#i have the same thoughts on another frozen character but eh

[days-until-burnout]

For a request, some Cleo x Martyn in Last Life, when they were the last two greens and staying at Rens base with Scott, Ren and Pearl?

i would like to apologize: 1. i have not seen last life and 2. i dont know what i wrote. my brain stopped working as i was writing</3 ill do them justice another time i promise _____

📧 Day 72 -

Characters - Martyn/Cleo Words - 638 Time - 30 mins Content - Last Life

It was very late at night. The sky was clear without clouds, littered with twinkling stars, a sort of peace that usually came in the early days of the games. Peaceful, much too peaceful for anyone to relax, even if nothing could happen or was allowed to happen. Regardless, everyone looked over their shoulders at every step, learnt to silence their own breaths and heartbeats and even their thoughts for hours at a time. Endless paranoia. Unable to shake it off.

Again, it was very late at night, an hour where everyone should be asleep. If not sleeping, then paranoid pacing on their bases, around, sneaking in and out to not trigger any nearby hostile mob.

Cleo sat atop a ledge, blanket wrapped around her shoulders, holding the edges tight in her hands. Her breath clouded in front of them, the shine of their sword's blade glimmered in the corner of her eyes, like ripples at sea.

"You're restless," a voice said, footsteps getting closer and stopping beside her.

She let out a scoff, rolling her eyes back to the sky, a warmth still on her skin. The vastness was beautiful and vibrant, everything so clear and sharp, and they could pretend nothing was going on for a moment.

"Speaking for yourself?"

Martyn breathed out with a hesitant 'eh-eh' as he sat beside her. Cleo noticed, as soon as he settled, the warmth from his body. No one was as warm as he was, no longer at least. At some point everyone had been, but now it was just him and them.

It would not last longer, she knew.

"Worried?" Martyn asked after a second. It was obvious what he was leading to, what he was referring to, so Cleo scoffed again.

"Sort of," she admitted, and Martyn half-gasped in surprised. Maybe he did not expect the honestly, or maybe it was something else, but Cleo decided to not ask. Instead, they returned the query, "Are you?"

Martyn chuckled, nervously. Cleo could feel him shifting beside her, so she sighed, dropping their head from the start to stare at… green eyes.

Again, that would not last much longer, so she allowed themselves to enjoy it.

Even if for just a moment.

"I am, I mean. Last greens, you know?"

They nodded.

They sat a while after, not really talking. Cleo went back to look at the stars, and Martyn, well, Martyn say nervously. Cleo thought he might have wanted to go back inside, be near Ren or whatever, or even just be in the safety of walls. Outside was exposed, outside was dangerous, outside was their only fake freedom.

With a sigh, Cleo decided to tell him to go inside, not worry about them. But Martyn got ahead, not with words like expected, but a simple action.

His hand snuck under the blanket and found her hand, hesitantly taking it in his. He was shaking, plenty, and she was frozen for a moment. A short moment.

"Alright," she whispered, looking at him. Green eyes looked at her with hope, sheepish hope and sheepish smile, squeezing their hand a tad. "Alright," she repeated, much softer now before turning back to the stars. Martyn shifted closer, until their shoulders bumped, warmer than the blanket could ever be.

"It's quiet."

"Hm?"

"Tonight, the forest- It's all quiet. Eerily quiet."

"I don't mind."

"No, I didn't think you would've." He sighed, their hands falling between their thighs, holding each other. Cleo heard him chuckle, a smile on his lips, "Last greens. Won't last long."

They laughed too, "No, I don't think we will."

Martyn dropped his head on Cleo's shoulders, sighing as he did. His breath was warm, like his touch, a normal beating heart. Her own the same, beat by beat for a couple more hours, maybe, if they were lucky.

_____

[therealeagal]

Rating Disney films

I'm waiting on an event that will occur in my approximate future, so while I wait I thought I would kill time with a rating of some Disney movies. What a lark! But before we begin:

Item: The scale will be F, D, C, B, A. Normally I would consider C to be the base starting point, but since Disney is a heartless mega-conglomerate that would sell orphan souls if they thought there was a market for it, I'm sorry to say that every film is automatically docked a point, so we're starting at D.

Item: I'm only going to cover the ones I've seen, and only the ones from pretty recently. The last ten years, let's say. Otherwise we'll be here all day and I probably will have got shit to do.

Ok, let's go.

Frozen. Elsa and Anna and their hangs-on that no one really cares about. Good music. Idina Menzel? Holy shit I got it right on the first try. Go me! Idina is a great singer, so that bumps Frozen up a notch. Great animation, except for that one bit during Let It Go where Elsa's ponytail phases through her arm, but I guess I'll...let it go. Eh? Eh? Come on admit it, that was funny. A dumb subversion of true love, but then an interesting subversion of the subversion so I'll give it a point. But then there's...everything else. Preventable conflict, forgettable everyone that isn't Elsa and Anna, stupid character decisions, a twist villain who has literally no reason to exist and who is not connected to the central conflict in any way whatsoever. It's the works. Also, I'm told there's some debate over whether the side character Oaken is married to a man or woman. The art style makes it hard to tell. Normally I'd give it a point but since this is Disney, I'm going to file that under "Gay reference so that Disney gets bonus points but it was super minor so that Disney can easily edit it out for international releases in countries that hate the LGBT community". Which loses it a point instead.

Final score: F. Oh yeah. Coming out of the gate swinging. I wonder how much hate I'll get for that.

Big Hero 6. Hiro Hamada and the rest. No musical numbers, but it does have Baymax and jokes about puberty, which are...funny I guess. I guess. It does have a twist villain, but that's a gimme. He's a supervillain. Would Norman Osbourn be half the villain without being the father of Peter Parker's best friend? It loses a point because Hiro's older brother was too good to deserve being Uncle Bened. I wish my brother was as cool as Tadashi was. And that he was also Uncle Bened. I'll trade my brother for superpowers. See if I won't.

Final score: B. SO close.

Zootopia. The furry movie. I saw it. It didn't turn me into a furry any more than 90 years of Mickey Mouse did. Maybe I oughta dock it a point for that. Good story, entertaining leads, entertaining side characters. Catchy music. But it had a twist villain. Get some new material, guys.

Final score: B. Almost got it.

Moana. Good movie. Good characters. Good music. Who knew Dwayne Johnson could sing? No twist villain. Actually, there's a twist hero. Double points for that.

Final score: A. Huzzah! We finally got an A!

Coco: Ah, Coco. Good movie. Good music. Good characters. I will dock a point for preventable conflict, but righting former wrongs makes up for it. Very heartwarming. Double points for heartwarming. Also, another M. Rivera journeys to the Land of the Dead in search of his ancestors. And Imelda is voiced by the same actress that did Manny Rivera. I wonder if that was intentional.

Final score: A.

Incredibles 2. The first Incredibles missed the cutoff. Oops. It's a sequel so...ehhhhh. Another twist villain, but it's a supervillain so normally it wouldn't count, but the villain has no personal connection to Helen and only second-hand connection to Bob, so fuck Screenslaver. Overall, doesn't really stand out.

Final score: D. Ehhhhhhhhhh...

Live Action Aladdin. An acquaintance of mine she got super thirsty over Mena Massoud, so I'll give him double points. Will Smith did...ok I guess. I guess. I liked Jasmine's new song tho.

Final score. Ehhhhhhh...I wanna give it a good score, but I really can't give it better than a C. I'm sorry Mena and Naomi! Forgive meeeeeeeeeeee!

Live Action The Lion King. Yeah...no...

Final score: F. Not even Beyonce could save it. I think I may have committed a crime against humanity by saying that...

Frozen II. A sequel...ehhhhh...good story I guess. I guess. Good music, I will concede. New characters are forgettable and Elsa didn't get a girlfriend. I don't think it had a real conflict? Question mark? Just righting past wrongs wasn't it? I forget. Assuming there were no villains, because otherwise I'd have to dock a point for forgettable villains.

Final score: C. +2 -1. Hey at least it's not an F. I wonder how much hate I'll get for rating the sequel higher.

Onward. Troll brothers, one's a nerd, the other's a slacker. It's actually quite good. Don't remember the music, so it doesn't get any points. It had a "token acknowledgement of a gay character that can be easily edited out for international" so that's a minus.

Final score:

Luca. Another good movie. Very heartwarming. There is some debate over whether this movie counts as "Young boys discovering their sexuality but only in the vaguest possible terms so that it can be easily rewritten for international" or just "Young friends that is only homoerotic if you squint and maybe audiences are reading a little too much into it". And I mean, I could see it. I'm not that good at squinting and I can see it. I'll give you that it's possible. I don't necessarily think it's probable, but I'll take the point anyway because Disney's not dumb, just evil. They knew.

Final score: B.

Ron's Gone Wrong. Being honest, I was totally unaware that this was Disney. I saw the dvd at Wal-Mart and thought it looked cute. Which it is. Very heartwarming friendship. And the kids that the kid wants to be friends with turn out to be good kids and not little shits at all.

Final score: B.

Encanto. Another good one. I have to dock it a point for more preventable conflict, but otherwise, great characters, great music, great story, great ending, great family. Great Scott, have we got another A?

Final score: Yep, it's an A.

Lightyear. Really? This is the movie that Andy saw? But this Buzz acts nothing like that Buzz! Twist villain, token acknowledgement of a gay character that can be easily edited out for international. I mean, I liked it. I like Buzz and I like Alisha and I like Izzy and I like Sox, but is that enough?

Final score: B. -3 +4. I preferred the animated series.

Strange World. Didn't finish it. Stopped halfway and got sidetracked by something else and never got around to picking it back up, but it does have a gay secondary character in the main character's son and I seem to recall he gets a recurring subplot about how fit the guy he likes is.

Final score: Ah heck, let's give it an A just because the gay character wasn't of the "easily edited out for international" variety.

Elemental. Loved this movie. Very heartwarming. I say that a lot. It's Disney. What do you expect? Technically it does have a preventable conflict, but the preventableness is central to the story, so that's a gimme.

Final score: A.

Wish: Bending the rules, because I haven't seen it but I hope to some time soon. I'll be optimistic and wish upon a star that this movie gets all the points.

Final final score: A. Huzzah!

In closing if you don't agree with my ratings, or with the reasons I have given for the ratings, you are, of course, entitled to your own opinions, but I don't want to hear it so find someone else to whinge at.

Please and thank you. :)

[starghost-fics]

It is extremely strange to get to the end of this fic…again. But wonderful! I write fanfic for myself first and foremost, so it has been an utter delight to revisit this and all my other Octopath fic on this tumblr. I have some more wrap-up thoughts under the cut, but for now:

Chapter 13—if he caught me: The gang faces Darius. The gang patches themselves up and finds an inn. In the morning, Therion and Cyrus make plans.

commentary:

I had not been in any fandom, at all, for something like twelve years before I played OT1 and idly thought "what if the thief learned from the scholar like that banter alludes to. and what if they kissed."

History was made. I have been unstoppable since. Well, kind of stoppable. I've written a few things. But I did write a novel's worth of fic for Octopath in the same year I wrote an actual novel, and mostly during a global pandemic. What happened to that person, eh?

I re-read all the comments as I read each chapter, and going over the comments here, the little collection of people finishing or re-reading... it warms my cold black heart, truly. I will never get over how enthusiastic and thoughtful AO3 commenters are, even/especially in a tiny fandom.

I'm still stupidly fond of all of these characters, and I'm mystified why none of the characters really hit the same in OT2. (It came close with Partitio and Alrond! But some key element is missing. I think Partitio is too much of a straight-shooter, no true opportunity for him to not say how he feels, which is a basic requirement for me, apparently.) So I'm terribly glad that I was able to write another chunky fic, albeit at an excruciating pace. (Coming soon to an internet near you.)

Anyway, specific to this chapter:

Darius is so fun to write. What an asshole.

Writing staging for fight scenes is awful. My go-to move is to just get past actual movement as quickly as possible, and get to a moment when I can dive into how a character feels. I think this works pretty well with Cyrus because he's analyzing the battle anyway, not diving into physical fights.

EXCEPT

when he draws a knife on his boyfriend's betrayer

(but tbh his mind is still churning)

Ohhh the verbose one being unable to find the words for feelings. Classic.

Another beloved dynamic is the person who opens your world up, sparks things in you that you never knew you were capable of.

When I started thinking about the sequel, I knew it needed to be about their continuing relationship, and contain some conflict that would come up after I wrote a vague happy ending for them. I thought, is it going to be about Therion being a bad boyfriend? Still shying away? And then I remembered all my actual feelings about Therion and this scene of him massaging Cyrus's hand—again—and him desperately wanting to follow Cyrus home but playing it cool, and I thought, no, that, at least, is not the sequel.

"the gate that had been flung open in that moment, and he without a map...He is wonderfully unmoored, at sea in a new world." — hell yes, babe

"He hurt you" / "You, too" — aggh god

"Because he had woken up warm in a frozen waste, and how could that be?" ajklsdjflaksd

i'm sure it's gauche to keysmash over my own writing but idc, I was so pleased with those lines at the time and still love them.

lol oh man, I'm also a sucker for this sort of joke:

"How did you get such wonderfully talented hands?"

"Stole 'em," Therion says.

after darius, after sleeping, after a lazy morning, the boys are saying the things at last, the feelings. love is terrifying and love is wonderful, love is putting a piece of your heart in a fragile container outside of your control

therion. what is home to you now. be honest.

When Alfyn joins them and sees them holding hands, he thinks nothing of it because he holds hands all the time! With everyone! He used to hold hands with Zeph! Wait, what do you mean everyone doesn't hold hands like that, Primrose?

Yes, it appears I ended with a group hug. GROUP HUG.

okay thank you for reading! <3

[someheroescarryfloss]

TSCS Episode 5

Here thar be spoilers!  No tinfoil hat theories this time around, just a few thoughts about what I liked (and didn’t like).

So...First and foremost, Bernard is here!!!  And yes, they did address why he looks older.  The reason for that...well, let me backtrack a bit and say that it was great to see the character again, and David Krumholtz hasn’t lost his touch!  The sass is there, and something I never thought would happen, we actually got to hear him use a minor swear word.  That’s right, folks...they let Bernard say ‘Damn it’!  Which, to be honest, is in no way out of character, they just never let him do it before. XD

Elves having their own version of Rumspringa was a cool idea (the name Kribble-Krabble being somewhat less cool IMO), but...You know, I kind of wish they had said that Bernard chose to live in the human world and left it at that.  I would have liked it if things were left a bit more open-ended there.  And I’m sorry, but it just came off as weird to me that they would pair him up with Vanessa Redgrave as sort of a throw-away not-a-joke-but-a something.  But I choose to view the series as a separate entity from the movies, so I’ll take it as it is and leave it at that.  It was just great to see Bernard again, and now on to the Yule-Verse!

Now, this part I really liked!  I prefer the idea we fanfic writers had going (and can you blame us for jumping to that conclusion?) that all the Santas were human, and they all ended up with the job in different ways.  For Scott to be the first human Santa, and for Carol to be the first Mrs. Claus EVER because the other Santas wanted them to have kids that would inherit the North Pole was...well, it’s fine in theory.  But since Elves are apparently now ethereal beings whose very existence is tied to Christmas spirit (as if Elf myths hadn’t existed in some form or another for literally thousands of years), those kids would have to leave the North Pole to find spouses of their own in the future to keep it going.  And there doesn’t seem to be a plan in place for that.  These guys are just making it up as they go along!  Isn’t that dangerous to do when your very existence hangs in the balance? XD

So, apparently Elves just came into existence as they are.  No ageing unless they chose to leave, no childhoods, no parents...apparently they can get married (Noel and Betty)...but for Elves it’s just kids playing house and calling each other by pet names.  I mean, it’s cute, but at the same time, if they’re eternal and frozen as they are, why include it at all?  Yeah...I didn’t care for that one and I’ll be disregarding it in my own stories, lol.

Krampus was cool!  I didn’t expect him to just be that time period’s version of Santa, and I definitely didn’t expect him to be a pretty okay dude!  Not evil in any way, just kinda scary-looking.  Taking toys instead of giving them, maybe as a reflection of the times?  Eh...well, I mean, having every Santa reflect the time period he’s in sort of makes sense.  It’s a more kid-friendly idea than the actual myth of him being a Christmas demon that kidnaps naughty children!

Cal...buddy...that girl will never speak to you again.  I mean, she will because storyline, but IRL that would have been it.  Sorry, kiddo, but your crush thinks you’re nutso. :(  But I really want to see them resolve that happily!  

Having Cal and Sandra inherit magical powers from having been born and raised at the North Pole?  LOVED IT!  I love the idea that high concentrations of magic would have an influence on humans if they’re around it long enough!  I thought getting Butter the horse to fly simply by believing in himself fit in with the whole concept of ‘believing is seeing’ and it’s important to believe and so on...but I also hope that the parents out there will have a conversation with their kids!  

No, little Timmy, you can’t fly just because you believe you can.  Stay off the roof, don’t jump from the top of staircases, your superhero cape is cool but it’s also the blanket Mom and Dad brought you home from the hospital in, and if you jump, it’s back to the hospital you go!

And NOOO, Betty!  It’s both heartbreaking and a mercy that Noel just missed her!  If he was that much of a wreck when Santa merely wished to retire, imagine if he had walked in on that!  I’m really counting on things being set right in the next episode, and the ‘disappeared’ Elves popping back into existence when Christmas spirit is restored (OMG!  You disappeared Crouton!  You bundtcakes!).

Welp, I’m off to grab a supersized coffee and get ready for work, but I want to end this by saying that Gary is starting to grow on me with his gruff old man attitude and his Hershey’s Kiss tinfoil hat! XD

[plumsaffron]

mangasstuffcomics and few of their cult of rebloggers are Overly Sensitive Crybaby Dweebs. Y'all pathetic excuses now wanna be incapable of handling joke(s) and looking beyond the cover.

Talk about nearly confirming. Shall I say the same for you? But youwasbored, not me LOL.

Since you or other zoebody wish to call him a like a wanker for chloe and lila.

Allow me to talk about imagining how horny Lila was or the lore of Tomoe and Gabriel's breeding times because iwasbored.

777 and your deluded friend(s) at certain times chat berserk whenever an episode arrives. Maybe you two and friends like role playing. IDK. Though really seem to have a shipping of thirst for Lila and Chloe or more likely a fetish of Tomoe and Gabriel breeding sessions at the expense of Natalie or his wife. Well I guess the least bizarre one is the canon ship. What now? you think Lila is possibly older than she claims?

Nearly 5000 people are likely amused at that Barbie Marinette Post cause it was a J O K E. If they don't get it or care ordecide to think like y'all, that's their problem or desired take.

Something you do, that your homeslices enjoy of you but now ya want to suck at it but now you SEETHE despite that the waifu thing is a joke

Congrats tho

Malding much lol?

Oh no, he's a defender of chloe and lila (in their heads) that means you should assume he'll go watch nsfw of either or wants lila to have a onlyfans and do things imaginatively.

Hmm do y'all feel y'all selves with your lovelustsquare or ships or things y'all try defending too according to that logic?

Now you say he has a love hate relationship towards Lila. Now you think he's responsible for Ms Bustier being pregnant. YOU ATE MARINETTE'S HAIR? That might be why you're so confusing and unconfusing.

Do you realize OnlyFans is not a nsfw only thing. Kind of like ya know TWITTER, REDDIT, or Formally Tumblr aka the other site besides YouTube you use.

GGs ya Marinette emulation.

Aye this is like when deluded beings thinks others are deluded and should be targeted.

Another of you though however, said you weren't gonna take him serious. Now you wanna or think what you said is true now faust?

*Shrugs* So quick to switch up lanes eh?

Aw filthy rat wanna gag and claim he's the worse. WA WA WA.

Poor horn-headed filly, why you mad again? She's not the only one on the hit list. It's just Marinette exists in I think every single episode. It's like asking to be thrown darts at when she has been doing a lot of crap. Yeah things are I guess dying down in S4-5 but that's like saying Lila is the ultimate evil when Hawk Moth done torment for 5 seasons. Would this change if this was the science teacher or both andres being on the main hit list instead?

Joke turns y'alls thoughts obsessive. Ah that sounds familiar to a character we watch. Look, your projectium.

Why does he think? It was a joke. Why don't you think?

People do that. And too far for the most part is relative. Certain ones just wanna claim the line was crossed of a sudden. Make a line then later you make a line at a lower point when still inside the previous line and then whine at them because you changed without their knowledge. Entertained that you say someone's has broccoli diarrhea feet but then you say they smell like SPAM and it's too much.

You could also ignore.

Not all jokes are funny to everyone or one day may be viewed as stale.

I'll just end it with this.

Spoiler he actually doesn't like Lila at all and thinks she's garbage like Marinette and irrelevant. Disappointing hype. I don't agree but hey, you can say a lot of things regarding Lila that even I won't be able to defend or respond against or towards. Hands at characters but mostly master (FUhq) o Zoe Su Lee or NINO are E for Everyone I've been seeing from his videos. He says frozen 2 is Garbage I don't think so. People think Elsa of both movies is garbage, I think considering everything that goes on, she is not. People think Angry Birds 2 Movie is better than 1. I think Angry Birds Movie 2 is lame unlike 1.

Can people change on what they like or dislike in time?

SPUNK YES

Oh yeah he pulled a Lila on you people but be disbelievers like Marinette with Lila in the Sphinx Game. I might take a clip to confirm he was bsing with y'all.

If you are undeterred after viewing the truth or still think that's who he truly is what ya or others claim,

Oh well.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

Conclusion jumping has devastating effects. Memes and context ignoring, makes a fandom turn against a character or mark them for mockery forever. Diego Armando, Uchiha Clan (mostly Sasuke outside of Boruto or any that aren't for the malicious state (will of fire)), Princess Elise, Wallflower Blush, Shadow 2005 or The Legendary Super Saiyan in a nutshell and more.

Wait a minute, y'all some complain about Alya Cesaire's failure in the Lila Marinette situation for so long but y'all apparently not seeking too. You say Marinette or Alya should do this but look at you. Even Kagami managed to view both sides. Fictional beings ahead of you :)

Talk about what you wish character to do but viewers of the show can't step forward and find the truth themselves and avoid it or take what one says or sees at face value? You're not suppose to be badly written in this world as you claim ML Characters Are.

Guess what he's right Caline Bustier is a delicious

SEEEEEEEEEEEE

[gianttinyfluffy13]

WiP MerMay

(So this is very, VERY early stages, and I don't know when I'll have an actual story to it, but it'll hopefully be done at some point. Anyways, this is very iffy, and comments/suggestions/corrections are accepted, though pls refrain from harsh comments.) It's a tad late; took longer than I thought to finish. but eh, close enough. Please enjoy.

"Tyren's speech", 'Tyren's thoughts' Tyren's tail is a tiger shark, 14 ft. long, human half is proportional to a 14 ft. human man.

"Eret's speech", 'Eret's thoughts' Eret's tail is a pilot fish, 1 ft. 8 in. long, human half proportional to a same sized human man.

:: memories of Eret's mother ::

(Story & Characters are MINE. Please add credit where credit is due, should you post elsewhere. I currently don't have this posted anywhere else: 02/06/24)

‘Another day, another trip to hell- sorry, the cleaning station.’ Tyren was swimming through the water column towards the nearby coral reef. 

He despised these periodic trips to the cleaning station in the coral reef; it was always so loud & crowded, and all the noise irritated Him. He tolerated it only because it was more irritating when his skin started to itch or an injury infected. 

Upon reaching the reef, he was grateful to see that it wasn't as crowded as he had expected. Nevertheless, as he approached the cleaning station, he noticed it was quite busy for this time of day. There were several other creatures within the area, a turtle, a few manta rays, & a couple of sharks. Not wanting to be surrounded by others besides the cleaners, Tyren waited a little way out for things to quiet down; close enough to be in line, but not enough to be in the crowd.

Eventually, the turtle & manta rays finished up and left, keeping a rather wide berth around him as they left the area, and he moved into the newly vacated space, laying on his front in the sand and closing his eyes. For a moment, there’s no movement around him, everything frozen in fear at the large pred that just took up residence, but he just lays there. After a moment longer with no movement, he opens his mouth, signaling that he’s there to be cleaned. 

After a beat, normal activity resumes, with a little more tension, and a few new cleaners cautiously approach. 

~~~ Nearby ~~~

Eret was a young pilot mer that had, up until then, been following a green sea turtle with a bunch of his hatch-mates, but he felt it was time for him to find something bigger. He was swimming around his home reef, looking for a predator to call his own, but most of the ones he’d found already had a large swarm of other fish or small mers. For most, that would be an ideal situation; more eyes & bodies means safer in a roundabout way, but he wasn’t like most of his kind. The small pilot merman wanted to be on his own, not in a crowd. 

He approached the nearby cleaning station, knowing that his best shot at finding a pred would be there, and apparently, lady luck was on his side for once in his life! 

On the outer range of the station lay a massive tiger shark mer, seemingly alone, and very intimidating. 

Perfect!

Eret, mind made up, cautiously approached the mer’s head. His jaws were open, though none of the others surrounding him were coming near them for the moment. So he took it upon himself to start cleaning here. Though once he looked into the largemouth that was open wide, showing off the many shiny, very sharp teeth, he was definitely more than a little hesitant, but proceeded anyway; he’d have to get used to this kind of behaviour eventually if he wanted to hang around with a large predator like this.

:: Remember, warn a large predator, especially large mers, that you’re going near their mouth. They may not want to eat us, but an unconscious movement can injure us just as easily as a conscious one. :: the words of his mother flashed through his mind as he stared down the large teeth. Eret heeded the warning and gave the cheek beside him two light taps, waiting for an indication that the large mer knew he was there. 

The only movement was the jaw opening wider, so he moved closer & started examining the teeth at the front, allowing both mers to become comfortable with their positioning before Eret went deeper into the cavernous maw. He inspects the inner side of the lower teeth, in front of the tongue, to start with.  

<loose concept>:

Once Tyren is completely cleaned, he leaves the cleaning station & starts heading for the open ocean, away from the hustle & bustle of the reef. However, he's stopped by the scent of something from the cleaning station following him; he turns & sees the male pilot fish mer that had been cleaning around the area of his head following him at a distance. The small being stopped, having noticed he'd been spotted. "Why are you following me?"

"Um, well, I was hoping that I could, you know, tag along...?"

"Ugh..." Tyren merely groaned, turned back & continued forward. "Whatever."

Seeming to sense his displeasure, the small pilot fish mer kept his mouth shut but seemed to figure he had been accepted since he wasn’t chased off. ‘Well, at least he can keep some of the more annoying parasites off me.’ Tyren mused as he kept swimming out into the open water.

<later>

Eret had been following the larger mer for a few days, and although there had been little conversation other than being told he could clean, it seemed he was warming up to the massive mer.

Eret hadn't gone past the large mer's hip, however; still only just being tolerated for the sake of having his skin cleaned, and the smaller didn't want to risk irritating him. He knew he was relatively safe, since the large predators rarely ever preyed on the cleaner fish species that followed them, but better safe than sorry.

After leaving the reef, they hardly ventured out from the shallows, mostly cruising along the edge where the seabed drops into the depths. Eret also noticed how few creatures he’d seen in the last few days, which is expected; they’re likely giving the large predator a wide berth. At first, everything in the ocean seemed scared or wary of the large mer he was following; however, the gold-eyed mer was soon proven to be wrong!

One day while swimming closer to shore; near the mouth of an estuary, according to the green-eyed mer, when Eret had asked why the water felt different. The tiger shark mer was looking for a quick snack. So the pilot fish mer decided to hang a little way back and observe their surroundings. 

He had never been this far out from his home reef, his previous crowds not going far if they did leave the reef, so this was all extremely new to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement he knew wasn’t his acquaintance and turned to get a better look. 

It was a saltwater crocodile! And a very large one at that.

At this distance, he could tell it was roughly the length of the tiger shark mer’s tail, maybe a little longer! From the rumours he’d heard among migrating species of mers that had passed through the reef, they were known to attack just about anything that moved. Though none knew if they would attack something larger than them… He’d best caution him about it, just in case this one was feeling particularly territorial… or hungry.

Eret quickly located & swam up to the larger mer, who had found a couple of crabs to munch on; if the mangled remains in his hand were anything to go by. “Hey, um… There’s a large, like really large, saltwater croc nearby. I –” 

He merely waved off the smaller mer’s concern & continued eating, seemingly unconcerned with the presence of another large predator.

Eret doesn’t push the issue. ‘He knows the open ocean better than I do. Maybe crocs don’t attack larger creatures?’ He decides to trust the mer’s judgement, but still keeps an eye on the croc as he’s exploring & once they start swimming again. After a little while of swimming, though, Eret lost sight of the thing and began to get nervous… :: Once you find your host, especially if it travels through the open ocean, always remain vigilant. If you see a potential predator or danger, NEVER lose sight of it! It’s the dangers you can’t see that are most deadly. :: those words were never more apparent than they are now! Eret tries to relax, reasoning that the thing lost interest in them, or they moved out of its territory, but the smaller mer couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched! 

Eret immediately understands why when there’s an explosion of movement before him. Once he manages to right himself after being flung back by the movement of water, he sees that the croc is attempting to take a bite out of the larger mer!

~~~~

I panic at the sight in front of me! I have no idea what to do, mom always said to stay out of it, :: the business of the bigger folk is their own, we don’t meddle with theirs, & they don’t meddle with ours. ::. However, despite only knowing the guy for a short time, I can’t just float here & watch! 

‘But what can a tiny pilot fish like me do against a massive saltwater croc?...’ An idea strikes, ‘I may be small, but that means I can get close without being noticed. All I need to do is get the brute’s attention off of him so he can finish them!’ With that in mind, I look for a potential weak spot on the croc… Bingo! The thing’s eyes are the only thing not protected by their tough skin!

I swim closer, avoiding their toothed jaws as I wait for my chance. 

Fortunately, they break off from each other, sizing up their opponent, and I take the opportunity to get up behind the croc’s eyes in its blind spot before shoving my hands into the beast’s eyes!

The thing jerks its head, trying to shake me off, but I manage to keep my grip tight on its eye sockets, the only thing I could grab in this situation! Unfortunately for the croc.

Amidst the chaos going on around me, I cast a glance over to where I’d last seen the tiger shark mer, but he was gone! 

I start to panic, thinking that despite my attempt to help, he had left me; taking the opportunity & retreating, but then a dark shadow down below catches my attention. Hope sparks in my chest. Maybe he hadn’t left!

Not a minute later, another rush of movement & the shark mer’s jaws were locked around the croc’s throat! This is when I catch the faint smell of blood in the water, as well as see swirls of red coming from where the croc had been bitten. I released my grip on the croc’s eyes, knowing that the larger mer was one of a species known for thrashing their prey to rip off chunks to eat! 

Not wanting to get mixed up amongst the chunks of flesh and leaking blood, I swim a suitable distance away & lay on a small rock to wait out the feasting frenzy. 

–_–_–_–

It wasn’t long before the larger mer finished with the body & left it floating in the water while he swam off somewhere. I take the moment to swim up & grab some of the meat that remains on the body. It isn’t the tastiest meat I’ve had, but it wasn’t the worst either. I quickly took a few more bites before leaving the corpse to sink and heading in the direction that the larger mer swam. After a bit, I found him lying with his eyes closed on a sandy stretch of the sea floor, dozing after the enormous meal. 

When I get closer, his eyes open & he looks up at me. I froze!

His gaze was intense, but not cold; just… curious. He then unfolds his arms & pushes off the sandy floor, starting in a slightly different direction than we’d previously been going. I immediately follow after him, maintaining a slightly wider gap than before.

“... Why did you help me, little mer?”

I squeaked in surprise at the sound of his voice, not expecting the larger mer to say anything to me. “P-pardon?” I asked tentatively as I swam closer to his head.

He slows slightly & I see him gazing out of the corner of his eye. “I asked, why did you help me? With the crocodile. You had every chance to swim away & get to safety, to save your own life. So why didn’t you?” He fully turns his head to look at me as he asks. 

“... um, I don’t know… I—It looked like you needed help, & no one else was around; not that they would have even if there were…”... ‘That sounded bad, like it’s his fault…’... “A-after all, you’re pretty big & terrifying, and I doubt anyone would want to get in the middle of… that. I honestly didn’t want to either, at first. My parents were very adamant that I should stay out of larger creatures’ business, but I couldn’t just leave you to fend for yourself either–not that I thought you couldn’t handle the situation, but that croc was pretty big too, and there were a few close calls… I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

He only stared at me, his green eyes seeming to glow, assumingly mulling over what I’d said. Probably wondering if it’d be easier to just eat me and be done with it.

He then turned his attention back to what was in front of him with a low chuckle. “You… are one crazy mer… What’s your name? I’m Tyren.”

I wasn’t expecting that response, though I’m not completely surprised. “Heh, you aren’t the first to call me crazy; most others I’ve interacted with call me that, along with other things… A-as for my name, I’m Eret.”

“Well Eret, I guess I am indebted to you, being as you quite possibly saved my life. What do you say to a meal?”

“Oh… uh sure, if you don’t mind…” Assuming he meant some leftover chunks of the croc that were stuck in his teeth, I drift closer to his mouth.

“Umm… What are ya doing?”

“Oh, uh… My bad, I-I j-just thought you meant, uh, leftovers…”

He looked at me quizzically before chuckling, “Well, I mean, if you want to, sure. I don’t mind. But I was thinking something… More.” 

The larger mer– Tyren – turned to look me in the eye, raising an eyebrow in suggestion.

“Come on. Let’s see if I can find something for ya. Any preferences?”

“O-oh, uh, ok! Um, I don’t really have a preference, I usually just eat the leftovers of whoever or whatever I’m following. Though rays have always been a favourite in my family, despite being hard to come by.”

“Well, I guess you chose a good mer to follow then. I happen to have a keen talent for finding rays. Though I think we’ll need to get to the next reef before we find any; I don’t often find them all the way out here.” He smirks but turns thoughtful as he presumably is trying to think of where to find a reef. “I’m pretty sure there’s one a few hours' trip north.”

“Oh, it’s not that important. There’s no reason to travel off-course just to find rays. I had a couple of bites of the croc meat after you finished with it.”

He focuses back on me, his expression confused. “Eret… We’ve been going north for the last day. Are you not able to feel the magnetic field?”

I stare at him in shock. “Uh, I don’t know. My family has never migrated, so as far as I know, no.”

Tyren appears dumbfounded at this, & I lower my gaze in embarrassment; nervous that he’d tell me to get lost & go back home… not that I could really navigate back to my home reef without him. However, neither of us says anything for quite a long time, an awkward silence drawing on between us, until he clears his throat. 

“Well then… I guess I’ll be keeping a closer eye on you from now on. Can’t have you getting separated from me & getting hopelessly lost now can I.” 

I look up. He’s sporting a soft but playful grin & a raised eyebrow. He didn’t seem the slightest bit annoyed! “W-well I– You don’t have to worry too much about that. I don’t really stray far from my hosts.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I apparently can’t keep myself out of danger, I’d probably struggle even more if I had to watch out for both of us. ” Tyren starts swimming again & I follow along behind him, still maintaining a healthy space.

I know he’s just joking around, but the way he said that made me think there’s the slightest bit of self resentment. However, I decided not to voice my thoughts; just in case our… friendship? … isn’t that far along yet. However, a different thought does have me speaking up. 

“So… uh, Tyren… Where exactly are we headed? You know, after the reef. You seemed to be swimming with a specific destination in mind.”

He looks back for a brief moment. “Well you’re certainly the curious & observant one, aren’t you? I’m on my way North to where I spend the winter months. It’s a bit warmer up there during those times, being it’s closer to the equator. I had just figured since you’ve followed me this far, that you’d be coming there too. Not to mention that I could use the on-the-go cleaning plus an extra set of eyes watching my back~.” He winks before facing forward again. I blush, but decide to swim closer to his head, just so he doesn’t have to keep turning to face me. 

“Oh come on, you can’t tell me that you didn’t see that croc before I said something. It was over half the size of you!”

He’s silent for a beat; “hmm. I had seen it, yes, but it’s rare for them to attack me without being provoked. So I wasn’t expecting it when the thing attacked. Believe it or not, I’m pretty sure you saved my life! Having you around will likely avoid that from happening again, considering you little fellas are often more hesitant & wary; something I occasionally lack at this size. That is, if you still wanna hang around me.” 

To be honest, I don’t know what to say to that. I’ve never had a host really need me before, outside of cleaning. But to now having such a large being say that I may have saved their life… “... Well, when you put it like that… I would be honoured to migrate North with you! Besides, I’ve always wanted to explore the world outside my reef.” 

He laughs deeply and rolls so his underbelly is towards the surface, facing me with a large grin. His sudden movement throws me a bit off balance, but I catch myself and smile widely back at him. 

“So, aside from warmer water, is there any other reason for heading North?”

“Not really. I head up there for the warmer weather, and for the large migration of prey species that goes through the area that my mate typically follows, too.”

I come to a complete stop at that. “You have a mate?”

Tyren once again, laughed full-heartedly at my obvious surprise. “Yes. Unless something’s happened in the last 3 years, I do have a mate.”

“Huh, I knew that some species of shark mer stayed with the same partner, but I didn’t think tigers were among those species… Fascinating!”

Tyren gave me a crooked smirk, “you really are a strange one, Eret. Also, to sash some of your curiosity, only some of us stick with the same partner for multiple seasons. It depends on the individual & what pickings there are during a mating season. Personally, I like the consistency of staying with my mate when possible, though I have mated with others a couple times between the seasons where she’s become pregnant…” 

As he’s explaining, I realize how far ahead of me he was, being that I had stopped. So I scramble to catch up, but he’s swimming relatively quickly and I struggle to keep up. When I started to tire from the effort, I managed to grab hold of Tyren’s “upper” tail fluke to hitch a ride. 

Said mer finally seemed to notice my struggle & slowed his pace, “Oops! Sorry ‘bout that, Eret. I forgot to warn you that I tend to swim a little faster if I get talking. It helps me keep the air flowing over my gills better. Are you good? You’re lookin’ a tad green.”

Now that Tyren’s slowed enough, I release his tail. ‘Ugh, thank the stars. My stomach wasn’t gonna last much longer before purging itself.’ I think to myself before looking back up to the now concerned face of my companion. “Ugh~ no worries, Ty. Just need a bit to let my stomach stop sloshing.” 

The larger mer stops moving the way he’d been going & carefully approaches me. “Do ya want a break? It’s pretty late as it is, so we can stop for the night & pick up in the morning.”

I take a moment to reply, swallowing down a small amount of bile trying to come up my throat, then slowly shake my head. “Nah, I should be good to keep going soon. Though if we are gonna keep chatting, could I maybe hitch a ride somewhere more… stationary?” Honestly, I’d probably be good to keep going on my own if we returned to our silent travel, but if he forgets to keep his speed manageable for me to keep up with while chatting, I’d be better off grabbing a lift.

His worry fades slightly & a small smirk pulls at his lips. “Sure thing. Hmm…” He takes a quick look down at himself, likely trying to figure out where I could grab on without getting shaken up. 

I also let my eyes skim over his form. He’s pretty well built; his tail, as I learned firsthand, is quite powerful, and looks as much. His torso is muscular but has very little body fat; though I could see a couple of ribs. As my eyes trailed higher, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. Around his neck was a bluish dark grey material. “What about that?” I ask, pointing to the material.

Tyren looks back at me, before realizing where I’m pointing & reaches his hand up to his neck. “Oh ya, I forgot I was wearing that. It’s always around my neck so I often forget that I have it on.” He lowers his hand slightly, “if you wanna try holding onto it while I’m moving, by all means; though, be careful not to unlatch the back.”

With that, he drops his hand fully, & I hesitantly swim closer to his neck. While he’s not moving, I get a full look at the material, going around Tyren’s neck to find a good place to grab onto. As I went, I ran my hand along the material; it was extremely soft! I quickly found a spot to grab on, or rather, I slipped myself between the fabric & Tyren’s neck. “Is this ok, Tyren?” 

I felt the muscles in his neck stiffen, then slowly shift as he turned his head. “Uh, ya. If that’s comfortable for you. Can I keep going now?”

“Yup, I’m good. Let’s keep going!”

With that, Tyren keeps swimming, and we keep chatting, though it’s weird being able to feel the words as much as hear them from the large neck beside me. However, it’s oddly comforting.

[script-nef]

So why won’t you realise it '^' | Gojou Satoru

Category: fluff

1.9k words; Movie date [2/6]

Spoilers of Howl’s Moving Castle!! Beware!!

← Previous chapter | Masterlist

“Eh, Shouko! What do you mean you can’t make it?”

“I mean, another person is about to come in and they need me to heal them. By the time I’m done the movie will be finished.” Shouko’s voice over the phone is laced with annoyance and sadness coupled with lethargy. You don’t know how she pulls off such a unique combination of emotions but she somehow accomplishes it every time. “And I was looking forward to it…”

This would have been the first time you had a break with her since the trip to France. And while she enjoyed it a lot, the same couldn’t be said for the two males. Which was weird since Gojou is infatuated with sweets and Ken-chan agreed to come. So it was kind of weird when there was a tense atmosphere between them. You know your brother and Gojou are nearly polar opposites, but their animosity wasn’t usually that strong. 

They brushed it off as nothing when you asked if something was wrong, which was sort of dubious since you could kind of see the black cloud looming over the both of them, but you let it go. If it was something important, they would be able to handle it themselves or report it to you. You couldn’t sense any cursed spirits nearby so you guessed that they were just in a bad mood for some reason.

Still, you had a wonderful time and found some new snacks that everyone enjoyed. So a day well spent, all in all. 

And Ken-chan told you to tell him if Gojou ever offers overseas trips or anything similar, so he must have enjoyed it. Maybe you can ask Gojou to take all of you to Denmark one day.

“Ah… my dear Howl. Life and curses separate us again.” Her voice is full of sadness now, no doubt mourning over her chance of watching her favourite character on a huge screen with surround sound disappearing. 

“It’s okay! I’ll bring you the figurine and we can watch it again here in about… uh…”

“Ten years?” She sounds like she’s about to drop dead.

“Uh… yes… But maybe five years? Hopefully? You know, I shouldn’t watch it without you. I’ll come back to school.” 

“No, no. Watch the movie. At least you’ll get to see it. Ah, they’re coming now so I have to go.”

“Ah, okay. Bye, Shouko! Stay positive!”

A non-committal sigh accompanies a small “Bye” before the call clicks off. A frown takes over your face at the lost opportunity for her. She was looking forward to this for a long time and you leapt at the chance for another girls’ day out. Being able to watch a childhood favourite is an added bonus. But now you’re standing in the movie theatre, the ticket desk just across the room and an extra on your hand. 

It’s a shame because it cost quite a lot. Shouko is definitely going to mope about this when you get back and maybe start smoking again. She always has a pack on her even if she said she quit, and smokes one if she’s stressed or angry. You should call someone and make sure somebody takes it away from her.

You should probably hold onto the ticket and give it back. Or maybe that would make it worse for her, serving as a reminder of this day. Conflict rages inside your head. There’s a high possibility of either decision breaking her heart. Again. A buzz from your phone saves you the trouble of deciding.

Shouko: I sent someone as my replacement. 

A tap on the shoulder makes you turn as you type in a reply and you come face to face with a black jacket. Gojou’s head pops down.

“Hey there. I think you called for a replacement!” He seems to be in a ridiculously good mood, even more so than usual. Maybe his students successfully finished another mission. Which is great. It also means more paperwork for you. Which is not so great.

“How did you com—ah. Teleportation.”

“Ding ding ding! Correct!” He's been using the skill more frequently lately, popping in and out of places like one of those Whac-A-Mole games. . It gives you heart attacks all the time and you’re sure he gets a kick out of it. You saw how his smiles widen when you flinch or react. Thankfully it’s when you’re alone so other people never see you jump what feels like a metre into the air.

“Do you want popcorn?” He breaks you out of your thoughts. “I think they have the new caramel flavour. Apparently it’s way too sweet.” So perfect for Gojou. Even though he’s asking if you want it, there’s a spring in his step which definitely means he’s getting some. Probably the biggest option they have.

And you’re proven right because he comes back with two huge buckets which look impossible to finish. When you try to object, he cuts off with “I’ve eaten three buckets before. Alone.” With the smile he’s giving you, it really doesn’t sound like he’s joking. You try to take one to lighten the load but he says it’s alright. 

He signals the way to the theatre rooms with his head, walking beside you as you find your way.

“So what’s the movie?” Your head snaps to him in confusion.

“You don’t know?” A shake and a shrug. “It’s Howl’s Moving Castle. This was Shouko’s idea since she loves it and this year is Studio Ghibli’s 40 year anniversary. The cinema is having an exclusive showing of their movies this month. Only one session per movie, for some reason. Surely they would make more money if they played it over multiple days, but. I dunno. Executives make weird decisions.” A light scoff from him to tell he knows exactly what that’s like. His hatred for the higher-ups runs deep. You don’t push it.

“So she wanted to come but got held back at the last minute?”

“Yeah. Ah, here are our seats.”

You’re placed in the very middle of the room and you both make yourselves comfortable. Shouko went all out for this movie, upgrading the seats and making it a recliner. Your poor back, abused after sitting in chairs and hunched over computers for so long, practically melts into the plush cushion. It’s so comfortable that you might fall asleep in it if it isn’t Howl that’s about to start. 

Feet dangling in the air, you look over to Gojou to see him on his phone. It looks like he’s in a chatroom and you catch the words ‘Shouko’ and ‘favour’ before looking away. You didn’t mean to peek, but it’s not like you can consciously not read something. It was in your line of sight and you averted your eyes as soon as you realised what you were reading. Your brother brought you up better than to pry into other people’s businesses, even if it’s really, really tempting.

“Phones need to be placed on silent, you know.” The ads are coming on the screen. He smiles at you, slipping it into his pocket.

“Just talking to Shouko. She says she hasn’t even started properly.”

Disappointment fills you. Gojou is a good friend to watch this with but you hoped Shouko would somehow miraculously finish in time. She would be devastated.

“I’ll have to make this up to her when we get back. Give her the figurine and keep her hap—ah! I forgot! Gojou, I was supposed to ask someone to take her ciga—” He cuts you off with a light pat on your hand.  

“Don’t worry, I did it already. All of them are safe out of her reach and I gave her packets of hot chocolate instead. When we get back, she’ll have drunk at least half of them and be in a good mood.” What a Gojou-like replacement. He smiles like a child wanting pats on the head for a job well done. You just barely catch yourself from moving. 

Gojou gets a rep for being aloof and neglectful, but he does take care of the people he holds dear to him. His friends, members of the school, his students. You hope you’re included in the list. 

Actually, the more you think about it, the more you realise he’s different from initial perceptions. You learn more and more about him as time goes on, in the most delightful sense. He’s somewhat like an onion, new characteristics being revealed every time a layer is peeled. A snicker escapes at the thought of Gojou dressed up like an onion, just waddling around. He shoots you a questioning head tilt which you wave off.

In the years that you’ve known him, he made himself into a trustworthy friend. One full of laughs and ridiculousness. Maybe it’s his childishness that puts you at ease, but he’s incredibly comfortable and easy to relax around. Thoughts trail and the words fly out of your mouth before you even think.

“You know, I think you would make a wonderful boyfriend.”

He freezes completely, like somebody’s zapped him in place. You stare at him, wondering what’s wrong, but the lights dim and by the time he gathers coherence, your concentration is on the opening sequence.

“Ah, that was so good! Ugh, I love Howl. Isn’t he so cool?” You skip out of the room, remembering to take the figurines provided at the exit, with Gojou trailing behind you. “You know how she asks him to wait for her in the past? The first thing he says to her in the movie is ‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’ He searched for her the entire time! This is modern poetry. This.” 

“Do you think Howl would be a good boyfriend?” The question stops you. It’s different than usual for some reason, the voice asking the question and the intensity of it. He’s still his aloof self, all smiles and grins, but there’s something you can’t quite place that’s wrong. It’s unnerving, but you diligently answer his question.

“Um, I mean, yeah? Look at how cute he is with Sophie. See?” The figurine is a frozen shot of Howl and Sophie dancing in the rain with an umbrella that’s not being useful at all. They’re both incredibly detailed, so much so that you can see their clothes and skin drenching wet. Wow, this is actually a phenomenal job. Shouko will be so happy. It makes your heart lighter knowing that at least something might light up her day. 

“Why is he cool?” Gojou seems to be invested in Howl. It confuses you since he just watched the movie with you and he saw how awesome Howl is. 

“Hm, well for one he can do magic.” He opens his mouth but you shush him with a finger to his lips. “Yeah, I know, what we have is kind of like magic too. But theirs is just… different. He just makes it seem kind of elegant. And he overcame his fear just for Sophie. Remember the scene with Sulliman and in the cluttered bedroom? He still found the strength to protect her even though he was so scared before. It’s admirable. I guess I like strong guys.”

“Hmm~” His tone is contemplative. “You know I’m stronger than him, right?”

A question mark forms over your head. He’s being really weird today. “Yeah? You’re the strongest in the universe, silly. What’s up with you?” Gojou just chuckles and ruffles your head.

“Nothing, nothing. Just making sure you know.” He slings his arm around your shoulder, the intensity gone and the light spring in his step back. “Who else do you think is strong?”

Next chapter →

[headinthestaticsky]

The Dusk Calls for me: Jasper Hale x Fleur Swan, Chapter 13

AUTHORS NOTE: None of the character in Twilight belong to me, All rights go to Stephenie Meyer!

“Happy endings cloud your head now 

You have put your expectations too high 

Sit on the bed, tears running down our eyes 

Once upon a time, I wonder why.”

A Prince, By Jorja Smith Featuring Maverick Sabre

I was sitting at the table with dad, handing him supplies he needed to clean out his shotgun. I was smirking the entire time, knowing Bella was completely freaked out about telling dad she was dating Edward. It reminded me of myself when I first told dad I was dating Jasper. I thought I was nervous but, if dad had a shotgun out with him I wouldn’t of told him anything at all... I wonder how Bella was going to handle this. Well, she might’ve been trying to get dad completely bombed before she told him. I had told dad I was going with Jasper to play baseball with his family. Since he liked Jasper, I had nothing to worry about.

“Here dad, I got you another one.” Bella said, handing him another beer.”

“Than...”

“I have a date with Edward Cullen.” Bella blurted out.

Dad looked up from his gun, his face frozen in shock for a few seconds before hardening. 

“Isn’t he too old for you?”

“No not at all... he’s a junior, I’m a junior... He’s right outside by the way.”

“Alright, bring him in.” Dad snapped his shotgun closed, it was now loaded with two shells.

Bella jumped back before mumbling a “Be nice, please? He’ s important.”

Dad made a mock hallow around his head and rolled his eyes. Bella sighed and turn toward the door. Edward and Jasper soon came into the house, following Bella to the dining room.

“Chief Swan, Nice to see you again.” Jasper said

“Good to see you too.”

“Hello, Chief Swan, I’m Edward Cullen. I wanted to introduce myself... I won’t keep Bella out too late she’s going to play baseball with my family.”

“Bella? Going to play baseball?”

“Yes sir, that’s the plan.”

“Good luck with that.”

I bid my dad a farewell and kissed his cheek. I took Jasper hand and led him out of the house. He stopped Bella before she could follow... I wonder what he’s going to say to her... 

Timeskip: To the “baseball field”

“I would ask who is going to win but, I already know Jasper’s team will.” I said, Rosalie pulled me in for a hug and smirked.

“I would say you’re bias Fleur but, I am on the same team as him so... Emmett, you’re going down.” Rosalie said, a determined look was on her face.

“Babe, I’m hurt.”

“You will be even more after we win.”

“Oh, I can feel the tension.” I said jokingly.

Edward and Bella pulled up a moment later, we had driven in separate cars... I guess dad kept her and Edward there for a bit longer.

“Bella! I’m glad you’re here we need an umpire.” Esme said.

“It’s because she thinks we cheat.” Emmett said smirking.

“I know for a fact you do.” I said.

“Jasper’s showing off again.” Rosalie said as she nudged me.

I looked over and sure enough, he was indeed showing off.

“Nice moves, cowboy!”

“Thank you, love.”

“Alright, call em as you seem em Bella.” Esme said.

Rosalie was up to bat first, she nodded at Alice as to initiate the game.

Alice threw the ball, Rosalie swung with all of her might. I thought for sure it was a home runner.

“Now I see why you need the thunder... It’s gotta be a home run.” Bella said.

“Eh I don’t know, Edward is very fast.” Esme replied.

Esme turned out to be right, as soon as Rosalie was about to reach home, Esme caught the ball.

“You’re out.” Bella said.

Rosalie looked at me for conformation.

“Sorry Rose, you’re out.”

“WOO, out!”

Rosalie glared at him and then stood by me, her arms crossed.

“Come on babe it’s just a game!”

Carlisle was next, He swung and the ball went flying, not as far as Rosalie's though. Emmett and Edward jumped up to get the ball at the same time and ran into each other missing the ball entirely. Carlisle made it to home before they could recover.

“Don’t you start laughing short-stack.” Emmett said.

“I will do nothing of the sort...” A smirk made it’s appearance on my face.

Dean was up, he looked confident. He swung and the ball ended up smashing through a tree stump before hitting the ground. Edward and Emmett couldn’t get to it in time and Dean hit the home plate.

Jasper was up to bat next, flipping the bat back in forth in his hand before getting into the right stance. He hit the ball and took off but sadly, Emmett got it before he could reach home.

“My monkey man.” Rosalie said.

“He sure has the ability of one.”

We both started laughing. Rosalie took her place back at the pitch. As soon as she hit it though, Alice got a worried look in her eyes. 

“Alice, are you okay?” I asked.

“Stop! We need to go!” Alice exclaimed.

“What’s wrong?” I said.

“They were leaving but they heard us...”

“Let’s go.” Edward had grabbed Bella arm and starting walking her toward the car. Carlisle stopped him.

“It’s too late.”

“Put your hair down.”

Jasper and Rosalie were in front of me putting my hair down and trying to cover up my sent.

“Like that’ll help Edward, I can smell her across the field.” Rosalie said.

She then put her hat on my head, Jasper put his arm over my shoulders hoping that would help with my scent. Three figure then made there way to us, I had gasped.

“What’s wrong Love?”

“It’s them Jasper, the vampires from my dreams.”

I was finally able to see who’s body I was in these past few months in my sleep. She was gorgeous, with long curly red hair and a perfectly chiseled face. Anyone could be lured into a trap by her. She reminded me of a siren, leading men to there painful deaths.

The group had stopped in front of us, there faces were stone cold.

“I believe this belongs to you.” One of them said, the baseball we were using was thrown to Carlisle. 

“Thank you.”

“I am Laurent, and this is Victoria, and James...”

I finally learned her name... a mystery that surrounded me for months was getting solved at this very moments.

I'm Carlisle, this is my family. 

Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie all narrowed there eyes at them, I could tell they didn't trust them. 

"I'm afraid your hunting activities have caused something of a mess for us." Carlisle explained.

"Our apologies, we didn't realize this territory was claimed." Laurent said. 

"Yes, well, we maintain a permanent residence nearby." 

 "Really?" 

James and Edward were staring intensively at each, they looked like they would start swinging at each other in a second. 

"Well we won't be a problem anymore, we were just passing through." 

"We led the trackers east from here... you should be safe." Victoria whispered. 

I knew it... I had a feeling it was a trick.

"So, could you use three more players?"

 Rosalie and Alice looked at Carlisle wondering what he was going to say. 

"Oh come on. Just one game." Laurent persuaded.

"Sure why not? I few of us were leaving. You could take their place. We'll bat first." Carlisle threw that ball,

 Victoria had caught it. "I'm the one with the wicked curveball." 

"Well, we'll see about that." Emmett said.

James was still staring at Edward and Bella, he then turned around. Jasper and I started walking to the car, eager to leave the area. When Bella and Edward turned around to do the same, a wind came in blowing our scents right to them. 

James sniffed the air... "You brought a snack." 

All of the Cullens rushed back over to us, I was behind Rosalie and Jasper while Bella was behind Esme and Edward... 

"Humans?" Laurent asked. 

"The girls are with us." Carlisle said. 

"I can see the game is over, we will go now... James come on!."

 James stared at Edward and Bella a little longer before turning around and leaving... putting his arm around Victoria.

“We need to go Jasper, now!” I said. He nodded curtly before running me toward the car. Bella and Edward were doing the same, Edward being in more panic than Jasper was. We drove off, fast, leaving the rest of the Cullens behind.

“What are we going to do?”

“Listen to me okay, James is a tracker... we have to get you two out of here. You’ll have to bring something up to your dad so he thinks you’ll be safe okay?”

“Yeah... I will.”

I quickly pulled out my phone calling Bella, we would have to come up with a plan.

“Hold on Fleur, let me put you on speaker.”

“What are we going to do Bella?”

“I’m getting a ferry to Vancouver, you’ll have to come up with something else.”

“Bella are you serious? Did you completely forget about dad?”

“LOOK, he doesn’t matter right now, you need to get over it.” Edward interjected.”

“YES HE DOES, he could get killed because of us! I saw what those vampires could do, they aren’t people to under estimate.” 

“I don’t give a damn, Bella is my number one priority.”

“Hey!” Jasper shouted, I jumped back... he looked pissed.

“Do you realize that Bella is not the only person in danger here, Fleur is, her dad is, hell, we are all at risk. But I will not have you talk to her like that, lose the DAMN ATTITUDE!” 

The line went silent for a second, I could then hear shuffling. Edwards curt voice filled the speaker again.

“Fine, we’ll say Bella’s breaking up with me and going back to Phoenix.”

Before we could respond he hung up... I sat there in shock.

“I can’t believe Bella would do that... she’s starting to piss me off again. Dad’s in serious danger, how could she not care about him enough to protect him.”

“Some habits are just hard to let go off... even if you think she’s changed.”

“Yeah, I guess so... I’m disappointed in her...”

We made it back to the house pretty quickly, I had to run out of the car toward the house. Bella already starting her act.

“It’s over Edward, get out!

I pushed past him making my way inside the house.

“Bella! You need to think this through!” I said.

“Hey, what happened?”

“I just got to get out of here, I’m leaving, now!” Bella then slammed the door in his face.

“Dad, she going back to Phoenix... I’m going with her to make sure she’s safe. When she is, I’m coming straight back I promise.”

“What happened out there?” 

“Her and Edward got into a fight, it was rough.”

“So she’s leaving because of him?”

“Pretty much, I’ll be back I need to pack a bag okay?”

He nodded and hugged me. I ran up the stairs into my room, Jasper was standing there, looking lost not knowing what to do.

“Look, now is not the time to be polite you can go through my stuff in moments of a crisis.”

“Gotcha, I will remember that next time.”

“I know she’s going to hurt him Jazz... what am I going to do?”

“You need to go with her for now, when you get to Phoenix maybe you could call him. Ease his mind a bit... you’re going to have to be the strong one today.”

“Okay.” A  bag was soon shoved into my hands. 

“Thank god for vampire speed am I right?”

I kissed Jasper before running back downstairs almost falling in the process.

“Look Bella, I know I’m not the funnest person to be around but, I’ll stay home more. I’ll spend more time with you.”

Bella scoffed and turned to him

“What are going to do? Watch baseball on the flat screen? Go to that same damn diner every night?” That’s you and Fleur dad, that was never me.

“Bella, don’t do this please... I heard dad sniffle, I just got you back.”

“If I don’t get out of here, I’m going to be stuck here like mom was!” She ran to the front door before slamming it. I turned to him, tears starting to build up in my eyes

“Dad, I’m sorry... I’ll try to bring her back down here. She isn’t thinking clearly right now... I love you, so much.” The tears escaped my eyes, now streaming down my face.

He pulled me into a bone crushing, it was like he was excepting me to leave move back to Arizona with her.

“Love you too Petal, please... come back.”

“I will dad, I ain’t moving back down there... never again.” I pulled away from him, grabbing my bag and keys before leaving the house. I ran back to my car, throwing the keys at Jasper and getting inside.

“God, the look on his face... it was heart breaking.” I started to cry again, my breath had become labored. I felt a hand on my back rubbing circle into it.

“It’s going to be fine...he knows you’ll come back, at least he knows he won’t lose both of you.”

“Yeah, I guess so...”

“After we lead the tracker away, Rosalie said her and Esme would watch out for your dad... he’ll be safe.”

“Thank you... I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

When we had made it back to the Cullens house we pulled into the garage, Bella and Edward were already there. I ran out of the car quickly, grabbing my bag and going toward Rosalie.

“It’s going to be fine Fleur, I’ll make sure you dad is safe.”

“I know Jasper told me, thank you... for everything, you’ve been an amazing friend to me. You will never know how much I appreciate you.”

Rosalie hugged me tight, she grabbed my bag for me and put it in the car Bella and I would be leaving in.

“Listen, I’ve fought our kind before... killing them will not be easy.” Jasper explained.

“But, it’s not impossible, I won’t let them get to short-stack over here.” Emmett interjected. He was trying to make me laugh I could tell, my face probably looked horrified.

“We’ll tear them apart and burn the pieces, it’s the only way.” Jasper said.

‘I don’t relish in I have to kill another creature, even if they’re as sadistic one like James.”

“I just hope he doesn’t kill one of us first.” Rosalie said.

“I wish you didn’t have to put yourselves into danger for....” I started 

“For me.” Bella interrupted. 

I glanced at her... I was freaked out, it was as if she was enjoying this whole mess.

“I’m going to take Bella south, you need to lead the tracker away.”

“Edward, think for a moment, James knows you won’t leave Bella’s side... she needs to be away from you.” I said

Edward rolled his eyes at me but Carlisle nodded in agreement with me.

“She’s right, he knows you’ll never leave her side.”

“I can take her... Dean and I will drive them south. I won’t let anything happen to them.”

“Thank you Alice.” Jasper said.

“Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?” Edward said.

Alice led us to the car, I jumped in the back, ready to get to a safer location.

If he wasn’t a vampire, I would’ve kicked his ass by now. I thought to myself.

“Esme, Rosalie, could you put these on? They have Bella’s scent on them.” Edward said.

“Wow Edward... glad to know I mean so much to you.”

“Oh get over yourself.”

“No, you get over yourself... you act like your the only one with problems around here.”

“Yeah... I’m not wearing that.” Rosalie said defiantly. 

“Could you quit being so stubborn, Bella is at risk here.”

“You are such an ass sometimes Edward, you remember Fleur here? The one with the french name... the one  I can be around without wanting to have Emmett hurl my head into the wall? She needs protecting too you idiot.”

Rosalie reached into my bag and grabbed my jean jacket. She put it on without another word.

“Hey, Rose... I hope to get that jacket back in one piece it is one of my favorite after all... try not to get to many vampire parts in it okay?”

“You make jokes at really bad times... but, I wouldn’t change it in any way.” Rosalie said.

Jasper walked over to me, bending down so he could look me in the face.

“I love you, so much... I want to go with you but... I know Alice and Dean will take care of you. I trust them more than anyone else in this world... Stay safe darlin.”

“I will, the same goes for you mister, I better see you again. In one piece hopefully. I will never feel the same amount of love for anyone but you.” I kissed him softly before letting go of him. Alice revered the car up and moved as quickly as possible through forks. I grabbed my phone and texted dad to update him.

“Leaving Forks now, I’ll update you in the morning. Missing you already, love you.”

I put my phone down and stared out the window, the moments of bliss with Jasper seemed so far away now. Terror and uncertainty was constant in my life now... It was going to be hard to get to a blissful happy ending.t

[tetsurobunni]

The Final Battle

☞ harry potter x jjk crossover au // 3.9k words

☽ the battle of hogwarts: jjk style, remnants of satosugu friendship, pain, hurt, more pain…sigh… pure angst with a magical twist for flavor

☽ warnings : major character death

☽ pairing : satoru gojo x suguru getou

☞ my inner harry potter geek really came out full force with this one…so did my sad writer juices i apologize beforehand :)

“satoru….hey, professor nanami cast the spell to defend the school. it won’t be long…”

“i know. i’ll join you when it’s time.”

the illuminating sheen of the dome rose high over the towers of hogwarts. gojo could hear the hum radiating from it, the power from the spell glowing against the overcast sky.

this is it.

should he count his blessings? pray? to what deity, or god, or higher being should he speak to before his world comes crushing down?

gojo’s wand feels heavy in the palm of his hand, thumb gently grazing over the smooth spruce. he imagines the dragon heartstring at its core, the beast he knew lived inside.

he had seen it himself, his peers had too. how even before traveling to hogwarts in his first year just how powerful a wizard he was-and would grow up to be.

if only he knew where he would be in his seventh year. standing in front of the large oak doors leading to the great hall, his fellow students young and old rushing into place all around him, wiping their brows and preparing for a war.

a war that would cost gojo everything.

he knew who he would see on the other side of the battle. the image of his face made gojo’s stomach churn and his chest ache.

his best friend.

his only friend.

he felt a hand rest atop his left shoulder, the scuffed toes of professor nanami’s boots coming into view beside him. he met his professor’s eyes, receiving a small nod of acknowledgment. gojo had grown quite close to his professor throughout his years at hogwarts. he was one of the only people that had garnered gojo’s appreciation and trust.

nanami knew. he had watched all of them grow up, after all. he was the one who informed gojo of the news that sent him spiraling.

that was two years ago.

now, as voldemort rallied his followers and dark creatures of the forest, gojo knew he would face him again.

“the spell is weakening.”

“it was only a matter of time.”

“are you prepared?”

“no.”

“neither am i. but we must.”

with a pat on his shoulder the professor left his side, sheathing the oak wand in his sleeve.

“strength. endurance. tolerance. balance. practicality. that is what my wand stands for. each of you have your own unique wand that chose you; yes, the core of your wand does hold great power and meaning, but so does the wood that keeps it intact. it is a vessel. and it is strong.”

gojo remembers listening to his professor and thinking he was absurd. but his friend had watched on with glimmering eyes, thirsty for new knowledge, and he had decided that maybe the idea wasn’t all that abhorring.

“hawthorn. somewhat arrogant, reflection, intelligence, vigor, new beginnings or endings. feels most at home with a wizard of natural talent. wicked, eh satoru? what about yours?”

“ah, mines spruce. quick-witted, adaptable, flamboyant, strength, resistance, is known for its unusually fast reactions and somewhat stubborn nature in the hands of a nervous or untrained wizard or witch. good thing i’m not that, eh?”

“your wand is supposed to be stubborn? you’ve had no problems!”

“well of course i haven’t! i don’t remember a moment in my life where i’ve ever been nervous. no wonder…”

the conversation had drifted away in a few minutes, the flickering of the lantern lulling gojo to sleep. when he came to, the weight of a second robe rested on his shoulders. he had ignored the blush that rose on his cheeks and wiped drool from the corner of his mouth

gojo had looked down at the book that ended up as his makeshift pillow and found himself mindlessly reading more information. gojo had failed to mention the extra research he had done; it was innocent, just an extra flip of a page. what he read he never told.

‘although hawthorn is a very powerful wood, it is adept to curses. many of those who practise dark magic have been affiliated with wands made from hawthorn. they are not to be taken lightly in the wrong hands.’

he didn’t regret it then, but after he had gotten the news from nanami about what his friend did, the guilt ate him alive.

now as he looks out the castle doors to the cracks spindling in luminescence revealing the murky darkness of the stormy sky, gojo realizes that this might be his last day at hogwarts.

the realization is fleeting. he can’t afford to be thinking that way. not now. he feels the eyes of his classmates pouring into his being. they’re looking to him to save them.

you should just try to save yourselves.

itadori comes to stand to his right, fushiguro to his left. maki and nobara flank behind him.

this is is family. they all know their tie to one another. they’ve been training together for almost a year on their combat skills. itadori had been experiencing some difficulties, but nonetheless proved to be the closest match to gojo himself.

“holly. with a phoenix feather core. why?”

“just curious. look up what your wood means sometime, will ya?”

“yea…sure. not sure what that has to do with anything…”

gojo and professor nanami both had thought his wand would be made of dogwood- it matched itadori’s personality-the holly was a surprise. paired along with a phoenix feather core was practically unheard of.

but as the dark magic started to rise, itadori started to blossom. he was an amazing wizard.

gojo had his own hypotheses, but as always kept them to himself. no need to cause any further turmoil in his life.

“gojo?”

“you can call me satoru, y’know.”

“sure…gojo?”

“…yes itadori”

“i’m scared.”

gojo felt his heart clench. the boy beside him might be powerful, but still just that- a boy. he didn’t deserve this. none of them did.

“you can always back away. you know that, right?”

he watched as itadori looked across the bridge towards the darkness, then to his friends and classmates surrounding them.

“gojo?”

“hm?”

“are you scared?”

“no.” yes.

despite what lay ahead of them, itadori cracked a smile. “same as ever, eh?”

gojo forced the corners of his lips into a smirk. “you know it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

as soon as the remaining bits of professor nanami’s spell wore off, the fighting commenced. the huge stone knights began at the putrid giants that shook the ground as they walked, but, as expected, they didn’t hold for long.

there were hundreds of death eaters that immediately swarmed the entrance to the castle. gojo and the others had already gotten separated. he found himself looking for glimpses of them as he fought, power rushing through his veins as flashes of light shot through his vision.

one death eater after another fell to his wand. a goblin here. an enormous arachnid there. a shield spell shot itself from his wand to catch a pillar that threatened to fall on a young girl. gojo didn’t spare a second to marvel at how his wand seemed to act on its own.

itadori was nowhere to be found. nobara was matched against a witch he swore he had seen on the cover of a newspaper. she had been locked up in Azkaban for upwards of ten years.

a patronus he knew belonged to megumi weaved itself through the dust and dirt of the fight, closely followed by its darker counterpart. he made the mistake of watching the white wolf too closely in its decent over one of the towers and felt the breath get knocked from his chest as he flew backwards into a wall.

he coughed weakly into his hand, rubbing the blood that surfaced there onto his pants. the wall he flew into crumbled around him. he wasn’t sure who had landed a blow on him, but whoever it was had to be powerful.

only three people had ever managed to conquer such a thing, and two of them were currently fighting for hogwarts.

gojo petrified a lone death eater that had tried to sneak up on his left. he quickly ran over to the frozen body to lift the mask, though he knew it wasn’t who he was searching for.

“gojo, on the bridge!”

the yell had come from megumi, whom he saw battling three death eaters at once. after quickly disarming one them, gojo turned towards the bridge.

a flash of pink hair caught his attention. he watched as itadori seemingly chased after someone and raised his wand to cast his patronus to follow him. he stopped in his tracks when he saw a figure across the ravine.

it was him.

gojo’s hands shook with a ferocity no one had seen before. his wand illuminated the battlefield so bright many had to shield their eyes. the fighting ceased for only a moment as everyone turned to look at the being that stood in place of gojo satoru.

the short silence was broken when a death eater sent a curse flying towards nobara. a flick of gojo’s wrist was all it took for the death eater to fall in a heap on the ground, dead.

gojo’s entire being felt laced with ice. he knew he would see him. he knew. so why…

why did it hurt so badly?

screams and cries fell on deaf ears as gojo made his way across the crumbling bridge towards the forest. his hands trembled at his sides, legs weak as they carried the weight of this moment.

the figure had seen him and immediately dissipated into thick black smoke.

~~~~~~~~~~~

the forbidden forest had never scared gojo. he actually found comfort in the deep hollows and twisted roots that overcame the dense woods. he spent a lot of time here throughout the years even though students weren’t allowed.

his feet led him along the familiar pathway he had taken numerous times before. a lone centaur raced towards the castle, not sparing gojo a second glance. he had long since become acquaintances with the creatures of the forest.

“gojo!”

“itadori? what in the- what are you doing out here? you’re going to get yourself killed!”

“i saw voldemort go into the forest so i-“

“well, what a sight.”

gojo’s eyes widened as he registered the voice that came from behind him. itadori looked over his shoulder in confusion; when he saw who the voice belonged to, his face morphed into a look of pure rage.

“itadori. this is my battle.”

“but-“

“you need to leave.”

“no, no i’m not just going to leave you here-“

“yuuji? wow, it’s been a while… you’ve grown.”

gojo turned to face the voice, visibly wincing as his eyes landed on his old best friend.

“satoru”

“suguru.”

getou had gotten taller since he last saw him. a scar ran across the length of his forehead and his hair had grown longer.

i always said his hair would look good long.

“i can feel the power radiating from you, satoru…it’s delicious. my lord will be quite pleased to meet you”

“your ‘lord’ can kiss my ass.”

getou chuckled, “no need to be vulgar”

gojo’s hand clenched around his wand. one spell and this could be over, but it would be irreversible. even though gojo knew getou wasn’t the same person he was a year ago, he still trembled at the thought of his old friend not being alive.

“gojo-“

“no, let him stay awhile satoru! it’ll be so much more fun”

itadori sneered at getou before pointing his wand towards him. gojo could see the slight shaking of his hand. he was terrified.

getou laughed, his arms opening wide as if welcoming the two into his home.

“so much more bite than when i last saw you, hm? the dark lord spoke highly of you…”

“stupefy!”

gojo’s head whipped around in a flash just in time to see itadori’s body fall to the forest floor. a man with long gray hair skipped towards them, giggling maniacally.

“ah mahito, just in time!” the man bowed in getou’s direction, inching closer to itadori’s paralyzed body. “master informed me that yuuji itadori had followed him here and sent me to fetch him…who is this handsome fellow, hm?”

gojo stood tall, senses on high alert. he was almost okay dealing with getou alone- but now there was an unknown wizard present. if voldemort sent him to do his biddings, then he must be strong…

“this is my old friend from hogwarts…satoru, meet mahito.”

“i’d rather not.”

mahito licked his lips in response to gojo’s remark, sending an unpleasant shiver down his spine. every aspect of this man screamed lunatic…and he was here for itadori.

a grunt escaped itadori from his position on the ground. gojo could see him trying to regulate his breathing, but it was obvious the younger boy was panicking.

“oh satoru, don’t be crass. the dark lord has been yearning to meet the young boy for a long while.”

“a long while? what the hell are you talking about?”

getou chuckled, brandishing his wand from the dark cloak that hung around his shoulders. gojo’s hand instinctively tightened around his wand as he watched his old friend walk towards itadori.

mahito tapped his fingers rhythmically against the handle of his own wand, seemingly awaiting orders. getou kneeled down closer to itadori’s face.

“yes, a long while.”

gojo still didn’t understand what that meant. itadori hadn’t met getou when he was at hogwarts, so how did his presence suddenly become voldemort’s pentacle of fascination?

“take him.”

“WAI-“

before gojo could even move to cast a spell, itadori’s scream was cut off as mahito apparated them both away.

“he’s just a boy!”

“maybe so…but a very powerful boy indeed.”

“his power doesn’t justify voldemort’s infatuation with him! i don’t understand why his involvement is needed-“

“they are tethered, satoru. remember?”

gojo’s body turned ice cold.

“…no, you…you…it was just-“

“just a suspicion, yes, that is what you told me, wasn’t it?”

no. no. it couldn’t be.

“the dark lord was very delighted with the information, so, i have you to thank, satoru. whatever may happen to the boy will be because of you.”

gojo’s mind went stark. he didn’t think, just moved with no purpose; he just let his rage pull his limbs into action like a puppet.

unspoken spells flew from both wands, the two wizards trapped in their last battle. the two were evenly matched. this didn’t surprise him.

after all, getou was one of the three people who had been able to land a jinx on him.

it was nonstop. gojo couldn’t stop himself if he tried. he was seething with anger not just towards getou, but towards himself. there was such a sinking feeling in the air, like they were dancing on cracking ice.

for an instant the two locked eyes. gojo felt his footing slightly tip, and that was all it took for getou to find an opening and send him flying backwards through the air. he landed hard on his back, wincing as a jolt of pain went through his head.

he knew he should get up. continue the fight. run and find itadori.

but he didn’t.

“you didn’t kill me.”

he didn’t see getou’s reaction to his comment. a patch of night sky that had broken through the clouds caught his attention.

for a moment he wished getou had killed him.

“get up.”

“i don’t want to.”

“satoru, get up and fight me.”

getou snarled and grabbed gojo by the collar of his jacket, pulling him up to meet his face.

“don’t you hate me?”

“…no.”

“why not! you…you should despise me! i betrayed everyone-including you!”

“i don’t.”

and it was the truth. gojo had spent hours in his dormitory stuffing his leaking eyes into his pillow, trying to be revolted by his best friend. he still had scars on his hands from punching the stone walls of the dungeons, trying to force his own physical pain into hatred.

it never worked.

“…i still don’t understand why you did it.”

that seemed to catch getou off guard. he slackened the grip he had on gojo’s collar, backing away with his head hung low.

“…he found my father.”

gojo’s eyes widened at the statement.

“i…i thought your father was-“

“dead? me too…” he paused for a moment, scoffing before continuing, “but he wasn’t. all that time we spent searching for letters, newspaper articles, headlines on the news- hell even muggle police reports- was for nothing.”

“so you went with him.”

“what other choice did i have, satoru?”

the atmosphere that had engulfed the two snapped.

what did he mean? ‘what other choice did he have’? gojo felt the anger from before start to trickle back into his veins.

“you could have stayed.”

getou met his eyes. they stood in unison, gaze never faltering.

“i had no reason to stay.”

“that’s bullshit and you know it, suguru.”

“what reason then? i was a horrid student, i didn’t care about grades, our so-called friends loathed me satoru! i had no family, no home to call my own i-“

“you had me, suguru!”

getou went silent. the only noises that could be heard were their heavy breaths and muffled yells from the castle. the wind sent a chill straight to gojo’s bones and he shivered, suddenly realizing there were tears trailing down his cheeks.

“i betrayed you satoru. without a second thought.”

“i don’t believe you.”

“i pushed you to investigate itadori’s powers. voldemort told me he would reveal my father’s whereabouts if i gave him information on the boy,”

“but-“

“i broke your trust! i didn’t even try to warn you of what i was planning, or that my father was alive-“

“suguru-“

“don’t you see!”

gojo stared at the look of pure exasperation and pain on getou’s face. he had a feeling it mirrored his own.

he watched as getou pulled the sleeve of his cloak above his forearm, placing the mark of the death eaters etched into his skin on display.

“this is what i am now, satoru.”

“and i’m just supposed to…what? hate you? was i supposed to hate you then? because i didn’t, and don’t.”

“that’s- that’s exactly what you should do! i would hate me-“

“well guess what suguru!” gojo was yelling by now, the words clawing their way from within his chest, “you don’t get to decide how your decisions make others feel!”

he ignored the fact he was moving steadily towards getou as he yelled. when he got close enough, gojo realized they both were shedding tears.

“i don’t understand why you care so much about me-“ gojo let out an unhumourous laugh, “what’s that supposed to mean, huh? you think i stayed up all those hours searching for your father out of what- obligation? pity?”

getou searched for an answer, stammering over the thoughts running through his head.

“i don’t understand why-“

“because i loved you!”

no more skirting around thin fractures, or waiting with baited breath to discover to truth. it was done.

and it broke him.

gojo had done well hiding his pain the past two years. the signature smirk was automatic-it appeared on his face without effort. conversation passed through his mouth without falter. he had trained himself to be the perfect student.

but this…this he couldn’t pretend to recover from.

“you…”

“it doesn’t matter now. what’s done is done.”

“were you ever going to tell me?”

“…i don’t know.”

when did his wand become so heavy? was his chest supposed to hurt this bad?

“oh god…satoru…”

he didn’t want to feel this way anymore. the sorrow was eating him alive, peeling back layers and layers of his soul.

he repressed the urge to comfort getou as he watched his past love fall to his knees.

“i’m so sorry, satoru.”

“sorry can’t fix everything, suguru,”

if only you had said it then…

“not now. not ever.”

please make this pain stop.

“…i know.”

“so let’s finish this.”

every fiber of his being was screaming at him to stop. a tiny voice yelled ‘you can help him!’. he forced the thoughts from his mind, they would only get in the way.

he had made his decision.

getou didn’t falter from his position on the ground. his wand stayed by his side. the only movement he made was to lift his head towards the night sky as gojo himself had done before.

i love you, suguru. forgive me.

“avadakdavra!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the walk back to the castle was torture. the weight of getou’s body was heavy in his arms. it was worse than he ever could have imagined.

the silence that had encompassed him the forest was shattered the moment he stepped foot onto school grounds. the battle was over, it seemed.

the carnage left behind was gut-wrenching.

gojo ignored the gazes of his peers as he wandered into the great hall. he knew this was where they had planned to house all of the wounded, and despite the hollow feeling in his gut, he needed to find his family.

“gojo!”

he turned to see who had called his name and felt relieved when he saw it was itadori. the relief was short-lived, however, when he noticed the sobs wracking the young boys’ body.

gojo retrieved a lone bedsheet and carefully placed getou’s body down, taking one last look at his past love’s face before he covered it. he left getou there and made his way over to where itadori was crouched over a figure lying on the floor. megumi and maki were both there too.

where was nobara?

“it happened right before you went after itadori…”

gojo’s gut wrenched when he saw who the figure was.

“i assume you saw getou…you didn’t even realize what had happened…” the memory of the battle flashed before his eyes.

“i killed that death eater. the woman. i- i could have sworn…no i know i killed her-“

“it was too late.”

“…gojo?”

he kneeled down and took one of nobara’s bloody hands in his own.

“yes, it’s me, i’m here now nobara.”

“you found getou…didn’t you?”

“…yes. i did.”

this wasn’t supposed to happen. gojo swore he had done everything to prepare them… butit wasn’t enough.

nobara wheezed as a chuckle tried to escape her body, the action causing her to cough uncontrollably as air tried to seep into her lungs.

“i can’t believe…out of all of us…that i’m the one dying…could have sworn it…would have been yuuji…ha!” itadori offered a small laugh, more tears escaping his eyes.

“wow, even on your deathbed you’re still fighting with me…”

gojo met the eyes of maki, who he could tell was choosing not to say anything. megumi refused to look at nobara’s face. instead he stared at the floor, silently crying, not bothering to wipe the tears away.

they’re so young.

gojo felt a sob lurch in his throat but he refused to let it free. he had to be strong. or, at least, act strong. it wasn’t time for his facade to break.

for their sake.

“you ok, nobara?”

“yea…i’m ok.”

gojo watched as she took her final breath.

“gojo…gojo she’s… she’s dead, gojo…”

he pulled itadori’s smaller body into his own, holding him there as the boy sobbed openly. megumi took ahold of maki’s hand, the latter turning her head into the boys’ shoulder as she let her own cries break free.

i’m sorry… i’m so sorry…

[therealvalkyrie]

What Could’ve Been Without the War

Pairing/setting: Jean Kirschtein x Female!Reader, modern!AU within the Walls, set after the War; canon divergent w/ modern tech

Summary: You and Jean embark on your weekly trip to the grocery store.

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: equal parts angst and fluff, idiots to idiots, mutual pining, unsatisfying ending (i’m so sorry)

AN: Surprise Jean! I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday evening and that I don’t ruin it too much with angst. This piece started out as a super fluffy drabble involving grocery store shenanigans and kinda....uh....got away from me. Ahem. It was also originally intended as a 157 follower cool prime number thank you! I think we’re up to 180-something now, but we can still count it. Big thanks yet again to the love of my life @ghostlightprincess for her edits and encouragements:) Please come let me know what you think in my DMs/askbox/comments!!  ~valkyrie

Jean opens on the third knock on his apartment door, already shrugging on a jacket. He greets you with a short “hi” and receives the kiss you plant on his cheek out of habit.

“You ready?” You’re practically bouncing on the balls of your feet, car keys jingling off of the magenta key ring looped around your finger. It’s cute, and he finds himself matching your enthusiasm with a grin of his own.

“Almost,” he replies, reaching back to his coat rack to grab a scarf. “Honestly, I still don’t understand why you’re always so excited for the grocery store.”

He looks back to catch you rolling your eyes. “I don’t understand why you’re not. A grocery store is a magical place, with all of the cheesecake and ice cream you could ever wish for!”

He chuckles and joins you in the hallway, leaning down to lock his door behind him. “Need I remind you that you’re lactose intolerant?”

“That’s what Lactaid is for, stupid. Come on!” He lets you pull him down the hall, your small gloved hand in his big one. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Croft!” you greet his elderly neighbor as you pass her open door, sticking your head in with a wide smile. “You need anything from the store? Jean and I are just on our way.”

Jean stands beside you awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with his shrewd neighbor. You haven’t let go of his hand and he can feel a blush working its way up his neck. 

“No, that’s alright, honey, I just went this morning.”

“Okay! Well, let us know if you think of anything!”

“Thank you, dear.”

“Have a good afternoon, ma��am,” Jean chips in as you wave. 

“You kids have fun.”

The next second, you’re pulling him away again and he misses the way Mrs. Croft chuckles knowingly and looks back to her knitting. 

—

“What’s next on the list?” Your voice drifts down the aisle back to him, and Jean pauses in pushing the cart to shuffle the papers in his hands. 

“Umm… AP flour, vanilla extract,” shuffle, shuffle, “brown sugar, olive oil, yeast.”

You hum in acknowledgment and he watches as you flit from shelf to shelf, gathering items in your arms. He pushes the cart up to join you.

You dump everything in haphazardly, and he sighs, leaning down to straighten it all out into categories.

“What’s next?” You’re already halfway down the rest of the aisle again, gazing up longingly at the Oreos on the top shelf.

God, she’s cute.

He joins you, reaches up to pluck a pack of Double Stuf off of the shelf, and wordlessly places it in your section of the cart, suppressing a smile of his own as you grin up at him.

“You sure know how to treat a girl right, Jean-bo.” You reach up to ruffle his mullet. 

“Don’t call me that,” he grumbles, ducking away and flushing red like a smitten schoolboy. “Next is the frozen aisle.”

—

“Was it the lasagna that she liked last time? Or the shepherd’s pie?”

“The lasagna.” He accepts three frozen dinners as you pass them over from where you’re leaning past the glass freezer door.

“Hey,” he looks up sharply at your soft call to see you staring down the aisle like you’ve seen a ghost, hand still holding the glass door open. He follows your gaze and sees him just as you say, “It’s Erwin.”

It’s not, but Jean’s heart twists all the same at the resemblance the stranger carries. Same neatly parted blonde hair, broad shoulders. But he’s shorter, still has both arms. And he’s alive. 

“It’s not, sweetheart,” he murmurs, reaching to wrap an arm around your shoulders.

“It is, look he—” you insist until the man turns and instead of the Commander’s piercing blue gaze you’re met with brown eyes that flick between you and Jean in confusion. “Oh.” Your face falls and you allow the door to close, turning into Jean’s side.

“You alright?” He tilts his head to catch your expression. It’s pure pain, mouth twitching into a frown and eyes unfocused. Your hand comes up to grip the bottom of his jacket, and after a second he can see you physically force your face back to neutral. 

“Fine,” you nod. He knows you’re faking, that it’s a survival tactic, so he lets it go for now, only steps back to let you in between his body and the cart. 

“Up you go,” he prompts you to step up, feet on the bottom shelf and hands clutching the bar. He starts to push as you ride, walking first then running down the aisle until you finally throw your head back and laugh genuinely. 

He misses the exasperated look an employee gives him as the pair of you whizz past, too preoccupied with your smile.

—

“What do you need three dozen eggs for, anyway?” you ask incredulously, nevertheless opening each carton to inspect before handing them over. 

“They’re a good source of protein,” he defends. “Plus, you always end up running out and coming to me to complain. Ran me dry last time.”

Another playful eye roll. “It’s only ‘cause I messed up my brownies! And I needed them to entice the landlord to finally fix my heater.”

“Your heater’s been broken?”

“Well, it’s not anymore. Espresso brownies work wonders, I’ll have you know.”

You’re trying to brush it off as you normally do when he worries, but the thought of you shivering and blue-lipped keeps him pushing. “How long did you not have heat for? It’s February!”

“Not the point, Jean-bo!” You poke at his cheek and twirl away towards the cheese. 

“It definitely is the point. Come to me next time and I’ll fix it.”

“And lose my deposit?” You scoff, reaching for mozzarella. “Fat chance.”

“Freeze, then.”

You grin back at him. “Why d’you think I came over so much last weekend?”

“Is that all I am to you? A hot water bottle in your time of need?” He feigns hurt, but some pride swells in his chest that he kept you warm, after all. 

“And a cute one, at that. Think fast!”

His hand flashes up to catch the mozzarella you toss deftly. 

“You wound me.”

“Eh, builds character. What’s next?”

Shuffle, shuffle. “Wine and flowers.”

—

Jean watches as you bounce in the driver’s seat, hands almost dainty on the wheel, leaning forward to stare resolutely out the windshield at the darkening road. You’re singing along to some song he doesn’t know that’s playing from the stereo.

It’s so familiar, this Saturday evening ritual with you, and it wraps Jean up like the softest blanket. He knows why you’re always so excited about grocery shopping, and it’s not the cheesecake — it’s the way this routine has centered itself in both your lives. He feels it too, the semblance of normalcy, of domesticity, that you’ve cobbled together with him in between hard weeks and harder nights.

You navigate the bends and odd intersections of his old suburban neighborhood with ease, having driven to his house maybe thousands of times since you were teens. The elementary school passes, then the vet clinic, until finally, your old black sedan pulls into his mom’s driveway alongside her silver minivan.

You shift to neutral and yank on the parking brake habitually, then turn off the car and settle back into your seat.

You’re both quiet for a moment: you staring out the window lost in thought, Jean checking the time on his phone.

“Jean?”

“Hm?”

“Do you ever regret enlisting so young?” This catches his attention, turning sharply to look at your contemplative profile.

“Never. It was the right thing to do.” He’s resolute in this conviction, always. The War had seemed to be at its worst when you’d joined up, driven by the promise of Wall Maria’s reclamation and impassioned by your comrades’ fury. It had been the only choice, in his view.

“I do, sometimes,” you admit quietly, eyes downcast to where your fingers twist in your lap. “Maybe then my head wouldn’t be so messed up,” you laugh dryly and tap your temple, then shoot him a sideways glance. “And maybe—” you cut yourself off.

“Maybe what?”

“Never mind.” You’re out of the car so fast Jean almost questions if you moved at all. It reminds him of your natural grace on the ODM gear, how you’d whoop and holler as you hurtled past him among the trees during training. He wonders for a moment when your agility turned from a source of joy to an escape mechanism, then stops himself. He knows exactly when that happened.

—

The grocery store tulips thankfully survived their ordeal in the trunk of your car, bright against Ma Kirschtein’s tile kitchen backsplash as you arrange them in her favorite vase. After a minute of fussing, you take a step back, give a nod of satisfaction, and scoop up the trimmed stems off the counter. The rest of the groceries are already put away, organized so she can reach them without trouble.

It’s as you’re stepping on the trash can pedal to open its lid that the voices from the living room catch your ear. You pause, smiling as mother and son converse.

“Have you been eating enough, Jean-bo? You look so skinny….”

“Ma, I—”

“What am I saying, of course you haven’t. You’d waste away to nothing if you were left to your own devices. I’m so glad that darling girl is there to look after you.”

“Ma, she’s not my keeper—”

“When are you two getting married, again? I could’ve sworn I wrote it down in my book, but I looked the other day and couldn’t find the date anywhere.” She sounds serious. Confused, even, not a hint of teasing in her tone. Must be an off day. A symptom of her early-onset dementia.

“Ma, we’re not even together.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been together since high school.” She’s so convinced, so sure, and you squeeze your eyes tight against the reality that you and Jean have only ever been friends. In the adolescent insecurity of high school, in the intensity of military training, in the fucking heat of battle, all you’ve ever shared is friendship.

“Ma, I don’t think… I don’t even think she—” He pauses and your ears strain in the silence to catch his last quiet phrase. “She doesn’t think of me that way.”

You just know, you can tell, he only says it like that to ease her confusion. It’s the opposite, really, he doesn’t think of you that way. Before you can hear more sideways rejection, you toss the flower stems and make a beeline for the bathroom.

—

“What was that movie you were telling me to watch, again?” You ask around a mouthful of spaghetti with sauce fresh from the jar, covering your mouth with one hand.

The pair of you are eating shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor of your apartment two floors above Jean’s. It’s got the decidedly better view out your picture window, complete with the perfect Eastern perspective of the river that cuts through Trost and its famous bridges. It’s this, the third leg of your traditional Saturday evenings together, that makes you feel the most warm.

Jean has the manners to chew and swallow before replying. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? Connie, Sasha, and I went to see it when they visited last month—”

Your snicker cuts him off and he raises his eyebrows as you roll your eyes and take a sip of wine. “The feet movie? Sasha said it was pretentious.”

“Really? I thought she was too preoccupied with the fact that the theater sold chili fries to pay attention.” He teases back, twirling more pasta onto his fork.

“I’m telling her you said that,” you warn with a jab of your own fork in his direction.

“Snitch.”

“Hey!”

He ducks to avoid your swat to the back of his head, grinning at your pout. “No, but seriously, apart from the feet it’s a good movie.”

“Hmm. I’ll consider putting it on the roster for next week.”

You take a moment to relish the comfortable silence, looking out at the city lights as you chew thoughtfully. His thigh is heavy and warm against yours under the thick knitted blanket his mom gave you last Yule. Your belly is warm and full, your shoulders relaxed in the company of your closest friend, your lungs breathing easily.

Jean says your name quietly and you turn to see him staring pensively down at the plate in his lap. “About what you asked earlier… in the car?”

You nod, eyes wide and mouth serious.

“Sometimes… I do regret it.” He grits the words out through his teeth, like it’s difficult to force the truth into the world. “Not because I regret what we did in the War. But because sometimes I wonder,” his eyes cut to yours for a split second, “I wonder what could’ve been. Without the War.”

You don’t say anything, don’t say you understand, because you know he knows. Instead, you loop your arm into his and lean your head against his shoulder. It takes a moment, a release of breath and the fall of his chest, but eventually he closes his eyes, turns his face into your hair, and allows himself to sink into the what could’ve been. Just for now.

[protection-of-the-peaky-blinders]

A Peaky Christmas Day (Tommy x Reader)

Title: A Peaky Christmas Day Summary: Tommy asks you to spend Christmas Day with him. Tommy finds you wandering the snowy streets on Christmas Morning. Asks you to spend Christmas Day with him. Words: 3,372 | Part 1 of 2 Warnings: Trigger Warnings for mentions of Domestic Abuse, Alcohol abuse, Rape, Swearing, She/Her Pronouns Author’s Note: To the Anon that suggested this, I was already writing something similar so I hope you don’t mind me adding in some tragic backstory. Part 1 of 2. Part 2 more focused on Christmas Day Fluff. It’s my first Tommy Shelby Fanfic so if he’s out of character, I profusely apologise. 

 ~

Christmas Day. Merry Christmas. 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑦.

You couldn’t recall a time where Christmas was ever ‘merry’ for you. Your father was always drunk, using the excuse that he was drinking ‘Santa’s whisky since it’s Christmas after all’, and his drunkenness was often taken out on you. The more he drank, the worse it became for you. Which is why you prefer to stay home and ensure he has meals throughout the day, try and soak up some of the alcohol, and try and distract him from consuming too much, lest it become far worse than things thrown at you.

Christmas Eve had been the start of your problems. You weren’t aware your Dad had gone out drinking at the pub until he came home and gotten handsy with you. Luckily you were able to shoo him off with the excuse of you cooking dinner and he needed to take a shower. But this didn’t last as long as you hoped. You managed to get him to eat something but your night went downhill from there.

 Had you given Tommy Shelby permission from another time prior, your Father wouldn’t have lived to have seen Christmas Day. At the moment, you regretted protecting your Dad against the Peaky Blinder. For some reason, Tommy stepped down and respected your wishes. You were grateful. But you knew that Tommy knew your Dad can be extremely abusive when under the influence.

Christmas morning finally arrived and you were already exhausted. You hadn’t slept. Your Dad keeping you awake between his bouts of drunkenness. You had no safe spot in the house. Your bedroom, which should have been anyone’s general ‘safe spot’ was never respected by him as he quite often came barging in.

He finally passed out in the early morning and that’s when it became too much for you. Still in yesterday’s clothes, though severely crumpled and torn, you left the house in such a state that you blindly walked in the snow for hours. It was still dark, but the sun that was slowly rising had allowed enough light to dimly light the area in a dark blue hue.

 You walked and walked. You knew if you stopped and caught your breath, you’d break down like a mad person and you couldn’t do that. You’re not weak. You’re not. Your situation was complicated. You couldn’t leave. You couldn’t disrespect your Mother’s memory by leaving your Dad all on his own. He was still grieving the love of his life. Your Mother had only died a year prior. A few days before Christmas, actually. This year had marked the one-year anniversary. The wounds were still fresh. The first time Tommy found out your Father was abusing you, he wanted to pay your Father a visit. But you stepped in and explained the situation. At first Tommy wasn’t having it, but you begged him to respect the memory of your Mom; a good, kind-hearted, nurturing woman. When he saw you almost breakdown in tears, he stepped down; on the condition that if it gets out of hand, he will do something about it. “You’re protected by the Peaky Blinders now, love.” He had said as he took his cap off and placed it on your head. Far too large for you, but it had you smiling again. And in turn, made him smile softly.

 By 7:30 in the morning, the sun had peaked above the rooftop, though hidden behind clouds, it still left enough light to let you know that it’s now daylight. Snow was starting to fall ever so slightly and your h/c hair had lightly begun sprinkled with snow. You would have looked cute with your red nose and cheeks – had the circumstances been different. Your fingers were cold as ice, too, but it didn’t seem to bother you.

 -- As always, for Tommy, Business never stopped. Even on Christmas Day. Rising up early with the sun, and before anyone else awoke, Tommy got himself dressed and headed into town where he had a couple of matters to take care of at his office. His family might get annoyed at him but at least it won’t be bugging him throughout the day, playing at the back of his mind and making him irritable company. He almost lost track of time when he dropped his pen and sat back. Taking his pocket watch out from his vest pocket, he flicked it open anad read that it was nearing 8am. Better get a move on. By the time he gets home, the fire should be lit, half his guests should be waking up or arriving. (Some of his family chose to stay the night, others were going to arrive in the morning).

 Lighting a cigarette, he made his way out of his office and out of the building, immediately being greeted by snow. Snowing at Christmas was always magical. Or so many believed. It didn’t bother Tommy in the slightest. He wasn’t overly sentimental about Christmas, except for how it brought his family together as normal as they can be; no talk of business, no arguments. Just lots of laughter, chatter and loud teasing. The only person who’s ever cross as Christmas is Aunt Pol when she tells the brothers to settle down; John and Arthur being the rowdiest ones.

 Christmas Day was one of very few days where Tommy’s demons don’t weigh heavily on his shoulders, nor hauntingly appear in his eyes. Yes, he’s still quite reserved and prefers to quietly observe his family, but he smiles more and joins in the laughter.

 It wasn’t long before Tommy was in his car and driving away, wanting to get home before the snow got heavy. His drive home only last a few minutes as he drove out to the edge of town, only to slow down when he saw a woman stumbling on the side. Had it not been for the familiar hair, he would’ve thought it was just some whore who had a bit too much too drink. Clothes were crumpled and torn, hair falling out from the updo it must have been kept in; indicating a wild night no doubt. Such was not the case. Foot placed pressure on the brakes of the car as he carefully slowed it down to avoid skidding on the snow-covered road, ocean blue eyes squinted in concern before murmuring a soft “Fuck.” Under his breath when he realised who it was. The car creaked to a halt as he hastily placed the brakes on, turned the ignition off and swiftly climbed out. “Y/N?” he called out, as he walked over to you, head ducking a little trying to catch a glimpse of your face to give him full confirmation it was you. You stopped in your tracks when you heard your name being called by a familiar voice. It was comforting. Too comforting. Because the minute you stopped and looked up to see the clearly concerned look of Thomas Shelby walking over to you, you crumbled. Your features crumpled as distraught washed over you, and he made it in time to catch you against his chest as you cried. “Aright…” he murmured as he braced himself to catch your weight, “Alright, love. It’s alright. I’ve got you.”

Arms wrapped tightly around you, holding you firmly against him as your body trembled violently from each sob that tore from your chest. He’s never seen you cry. Never heard you cry. Never knew someone could cry as painfully as you. He didn’t need to ask too many questions about what happened. He knew getting an answer out of you now would be hopeless, so he’d wait until you calmed down a little more. But knowing your situation at home, and your dishevelled appearance, it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. One hand left your back and curled in the locks of your h/c strands, the other hand remaining on your back and holding your protectively against him. Each sob that tore out from you had you struggling to breath, gasping between each cry. Being out in the cold climate probably didn’t help either, with the snow already starting to fall. “Shh…shh, shh… come on, hey, come on...” you heard him hushing you firmly. Probably to most people it might sound as though he was annoyed because of the tone of his voice, but you knew there was concern that filtered through that gravelly voice. “You’re safe now, eh? You’re safe.” Cold, ocean blue eyes glanced around as he held you; snowfall was beginning to cover things like a white blanket and he needed to get you out of the cold. A few people were still walking around in the distance behind them, but apart from that, it seemed like it was just you two being the daft ones still outside in the cold. Your painful cries tugging at his heartstrings, making him want to murder the fucking bastard that did this to you; family or not. The only thing stopping him from spreading more red at Christmas was you. There was no way in hell he could leave you in such a state. Your father can wait. But he WILL pay. Tommy will NOT let this slide. He continued to hold you until you calmed down, his patience with you was commendable, but it’s one thing you needed was patience and understanding. Your situation was … delicate. Fragile. He certainly didn’t want to fuck anything up with you. Except for your Dad. But that was a given. When your cries had quietened, you dared not look at him, knowing your face was a complete mess. You felt him let go of you, and for some reason you thought he was disgusted by you. Something you feared would always happen if a situation like this occurred; where you were painted dirty. A whimper of fear left your throat and you stumbled back in your footing. Letting you go, Tommy had quickly shrugged out of his jacket to place it over your shoulders, give you some warmth because it was hard to miss how frozen you felt against him. He missed the whimper that came from you, thinking it was just a noise of distraught and nothing more. The same with the stumbling of your footing, thinking it was your exhaustion creeping in. Not once did he ever consider your dirty or disgusting, the word ‘whore’, a word you feared you’d be seen as because of your Dad, never once occurred to him when he’s with you. Or thinking of you. Quickly draping the heavy coat around your shoulders, he was quick to wrap his around you again. “Y/N!” he murmured before his other came around you to hold you up in case you buckled completely. “I’ll take you back to mine, eh? Sit you by the fire and get you warmed up. And then we’ll talk.” “But it’s Christmas.” You murmured though your voice croaky from the distraught outburst you had only moments ago. “You’re spending Christmas with me. Alright?” It’s not like you had much of a choice in the matter. When Tommy formulates plans, he sticks to them. The only time he wavers is if you’re legitimately uncomfortable about it but that’s never been an issue with Tommy. “…but my Dad…” you asked, letting the question go only for Tommy to sternly answer back, “Will be dealt with. Let’s get out of the cold before you get sick. Come on.” Arms stayed around you, right arm draped around the middle of your back, left hand cupping your elbow as an added means of security. Tommy guided you back to his car, his own body acting as both a shield and grounding point for you. Your frozen hands clutched at the thick fabric of his coat and wrapped it shut against your chest, shivering beneath it when your body finally discovered the sense of warmth and you only begun to realise how cold you actually were. Opening the passenger door for you, Tommy waited a moment for you to climb in before closing it. Blue eyes surveyed the area once more, either for prying eyes, any signs of her Father, and also simply out of slightly paranoid habit. You let out a shaky sigh as you leaned back against the seat. Your legs flopping to the side as all the strength that kept you going suddenly left you. The exhaustion finally caught up and was threatening to pull you under, but you kept your eyes open. The coat didn’t help with the comfort it provided; warmth and smelling of smoke and cologne; Tommy’s signature scent. You jerked slightly as the driver’s door opened and Tommy sat down, slamming the door shut. He didn’t speak for a moment, eyes gazing straight ahead out the window. “He put his hands on you, didn’t he?” You licked your lips in nervousness, knowing there was no point in lying to him. He already knew the answer, just wanted the truth confirmed before he decided to carry out whatever plan he was currently formulating in his mind. “Tommy…” “Answer the question Y/N. Did he place his hands on you?” His voice was low. Calm. A hint of danger behind his voice but he kept it soft but firm for you. “…Yes…” you breathed quietly, Tommy already able to hear the tears in your voice. “Fuck.” He murmured beneath his breath as straightened himself up to start the car. “He did that too.” Your voice hitching as you admitted to the worst of what your Father did to you, making Tommy pause in his actions and drop his hands. He finally looked over at you to see you curled up, looking small and fragile. Tears already falling from your E/C orbs again, though you weren’t outwardly crying. Just seemed as though you didn’t even realise you were crying at all. His heart broke for the pain you’re in; this soft, beautiful woman, broken by a man she’s meant to trust and be loved by. His heart angered by the fact that he wanted to protect you, made a personal oath to protect you and had failed to do so. He didn’t even want to think what would have happened to you today had he not found you. “He will be dealt with, Y/N.” he repeated himself firmly, with authority. If you were going to argue against him, you would not win. His decision was final this time. Blue eyes bored into yours “I want to make that very clear.” You weren’t afraid of him, but you were afraid of what he’d do. But you knew your Father went too far. You had no fight left in you to protect or defend him. “…By order of the Peaky Blinders?” Grabbing his cap, he yanked it off and flopped it against your head, the way he did it during one of many moments that looked like you both were an official couple but at the same time, nothing had yet officiated it (by means of a kiss or something typical that officially seals a relationship). “By order of the Peaky Blinders.” He murmured back, pulling the cap down slightly to hide your face. Fuck. He’ll never forgive himself for not being there to protect you. But then, he’d have risked you never forgiving him if he broke his promise and acted on it sooner. It doesn’t matter. He can’t change the past. He’s got you now. Safe. By his side. Safest place for you to be. He’ll take you home, get you warmed up and settled in. Reintroduce you to the family since you’ve only met them briefly a few times before; Tommy wanting to keep you away from a lot of the shit that goes on, not wanting you to get caught up in it all. He’d call a family meeting at some point and give the order for tomorrow. It's boxing day after all, what better way to celebrate than by boxing the fucker’s head in eh?

 That was his plan. For the most part of today, he just wanted you to feel safe and comfortable, and to place a smile on your face. At least he’d be able to give you your Christmas present. Perhaps not in the way he imagined to present you with it since you’re in a fragile state and he dare not risk jeopardising anything. But at least he was able to do it on the day that mattered most.

 You didn’t bother adjust the cap that was a bit too big for your head. You hummed softly in response but nothing further was said from either of you. Tommy finally tore his eyes from yours and began to put the car into motion. It wasn’t too long before you were lulled to sleep by the leisurely motion of the car and the hum of the motor acting as white noise. With Tommy being silent and not conversing with you didn’t help, but certainly the lack of sleep you were currently suffering with was the key factor as to why you fell asleep within minutes. Tommy glanced over to you when he noticed you had gone quiet, no sound of sniffling or shaky little intakes of breaths. His concern was quelled when he realised you were asleep, and purposefully took the longer route home, slowing down over some of the bumpier paths to avoid waking you. It was the least he could do for you in your current state. Getting you home and warmed up was a priority, but he couldn’t recall a time he’s ever seen you asleep. You looked peaceful. Angelic. As if you didn’t suffer a horrendous ordeal that last throughout the night until the early hours of the morning. He didn’t want to break the peace you had with sleep, so he let you be as long as he could. You honestly felt like you had barely gotten any sleep when you were being shaken awake only seconds later (Tommy had managed to stretch the drive close to half an hour). In your disorientated state, your eyes snapped open and you immediately fought against the hands that were on you. Your whimpers being the first noise to come from you, only to be hushed by a gravelly voice, “Hey, hey, Y/N! Y/N! Its just me. Just Tommy. Yeah?” Between fighting him off, he managed to catch your wrists and hold them steady from attacking him, but when you came to your senses, eyes wide with fear and your chest rising with each breath, your hands went limp in his hold. “Tommy?” “Yeah.” “Oh god…” “It’s alright. Hey…look at me. It’s alright. Just me. You���re safe now. You’re safe.” Blue eyes never left yours as he waited for you to calm down. Letting go of your wrists, he pulled away just a little bit to give you space in case you needed it. He offered his hand for you to take in case you needed physical reassurance. He wasn’t sure how best to help you right now, so he wouldn’t be offended if you didn’t take his hand. But you did. “God, I’m so sorry.” You apologised once you found your voice and your bearings. Bringing your hand to his lips, he softly kissed the back of your hand, “Don’t be.”

He bit back words of anger hurled at your Father for making you feel this way, knowing it wouldn’t do you any good. You didn’t need to deal with Tommy’s anger.

 “Now come on, eh? Let’s get you inside. Warmed up by the fire. Cup of tea. Spend Christmas Day with me.”

Ocean blue eyes that held so much anger and danger, was staring at you with nothing but softness, adoration and a fierce protectiveness. He lifted the back of your hand to his lips and gave it another tender kiss, making your lips curl up into a smile. “That’s my girl.” It was the first time you smiled since he found you, and fuck how it made his heart flutter. Especially when you ducked your head in shyness but not before he spotted the hint of blush dusting your cheeks, making him chuckle ever so slightly. || Tag list: @captivatedbycillianmurphy

[aces-of-the-center-court]

Hello~ mod Raine here! Usually, it’s mod sunny who writes the headcanons while I do the proofreading. But this time, I took on the role of writing as well! However, as I had only watched the anime and not the manga, I had to research the characters’ personalities (esp Sakusa & Atsumu who hasn’t appeared much in the anime) and write accordingly to what I found, so I hope it’s not too out of character? Also!! This was our first attempt at writing a scenario instead of our usual headcanon. I felt that it flows better this way, so I tried my best > < Sorry it took so long!! Hope you’d enjoy it!

Sakusa Kiyoomi:

It was a rainy evening. Sakusa decided to stop by a convenience store on his way home. He closed his umbrella and placed it into the umbrella stand. After grabbing some items, Sakusa caught a whiff of a familiar scent when he stood in line for payment. The smell, exuding from the person queuing in front of him, brought him back to his memories from high school. It smelled like you.

Was he hallucinating? After the two of you had separated, he had mistakenly thought he saw you on numerous occasions, only to realise it was just someone who looked similar from the back. But this time, he wasn’t mistaken. He caught a glimpse of the handkerchief he gave you during your birthday when you used it to wipe your wallet that got wet from the rain. Sakusa’s eyes lit up. He opened his mouth to call you, but hesitated. He was sure it was you, but what if it wasn’t? He doubted. His eyes followed you as you walked towards the exit of the convenience store without realising that he was behind you.

Just as you were about to leave, you noticed that your umbrella was missing. It was no longer in the umbrella stand, so someone else must have taken it. You cursed your luck and was about to turn back to buy another umbrella when you recognised one of the umbrellas within the stand – it looked exactly like his. Although it could very well be someone else’s umbrella, and you could just be getting your hopes high for nothing, you still turned to search for him. There he was, in front of the cashier, staring back at you.

The eye contact returned Sakusa to reality. He quickly made his payment and paced towards you. He looked at the umbrella stand and hesitantly asked, “…What are you doing here?” To which you sheepishly replied, “Oh... my umbrella’s gone. I was about to get another one.” You looked out the glass door at the pouring rain outside and continued, “It doesn’t seem like it’ll stop anytime soon, you see.”

A pause later, Sakusa suggested, “How about I walk you home instead? The umbrellas here are… you know, not sturdy.” He thought of an excuse and grabbed his umbrella, glancing at you as he waited for your response. At your nod, the both of you headed out.

During the walk, you made sure to leave some space between the two of you to respect his germaphobe tendencies. Sakusa noticed it and tilted the umbrella towards you. When you looked over to him and realised his shoulder was getting wet, you broke the silence, “Sakusa-kun, your shoulder is going to get wet.”

“One of us will have to get wet with this space between us.” He muttered. Before you contemplated if you should move closer, he shifted closer to you under the umbrella. The two of you continued walking in tranquillity, shoulders touching.

“How have you been?” You broke the awkward silence again. Good, how about you? Good too. You imagined the flow of conversation and even the silence that would follow after. However, besides the rain sounds that filled the air, it was hushed. Sakusa wasn’t sure how he should answer. Should he tell you about his volleyball career or how he regretted the breakup with you? What about how he had never spent a day without missing you? Or how every little thing reminded him of you? With a sigh, he resigned, “Not that great.”

Astonished by his reply, you concernedly questioned, “Why not? Is something wrong?” Sakusa slowed his steps to a stop. You looked over to him and halted your steps as well.

“I missed you.” He said, voice soft behind his mask and the loud rain. Pushing his hesitation to the back of his mind, he turned to face you.

“I really miss you, y/n. Can we… start over again?”

Miya Atsumu:

<Stuck in traffic, will probably be around 10 minutes late… Sorry!!!!>

Your face lit up with your phone when you received a message from your best friend, but quickly dulled when you realised that they were going to be late. You sighed and leaned your back against the wall, deciding to play a game on your phone while waiting for your best friend.

“Eh~ Is this who I think it is?” A familiar voice called out.

Looking up from your phone, you saw a familiar figure lean his back against the wall next to you with his arms crossed. “What are you doing here?” Atsumu asked with a sly grin on his face.

You were at a sports hall where the current season’s volleyball matches were held. You had heard that Atsumu continued volleyball professionally, but you were not here for him. You were only here because your best friend had asked you to come watch the match with them. At least, that was how you tried to convince yourself. Either way, you were hoping to not bump into him here, but here he was, right next to you.

“What do you think? Everyone’s either here to play or watch the volleyball matches.” You kept your eyes on your phone, avoiding eye contact with him as you continued to sarcastically remark, “I’m not a player obviously, so I’m here to watch the match.”

He let out a wince, cocking his head to face you while still leaning against the wall, “Someone’s feeling prickly today?” You rolled your eyes as you pushed yourself off the wall and began walking away from him. You didn’t want to see him in case he could tell your feelings for him had not completely faded. But Atsumu trailed after you.

“Ah~ I thought you were here to see me.” He spoke loud enough for you to hear as he kept his pace behind you, a hint of teasing present in his voice. Unbeknownst to you, none of that statement was a lie. Atsumu was indeed hoping that you came just so you could see him.

“Why would I?” You responded, deadpan, dimming the glimmer of hope Atsumu held on to.

“Because you haven’t seen me in a while?”

“So? I’ve gotten over you since ages.” His heart stung when you said those words you did not mean so coldly.

“I want you to say that to my face.” He quickened his stride to catch up to you and stood in your line of sight. “It’s easy to say you’re over someone when you don’t see them,” He voiced in a serious tone, “But if you can look at me in the eyes and still say the same, then I’d believe you.” Despite his words, in his mind, Atsumu pleaded for the opposite. Tell me I’m not the only one who haven’t gotten over our relationship.

You gulped. “Why does it matter whether I’m over you or not anyway!” You raised your voice and turned around to walk away from him.

“Because I know I’m not.”

His words left you frozen in your tracks. He stepped towards you and pulled you to him as he hugged you from the back. In his embrace, you could feel his warmth and his heartbeat. His voice, low as he whispered next to your ear, “My mind just won’t stop thinking about you whether I see you or not. You have no idea how thrilled I was when I saw you just now. It’s impossible to forget about you even if I try, I can’t take this any longer.”

Releasing you from his clutch, he whirled you around to face him and slid his arms down from your shoulders to your fingers. With your hands in his, he gazed longingly into your eyes as he declared, “Be mine again, will you?”

Oikawa Tooru:

The bell jingled as the café door was pushed open.

“Hi, wel-” Until you saw the customer who just stepped in, you greeted as per usual, only to trail off the end of your words when you recognised the customer, “…come.”

Looking in the direction of the familiar voice, Oikawa was equally surprised to see you. He had only come to visit the newly opened café on his rest day, hoping to enjoy some leisure time. But he was not expecting to see his ex, working behind the counter. He stayed stunned, staring wide-eyed at you with his mouth slightly agape while a wave of nostalgia hit him.

Remaining professional, you put on a polite smile and properly greeted him again, “Welcome.” He regained his composure and returned the smile, then proceeded to take a seat by the window. As you continued your work as usual, Oikawa watched you silently. He watched your expressions as you greeted the customers with a smile. Oh, how much he missed that smile of yours.

He felt a tug at his heartstrings as he recalled the moments that he had with you, back when you used to laugh with him, with a smile even brighter than your current one. He got up and walked to the counter where you were stationed – and there you were, with a polite smile, not the one he was used to seeing.

“How can I help you?” You asked him with a solemn smile, as with every customer.

Be with me again. He imagined saying, but ultimately shook off the thought. “What would you recommend?” He returned the question instead.

Though you were somewhat taken aback by his request, you contemplated carefully before responding, “How about some earl grey tea to go with our classic Hokkaido milk bread? Or hot chocolate if you’re feeling for something sweeter? It goes well with the milk bread too.”

A faint smile formed on his lips when he realised you still remembered his favourite food – milk bread. The smile quickly disappeared as he felt his heart wrench. He missed you, so much.

“I’ll take an earl grey tea for me and a hot chocolate for you,” He shifted his gaze from the milk bread to you, “do you have some time?”

A flirty remark, others may think, but Oikawa’s expression was more serious than his usual grin. You broke away from his intense gaze to check the time – it was almost break time soon, maybe you could spare him a few minutes. “So, one earl grey tea and one hot chocolate,” You read out loud as you entered it into the cash register, “any milk bread for you?”

“Goes without saying, right?” Oikawa flashed a lopsided grin, one that used to make your heart flutter. It still did, but you ignored it and completed his order before taking your break.

During your break, you took a seat across him and grabbed the cup of hot chocolate. “Loads of whipped cream in your hot chocolate?” Oikawa casually asked whilst stirring his tea.

“Goes without saying, right?” You replied without hesitation, “It’s my hot chocolate you’re talking about.” You took a sip of your whipped cream filled hot chocolate. When you placed your cup back down, a cream moustache had formed across your top lip, causing a chuckle to escape from him. By habit, Oikawa reached his hand out to wipe it off, “You never change, do you?”

He paused his thumb midway on your lips after realising his actions and retracted his hands. You awkwardly picked up a napkin to wipe your lips instead. A pensive moment of silence later, you heard him take a deep breath. As you made eye contact with those glistening eyes of his, words poured out of his mouth, full of sincerity.

“Let’s start over, y/n. I need you.”

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Top 5 Character Deaths That Made Me Side-Eye the Writers

There are a lot of character deaths in TWDG... obviously. It a series about the literal dead walkin’ around and eating people, so as you’re playing, one of your favorite characters is bound to meet such a fate. To give this series credit, it does have quite a few well-executed deaths that, while I hate them, they have a purpose in the story that works. 

The best example of this is Lee’s death-- we all hate that Lee dies, but it’s well-done. It serves its purpose, it acted as both a shock and a slow-burn for the player, and left us all an emotional mess. 

However, we’re not talking about the “good” deaths today. No, we’re talking about the character deaths that are poorly executed, cheap, lazy, and just plain dumb... they’re the deaths that make me side-eye the writing team and wonder what the fuck happened there. 

By the way, it was reeeeeeal fun narrowing it down to only five deaths, because it seems like for every great death, there’s at least two bad ones.

5. Mariana and her death that ruined ANF’s potential story

I’ve talked at length about Mariana’s death and how much I hate it. Like, I get it TWDG... you love your sudden deaths and you’re so edgy for killing off a child character because you’ve never done that before... but maybe consider things a little further before pulling the trigger?

Yeah, killing off Mariana the way they did got a reaction outta people when it happened, and we got the burial scene if you stayed with Clementine... but you didn’t consider the future of this storyline? You pretend you did by name dropping Mari when it’s convenient, but then throw it out the window when it comes to characters like David or Gabe.

Listen, I know that ANF is a mess and what’s the point in telling the mess that it’s a mess? Well, I’m still annoyed at the writers for wasting the biggest opportunity for this game’s story, something that could’ve saved it from being a mess.

And I get it, you gotta make a death quota, so instead of killing Mariana off... why not kill Kate off instead? Oh no? We don’t get the stupid love triangle that no one actually enjoys or is engaged in?

Instead of this dumb story about Javi falling in love with his sister-in-law but oh no David’s back.... we could’ve had a story about Javi losing Kate and being left to care for two children by himself. Mariana and Gabe are all he has left, and he going to do whatever he can to keep them safe all while the three of them are mourning Kate.

Then David comes back, and he immediately takes these kids away from Javi.

There is no stupid storyline with Kate, but an actual conflict between two brothers who were never on the same page and two kids caught in the middle.

Plus, Mariana herself as a character really could’ve brought something to the table. She could’ve brought out a lot in David’s character since she seems to be more like Javi.

Her death is just... annoying. It’s frustrating when you know they could’ve told a better story with her alive, something ANF desperately needed.

My side-eye is one of disappointment and annoyance.

4.Luke and his easily preventable drowning

Ugh.... where to even begin? 

Luke really just gets butchered as a character throughout the second half of S2, and the writers end up demolishing the set up they placed at the beginning of the season for a Luke vs Kenny thing. 

Why? Well, Luke vs Kenny was the initial ending they were gonna go with, but because this season went through all kinds of bullshit, they scrapped that and replaced Luke with Jane... and it’s so dumb.

Hell, it kind of ruins a lot. Not only did it ruin Luke, a character that many players loved, but it forces the new character of Jane, who we only get two episodes to get to know, so they can fade Luke out. 

But that’s not all. 

His death is so... ugh. It’s stupid, okay? Stupid and easily preventable, but noooo... we gotta kill Luke off for reasons because all we know is that S1 killed off a lot of characters and we’re gonna do that again but worse because we failed to understand what made those deaths impactful in the first place. 

Lots of character death and despair = good game. 

Yep, uh-huh. Okay. 

So we all know that Luke’s leg is hurt, yeah? Great, so you’d think that the group that has an injured man and a new born baby would be extra cautious and go around the frozen lake. Yeah, Arvo says that it’s safe but let’s not take any chances. 

But no. We gotta go across like a group of dingdongs and whattya know-- the ice begins to crack beneath Luke’s feet. Now, even here, we coulda got him outta there safely... if Bonnie wasn’t a dingus. 

Think about it. If we shot the walkers who were coming towards Luke with all their weight, he could’ve slowly scooted away, even if he’s already fallen through. BUT NO. Bonnie either guilts Clementine into going towards him, adding more weight to the already fragile ice as Luke tells her to stop, or Bonnie will go over there herself... and she’s a full grown woman soooo her weight breaks the ice. 

Good job, you dipsticks. 

When you have to make your characters into morons in order to move the plot along and kill off characters....maybe do some rethinking, yeah? 

 3. Mitch and his shock-value death

This death is so dumb... so incredibly, dumb. Even now, I can’t help but give full side-eye to the writers every time one of them tries to justify this death. 

I’m sorry, but this death didn’t have the impact you wanted it to have. And because there’s always someone who says, “Mitch didn’t die for shock value, you just can’t tell the difference between a good and bad death” lemme tell you a thing. 

What was the point of killing of Mitch? Well, according to those who worked on TFS, it was to show that Lilly and the delta are serious. This is when shit gets real, and when Lilly is established as a bad bitch who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. We should be scared of her now. 

Except no. 

This scene doesn’t tell me that Lilly is a bad bitch. It tells me that she has good reflexes, and going off her reaction after killing Mitch.... I’m not fucking scared of this dumbass. If anything, this scene says more about Mitch than it does Lilly. It says that Mitch is also a dumbass for running at her like he did. 

Y’know what would’ve been more impactful? If Mitch didn’t immediately get stabbed in the throat, but instead, actually got her on the ground and struggled with Lilly. Then, Lilly gets the upper hand and when you think she’s about to send Mitch to the cart, she fucking murders him in front of everyone to prove a point. 

There’s no remorse, it’s slow enough for Lilly to actually process what’s happening and show that she does know what she’s doing. That would scare me. That would show me that these people aren’t fucking around and they’re willing to kill some of them if that means getting the rest for their army. 

You still get your shock value death but it actually does something other than kill a character off. 

I’m really supposed to believe this is the same Lilly who can order to have Louis’ tongue cut off? 

But it doesn’t end there. No, no... there’s another part to Mitch’s death that annoys me, and it’s how insistent everyone was that his death is going to have a greater impact on the second half of the story. It had a purpose within the story, we did it for a reason.

...I mean, it has an impact on Willy and his arc for the second half. 

But that’s it. 

Oh... oh, what’s that? Oh, you were referring to those throwaway lines about Tenn? “He was screwing up again, just like when he got Mitch killed.”

OOOOOH.... I see, that’s what Mitch’s death was really amounting to... some lines dealing with whether or not AJ shot Tenn. Well, I guess I was wrong. Mitch’s death wasn’t just shock value. It really had a big purpose. In fact, Mitch’s death has the biggest impact on the series. Fuck Marlon and Brody’s deaths, and Lilly and James, and hell, fuck Tenn’s death, too. They’re meaningless compared to Mitch’s death. You did it, guys. You really did it. 

....Okay, I’m done. I’m just... salty, I fully admit. 

Being serious again, Mitch’s death is probably the worst in TFS as far as unpreventable deaths go and the real reason I side-eye the writers is because they tried to tell us it was going to have this huge impact in the future and it just... didn’t. 

2. Nick and his offscreen death.

I’m sorry, but what the fuck happened here? Why- what are you- how the hell did this happen??

I’m actually baffled. 

Someone wrote this. 

They set up at the end of ep3 that Nick is shot.... then ep4 comes and we find him like this. I just... did someone on the writing staff not wanna do their job that day? Someone was working on the story and at the last minute forgot Nick was a character, so they were like “Eh, he’s not important anyway, and it adds to the shittiness of everything so we’ll pretend this was 100% intentional.” 

Nick was one of your more interesting characters and you really thought killing him off like this was the way to go, huh? 

Like, his first death is shitty, but in the very least it kind of makes sense. 

But this? 

This is horrible. If I wrote this, I’d be embarrassed. 

I just... I’m so tired of S2 right now. 

This is at #2 because it’s just lazy, bad writing. At least with Luke, Mitch, and Mariana, we got to see their deaths and they had some, even if just a little, impact on the story afterward. 

But Nick? 

Nothin’.

Even Luke, who is the closest person to Nick, name drops him maybe twice? It’s just.... nothing. 

And yeah, you can come at me with the “oh well not every death has to have meaning!” 

This is a story, okay? This is a story crafted with characters who have arcs by people who wanted it to be a success, and usually that means having satisfying conclusions.... or, intentionally unsatisfying if that acts as a natural conclusion to their story or is a reoccurring theme. 

Nick’s death is just the writers falling flat on their faces and hoping no one would notice. 

1. Sarah and both of her shitty deaths. 

Ugh. UGH.

Okay. 

I’m not even side-eyeing anymore-- I’m fully glaring.

I don’t have to tell you how shitty both of Sarah’s deaths are. We all played S2, we all know that no matter what you do, Sarah dies in ep4. You can try to save her, she lives a little bit longer, and then falls to her death... and both deaths have her being devoured alive by walkers. 

Now, this is enough to annoy me. First off, I guess my choices don’t really matter. Sure, you can justify this as one of those “sometimes you can’t save someone, no matter how hard you try” ...and fine. Sure, if they had bothered to execute that point well, then great. 

But I disagree that the writers had that in mind when they were killing Sarah off. 

In fact, I know what what going on in their brains-- “God, can’t wait to kill Sarah off! Give us any reason to do it! She’s so damn annoying!”

The writers have openly admitted that a lot of the team were just waiting to kill Sarah off, waiting for any reason, so when the major part of the community who take everything at surface level because why think? kept complaining about Sarah, they jumped on the opportunity to kill her off.... but the deaths are dumb.

Listen, this isn’t like when the writers planned on killing Lee off. You can plan a death and even be excited about it because you’re excited about the story and execution of it all. You can be excited to see the heartbreaking end of this character’s story that you crafted because you know you put everything you had into it.

These deaths were lazy and the product of a team who didn’t care about the character. Sarah dies and no one cares. 

Sure, you leave her to die the first time and Jane does her thing about how you can’t save everyone, she talks about Jaime, and then Luke exposes himself as the fake Luke by agreeing that leaving Sarah behind was probably the right thing. Like what?

Now as much as I hate that first one, the second one is even worse. 

For some reason, Sarah is standing in the corner while they’re trying to fight off the walkers instead of being inside with Rebecca... y’know, where she would be if this was logical. 

Then the deck breaks and Sarah falls, trapped under a pile of wood. Jane, despite being the one who sees Sarah as a liability, goes down there to try and help her after Clementine begs her to. 

But because the writers don’t know what they’re doing, Jane gets hit by a random piece of wood and can’t get Sarah out in time, leaving her to be eaten alive by walkers. 

Then AJ is born and no one cares about Sarah ever again. 

I just.... 

Could’ve had an interesting story arc with a character who just lost her father in such a gruesome way, a character that already deals with anxiety and other problems that you never bothered to explain other than “she isn’t like Clementine” and you could’ve had her grow. 

But I guess that would’ve taken effort.... and screen time away from Kenny, and god forbid we ever do that. 

---

Honorable Mentions

-Ava falling to her death in the most comedic way possible, made even more hilarious by David’s two seconds of mourning. -Omid.... because hope is dead. Do you get it? Hope? is dead? Because Omid means hope? Do you get it?? -Honestly you could put most of S2′s deaths on this list because oh my god. -Ben because I’m still a salty bitch.  -I also wanna add Louis and Violet’s deaths on the bridge mostly because they die, Clem is sad for two seconds, Tenn says sorry, and then no one cares. Yeah, yeah, they mourned off screen and I call that lazy bullshit. -Hell, throw Tenn’s death on here, too, for similar reasons-- no one but Louis/Violet and AJ seem to care. Even Clementine is like “whatever” after it happens. 

---

Y’know, picking this one seemed like a good idea at the time, but by now I’m just annoyed by all these dumb deaths. So, what are your thoughts? Are there any deaths that make you question the writers that didn’t end up on the list? Do you agree or disagree with my list? Lemme know, we can have a friendly discussion about it. 

Have any suggestions for future T5F’s? Feel free to send ‘em in! :D

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Next week’s T5F Top 5 Favorite Louis Moments

[thewritewolf]

Cat Crossing Chapter 2

As bad as it was to accidentally reveal his identity to one of his friends, Adrien was sure he could smooth things over somehow. After all, who could possibly be smoother than him?

I posted this on Ao3 a few days ago, but completely forgot to post it here too! I wrote Cat Crossing last year for @sweetsweetsweetie‘s birthday and decided to give the much-demanded second chapter as this year’s present.

You can find the first chapter here for some Animal Crossing, Marichat goodness. Read on to see Marinette being a super flirt, and Adrien being completely unable to handle it.

Enjoy!

-----

Adrien had a fitful night’s sleep after he panic-disconnected from Animal Crossing. He wasn’t entirely sure if doing that would damage his save file or not, but he just couldn’t bring himself to worry about that right now.

No, there was a much more serious, pressing issue at the moment - Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a civilian, had discovered his identity through her clever deductive skills and through not fault of his own. At least, that was how he’d phrase it to Ladybug. Hopefully she believed him. Because otherwise…? Well, he was going to be in trouble.

“So, what’s the plan, big cat?” Plagg asked, sounding far too chipper about all this, with his wide grin and the amused gleam in his eyes. Adrien would have thought that his kwami would have been the more scared of the two of them, but there was no time to question that now.

Especially since his kwami had asked him that same question last night after Adrien had explained just how badly he’d messed up - and just who had discovered his true identity. All he could say then was that he’d sleep on it and something would come to him in the morning.

Well, the morning was here and as he stepped off the limo dropping him off at school, he had absolutely nothing to show for it. The only bright side is that he was here early enough that he could still hash things out with Plagg before classes started. With that intent in mind, Adrien rushed inside and made a beeline for the empty lockers.

“Okay…” Adrien ran his fingers through his hair, trying his best to keep cool and stay optimistic. “Well, at least it was her and not some random person, right?”

Plagg’s grin only grew. “Oh yeah, definitely. Probably the best person you could have accidentally revealed yourself to.”

“Right…” Adrien gave Plagg a suspicious glance. “We know Marinette. She’s shy, she’s a good friend, she’s honest. She wouldn’t intentionally reveal my identity, right?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Plagg pretended to inspect his paws. “She places a real high value on honesty, kid. And she’s best pals with the one and only Ladyblogger - a fact you know only all too well.”

“Yes, and-”

“Cuz you stare at pictures of Ladybug on there all the time.”

“Not all the time-”

Plagg shrugged. “Eh, close enough. But back to pigtails - what’s the plan?”

“Well, we know she’s shy, right? So what if I really ramp up the Chat Noir charm on her? And while she’s still trying to get her bearings I tell her how important it is to keep identities secret and everything.”

Adrien nodded slowly to himself, feeling the framework of a plan coming together. A few zingers and flirty lines started forming in his head. “That should buy us enough time until we see Ladybug again. I bet she’ll know what to do.”

It was at that moment Adrien closed the locker door and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw that Marinette was oh so casually leaning up against the locker beside him.

“I didn’t catch that last part,” she said, a knowing smirk on her face. “Who will know what to do? Or, even better, just who were you talking to?”

“I… um…” Adrien swallowed, confronted with Marinette leaning toward him, arms behind her back and a look of serene curiosity on her face, but with an insidious glee in her eyes. “Just my...”

Her voice was just barely above a whisper as she spoke into his ear. “...Kwami, maybe?”

All the gears in Adrien’s head ground to a halt and in the face of her… well, face, which was little more than a hand’s breadth away from his own. Coming up with coherent thoughts was just about impossible and all he could do was go, “Uhhhh…”

“I thought so.” Her smirk returned. “See you in class!”

With a wink that did things to his heart, Marinette walked away, her hands still held behind her back. Adrien was frozen in place, staring at the spot she had been in as the sound of her humming faded off into the distance.

For a moment, he wondered about how she knew about kwamis. But memories of Multimouse soon surfaced in his mind and he realized just how doomed he was. After all, if Ladybug had chosen her, she had to be good.

Adrien swallowed heavily, but his mouth was dry. This was going to be a long, long day. And he no longer had any grasp on the situation whatsoever.

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

Where was the girl that stuttered in front of him every single day? Because she certainly wasn’t behind him in class that day. It couldn’t be, not by the way he could constantly feel her eyes on his back, and how she kept passing him notes. Adrien hadn’t had a moment to pull himself together since their little talk in front of the lockers.

Even during class, she found a way to keep him on the back foot, he reflected as another slip of paper found its way in front of him. The one before it had simply been a flirty cat pun, which he wasn’t sure was supposed to be an actual flirt or just teasing him. Taking a steadying breath, he opened up this one to see what it had to say.

Inside was a quick drawing of what had to be him - green eyes, blonde hair, his white jacket with the black shirt - with a speech bubble that just said, “meow meow meow meow meow.”

He quickly hide the drawing under his notebook, just in time since Ms Bustier turned back around at just that moment to address the class. If she saw, would she confiscate them? Or, even worse, would she make them read them out loud in class? Besides being embarrassing to have to say ‘meow’ five times outloud, would they give his classmates the edge they needed to discover his secret identity? Who else but a catboy would be able to say meow so effectively?

Ms Bustier turned back toward the white board and his momentary reprieve ended. Another note - this one folded into an American football - landed at his elbow. Ignoring the questioning look Nino was sending his way, Adrien opened it.

This one was just a drawing of a cat… a cat that unmistakably had his hair.

Adrien quickly shoved it into his pocket but no sooner had he managed that than another one landed right in front of him. Keeping an eye on Ms Bustier all the while, he felt it open with his hands and glanced down once he thought he’d gotten it.

Another drawing of him. This time with the words ‘pretty kitty’ and an arrow pointing at him.

That one got him to turn around, just enough to look at her. She looked back down at him, shameless, and even had the audacity to wave her fingers at him.

“Adrien, eyes up front please!”

He snapped back to attention at Ms Bustier’s gentle but firm command. There was a slight murmuring in the classroom, but it passed just as quickly as it began. After a couple minutes,  another note landed in front of Adrien.

Unheard by anyone else, Adrien let out a long, frazzled sigh.

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

Adrien collapsed onto his bed, finally home from a long day. Gym class and an hour of fencing didn’t do nearly half as much as just having Marinette behind him, flirting with him surreptitiously for the entire time they had classes together. And it was unquestionably flirting - eventually even he had no choice but to admit that she was hitting on him.

But why? He had to wonder. Was it because of her feelings for Chat Noir? Had something happened to awaken this in her from their time on her island last night?

Shaking his head, he decided he’d have to ask her tomorrow…

...Only for his phone to go off.

Naturally, it was Marinette, a fact he noted with wide eyes and quickening pulse.

Marinette: Open your island?

Adrien stared at that message for long minutes before it finally dawned on him that she was talking about his Animal Crossing island. After everything that had happened today, he had almost completely forgotten how his identity had been compromised.

His internal debate on whether or not to actually do what she asked was short. In a matter of minutes, he had his switch in his hands and was opening up his airport. His only response was to send her the access code.

He ran in circles as he patiently waited for her to arrive. The plane loading screen came up and he frowned at her passport title. “Rascally Bug Fan”? He could have sworn that wasn’t what it had been a few days ago…

Then she landed and the cutscene played, showing her character walking out of the airport gates. But she wasn't in the clothes that she had been wearing when he visited her island yesterday. No, she was wearing a red, black spotted suit, a superhero mask, and with a rose in her hair.

Everything clicked and he let out an involuntary gasp that turned into an undignified, startled squawk as his fingers slackened and his switch fell onto his face. He quickly rolled to a sitting position and watched Marinette - or, should he say Ladybug? - walk up to where he was standing.

He used the anger react and she responded with a laugh. Remembering the day that she had put him through, he felt the corners of his mouth twitch up in a smile. He had his character use the love react, a pink heart floating above his head.

She smacked him with a net.

[vetlan]

Summary: Nothing says "Impromptu Darkwing Duck Reunion" like being arrested for something a group of lookalikes did, and then being bailed out by a… Darkwing Duck cosplayer? Fanboy? Well, there were odder things that happened in relation to that cursed show.

Characters Present: Megavolt ( Actor ), Quackerjack ( Actor ), Liquidator ( Actor ), Bushroot ( Actor ), Darkwing Duck ( Drake Mallard )

Notes: The Actors are named after the original Voice Actors! Also this isn’t meant to make much sense, I just sat down today and chose violence, and by violence I meant a “short” humor fic based on the idea of the old actors seeing their villain alter-egos on the news. Serisouly how did this turn into writing almost 5k words in one day...

---

Dan Rattus-Sphynx was having a bad day, but not a terrible one. He was stuck in traffic on his way home after a long day at work, thinking on the cold tv-dinner he'd be indulging in while wondering what was causing the hold up -- unfortunately, if he'd been listening to the news on the radio, he would've been tipped off to the one fact that was about to turn his bad day into a terrible one: the old cast of Darkwing Duck was to be brought in for questioning. After Jim Starling's little explosive breakdown, when mirror-perfect images of the old actors started looting and terrorizing the city, the mayor wanted to take no chances.

And maybe then he wouldn't have laughed and asked the cops if they were a fan of his work as Megavolt -- he was pretty sure now, sitting in his cell, that they took that the wrong way.

He was the first to be apprehended.

Next came Michael Peckbell, once known as the actor behind Quackerjack, who was embarrassingly enough, arrested in a clown costume. Dan genuinely tried to hide his snickering as the old clown jingled miserably into the cell, done arguing for his innocence. It is only after he threw a dirty look at Dan that he recognized who he was sharing a cell with, and his annoyance turned to recognition and then confusion, head tilting to the side and making his hat jingle.

"Wait, why are you here?"

"Same reason you are, I guess… There's a warrant for our arrest because some lookalikes decided to rob banks while cosplaying as our old Darkwing Duck roles."

"No, seriously, Dan, why are we here? I was at a brat's blasted birthday party when these BRUTES went and tackled me!" Hands on his hips, Michael didn't look particularly amused as he tapped his foot, and Dan tried his best not to get short with the ex-actor turned party clown.

"Hey, I am serious! It's all they're showing on the news, I got taken while driving home! Wait, shh, do you hear that--" "Oh no, you're not shutting me up--" "I'm serious serious Mike, listen!"

Holding the duck's beak shut, which earned him another dirty look, Dan shuffled them closer to the holding bars so that they could listen to the news from the dingy little tv at the start of the holding cells corridor. Seriously, couldn't they turn the volume up a little? Luckily, as if hearing his silent wish, they do turn the sound up.

"... we interrupt this segment to bring an update on the current string of robberies and break-ins that have been plaguing St. Canard to inform that massive plant growths are starting to block off city exits, we strongly recommend that you resist fleeing the city and instead head home where it is safest -- ah, I am now getting reports of streets being flooded! Again, stay indoors and do not head out until further instructions! Your city's law enforcement is currently working with Darkwing Duck to apprehend the criminals behind this!"

"Oh quack, actual super villains, we're doomed!" A wailing voice can be heard from the front of the police station, paired with a stern: "GET IT TOGETHER, they have Darkwing Duck on the case!" The commotion paired well with the confused and genuinely taken aback look Dan and Mike shared.

"Drkwng dck?!" Mike tries to get through his beak, then realizing Dan was still holding it shut and slapping the hand away. Probably for the best right there, as that exclamation would've been much louder otherwise. "Has the world gone cuckoo? He's fiction! We're fiction! Well, not us, we're not fiction, but the characters we played! They can't be serious, this why we're here? Hah! Give me a break!" The party clown jumps on the cell bars, shaking the door and making a ruckus, refusing to believe a single thing he's heard: "Ha! Ha! Ha! Very funny, now let us out!" Each 'laugh' is punctuated by a vigorous shake and increased irritation, visibly huffing from anger from his beak… and absolutely not helping their case. One policeman dared peek over their way, and he squealed!

(Jeez, what is it with clowns and short tempters?)

"Would you cut that out? You look deranged! Is this what you do at birthday parties?" With a sharp tug at the back of the collar, Dan manages to pry his ex-co-star from the bars, who seemingly immediately deflates and jingles to one of the benches, sitting with his elbows on his knees and his cheeks in his hands, absolutely pouting. "I'm not any happier about this than you are, you know! But it makes sense! Almost! It explains why we couldn't get any work done at the office today, our system kept going down like someone was messing with it!" That earns him a scoff from his current cell companion, and Dan can't help but throw a look in the clown's direction. "What?"

"You, work in an office?" The question can come across as derogative, but there's genuine curiosity there. "I thought you were big into the acting thing, had your big break and everything as a villain or something." A pause. "Well, bigger villain than before."

There Dan pauses, brings up an index finger as if he's going to make a point, then just sighs and practically collapses into a slouch. It has been a while since the last Darkwing Duck meet-up, huh? No wonder Mike was so out of the loop.

"Yes, well, I gave it up. Want to hear a secret?" An earnest jingly nod is his reply. "I was asked to return for the Darkwing Duck remake… reboot… whatever movie they were making, but I just said no. I feel like I got typecast into the 'weasely evil rat' archetype, you know? After a while, I just started to wonder if people were laughing with me or at me. At least you made it work out somehow."

"That's exactly my deal! People kept making me into the laughing stock so I figured I might as well be an actual clown and beat them to the punch. The brats are annoying, but it beats the circus I was at before the show. Keeps me from getting rusty, even if I'm just going through a checklist of party-tricks at this point." From his pout, Mike perks up, banging his fist on the bench to his side before standing up again, seemingly bracing himself for -- ah, he twirls into a handstand, and Dan claps in genuine amazement.

"Wow, you still got it!"

"Eh, it's nothing. Unlike you guys, I had to work with Jim directly, by his rules. No doubles allowed, or I was a puffy-tailed coward. Quackerjack had no real special effects, remember? Just toys and acrobatics to use against Darkwing Duck." He could do it, but admittedly his endurance wasn't what it used to be. Still, to be a bit of a show-off, Mike stays like that for another minute before twirling right side up, trying to shake off the dizziness that came up with it -- only to stumble and be steadied by Dan when the lights in the entire station flicker and a distant rumble shakes the entire street, and suddenly they remember their current predicament. Yeap. Whatever was going on was very real. 

"Hey, cut that out!" Someone calls from the front of the police station, and Dan tries his best not to sound absolutely peeved off when he answers back. "It's not me, you bumbling meatheads!" He genuinely tried.

The silence after that is frustrating and uncomfortable. Meeting up was nice and all, but no one was talking to them, they didn't know if their friends and family were safe, and apparently, the city really was being overtaken by super-powered criminals based on characters they played in a kid's tv-show. So Dan sat on the bench, momentarily stunned by that fact even though he was the one trying to convince Mike it made sense, all the while the clown decided to tire himself out further by continuously jumping up to try and look out the tiny cell window they had.

"Would you STOP your jingling about!?"

The only answer Dan got was a raspberry blown in his direction. Real mature.

---

Tino had made his mind up the moment he caught sight of himself on live tv robbing a bank: he was turning himself in. For one thing, it would immediately prove his innocence because he couldn't be robbing banks if he was in captivity, and then he'd hopefully be safe from these super-powered evildoers! Alright, so, well, his initial plan was to flee the city, but then his green lookalike decided to go and BLOCK every exit to St. Canard just as he was trying to drive away. It was almost impressive, really, to see what a bigger budget could have gotten them back in the good old days, but it was mostly terrifying that the guy behind these massive green growths was out there. W-w-what if these copycats had some sort of personal vendetta against the originals?! He wasn't sure why they would, but he wasn't taking any chances! He was driving to the nearest police station and that was it!

Only one road is cut off, the other is flooding towards him and it takes all his composure to slam on the reverse and scream at the same time, and instead, Tino decides to just head for the high ground at a park and go from there. Tino might have been speeding for the first time in his life just then, but he figured that it was fair -- and hey, maybe a cop would come and arrest him! No such luck, however.

The mallard duck looked positively green in the face ( no pun intended ) as he thought over his options, though it felt more like he was frozen in shock, just sitting there with his hands on the wheel and looking straight ahead. Was that… the ground shaking? If he looked at his bobblehead of Bushroot (which he'd be tossing out after this endeavor, thank you very much), he could take note of how it kept shaking as if with the steps of a giant duck --

The passenger door to his car opens, a figure jumps inside and Tino screams like a banshee and just tosses his wallet and car keys at them, fruitlessly trying to open the door and escape after he reactively locked them with the press of a button.

"TAKE IT, I DON'T NEED IT, I'M A POOR COLLEGE PROFESSOR SPARE ME --"

"JUST CALM DOWN, I DON'T WANT YOUR DANG -- wait Real? Tino Real?! It's me! Jack Pumi! Old co-star?!" And as if a switch had been flipped inside Tino's head, first his voice gives out and then his beak shuts, and his feathers unruffle themselves. Yes, he knew a Jack Pumi, that's right.

"Oh, sorry friend! You really shouldn't sneak up on a duck-like that, I feel like I almost laid my heart there!" Tino practically melts into his seat as his stress is wrung out of him at the sight of a familiar face during these scary times. "What brings you to… my car?" Hey, why did Jack get into his car?

"Ah, don't sweat it old chum! We're all a little jumpy nowadays, criminals on the run and all that." The Bushroot bobblehead is starting to shake with considerable vigor, but this is missed by the two as Jack pats Tino on the shoulder. "As for why I'm here --" A look in the rearview mirror, the surprisingly unmistakable sound of a car being stepped on not too far behind them by a giant clown robot. "DRIVE!"

You didn't have to ask Tino twice, even if they both fumbled with the keys back and forth before finally taking off as a massive foot concaved the ground where they just were, but it was best if they focused on that later. Right now, they were flooring it to… somewhere.

"Just like the good old days, don't you think? So, what's the plan, captain?" As Jack tried to hold on through Tino's panicked driving, he felt he might as well make some small talk -- not to mention that he talks when he's nervous.

"In the good old days, we were the bad guys squashing innocent civilians, and I have to say, it isn't much fun when you're on the other side of it! And p-plan, well, I don't know, drive until it leaves us alone? Until the deranged clown gets bored?"

"If I recall, boring that quacking menace is the last thing you want to do…"

"Well, what do you suggest?! Ohnononoit'sgettingcloser!" And the laughing is getting considerably irksome, if not straight up giving the both of them goose-skin.

"Where were you going before I showed up, why were you just sitting there at the park?"

"I was thinking of driving to a police station and hiding there, but the streets got flooded so I drove to higher ground and then… I froze in the existential terror of considering that a super-powered copycat of myself was wreaking havoc."

"First: beats driving in circles trying to lose this clown, second: boy I feel ya, but now's maybe not the time to focus on that pal-io! How's about you really step on the gas and see if we can't throw it off? There, right there! Turn!"

A paired screaming match occurs when Jack just grabs the wheel and sends them on a sudden turn right, Tino struggling to regain control of the car before laughing hysterically with nervous energy as Quackerjack's mech kept going straight… before turning to look at them again. They screamed again and floored the gas as far down as this crusty old car could go.

Meanwhile, Quackerjack just let out a singular 'huh' at the realization that there was a car under him the whole time… before devolving into a manic fit of giggles at the realization of the terror he caused to the two little bugs hidden under his massive robot's beak. Oh, he loves being a bad guy. Endless fun!

---

"I'm TELLING you, that's a giant Quackerjack robot! Look! Look!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I can't jump that high?!"

---

The rest of the drive was… surprisingly peaceful. Sure, there were random root systems on the road that pretty much served as speedbumps every so often, but outside of that there was no sign of any evildoers, only the ominous red glow in the sky coming from some skyscraper or other, neither Tino or Jack cared much for the fancy science labs uptown… but that probably explains the commotion going on! The bet was on if it was science or magic behind this mess, and Tino was feeling pretty sure about his bet on magic.

Alright, so maybe peaceful wasn't the word, more like… eerie. But it beat constant panic 100%, so Tino wasn't complaining! About that, at least. He was most certainly complaining about his current treatment at the police station -- they wouldn't arrest him! Which wasn't a complaint he thought he could make.

"We're not looking for fanboys, we're looking for the actual actors to turn themselves in!"

"F-fanboys!? Why I oughta -- do you expect me to grow a plant on top of my head? I'm Tino Real, I played Bushroot, this is Jack Pumi, he played the Liquidator. What's next, you expect him to turn into liquid?"

Perhaps a bad choice of words, as that's exactly the footage that was shown through live news on the tv right then and there, Bushroot and the Liquidator teaming up and just wiping the floor with what appeared to be… Gizmoduck. Huh. Oh well.

"Honestly, yes. We already caught the other two, and they're not causing any problems anymore."

"Wait, other two? Do you mean Dan and Mike?" Jack interrupts, only to be interrupted himself by the officer that had just been speaking. "Quackerjack and Megavolt," the officer corrects.

Tino can't resist facepalming.

"You can see Quackerjack in the distance from here…" It was true, it looked like he was headed for the building emitting that ominous glow, for whatever reason, but there's no missing that giant clown robot-toy thing. That murmured exasperation does give the officer pause, and he holds up an index finger telling them to wait where they are… which they do, with a tap of a foot and impatient crossed arms, as he walks around his desk, doggy tail impatiently swooshing behind him… before quickly tucking between his legs as he hurried back inside, seconds before the lights inside the station all shut down, emergency generators kicking in seconds after.

"Quackerjack, Megavolt, accounted for. You were right." Snout pale, the dog looked like he was sweating underneath his coat of fur, licking his lips in nervousness. So maybe they shouldn't have been quite as ruff when apprehending the first two… Oh well. "I don't care anymore, you can share a cell with the other washed-up acts." The green duck said something about it being safer in than out, and well, the police dog couldn't exactly argue against it. Besides, the mayor said to apprehend them, right? Hopefully, no word about them trying to turn these two away would surface…

---

"Dan, Mike, buddies, remember me?!"

That got the two sitting in the cell snap their heads up so fast, one could almost hear a whip crack, and Mike punches Dan in the shoulder, a large grin on his face. "See, what did I tell ya, they got caught too, which means they know we're innocent, so they have to let us out. That, and you owe me 20."

"Funny joke, clown, they're joining you, not the other way around."

One click, two click, and Toni and Jack join the other two actors inside the cell, and Toni nearly kisses the floor he's so glad to be inside and safe. Well, safe-ish.

"Haha, don't mind him, we just had a rough trip on the way over, traffic was absolutely killer!" No, Jack couldn't help it, he had to make that joke. "We would've gotten here sooner, but we spent like ten minutes driving away from a killer giant robot that looked like… what's with the clown costume?" It wasn't Quackerjack-y, but that was definitely a clown outfit.

"Oh, was that your car?! Ahahaha -- sorry, sorry, but that's all I could see from that window -- he almost crushed you two a good five times! And I'm a clown. End of story." The tone of voice certainly said so, but then it quickly turned to confusion. "Wait, what do you mean 'gotten here sooner'? You want to be in jail?"

"Well, we, we, we were going to turn ourselves in! And we did! It's safer to be in here than out there, you know! You watched us almost get crushed!"

Mike looks like he's about to say something, and then he realizes Toni definitely had a good point there, so he settles on shrugging his shoulders, looking at Dan and hoping he'd have any sort of opinion on this other than just 'meh'.

"So…" Dan starts, feeling particularly coerced by Mike's incessant staring, but not having anything interesting to talk about.

"So…" Jack copies as he looks around their holding cell before slapping his hands together. "We're staying in here until this all blows over, as I'm pretty sure they know we're not the ones causing the big old ruckus. Kind of slaps me with a terrible sense of deja-vu, to be quite honest. The Fearsome Four, back together!"

That does bring up some amused mumbling from the group, even if the mere mention of the show had since gotten stale thanks to Jim Starling's obsession with it, mentioning it wherever he went.

"The only thing that's missing is Dorkwing Duck, huh?" Mike adds, snickering to himself, before pausing with a pensive look on his beak, and Toni can't help but regret what he's about to ask:

"What's on your mind, Michael?"

"Just thinking, really, but… What if this is Jim's doing? You all heard how he went crazy about the movie, right? Single handedly got it canceled, got into a fight with the new guy playing Darkwing Duck. What if this is him trying to reboot it on his own now?" Ignoring the fact that it sounded like a conspiracy theory, it almost made sense. He hasn't been seen since, so what if he was planning his comeback all this time?

The four occupants of the cell look at each other, and then break down laughing.

"As if! That thick headed, self-centered dimwit couldn't plan something this far ahead!"

"Where would he find these super-powered copycats, anyway?!"

"You'd think he'd come for the source material, if it came to that!"

"Ahaha, I know, right!?"

And just like that, the ice was broken, and the four of them made themselves as comfortable as they could in their current situation, deciding to look at it as a surprise reunion. Funny how most of their problems with the old show stemmed from Jim…

---

A large explosion echoes through St. Canard, and Mike wastes no time in trying to peek out the tiny cell window while a commotion began at the front of the police station. The ominous red glow faded from the sky, the plants withered, lights flickered back on through the city, and floods ran down drain pipes.

Whatever it was, it was done. Hopefully.

---

The next morning wasn't exactly glamorous. They were served their breakfast slop and told to wait until they fixed the bureaucracy involved in this mess, because apparently there was no paperwork for "interdimensional villains from an old live-action hero show", and there was no real proof they weren't connected somehow.

"Outside of the fact that we spent all night in here?! Let! Us! Out!"

"Seriously, what is it with clowns and short tempters…" Dan mutters, but all that Toni and Jack offer him is a vague shrug. Mike was just like that, why else would they pick him to play Quackerjack?

"Experts agree, stressing yourself out won't get you anywhere, friend!" Jack starts, even if he's not exactly sure who the experts would be in this case. It does make the duck stop trying to strangle or otherwise pry the cell bars appart with sheer physical strength -- that, or someone was finally coming to see them. Turns out it was the later, but Jack would like to believe he helped anyway!

No words of acknowledgement, just the same cop that greeted Toni and Jack yesterday, but now, instead of a scared look on his face, he looked positively starstruck. Which would be nice, if he hadn't made it clear that he didn't care about their acting careers, so what gives? The four of them look at each other, and after a vague shrug from Dan, they file out of the holding cells and make their way out. Or plan to, at least, until Mike comes to a full stop and forces everyone behind him to stumble over each other.

"Hey, what gives --!"

"JIM!? I WAS KIDDING WHEN I SAID THOSE THINGS YESTERDAY, I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY YOU BEHIND THIS --"

The clown-attired duck rattles off, and that startles both the party behind him and the supposed Jim, who jumps a whole foot into the air and stretches his hands in front of him, trying to calm the shocked duck down.

"N-no, no, you got it all wrong, I'm Darkwing Duck! The one and only! Technically based on the remake but we don't talk about it! AlsoI'mabigfanandIwaswonderingifyouwouldn'tmindsigningthisposter--"

The first part wouldn't be unbelievable if it had been Jim, but the mention of a remake knocked it down a peg, and then saying he's a fan and asking for an autograph, even if said all in one breath, definitely meant it wasn't Jim. The (once) Fearsome Four let out a shared sigh that they didn't know they were holding as they surrounded this… cosplayer, for lack of a better term.

"Could've fooled me, you're his splitting image, I tell you what… Well, no, you're smooth. He was more…" Mike takes a second to mess up his face feathers, making it look like he'd been sleeping face down for a month. "Gruff, yeah? You look like a baby in comparison."

"Hey! I'll have you know I saved this city from complete annihilation!"

"What was that about a poster, kiddo?" Jack interjects, leaning over Mike's shoulder. "I guess it's the least we can do for saving our city, and in turn us. Not going to lie, it's been a while since I've signed a poster, ever since I started selling --"

"Tupperware?! I have your entire collection, you weren't lying when you said those things could last!"

Jack had to stop and blink for a second, even if his brain automatically had him fetch a pen from an inner pocket. The guy was a "hero", yet here he was fanboying over a tupperware salesman. "Haha, well, I don't like having my face attached to cheap products, what can I say. So, who do we make it out to be?"

"Uh… Darkwing… Duck?"

"Creative," Dan adds with a snicker, but takes the pen from Jack anyway to sign the poster.

"Short notice, what can I say, I came as soon as I heard that they had you guys locked up in here, after making sure the interdimensional evil-doers were in their respective places of course!" The masked duck before them poses in what they guess he thinks is a heroic pose, and out of politeness they don't mention that it makes him look like an absolute tool.

"So those… look-alikes, they're gone? Oh, I never realized quite how frightening our characters were at the time, it was just a silly children's cartoon…" Genuinely, all that Toni wanted now was to crawl home and pass out for a week straight, even if he might miss a weeks worth of work. He felt like it was only fair!

"Darkwing Duck guarantee! I would tell more in hopes of assuring you, but it's all classified, I'm sure you can understand. Just know that there's a real hero watching St. Canard now! Petty thug or super-villain, I'm your guy!"

The poster goes from hand to hand, and they all sign it before giving it back, and the excitement the masked duck shows for it is a little nice, as Jack had mentioned previously. Usually Jim hogged all the attention at fan meetings, whether the fan wanted it or not.

"Oh Launch… I mean, LP is going to eat his scarf when he sees this! You guys have just made a hero's day! Say, would it be too much if I asked for a h--"

"Yeah, no, too much." Dan deadpanned, and everyone agreed wholeheartedly, instead offering a handshake instead, which is gladly taken.

"So, what are your plans now? I could give one of you a ride!" Wringing his hat between his hands, this Darkwing Duck wannabe looked like he wanted to tag along with them, as if he expected them to act like they did on the show, and an awkward look was shared between the four of them. How to gently let this guy down… Seriously, they didn't need a vigilante deciding reality equals fiction -- IGNORING THE EVENTS OF LAST NIGHT.

"Thanks but no thanks, my plan is to go home, pass out, and forget this ever happened." Answer, you just don't, it's a grown man for quack's sake. Mike drops the cape corner he was inspecting and waltzes out the door, his hat jingling behind him.

It didn't take much for everyone else to follow after.

"Pretty much." "Ditto." "I'm still not certain it wasn't an overly elaborate dream."

Not taking a hint, Darkwing Duck follows after them, waving as they all squeeze into Toni's little car. "Good thinking, guys! Just remember, if there's trouble --"

"You call DW!" Alright, he could have that one freebie on the house, Jack decided, even if everyone else in the car stink eyed him for indulging the masked weirdo. "What, it is a catchy tune!"

The car wasn't the only thing grumbling as it drove off.

[jippy-kandi]

Digimon Adventure: 2020 – Episode 42: King Of Inventors, Garbagemon (Review)

Thoughts on the forty-second episode of the Digimon Adventure reboot series.

This was actually a pretty decent episode! I just . . . miss the rest of the kids. XD; So I didn’t love it as much as I would have if they had all been in it . . .

Agumon: “Hurry, hurry!” Tentomon: “No need to get that excited.” Well, at least the episode started with a chuckle! :D

Koushirou: “U-Um, this is incredible! To create such an invention from garbage!” Garbagemon: “What do you mean garbage? Eh?! This is a mountain of treasure! These are all valuable objects that prove the existence of another world! It’s a fountain of knowledge!” Koushirou: “A fountain of knowledge . . .” Garbagemon: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure if you change your perspective. Assumptions are enemies of science!” Koushirou: “I see!” Taichi: “Then are these for your studies too?” Garbagemon: “No, that’s just garbage.” LOL. I loved this whole exchange, actually. In a below average kids’ series, this is A+ material. XD; It introduced Garbagemon as an inventor who was “curious” about another world - the real, human world - which was super neat to reverse how the kids are curious about the Digital World and have a Digimon be curious about our world. Plus, it ended with a nice joke! What’s not to love? :D

I really liked that Garbagemon was basically a Digimon version of Koushirou, lol. I loved their connection as well - it was believable and added nicely to Koushirou’s character (which has been lacking for a while now . . .). He wasn’t just an info dump bot this episode, he actually thought about things to come to a conclusion. It was great!

A random SIM thing drops and Garbagemon lets Koushirou keep it? I have no idea what it is, but it seems pretty important for later, lol. (I googled: It’s a Dim Card for evolutions! Pretty smooth way to drop something significant.)

Unoriginal thought: Raremon looks like Muk. :D

Garbagemon wanting to disassemble Koushirou’s tablet - and Koushirou’s adamant refusal - was pretty funny!

Awww, the “ownerless cups” belonging to dead Chuumon (thanks to Raremon) was actually pretty sad. Nice imagery there. Poor Chuumon and Garbagemon, I did feel for them - and that’s another plus for the writing this episode!

Koushirou: “Revenge, huh . . . It may not be a good thing to do . . . But there must be . . . some sort of pain that can only be understood by the ones left behind. In people and Digimon too.” I assume this is touching on his nearly non-existent family background in the reboot? Well, at least they gave us a little bit more, lol. But still . . . there’s 24 episodes left. It’s way too late to cover their backgrounds. XD;

RareRaremon is HIDEOUS, omg. But in a funny way - I laughed out loud. Its teeth! XD;

When MegaKabuterimon blasted himself out of RareRaremon, the hole looked like . . . lol. I won’t say - but you all thought the same thing! :x

Ya’know, for an ugly mouse, Chuumon makes the cutest sounds. <3

How Koushirou came up with the idea to defeat RareRaremon was pretty damn neat! I liked that he “changed perspective” due to Garbagemon, too. And RareRaremon looks cool frozen solid, lol.

But . . . Chuumon’s sudden evolution to Searchmon was pretty random? XD

Overall, for an episode with just Koushirou and Taichi, it was pretty good. I liked that Koushirou actually got most of the screentime - and Taichi really was just a “background character”. He played his part but didn’t overshadow Koushirou - which was very welcome.

Next week looks like all the kids are in it? Please let this be true. There’s only 24 episodes left and no one but Taichi has a Mega . . . I think the pacing for the rest of the season is going to be spectacularly bad. I can’t wait! :D XD;