone be healed to the brim before we go through them.

We made it! To the outside world!

Stopping point!