#i have nothing against Rift Apart i just. want to be able to play the original trilogy on the pc w/o struggling to figure out how to emulate
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I find it so interesting that time and time again Jun Wu never considered other peoples kindness and how that foiled all his plans.
Like originally he wanted Xie Lian to fall apart and break like him but Wu Ming was there to be sure he wasn’t alone and to take on all that resentment.
The man with the bamboo hat was there making sure Xie Lian remember that people can be kind.
Like even 800 years later after Jun Wu failed he tries to cause rifts for Xie Lian so that he has no one and becomes isolated and hopefully insane like him.
Except Pei Ming who would have lied and manipulated the situation doesn’t blame Xie Lian for figuring everything out, he knows it wasn’t personal and he’s able to work with him later despite Jun Wu constantly pitting them against each other.
Shi Wudu is the strongest elemental master and while he didn’t ever warm to Xie Lian, Shi Qingxuan did and they loved him for who he was. They always came to Xie Lian defence to give him backing in heaven because they were friends. (Which honestly might be why the Shi Wudu plot was revealed starting the Black Water Arc.) then even after leaving heaven and Xie Lian losing a popular gods backing. Shi Qingxuan is kind and doesn’t hold a grudge and even when they have nothing and can’t be an ally in heaven they still care about Xie Lian and help him when they are literally crippled and mortal.
Ling Wen is shrewd and could have been a very strong antagonist against Xie Lian except he was always polite and kind to her and she respects that. She has no real desire to do him harm outside of protecting herself and doesn’t really consider him an enemy in any way.
Lang Qianqiu should have turned against him and all of the heavens against too except he only wants the truth. He hears the whole story and immediately clears Xie Lians name and makes sure the heavens know it was Qi Rong so Xie Lian can’t be banished again.
He pairs Xie Lian with Quan Yizhen a god known for being confrontational and picking fights except Xie Lian was kind to him and that makes him a for lifer in Quan Yizhen’s mind he literally wouldn’t turn against him or even think about it because Xie Lian proved himself to be a good person and that’s all Quan Yizhen needs to like you.
Yushi Huang happily tried to help Xie Lian with the drought and gives him her spiritual device as a show of kindness. Then she helps him hide Banyue, helps in Tonglu and helps Hua Cheng infiltrate Heaven because she’s a kind woman who gave up her life for her people and understands Xie Lian is the same.
Jun Wu assumes this whole time that Feng Xin and Mu Qing would be resentful because that’s what happened to him with his friends except Feng Xin and Mu Qing are insane and deranged and just want Xie Lian to be their friend again so they make little disguises to help all the time and take some of the scrutiny of Xie Lian because they were there too. Feng Xin pays of Xie Lians huge debt to smooth things over for him with the other Gods. When Xie Lian is “kidnapped” they follow him to get him back immediately because hey wait that’s our friend. Jun Wu tries to bring suspicion between them by making them assume the worst about each other but Mu Qing literally takes a shackle over betrayal. Then both of them go to Mount Tonglu to protect Xie Lian and begin to mend their friendship because that’s how they roll.
And of course we have Hua Cheng who is Wu Ming that constant loyal thorn in Jun Wu’s side because through all of these events he is with Xie Lian. He offers comfort and support and insures that Xie Lian never even begins to spiral down the same dark path by helping him in every situation, acting as a buffer and a confidant and reminding Xie Lian he isn’t alone and he will be there loving Xie Lian more than Jun Wu could ever hate him.
There’s probably more instances but I just love how this all kinda plays out like yes Xie Lian is truly kind and hopeful and that’s why he’ll never fully be Bai Wuxiang anyway but other people are kind too! There is so much more to people than Jun Wu expects and that’s why his plan is foiled over and over again. Not by smarts or by fighting but by simple human kindness and compassion.
#tgcf meta#tgcf#tian guan ci fu#hua cheng#xie lian#heaven official's blessing#hualian#jun wu#white no face#bai wuxiang#pei ming#shi qingxuan#shi wudu#feng xin#mu qing#ling wen#yushi huang#lang qianqiu#quan yizhen#kindness is the most powerful thing in this story and I love that#woke up this morning and went Jun Wu was dumb I’m going to make a post about this#Mike don’t look
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omg yaaaay Ratchet and Clank game on pc now !!
> its Rift Apart
:/
#i have nothing against Rift Apart i just. want to be able to play the original trilogy on the pc w/o struggling to figure out how to emulate#and by the original trilogy i mean the ORIGINAL trilogy. not the stupid rebooted version of the first game made after the movie came out#i stand firm in my belief that the remake of the first game is *Quark's* telling of what happened
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Rewriting Haggar/Honerva’s redemption arc

One of the many things that bothered me about VLD S8 is Honerva’s redemption arc. While I was never fully against the idea of Honerva getting a redemption arc, I just didn’t want VLD to do it because I knew that they would fuck it up if they tried. And low and behold, I was right!
But yeah, I wasn’t against the idea of her being redeemed. And I don’t mean “redeemed” as in “all is forgiven and she’s just a good guy now,” but more like a Darth Vader, “the things she did were inexcusable and she would never be able to right all her wrongs but she goes out on one good act to show that there was still good in her deep down and she at least had the potential to change.”
I know a lot of people don’t like the whole, “redemption=death” thing, which I understand, but I personally never had a problem with it.
Ok, so why didn’t Honerva’s redemption work? Well there are a few reasons but the one that baffles me the most is that, instead of trying to make her more sympathetic, season 8 seemed to go out of its way to show her being more evil and vile than ever.
And because I have nothing better to do, I’m gonna go through Honerva’s story in VLD and explain what I would change to make her redemption more believable.
(Keep in mind I am not a writer, this is just me ranting about my favorite character and how I personally would’ve written her.)
1. Realizing she’s Altean
I always thought it’s was weird that when Allura said “you’re...Altean!?” In the S2 finale, Haggar didn’t seem to react at all, she just kept attacking. It’s as if she didn’t care or already knew, which doesn’t make sense considering in the S3 finale and S8E2 it’s established that Haggar has no memory of who she was before she died. And in S4E3 she seems shocked by her Altean face (which also doesn’t make sense because her blue skin isn’t camouflage that’s just how she looks after the rift) so it seems like she didn’t know.
Wouldn’t it have made more sence if after Allura said “you’re...Altean!?” Honerva looked confused/shocked? If she became defensive and said Allura was lying/trying to insult her? There’s def anti-Altean propaganda in the empire so it would be considered an insult.
After that she starts questioning Zarkon. And when she looks into his mind, it’s out of genuine curiosity and desire to know the truth, not because, “the empire needs him” or whatever that meant.
And isn’t it a bit odd that she doesn’t seem betrayed at all when she finds out Zarkon has been keeping all this from her? She’s just like, “oh, you’re my husband? Cool.” Wtf???
2. Her past relationship with Zarkon

Okay, I love Zonerva, but if we’re being honest, Zarkon was not the best husband. He enabled the shit out of Honerva, even when it was obvious that the rift was doing serious damage to her physical and mental health. To me, it seems like Zarkon was so blinded by the power the rift gave him that he didn’t realize/ignored the negative effect it was having on Honerva. In the same way he downplayed the negative impact the rift had on the planet.
I think that should’ve been explored more. Maybe Honerva notices that she’s been acting differently and is worried somethings wrong (think S5 Kuron). And Honerva tries to tell Zarkon that she feels strange and Zarkon just brushes it off.
And later, when Alfor visits Diaibazaal years later. Things are pretty much the same except when we sees Honerva, she is very obviously pregnant and Alfor’s there when Honerva falls and goes into labor (instead of a random quintessence seizure). Alfor and many Galran doctors try their best to save her and the baby but she dies in childbirth.
Zarkon goes ballistic. He’s yelling, throwing doctors across the room, and Alfor turns to the doctor holding Lotor and tells them to get the baby to safely, fearing Zarkon will take his grief out on the baby.
Zarkon turns on Alfor, blaming him for Honerva’s death and accusing him of letting her die so that he could get his way and close the rift. He lunges Alfor and roars at him to leave.
He spends the rest of the night grieving at Honerva’s bedside, when Kova jumps on the bed and starts gnawing on her finger trying to wake her up. This is what gives him the idea to bring her back with quintessence.
3. Her current relationship with Zarkon

I think it’s pretty safe to say that they’re relationship didn’t get better after the war began. Zarkon hid her identity and her child from her for 10,000 years and essentially used her as a tool of war. It’s pretty fucked up.
I know it’s pretty well established that Zarkon treats Haggar with more respect than his other underlings, but I feel like it would be interesting to see that change overtime. We see that after Voltron comes back, Zarkon becomes very obsessed with Voltron/Black, and he and Haggar start disagreeing more and more.
Remember the moment where one of Haggar’s druids told Zarkon Haggar said he needed to rest and Zarkon hit them with his bayard and told them, “remember who your master is”? What if, instead of a random druid, it was Haggar who he hit?
I feel like that would be a good way to show Haggar and the audience just how much Zarkon’s obsession with Voltron is affecting him, and make the audience feel a tiny bit bad for her.
Then later in season 4, when Zarkon wakes up from his coma and finds out Haggar brought Lotor back to take his place he gets pissed. He puts a price on Lotor’s head and has Haggar arrested for treason. She steals a ship, escapes, and later on meets up with Lotor’s generals.
Her and Zarkon are officially broken up and her quest to reclaim her identity and get her son back begins.
4. Oriande

I never liked the concept of chosen/sacred Alteans. The idea that some Alteans are just born more powerful than others just feels iffy. My idea of Oriande is that it’s an Altean holly land, any Altean can enter it just depends on whether or not you can pass the White Lion’s trial. Passing the trial proves that your intentions are pure and and the White Lion will bless you with power.
I didn’t like how Honerva seemed to force her way into Oriande, I think it would be more effective if she had gone through normally because, at this point, her intentions were pure. She was going there to purge herself of the dark magic corrupting her and reclaim her memories so she could go get her son back.
I also like the idea that Oriande is a sorta link to the Altean after life, and you can speak with people you’ve lost. Allura gets to speak with Alfor, and Honerva speaks with her mother.
You could also have her be confronted by the spirits of the Alteans she helped destroy. Have the weight of her past actions bear down on her. An important part of any redemption arc is acknowledging the terrible shit you’ve done in the past, and that was severely lacking in Honerva’s arc.
Another interesting thing you could do is have Honerva talk to her younger self. The one that died 10,000 years ago. This kinda thing actually happened in 80s Voltron, young Haggar appearing in Haggar’s head trying to convince her to be good again.
5. Her relationship with Lotor

Now this is where the redemption arc really falls apart. I forget who, but one of the writers said after S5 that Haggar/Honerva was motivated purely by love for her son, but man did they do a bad job of showing that.
And it would’ve been so easy to fix that problem, just have her not be horrible to him. Have them have actual civil conversations, have her protect and defend him. Don’t have her reject him as a fucking baby!
Imagine if, after Zarkon destroys Lotor’s planet, instead of immediately deciding to
exile him, Zarkon says that this is the final straw and he’s going to have Lotor executed. But Haggar speaks up to defend Him. There’s actually a scene in DOTU where Zarkon tries to kill Lotor and Haggar gets on her knees and begs for him to be spared. (Though the scene was mostly played for laughs.)
she asks for mercy and justifies it by saying it would be unwise to kill his only heir. It’s a weak argument, Lotor’s a half breed and couldn’t realistically take the throne, but Zarkon does concede, he still loves her after all, and has Lotor exiled.
And Haggar isn’t spying on him because she doesn’t trust him, but because she’s concerned for him. When Lotor confronts Haggar about sending her cronies after him, she says she knows he’s hiding something. Lotor asks if she’s threatening him, thinking she’s going to rat him out, but she says no, she’s not threatening him, she’s just trying to warn him against doing anything stupid because, with Zarkon seemingly on his death bed, the empire needs Lotor’s leadership.
At this point in the story, Haggar is questioning her loyalty to Zarkon, so I feel like it would make sense for her to be silently supporting Lotor from the shadows.
Then at the Kral Zera in season 5, It was weird to me how she was helping Lotor through Kuron while also telling him he couldn’t be emperor and trying to put Sendak on the throne. I feel like it would’ve made more sense for Sendak to just show up on his own without Haggar.
Haggar wouldn’t even be at the Kral Zera, she would just watch through Kuron.
And then we get to S6 when she actually reveals to Lotor that she’s his mom. This scene was just so poorly done. She never actually apologizes to him, she’s just like “yeah I forgot you were my kid and I never loved you, but were cool now right?” I remember when I saw S8E2 and it shows her after Lotor rejects her and she looks like she’s about to cry, I was just thinking, “this would be very emotional and sad IF she had actually apologized and made it clear that she genuinely loved him.” But she didn’t and I don’t know why!
And then we get to season 8, and of course everything in S8 is bad but Honerva’s story is particularly bad. She’s supposed to be motivated by love for Lotor yet she doesn’t act like she actually cares about him at all.
She manipulates his corpse and when she sees his gross melted body, she doesn’t even react that much. When a mother sees her child’s mutilated corpse, how do you think she reacts? Screaming? Crying?? Hurling??? But no. She’s just like, “...”
And then when she goes to the alternate reality and meets baby Lotor and he rejects her, her reaction isn’t disappointment or sadness, it’s anger and entitlement. She immediately decides, “ok, fuck this kid. Let’s destroy this reality.”
It just doesn’t make sense! This is the season you’re trying to REDEEM her! Why are you going out of your way to make her so vile?
6. Her S7-S8 plan
(Keep in mind I haven’t watched S7/S8 since they came out and barely even watched S8 to begin with, so I don’t remember some things and I can’t be bothered to rewatch them.)
Okay, starting with S7, she’s not in this season at all but in “The Ruins” the druid dude says that her final order was to hunt and destroy the Blade of Marmora. I guess it makes a certain amount of sense because she saw that it was Keith who brought Lotor’s actions to light, but that whole plot was really pointless in my opinion. (Was anybody really hoping for a rematch between Keith and that one random druid?)
If you want us to forgive Honerva for her crimes, you really shouldn’t keep adding more unnecessary crimes. It’s established that there were a lot of Galra war lords vying for power and pirates looking for money, just have it be that Kolivan got kidnapped by one of them.
Then you have her season 8 plan and I’m gonna be real with y’all, I have no idea how to fix this mess.
I feel like the basics of her plan could work. She tries to get Lotor and Sincline out of the rift but when she gets him he’s a melted corpse so the plan then becomes to use sincline to go to another reality to find a living Lotor, but opening all these rifts causes problems and the paladins have to stop her.
But all the shit with manipulating the colony Alteans, killing the White Lion, desecrating Oriande, and destroying Olkarion and entire realities, it was all so unnecessary.
Personally I would cut the colony Alteans from the story all together, there are other ways for Lotor to betray the team. It was a lazy way of making Lotor 100% evil and having Honerva manipulate them is unnecessarily cruel, especially in the season you’re trying to redeem her.
Here’s a very basic outline of how I would do this plot.
If we’re going by season 8’s logic that she needs a sacrifice to bring back Sincline, I would’ve had the Galra she killed at the Kral Zera be the sacrifice, not the White Lion. She stands on the pyramid and talks about how the empire stole her life from her and she wants revenge as she absorbs their quintessence into herself and then uses that to bring back Sincline.
Then when she finds Lotor dead she takes Sincline and uses it to go to another reality where she can be with her family.
The danger comes when she opens rifts to the other realities and rift creatures start coming out and causing damage. The paladins fight them and follow her into the rift to stop whatever evil plan she may have. Because the paladins don’t know that Haggar is now Honerva and all this is just to get Lotor back. They think this is all some plan for multiverse domination or some shit.
Meanwhile Honerva has just been rejected by little Lotor and seeing Voltron show up pushes her over the edge and they fight.
But when they find out the real reason she’s doing all this they start trying to appeal to her and convince her to give up and close the rift peacefully. And similarly to how the paladins had to sacrifice the castle to close the rifts created by the fight with Lotor, Honerva has to sacrifice herself to close the rifts.

In the end, I feel like a Honerva redemption arc could’ve worked if the writers were actually competent and actually made an effort to have her be sympathetic, but In canon, her reasoning, “If I can’t indulge in the simple joys of life, why should anybody else?” just doesn’t cut it.
It’s disappointing. VLD had so much potential. I’m thinking of just rewriting the entire series from the beginning. Hopefully putting all my thoughts out into the universe will help me move on.
#voltron#voltron legendary discourse#haggar#honerva#Lotor#prince lotor#Allura#princess allura#vld#vld critical#Altean#voltron season 8#zarkon#emperor Zarkon#zonerva#Galra#redemption arc
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Day and Night.
Requests || Main Masterlist || Spencer Masterlist || Prompt list
Prompts: 2) "You're so cute when you're sleepy." 11) ."Just lie with me for a while. I'm not ready to get up." (also this wasn’t requested I just felt inspired)
Summary: Y/n appreciates the Day and Night part of the job.
Warnings: fluff, nothing else I think (if there is send me a ask and I’ll add it no question!! <3)
Word count: 1K+
Hope you enjoy!! Happy reading!! <33 - G
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One would think, spending all day with someone and then going home and spending even more time with them would eventually cause a rift in the relationship, but no.
When you’re in a relationship with someone, who is also your coworker, they understand that when you are on the job or not at home, that you both need to act professional.
That’s why it’s so easy with Spencer. He knows what needs to be done when you are not at home, he knows he needs to get the job done safely and professionally, so that you both can go home together at night.
That’s also why you take advantage when you both have the, very rare, days off. Just cuddling and being in each other’s presence.
It’s honestly, very rare, that you get to do this.
So when you wake up in the morning and feel eyes on you, it doesn’t surprise you that Spence is just watching you sleep, “bub, it’s too early,” you groan, snuggling deeper into his warmth as his arms tighten around your waist.
He chuckles softly, moving some sparse hairs off of your forehead and placing a gentle, sweet kiss upon it.
“You’re so cute when you’re sleepy,” he whispered into the top of your head. He runs his hands through the back of your hair, his other holding you tightly to his chest from your waist.
“Mhm,” you hum, your eyes closed as you soak in the warmth of his body being so close to yours.
You feel the shake of his chest as he chuckles at your reply, “baby, you gotta get up soon. We promised to go to JJ’s to watch Henry and Michael for them,” he reminds you.
You silently curse in your thoughts, all you wanna do is stay in his arms.
"Just lie with me for a while. I'm not ready to get up," you mumbled into his chest. If it was even possible, you cuddled further into him. Your face was buried in his neck as your left arm was wrapped around his back.
You both hadn’t realized, but you both fell back to sleep. Only waking up when a phone started to ring loudly through the relativity small room.
You woke up to Spencer's cheek leaning down on top of your head, his neck bent is what has to be an uncomfortable position.
When the ringing stopped, you were still half asleep so you started to fall back asleep, that was until it started up again.
Groaning, you pushed up and leaned across Spence’s still asleep body to reach for your phone.
“Hello?” you answer groggily, your voice filled with sleep.
“Y/n? Hey, are you and Spence still coming to watch the boys?” JJ’s voice filters through the phone speaker.
Your eyes widen at her words, pulling the phone from your ear you check the time, which read 11:24 am, you didn’t realize you fell asleep for so long. Or at all for that matter.
“Yes!” you tell her, starting to shake Spencer awake.
You didn’t have to shake Spencer too much, he woke up quickly looking at you with sleep filled, crusty eyes. He woke up more, and flung himself out of bed quickly to start getting dressed when you pointed to the phone that was still against your ear and mouthed ‘JJ’.
“JJ, I’m so sorry, we must have fallen back to sleep. We’ll be there soon,” you tell her, quickly getting out of bed and rooting around in your dresser for clothes.
“Ok, don’t rush, and drive safe. See you when you guys get here,” she told you before you both said bye and hung up the phone.
You quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a t- shirt before making your way to the bathroom. Spencer came out as you went in, dressed in a pair of black pants with a dress shirt tucked into them, and cardigan over top.
He looked good, really good.
But you can’t think of that right now, so you busy yourself with brushing your teeth and hair before you just decide to pull it back into a ponytail.
After you do everything you need to do in the bathroom, you make your way to the kitchen where Spencer has made you a to go coffee and some toast.
“You're the best, bub,” you tell him, leaning up to place a kiss on his lips. He smiles into the kiss, pecking you a few times before pulling back.
“Come on, we gotta go,” he tells you, grabbing his messenger bag and the car keys before holding the apartment door open for you.
“Ah, thank you kind, sir. Such a gentleman,” you tease, walking out the door after grabbing your own bag.
He shakes his head in amusement, “you’re such a goof,” he chuckles, intertwining his fingers with yours.
You smile up at him, “but I’m your goof.”
The ride to JJ’s house isn’t long, and surprisingly there wasn’t much traffic for a saturday at noon.
You had just knocked on the door when it quickly jerked open and a small voice shouted “Uncle Spencer!” before your boyfriend was attacked in a tight hug by his godson.
You chuckle at Spencer’s surprised face, walking into the house of your coworker and best friend. You find her in the kitchen, cleaning Michaels face of remnants of his messy breakfast.
“Aunt Y/n!” his small voice calls when he sees you walk in.
“Hi, little man! Are you ready for a fun day?” you ask, leaning down to kiss the top of his head.
“Hey, how are you?” JJ asks, pulling you into a hug.
“I’m good! are you ready for your day away?” you ask, hugging her back. Her and Will don’t get much time by themselves, so on the rare occasion that the whole team has a day or two off they try to take a few hours for themselves.
Normally they’d have a babysitter, but their normal girl had a shift at her other job so they called you and Spence, who were happy to spend time with your nephews.
“Very, we're probably just gonna get lunch then shop for henry’s birthday present,” her voice turns into a whisper as you both notice Spencer and Henry walk into the kitchen.
You nod at her words, “sounds good, take you guys’ time. I’m gonna enjoy some cuddles from my favorite little men,” you say picking Michael up and tickling his small tummy. Which pulled tiny giggles from him.
You and Spencer spent all day with the boys, watching movies and playing with lego’s, Spencer even read with Henry for a little while before you put Michael down for a nap. Henry even fell asleep for a while when watching a movie.
It was so cute, his head was leaning on Spence’s arm, his cheek was squished up and he looked so cute.
Now it’s past 9pm and you both are getting ready for bed. JJ and Will came home around 7pm with dinner so you stayed and ate with them before heading home.
Getting into bed after being in the bathroom, Spencer is reading a book as he leans against the headboard. You kiss his cheek before laying down and getting comfortable.
He puts his book down on the side table, and turns your way as he lays down too,”today was good, I love spending time with them,” he tells you. He wraps his arm around you, pulling you closer.
You nod,”I do too, I can’t wait for that someday.”
He smiles softly as your hand cups his cheek, your thumb stroking softly, “are you telling me you want kids?” he teases, nudging his nose with yours.
You giggle, “no, well, someday. Not right now though, I don’t want to share you just yet,” you tell him.
You had been together for almost two years now, and you couldn’t be more in love with him. But something in you, even if it’s a selfish part of you, doesn’t want to share him just yet. You want him to yourself for a little longer.
You're ok with being an aunt for right now.
Of course you had talked about kids before, but it was just if you wanted them. Which you do, you both do.
“I don’t want to share you yet either,” he tells you. He pecks your lips softly before resting his forehead on yours.
“I love you, bub,” you whisper, tangling your legs with his to get impossibly closer.
“I love you, Y/n. so much,” he mumbles, leaning down and capturing your lips in a soft, gentle kiss.
Spending all day and night with someone would cause a rift for anyone else. But not for you and Spencer.
Getting to wake up, and fall asleep in his arms. It makes you appreciate him even more, you could lose him at any time in your line of work. Yet when you're in his arms, and you can hear and feel his heartbeat,it feels like time stops and you and him are the only people in the world.
Being in his arms makes you appreciate life so much more than you could ever imagine. Knowing you could lose him at a snap of a finger, that anything could happen and you’d never be able to see him again.
Well that’s why, Day and Night, is the best part of your day.
//
Feedback is highly appreciated!! Hope you enjoyed!! 🥰💗
#dr spencer reid#dr spencer reid fic#dr spencer reid x reader#dr spencer reid x you#dr spencer reid imagine#spencer reid#spencer x you#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid fluff#spencer reid fic#spencer reid blurb#spencer reid criminal minds#criminal minds#spencer reid fanfiction#dr Spencer Reid fanfics
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Details || JJ Maybank
summary: Y/N has a crush on JJ, but he has no idea about it. Instead of confronting him and telling him, she has to suffer and listen to him brag about his hookups/watch him flirt with random tourons until she can’t anymore and ends up distancing herself from JJ. basically this is inspired by maisie peters’ song ‘details’, so i would recommend giving that a listen whilst you read this because that song would describe this better than i can.
warnings: swearing, under-age drinking, angst (if that’s even what you can call this)
word count: 2430
“Well, well, well. . . look at what the cat dragged in.” Kiara commented as she took a sip from her bottle of beer, catching the Pogues’ attention and turning it towards the blonde fast approaching the porch.
“JJ, what was the hold up, man? Didn’t we say to meet for ten?” Pope questioned, leaning against the railing.
You watched as JJ walked up the steps of The Chateau with a smirk tugging at his lips. You couldn’t help but catch glimpses of dark red bruises that started at the top of his neck and disappeared under the collar of his shirt, his blonde hair seemed shaggier than usual – as if someone had been running their fingers through it continuously and he was wearing the exact same clothes that he had been wearing the day before.
He had hooked up.
“Yeah, sorry guys, but I got a bit held up. . . if you know what I mean?” He sent the group a suggestive look that had Pope and John B hooting and hollering, congratulating the boy, but you were far from jovial.
You had been crushing on JJ since December of last year. You had always been close with him, ever since you were kids. You, JJ, and John B had been the core-3 until Pope and Kiara had joined the Pogues. But you had always been closer to JJ. You had put it down to the fact that you practically told each other everything; dreams, nightmares, future plans, current plans. There were no secrets between you two. That’s what had made the bond between you two so strong and unbreakable. Well, that was until your heart decided to latch itself onto JJ and never let go.
Ever since you had developed your crush on JJ, a rift had erupted between the two of you and you both could tell. You hung out with each other less; JJ was either with John B or some random Touron and you were either in your room (alone) or with Kie. You talked less; you couldn’t remember a time where you hadn’t had a goodnight or good morning message from JJ. Finally, you didn’t share your secrets. But, how could you? How could you tell JJ that you had a crush on him? How could you tell the boy you had known practically your whole life that you were in love with him? You couldn’t. You had decided that from the beginning.
You had gone over this conversation so many times in your head and you always came up with the same answers. One; No Pogue on Pogue macking. Two; It could (and would) potentially ruin the friendship. And three; He probably wouldn’t feel the same – that was the deal breaker. And it didn’t matter how many times Kiara would tell you that JJ felt the same, and that you should go for it, because in your mind he could never possibly feel the same way. If he did, why would he still be sleeping with other people?
“Oh my gosh, Bro, you should have seen her though. Like, when I tell you she was into some freaky shit—I mean, she was into some freaky shit. . .” You couldn’t listen anymore.
You turn towards Kie, who was sat next to you, and it seemed she already knew what you were thinking. She gives your arm a sympathetic squeeze and tells you that she would call you tomorrow, sending you a supportive smile. You try and smile back, but you know it probably looks forced.
As you stand from the bench, all eyes seem to land on your frame.
“Hey, are you leaving? We haven’t even gone fishing yet?” John B questioned, confused.
“Yeah, you can’t leave, I haven’t even gotten to the best part!” JJ added – which made you just want to burst into flames right there on the spot.
You tried to play it cool, rolling your eyes lightly and pushing the strap of your bag higher up onto your shoulder. “And I would so love to hear that, JJ, but I just remembered that I was meant to be helping my Dad with something today, and just completely forgot. I’m really sorry guys, but I promise I’ll make up for it.” You shot them all apologetic glances and quickly made your way down the steps of The Chateau, wanting nothing more than to just curl up in your bed and cry yourself to sleep.
-
It was a Friday night and the Pogues were throwing a kegger. You were currently sat on a log next to Kiara, laughing at something Pope had said, and were taking large sips from your cup of beer. “Okay, okay listen. Looking back on it now, being on the math team may have put me at a disadvantage in some perspectives--”
“Some? More like all, Pope.” Kiara argued, a laugh slipping from between her lips.
“Well, what if we had to suddenly solve an algebra equation?” Pope countered, gesturing with his hands, as if they could argue for him.
“Why would we need to suddenly solve an algebra problem? When would that ever happen?” Kiara bartered back.
You couldn’t help but giggle from your perspective of the conversation. The pair seemed to be becoming more engrossed in the argument as time went on and you couldn’t help but think that maybe they would make a cute couple – if they would stop arguing for 5 seconds. You continued to drink, laugh, and basically have a good time, until JJ showed up. With a girl.
“Hey guys, what’s going on?” JJ asked as he sat down on a log opposite from you, bringing the girl down to sit on his lap. The taste of the beer in your mouth quickly began to turn sour and you suddenly had the urge to throw up.
“Hey JJ, who’s your. . . friend?” Kie questioned, subtly shifting closer towards you as a sign of comfort. Your grip on the red plastic cup tightened, almost to the point of crushing it, as you watched JJ squeeze the girls’ side – who you learnt was called Jessica.
It hurt. It hurt like hell watching as JJ acted so affectionately towards this random Touron; who he would no doubt forget about by this time tomorrow. You watched as he whispered unheard words into her ear, eliciting small giggles and flirtatious smiles from Jessica. You watched as his hand seemed to rest on the bare skin of her thigh, his thumb rubbing small circles into the skin. You watched as he stared at the girl with hunger and lust filled eyes, probably wanting nothing more than to leave the party and take her back to The Chateau. You watched every single small movement and action, feeling like your heart was tearing apart bit by bit as you continued to witness their displays of affection. All you could think about was how much you wanted to be that girl sat on JJ’s lap, wanting him to be holding you protectively and whispering sweet nothings into your ears.
You finally tore your gaze away from the couple and turned towards Kie, tears already brimming in your eyes. “Hey, Kie, I gotta—I gotta go. I just. . . I can’t stay and watch, y’know?” Your voice was a whisper, but the painful tone you used was clear as day.
Kiara nodded and gave your hand a small squeeze, “Yeah, I understand Y/N. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” You sent Kiara one last pitiful smile before standing from your spot on the log.
“Wait Y/N, are you leaving already?” You stopped at the sound of JJ’s questioning tone. You nod at him, somehow not having the confidence in yourself to speak; unsure of how your voice would come out. You didn’t want to let everyone know that you were practically on the edge of a full-blown meltdown. “But the party has barely even started? You can’t be drunk already?” You roll your eyes (silently praying that a tear wouldn’t slip out) and stifle a laugh.
“Just feeling a bit off is all JJ, must have been a bad keg, or something.” You hoped that JJ didn’t notice the lie. He used to be able to tell whenever you were lying, it was easy as breathing to him. It was just another way that showed how close you two were. You couldn’t lie to each other. But recently your lies were not being questioned, instead being taken as the truth.
“I’ll see you guys tomorrow, okay?” You didn’t stay to wait for a response. Instead, you turned on your heel and headed for the road that lead you away from The Chateau.
-
You wiped the stream of tears falling down your cheeks with the sleeve of your shirt. You had left The Chateau about 10 minutes ago and had done nothing but cried as you continued to walk home. Your sobs and sniffles seemed to echo in the quiet night, easily alerting anyone around you that you were crying. You were hopeful that no one was around. You had to continually remind yourself that everyone was down by The Chateau, and that no one would be able to hear your cries from here.
“Y/N? Hey, Y/N!”
Scratch that, one person could hear your cries. Possibly the last person you would want to catch you crying.
At the sound of JJ’s fast approaching footsteps; you quickly wiped at your face, trying to rid yourself of all your tears (and any possible hint that you had been crying). You turned around to see him jogging the last few steps – no Jessica in sight. You wiped your nose as JJ came to stand a few feet away from you, hands instantly going into the pockets of his shorts. “Hey, what was that back there?” You shrugged your shoulders and silently fiddled with the sleeves of your shirt.
“I thought I told you? I’m just feeling a bit off.” You answered, staring at the ground in front of you.
“Yeah, ‘off’ is one way of putting it.” JJ remarked, kicking a random stone with his boot.
You looked up from the floor and sent him a confused look, “What’s that supposed to mean, JJ?” He scoffed as he finally looked towards you.
You prayed that the lack of light camouflaged your red and puffy eyes.
“Are you seriously going to play dumb with me right now, Y/N? Me, of all people?” You could hear the frustration and sadness in his voice, even the slight wobble that clung to the ends of his words. You nervously bit at your lip, trying to drag your eyes away from his but you couldn’t. “We both know something has been off between us recently. I don’t know when it started, and frankly I don’t care. All I care about is the fact that my best friend is pulling away from me and I need to know why?” His voice was almost at a shout now, all of his emotions seeming to get the better of him. You stood there silent; knowing what to say but not wanting to say it. “Why, Y/N?!” JJ was shouting now.
“I don’t want to talk about, okay?” You retorted, tears beginning to fall once again.
JJ dragged a hand through his hair in frustration, taking a step towards you. “No, that’s not ‘okay’ Y/N. It’s completely not ‘okay’ with me! Why have you been pulling away from me?! Do you not want to be friends anymore, or something? Is that it?!” You could tell that he was unravelling now. His emotions were finally taking over. He was all over the place; voice wavering, arms flailing, tears streaming. You sobbed at the sight; wanting nothing more than to take the step forward and wrap your arms around him. But now wasn’t the right time. Right now, he was angry with you.
“No, No, that’s not it JJ! I promise, I do want to be friends with you—”
“Then tell me what the fuck’s going on, Y/N!” His voice cracked, “Just. . . please, Y/N.” He practically begged.
You looked up at him (the both of you subconsciously moving closer and closer together) watching as the tears spilled from his pain-filled eyes, his lips wobbling as he tried to hold in the sobs that clearly wanted to escape. You didn’t doubt the fact that your expression probably mirrored his. You stifled a sob as you held your shirt sleeve up to your mouth, trying to somehow silence your cries long enough for you to get your words out.
“I’m in love with you, JJ.”
His eyes widened and more tears seemed to escape. He blinked rapidly as he took a slight step back. Your heart clenched at the very sight and you felt as though all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the air.
“You—You’re in love with me? Y/N, wha--?” His words came out in mumbles. All of his emotions seemed to water down until he was left with one; confusion.
You protectively crossed your arms over your chest, your hands resting on your shoulders -- as if in some way this would protect your heart and keep it from breaking even more. “Listen JJ, I’m not expecting you to feel the same way. Honestly, I’m not. And—and that’s fine with me, it really is. But, I can’t. . . I can’t listen to you talk about your one-night stands, and I can’t sit and watch you flirt with Jessica, or Jennifer, or whoever else you plan on macking in the future. Because it just hurts too much, JJ.” You let out a shaky breath, wiping the remnants of your fallen tears.
“Y/N—”
“So, let’s not talk about it, let’s just. . . not talk about it JJ, alright? Let’s just, pretend like it never happened okay?” You nod at your own words, more as an attempt at convincing yourself than JJ. “I’ll just keep this all to myself and then, you’ll keep it all to yourself.” You let out a bated breath as you begin to take steps away from the blonde in front of you, trying to run away from the mess you had just created. “But, just spare me the details, JJ.” You look up at JJ one last time before turning on your heels and walking away from him. Leaving him all alone under the glow of a flickering street light with only one thing on his mind; he was in love with you too.
part 2
#jj maybank#jj maybank x y/n#jj maybank x reader#jj maybank imagines#jj maybank one shot#outer banks#outer banks imagine#outer banks one shot#jj x reader#jj x fem!reader#jj maybank x fem!reader#jj maybank fic#jj maybank fanfiction#outer banks fic#outer banks fanfiction#jj maybank angst
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Kara Danvers x Reader : Chose
Angst 20 -“ Don’t look at me like that.” “Like what?” “Like you still love me.” Fluff 2 -“ It’s you, it always has been.”
Genre: Bit of Angst w/ Fluff
Word Count: 1,419
* * * * * *
Wind brushes past you. You focus your senses on this feeling. Floating thousands of miles in the sky, the hum of the city below you, and the stars seeming to be in arms reach.
You take a deep breath in and smile softly.
Rao you love being able to fly.
The faint sound of a siren wailing catches your attention and you focus in on it. With a deep inhale, you shoot across the sky, releasing the breath as you do. In seconds you’re flying above the three police cars chasing a truck.
The situation becomes clear when the trucks back door is yanked open, two men standing in the back with rifles. As always they make the mistake of firing at you.
“You’d think they get it by now.” Her soft voice sounds from right beside you and somehow you’re heart flutters and breaks all over again.
Glancing over, you find blue eyes looking back at you, a soft smile on her pink lips.
Not having a reply for her, you clench your fist and address the threat.
Turns out they aren’t just a merry band of misfits. After they run out of normal bullets, they exchange their guns for some very high tech weapons.
Winn assists you two from the D.E.O, telling you all that the weapons’ power sources are definitely alien but nothing you can’t handle. They’re heat weapons and luckily neither yourself or Kara are effected by fire.
It takes a minute, but you eventually disarm them and stop the truck. You and Kara hang around a bit until the police have them squared away in their cars and the weapons confiscated.
“Another win for the super friends.” Winn exclaims as you and Kara walk in from the D.E.O’s balcony.
You lean against the table in the middle of the command center,“ we really need to get a source on these weapons. I know there’s a lot of alien tech that came from the debris of Fort Rozz but this is insane. Every bad guy has an alien weapon now.”
“She’s right,” J’onn comes in, Alex by his side as usual,“ someone must be selling them.”
“I can try tracing the heat sigs,” Winn spins around in his chair and types at lighting speed,“ they were pretty high levels so if someone is indeed selling them I should be able to pinpoint where they. . are.” It’s quiet for a second.“ Bingo!”
All eyes flick to the many monitors ahead.
Alex steps forward,“ they’re selling out shipping containers on the docks. Why there? The Fort Rozz crash site is right here in National City.”
You sigh,“ because local police forces don’t really bat too many eyelashes at high activity on the docks. It’s usual that there’s a large amount of equipment moving in and out of there. It’s likely they’d let some alien parts disguised as normal tech slide.”
J’onn is quick to get a team ready to go, sending you and Kara ahead as usual.
Tension is thick, even with the two of you in open air, flying above the city. It translates into your fighting.
Before, you and Kara fought together as if you were attachments of one another. No communication needed, you stopped threats without breaking a sweat. Now though, due to recent events that’s not the case. Even as you two talk, things get lost in communication.
Luckily with the help of the D.E.O. you neutralize the threat and secure the weapons. Instead of returning to the D.E.O, you check in with J’onn and head home.
Tonight is game night and you have to gather your thoughts before you end up sitting in Kara’s apartment for hours. Especially with everyone acting as if things are perfectly fine.
All of your friends are aware of the rift between you and Kara. They all knew about the reason for it but not the reason behind the reason. Not even you know the reason behind the reason.
You just know that the choice she made changed everything between you two. And that it hurt like hell.
By the time you have to arrive you’re feeling a little better mentally. Enough for you to at least act like being in Kara’s place is perfectly fine. You manage to get through two and a half games, laughing with everyone, and joking around.
That stops though when you catch Kara’s eyes. It’s clear she’d been looking at you for a minute now and the emotion in those pools of blue once again makes your heart pound and break.
“Excuse me guys.” You pat James’ shoulder and head over to the kitchen.
You can hear Kara excuse herself as well and walk over after you and you can feel her eyes on you as you pull her fridge open.
Turning back to the island, you sigh and catch her gaze, eyebrows pinching together,“ don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” Her head tilts just barely and the look remains.
“Like you still love me.”
Your words make her breath hitch. She gulps and taps nervously on the counter top, you know if she keeps it up she’s going to dig a substantial hole in the wood.
She speaks, voice wavering in the slightest,“ I do love you.”
A scoff falls from your lips,“ just not enough though right?” Her pained expression returns.“ Not more than you loved him.”
Her shoulders sag at your words. She doesn’t know how to tell you that’s not true because you have every right to believe it is. Kara knew full well that you loved(love) her and she admitted to loving you too. Yet and still she ended up dating Mon-El.
The decision to do so shocked everyone and broke you. While she doesn’t regret being with Mon-El, she has always loved you and always will.
“Y/n,” she rounds the corner to stand at your side,“ it was never about who I loved more.”
Eyebrows pinch together,“ so what was it exactly? Was I not as good as the Daxamite prince?”
“I never said that and I would never compare you and Mon-El.” Determination and honesty set in those big blue eyes.“ It’s you, it always has been.”
This time your shoulders drop, her words sinking in but still not making much sense seeing as that wasn’t the case before.“ Then why? Why choose him and not me?”
“I was scared okay.” Tears begin to well in both your eyes.“ Y/n, I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. What if we broke up or fought and we couldn’t fix it-”
“Kara we fought as friends. We went days without talking but we always worked through it, that’s how much we meant to each other. We always tried for each other. That wouldn’t have been any different if we dated.”
Both of you know your friends are listening. Even though you’re speaking quietly, they noticed how long you two had been gone and stopped talking to listen.
The blonde looks down ashamedly,“ I know that now, I just didn’t think about it then. But I’ve long since stopped being afraid.”
“Wh-” your gaze snaps up to hers,“ what’d you mean?”
“I mean,” taking a deep breath, she steps closer,“ if you’ll have me, I want there to be an us. More than there was before. Romantically I mean.” She rushes out the last bits and you chuckle.
She’s a little shocked when you raise your hand to cup her cheek. A smile of her own forming at the sight of yours.
Leaning forward, you rest your forehead against hers.“ You broke my heart pretty bad Danvers.”
“I promise I’ll fix it.”
With the breath of her words fanning your lips, you close the short distance. Lips meet in a long awaited kiss. The cheers of your friends behind you blocked out by the rush of feelings and warmth. How either of you had gone years without this is lost on you but so worth it.
“We are still playing a game you know.” J’onn is the first to break your moment up, shortly followed by teasing comments from everyone else, and calls to come back over.
Kara’s hand in yours, you both rejoin your friends. The tension no long there, the night continues smoothly. Laughter rings loud and surprisingly, none of you are pulled away by some alien threat.
It’s the first night in a long time that everything as perfect as possible.
#kara danvers#kara danvers imagine#kara danvers fluff#kara danvers x reader#dcu#dcu x reader#reader insert#request
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I Hate Me Now
Word Count: 6k
Genre: Angst, smut
Summary: You and Wonpil used to be lovers, soulmates even, before your priorities in life got in the way. You wanted to do anything to help your family, no matter how morally ambiguous it is, while Wonpil thought that doing the right thing was of the utmost importance, no exceptions. Now, facing off in court years later, all the old wounds gets torn open again and things finally come to a head.
A/N: *long fart noise* this fic had the potential to be something good but I fucked it up and I’m beyond even caring.
Warnings: inconsistent writing if you’ve ever seen one, kinda femdom, unhealthy as per usual, sad little story.
The neutral, slightly intimidating mask you put on everyday was the one most people were familiar with by now. You rarely showed your real emotions anymore, not since you had lost him. His departure brought on a profound change in your life. There had already been a rift growing between who you wanted to be and who you had to be in order to survive, but when he left he took any remaining idealism left in you with him. It’s funny that the reason he left you was because he couldn’t handle your diverging moral standings, yet it was precisely his departure that cemented the turn you had taken.
Now, with him standing opposite you in the courtroom, fighting for the opposing team, you feel your mask slipping. It was hard seeing him like this. Even though it’s been years already, not having him break into that breathtaking smile of his that was like an ingrained reflex as soon as his eyes would meet yours was disquieting. Now he just frowns and looks away; his big, beautiful eyes that used to be filled to the brim with a sort of dreamy goodness were now empty and tired.
Needless to say, you weren’t on your best game. You could hardly concentrate at all during the trial, and you can bet your ass that your boss knew about your abysmal performance before it even ended. As soon as you were out of the courtroom, he was calling to give you crap about it and condescendingly remarking that if you couldn’t handle such a big case then you should’ve left it to someone who actually knew what he was doing, emphasis on the ‘He’. You assured him that everything was under control and that this wouldn’t happen again. You were just caught off guard, not that you dared tell him that last part. This was a huge case and it could either make or break your career. You couldn’t afford to get distracted by the man you had once thought to be the love of your life, and might still do…
You had to do this for your family. But it seems the man in question intends to put your resolve to the test.
You don’t know how he found you. Perhaps he had followed you out of the courthouse. Did he hear you talking on the phone to your boss? You sure hope not, not when his mere presence was forcing you to face the fact that you never got over him after all, and you didn’t need him to see that. You had hoped that the time and distance would harden your heart and heal the wounds he had inflicted upon it but all it took was one look in his eyes for them to get ripped wide open again.
If nothing else, you wanted to keep your pride. He doesn’t get to break your heart and see you still broken up about it all these years later. So you put on your mask again and smirk at him, “Good work today, Pili.”
His frown deepens at the term of endearment you used to call him when you were together. You suppose you aren’t allowed to use it anymore, which is precisely why you do. “Too bad it won’t do you any good. You always did have a soft spot for the hopeless cases.”
Wonpil puffs his chest out, subconsciously trying to look bigger under your mocking gaze. “Our case isn’t hopeless.”
“Yeah sure, whatever you say, Pili.” You roll your eyes. You should end it there, tell him you have no time for him and leave to go work harder on your case to take him and the people he represents down. But you haven’t made a levelheaded decision since the moment he came back into your life and you just can’t resist adding, “You shouldn’t be wasting your skill on these people. They’re never gonna win. Join my company. I’m sure I can find you a place.”
Wonpil’s face contorts in disgust, “You think I would ever be a part of a company like yours? You kill people!”
“My company doesn’t kill people.” You reply half-heartedly, not really up to defending your employers out of the courtroom.
“Maybe not directly but the chemicals they pollute the environment with has led to the illness and death of countless people. That’s on your hands.”
You’re not surprised that he insists on making you complicit in the actions of the company you’re representing. Wonpil always did have an absolute sense of justice, from the CEO to the janitor, everyone was equally responsible in his eyes.
“Be careful what you accuse people of, Pili. This could get you in real trouble once my company wins the lawsuit. And they will win.” You smile sadly, “They always win.”
You walk closer to him and reach out for his hand tentatively. You’re surprised when he lets you, and you take a moment to just hold it, feeling the familiar, yet almost-forgotten, weight of it in your own hands. When you lace your fingers together, they fit as perfectly as they did years ago, the heat of him permeating through yours like blood through a corpse revived.
You know you couldn’t let yourself get carried away for long. You needed to say what you had to say and then withdraw back into yourself when he inevitably rejects you. Rubbing your thumb over the web of skin between his thumb and index, you take a few moments to steady your breath as you willfully shed years worth of mental defenses to allow him to gaze onto the real you, naked from any pretenses and completely vulnerable against the bottomless darkness you see in his own eyes.
“I’ve missed you so much, you can’t even know. I… I still want you.” You weren’t sure if it was just your voice that was trembling or your entire body—you were holding too tightly onto his hand to be able to tell. “It’s not too late for us. We can still be together. What you’re doing right now is admirable, fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves. You’ve got the most beautiful soul I’ve ever seen… but it’s a losing battle. There is no hope for them, but there is for us. We can have a good life together.”
His lips press together into a thin line and he yanks his hand back, almost throwing you forward when you don’t react fast enough to untangle your fingers as he steps away from you, looking disgusted at the mere thought of what you’re suggesting. “If you really think that I’d not only abandon these people but actually work against them then you don’t know me at all.”
“Oh, I know you.” You look down at your now empty hands, muttering tiredly, “I just hoped that you might’ve changed.”
“And I wish you didn’t. I don’t even know who you are anymore. You’re nothing like the girl I once fell in love with. You’re a monster.”
You let out a bark of laughter to hide the stabbing pain his words delivered right into the center of your chest, cutting up your tattered heart all over again. “And did you follow me all this way just to say that? Aw, Pili, you shouldn’t have.”
He glares at you, utter contempt displayed on his face.
“I hate you.” He curses out before he leaves, not sparing you a second glance, and for that you were thankful. You could barely stomach the fact that the broken woman who was openly sobbing in the middle of the street in broad daylight was you—you didn’t need him to see that.
___________________________
Just like you hadn’t expected to ever face off with him in a courtroom, you also never expected him to show up at your place only days after your less-than-sweet reunion.
“What are you doing here?” You stand with your arms folded over your chest, feeling resentful that he’s forcing you to deal with the heartache he brought with him into your own residence. “How did you even know where my apartment is?”
“You’ve messed with my damn head.” He accuses, looking deeply agitated as he paces back and forth in your living room.
The audacity of this man! He sought you out first, then he rejected you, and now he barges into your home and claims you are messing with him?
You plant your body in his path to stop his pacing, and ask, putting emphasis on each word, “Why. are. you. here?”
He stares at you for a second, exasperated and contemplating what to say, but each time a sentence starts forming, he bites it back abruptly. Huffing, he runs his hand through his hair haphazardly and tries to get past you to start pacing again.
But you jump into action, your hands shooting out to grab him and hold him in place. You won’t let him play games with you. You won’t be able to handle it.
In the process of holding on to him to try to keep him in place, you had gotten much closer to him in proximity. With your arms almost enveloping him, your heart starts beating erratically. This was the closest you’d been to him in years, and by the looks of it, Wonpil wasn’t completely unfazed by it either.
“What do you want from me, Wonpil?” You ask, suddenly feeling weary as if all the fight has seeped out of your body.
His eyes flit down to your lips as you talk, and they linger there even after you’re done, giving you your answer. Wonpil was never particularly good at hiding his feelings, something he would readily admit to if asked, and you take advantage of it.
You raise your hand to his face carefully as if he’s a frightened animal you don’t want to scare off. When he feels your hand on his cheek, he finally looks you in the eyes again, and you feel a twinge of pity at the helplessness you see in his gaze.
Taking in a deep breath, you ask slowly, “Do you want to kiss me, Wonpil?”
You knew you shouldn’t be doing this; it will only open up your wounds further, but you’ve never gotten to say goodbye to him, and you knew that if you miss this-- probably last-- chance to be with him, you will live to regret it even more.
You’re so lost in your own head that you miss the subtle nod Wonpil gives you and, antsy by your lack of response, he makes the first move, pressing his lips to your own.
It’s an awkward kiss, tight-lipped and uncoordinated as Wonpil is unsure of what he is allowed to do, but feeling the urgency to touch you anyway. His hands are all over you, but not in a good way. They would barely touch a part of you before they moved on to the next, leaving you feeling unsatisfied.
Deciding to take the reins—which was par for the course back during your relationship anyway—you grab his hands and hold them behind his back, making him whine when you break the kiss. “Don’t whine. You don’t have the right to.”
He bites his lip, stifling anymore protests from coming out. Pulling on his arm, you lead him to your bedroom and push him on the bed. He tries to pull you down with him but you shake him off. Again, he starts whining but with a sharp raise of your eyebrow, he pipes down immediately.
Grabbing the hem of your oversized shirt, you cock your head at him. “Do you want me to take this off?”
“Yes, please.” He breathes out before you’re even done talking.
You slide the shirt up your body slowly, teasingly, making sure to give Wonpil a show. With the shirt off, your breasts are entirely exposed for you to play with them and tease Wonpil some more. Pushing them together, messaging them, twisting the nipples lightly, you do everything you know will drive him crazy until he’s biting down hard on his lip so he wouldn’t piss you off, but you could see from the obvious bulge in his pants and the way his right leg was bouncing up and down impatiently that he was getting needy.
You give your breasts one last squeeze before you slide your hands down your abdomen and towards the waistline of your shorts, pushing it down on one side only to pull it back up and do the same thing with the other side.
“Please.”
“Please, what? You want me to take this off too?”
“Yes.”
“But I thought I was a disgusting monster and you can’t even look at me. You have no problem with it now that you want to get your dick wet, huh?”
He averts his eyes, having the audacity to look ashamed and it pisses you the fuck off.
You grab his jaw, making him face you, and hiss down at him. “Either you grow some fucking balls and face the implications of your own desire or you get the fuck out of my sight.”
You needed him to voice out his desire so he’d admit that he’s equally responsible for what is happening. You’re not going to let him paint you as a monster seducing poor, helpless him. He wants this too, and he needs to be held accountable for that.
“What do you want me to say?” He asks, entirely too chagrined than he had any right to be.
“That you’re a fucking hypocrite.” You spit, astonished at how disgusted you were with him, while still wanting to be one with him. Your whole relationship is a mess, and you’re convinced that either it was never meant to be, or that the gods themselves are jealous of your love and are trying to hurt you.
“I’m… I’m a hypocrite. There, are you happy?” He challenges, but you just let out a tired sigh, almost having expected him to deny it and put an end to this—to tell you that this is insane and you’re insane, but he validates your insanity and now you can’t back down.
No. None of this makes you happy. You haven’t been happy ever since he left you.
You take your shorts and panties off unceremoniously and straddle him, staying still for a moment to see if he’ll try something, but his hands stay balled to his sides as he awaits your permission to touch you, so you give it to him. “Go ahead. You can touch.”
His hands immediately go to your breasts, touching you in the exact same way you were just touching yourself, and you laugh. “Aw, Pili, you wanted it that bad?”
He frowns in that adorably pouty way he unconsciously does sometimes, and it makes your smile falter, the memory of something you used to have but is just out of your reach now is all too painful.
He forcefully takes you out of your thoughts when his mouth latches onto one of your breasts, placing kisses all over it and sucking on your nipple. You moan out, a hand reaching for his hair and automatically tugging on it the way you know he likes, which only makes him needier, one of his hands eagerly moving down to your pussy, and the moan that leaves him lets you know just how excited he is to find you dripping. Too impatient to wait, his fingers move down to your hole right away. When a finger enters you, he’s the one pulling back with a throaty moan.
You chuckle breathlessly, feeling yourself quivering around his finger. “Does my pussy feel that good, Pili?”
He nods, pumping his finger in and out of you, making you gasp as you start unbuttoning his shirt. “Tell me what it feels like.”
“Tight. Wet. Soft.”
“Hmm, and did you miss it?” You slip his shirt off his shoulders, forcing him to remove his hands from you, but as soon as the shirt is off, his hands are back on you again, one grabbing a handful of your breast and the other two fingers deep in you.“Do you miss how it feels around your cock?”
“Yeah.” He closes his eyes and you know that he’s imagining it.
“Do you want to feel it again?”
“Yes.” His eyes snap open again, full of silent pleas.
You push him backwards until he’s lying down in the middle of the bed with you straddling him, his cock snug between your wet folds as you slowly rub up and down against it. With your hands holding his arms over his head, he looks up at you, gaze brimming with need as he holds his breath and waits, but you don’t give it to him yet.
“Look at you. You were acting all high and mighty earlier but now you’re willing to do anything to get inside this pussy, huh?” You taunt, rubbing yourself with the tip of his dick.
When he doesn’t say anything, you lean down to bite his collarbone, making him yelp. “Answer me, Pili.”
“Yes, please, give it to me.” He nods emphatically, throwing his head back and crying out as you sink down on him.
As soon as you have him all the way inside of you, you know you are in trouble. God, he fills you up so good. Everywhere his cock touched inside of you burns with pleasure and you can’t even help yourself; you ride him hard and fast, desperate to feel the kind of pleasure you haven’t felt in years. Everything is just different with him, the way he fits inside of you, the needy, almost reverent look on his face, his choked off moans, they all work you up to a frenzy.
“Does it feel good, Pili?”
“Yes. So, so good.”
“I bet you’ve been fantasizing about this for years... just lying in bed, fucking your own spit-covered hand and imagining it was me taking you.”
“Yeah, y-yeah…” He sniffles, lower lip trembling as he readily admits to it.
“You’re gonna cry?” You spit out, suddenly enraged, and come to a stop. “Fuck, you’re so pathetic.”
“No! I’m sorry. I’ll stop. Please keep going.”
“No. I won’t let you twist this narrative into you being the victim.” You fall back onto the bed and pull him up over you. “If you want me, take me.”
The muscle in his jaw jumps as he considers his options for a second, and you lay completely still under him, waiting for him to make the decision on his own, half-wishing he’d stop this madness. But he doesn’t.
Grunting, his hands grab your hips as he pushes his length back inside you. It only takes a few unexpectedly sharp thrusts for you to cooperate and wrap your arms and legs around him. Goosebumps erupt all over his skin when you pull at the hair at the nape of his neck, the shaky moan your action elicits causing heat to start gathering in your belly once again. You stare up at him in hunger, admiring how sexy he looks as the pleasure overtakes his features.
“Shit…shit, you feel so good.” Wonpil rasps out, his eyes squeezing shut as his thrusts turn sloppy. “ I can’t hold on much longer.”
“Don’t you dare.” You snap at him, your nails digging red trails down his back, making his hips stutter.
“Please, I can’t hold it.” He shakes his head, desperate to get you to let him cum.
“No.” You hiss, silencing him with a kiss. You swallow his whines as your hands grab his ass and force him to keep fucking you. The more he squirms, the more his hips grind against you, rubbing coarsely against your clit and bringing you oh-so-close to your orgasm.
But—seemingly just a second away from release—Wonpil goes rigid under you, his body freezing up too hard to allow you to move him anymore. His mouth tears away from your own in a loud moan as his dick twitches inside you and fills you up with his hot cum.
You can’t believe it. You were so, so close. Frustration and disappointment fill up the spaces the receding pleasure leaves behind.
“I told you to stop.” You hear him say meekly, and you sigh as you’re left tense and unfulfilled, just like always.
“It’s fine.” You mutter darkly, pushing him off you, and Wonpil’s face falls, shame spreading all over it.
You know your reaction is hurting him. Wonpil hated not pleasing you. He took it as a personal failure if you were even the slightest bit unhappy with his performance. His desire to please and your desire to be pleased are what brought you together in the first place many years ago. But honestly, all you can think about right now is that mind-blowing orgasm you were just robbed of because he couldn’t hold back just a little bit more.
But before the last bit of pleasure inside you recedes from your body, it is forced back in when Wonpil, still half-hard and sheathed inside you, starts moving again, fucking his cum into your sensitive pussy.
“What are you doing?” Your mouth hangs open in shock and pleasure, and you watch him grit his teeth and set a frantic pace. As his cock starts hardening inside of you again, he’s able to fuck you harder and harder, the determined look on his face the sexiest thing you’ve ever seen.
His moans are loud, and you can’t tell if they’re from pleasure or pain as Wonpil never once lets up his assault, hitting just the right spot that has you seeing white. When his thumb flicks your clit, it is over for you, your hands flying out to grab his face and pull him down into a searing kiss as you cum.
When you pull back from the kiss, signalling the end of your orgasm, Wonpil collapses into a sweaty mess next to you, still clinging to your body by wrapping his arms around your waist and burying his face in your neck as you both catch your breath.
“What’s so funny?” He perks his head up, asking as you start shaking with laughter in his arms. But the more you look at him, the harder you laugh. This is just all so absurd.
Wonpil watches you uneasily. He needs assurance, something that he had always relied on you to provide for him, but you can’t do that this time.
You come down from your laughter fit with a deep sigh. “Get out.”
He’s taken aback at your sudden coldness. This isn’t what he expected, not what he was used to from you, and you almost start laughing again. Is he really that clueless? Did he expect things to be just like they were before after what he’s done?
His eyes flit between yours, searching for a comfort he won’t find in them. “But—but… aren’t we going to talk about this?"
“Talk about what, Wonpil?” You ask in exasperation, “Have you changed your mind about my work?”
“No, but—”
“But you want me to make the sacrifice for you.” You finish his sentence for him. “This is why you’re here, isn’t it? You refuse to give up your job but you expect me to give up mine for you.”
“It’s the right thing to do.” He bristles, sitting up.
“I don’t care about the right thing. All I care about is my family.”
His face hardens at that, and through gritted teeth, he says, “Your family isn’t going to starve if you work at another firm.”
“Quality of life isn’t measured by whether you starve or not. I want them to have a good life.” You don’t know why you even bother anymore, he’s never going to listen. “You wouldn’t understand.”
He tears himself away from you and gets up, angrily putting on his clothes. “Yes because I’m just a poor orphan boy who will never understand what family means. Isn’t that right?”
“Pili… you know I didn’t mean it like that.” You unconsciously reach out for him but he jumps away.
“Yes, you did. You always pitied me for not having a family.” Pain twists Wonpil’s pretty features. “You know, for a while, I actually thought you could be my family.”
“No, Pili. I couldn’t have.” You sigh sadly, the deepening look of hurt on his face cutting you up. “Because you left me. And family never leaves.”
His mouth opens and closes like he wants to say something but doesn't even know what. Collecting himself, Wonpil scoffs and turns towards the door.
“Yeah, like that.” You mutter, collapsing back on the bed as you hear the sound of your front door opening and slamming shut.
___________________________________
You know it is wrong but you can’t stay away from each other. Now that you have had a taste of the forbidden after years of having sworn off each other, you couldn’t find it in you to stop.
You find yourself in each other’s beds again and again, hurling accusations at each other and fucking your emotions out until you’re too tired to do anything but sleep, each time getting more and more exhausted until you stop trying all together, just blocking out everything and focusing on the here and now as if nothing else existed outside of your respective bedrooms.
Your nights have been sleepless ever since he's gotten back into your life, and not just for the obvious reason that he’s the person you thought was the love of all your lives, past or present. No, many nights were spent just staring at each other, no words uttered for fear of disturbing this fragile improbability that brought you back together, or holding each other so gingerly as if you were made of matter and antimatter and your meeting could annihilate not only yourselves but the entire world you’ve built around you.
It’s a bubble and you know it, the translucent shell that surrounds you gleaming all rainbow-like when the light of forgotten dreams hits it just right. It sways and wobbles, signaling its impending explosion any moment now. And yet, you stay curled up around each other as if you can’t see the surface tension on the verge of breaking.
Every once in a while, one of you would lean forward and press their lips against the other’s, and you’d close your eyes and pretend like these past years have been nothing but a bad dream and you’re still college students, young and lost and unsure of everything in the world except for the notion that love is eternal and that you have already found it in each other.
You wonder what you’d look like now to your past selves, having gained all the conviction and knowledge you would’ve never thought you would possess, but having lost the one thing that made any of it worth a damn. You bet your past selves would hold each other and cry at the sight of the broken you holding onto the jagged pieces of your once-sweet notion with bleeding hearts and crushed souls.
Tears trickle down your face, and Wonpil reaches up to wipe them with the backs of his fingers, pressing his lips to yours again when the branching stream reaches even your lips.
Pulling back ever so slightly, he whispers to you and to the dying universe around you, the vibrations of his voice reaching your lips through the tiny distance between you, sounding choked up like he had begun crying too, “I wish we could stay here forever, just forget about everyone and be forgotten by them.”
You sigh and wrap yourself around him, his starry eyes shuttering closed and a soft pout forming on his lips as he drifts off to sleep, just like old times. And you're left alone to wonder... if you could do it all over again, would you have chosen differently?
______________________________
You knew something was off. Despite the time and distance that have whittled down your sense of him, you still knew that something was off. Your body had picked up on so many little things—the way his eyes glossed over when he would force himself to face you, his excessively soft touches that resembled those of a volatile lover silently apologizing for his latest outburst, the lingering looks he gave you as if he was memorizing every little detail of you before you went away—it just took your brain too long to make sense of it all.
Or maybe you just didn't want to believe it. You got too greedy and wanted to live in your fantasy world just a little bit longer, and it cost you everything.
Looking at him now, you think he’s saying something to you but every word is muffled as if you were submerged in water. He gets agitated, shouting something again and again that gets just a little clearer every time as he forces you back to the surface and you register that it’s your own name.
When you blink, your gaze finally focusing on him, he breathes a sigh of relief. “You’re scaring me.”
“I wish I had never met you.” Your sentence is slow and raspy like the ghostly murmur of someone fished out of water.
“Don’t say that.” He whimpers, "I had to do it." He says it like he means it, like he really couldn’t stop himself from betraying you, using you, ruining your life. "You said it yourself, we never would've won. It was the only way. These people depended on me."
"And what about me?" You rasp, tears stinging your eyes. "I loved you."
"And I love you." He tries to hold you but you push him away.
"They fired me.” You inform him monotonously, “They had me blacklisted to make sure I would never find a job in this field again."
Of course they did. What company will want you now that you've shown yourself not to be reliable? You slept with your rival and allowed him to steal crucial documents that could jeopardize the entire case from right under your nose. Your stupid amateur mistake could cost the company millions.
"How am I going to provide for my family now?" You moan, not really asking him.
"You could join us. It's not a big pay but—”
Your hand goes to pull at your hair in frustration, “God, do you ever shut the fuck up?”
"I'm sorry.” He holds his head down, sobbing.
"No, you don’t get to cry about ruining my life! You don’t get to feel sorry for yourself! You don’t—” You stop abruptly, unable to breathe. Cradling your head now, you lament, "Oh god, what am I gonna do now?"
"I don't know."
"No, you never know." You say bitterly. "I don’t want to ever see your face again."
His head whips up, "Don't say that..."
“Go.”
"I didn't mean for all of this to happen--"
"Go." You shriek and he flinches back. His lower lips tremble as he tries to hold his tears back to no avail. In a shaky voice, he says, "I'll give you some time to calm down but I'll be back. I'll fix this."
"God, Wonpil," You suck in a shaky breath, "for once in your life, I wish you'd leave it alone."
He jerks his head away, wiping at his tears furiously, "I'll see you later."
_____________________________
You struggle to hold back tears as you wait inside your cramped studio apartment. You don’t know how much longer you can stand to do this— lie to your parents about getting fired and blacklisted, telling them that you quit for moral differences, accepting money from the man who ruined your life just so they wouldn’t find out for a little while longer.
But you couldn’t do anything to help yourself, let alone support your family without Wonpil’s charity. The only jobs you are able to get now are in the service industry and those barely pay your rent and living expenses. You couldn’t even go back to your hometown and your family for fear that they’d figure out the truth, and you just couldn’t let that happen.
You knew your father would insist on getting back to work in order to help support the family. You barely even had him convinced that his condition doesn’t allow him to work and that he needs to rest. If he finds out you not only lost your job but also any hope for a future one in that field, he’d go back to work right away, and that could very possibly kill him.
Your siblings’ future now lies unknown. The eldest of your siblings after you is a senior now, and soon you’ll have to tell her that she isn’t going to college like you promised her she would. She has to abandon her dreams in order to get a job to help provide for the family, and as your other siblings grow older, they too would follow in her footsteps; a family that came from dirt and will die in it, that’s what Wonpil’s ideals have cost you.
After everything you’ve done, after all you’ve gone through, you’re still nothing. It’s funny that Wonpil is fighting for the poor and innocent when he’s the one who has proven to you once and for all that the rich will stay rich and the poor will stay poor and under the feet of the rich.
The case he betrayed you for was a loss in the end. After a long, tedious trial, his clients were forced to settle because they couldn’t afford to pay for a trial that kept getting prolonged, a strategy the rich and powerful employed in order not to lose doomed cases, in the end making the poor people poorer and worse off than they were before. That’s what Wonpil does. He makes people hope and believe that maybe, just maybe the world isn’t as shitty as it seems, only to shatter them completely when he can’t follow through on his beautiful promises. He breaks them because he made them hope.
Hearing the doorbell ring, you get up to answer it, moving mechanically. After you swing the door open, you stand in the way so Wonpil wouldn’t be able to barge in like he tries to sometimes.
He hands you an envelope which you take with a heavy heart. Every envelope you accept is a debt piled on you that you’ll live the rest of your life paying back.
“I’m working three jobs right now but I hope to find something with a better pay soon so I can start paying you back.”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that.” He rushes to say, but you cut him off. “Yes, I do.”
He sighs and stares at the floor, fiddling with his finger. It annoyed the hell out of you. “Is there something you want?”
His head shoots up, eyes wide at having been caught.
“I—“ He clears his throat after he chokes on the word. “I miss you.”
You hate yourself because of how his words still affect you, how you wish you could fall into his arms and let him comfort you until there are no more tears left in your eyes.
But you won’t cry. You won’t let yourself be vulnerable in front of him. Never again.
“Goodnight, Wonpil.” You say coldly, closing the door in his face before he can say anything else.
______________________________
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Triple Threat, Chapter 4

A few days went by and there was nothing bad happening on Earth, the team decided not to worry too much. SHIELD was still on higher alert than usual, just in-case.
But Loki said to the team that perhaps whoever had broken the timeline was someone of non-importance.
Thor kept in touch with Asgard, there was no news from there either. Heimdall still couldn’t see anyone who was in this reality that shouldn’t be.
So when things calmed down, Darcy and Loki went out on a triple date, with Wanda and Vision, Natasha and Bruce. Natasha and Bruce were still a relatively new thing. But they were head over heels with one another, so were giving the whole being a couple thing a go.
They went to the cinema to watch a new release. That was the only reason Loki and Darcy had been able to be talked into going along, as they wanted to see the new film.
Of course there was some paparazzi there, capturing the superheroes on a day off. Not that they ever had proper days off, they were always on call in-case of emergencies.
Loki always liked to play up to them, though. He made sure they captured a perfect picture of him grabbing a handful of Darcy’s ass on the way into the cinema. She whacked his chest in retaliation, but she did laugh too.
During the film, Darcy needed the bathroom so she squeezed past Loki and headed out into the foyer. After exiting the bathroom she almost walked right into Loki. ‘Geez Loks! Can’t be apart from me even for five minutes?’ She smirked.
He just winked at her and pushed her against the wall, slipping a hand up to hold the side of her neck as he pressed his lips against hers firmly. She whimpered against him as they kissed, Loki deepened it briefly before pulling back, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.
‘If I wasn’t so invested in the damn film I’d say let’s skip it. But let’s save our fun for when we get back.’ Darcy grinned and patted his chest. Then she made her way to the screening, but she noticed he didn’t follow her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him disappear into the men’s toilets.
But when she got back into the screening, she was confused to see Loki in his seat again. She rolled her eyes as she shimmied past him, getting a playful squeeze on the bum by him on the way.
‘You were quick.’ She whispered to him.
Loki glanced at her, confused. ‘What ever do you mean?’
She shook her head and elbowed him. ‘You know what I mean.’ She whispered back.
Loki was utterly confused, but shrugged it off as Darcy just being Darcy. And the two of them continued to watch the film, silently bickering over the popcorn.
-
There had been some reports that came in of weird things going on in the city over the last few days.
Silly little things, really, such as the rain being jelly drops for a full hour. Causing utter chaos in the city as cars and people slipped around as it didn’t evaporate upon hitting the ground. It got quite thick before suddenly it all just vanished. There was also an incident where all the monkeys from the zoo in the suburbs escaped, causing trouble until the zookeepers were able to capture them again.
But a week after the triple date to the cinema, there was another incident. Tony called a meeting with everyone in the living room. Loki and Darcy had been watching TV with Thor and Steve when the others came in.
‘There’s been another incident.’ Tony sighed.
‘What is it this time?’ Wanda asked.
‘You know those large stuffed toy animals that are in the large toy store? There’s an elephant, lion, penguin, zebra and bear?’ Tony said.
‘Yes…’ Bruce trailed off, not liking where this was probably going.
‘Well, they… came alive for a few hours.’ Tony frowned.
Loki threw his head back laughing, he’d found the antics lately hilarious.
‘That is totally something you’d do.’ Darcy said as she poked Loki in his side.
‘It has all been rather amusing.’ Loki grinned.
But the team looked at him warily. He looked between them all and frowned.
‘Oh come on, it’s not me. I’ve been in all day watching TV with Darcy.’ Loki said defensively.
‘He has. He’s barely moved an inch all day.’ Darcy confirmed, stuffing a macaroon into her mouth.
‘Well, whoever it is, they certainly seem to enjoy playing tricks like you do, brother.’ Thor chuckled.
‘They clearly have good taste.’ Loki smiled.
‘Look, this is serious, guys. While it’s not been anything life threatening yet, we need to find out what the hell is going on here and who is behind it all.’ Tony said firmly.
‘I can ask Heimdall. I know he has been keeping an eye on all the realms lately.’ Thor offered.
‘Thanks Thor.’ Tony nodded.
The team were told to be on the lookout more. Tony sent some of his suits out on patrol around the city, to try and catch the person who was playing tricks. But Heimdall saw nothing, whoever was doing the tricks to the city were shielded from his sight.
That evening, Darcy went out to get takeaway. When she returned, she found Loki just loitering about outside.
‘Hey you! Help me with this.’ She headed over to him and handed him one of the takeaway bags. ‘I thought you were too busy fighting with Thor to come with me.’ She grumped as they headed inside.
Loki smirked and shrugged. ‘Surely I am never too busy to help you.’ He purred at her.
Darcy wasn’t exactly sure why or what it was. But Loki seemed slightly off. She couldn’t put her finger on it though. So she just shrugged it off.
When they got inside though, they entered the kitchen and Darcy stopped dead when she saw Loki sitting at the island with Thor, Clint and Natasha.
‘Are you playing your damn tricks again with your illusions?’ She huffed at Loki, shaking her head.
Loki turned to see what she meant, his eyes widening when he saw… himself? Stood next to her. Natasha, Clint and Thor looked confused and slightly surprised too.
‘That is no illusion of mine.’ Loki said warily as he stood up.
‘Loki… what do you mean?’ Darcy looked at the Loki next to her, who had a wicked look on his face.
‘Get away from her.’ Loki stormed over to Darcy and put his arm around her, pulling her away from… himself? And he pulled out one of his daggers, aiming it at the apparent intruder, while keeping a death hold on Darcy.
‘Is that the food…’ Tony trailed off as he entered the kitchen with the rest of the team. Looking at the scene on front of them. ‘What the hell is going on?’
‘Am I seeing double?’ Steve asked, rubbing his eyes.
‘Loki?’ Bruce asked, his voice unsteady as he looked between the two Loki’s.
‘Well, that’s not a very nice welcome for your saviour.’ The intruder Loki grinned and glanced around at everyone, looking far too pleased with himself.
‘Is SOMEONE going to explain what the hell is going on?’ Clint shouted, looking between the two Loki’s nervously.
‘The only thing I know for certain, is that is NOT me.’ Loki snarled, still holding on tightly to Darcy.
Loki chuckled. ‘I am you. You are me. Just from different realities.’ He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
‘You… You’re the rift in the timeline?’ Darcy asked, eyes widening.
‘Smart girl.’ Loki winked at her.
Loki frowned, but still didn’t lower his dagger yet. ‘Explain yourself. Why are you here? What do you want?’
‘I am not here to threaten you, or Midgard.’ Loki said, looking around the team.
‘I’ve come here, because I need your help.’
#Tom Hiddleston#Loki#Darcy Lewis#tasertricks#Loki x Darcy Lewis#mcu Loki#triple threat#fan fiction#sequel to trust
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Finally, Asuka arc. However, this ep only told her backstory so I’m sure we’ll get at least one more for closure and what’s looking to be a likely reconciliation with Yuriko.
That said, I can understand both girls’ viewpoints on the issue that ruined their partnership. Asuka followed her sense of justice when other players tried to sabotage Yuriko’s equipment. Unfortunately, since there was no solid proof they can provide to support that claim and the other team called foul on Asuka’s “violence”, Aozora had to compromise to keep that news from going public and banning their team from future competitions altogether. Yuriko was thinking for the benefit of everyone but that broke Asuka’s belief and trust in her teammates who won’t fight for the truth because they’re too scared to lose the chance to compete.
Neither of them are wrong, it’s the other team’s underhanded tactic against them that is. However, Asuka and Yuriko still ended paying the price (their friendship) for it which is truly unfair.
And the longer that sense of betrayal stretched between them, the harder it is for them to forgive each other for not understanding what’s “more important”…even though they really…


…know each other better than anyone else does. Yuriko of course still believes that Asuka did nothing wrong, that she would never deliberately hurt anyone and was just protecting her partner. While Asuka also understands that as captain, Yuriko did make the correct decision to save the team. Because competitions are held every year, they can always play at the next one but can’t if their school is blacklisted.
However, every time they see each other, the animosity and anger block that understanding. They’re still too hurt over the rift that split them apart to say “You were right” and make up. So they accuse each other of being narrow-minded despite the both of then knowing that’s not really the case at all.
It’s not a matter of being stubborn here. Or I should say, it’s not a matter of childish indignation.
It’s a matter of principles and their unwillingness to yield because of that.
But with time and proper healing, they’ll be able to let this conflict become water under the bridge someday.
I mean, obviously Asuka and Yuriko still care a lot about each other. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be butting heads now. They wouldn’t still be fighting each other so hard if they didn’t care or even remember mundane things about each other like the case with Asuka’s pillow.
The past is past, it’s already done and you can’t change that. You just have to accept it for what it is, let it go and move on.
And I’m sure they will. It’s not worth it at all to keep hating your best friend forever when in reality, you want nothing more than to be with them.
Asuka and Yuriko haven’t lost that mutual feeling yet so they’ll be able to overcome this eventually. 😊
#on another note the animation this episode was WEIRD AF yo 😅😅😅#those eyes scare me 😳😰#tropical rouge! precure#tanizawa asuka
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Humans are Weird, “My human.”
You guys requested some more LFIL stuff, so I have brought it. Lots of Fluff, I hope. So please enjoy. Also based on a couple ideas given to me by the Discord server :)
“Where are we going.”
“You’ll see.”
“I feel like this is becoming our thing.”
“What?”
“Dragging the other to some sort of event and not saying literally anything about it beforehand.” Sunny hummed deep in her chest and Adam just rolled his eyes, looking around at the dark city awash with eternal night.
“Why Noctopolis of all the places. I mean we have a week off and you want to spend your vacation days in the literal dump of the galaxy?”
She huffed and rolled her eyes, “Please, you love it here. It's like any tradeworld from any sci-fi movie ever.”
That shut him up, and she could see the slow grin pass over his face.
Finally she shrugged, “Look, I just thought it would be nice to… go somewhere where we could relax, not have to worry about hiding.”
“I think there are a few nice beachfront planets we could have done that on.”
“Not with the tourism.” She shot back
A gust of sour wind kicked up through the bustling night streets tugging at Adam’s jacket and rippling the blue of his shirt like ripples across a pond. He adjusted his eyepatch as she led him through a maze of back alleys and tall buildings.
They took a rickety lift down into the gorge where the ever-present red mist billowed and glowed below them in patterns that undulated and wired.
They stepped off into another shallow rift, and followed a narrow street down into another side alley, where Sunny stopped.
Trash and little bits of paper blew around them where they stood in front of a peeling red door.
Adam raised an eyebrow at Sunny, “Ah, beautiful. A lovely vacation spot, I would like to move here and retire.”
“Smartass.” She mumbled at him before knocking on the red door.
There was a long pause while they waited, Adam tapping his foot against concrete below before the door opened a crack and a single human eye peered out at them. The distant echo of music thudded up through the room echoing off the walls.
“What do you want?”
“I’m A friend of Adam.”
Adam frowned and raised an eyebrow as the door shut suddenly and there was a rattling on the other side as if a chain was being released.
He glanced at Sunny but she only shook her head.
The door opened, and a woman with short buzzed black hair stepped into the doorway, invisible tattoos glowing under the blacklight.
As her eyes fell on him, he watched as her eyebrows raised, single eyebrow stud glittering in the light, “You weren’t kidding. Then her stern face broke into a smile, “Come on in. Any ‘friend of Adam’s is a friend of mine’.”
Adam followed along behind Sunny as the music grew louder, “Is that a code for something…. Is this a code? I am very confused.”
He was a lot less confused a minute later when they stepped out into the main room, a large spacious area with multiple stories. A room off to one side had bright flashing lights, and emanated with the sound of drums. Then there was a bar and couches and pool tables and TVs.
It was less of a club or a bar and more like some sort of clubhouse. The bar seemed to be serving food. On the second floor there were more couches, and some rooms that led off into other rooms.
But what really gave it away was the people.
Aliens and humans.
Aliens and humans holding hands and often cuddled up together on the couches.
He shot Sunny a look.
She just shook her head at him, and together they walked over to the bar.
Just off to their side a human was busily and delicately helping a Finnari to put on some sort of dark shaded glasses.
“That better, hun?’
“Yeah…. Yeah, that's better.” the Finnari hugged the woman, “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for>”
“I know you can change how warm you are, and I’m sorry I have to wear the glasses….”
She just laughed and kissed the top of his head.
Adam cleared his throat awkwardly and tugged at the collar of his shirt.
They made it to the bar before anyone recognized them.
“Admiral!” He winced and turned around running into a familiar face at the bar, a familiar green mohawk and a small blue finnari.
Adam frowned, “I thought you were living on the Tesraki homeworld now.”
“We lease an apartment there for business, but we prefer it here…. So tell me, what are you guys doing here.”
He glanced at Sunny, “That’s what I’d like to know.”
She took a seat, “Just relaxing. It is our vacation after all.
Mohawk eyed them a little as Adam sat down reluctantly.
“Drinks on the house then.”
Beside him, the little Finnari waddled over handing up a cup of cucumber juice for Sunny.
The man looked at Adam,”Pick your poison.”
Adam shrugged, “Something girly and brightly colored that tastes good. If I’m going to get drunk it better be worth it.”
Mohawk grinned and got to work.
Another couple wandered over to the bar talking and laughing sliding into seats next to Adam and Sunny.
The human recognized him instantly and grabbed his hand to shake, “Admiral, Vir. I can’t believe you’re here! I can’t believe I get to meet you…. I…. well me and Hasan.” He turned to look over his shoulder at the large, silver Drev sitting next to him, “We owe you so much, the entire community owes you so much.”
Adam blinked, “I…. Well I mean…. I only did what anyone would….”
The man shook his head and waved a hand at him, no no, only you could do what you did and only you DID what you could.”
Adam shrugged not entirely sure what to say before…. “May I…. ask you a question.”
“Anything.”
“Friend of Adam. What does that mean?”
The man waved his hand, “Oh, it’s just a little coad we have for someone who is LFIL, you know so that we don’t have to say it out loud to someone we aren’t sure about.”
“Oh, I see.” he glanced back at the silver Drev listening quietly from behind, “And i’m assuming you are some sort of Kung Fu master…. Dating a Drev and all.”
“Official battle partners , actually.”
Adam raised an eyebrow, “You mean you’ve challenged-”
“Challenged him to the right of unarmed combat. Yes I did. You sure know a lot about Drev culture.”
“You forget, I am Sentinel of a Drev clan, and I spent a couple months training with one of the clans on Anin.:
The man grinned, “But yes to answer your question. I am a…. Sort of well known here on Noctropolis…. MMA fighter, though I also dabble in the use of medieval weapons.”
“Adam only had a little trouble believing that this overly talkative man could probably kick him six ways to sunday, but it seemed strange with his strong but silent type Drev partner who seemed just happy to listen and sip at his juice.
The Bar tender came back with a pink smoothie that Adam was sure had so much rum in it he wasn’t going to be able to feel his legs tomorrow, but it tasted pretty good and it included a crazy straw, so he was happy enough.
The man he had just been speaking to grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to his feet, “Come on, you need to come meet the others, they will be so excited to see you.”
He was tugged to his feet and went only a little hesitantly.
Sunny fell back and began talking with the silver Drev rapid fire.
He was dragged across the open floor to where a group of them was sitting around a low table.
A woman in a nicely recessed suit was sitting with her chin on her hands staring intently at the board.
A few rolls of the dice, and the little black-furred Tesraki stood feet on the table and pointed at her, “HA I win, eat your heart out sweetheart.”
“Not fair, if you hadn’t put hotels on the boardwalk, i would OWN your furry ass.”
The Tesraki waggled his ears at her
Adam couldn't help but bark out a laugh, “Are you playing monopoly…. Isn’t that dangerous to play if you want your relationship in tact?”
The Tesraki turned to look at him, walked across the table and then fell back into the arms of the wall dressed woman, looking rather smug as she wrapped her arms around him, “Not likely, human.” He patted the woman’s cheek, “my muse is one of the shrewdest business minds this side of the galaxy, and nothing is more attractive than pitting one financial mind against another.”
She stroked the fur on the top of his head.
Adam smiled but shook his head, looking around the room to where the others were staring at him.
He leared his throat, “uh….hi…. Sorry to intrude we just….”
That is when the cheers started up and he was pulled into the group with the others. He shook a bunch of hands before things settled back down.
A finnari and a human were curled up across the circle.
Silver drev and his battle partner were holding hands just to their right, and Adam was feeling a little more than awkward sitting, back straight hands clasped politely before him like he was sitting at church.
“Forgive me for asking, Admiral. I know it might be a sensitive subject, but everyone here in the clubhouse know each other, and we…. Well we have been wondering for a while. Well, we know you are supportive of us, of course, but we wonder if maybe you have other…. Reasons.” They glanced at Sunny
He felt his neck turn red, and tried to cover it by pulling his jacket up.
He glanced at Sunny and she leaned in to speak to him, “I think you should tell them.”
HE frowned at her.
“Just hear me out before you shoot it down. “I know you're stressed trying to keep it secret, and these people have a code of conduct. They won’t tell anyone. I just think it would be good to get it off our chests for once to people who will finally understand.”
He could see her point of course, but still. He wasn’t sure. Just thinking about saying it oud-loud was causing his chest to tighten up a bit. He had been fighting to hide this for a while now, and it was sort of just habit.
The group stared at him.
Hopeful expressions almost.
They were waiting for him.
But how was it that despite being with Sunny, he didn’t feel like one of them. The guilt was enough to galvanise him into action. He cleared his throat and sat up “well, not when I made the speech to the GA, no….”
They seemed to wilt.
“But,”
They all lifted their heads in anticipation, “I….. Sunny and I are….. Dating.”
The word fell from his lips like a led weight. His head felt suddenly light, and the room around them burst into sound and color as the group of them rose to their feet cheering. Someone slapped him on the back.
He could barely hear.
“Feels good doesn’t it, to finally say something to people who understand. DRINKS FOR EVERYONE!”
The group was smiling and laughing, “Come on, you don’t have to hide here.:
“Hold her hand!”
“Yeah.”
He caved, even though his hand was shaky and slick with sweat.
More cheering
He felt as if he was drunk, or drugged. As if he had stepped out of himself. Inside his stomach churned and swarmed with insects.
“Kiss her.” Someone else urged.
The group laughed, but took up the call. Blushing like red as a cherry he leaned up and gave her a quick kiss on the bheek before sitting back down.
Thanks for them, they sensed his nervousness and backed off.
Sunny hummed with pleasure.
He still felt lightheaded.
He could hear them talking but wasn’t sure what about.
Eventually Sunny got up with one of the other drev, and the two of them stepped over to a circle on the floor to have a friendly contest with spears.
Adam was left alone.
The partner of the Drev Sunny was fighting came to sit next to him looking over at the circle, “Pretty amazing aren't they….. Beautiful.”
He nodded lethargically before, “Can I…. make a confession?”
The group was interested and leaned in, he felt their eyes on him. He rubbed the back of his neck, “I… I really do…. Thank you all for… the encouragement but…. well . I have to admit that I….I’ve never really…. Felt like one of you.”
They seemed surprised but were interested to listen.
“What do you mean?”
“I…. well…. This is going to sound strange, but I’m not….. Actually…. Attracted to aliens.”
They stared at him confused.
He sighed and shook his head, “It's… complicated.”
“We’re listening.”
“I…. it's not the fact that she’s a Drev….. I would love Sunny if she were a Tesraki, or a Finnari, or a human. I’m not attracted to Drev as a hole, but Sunny….just Sunny. That’s it she’s the only one.”
There was silence for a moment, and for a second he thought he had offended them, but then.
“Aww, that’s so sweet.”
“I understand.”
“Yeah I can see that, but either way you are more than welcome here.”
He was surprised, and after that little exchange, he relaxed a little and smiled, taking a sip of his pink smoothie using his crazy straw.
Sunny was right, it did feel a little better to get off his chest.
And for Sunny, things felt better as well. Finally she had someone she could share with about humans. At one point the aliens and humans split off into groups, the humans living on nostalgic childhood games meant to cause pain.
Sunny sat with the others.
“And the mood swings with humans.” Someone was saying.
“Tell me about it. They go from angry to cuddly to horny in about two seconds flat.”
Sunny snorted, “Can’t say I’ve seen the last one, but the first two, yeah it's a bit of a roller coaster. No wonder they’re always exhausted.”
“Really, you’ve never seen the third one.”
“Adam is a bit…. Shy I think, It’ll probably take him a while.”
“Well you are in for a surprise when he does. Humans are a bit insane.”
One of the Drev huffed, “That’s a good thing I’d say.”
The group laughed and then, “Ok but does anyone else’s human get angry when they are hungry?”
A chorus of yesses.
Sunny sighed, “Oh yes, when your human is 6,2 and 210 lbs and often forgets to eat because he’s so busy. It is a common occurrence. Then he will try to argue with me when I go to feed him that he doesn't have time and he's stressed, and I tell him that he will feel better when he eats, but NO I’m the crazy one.”
One of the Tesraki smiled, “I find there are a few ways to remedy this. Number one, is that I have stashed snacks in all the vehicles and locations that we own. Barring that, I make it a habit to hide currency in her pockets so when she randomly finds a credit it makes her day. She doesn’t know I do this.”
Sunny smiled, “I have a friend who is a doctor, and he once made me read a paper about a human scientist Pavlov, who talked about conditioning, that if you associate certain stimuli with others you can cause a specific reaction. So I make sure to play this one very specific song when we spend time together or cuddle or something, so when he’s stressed I discreetly turn it on,and either he relaxes or he comes to me for comfort.”
The group ohed at her genius and she felt rather smug.
That was until loud laughter rang out across the room, and the group of them turned to see humans standing on the bar… or specifically one human standing on the bar dancing stupidly.
She sighed, “yep, that one is mine.”
It was good to see him loosen up at little though and he was more than happy to be dragged around by her. She even forced him to come dance with her, and some of the others joined in. Flashing lights and bodies pressed tight together in a semi darkness. Aliens and humans.
All that while the humans were slowly getting drunker.
Thought that all lead to an impromptu karaoke session with most of the humans singing horrible off tune in their drunken state.
Interesting how humans could suddenly become so bad at speaking when drunk.
Adam did pretty well though for someone who got dared to sing Burning Love, which he did pretty well despite sounding absolutely nothing like Elvis -- though to be honest, Sunny wasn’t a big fan of Elvis anyway and preferred Adam’s version. But that might also have been for the eye contact he held with her on occasion, allowing her to think maybe the song was for her.
A fact that made her secretly very happy.
Adam got more socially confident when he was drunk.
It seemed odd to her that he could be such an extroverted person who was very charismatic some times, but in other situations he could barely string two words together.
Either way, looking around at other people’s humans she couldn't help but be a bit smug. Yeah sure their humans were fit, but her human was the best. In her opinion, he had the brightest UV stripes, the prettiest eyes, and the nicest smile. Not to mention that she would bet money he could win in a fight against the other humans .
Unbeknownst to her, a similar conversation was happening across the room with the humans, accept it was out loud.
“I mean she’s fine, my boy is the best.”
Adam snorted, “Please, gold eyes and carapace the color of blue lightning. You can’t compete.”
“Mine is taller..”
“Mine is more huggable. The perfect height ratio, but have fun bringing a step stool around with you.”
“Don’t need one when he can pick me up.”
“She can pick me up too, so your point is irrelevant.”
He leaned back against the table, his voice slightly slurred as he stared across the room at her, where she was standing, demonstrating some sort of spear move to one of the other Drev.
His voice grew serious, “No woman, no Drev, no alien can compete with the sheer power, and grace. She is a phenomenal warrior, loyal…. Everything that is perfect.”
There was a pause, and then they all burst into a fit of drunken giggling.
By the end of the night most of the humans were passed out, or close to it. And the sober aliens walked over to collect their fallen human from the scattered bodies.
Someone ave Sunny a key, “Rooms upstairs.”
She nodded and thanked the bartender as she reached down and hoisted Adam up with her lower arms under his. He was probably going to have an intense hangover tomorrow, but now he looked rather peaceful in his sleep.
She waved at the other Drev doing the same thing to their humans. Occasionally helping one of the FInnari or Tesraki with a human that was too heavy.
She went upstairs and flopped him down on a bed. He didn’t wake up, but smiled in his sleep. She crawled up to lay next to him. She was glad that he had been able to relax. She had hoped finally admitting it to someone would help.
To be fair, she needed it too.
More than most could know.
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The Empty Nest
So, I’m working on this fic, but it’s not exactly coming together the way that I want it to so I decided to post the one part of it I’m feeling good about - that and been seeing all the April Angst posts and wanted to help shatter some hearts!
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“Don’t, don’t you DARE say her name!” Anakin Skywalker hissed. “You don’t have that luxury anymore.”
“Anakin,” a much calmer yet equally raw voice answered. “We should be able to talk about her, I miss her too.”
“Stop it.” Anakin continued to throw items in the box. “You lost that right when you turned your back on her.”
Obi-Wan released a pent up breath and considered his words carefully. “I, we never turned our backs on her…”
“Abandoned her then!”
“Anakin, we’ve been over this so many times.” Obi-Wan folded his arms into his sleeves, a nervous habit of his left over from his Padawan days. “We were left with little choice, the moment she ran we lost all chances of keeping this as an internal Jedi affair. Her actions robbed us the opportunity to even defend her, we lost all credibility in the eyes of the Senate, the people...how can you not see this?”
“You could’ve fought for her!” The younger man cried.
“...We did. Fight for her.” Obi-Wan’s voice caught. “And we lost.”
Anakin shook his head and tossed another item in the box. “Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night.”
Obi-Wan moved towards his former apprentice. “Come, sit with me and have some tea. We can work through these emotions, together.”
“I don’t want tea.”
“Whiskey then.” Obi-Wan offered a genuine smile and moved towards the kitchen.
“I want Ahsoka back,” Anakin’s voice trembled.
Obi-Wan kept his back towards Anakin, his shoulders slumped. “...so do I, Anakin.”
After a moment of silence Obi-Wan returned with two tumblers that contained a small amount of brown liquor. He held one out to Anakin who took it, ungratefully.
“To Ahsoka’s new adventure.” Obi-Wan held up his glass as if to toast.
Anakin slammed his down on the table. “That’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be.”
“She’s out there, alone. With nothing to fall back on and you are toasting her like she graduated from a University or something?!” Anakin moved back towards his room to grab more of his things.
“Anakin, she is figuring out where her place is in the galaxy. That should be something we celebrate. Our Padawan has grown up into a remarkable young woman.” Obi-Wan said as he contemplated his own drink.
“MY Padawan!” Anakin shot back. “And she’s out there on her own, with nothing.”
“She is highly educated and skilled, she has plenty to fall back on. Plus, it was her choice to go at this alone. She could go back to her birth family if she wanted to - Madame Jocasta offered to help her with that. Or she could go live with the people of Kiros, you know Governor Rosti would offer her any job she wanted. Seven hells Anakin, I’m sure Padme would take her in in a heartbeat.”
Anakin’s head snapped up at this. “Yeah...yeah she would.”
“Ahsoka made the choice to do this on her own and we have to honor that decision, no matter how much it hurts.” Obi-Wan moved closer to Anakin, bringing their glasses with him.
Anakin’s eyes were bloodshot, Obi-Wan wondered how long it had been since his former Padawan had slept. Anakin accepted the glass, reluctantly.
“...so we didn’t abandon her?” His voice was so low it was difficult to hear.
Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, of course we didn’t. Did you honestly think Master Yoda, Master Koon or I would actually let her leave without something to fall back on? What type of monsters do you think we are, Anakin?”
“Then that means...she abandoned me.” Anakin’s voice trembled.
“Anakin, that’s not fair…”
Obi-Wan was suddenly slapped in the face yet again by how much Anakin reminded him of Qui-Gon. Memories surfaced of being thirteen years old and choosing to leave the Jedi in order to help the Young fight their war, all the while sensing (and later learning) that his Master took it as Obi-Wan abandoning and betraying him. There had been a rift in their bond for several years because of it, and it took him far too long to regain Qui-Gon’s trust. In the chance that Ahsoka might come back into their lives one day he couldn’t let history repeat itself.
“Anakin, I know this hurts. But, she didn’t ‘abandon’ you.” He stepped forward and risked placing a soft hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “I promise you, if she actually thought you felt like she did this to punish you then she’d never forgive herself.”
“You don’t know that,” Anakin turned his back on Obi-Wan, unable to look at him. “You don’t know anything.”
“I do know about this, trust me, Padawan.” Obi-Wan reached up to try and turn Anakin around, expecting to hear Anakin’s usual argument about how he isn’t a Padawan any longer.
“This is all your fault, you know. I didn’t even want a Padawan…” Tears began to silently slip down Anakin’s cheeks. “You set the whole thing up and made me care about her!”
“Anakin, the Force wills…”
“Stop it!” Anakin screamed. “You never listen to me! I told you I didn’t want a Padawan, I then told you she was innocent...you, you forced her on me and then you didn’t fight harder for her against the Council and against Tarkin...and now she’s gone. And all of this, this whole stupid war is YOUR fault!”
Obi-Wan stood, stunned.
“I think...I think I need some time away from you right now.” Anakin tried to compose himself. “Just, reassign the 501st somewhere, I need to put as many systems between you and I as I can right now.”
“Masters Tiplee and Tiplar have requested reinforcements on Ringo Vinda.” Obi-Wan did his best to keep emotions out of his voice. “I will put in a the order to have the 501st sent there at once.”
“Good.”
Obi-Wan stood still as he watched Anakin gather the last of his belongings and toss them in the box. The Knight then angrily picked up the box and shoved his way out of the apartment.
“You don’t have to move out right this second, you know.” Obi-Wan said finally. “There will be time for all of that later.”
Anakin looked back at his former Master. “We’ve put this off way too long as it is. If Ahsoka’s moving on, then perhaps it’s time for us to move on too.”
They locked eyes for a moment, both playing a game of chicken with the other, yet both secretly hoping the other would fight for Anakin to stay.
“You must do what you feel is right, of course.” Obi-Wan finally said, clearing the lump from his throat.
“Yeah, see you around. I guess.” Anakin huffed and the cold durasteel door swished shut behind him, leaving Obi-Wan Kenobi once again with his thoughts.
#star wars#star wars fanfiction#fanfic#fanfiction#The Clone Wars#clone wars fanfiction#the wrong jedi#obi wan kenobi#Anakin Skywalker#angst#heavy angst#angstapril#ahsoka tano#ahsoka's 2 dads#obi wan deserved better
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I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry
Okay but what if... What if you dated both brothers back-to-back at around the same time? First Thrass, then Thrawn?
Maybe you were drawn to Thrass initially, and you loved him for his kindness and sincerity, but his duty as a Syndic started causing a rift between you two. The paranoia and manipulation of Chiss politics maybe started mingling with his personal life instead of staying at work, and usually peaceful nights became wrought with anxiety and doubt.
"How can you lie to someone's face like that?" "These people would see Thrawn die, and you're not trying to protect him?" "How do I know you won't turn against me if the Ascendancy decided-"
The arguments only got more intense, and with heavy hearts the two of you agreed to spend some time apart.
And then, you started working closely with Thrawn. Thrawn, who kept nothing a secret and who's transparency and straightforwardness eased your previous anxieties. You fell in love with his mind and mannerisms, and before you knew it the two of you were kissing behind a sculpture in his favorite art gallery.
All this to say, you ended up choosing him. Thrass could only pretend he was fine for so long - you'd been decent enough to tell him directly that you were now dating Thrawn, and yet he couldn't decide if he'd rather you just ghosted him instead. Some would say you moved on a little too fast, but Thrass understood. He knew you intimately after all, and he always regretted not being able to be completely open with you about everything the way his brother could.
However, speaking of things moving too fast...
He would rather have gotten a call about literally anything else that day. He would have more easily accepted news of the Ascendancy going to war, or that he would be losing his position. Even excommunicated from the Mitth entirely. That would have sat better with him than-
"I'm going to be a father." Thrawn explained matter-of-factly in his signature Thrawn fashion, though there was the slightest bit more excitement in his tone than normal.
"That's..." He felt his heart sink to the depths, any hope of possibly ever returning to you tarnished in a single sentence. You'd only been with Thrawn a few months, and already... "Congratulations."
Thrass couldn't fully pay attention after that. He heard the core words like "union" and "family" and "marriage", and something about if he'd be willing to officiate as a representative of the Mitth. He must have absent-mindedly agreed, since that's what he ended up doing.
It took everything in him to pretend. Part of him was happy for you of course, but it still pained him to see you together. He couldn't decide if it pained him even more that he was still so directly involved in your lives, witnessing every milestone you achieved together. It's not like you were never concerned about how he felt either, though, always asking him if he was okay or if he ever wanted to talk. He'd always dismiss any inquiries with a smile and convincingly content demeanor, even sharing a dance with you at the ceremony.
The moment he excused himself from the premises, the tears wouldn't stop. Even now, years later, they'd sometimes sneak up on him from out of nowhere. It was difficult to even identify the triggers anymore. Maybe this time it was due to those intrusive late-night thoughts of what could have been, or worse, what potentially currently was.
He was a good uncle, always making time to watch the kids when it was needed. The oldest one, the one who had been often told "you take from your uncle" and "your uncle looked like you at your age" was particularly fond of him. They would spend time bonding over something or another when the younger one was content to play off on their own. This oldest kid, who was allegedly born two months early, according to the timeline. This kid...
It could very well all be coincidental, but this kid...
Somehow, he didn't think it was a coincidence. You would get sick every now and then around the time you broke it off, before you had ever even gotten close to Thrawn. He wondered if you had ever suspected, if Thrawn had ever suspected. If the two of you had it was never discussed with him, and that was probably for the best.
Because if he offically had a child with you, the regrets and pain and dreams of what could have been would not only haunt him as they already were, but they'd be literally staring him in the face - with those eyes on a face that resembled his own.
He was fine being uncle Thrass.
He was fine not being yours, anymore.
He was fine drowning himself in his work and drinking all those bad thoughts away.
He was fine.
That’s it. I’m revoking your Author Pass. You’re fired.
But goddammit now I’m thinking...
Thrawn’s... not stupid. He knows the math doesn’t add up. He knows the kid was too healthy to be premature. He knows good, fucking well, that no matter what happens, no matter what his brother tells himself, he isn’t going to handle that knowledge as well as he thinks he will. Thrass has a habit of showing up in places he doesn’t need to be, and when it comes down to it, he will be around these children on a frequent, if not constant, basis, just by virtue of being family.
And he’s not possessive. It only makes sense that they would attach themselves to him. After all, he was always the more obviously emotional of the two, being the one that can outwardly express himself in easier ways. Of course the children would respond well to it. But he isn’t blind either, and he can see clearly that the way Thrass interacts with the eldest is simply, undeniably, different. And uncharacteristically, against every way he’s ever reacted to a scenario, he finds that he hates it. He despises every word his brother speaks to the child, so naturally similar to the way they talk, their facial features so glaringly close that even the most distant of passerby could see it.
He holds to that child, almost in desperation, teaching them what he knows, trying and trying again to relate to them in some way, his attempts failing at every turn as the disinterested child looks to the interests they share with the other. The spare. But he doesn’t stop, he tries, tries again, even attempting to endure the things they enjoy instead, tedious and ridiculous as he may have otherwise found them, just for a moment’s taste of a connection. The others relate to him easily, a perfect combination of who you are with who he is, and he wants it with the eldest, no matter what it may cost him. Yet their eyes never stop searching for Thrass, only making Thrawn’s bitterness turn to resentment.
And there does come a time when the brothers are alone together, Thrass sadly organising the shelves in his home while Thrawn sits darkly in thought. And eventually, Thrawn asks,
“How much do you know?”
Thrass stops in his tracks, setting down the books in his hands, failing to hide the guilt displayed on his face. “Know about what?”
Thrawn’s eyes narrow, his lips contorting in a daring grimace. “Don’t insult me.”
How could Thrass deny it? How could he hide what was so clear to see? To continue to claim innocence of it would be to damn himself forever. But he looks away.
“It was before you had anything to do with it.”
“And that changes this?” Thrawn stands, back straightened and arms crossed over his chest as he looms above his brother, who still refused to look him in the eye. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You may have come first, but I am their father, no matter how much you seem to conveniently forget so. I have let your proximity pass for this long. But I warn you now, and I will not do so again. Do not test me.”
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An Art of Balance #20
Orion Amari x MC
A/N: As always, Judith belongs to @judediangelo75, I love borrowing her so much!
Word Count: ~ 2.200
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Chapter 20: Support
Orion woke even earlier than usual on the day of their match against Slytherin. The little light filtering into the dorm from the semi-circular windows in the upper part of the masonry was tinged blue with the promise of dawn being near.
He took great care not to wake anyone as he quietly got dressed and left for the Quidditch pitch. Watching the sunrise had become a habit for him ever since the Christmas break; he found it was the best way to greet the new day properly and feel at one with himself and the universe.
One thing he always told his teammates was how important pre-match rituals were to channel their focus; today was the first time he had decided to skip his own. Usually, he would set his mind by meditating over the pictures of his team, his family, he had collected over the years. It reminded him where his heart was lying and why he was doing all of this.
But now, looking at the pictures of them all happily together led to nothing but pain and regret. They were showing different times, when they had been unburdened by the strains weighing down on the bond holding them together.
The whole team had fallen off balance.
Since the tensions that had been simmering beneath the surface had come to a head, Everett had become openly hostile towards him. His derisive tone and snarky remarks would usually have washed off him, Orion’s ease of mind being too strong to let someone as impulsive as Everett get to him.
But as of late, Orion’s patience had begun to wear thin and he felt himself reciprocating the negative energy surrounding him. He knew that he was a good captain and that the majority of his team respected his uncommon style of leadership. But upon seeing the rift that was splitting the Hufflepuff team into separate groups, he couldn’t help but ask himself if he had done all in his power to prevent it from happening.
He wasn’t the only one to be disdainful of Everett’s behaviour; no one really seemed to like him.
Orion almost felt sorry for Judith for having to put up with him as her partner on the pitch. Granted, they worked well as a pair, Judith’s cleverness and experience as a Beater complementing the sheer strength and aggressiveness Everett typically displayed.
But off the pitch, he shunned the rest of the team, preferring the company of the other boy’s sharing their dorm. Not that the other players minded; the only one willing to put up with him was Brian, their Keeper, but even he could be seen rolling his eyes at Everett’s attitude more often than not.
Judith and Lucy kept to themselves most of the time. Neither of them had a factual problem with any of their teammates but they had no sense for the drama either. They just wanted to play and play well; the internal quarrels of the team endangering their chance at the Quidditch cup didn’t sit well with them.
The last faction of their once united team consisted of Lizzie and Skye. Lizzie didn’t have any issues with anyone, except Everett perhaps; but her loyalty had her stick to Skye, who was shunned by the rest after the tantrum she had thrown.
Much to his surprise, Skye had sought him out the same evening to apologise for her behaviour; she had apologised twice, once to him as her captain, and once to him as her friend. Her regret had been palpable and Lizzie’s plea for her still fresh in his mind; so he had accepted her back in the line-up, albeit under one condition.
The greater part of the players was still mad at her antics, no matter what her personal reasons for them were. If she wanted to play against Slytherin, she would have to make a third apology to the entire team. Skye had agreed instantly.
When arguments would arise time and again, he was most inclined to take the side of Skye and Lizzie; not only because they shared a position, but also because they were the ones he had always felt most connected to.
Seeing the fragile construct that had become the Hufflepuff team, however, he didn’t dare rip another cornerstone from its foundation by giving up his neutrality. Besides, it was clear as day that Lizzie wouldn’t have wanted him to.
They had returned to where they had left off at the end of last year; once more, Lizzie wasn’t speaking to him, positively darting from the scene whenever he came near her. She had even missed the Herbology session the day before; Rowan had muttered something about her not feeling well.
As much as Orion had been furious with Skye for blurting out what he hadn’t dared to admit even to himself, he had felt relieved after he had had a chance to think about the matter. The constant back and forth between Lizzie and him claimed the majority of his attention and distracted him from everything else.
He had hoped that after their discussion something would change between them, one way or another. They were standing on the verge of a crossroads and the uncertainty of where the journey might take them occupied all of Orion’s heart and mind. But instead of taking a step forward, they had turned around and moved back in the direction they had come from.
Orion knew which way he wanted to go, but it was not a path he could walk on his own.
All these thoughts were running through his mind as he entered the Quidditch pitch. The mist was still hanging over the dewy lawn as he mounted his broom and flew to a comfortable height before carefully standing up, taking a moment to find his balance and waiting for the day to begin.
*
He stayed on his broom long until after the sun had gone up and the morning had turned to noon; all the while his thoughts were ebbing and flowing until they became steady, focused solely on what lay ahead.
Before his legs were growing too tired, he abandoned his meditation exercise and headed back to the castle. By the time he reached the Great Hall, it was already packed with students enjoying their lunch. The vast room was buzzing with excited chatter about the imminent start of the match.
The only people not visibly bouncing with anticipation were the Slytherin and Hufflepuff teams; both were huddled at their House tables lining the far ends of the walls, looking rather strained.
His teammates had assembled at the head of the Hufflepuff table, set apart from the rest by their canary and black sweaters bearing their squad numbers. Contrary to the noise around them, neither of them spoke a word, everyone coping with their pre-match nerves in their own way.
As McNully took great care not to sit with them on matchdays due to impartiality issues, Orion sat down next to Skye, who was furiously poking at her food. He could have sat anywhere, but he wanted to make a point to the rest by actively seeking her company; if he could forgive her, the others should be able to as well.
She looked up from her plate, her freckled face paler than usual. “There you are, Captain. Ready for the match?”
“Are we ever truly ready for anything?” Orion asked back while piling vegetables onto his plate. Skye only grunted in reply before she returned to manhandling her lunch. But Orion wasn’t concentrating on her anyway.
To his surprise, the mood between his teammates seemed to be rather good. Everett and Judith had started going over their tactics in hushed voices; Orion could see how Judith tried hard not to roll her eyes at something Everett had just said. It was reassuring to know that she tried to put her disregard for the boastful Beater aside for the time being.
Lucy, who sat next to Judith, pushed her food from one side of her plate to the other without touching it; she was opening and closing her other hand subconsciously as if she was already reaching for the Snitch in her mind.
Unsurprisingly, Lizzie sat the farthest from him. She was the only one who didn’t even bother with trying to eat before heading to the pitch for their warm ups; Orion knew how nervous she got before every single game.
Lizzie hadn’t even acknowledged his arrival except for a minuscule glance in his direction. It had only lasted for the fraction of a second; now, her attention was fully fixed on the empty plate before her. Rowan sat by her side and babbled animatedly, but Lizzie didn’t seem to be listening.
Unlike her friend, Rowan had given him a wide smile and a wave when she had seen him approaching.
Orion had noticed that she was finally starting to relax around him. Although she was still doubtful of anything he said during the tutoring that didn’t agree with the textbook, since Lizzie had taken herself back from the teaching bit by bit, Rowan had learned to open her mind to his way thinking.
He was glad to see Lizzie had such a good friend to give her the support she needed. He’d had the impression that there had been a strain between the two girls, but judging at how adamant Rowan was at sharing her good mood with her anxious friend, they seemed to have overcome their differences. Rowan was a good and solid friend to Lizzie; something he had told her just yesterday.
*
Orion had been leaving the prefect bathroom he was allowed to use as captain of the Hufflepuff team the evening before. The atmosphere in the Common Room had already been bubbling with anticipation of the approaching match and the nervous energies had been too much for him to properly focus. A hot bath and the quietness of the exclusive bathroom had never failed to soothe the agitation burning inside him before every match.
He had almost bumped into Rowan as he had been rounding the corner of the hallway. He must have startled her because she gave a little shriek as she realised who it was she had run into. She answered his greeting with a stammered response, quickly hiding her bright pink washbag behind her back.
“What are you doing here?” She appeared to be flustered their unexpected meeting.
Orion smiled friendly at her. “I was just taking a bath to calm my mind.”
“Yes, of course, because of the match,” Rowan pushed her glasses up her nose, “everyone seems to be so nervous. Lizzie has been out of her mind for the last days.”
Orion could guess why; Lizzie had always been prone to getting overwhelmed by her nervousness but what had happened between them probably hadn’t done much to help her mindset. Their conversation had been subject of his own musings more than a few times as well. He had told no one of what had been said, not even McNully when he had interrogated him afterwards.
But only because he chose to keep things to himself didn’t mean Lizzie would do the same. He knew how deep her bond with Rowan ran and he assumed that she had told her best friend everything that had happened.
“I’m sorry to hear she feels unsettled,” he said softly. “Despite everything, I hope she can find the focus necessary to perform to her own standard when the time is right.” He smiled sincerely at the girl in front of him. “She can count herself lucky to have such a wonderful friend like you supporting her; how can we soar freely when we have no safe place to land?”
Rowan’s cheeks flushed at the compliment, but it was masked by the dim light of the dark corridor.
“Of course I support her,” she whispered. “Lizzie is my best friend; she means the world to me.”
“Yes, she has a singular spirit, indeed,” Orion agreed wistfully. He shivered, and not only from his still wet hair that was slowly drying in the cold air. He ran his hand through it and shifted his weight in the direction he had been going before.
“Are you coming to cheer her on tomorrow?” he asked over his shoulder as he moved past Rowan.
“Of course I will, all of you,” she beamed back at him.
“Then I’m sure there is no way we can fail,” he winked at her. “I’m looking forward to seeing you on the stands.”
Orion inclined his head towards her and walked off on his way to the now hopefully quieter Common Room. He didn’t turn around again, so he couldn’t see the dreamy look on Rowan’s face as she stared after him.
#hphm#hogwarts mystery#orion amari#orion amari x mc#quidditch#the quidditch squad#lizzie jameson#art of balance#aob
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thinking again about my prismatic max au and started thinking about how the presence of the vices would change the episodes
I think the biggest change would be the ending of season 3 seeing that we don’t know exactly the timeline and I want the vices to remain in the TTG series so,,, I more or less wrote how it would go
Major spoilers for 305 obviously, also really REALLY long text under the cut
everything on the outside remains the same; Max is still an eldritch beast rampaging the city, the flaming Max heads are still flying around everywhere, etc. On the inside, however, the Max heads are changed to the vice versions of Max and are actually helpful to Sam rather than annoying.
The primary area, Max’s stomach, is occupied by Gluttony, who’s more focused on eating the corn dogs Elder Max is consuming to do anything initially. The gang goes up to the head as usual, and they find Sloth curled up on the couch. Like Gluttony, Sloth ignores everyone, until Sam goes to open the door to Max’s brain, to which he tells him it’s no use. He explains that Pride locked himself in there, and he’s sending away anyone who tries to enter. Sam, being the stubborn bastard he is, tries anyway, and the group is separated as usual.
Sam goes through to find everyone, and finds Wrath with Papierwaite and Yog-Soggoth in the arm control, Envy and Lust with Sybil in the leg control, and Greed alone in Max’s inventory. The arm control is the first and easiest to take care of, as Wrath is able to tell Sam that he needs to say the opposite of what’s on screen out of frustration. When the control room is contaminated, Wrath is the one to take Sam to safety, agreeing to help to the best of his ability. Their first stop is the head again, to attempt to get Sloth’s help as well. Sloth tells Wrath exactly what he told Sam before, which makes Wrath mad and prompts him to start pounding on the door. Since he himself is also a part of Max, he isn’t teleported away, something that Sloth seemingly hadn’t expected. As Wrath continues to beat on the door, Sloth gets up to stop him, and their colors blend as they touch. Almost as quickly, Sloth disappears and “Wrath” gains his blue color on half his body; Sam realizes that in order to get into Max’s brain and take down Pride, he’s going to have to collect the vices into one being.
With this new plan and Pseudo-Max (who’s ever so slightly more like his old self) in tow, they head to the leg control. They talk to Lust first, who’s quick to agree to help without much detail, and Pseudo-Max gains another color. They attempt to do the same with Envy, but he refuses to even listen, instead broadcasting false thoughts in order to turn Sybil against Sam. Both Sam and Pseudo-Max try to convince her to use the treadmill so they can control the legs, but with Envy still separate and broadcasting thoughts, she refuses. Sam and Pseudo-Max then proceed to Max’s inventory to get Sam Jr.. Greed gets upset with them for trying to steal his things, but is quick to shift his anger towards Pride when Pseudo-Max explains what’s going on. He helps them get Sam Jr., then merges into Pseudo-Max as well.
They return to the leg control and Sybil sees how Sam reacts to Sam Jr. getting insulted, finally agreeing to use the treadmill. Envy finally listens to them once he notices that his broadcast isn’t working, and much like Greed, agrees to join once he hears of Pride. With the legs under control, they return to the stomach, where they trade the corn dog with Sam Jr.. Gluttony gets disgusted as Sal comes flying in, as bugs are one of the few things he refuses to eat (for plot purposes), and he’s quick to merge with Pseudo-Max as well as there’s nothing else to eat, thus nothing better to do in his opinion.
As usual again, Sal is sent to help Papierwaite and Yog-Soggoth with the arm controls, and once he succeeds, they shock Elder Max to dismantle the lock of the door to the brain. Sam and the nearly fully formed Pseudo-Max go in to find Pride, only to find that he’s stuck behind Dark Dimension tentacles. Rather than finding Max’s Super-Ego as they do in the actual episode, they instead find another Max, one that doesn’t have his vices showing. He reveals that he split his vices in his own body in hopes that, if they remained pitted against each other, that they would disperse once he went back to normal and he could go back to a normal life without them. Pseudo-Max attempts to lash out at him, but Sam holds him back, telling him they should talk to Pride first to see what can be done.
They do so, and Pride explains that in order for Max to ever go back to his lagomorphic self, he had to re-merge with his vices. Since his vices had been present for so long, his memories now lied with the vices rather than him, and without memories he would be entirely unable to shift out of his Elder Max form. Sam asks how he can get Pride free from the tentacles, and he gives them the Astral Projector, telling Sam that Pseudo-Max should have the memories necessary to retrieve the Cthonic Destroyer and free him. The Astral Projection sequence remains the same, and they’re able to free Pride and successfully merge him with the now complete Vice Max.
The two Max’s confront each other, and gradually Vice Max convinces him that literally tearing himself apart will only harm him. Brain Max insists as a last straw that he’s the real Max and no one else, to which Vice Max agrees, telling him that no one is taking that from him. Dr. Momma Bosco gives one last warning as Brain Max finally relents, allowing Vice Max to merge with him. With all the pieces together and finally at peace with each other, Elder Max’s form begins to fracture, and Max teleports everyone out of him before the form crumbles completely, returning him to his normal state without the colors of the vices.
There’s a brief scare as Max falls, getting buried in the rubble. Sam panics much like he does at the end of 304, immediately going to search for him and pulling him out. He kneels there for a while, just holding Max tightly, and just before the credits roll, Max returns the hug and the screen fades out.
After the credits, a scene plays of Sam and Max (now with his pristine white fur again) moving stuff back into their office, newly remodeled after the dimensional rift they created in 301 is closed, now with Skunkape sealed away for good (at least for now). They’re discussing what movie they should watch once their T.V. is hooked back up, arguing back and forth between laughably horrible slasher (Max) or cheesy rom-com (Sam). When the argument starts getting more intense, the phone rings, and the episode fully ends with Sam and Max’s usual scuffle over who gets to answer.
#sam and max#sam & max#sam and max the devil's playhouse#the devil's playhouse spoilers#the devil's playhouse#sam and max 305#305 rewrite#sort of#prismatic max#sam and max au
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Story: Ashes of Love and War
Chapter: 15 / ?
Couple: Todoroki Shouto / Yaoyorozu Momo (TodoMomo)
Rating: M (for language and violence)
Betas: @flourchildwrites (Link) & C’s Melody (Link)
Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21638800/chapters/74623470
Thank you everyone who follows and supports!
XXXXXX
50 days post the fall of Troy (Morning after the attack)
The next day, fog covered the mountaintop in a heavy gray that seemed to match the mood within the orphanage. Silent and bloodless, the humid mist rolled off the sea and breached the orphanage's walls like a harbinger of the danger surrounding them all.
The men that had escaped the stympahlian’s attack unharmed trudged silently around the quarters, fixing what they could or preparing for that night’s battle. No one had slept.
There was an anxious tension in the air. Momo had caught a few of Fukukado’s men siphoning alcohol from the orphanage’s last wine barrel but hadn’t stopped them. All anyone could do was try to keep their mind off of the upcoming battle.
Momo grabbed a jar of honey and fresh bandages from their dwindling supplies and then hurried back into the makeshift infirmary. She was the only one on duty at the moment. Aizawa and Asui were busy bringing the unhurt children and the few injured pirates that could still walk down to the ship.
She went over to the nearest man’s pallet and sat down next to him. The pirate was feverish and shaking. A stymphalian had sliced through his arm, down to the bone. Long gashes along his back were already starting to fester. She helped him sip from a flask of wine, laid the man back down, and began redressing his bandages.
Her shoulder throbbed at the movement, but Momo ignored the pain. The work and sting were a welcome distraction. If she stopped, if she paused, she’d think about Tokoyami. And then she’d just be upset.
He had come by her room that morning before departing for his patrol. Momo had known the sound of his footsteps as he stopped in front of her door, but he hadn’t knocked and, after a few moments, had left without saying anything even though he had said he wanted to speak to her.
Not that Momo wanted to talk. She didn’t even know what they’d say to one another. Yesterday, she had been so incredibly furious. But now, whenever she thought of Tokoyami, she just felt hollow.
Tokoyami was her oldest friend. He had been her confidant, had protected and guided her throughout the war and politics of Apollo’s temple. But Momo had taken his companionship for granted.
And now it felt too late.
The harder she fought to hold onto their friendship, the more it broke. All that was left were chipped pieces of glass that cut her every time she touched them.
The most painful part was that Momo was coming to the realization that no matter how the night played out, their friendship would never go back to how it was.
She finished dressing the patient’s wounds. Then she left the makeshift hospital wing and paused, sniffing the air.
There was a strange smell laced in the wind. It was hard to tell over the dark magic-infused fog, but it almost smelled like smoke.
Momo walked back to the kitchen and paused. Todoroki was standing there, looking out the window. He didn’t appear to have seen her, and Momo debated if she should leave him alone.
He was another factor in her life that was difficult to think about. But at least he talked to her.
Momo stepped into the room. “Todoroki.”
He didn’t respond, and she moved closer. She looked up, following his gaze. In the distance, through the fog, there was a faint red-orangish tinge. It looked like a fire flickered on the far south side of the island.
Momo’s eyebrows drew together. It was an unusually hot summer. There had been two small fires that month already, but this felt different. It felt bigger.
A shiver ran down her spine.
If it was a fire, who’d lit it? Had Tokoyami done it? No. He should still be on the other side of the island and wouldn’t have been able to see the flames from where he was.
She turned towards Todoroki and found him still staring at the red tinge in the distance, his eyes unfocused. His index finger absently tapped against the hilt of his sword, but otherwise, he hadn’t moved since she had arrived.
Momo frowned. She reached out to lightly touch his arm.
Todoroki flinched and looked up sharply. His expression immediately relaxed. “Yaoyorozu.”
Momo searched his face. His reaction was odd, but she brushed it off. There were more important things to think about. “What do you think? This fog isn’t normal. Could the magic in the air have created it?”
Todoroki glanced back out the window. “Maybe,” he said after a moment. “I don’t know. We’ll have to check it out once Aizawa gets back.”
Momo’s lips thinned. If they could see the flames’ flickers from the orphanage, it was a lot bigger than a simple brush fire.
“Do you think it’s…” She couldn’t finish the thought.
Todoroki’s jaw tightened. “With how strange the stymphalian were acting yesterday, we can’t discard the possibility that they’re behind this.”
Momo’s stomach sank, but before she could respond, footsteps sounded from the hallway. Momo turned around as Aizawa appeared in the kitchen doorway, his expression hard.
He looked at Todoroki. “Good. You’ve already seen the fire. I need you to go check out if it’s anything we need to be concerned about.”
Todoroki nodded and moved towards the door.
Momo stepped forward. “Wait.”
Aizawa and Todoroki paused and looked back at her. Momo swallowed and brought a hand up to clench in front of her chest. “Should I go find Tokoyami?”
Aizawa looked at her, considering.
“No,” he said finally, his tone calm, but brokering no room for argument. Momo cringed internally. “We’ll wait for now, at least until Todoroki has confirmed how bad the fire is. We don’t want to stretch ourselves too thinly.”
Momo felt sick as she watched Todoroki disappear into the fog from the kitchen’s window. First the attack last night, then the fire this morning. There were too many coincidences that made her uncomfortable.
She wrapped her arms around herself. At least Aizawa seemed to be as wary as she felt. It wasn’t that he was brushing off her concerns; he was just trying to keep everyone calm. They needed to stay unified if they were going to win.
She drew in a shaky breath. Aizawa was a seasoned warrior, and she trusted his judgment. She shouldn’t be feeling so unsure. The fire may be nothing.
Behind her, there was the sound of the door opening. Momo looked over her shoulder.
Asui walked in carrying soiled bandages for cleaning. She dropped the bandages onto the floor, next to the wash bin, and brushed her hands off, giving Momo a small smile.
“Aizawa is getting ready to move Eri as well as some of the injured from the infirmary down to the boat...” She paused, giving Momo a long look. “Are you okay? You look tired. Have you rested yet, kero?”
Momo reached up and rubbed her injured shoulder. “No, I can’t sleep. There’s too much to do.”
Asui nodded and moved closer to look out the window. Her expression was unreadable. “Don’t worry about Todoroki and Tokoyami,” she said after a moment. “They’ll be okay, kero.”
Momo forced a small smile. “I know. But I can’t help but worry.”
Asui nodded. “I know. That’s because they’re important to you.”
Momo opened her mouth. The rehearsed lines denying that Todoroki was someone important to her were on the tip of her tongue, but she suddenly realized she didn’t know if they were true anymore.
Her feelings towards Todoroki were... complicated.
At first, it was only a sense of obligation and responsibility to repay her debt that kept her bound to him, but now she didn’t know.
Momo had realized that she couldn’t hate him. No matter what Tokoyami said, Todoroki had never done anything to earn Momo’s distrust. She may not understand what he was after. His actions and words may confuse her, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. And then, last night, when she had held Todoroki’s hand between her own as she treated him, it had felt like she had finally seen the real him.
And he was sad. And lonely.
She got the sense that Todoroki was afraid of letting people get too close. Momo didn’t even know if he had any friends. Perhaps Prince Bakugou but his relationship with the monarch had seemed more like mutual respect than a close friendship. And he had never mentioned if there was a lover waiting for him back home in Sparta either. The only relation he had spoken of was his sister, but it had been over ten years since he had seen her.
In a cruel sense, Todoroki seemed to be as alone as she felt. The thought made her chest tighten.
“It’s not really my place to say anything,” Asui began, snapping Momo out of her thoughts. She started and stared at the nereid. “But I don’t think Tokoyami meant to hurt you yesterday. He meant well, even if he should have gone about it differently. He’s worried about you. He doesn’t want to lose you.”
Momo pressed her lips into a thin line. Her fingers fidgeted with her chiton. “I know,” she said stiffly. “I just–” Her voice cracked.
Her chest ached. Momo didn’t know if she could tell the nereid about her and Tokoyami’s strained friendship. It was obvious she knew.
Everyone knew.
She just hadn’t spoken about it with anyone.
They had been on Aretias for over a month, but she wasn’t close with the nereid. They roomed together and were on friendly terms, but she still felt like there was a rift between them. Momo rarely ever spent time with Asui alone. The nereid was always with Tokoyami. She’d probably even report everything Momo said back to him, but-
Momo was so tired of holding it all in. Tired of shouldering everything by herself. She wanted someone to understand. Someone to talk to.
She drew in a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “Everything...it just feels like it’s all changing between us. Ever since we came here, everything has fallen apart between Tokoyami and me.”
Asui didn’t say anything.
Momo swallowed thickly. “He’s always angry at me these days. I know it's not all his fault. I’m to blame too. I haven’t listened to him, but...but it feels like, even if I try to be better, even if I stay here, we’ll never go back to how it was in Troy. Nothing will ever be the same again.”
Her lips trembled. Momo hadn’t realized how painful it would be to say the words out loud.
She reached up and brushed her bangs behind her ear, blinking to stop herself from crying. She was so sick of crying.
Asui was silent for a moment.
“Perhaps so,” she said slowly. Her large dark eyes seemed almost sympathetic. She reached out and took Momo’s hand. “Tokoyami doesn’t mean to be harsh. He’s having a hard time moving on from the war. He needs time. But maybe that’s how it has to be?”
Momo didn’t say anything. Asui dropped her head to stare at their hands.
“War is horrible. You know that better than I ever will. There is no such thing as a war without casualties, even for those not physically injured. It touches everything and takes and takes and takes, forcing you to mold yourself into a person you may not have chosen to be. The only way to survive — to stay sane — is to form bonds and adapt. So for ten years, you and Tokoyami had to rely on each other to survive. But, now that the war is over, maybe you’re just finding out who you were always meant to be, kero?”
Momo bit her lip. Her chest hurt. She shrugged half-heartedly and sniffed.
“Maybe,” she repeated. Her throat felt tight. “It’s not like I didn’t know there would be changes once we left Troy. I thought I had prepared myself for it, but I-I just didn’t expect us to fight this much. Even after tonight…I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore.” Her voice quivered slightly.
Asui stared at her. “What do you want to do?”
Momo smiled bitterly. “Tokoyami thinks that I should stay here.”
Asui shook her head. “If your decision is to go with Todoroki or Fukukado, Tokoyami will be okay with it. And if he isn’t, he’ll need to be. It’s not his decision. He just doesn’t want you to make a decision based on a feeling of obligation or sense of duty. He wants you to be happy.” She squeezed Momo’s hand.
Momo looked down at their hands, and her lips thinned. She had always thought she’d stay with Tokoyami, here, but after everything that had happened...
“What do you want? Do you want to go with Todoroki?”
Momo didn’t know.
She left Asui to go prepare Eri for the journey down the mountain.
Momo picked up the surgery basket from the infirmary and headed towards the courtyard.
The men she’d caught stealing wine earlier in the day were sleeping, slumped against the wall. Drool hung from the sides of some of their drunken mouths. Their breath reeked of stolen spirits. Momo wrinkled her nose but left them alone as she hurried along, up the stairs and to the children’s room.
Eri was still feverish. Momo changed the cloth on her forehead and swaddled her in her blanket. She looked so tiny that Momo wanted to hug her. Instead she sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.
If she left the orphanage, she’d miss the children. And Aizawa and Tokoyami and Asui, probably.
Her chest tightened, and she reached over to brush back Eri’s white hair.
She didn’t know what she wanted anymore.
Aizawa had become her mentor of sorts, and she loved the children dearly. She had never been close to Asui, but maybe she could be if she stayed? Momo liked the thought of that.
She smiled faintly, then let it fall.
If she stayed here, would she be happy? Could she be happy?
Momo had always assumed that someone else would decide what would happen after the stymphalian were defeated. She had never even considered what she might want.
She liked being with Aizawa, Asui, and the children. She was comfortable here. But there was nothing on the island. Her life would be confined to working with Aizawa, making potions, and domestic chores. She’d have Tokoyami...if he ever forgave her, but there were no other people for her to connect with beside the occasional visits from the pirates.
This would be it.
Was that what she wanted?
Momo got up. She walked over to the window and looked out towards the fire in the distance, then paused. Her stomach twisted viciously. The fog had grown so thick and dark that she couldn’t even see over the ridge anymore.
It was like night had fallen.
A guttural scream abruptly cracked through the air. She turned and grabbed the first sharp object she could find — a surgery knife. Then she rushed out the door.
The courtyard was in chaos.
Stymphalian were climbing the walls and mounting the roof. The pirates were fighting as best they could, but they were outnumbered.
Dread filled Momo’s heart as she watched a man attempt to attack one of the creatures, but his movements were slow and sluggish.
Like he was drugged.
Momo’s eyes widened, and she looked around quickly. Her eyes landed on the men she had passed on her way up the stairs. They were still slumped over in the same position she had seen them earlier. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, and it felt like the floor had dropped from under her as a realization struck her.
The wine.
It had been poisoned.
Guilt slammed into her like a tornado.
Momo stumbled back. She should have known. How could she have forgotten? The missing jar from Aizawa’s storage room was belladonna, a highly toxic and untraceable poison. Aizawa had taught her how to extract the poison from the purple berries himself. How could she have forgotten? And she had given some to the men in the infirmary too.
Momo bit down on her lip until she tasted blood. Her fingers shook around the knife clutched in her hand. This was all her fault. If only she had remembered. If only she had-
“Yaoyorozu!”
Asui’s sudden scream broke Momo out of her despair. She jerked back sharply just as a feather grazed her cheek.
She hissed between her teeth at the sharp sting. It was a shallow cut; she had been lucky. But she didn’t have time to brush the blood off her face as a shadow appeared above her.
Momo spun out of the way as a stymphalian landed, shaking the wooden veranda. She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart, as she straightened and held up her knife.
It was hardly a useful weapon, but it was all she had. The spear that Aizawa had lent her was still in her room behind the creature.
She needed to think of some way to get around it. A winning strategy.
It was just one creature.
The monster lunged. Momo braced herself for the impact, but before the stymphalian’s claws were within reach, there was a sharp crack as a green blur slammed into the creature.
Asui stumbled forward as she landed before catching herself. A feather had sliced across her leg, and she was panting heavily.
Momo ran towards her. “Asui!”
“I’m fine, kero.” Blood was running down her leg.
Momo reached down to tear her chiton to act as a bandage, but Asui stopped her. The nereid raised her head. Her eyes hardened as they met Momo's. “I’ll cover for you. Go! Go get Todoroki. We need him.”
Momo’s stomach felt like it had a weight in it, and she nodded jerkingly. She stepped back and then turned, bolting down the stairs and through the house out the front door. She felt lightheaded. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she might be sick as she pushed herself forward.
There was a loud, pained shriek behind her, but she didn’t stop to see if it was a stymphalian or someone she knew.
When she was out of the orphanage, she paused momentarily to stuff the knife into her chiton. She wouldn’t be any help if she fell and impaled herself.
She took a deep breath, staggered forward, and then she was running, over the cliff and down towards the south side of the island.
It was a trap.
It was a trap.
Everything had been a trap. The attack last night, the wine, the fire...it had all been planned.
Momo wanted to scream as she bolted down the path but forced her anger back down. She needed to find Todoroki and then Tokoyami. She had to get them back to the orphanage.
The smell of smoke grew stronger as she raced down the path. Momo thought there was also a faintly sweet smell that swirled through the air too but didn’t have time to think about it.
The heat suddenly hit her. Hot and suffocating. Momo coughed and tried to look for movement through the fog and smoke.
“Todoroki!” she screamed.
She spotted something move ahead of her, and she dashed down the hill and through the smoke.
Her heart almost leapt as Todoroki came into view. Then her gaze landed on the two things he was carrying.
They were Fukukado’s men.
They were slightly burned but appeared to still be alive. Momo’s heart hammered against her ribs.
Todoroki laid the men down on the ground gently and then looked up. His eyes widened.
She didn’t have time to stop as her momentum slammed her into his chest. He reached out and caught her.
“Yaoyorozu,” he said, surprised.
Momo grasped his arm for support as she gasped for breath. Her chiton was ripped from the bushes as she had run down the mountain. And there was a stabbing pain in her side; her lungs felt like the fire from the brush had moved into her chest.
Todoroki’s eyes darkened. “You’re bleeding,” he said, lifting his hand to touch her cheek.
Momo started and pulled back. “Don’t worry. It’s just a scratch,” she said quickly, wiping at her cheek with the back of her hand.
Something rippled across Todoroki's face. He dropped his hand and then stared at her. “Yaoyorozu, what are you doing here?”
“You need to go back. Now!”
“What?”
“It’s a trap! The stymphalian set the fire to lure you away. You need to go back and help. I'll go get Tokoyami.”
Todoroki’s eyes widened. “I’ll go with you.”
“No.” Momo shook her head. “Aizawa and Asui are fighting. They need you.”
She tried to pull away, but his grip was firm on her wrist. “No. I’m not letting you go by yourself, weaponless.”
Momo’s stomach curled. She swallowed and nodded. She was suddenly tired and didn’t have the energy to argue with him. The faster they found Tokoyami, the faster they could get back to the orphanage. He couldn’t be too far away right now.
Satisfied with her response, Todoroki’s expression softened. “Okay. Let’s go. He’s probably around the southeast side,” he said, picking the men up and moving past her.
Momo turned to follow and stumbled slightly before catching herself. She straightened and shook her head to clear her mind.
Todoroki looked back at her. Then, his eyes abruptly widened, and he practically dropped the men as his hand flew to his sword.
“Yaoyorozu!”
Before Momo could react, an arm slipped around her waist, and she was yanked backwards. A dry, rough tongue slid across her cheek.
She gasped in shock. A shiver ran down her spine. It was like she had suddenly been plunged into a freezing, cold lake.
Momo tried to scream, but her voice caught in her throat.
Something was wrong. She inhaled a quick, sharp breath, but her voice wouldn’t work. It felt like her lungs were shriveling inside of her.
Instinctually, her eyes darted to Todoroki.
He was pale and stone-faced as he glared at the one behind her. “Let her go, and I’ll spare you,” Todoroki said slowly, his voice vibrating.
The one holding her barked a dry, guttural sound that was as cold and rough as his tongue had been.
“Like you spared all those Trojans?” the man snarled mockingly.
Momo’s heart dropped into her stomach.
“I think not, Shouto Todoroki. My sponsor wants you to suffer.”
Todoroki’s grip tightened around Endeavor’s hilt until his knuckles whitened. Then he lunged forward. Steel feathers shot out from the foliage, and he jumped back, raising his arm as they sliced into his skin like knives.
He hissed, his eyes flashing in rage, and pulled the feathers from his arm. Blood splattered onto the ground.
Momo watched in increasing terror as eight stymphalian materialized from the fog. They were bigger than any stymphalian she had seen before and more human-looking.
Todoroki slid into a fighting stance as the monsters surrounded him.
She needed to get away. Todoroki was at a significant disadvantage with her as a hostage. Momo tried to wrench away from the man but just trembled and couldn’t. The pounding of her heart against her ribs increased, and her eyes widened as a sense of terror overtook her.
The stymphalian screamed and closed in on Todoroki. He turned and blocked one of the creature’s talons. Then he jumped back, though not fast enough, as black magic clipped his arm.
He rolled his jaw, and his eyes flashed. He lunged for the closest monster, but it was like his whole body had suddenly grown slower. And he missed.
Momo swallowed thickly.
He couldn't take on all ten of the stymphalian with only a sword. He would be killed.
The arm around her waist tightened, like a steel band that pulled her tightly into her captor’s chest. “This, Shouto Todoroki, is your punishment for all the blood you’ve spilled. The pain you've caused. My sponsor will take what you desire most.”
Suddenly, she was lifted into the air.
Todoroki raised his head sharply. His gaze was fierce as he met her eyes. "Yaoyorozu! Hold on, I'll come for you!” he yelled, blocking another attack.
The man carrying her laughed. “Try your best, hero. Struggle, fight, rage,” he rasped as he descended the cliffs into the fog. “Fakes like you are undeserving of being called heroes. Undeserving of happiness."
"Yaoyorozu!" Todoroki's voice was already faint as her kidnapper jumped through the shrubs, carrying her down the mountain.
The world moved past her eyes at a frightening speed. Blood roared through Momo’s ears as the ground seemed to blur. Her captor was agile, jumping from rock to rock with almost inhuman speed.
She needed to think of something, but the jerky movements were disorienting, and her mind lagged.
The smell of the sea grew stronger. Suddenly, her stomach jolted as she was dropped onto a hard wooden surface. The floor rocked.
From the side of her eye, she could make out that they were on a small fishing boat.
She tried to push herself up, but her body refused to move. Panic tightened in her chest as Momo lay there frozen.
There was a scraping sound, and the boat rocked again, but Momo couldn’t move to steady herself. A shadow moved over her, and Momo's eyes widened in terror as a man looked down at her.
He had no nose.
It was as if it had been cut off of his face, leaving only a gaping hole.
A scream bubbled through her, but her mouth refused to open. The man leaned closer. His long black hair tickled against her sternum.
There was a mad glint in his small, blood-red eyes that glowed as he studied her. “Mandrake fumes,” he said after a moment. “They paralyze anyone who smells them.”
She tried to push herself further back into the wood, but nothing. She couldn’t control her body at all.
The man continued. “Unfortunately, they don’t work as well on demi-gods, but on mortals, they are known to be quite effective.” He pulled away and sat back on his heels. “I got lucky you had already breathed in enough, all I had to do was apply a little more of the paste to your cheek for it to have the intended effect,” he continued conversationally as if he were speaking of the weather. Then he looked at her, and his face rippled.
"It’s truly unfortunate that you must be involved in this punishment. As a fellow Trojan, I dislike the idea of having to involve you, but Todoroki must be punished, and my sponsor has specifically asked that you be part of that.” The man’s thin lips twitched and he looked away, his stare becoming distant. “Todoroki was given the name of hero, but we both know he is a hero in title only. I need to make him suffer for destroying our home. Even if it means your death.”
Momo couldn’t move. Couldn’t even scream.
He was crazy. She wasn’t anyone special. Why would her death affect Todoroki?
The man looked back at her, and his stare grew cold. “He killed our citizens. He’s a murderer. Surely you understand?”
The boat bobbed on the waves. She needed to get away. She needed to think of something, but she couldn’t even move her body. She felt tears prick at the edges of her eyes and tried to force them back, but even her control over that was gone, and she felt the liquid run down her cheeks.
It wasn’t enough. She wasn't enough. Her chest constricted at the thought. If only she were stronger, none of this would have happened.
“It is unfortunate.” The noseless man leaned forward and ran his thumb along her cheek, catching the tears. “But this is for the greater good,” he said, flicking the tears from his finger. “My sponsor will be here any moment.”
As if on cue, from the corner of her eye there was a bright flash and the boat suddenly rocked violently. The sweet smell from the mandrake fumes intensified.
The man hovering over her pulled away quickly, moving out of her vision.
“Overhaul,” the noseless man said in greeting.
“I see you’ve brought me what I asked.” The voice that responded to the noseless man was honeyed and sticky but slightly muffled as if he were covering his mouth.
“As promised, the woman in exchange for Todoroki’s life.”
“Of course. You may go now to get your revenge.”
She could practically feel the noseless man’s glee. The boat dipped, and Momo could sense him leave. She tried to wiggle to look at the god, but her body was still frozen.
She couldn't move. Couldn't even scream or cry. Tokoyami didn't know she had been taken, and Todoroki would never be able to get to her in time. She was only a replaceable slave. She couldn't fight well, could barely cook a decent meal. There was no reason he'd come for her, especially against a god.
Sandals clicked against the wood and a figure moved into her vision. A handsome man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties with short, dark brown hair and piercing gold eyes. A long gold-tipped beak covered his mouth.
Momo felt a cold dread curl within her.
Overhaul. The god of nightmares.
“Momo Yaoyorozu.” The god said her name slowly as if he were tasting each syllable. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
His gold eyes stared at her unblinking. Her body broke out in a cold sweat. His eyes were cold and filled with a thinly veiled cruelty. Momo had to remind herself to breathe as they lingered on her.
Suddenly, the god tilted his head as if something had just struck him. “Ah, I see the mandrake fumes are still in effect.” His voice sounded almost amused. “No worries, they should wear off soon. We can’t have you sitting out during the main event. ”
Momo stared at him, a cold dread pouring over her. Her heart pounded in her chest so fiercely she thought it might stop as his words sunk in.
What was he going to do?
As if he could read her mind — and perhaps he could — the god chuckled before saying, “The son of Ares will be here sooner or later.” His eyes burned with promise. “But, until then, we should prepare.”
The god knelt down next to her. He reached out with a gloved hand and brought two fingers to her temple. “Let’s make the Spartan suffer some. See how well he can fight when he sees the woman he wants drowning in her dreams.”
Her world spun violently, then turned dark.
#todomomo#todoroki x yaoyorozu#ashes of love and war#todoroki shouto#Yaoyorozu Momo#My writing#My Story
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Name:
Rift Doorman
Title:
“The Layer Breaker” – “Usurper” – “Ever Hunger”
Nicknames:
Rifty / Riff Raff / Tele-Broski (Fresh)
Freak of Nature / Parasite / Anomaly Animus (Error Sans)
Paperworm / Layer Breaker / Clown Vomit (Ink)
Age:
[REDACTED]
Height / Weight:
Varies
Soul Type
“Collective Soul”
// - A Collective Soul shows trades of all known Soul Types and is shielded by a thin membrane of Void. It looks like a blank Soul with a black outline, that has a small pitch dot in its center from which a vibration rolls across the surface of the Soul. Those waves appear in different colors and strokes. To those who are very sensible to Soul Energy, the vibration will sound like an endless army of different voices breathing simultaneously in sync. The rhythm changes with Rift’s state of emotion. It has an aroma/flavour that could be described as “Retro and vibrant”. The feeling it would induces is more reminiscent of Allure and vivid Chaos. Like a puzzle started, but left unsolved. With every piece just raining passed fields of endless colors, trapped within a pool of blackness. - //
STATS:
LV
[REDACTED] // It will show the “ : P “ Emoji //
HP
[REDACTED] // It will show the “ >:] “ Emoji //
ATTACK
[REDACTED] // Just spells out “YOLO” in painfully bright colors //
DEFENSE
[REDACTED] // Just spells out “LMAO” in painfully bright colors//
Doorman-Tier:
Tier A—Strength Level is not readable, due to its current activity behavior.
History:
Rift Doorman was born outside a Universe of the Undertale Multiverse. Its behavior is unusual compared to other Doorman. Rift traverses the Layers of the Timelines in search of something, but without a Universe to akin to, both its Power and Ambition were altered in a dangerous manner. Throughout its travels, this Doorman has eaten itself through various Timelines and Multiverses. However, these places didn’t just disappear, like usually when things are being destroyed through Outcodes or beings from the Anti-Void. They stay mostly intact. Broken like shattered glass, but still existing. Each piece would then connect with another part. A puzzle, that was willingly done wrong, with Timelines and places in Space just overlapping in chaotic patterns. Strings missing, but not forgotten, rules shifted, players removed and entire areas shifted incoherently.
When Rift gained conscious it felt nothing. Devoid of anything, it just drifted. This state changed when it fell into a Genocide Timeline by accident. Within it, Rift faced the Fallen Human in the Judgment Hall together with Sans. As it wasn’t able to feel pain, watching Sans Dust became its first experience with Death. It amused it. Thus it smashed the human child. Seeing as the child’s death was different from Sans’s, curiosity began building up. More so as Sans returned from the dead when the Timeline reset. The battle broke apart, literally, when Rift tried mimicking voices and speech patterns, causing a ear ripping shriek that splintered the very fabric and Layers of the Universe it was visiting. Sans, slain once more begged the creature to stop the child’s madness. Still incapable of understanding why, it understood that this Fallen Human had caused the Skeleton grievance. He understood the visualization of agony and hopelessness, but couldn’t comprehend the feeling itself. Amused by the concept of FIGHT and MERCY, they decided to experiment with it in this broken place. Trapping the Human Child in a never-ending loop of Resets they had no control over. Dying as plaything to the anomalous creature. Rift bored itself over the course of 17.589 Resets, ending the Human Child by eating first their upper body and disintegrating their Soul for absorption. This act loaded the Fallen Human’s Timeline Data Layers into its own being, giving it a broader view on what’s been happening. Still not able to comprehend things, however, Rift left the splintered Timeline and returned to the Layers between.
More travels were its answer. Further down its path, this Doorman entered a Rampage, experiencing many Emotions from interacting with various worlds in different ways. However, it couldn’t feel them at all. It understood. It could see them. Could comprehend what actions would lead to what reaction, but not why it was necessary. Hollow. It was hollow. Like a Black Hole. Just ripping everything apart and consuming it, but nothing could look back or return it. Within it grew a terrible Hunger, which it satisfied by devouring various portions of the visited Timelines and Multiverses. Places, Sections, Memories, People. All fell to its strife to understand. To engage. To be part of something. It began building a sort of pocket dimension in the Layers between the Multiverse, where it gathered things from various Timelines that kept intriguing it. In one already destroyed Universe, Rift recovered a monitor of round shape, still functional. It had the shape of a face, much like all the other creatures it met had. Thus it connected with the screen and used it as a makeshift face-mask, ensuring its actual form wouldn’t freak out too many people.
While striding through the Timelines, absorbing information, energy, magic and various other stimuli into its form, Rift discovered that it was possible to READ these Data and use it. Shaping its attacks in combat into Patterns and Styles unlike anything this Multiverse had ever witnessed. But not only that, it began to hunt and kill other Doorman instinctively, absorbing them into its form as well, leaving their Timelines defenseless. Rift became a true threat to many, just through its curiosity and yearning for understanding. It also began leaving pieces of itself behind in various distorted Worlds, hidden from view. Small Homunculi, holding enough Data and energy to reincarnate it. Rift slowly devolved into a Parasite that endangered the delicate balance of the Multiverse. A thorn in the side of both the protectors of the Multiverse as well as the Vanguards of the Anti-Void. As its shattering of Timelines caused multiple Universes to intertwine with one another. Rift became a target for eradication, even though no one knew about its existence yet.
It was during another stride into another Timeline that it encountered the parasitic entity known as “Fresh”. Their interaction was quite different than what it was used to. And something began to stir within it. Rift felt something. Something that was unfamiliar and strong. It played with Fresh, before that one disappeared to safety, as the creature seemingly grew too attached to them. That escape started it all. A chase that both were not prepared for nor understood. Rift’s conscious was completely fixated on Fresh. It didn’t understand why, but knew it was important. For days, weeks and months it kept chasing them. However, the Parasite didn’t need or wants anyone following them, so they kept fleeing and hiding. Despite their best efforts, though, Rift finds them every single time.
[!!!SPOILERS WARNING!!! - for those who wish to Read the FanFiction or wait till I get around to making the Comic, since the LITERATURE SUBMIT on DA doesn’t allow much creative Freedom, so I have to do a lot of Re-Spacing and Editing on those Parts. This Section will spoil some of the Plot in exchange for Character Build - If you don't want that spoiled, please proceed to the APPEARANCE Section - !!!SPOILER WARNING!!!]
Fresh found himself in a skirmish with Error and Ink, as they both tried tracking him down. They misjudged and thought they were responsible for several Holes within the Multiverse. With no secure escape Route, they were forced into battle, holding their own well. Up until the Anti-Void’s Enforcer, C0D35 Doorman, stepped onto the field. His entire presence alone began to erase the Universe he’s chosen as a battleground. Manipulating Space was practically useless against this foe, as one of C0D35 special abilities was to block all types of magics. Before the fight could harm Fresh, however, Rift shattered the Universe into several pieces. It took Fresh with it and delved through several Layers of broken Code, Timelines and hid them in a small Space it had created from the leftover scraps of Multiverses long forgotten. A Null Space of sorts. Due to the strenuous battle with Error and Ink, the body Fresh had chosen was slowly failing. They had to let go of the host body and seek out another. Rift, even though unable to talk and acting more like an excited puppy, willingly helped the Parasite. It took them to another Timeline to gain a new host body. Fresh, unable to understand or comprehend the motivation of this anomalous creature, decided to experiment how far its warped sense of loyalty would go. Curiosity getting the better of them. Since they couldn’t escape from it for long anyway. Thus the duo began their journey to try and understand what this drive was, where it was coming from and what it all meant. But Fresh already has the slight suspicion that something was off with Rift. Something huge was brewing.
Appearance:
Rift Doorman has no corporeal form. It’s a mass of black noise, free floating energy and magic. The almost cloud-like, dense column attached itself to an egg-shaped monitor. A remnant of a long forgotten Timeline. Due to the vapor form of its body, Rift can change its density and size at will, ranging from grasp-less like fog and air to solid and unmovable like a wall of steel and stone. This Doorman is holding its form together through sound wave. The magic and energy flooding its form gives these waves color and form, embracing its shape and fueling every movement of the mass. This special way of mass control makes it possible for Rift to even split itself into multiple smaller versions of itself. The Energy and Magic coursing through its vapor shape glows in various colors, like a swarm of bugs and fireflies. The ones that are mostly present range from neon-pinkish to eye-stinging green lights. The color of the Emoji faces on its screen are similarly bright and colorful, while the biggest mass of the body is a pitch-black buzzing fog.
Rift uses the screen it found as a makeshift face. By sending energy and magic through it, it channels different words and expressive Emojis, which it uses for communication, since it cannot speak. It developed this form of talking, which is accented with Retro musical tunes and sound effects, due to its own lack of actual vocal cords. Rift can only mimic various words through pitching and dipping sounds and tunes.
Underneath the screen is a distorted black orb-shaped head, with a bright, monstrous white jaw and eyes. The magic, energy and sound waves, which course through the body are accentuated here, pulsing through the big eyes that stare empty into the world. As the delight of murder and fighting was presented with a smile by both his first encountered Sans and Fallen Child, Rift has adopted that same expression into its own. Empty of empathy, reason or guilt. Hollow.
Personality:
Rift is a peculiar Doorman. Even though highly intelligent and fast learning, it prefers to act like an excited puppy or curious child. Devoid of any real emotion to drive its actions, it only acts upon what other people think is the “good thing” to do in a situation. Leaving trails of Chaos and destruction in its wake. Rift’s first real emotion was “a sense of joy” which emerged from killing the Fallen Human in their first ever visited Timeline. After loosing that, it was filled with a Hunger to learn more, experience more and discover why it was unable to understand or hold emotions like other beings do. It likes being lout and giddy, causing confusion and messes all around.
Rift learned from its travels that violence is considered bad, thus it only acts upon it when given a cause or being asked of. Through Fresh’s company, it grew found of their way of speaking, censoring and general demeanor, which they try to imitate. Not always successful. Rift lacks empathy and basic moralities. Doing the right things as much as they can, but never getting appreciation, feelings of guilt or delight out of any of its actions.
It is a slight hoarder, liking to collect various things from visited Timelines and just storing them in their own little Null Space.
Likes:
Fresh
Eating
making music through its distorted Retro Voice (which would probably sound much like the music you can hear in the “Just Shapes & Beats” Video Game – example here )
helping people
playing with Fresh
exploring and learning / education
collecting stuff for its Null Space
cuddling and hugs
dancing
Fighting, when allowed to do so
people laughing and smiling
inducing Fear into ‘evil’ people (it doesn’t understand it, but their expressions give it a sense of ‘delight’, which it can’t comprehend)
Dislikes:
pointless violence
swearing
anyone who tries to harm Fresh
disrespectful and rude behavior
the other Parasites spawned from Fresh
seeing other people go through loss, sadness and hopelessness (it doesn’t understand, but it dislikes their expressions during these moments)
Capabilities:
Rift is a special Doorman. Unlike any other it can and can’t do various things that are unlike its species. Since Doorman are shaped by what their Timeline / Universe needs, their abilities will be manifested into something they can use as an exploit to reach their goal. Rift, however, has neither a goal nor a world for that to work. Being born outside the Multiverse, Void and such, beneath the Layers of the In between, corrupted its whole existence. Thus it learned an ability so variable, loose and dangerous, that Rift managed to break its own power limitations. That ability is ADAPTATION. Through it, the anomalous entity can learn anything that it finds. This ability is limited only by its corrupted special skill, ARCHIVE, which extents its own Data Volume by absorbing that of other objects, Worlds and people. Through these two abilities, Rift extended its repertoire of skills by taking those of others into its own. By devouring other Timeline versions of Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Mettaton, Napstablook and various other monsters, it learned their magics, attack patterns, strengths and weaknesses, accumulating them into its own form and using them against various aggressors along the way. Taking the Souls of the Fallen Children, it enhanced its own Soul Power, HP and influence over various aspects within the Timeline Layers. Even though unable to cause REWRITE or OVERWRITE, its Determination rivals the power output of such abilities, nullifying their affects on its own self. By devouring various Doormen, Rift added their special abilities into its own arsenal. But not only these are something to worry about, since they also absorbed the (apparently) infamous “COLOR PUZZLE”, which appeared in various Timelines. Through absorption of its information, Rift learned to utilize the principle in its own combat patterns, making for, probably, the worst experience of a FIGHT for any genocidal maniac. During a FIGHT Rift delights itself by causing its opponent as much headache and frustration as possible. All its patterns are a mix of things it accumulated from various Timelines, objects and people. The difference to its style is that every pattern follows a rhythm it deliberately switches to cause as much distress as it can. Their own original patterns appears as orbs, bars and string lines, which move in a sort of symphonic flow. It likes to abuse the rules of the infamous “COLOR PUZZLE” into each of their attacks. Goal during these fights are to keep itself busy till its bored. It will reset its opponent back into battle till it can’t get enjoyment out of it anymore. Than the most common outcome is for Rift to grab its foe and devour it (or part of it), just to satisfy its hunger for a bit.
// Attack Patterns for this Character would look like a mix between Undertale and “Just Shapes & Beats Style //
Rift’s voice is a powerful instrument of destruction, as its wavelength and pitch can shatter and fragment entire worlds, when threatened. Most of the time, though its a tool for amusement and distraction as they can’t use it to speak, but make totes rad Retro music and sounds with it.
Due to their body being so fluid, Rift tends to shape-shift a lot. Switching sizes being one of the more common transformations, however, it is capable of turning into practically anything it has a rough understanding off. From people to buildings and even entire landscapes. The greater the scope, thought, the higher the risk of its Soul overloading and damaging it. This skill it uses often to entertain Fresh’s curiosity and help them fight their boredom.
The Doorman is capable of using the Data collected to create completely new Multiverses out of them, which it does by filtering the most intriguing information into its “Null Space”. A collective widespread anomalous space in the Layers in between. Much like the Core Universe, it is a hidden pocket dimension that is unreachable unless you’ve been there once or are aware of its existence. As the Null Space grows, so does Rift’s power, which is connected to it. Would this secluded fragment in the Layers in between be destroyed, the damage to Rift itself would be tremendous. Rift is capable of creating “BACK UP FILES” for itself. So called Homunculi, which it scatters across the various splintered Timelines, hiding them in various objects. Through those Back up Data pieces, killing the Doorman has become nearly impossible. For its adversaries it is even unclear if this anomaly can ever truly be completely killed, since normal, widespread magic and fighting abilities are completely wasted on it. However, Rift is not completely invulnerable. All of its outstanding skills require huge amounts of magic, which it needs to store by devouring and absorbing Energy, Magic and Entities from other Timelines. Starvation is a realistic issue to it, since their moral compass started to change with the appearance of Fresh. Survival becoming an “optional goal” to its primary instinct fixating on the Parasite and its well-being. Rift can be harmed by beings from the Anti-Void as well as Ink, which is why it tries to stay hundreds of paces away from them. Especially C0D35, as his ability, ANNIHILATION, exceeds its coded protection by a margin. When Rift’s Soul reaches critical its body becomes fully corporeal and eats at its own mass till burn-out. The energy and magic from its body will slowly dissolve the very fabric of Reality, Time and Space as it goes on, till everything just becomes absolute Chaos. This meltdown can cause any nearby organism to be entrapped in a cascade of pain and maddening delirium, slowly eating at their very existence. It would cause an unseen apocalypse of shier Madness, but also cause the very Death of Rift, if the burn-out isn’t stopped.
Relations:
Rift has no great attachment to anyone besides Fresh. And even that “affection” is a level of understanding it can’t comprehend. For it, its something that it was born for, but doesn’t know why or what it is supposed to do with it. Finding the answer to this riddle is the only ‘purpose’ it got and after wandering aimless for so long, it decided not to let go of it till it knows.
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Trivia:
The first word Rift ever spoke was “YOLO”, when it read the glasses of Fresh at their first meeting.
There is a Momma CQ version of Rift.
Kid!Rift entire backstory is goign to make people wanna stab me to death. I am sure of that.
Rift’s musical Battle Patterns are inspired by the game “Just Shapes and Beats”
Yes, I am aware that I messed up the Color Patterns of both of my Fresh Designs there. They were both drawn separately before placed in the same picture together. It has bugged me to no end!
Yes, there will be a Momma CQ version of this one coming (probably soon, since I don’t want to loose my shin. It’s not worth making Rifty mad)
Fresh Sans belongs to @loverofpiggies
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