#i mean i could've had a nurse come by but i was already so limited in my agency etc so it was nice to not depend on someone for that

[zmediaoutlet]

happy wincest wednesday! assuming djinn sam isn't as normal as he looks, what's a wincest headcanon you have for that universe?

happy wincest wednesday! (on actual wednesday for me! imagine that!)

This is one of those where I am happy to be a little bit led, bc I've read some fun fic to this effect -- in particular one I'm thinking of (can't remember title or author, sorry) where Sam's kind of... mean, and he's fucking Dean on the side and also fucks the cute El Sol girlfriend. I mean, ouch.

Tricky for me, though, because I'm of two minds about the djinn ep.

Mind 1: it's a djinnverse, which means that it is a fake world blown up from the mind of a specific person, intended to grant them one wish -- letting the dominoes fall as they may from that wish, given the information the djinn can suss from the person's brain. This means it's built by, limited by, given structure by, the wisher's imagination, the way they think about themselves, the way they imagine other people think about them, what they may wish were thought about them, shame and hope and desire and fear all swirling around together.

Mind 2: you can also just treat it as an entirely separate, wholly realized domino AU. That is -- make it a real universe unto itself, where x didn't happen and so y and z have all the room to grow they want. Not a fake world inside a wisher's head but just -- a world. This is the normal AU that would happen if Mary had lived.

Trouble for me, with Mind 2, is that... I don't believe in normal AU-with-normal-upbringing wincest. I just can't buy it. (I answered another ask on this ages ago, points for anyone who can find it bc I couldn't when I just briefly tried.) Normal AU where they're broke or John's abusive and Mary's dead, etc etc? Sure, let them fuck. But Dad with little league and Mary baking pie and Sam happily off to Stanford and it's all hunky dory? I know people like the soulmatism read where they'd get incestuous anyway, but... I just can't come with 'em. So.. Mind 2, sit down.

Mind 1, then: if the wish is still as simple as 'I wish Mom hadn't died?' And we bring canonically pining crazy-ass Dean Winchester, with all his hope and shame and hurt and need into that mess? So, it makes sense that Sam's off being normal and successful and marrying a picture perfect 2D (with double Ds) blonde. It makes sense that Dean's a wastrel who's on every shitlist. It makes sense that Sam wants nothing to do with him, because who would? Look at him. Look at the mess he is, look how lazy and meanspirited and dickish. A little bit of a mystery that he landed such a hot nurse, hm? But he's good at faking it, isn't he, because the thing is that he wanted Sam so badly that he panicked. Couldn't get too close because he couldn't ruin Sam, too. It was easier to be an asshole, to be the bad example, to screw Sam over and make Sam push him away, to do everything he could to be the person Sam would never want to be -- and it worked, Sam ran off to California and went to college and was Mr Perfect and when he'd come home for Christmas he'd look at Dean with this pained expression like, don't ruin this, too, and Dean'd grin back like -- oh, just watch me. Making sure. When Sam was good and gone Dean did get the hot girlfriend, because he knows how to use his body and he knows how to be pleasing when he needs to, and he was normal, or at least normal enough to count, and when he drunkdialed Sam on weird nights when Carmen was gone on one of those three 12s weeks he'd say -- he didn't know. He wasn't responsible for what he said then. He'd already ruined it so what did it matter, if he ruined it a little more.

Sam didn't hang up on him. Sometimes Dean'd look at his call log and there it'd be, under Outgoing -- forty minutes, an hour. Two hours. Maybe Sam just put the phone down and went to sleep. Maybe that was it. But one time, he was drunk but he wasn't as drunk as he could've been, and he called, and Sam answered even though it was one in the morning in Palo Alto, and Dean didn't quite know what to say because his filters hadn't been completely drowned yet, and Sam said, when Dean wasn't sure he'd say anything at all, you already done? and Dean said no -- no, I'm not done, and Sam said, kind of quiet so Dean couldn't tell if it was disgusted or not, if you're just going to heavy breathe at me I'll go back to studying, and Dean bit his tongue, and Sam said, well?, and Dean just -- said everything he'd ever thought, about -- about what he wanted, and what he'd dreamed. What he'd wished for. Thinking that Sam would hang up, that Sam would fly all the way back from the ocean to Kansas, would open up the apartment door and kill Dean where he sat, and Dean would've been grateful, if he did. But Sam stayed on the phone, and Dean could hear him breathing too on the other side of the line, and Sam said, quiet still when Dean paused with his mouth dry and his head ringing, he said: you get off on that? and Dean was so hard he was surprised he wasn't drilling a hole in his pants, and Sam hummed, and he said then, go on, and Dean clutched himself through his jeans and creamed his shorts and Sam stayed on the phone while he breathed through it, and then Sam said, still in that same tone, night, Dean, and Dean hung up, and he didn't call Sam again for months. Until the next time.

What I'm saying is: my hc, in Mind 1, is that djinn!Sam hates Dean exactly as much as Dean wants to be hated, and is as disgusted with him as Dean believes he deserves disgust, and when Dean can't take either of those anymore Sam will take him in hand, exactly as Dean needs to be taken in hand. He's useful, that way.

[findingvigilante]

Date: May 23, 2022

Evergreen went wild when the news broke that Peacemaker and Vigilante turned out to be working on a top secret mission for a government agency together. For Peacemaker, it wasn't surprising. But for Vigilante it was a surprise. Our resident small town costumed crime fighter was now a big shot government agent....I almost feel proud of him for some reason. For the limited amount of time I spent researching him and trying to track him down, I became oddly attached to the guy, despite never even meeting him before.

There was a press conference today at the back of the old video store in town. I couldn't miss it so naturally I had to head over there and nab some answers for another story. Charlton 5 news was already there with their cameras set up so I knew by this afternoon that the news would reach everyone in Evergreen. A woman named Leota Adebayo stood at a pedestal, nervously tapping the mic. From there she spilled the proverbial beans. After reporters were handed out a folder with documents, she explained that Christopher Smith never wrote a diary filled with horrible things and that Peacemaker and Vigilante were working undercover for an operation called Project Butterfly. She then proceeded to tell us about a black ops called Task Force X that consisted of criminals taking on dangerous missions for the US in exchange for time off their sentences. It's been running out of Belle Reve for years under Amanda Waller, who was this lady's mother. Reporters began scrambling and yelling out questions. Since I was the only one who raised my hand, Leota chose me to ask a question. So I asked "Where are Peacemaker and Vigilante now?" Her response: they were both taken to Mount Rouge Health Center to treat their injuries.

That was all I needed to know.

Mount Rouge was nestled smack dab on the edge of town to make it easier for those coming from outside Evergreen to get medical assistance. With all things considered, I was going to probably need assistance too judging by how fast my heart was beating. Vigilante was so close. He was just beyond the automatic doors and was most likely in one of the recovery rooms. When I asked the nurses about him, they glanced at each other nervously and shook their heads. Another asked me if I was a friend so I told them yes, I was. So once I had his room number, I had to hold myself back to keep from sprinting down the hallways. I think I ran by Chris Smith but my head was in another place to be paying attention to my surroundings. Once I reached his room, my hand shook while hovering over the door handle. This was it. I was finally going to speak to Vigilante after all this time. All of my efforts finally came to this moment. Knocking, I slowly opened the door and stepped in.

Unfortunately, the room was empty. The bed which was supposed to be keeping him upright was empty, borderline untouched and the wires that were used to hook him up to the ECG were on the bed, the heart monitor itself not making any flatline noises. The window was wide open and since we were on the second floor, there was no way he could've jumped out. If he had left using the hallway, someone would've seen him. So that could only mean he jumped from the second story window....on the hard ground underneath. If he was injured that would only worsen his wounds. When asking a couple of nurses if they saw anyone leave the room, they all shared the same answer: no. So whether or not they were covering for him, I couldn't tell.

I was frustrated at this point. I came so far and came so close to finally meeting Vigilante only to have him jump from a freaking second story hospital window. Angry and annoyed, I opened up the folder that was given to reporters at the press conference. I didn't have a chance to really look through it yet but since I now had some time on my hands, I wanted to see what it read. There was a mention of Coverdale Ranch and what went down there a few days ago. I knew where Coverdale was. If the area was already cleaned out by the feds I had no idea. But going there and investigating was a hell of a lot better than sitting here and doing nothing at all.

Coverdale was.....a mess. If you remember my previous entry about the massacre at Glan Tai, this was probably ten times worse. Turns out the feds hadn't gotten around to cleaning out the field yet so the ground was still covered in blood.....and bodies. Bodies were strewn everywhere. The first thing I noticed was that they all had something in common: they were either prisoners from the corrections center or police personnel (minus a few civilians here and there). The entire police station was laid about on the ground. Some had limbs chopped off. Others had no heads. Mostly all of them had bullet holes. But all of them did have some sort of wound to the head. I tried not to gag as I tiptoed through the field like I was scared they were going to wake up. The barn that once stood there was now a pile of rubble. I remembered there being a set of stairs going down from my childhood memories but I didn't dare go down them in fear of what I might find (it was probably for the best too). So instead I snapped a quick photo of the scene for my own case files (warning: it's pretty bad so if blood makes you queasy, scroll by). I guess that means the entire Evergreen police department would need replacing since they were all dead. Vigilante is going to have a field day with his crime fighting while the town waits for new replacements.

I went back to my apartment feeling heavy with frustration. Although I didn't score a story with Vigilante, I did however end up uncovering an alien conspiracy that could land me an actual writing position at the Planet. I had enough coverage from my previous investigation with Vigilante that it could make a great story. I'm disappointed, sure. I came here solely to find Vigilante and hear his side. It might not be what I wanted in the end but at least I have something to write about. Something that'll get a foot in the door anyway. Like Ms. Lane always says: something is better than nothing.

Time: 2:19 am

There was a thud in my apartment. When I turned on the light and glanced around the room, there was no one around but my bedroom window was wide open, the wind gently moving my curtains. The papers that were on my desk were now on the floor so I got up to put them back in the pile. After I put them back, I noticed a small piece of paper that wasn't there before. It was torn, hastily ripped off the corner with four simple little words. Four little words that made my heart sink in my chest, signed with a single initial to signify who wanted to leave me a message.

I didn't find Vigilante. Vigilante found me.

[bumblesimagines]

Green Thumb

Part 8

Request: Yes or No

Sam and y/n had more development than y/n and Wanda lmao

~

You crossed your arms as you entered the room, glancing at the older man. You shared a look with Sam and Wanda, taking a seat in between Sam and Vision. You licked your lips, leaning towards Sam.

"What's this about?" You asked quietly, gaze flickering to Tony who sat in a corner.

"If I had to guess.. Probably about what happened in Lagos." Sam replied, glancing at Steve and Natasha. You frowned, looking at the Secretary of State.

"The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt." He began, gaze sweeping over everyone in the room.

"You have.. Fought for us, protected us, risked your lives but while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the term 'vigilantes.'"

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked, studying the older man. You looked back at Tony Stark, making brief eye contact with him. It felt like an intervention. Or a teacher scolding their class after they made the sub cry.

"How about dangerous?" You frowned, looking forward when you heard his words.

"What would you call a group of US based enhanced individuals who routinely ignore borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, quite frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?" Mr. Secretary asked, looking over the small group in disappointed. You'd hate to admit it, but he had a point. The citizens of Sokovia were left to find new homes and the people of Lagos had to fix what had been destroyed. Mr. Secretary stepped to the side, looking at the screen. Videos began playing of all the times the Avengers caused destruction and most likely death. Wanda looked away, growing uncomfortable as the aftermath of the Lagos incident played. She already felt guilty enough about it. She had told you many times how she wished it would've gone differently. Steve noticed, frown deepening.

"That's enough." He called, watching the screen turn off.

"For the last few years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's a decision the governments of the world can no longer tolerate." Mr. Secretary told them, hands clasped behind his back. You frowned, brows furrowing slightly.

"But we have a solution." Mr. Secretary took a book from his bodyguard, stepping forward and handing it to Wanda. Wanda picked it up, looking it over.

"The Sokovia Accords.. Approved by a hundred and seventeen countries." Wanda slid the book over to Rhodes so he could take a proper look at it. You looked at Mr. Secretary as he walked around the table.

"It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of The United Nations Panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."

"That's such bullshit." You whispered. Mr. Secretary turned towards you, cocking a brow. Natasha let an amused smile slip while Sam covered up his snicker with a cough.

"The Avengers were created to make the world a safer place." Steve spoke up before he could address you.

"This is the middle ground." Mr. Secretary said, walking to the front again and facing everyone.

"The Accords will be ratified in a couple days." Steve turned towards Tony, earning a silent response.

"I'll leave you to discuss."

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Leave it to Natasha to say what was on everyones' minds. Mr. Secretary paused as he approached the door.

"Then you retire." He answered plainly. You watched him leave, picking up the cup of water infront of You You went to take a sip but it turned to ice before you could drink from it. With a small huff, you placed it down.

"That's new." Natasha called with a small smile, hoping to ease the tension in the room. You stood up, leaving the meeting room and heading to the lounge. The others followed, taking more comfortable seats on the couch. A debate quickly started between Rhodes and Sam while Steve looked through the Accords.

"Have you two thought about starting a debate club?" You asked, tapping the frozen water a few times before it finally turned back to normal water. Natasha let out a small snort, chuckling as she shook her head.

"I have an equation." Vision announced, stopping Rhodes and Sam. They turned towards him.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of enhanced people has grown and during the same period, the number of world ending events has risen."

"So, it's Starks' fault?" You asked, leaning back in your seat with a tilted head. Tony scoffed from his spot on the couch, rolling his eyes.

"I'm saying, there might be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge, challenge insights conflict, and conflict... Breeds catastrophe. Oversight is not an idea that should be dismissed."

"I wish I understood half of what you said." You muttered softly, running your finger the leaf of a plant beside the seat. Natasha turned towards Tony, watching him.

"You're being uncharacteristic non-hyper verbal." Natasha pointed out softly as he looked at her with a deep sigh. Steve looked up from the Accords.

"It's cause he already made up his mind." Steve said, earning a small eye roll. Tony slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head.

"Actually, I'm nursing a headache." He muttered as he stood up, walking towards the coffee machine. He poured himself some coffee and grabbed a bottle of pills before sighing and placing down a device. He showed an image of a young man.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. A great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA, had a floor level gig for the fall. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the people in Sokovia." Tony said, obviously agitated as he looked over everyone. You wondered why he now cared for the people who were injured during attacks.

"He wanted to make a difference although we'll never know cause we dropped a building on him while kicking ass." Everyone stayed silent as he spoke. You watched him take a pill, drinking it with the coffee.

"There's no decision making here. We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, we're no better than the bad guys."

"Tony, when someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." Steve closed the Accords, looking at Tony with a frown.

"Who says we're giving up?"

"We are by not taking responsibilities for our actions. This document shifts the blame." Steve voiced his opinion, shrugging lightly.

"Steve, that is dangerously arrogant." Rhodes spoke up, shaking his head. Steve turned towards him.

"This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the world security counsel, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D, it's not HYDRA-"

"But it's run by people with agendas and agendas change." Steve pointed out as you rubbed your forehead, sighing softly. Both sides had good points but you sided with Steve. The team was obviously divided.

"What do you think, (Y/N)?" Vision asked, looking at you curiously. You licked your lips, gaze focusing on Tony.

"I'm curious as to why you care so much about this Charles guy. You've had, what was it? Eight years as Iron Man to care about the people who get hurt? Why now? Cause you realized one of those people could become the new you? Would you care this much about Charles if he had been a typical guy? No degree, no plans for the future, just a normal guy working a normal 9 to 5 job and just trying to make it through the week. I agree with Steve. What if something happens and they don't send us to help because it doesn't go with their agenda? People get hurt cause you've never set up a system to help after these things happen. You're a fucking billionaire, Tony. Make a company that's designed to help people get back on their feet after the Avengers bulldoze through cities." You said, legs crossing as you looked over everyone else. Steve gave a small nod, glad you were seeing his side. He checked his phone, abruptly standing and announcing he had to leave. You and the others watched him go in confusion.

"To answer your questions, I do care about normal people." Tony said, arms crossing. You let out a soft groan, leaning back in the couch.

"I'm sorry, what are you? Twelve? Didn't you turn twenty this year?" Tony cocked a brow, watching as you rolled your eyes and stood.

"Yeah, I did turn twenty. Surprised you knew considering you've never particularly liked me."

"Well, first impressions are everything and you did try impaling me with a branch."

"Maybe I should've."

"Alright, boys, let's calm down." Natasha called, placing a hand on your shoulder. You turned and walked towards the steps, heading down to your room at the facility. You entered and plopped down on the bed, running a hand through your hair. You tapped your foot on the ground, fingers going to the root bracelets in an attempt to relax. Wanda opened the door, closing it behind her and sitting beside you.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly, staring at you in concern. You weren't one to snap at others so quickly.

"There's so much going on. The Accords, my fucking powers, the sudden change in Nat and Tony, you possibly getting into trouble cause of the Lagos incident.. That could've been me." You breathed out. Wanda frowned, brows furrowing.

"No, it wouldn't have."

"I shot fire out of my hands and turned water to ice without meaning to. They're getting unpredictable." You looked at her, grip on the roots tightening. Wanda's gaze flickered to the window, making you turn. Part of the window was covered in a thin layer of ice.

"And that just proved my point."

"You're an incredible person, (N/N). Have faith in yourself. You'll gain control of them sooner or later. You have beautiful powers that could change and heal the world." Wanda pointed out gently, having you rest your head on her shoulder. She softly began to hum a lullaby. You didn't understand the words but her soft voice proved to be soothing.

"Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Why'd you call me again?" You asked, toying with the strings of your hoodie as you looked around the cafe. You had planned on taking a nap and watching a new show on Netflix but it seemed like Steve had other plans for you.

"Because I trust you and need your help." Steve replied, fixing his baseball cap as he tried avoiding eye contact with civilians.

"Really?" You asked softly. Steve nodded, offering a smile. He licked his lips, nodding to the tv. You turned, looking at the news. You really didn't have to considering what they were showing was right down the street.

"Your friend?" You looked back at Steve with a tilted head.

"We gotta find him before anyone else does." Steve said. You nodded, watching him. Steve had been desperately trying to find his friend, Bucky, since the attempt on Furys' life.

"I'll go in alone. We don't want to seem threatening or set him off by going in as a trio."

"(Y/N)? Being threatening? He can't even scare a baby!" Sam said in amusement, shooting you a playful grin.

"Right back at you, bird boy."

"I'm sorry, who here is named after the top bird of prey?" Sam asked, leaning forward slightly as Steve let out an amused sigh.

"Oh, I didn't know you were named after eagles." You responded, smiling in triumph when Sam huffed lightly.

"Come on, you two." Steve chuckled, leaving the cafe and heading down the sidewalk.

"I don't trust Stark." You told them, arms crossing. Sam glanced at you as Steve turned into an alleyway.

"Not surprised considering the little fight you two had."

"I think he had Vis keep an eye on me and Wanda. I snuck out while he was with Wanda in the kitchen." You told him, frowning.

"Firstly, I'm an adult-"

"That's questionable."

"-And secondly, he's not my dad." You took off the hoodie as Steve unlocked a car parked in the alleyway, giving Sam the duffle bag with his outfit. You looked at your phone when it buzzed, seeing texts from Clint.

Clint

Heard you had a fight with Stark

Clint

You're officially an Avenger now

You smiled softly, chuckling softly at the texts. You waited for the guys to finish changing before taking the earpiece from Steve. The apartment building had been nearby so you and Sam headed onto the roof while Steve entered.

"How well do you think this will go?" You asked Sam, looking for any sign of law enforcement.

"Wanna bet?"

"How much?" You looked at him, giving a small grin. Sam looked up at the sky for a moment, thinking it over.

"30 bucks. I bet this will go to shit and this dude will escape."

"I bet we'll get into serious shit but this dude will either come with us or get caught." You replied. Sam stuck out his hand, nodding. You shook it, chuckling softly. You turned your head, noticing movement.

"We've got company, Cap."

"They're approaching from the south." Sam added, attention focused on them. You heard Steve begin to talk to someone, watching the cars pull in and get ready. You turned your head, hearing the door to the roof open.

"Shit." You whispered, letting Sam pick you up and lift you into the air. You could hear the fight going on inside through the earpiece.

"Should we help?" You asked, glancing up at Sam.

"No clue." Sam replied, watching Bucky jump from the apartment onto the roof of another building. You noticed someone running at a high speed, jumping up onto the roof and knocking Bucky down.

"They have cat ears." You mumbled, pushing Sam's arms away.

"Deal with them." You motioned to the German police force on the roof, hoping down onto the roof. You raised your hand, a root shooting out and grabbing the strangers arm, refraining them from clawing at Bucky. Bucky turned his head, making eye contact with you. Your eyes widened when the man grabbed the root, using what felt like super strength to toss you off the roof. You quickly used a root to grab onto the side, breathing out a sigh of relief. Sam took care of a helicopter before flying by to grab you.

"Thanks." You breathed out, holding onto him as he followed the chase. Steve, Bucky, and the cat guy went into one of the tunnels. Sam flew in once there was an opening, trying to help Steve with the cat guy. You huffed when the cat guy grabbed Sam's ankle, pointing your hand at him and shooting a strong gust of air. The cat guy lost his grip monetarily but quickly grabbed on again. Bucky threw up an explosive so Sam quickly stopped, flinging the guy off him. Sam landed, walking past the rubble. You sighed, raising your hands as you and Sam were quickly surrounded by cops.

"Mom's gonna kill me." You whispered.

"That's what you're concerned about?" Sam asked, glancing at you in disbelief.

"We're getting arrested, (Y/N)!"

[seconds-not-decades]

Time and Chase

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Fem! OC

Author's Note: Hello and welcome. This is a major throwback but we are kicking off my TUA series of fics all the way from season one so that this story actually makes sense. Or about as much sense as it can be. I will be posting daily. *Please note that I am well aware that Elliot Page portrays Viktor, but due to season one being before his transition, that is why his character is still Vanya. I am not deadnaming him and I sincerely hope I don't come across as such. I will transition when I write season three.*

Warnings: Slightly long post, cursing, and violence.

Previous | Next

Number Five

~ * ~

On the first day of October, 1989, forty-three women around the world simultaneously gave birth. None of the women showed any prior signs of pregnancy. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and playboy adventurer, made it his personal mission to find and adopt as many of these children as possible.

He got seven of them.

~ * ~

The world was a wasteland. An entire wasteland. Fire and smoke and rubble were all that remained. That was the world Five and Karina grew up in. The world they established a relationship in. The world they got married in.

The years ticked by. The seasons changed. They grew old. It wasn't a picture perfect paradise, but they managed to try to make the most of it and survive with what little they had. They had each other. That was all that mattered in the circumstances given.

They wandered around for what felt like forever. When their resources would be exhausted, they'd pack up and move on. That became their routine. So much that it became their lives.

Here they were, in their mid ages. Resting in the ruins of a library and nursing some alcohol they saved.

Five chuckled. "Do you remember that, uh, little mansion just outside the city limits? Where we…"

"Yeah," Karina laughed quietly from the memory.

"Yeah, well, it turns out the wine cellar was untouched. Picked up a few cases of your favorite Bordeaux," he acknowledged the red wagon.

She smiled as the two clinked their cups and chugged down. Five sighed and kissed her cheek.

"Hmmm, you're in a very happy mood again," she sighed contently.

"Ah, that's an exaggeration, Rina. I don't drink too much," he gave her a look. "You know, I work hard all day. I…why would you even say that?"

The sound of rubble moving caught Five's attention, and soon he seized his rifle and shot to his feet, pushing Karina behind him and aiming it at the source:

A gorgeously dressed woman in vintage apparel, an old fashioned black coat, a fancy black hat, and sunglasses. She waved with a smile and she had a briefcase in her other hand.

"Oh, shit," Karina quietly hissed.

~ * ~

Present Day

"When's it supposed to happen? This…apocalypse," Luther was sitting across from an awake, sober, and freshly cleaned up Five.

"We can't give you the exact hour, but…from what Rina and I could gather, we have four days left," Five responded lowly.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Five sighed. "It wouldn't have mattered."

"Of course it would. We could've banded together and helped you try to stop this thing," Luther argued.

"For the record, you already tried," Karina spared Five from telling the news.

"What do you mean?" Luther frowned.

"I found all of you. Your bodies," Five was despondent.

"I found my mother's body as well, when I was searching for her," Karina put in quietly.

"We die?" Luther echoed in disbelief.

"Horribly. You were together, trying to stop whoever it was that ends the world," Five sighed, still forever haunted from the memory.

"Wait, how do you know that?" Luther questioned.

"This was clutched in your dead hand when I found you," Five revealed the mysterious eyeball. He tossed it to his brother. "Must've ripped it out of their head right before you went down."

"Whose head?"

"Like I said, I don't know."

"Well, there's a serial number on the back. Think maybe you could try…"

"No, that's a dead end," Five cut him off. He bitterly chuckled. "It's just another hunk of glass."

Luther wordlessly handed him the eyeball back and he pocketed it. Suddenly, the door banged open and a very angry Diego stormed in.

"Piece of shit. Do you have any idea what you just did?" he was about ready to tackle and kill Five as Luther got to his feet and Five nudged Karina behind him. Diego grunted when Luther grabbed him. "Nope, let me-get your ape hands off of me!" he struggled against his brother.

"I can do this as long as it takes you to calm down," Luther remarked, lifting him off his feet.

"Okay. Fine," Diego huffed reluctantly and he landed back on his feet.

"Now, wanna tell us what you're talkin' about?" Luther asked.

"Our brother's-and possibly his wife's-been pretty busy since he got back. He was in the middle of that shootout at Griddy's, and then at Gimble Brothers, after the guys in masks attacked the Academy, looking for him," Diego bit out, death glaring at Five.

"None of which is any of your concern," Five retorted.

"It is now," Diego seethed. "They just killed my friend."

Luther turned to face the couple. "Who are they, Five? Karina?"

The two were quiet for a moment.

"They work for our former employer," Five broke the silence reluctantly.

"A woman called The Handler. She sent them…to stop us," Karina continued.

"Then, soon as Diego's friend got in their way, well, fair game," Five finished.

"And now they're my fair game. And I'm gonna see to it they pay," Diego headed out.

"That would be a mistake, Diego. They've killed people far more dangerous than you," Five warned him.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Diego let the door slam behind him.

"Former employer? What's this really about, you two? And don't give me any of this "It's none of your business" crap, all right?" Luther snapped.

"Well, it's a long story," Five sighed.

Luther sat down as Five and Karina glanced down.

~ * ~

Five had his gun still aimed at the woman. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm here to help," she replied.

"Tell me why I shouldn't put a bullet through your head right now!" Five threatened, watching her walk towards them.

"Because…if you did," she stepped into the ruins of the library. She set her briefcase down and took off her sunglasses. "You wouldn't hear the offer I'm about to make you. Which would be rather tragic, given your…current circumstances." She perched on a broken piece of concrete. "I work for an organization called the Commission. We are tasked with the preservation of the time continuum through manipulation and removals."

"I don't understand," Five moved closer to her.

"Sometimes, people…make choices that alter time. Free will, don't get me started. When that happens, we dispatch one of our agents to…eliminate the threat," she explained and with that, he held his gun up again. "No, no, no, no." She chuckled. "You misunderstand me. You're not a target. You're a recruit. Both of you. I've come to offer you two jobs, Number Five and Karina."

"I'm not interested," Karina remarked coldly.

"I know what The Commission is. She told me. You'll have to do better than that," Five backed her up.

"I admit, we didn't have the best first impression with your darling wife, but, I promise things will be different this time. I'll see to it myself," the Handler promised. She sighed. "As for you, Number Five. We've had our eye on you for quite some time. And we think you have a lot of potential. Your survival skills have made you quite a celebrity back at headquarters. That and your ability to jump through time."

Five and Karina exchanged a look. Karina knew in her gut this felt like an elaborate trap, but then again, what real and good choice were either of them going to have in the end?

"You saying that we…we could actually leave here?" Five stuttered. "Go…Go back?"

"In return for five years of service," the Handler answered. "Once your contracts are done, you two can retire to the time and place of your choosing with separate pensions plan to boot."

"If you can alter time, why not just stop all of this from ever happening?" Five pointed out.

"That's quite impossible, I'm afraid. You see…all of this, it was supposed to happen," she replied.

"That's insane," Five was in disbelief.

"The end of everything?" Karina echoed, joining his side.

"Not everything. Just the end of…something," the Handler vaguely answered. "So. Do we have an agreement?" she held her hands out for them to shake.

Five scoffed softly as he looked at Karina. She bit her lip, glancing around.

"Look. I-I know this is not going to be an easy decision for you. But-"

"Accept it," Karina resigned herself to another God knows how many years of forced torture.

Five eyed her. "Rina…"

"Don't. It's either this wasteland or there. I can tolerate The Commission a little more than this hell hole," she clenched her jaw.

"I'll be with you every step of the way, I swear," he promised.

And with that, they took the Handler's hands to seal their agreements.

~ * ~

Present Day

"They turned me into the perfect instrument for rehabilitation of the time continuum," Five began to bitterly recount, remembering the memories leading up to where he and Karina were now. "Or "corrections," as they called them."

"I worked in the briefcase division at headquarters. I was always good with technology, so, the Handler made me the Head of that department," Karina continued.

"I wasn't the only field agent. There are others like me. Beings out of time, fractured, extracted from the lives that they knew. I don't know how they got there. But I do know that none of them were as good as me," Five sighed. "They didn't realize it, but we were biding our time, trying to figure out the right equation so I could get us back. If we could just get back, we knew we could stop the apocalypse. Save the world. So we broke our contracts."

Five's head filled with the memories of them being at the JFK assassination in 1960s Dallas, the time portal he conjured, seeing his family on the other side, and both of them falling through the portal into 2019.

"So…you were a hit man and Karina stayed at headquarters?" Luther tried to wrap his head around it, coming over to them with two plates of food.

"Yes," Five nodded.

"Uh…I mean, you had a code, right? You didn't kill just anybody?"

"No code. We took out anyone who messed with the timeline."

"What about innocent people?"

"It was the only way we could get back here."

"But that's murder," Luther pointed out.

Five eyed him. "Jesus, Luther, grow up. We're not kids anymore. There's no such thing as good guys or bad guys."

"Besides, The Commission doesn't care about innocent people. They never did," Karina bitterly remarked. "There's just people, going about their lives."

"But when the world ends, all those people die, including our family," Five sighed. "Time changes everything."

~ * ~

After that oh so lovely conversation, Five jumped him and Karina back into the Academy. They went down the hall.

"Five, look," Karina quietly inhaled, catching his arm. She pointed to the bloody footprints leaving the bathroom and leading into Klaus's room.

The two glanced over to see Klaus meandering around his room. He groaned.

Five knocked at door. "You okay?"

"Hey. Yeah, I just…long night," he flatly chuckled.

"More than one, from the looks of it," Karina was sympathetic.

"Yeah."

"Don't remember the dog tags," Five pointed them out.

Klaus grunted. "Yeah, they belonged to a friend." He slipped his shirt on, making the dog tags jingle.

"How about that new tattoo?" Karina eyed it.

"You know, I don't totally remember even getting it. Like I said, it was a long night."

"You did it, didn't you?" Five got to the point.

"What are you talkin' about?" Klaus sat down.

"You know, we can recognize the symptoms, Klaus," Karina strolled into the room with Five by her side.

"Symptoms of what?"

"The jet lag. Full body itch," Five listed, making his brother sigh. "The headache that feels like someone shoved a box of cotton up into your nose and through your brain."

"Do you want to tell us about it?" Karina inquired gently.

Klaus eyed Five. "Your pals, when they broke into the house and they couldn't find you, they took me hostage instead."

"And in return, you stole their briefcase," Five remarked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I thought there was money in it, or I could pawn it, you know, whatever," he sighed. "And then I opened it."

"And the next thing you knew, you were…where? Or should I say when?" Karina corrected herself, watching Five pace.

"What difference does it make?" Klaus muttered.

"What diff-uh-okay, how long were you gone?" Five stopped in his tracks.

"Almost a year."

"A year? Do you know what this means?"

"Yeah, I'm ten months older now," Klaus flatly scoffed.

"No, this isn't any sort of joke, Klaus," Five warned him. "Hazel and Cha-Cha will do whatever they can to get the briefcase."

"Where is it now?" Karina bit her nail nervously.

"Gone. I destroyed it. Poof."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Five hissed at him.

"What do you care?" Klaus questioned.

"What do I care? I needed it, you moron, so we could get back. We could start over!" Five exclaimed.

"Just…Just…" Klaus waved him off, walking away.

"Where you going?" Five watched him.

"Interrogation's over, just…leave."

Five muttered in disbelief, eyeing a pad and a pen on the table. He grabbed both and began scribbling furiously. However, he knew he needed more writing area, so he blinked into his room with Karina.

~ * ~

The moment that they reappeared, Five grabbed a piece of chalk and went to town.

"What are you doing?" Karina watched him curiously.

"Figuring out our next move, dear," he replied.

"Oh. Of course. How silly of me," she plopped down on the bed.

"You don't have to stay here if you have things to go do," he told her distractedly.

"Like what? I have nothing."

"Okay, suit yourself."

Karina rolled her eyes, slipping out a book from his desk and going to sit near the window. She felt the refreshing breeze wash over her as she began to get lost in the story she was reading.

"Oh. Okay, I think I've got something, Rina," Five interrupted her from her thoughts.

"Hmmm?" Karina shook her head, coming back to her reality. She glanced up to see him standing on his bed and writing on the walls.

"It's tenuous, but promising," he continued as footsteps approached outside in the hall and in came Luther.

"Who you talkin' to?" he looked around at the frenzied writing scribbled on the walls. "What is all this?"

"It's a probability map," Five replied.

"Probability of what?"

"Of whose death could save the world. I've narrowed it down to four."

"Are you saying one of these four people causes the apocalypse?" Luther questioned.

"No, I'm saying that their death might prevent it."

"Oh."

The sound of chalk continued tapping on blackboard as Luther watched in confusion.

"I'm not following," he whispered.

Karina was amused as she closed her book and stood up. "Time is fickle, Luther. The slightest alteration in events can lead to massively different outcomes in the time continuum. The butterfly effect. So all Five has to do is find the people with the greatest probability of impacting the timeline, wherever they may be, and kill them," she rather matter-of-factly explained.

"Oh, yeah…" Five hopped down off the bed and looked under it.

"Milton Greene," Luther read off. "So who's he, a terrorist or something?"

"I believe he is a gardener," Five was writing in his notebook.

Luther turned to face him. "You can't be serious. Wait, this is madness, Five. You-" he broke off upon seeing the large case Five had. "Wh-Where'd you get that?"

"In Dad's room. I think he used it to shoot a rhinoceros," Five unzipped it and pulled out a gun. "It's similar to the model I used at work." He cocked it in place. "Nice shoulder fit and highly reliable."

"But you can't-this guy Milton is just an innocent man!" Luther argued. He turned to Karina. "How can you just stand there and let him do this?"

She sighed. "I don't like the sound of it either, but, it is basic math."

"His death could potentially save the lives of billions," Five spoke up. "If I did nothing, he'd be dead in four days anyway. The apocalypse won't spare anyone."

Luther wasn't giving up quite yet. "We don't do this kind of thing."

"We are not doing anything. I am," Five corrected him tightly.

"I can't let you go kill innocent people. No matter how many lives you'll save."

"Well, good luck stopping me," Five turned to walk away.

"You're not going anywhere," Luther turned to Karina. "Forgive me for this," he suddenly grabbed her and shoved her near the window, causing her to scream out.

Five whipped around and aimed the gun at him. "Luther, you asshole! Put…her…down!"

"Put the gun down. You're not killing anyone today. I know she's my sister-in-law, so don't make me do this," Luther retorted as Karina tried to get out of his grip. "It's either her or the gun. You decide."

Karina had enough of being man handled. She ended up kicking Luther and he stumbled back, though she lost her balance and nearly fell out the window.

Five blinked in a flash and barely caught her in time when he reappeared. "Rina! Thank God," he breathed out, helping her back inside as she clung to him shakily.

"Asshole," Karina death glared at Luther.

"That was a mean kick you got there. Sorry. I can keep doin' this all day," he sighed, putting the gun down. "I know you're still a good person, Five. Otherwise, you wouldn't have risked everything coming back here to save us all. But you're not on your own anymore."

Five sighed, looking at Karina worriedly as he gently smoothed some hair out of her eyes. "There is one way." He kissed her forehead and looked back at his poor excuse of a brother. "But it's just about impossible."

"More impossible than what brought you back here?" Luther remarked.

Five sighed again and gazed at Karina. She just bit her lip and gave a small nod.

~ * ~

Here was the plan. A risky plan. Fool Hazel and Cha-Cha by giving them a fake briefcase in exchange for a conversation with The Handler. Luther, Five, and Karina were out in the middle of nowhere, waiting for them to show up.

Five sighed, thinking over things. "You know, I never enjoyed it."

"What?" Luther eyed him.

"The killing. I mean, I was…I was good at my work, and I…I took pride in it. But it never gave me pleasure," he sighed. "I think it was all those years alone. I mean, I had Rina of course, but, it was still just the two of us. We both longed for some connection outside of our own. And we quickly found out that solitude can do funny things to the mind."

"Yeah, well, you were gone for such a long time. I only spent four years on the moon, but that was more than enough. It's the being alone that breaks you. You're lucky you had someone to keep some of your sanity," Luther returned. "You think they'll buy it?" he got them back on track.

"Well, what I do know is that they're desperate. It's like a cop losing his gun. If the Commission finds out, they'll be in deep shit."

"Oh, not to mention the fact that they'll be stuck here until they get it back," Karina piped up from the back seat.

"Well, I should hold onto it," Luther suggested.

"Hm?" Five frowned.

"In case they make a move on you or Karina."

"Okay, Luther, but be careful. I mean, I've…I've lived a long life. So has Rina. But…you're still a young man. You got your whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it," Five advised him. "Hmm," he hummed. In the distance, the three saw a car approach.

"Here we go," Karina muttered.

The three of them got out of the car and Five drew Karina to his side, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm.

He looked at her. "If this all goes sideways, I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry."

"Same to you, though it depends on what kind of move you decide to pull," Karina was quick to remark with.

Five scoffed airily and placed a kiss on her forehead. The car door opened before Hazel and Cha-Cha stepped out and shut the doors. Luther and Karina hung out near their own vehicle.

"The masks really necessary?" Five met the duo halfway.

They took their masks off and tossed them aside.

"So where is it, kid?" Cha-Cha demanded.

"Wow, that's how you're gonna start. You know, we can get right back in our car and call it a day," Five retorted casually.

"You won't even make it halfway there," Cha-Cha swiftly pulled a gun out, causing Karina to step forward but Luther stopped her.

"Maybe. But as I'm sure you found out in your previous foray, my brother is not your average giant and of course, you know my wife has the same fighting skills as any other agent," Five pointed out.

"He's right. You dropped a chandelier on him, got right back up," Hazel agreed.

"By the time you took him out, he'd smash your precious briefcase to a pulp," Five added almost smugly.

"Probably us too, right? So, how do we help each other?"

"I need you to get in contact with your superior so I can have a chat with her. Face-to-face."

"About what?" Cha-Cha questioned.

"Well, I don't believe that's any of your concern," Five replied.

"Just don't tell her about the briefcase."

"Fair enough."

Cha-Cha went over to a payphone to make a call as Five went back over to the two.

"What happens now?" Luther wanted to know.

"Now we wait," Karina watched the duo carefully.

All of a sudden, the wind began whistling and a random ice-cream truck chime playing "Ride of the Valkyries" sounded in the distance. Everyone looked to see the truck approaching.

"Is that her?" Luther looked at Five.

Five stared at the truck in disbelief when he saw that it was Klaus and Diego. Klaus waved as they passed by.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Five breathed out in confusion.

"Go faster!" Diego yelled.

"Wee!" Ben squealed delightfully, perched on the dash.

"It's a setup!" Cha-Cha cried as she and Hazel began shooting.

Five took Karina to the ground as Luther got in front of them. The truck hit Cha-Cha and Hazel, sending them flying mid-air before everything froze. The last thing was a gun fire, echoing as a bullet sailed towards Luther and suspended in the air.

Five slowly looked up, confused as to why the world around him was frozen in time. He peeked around Luther and stepped forward. He walked down the road some.

"Neat trick, isn't it?" a familiar woman's voice asked. He turned to face the source, going over to her as she lifted her veil and slid her sunglasses off. "Hello, Five," the Handler greeted. "You look good, all things considered."

"It's good to see you again," he retorted.

"Feels like we met just yesterday. Course, you were a little bit older then," she acknowledged his appearance. "Congratulations on the age regression, by the way. For both you and your lovely Mrs." The Handler glanced in Karina's direction. "Very clever. Threw us all off the scent."

"Ah, well, I wish I could take credit. I just miscalculated the time dilation projections, and…well, you know. Here I am," Five held his arms out before shoving them back in his pockets.

"You realize your efforts are futile. So why don't you tell me what you really want?" she put her hands and her briefcase behind her back.

"I want you to put a stop to it," he answered.

"You realize what you're asking for is next to impossible, even for me. What's meant to be is meant to be. That's our raison d'être," she casually said as Five pulled a gun out and aimed it at her.

"Yeah? Well how about survival as a raison?"

"I'll just be replaced. I'm but a…small cog in a machine," she watched him closely. "This fantasy you've been nurturing about summoning up your family to stop the apocalypse-" she stepped closer to Five as he lowered the gun some. "-Is just that. A fantasy. I must say, though, we're all quite impressed with your initiative, your…stick-to-itiveness, really quite… quite something. Which is why we want to offer you a new position back at the Commission, in management."

Five let out a sarcastic laugh in disbelief. "Sorry, what's that now?"

"Come back to work for us again. You know it's where you belong. I can unfreeze Karina and bring her back, too. She could be the latest and greatest secretary. Even as my own," the Handler told him.

"Well, it didn't work out too well the last time with the both of us," he remarked tightly.

"But you wouldn't be in the correction division any longer and Karina wouldn't be stuck in that suffocating briefcase department. I'm talking about…the home office. You'd both have the best health and pension, and an end to this ceaseless travel. I could even throw in maternity care if you two ever decide to…venture down that path," the Handler pressed on further. "You're a distinguished professional in…schoolboy shorts. And she's a promising individual in need of a wardrobe upgrade. We have the technology to reverse the process. I mean, you…you two can't be happy like this."

Five lowered his gun. "I'm not looking for happy," he bit out, though Karina did make him very happy.

"Don't lie about that. I see the way you act around her; it's honestly quite adorable and super sickening," the Handler scoffed. "We're all looking for happy. We can make that happen. We can make you two…yourselves again."

Five knew there was no peaceful way out of this. He sighed. "Rina stays here. I won't let you near her so, leave her out of the little corrupter plan you have in your head. And what about my family?"

"What about them?" the Handler glanced at them.

"I want them to survive."

She sighed. "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them."

"Well…" the Handler slipped her sunglasses back on. "I'll see what I can do. Do we have a deal?" she held out her hand.

"One thing," Five tucked his gun inside his blazer and went over to Hazel and Cha-Cha. He emptied the gun on the road and tossed the magazine and the gun on both opposing fields.

The Handler sighed impatiently.

Five made his way over, but paused. "Mm…no." He moved the bullet safely out of Luther's way. He looked at the still frozen form of Karina ducked down behind his brother.

"She can still come too, you know," the Handler told him.

"I'd rather not," he went over to the car. He opened the door, grabbing a pen and a piece of paper and scribbling down a note. He tore it off and then slid it into Karina's jacket pocket. He sighed. "I'll be back," he kissed her forehead.

Five went over to the Handler and grabbed her hand. The two blinked out as the fight resumed orbit. Hazel and Cha-Cha landed on the ground with a soft grunt, Luther regained his balance, Klaus accidentally crashed into a blue car, and Karina slowly got to her feet after the bullets ricocheted off the car.

"Ah!" Diego clutched his arm in pain as chimes continued playing.

"Five?" Luther looked around.

"Good God!" Klaus exclaimed in the distance.

Karina inhaled sharply as she looked around. "Five?!"

"Oh! Ow!" Klaus groaned.

"Five!" Luther called out.

Hazel and Cha-Cha were panting as they slowly stood up.

"Come get it!" Luther held the briefcase up.

Cha-Cha raced forward before he chucked it away, letting it land and clatter in the field.

Luther and Karina hurried to the other two. Diego grunted as he got out.

"Come on. Come on!" Klaus was frantically trying to get his brother out.

"Wait. My shoes hurt," Diego complained as Luther supported Diego's other side.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Luther demanded as the four and Ben made a run for it to the car.

Hazel scurried over to get his gun and tried to shoot. "No! Shit!" he cursed when all the gun did was click.

"Get in the car," Luther helped the others quickly pile in.

"Luther, go! Go!" Klaus exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Ben patted the dashboard as the engine revved.

"Woo!" Klaus shouted as tires screeched and the car sped away, flipping the duo off through the back window.

"Woo-hoo!" Ben cheered.

"Damn it!" Hazel shouted, going over to his partner.

Cha-Cha dumped out the clattering contents of the briefcase and watched the car get smaller in the distance.

"Shit!" Karina heard her scream.

She smiled to herself, tucking her hand into her pocket. She furrowed her brows, pulling out a folded piece of paper. She read the note Five left her and sighed.

Of course he'd go off on another wild goose chase and leave her behind.

~ * ~

[junko-and-riri-domain]

exam season ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ni-ki

“you aren't wasting my time, and you need rest. please, ___ this isn’t healthy.” riki pleaded, and he seemed so genuinely concerned for you.  “I know we’re labelled as rivals all the time but I want to get to know you better. as someone who ranked 1 consistently, I wanted to meet the one person who managed to achieve the same thing."

or 

you and nishimura riki are rivals under the same company. after all, being the same age and pretty much the same level of talent made you and him quite unstoppable. the company thought it’d be a good idea to let you two meet and get along, but it turned out to be quite the opposite ordeal. though, this always remained to be a respectful rivalry. nothing petty.

warnings : overworked reader, insecurities, fainting from exhaustion, hints at negative body image ( good ending ) 

note : this is also off the top of my head, please ignore any mistakes !

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ rest under the cut

what were you supposed to think?

you had to admit it to yourself though, similar age and practically same amount of skill in dance would mean that this unit would be pretty much unstoppable. it’s just ;; the unspoken consequences of young teamwork at play. 

training for about half a year at belift, you’ve become quite popular among the trainees. they describe you as a dance prodigy. if you were going to be honest, it was kind of embarrassing. the spotlight was okay depending on the circumstances but, to be described as something so honorable made you feel like you weren’t worthy of it. on top of that, your vocals were always stable while practicing, making you stand out and always place #1 on exams. 

and so you started to practice harder, with the same thought of

‘i have to prove that i’m worthy to be labeled as a prodigy, otherwise why else am i here?’ 

to ni-ki, you were always so hardworking. sometimes, he thought it was too much. he’d pass by the room you were practicing in during lunch breaks and he would see you dancing your heart out, sweat threatening to fall from your face. he could tell you were tired, but due to the rules, he wasn’t allowed to talk to you. he considered you his opponent in a way, but it wasn’t to the extent of ruining your workflow. 

and to you, ni-ki seemed like a charming rival. the way he danced had always mesmerized you, his snaps and swift moves are always close to perfect. this motivated you to practice even harder, despite already achieving extreme skill. you often nitpicked on yourself and keep saying that you’re not doing something well enough, and that you’re not good enough and you have to try harder. you honestly thought he was kind of annoying. not only is he literally so tall, he's a dancing machine. everything that you wanted to be. ni-ki may have been your unspoken rival, 

but overcoming your extreme feeling to be better than the previous day is your true rival. 

coming home after training, you were always exhausted. as much water you drank, it never felt as if it quenched the thirst you brought upon yourself from working so hard. while doing homework you always zoned out, your concentration nowhere to be found. at some point, you even stopped messaging your friends as much as before, ignoring any notification that popped up and practicing till the sun peeked above the horizon.

this feeling of wanting to slip away into well-deserved rest never sat right with you.

'if I have time to do something, then I'll do it now. rest can wait.'

---

the week before, an exam was assigned to all the trainees. the exam was to be separated by gender, but you thought this was kind of dumb. and so what did you do? you asked the choreographer if you could take both of the choreographies instead of being categorized into one section.

"that's a great idea, ___! I'll allow it this once, since you always rank 1 anyways. in fact, why don't I ask riki if he wants to do an co-op exam with you? you guys are the same age right?"

all you could do was let out a hum and nod.

'nishimura riki... I hope I don't mess anything up.'

"he always ranks 1 in exams as well so I think it'd be perfect!" he continued, a bright smile flashed across his face at the realization of a great performance in development.

he walks off, and briskly walks to where riki usually practiced.

phew

you let out a breath you didn't even know you were holding. you've done many exams before but it had never been with another person. trying to convince yourself everything would be okay, your intrusive thoughts came in again.

'what if i embarass myself? what if I can't learn the choreo and mess everything up? what if he doesn't like m- wait. that doesn't even matter- ugh.'

you stood there for so long thinking to yourself about the future that one of the trainees had to tap you on the shoulder to make sure you didn't see medusa or something. repeating your little sorries and thank yous, you left the practice room and went on your way home.

you'd think that after weeks of non-stop overworking you'd hit your limit by now. the thing is, you never learn your lesson until you have to learn it the hard way. and that's exactly what's gonna happen.

---

back to the present, riki was currently doing a run-over of what he thinks you guys should do to make the choreography better. if there was one thing you and him had in common, it's that you always wanted to be ranked 1 through hard work.

however, you disagreed with some of the steps he created, and respectfully asked if you could show him what you were thinking of. in all honesty, riki was quite impressed. he'd never seen you dance up close since all he was able to do was take quick glances, but seeing you pour your heart into what you love and being absolutely great at it, it kind of gave him the feels.

yes. the feels. the butterflies. 🦋🦋🦋

though, in the next moment, butterflies was far from what he felt. his stomach did a full 180 and his face in such a shocked state as he watched your eyes roll back as your body practically shut down in front of him. he sped down to your side quickly and shouted for help, as he tried to shake you awake.

"please please wake up, I'm not sure if you'd wake up at all if you fell asleep so please..."

was the last faint thing you heard before slipping into unconsciousness.

---

beep , beep , beep

your eyes flutter open to reveal that you were in the nurse's office in the same building. to say you were relieved was an understatement, hospitals scared you a lot more since they'd have to call your parents.

looking around the dim room, it still resembled a hospital room, monitor, needles, riki, IV, wait. riki?

your eyes practically shot back to where he sat, head bowed down in an awkward position, closed eyes with phone in hands.

honestly speaking, it was kind of cute. but you knew it was uncomfortable. and you also felt SUPER guilty making him wait for you and practically ruining practice. he stirred a bit, easy to wake up due to the uncomfy position his neck was in.

in a couple of seconds you hear him ask, "___? you're awake?"

"riki.. what happened?"

"the trainer, our choreographer and the building's medical team were all here. they said that you were overworking yourself. not only that, you didn't eat, drink, or sleep enough. which I can only assume is because you're constantly practicing."

"... I'm guessing that has to be true then, if I'm already here. riki, I'm sorry."

"sorry for what?"

"for wasting your time. you didn't have to be tangled up in my mess if I wasn't an idiot and asked them for a different exam. we could'v-"

he cut you off, “you aren't wasting my time, and you need rest. please, ___ this isn’t healthy.” riki pleaded, and he seemed so genuinely concerned for you.  “I know we’re labelled as rivals all the time but I want to get to know you better. as someone who ranked 1 consistently, I wanted to meet the one person who managed to achieve the same thing. you didn't disappoint me, you didn't waste my time, in fact, it was fun watching you disagree with the things I said. but then you fainted in front of me. I had no idea what to do, but thankfully Jungwon-hyung came in and helped me. but all that aside, your body needs rest. I've talked too much."

"it's okay, your voice seems to be making me sleepy anyways."

he didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.

you handed him a spare pillow from your bed though, so he'll just take it as a compliment for now.

he didn't know what took over him in the next few seconds but he slowly put his phone in his pocket and reached his hand out to you, his hand resting on the bed right next to your waistline. as if it was beckoning you, your hand gravitated towards his, and the warmth of his hand and his comforting presence was enough to lull you back to sleep.

---

all the trainees in the floor were gathered in practice room #1, awaiting the announcement to see who got rank 1.

of course, they were expecting you and riki, but not together at the same time.

"nishimura riki, ___ ___. rank #1"

you and riki looked at each other in excitement, you could do nothing but listen at the moment, but celebration was in order later.

celebration? oh did you mean cuddles, making sure you're rested well and eating okay, hand holding, and a whole lot of light-hearted teasing? yeah.

[end]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ written by junko

|blog masterlist|

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP meme from Scream Queens Ep 5 "Pumpkin Patch" (Note: Offensive content, use at own discretion)

The theme was "Let Them Eat Cake," so my dad bought me this foreclosed McMansion down the street, and, like, 500 of my closest friends came dressed in 18th century attire, and, oh, the pool was filled with this, like, caviar slurry. And then at midnight, we just burnt the house down. When the firefighters came, they were actually strippers, and they put out the fire with champagne.

So walk me through this, honey.

Well, as you can see, every pumpkin in the patch is artisanal.

Then we move past the ice sculptures of demonic peeing cherubs, and yes, they will all be peeing vodka and Red Bull.

I'm sorry. Corn maze?

It's just that doing an exact replica maze from The Shining would have taken us way over budget on man power alone.

I told you money was no object.

Well, apparently, one of them died or something.

Do you have any idea what's at stake here?

Okay, well, it's not my fault that some guy died in the '70s.

I am tired of your sad-sack, I'm-a-total-downer-all-the-time schtick.

I'm over it!

Oh, my God, why are you so depressed?

Why do I have to be the homely one?

Just a second, nutbag.

God, do I have to spell it out for you?

You're a weird, psycho lunatic who's gonna end up in an asylum somewhere, staring at a wall, trying to nurse a watering can.

That's it! I can't take this anymore!

That is such a Mary Todd Lincoln thing to say.

You scream "I'm done with you" kind of a lot, and yet you're still standing here.

I think you know you have a good thing going.

You get to bask in my starlight as I do all the work and you get to grumble behind my back about how disrespected you are.

There's the door.

There's the door, bitch!

You did not deserve to be spoken to like that. Ever.

That is bollocks!

Clearly this fake kidnapping is a play to get the sympathy vote. So Gone Girl.

This is the biggest candle night of the year!

I hate you right now!

Halloween is the greatest night of the year. Greatest night. Because on this night, even kind of shy, kind of homely girls dress up like total sluts. I mean, every costume is just a slutty version of something. Slutty teacher, slutty nurse, slutty nun. I saw a girl last year dressed as slutty al-Qaeda!

See, Halloween it's a night for dudes with killer bods to walk around with our shirts off. And it's totally appropriate, as long as we call ourselves gladiators, Chippendales.

I have no idea how you got into this college.

Look, we'll just hang out and play charades!

This cannot be happening!

Hey, what about Black Hairy Tongue Disease? I mean, does nobody here care about Black Hairy Tongue?

What about my pumpkin patch?

I blame you for this.

[NAME], nice boobs.

Join me in saying you are not afraid!

Just baking some cookies for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters.

Uh, they're toenail cookies.

Pink fur coats worn in all weather, my idea. Flapper dresses made out of feathers, also my idea. Oversized sunglasses worn everywhere, my idea, my idea, my idea!

So why are you baking toenail cookies and giving them to children?

Okay, whose side are you on?

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I'm what you call

a "switch-hitter."

Wait, are you bisexual? Because that's what "switch-hitter" means.

Do you mean "double agent"?

What are you writing?

Do you know how big Halloween is in the candle community?

Is this an ant farm?

There's a mom ant, Deborah, who mostly just lies around and she has about 100 husband ants, who come around and give it to her good, which she really enjoys. And then there's about a million sterile daughter ants who feed her and are her slaves. So, an ideal family.

She'd win. And then I'd beg to be her second-in-command, while quietly pull the strings behind the scenes like Dick Cheney.

This plan involves a lot of circuitous logic.

Oh, my God! Those are, like, $100 each!

They're the highest quality candles that can be purchased retail.

What a brilliant and revolutionary idea.

Are you cheating?

This is a clear violation of the honor code.

You must be new here.

Who are you calling?

I'm gonna get you fired.

At least you wore something nice today.

Remember to smile for your mug shot.

I'm burping uncontrollably like Robert Durst.

They'll know I'm guilty!

I'm next in line and in charge here.

You can sum up my viewpoint on this with one word; indifference.

We are her only hope.

Sometimes, in order for a person to achieve their full potential, they have to do things on their own.

I am in charge here!

I love that you're a man.

This is the most sensual song ever written.

We need to do this right now!

I just saw her boobs.

Oh, a salad date is, it's like, it's more casual than dinner, but more formal than coffee.

Whose pants are these?

You know, you're a human being with feelings and needs, right?

Enough about me and my confusion and sad dead feeling inside.

It just really hurt my feelings.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure my so-called friends are the ones that turned me in so I'm just feeling, like, super alone right now.

Man, I am your biggest Instagram fan!

I just think you are a style genius.

I will never be able to repay you for the kindness you've shown me in here.

Besties for life, I say.

Your bail's been posted.

I knew you'd bail me out.

Can I just say what a relief it is to be able to share it with somebody and not feel judged?

You know, I mean, all my girlfriends are like, "That's immoral." "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Ashamed? What the hell you got to be ashamed for?

You should be proud.

I could've lost my job.

I mean, it lasted, like, 45 seconds, and the whole time, it just felt like I was getting stabbed in the abdomen.

I tied him up and I kept my uniform on and proceeded

to read him his rights. My favorite being "You got the right to remain sexy."

Give me some!

You know he's sexy!

That was one of the best nights of my life.

Well, I've already contacted the police department, despite the fact that a person can't be considered "missing" until at least 72 hours has passed.

That's morbid.

I've already hired an investigator.

What, are you two a couple now?

What the hell are you doing?

You sold me down the river, bitch.

Wait, Gary Coleman's parents stole his kidneys?

I would never say that, because I'm pretty sure that never even happened.

Why does ratting me out sound like exactly something you would do?

You know, I've never thought of myself as a killer, but I am seriously considering ramming this pick into the back of your eye socket.

Maybe you'll get your head sawed off.

You have cameras in my room?

I have eyes everywhere, bitch.

The name of my future perfume is Revenge.

How is that something you just happen to know?

That is stupidest thing I've ever heard.

What's the password?

I just can't eat any more of these.

This ain't The Marriage Ref! This ain't Judge Joe Brown! We ain't on the Maury Show! We ain't standin' in line trying to get tickets to Dr. Phil! I am not Steve Harvey, people, and this ain't the Family Feud!

I'm tryin' to catch a killer.

Help me get the spy gear in the car!

How can you promise?

We're in a maze, you don't know where you're going!

I always knew it would come to this.

Why are we doing this right now?

I forgot the flashlights!

What am I supposed to do with this?

This is so creepy.

It smell like booty in here.

I'm getting a nervous feeling in my stomach.

I might start farting. If I cut some, you promise not to tell anyone?

Oh, my boob!

Stay where you are! I'll come and get you!

Ooh, this is nice.

It's really beautiful.

It looks like you just crossed some stuff out and wrote that in in marker.

Okay, can we talk about that for a second? Because it just happened a few hours ago, and I'm still really traumatized.

I need some cheering up right now.

Excuse me, darling, I'm exhausted.

Wait, we need to hear what happened to you.

Just wondering where you find a house with a pit. The market for them would be pretty limited.

Did you escape, or did you kill him?

I've always had a thing for bad boys.

That got way out of hand.

[girlwithshipsshitshow]

Part 11

Misaki: (Runs hands through his hair) Sorry Takahiro, I was going to call you, but i've been a little preoccupied with my fiance here..

Takahiro: I had to hear it from this guy (Taps Isaka's chest) Luckily he didn't sound worried so...

Takahiro, Isaka: Wait did you just say Fiance?

Misaki: Oh yeah, we got engaged saturday.

Isaka: (Walks over to Usagi, salps usagi on the shoulder who groans in pain) Congrats man, you finally asked him!

Usagi: (Raspy voice) Uh, actually Misaki asked me, and please don't hit me I just has surgery.

Takahiro: Are you okay Usagi-san?

Usagi: I'm fine

Takahiro: (Walks over to Misaki and Usagi) So, you guys are getting married?

Misaki: Yes, Yeah we are.

Takahiro: We'll congrats.

Misaki: Yeah, you don't seem so happy about it.

Takahiro: I haven't even gotten used to the idea of you guys dating and now you're engaged?

Misaki: Yeah, we'll my plan was to propose after we told you and before I graduated, so I don't really care if you've gotten used to it, we've been dating for years without you knowing and now that you know we can fully be happy, and if i'm sorry if you can't get on board.

Takahiro: I can, I just need time to processes all this.

Misaki: We'll right now, we need to focus on Usagi, so this conversation isn't happening right now.

Takahiro: (Nods walks over to the sofa and sits down beside Aikawa).

Isaka: Well I'm happy for you. (Smiles awkwardly, and goes to sit on the sofa).

(Nurse Rose walks in and smiles at Aikawa causing her to blush, she sits on the arm of the sofa causing her to blush more, her heart was beating out of her chest, hopefully no one could hear it.)

Nurse rose: Looks like we have a full house.

Misaki: Yeah, my brother Takahiro is beside Aikawa, and beside him is the senior manager at the publishing company where Usagi's work is published, his name is Isaka.

Takahiro, Isaka: Hello.

Nurse Rose: So how is everyone doing? Usagi the cafe is about to close so if you want anything to eat you should place and order now, otherwise I can get you some liquid broth and tea from up here.

Usagi: I'll just take whatever's up here.

Nurse Rose: Sure, the four of you should probably go grab some food.

Misaki: I want to stay here

Usagi: No, you need to eat.

Misaki: (Sighs)

Usagi: I'll be fine for an hour, I promise.

Isaka: (Stands up, walks over to Misaki, Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder), Come on Misaki, he'll be okay.

Misaki: (Stands up) Okay (Softly places hand on Usagi's cheek and and leans down to kiss him, he softly whispers "I love you" against his lips, before giving him another kiss.

Nurse Rose: Okay, so I can take you guys up to the cafe, (confused look) It's on the fivthteen floor for some reason, never understood that, shall we go everyone?

Misaki, Isaka, Takahiro, and Aikawa: (All follow Nurse rose out of the room, and onto the elevator).

Nurse Rose: Alright fun ride! I'm on my break before going into my night shift, do you guys mind if I eat with you?

Misaki: (gently nudges Aikawa)

Aikawa: (Slants eyebrows and mouths "what")

Misaki: (Nods at her)

Aikawa: Um, Nurse Rose?

Nurse Rose: (Smiles) I'm on break, you can just call me Rose.

Aikawa: (Blushes). Um you can join us for dinner.

Nurse Rose: Oh, that's cool! Thanks. I want to get to know you more.

Aikawa: (Clears throat) Uh, a- all- all of us.

(Elevator dings, they all get off following nurse rose to the cafe, They all get a large plate of shrimp tempura to share, and chicken broth, options were limited, since it was late and the cafe would be closing soon. Isaka, and Takahiro followed Nurse Rose to a table in the far corner of the restaurant, while Misaki and Aikawa trailed behind.

Aikawa: When she said she wants to get to know you, she meant all of us right?

Misaki: (Laughs) No, she wants to get to know YOU.

Aikawa: What does that mean?

Misaki: It means she likes you.

Aikawa: So you're engaged and suddenly you're the relationships expert? Isn't Usagi your first relationship?

Misaki: (Scuffs) And how many relationships have you been in?

(They approach the table, Nurse rose grins at Aikawa)

Misaki: See she's smiling at you.

Aikawa: No, she's Being friendly

Nurse Rose: Aikawa, I saved you a seat. (Pats the seat)

Misaki: See, (Walks over and sits beside Isaka.

Isaka: CHIBI!! (Throws arms around Misaki)

Misaki: What!?

Isaka: What's happening, how are you handling this?

Misaki: (Takes a bite of the shrimp). As well as I can be

Isaka: Good, so tell me , what's going on with those two?

(Across the table)

Rose: So how long have you known Akihiko?

Aikawa: Oh many years, he's a pain in the ass, but he's a good guys, he's like my brother.

Rose: So you've never had any sort of feelings for him?

Aikawa: (Snorts) Oh god no! He's never been into girls and the one person he's "loved" before Misaki didn't feel that way about him. Misaki's the love of his life.

Rose: (Touches Aikawa's hand) And what about you?

Aikawa: (Blushes) What about me?

Rose: (Chuckles) You ever been in love.

Aikawa: I'm in love with my Job.

Rose: Ah, one of those people.

Aikawa: One of what people?

Rose: Your life is your job and you never dedicate anytime to yourself, or anything else.

Aikawa: That-

Rose: Not true?

Aikwawa: (blushes) I need to make some time for myself?

Rose: How about tomorrow?

Aikawa: Tomorrow?

Rose: I get off at 5, we can get dinner?

Aikawa: I-

Isaka, Misaki: SAY YES!

Rose: (laughs)

Aikawa: Um, Yes!

Rose: Okay, cool. Um can I get your number?

Aikawa: Oh, um sure. (takes phone out of pocket, the two exchange numbers), Um you can call me Eri.

Isaka: Whoa! You never let anyone call you by your first name.

Aikawa: Isaka, hush.

Rose: (Laughs, we should probably head back, Im sure Akihiko is hungry, and it's almost seven so visiting hours are almost over, everyone has to head home. Except you Misaki, legally you can stay.

Isaka: What, why does he get to stay.

Rose: (Raises eyebrows),Misaki's his fiance.Don't worry the rest of you can come back at six am. Anyway we should get going, you have thirty minutes to say goodnight to your friend, and Misaki I can bring some sheets and a warm cover up so you can fix up the sofa, it pulls out into a bed.

Misaki: Thank you Nurse Rose.

(Misaki sat with his arms crossed and a foot up in the chair,he watched as Nurse rose fixed the sofa for him,she was smiling and humming, apparently she was happy about her date with Aikaw,it was around seven-thirty and everyone had already left, Usagi flipped through the tv channels and sipped on a third cup of tea, his seaced IV bag had been replaced when they came back upstairs and he had his second round of antibiotics, his vitals were still looking good, and he would have labs drawn around three in the morning, his bandages had been replaced and his surgery area looked good, other than the labs, and nurse rose checking on them throughout the night they should be good).

Misaki: You didn't have to make up the sofa, I could've done it by myself.

Nurse Rose: That's okay. It's my job.

Usagi: Misaki, relax let someone do something for you for once, plus don't you have an exam to study for? maybe do that for an hour huh?

Misaki: Fine. (Walks over to table near the window, grabs laptop, walks back over to Usagi and starts to work on study guide.

Usagi: Is this for German?

Misaki: Uh, Yeah.

Usagi: How do you feel about that?

Misaki: Good.

Usagi: Your grades are still passing?

Misaki: Ugh, yes Usagi, god you're in the hospital and you're still nagging me?

Usagi: (Reaches hand out) I just want you to graduate, you've worked so hard.

Misaki: (Smiles, takes his hand) I know, thank you.

Nurse rose: (Sits on the armchair of the sofa, she smiles at them). Do you Guys always banter like this?

Misaki: (Chuckles) Yeah kinda our thing.

Nurse Rose: So how long have you guys been together?

Usagi: (Moves bed up): Um, almost five years.

Nurse rose: How did you meet.

Misaki: He used to be my tutor, and was in love with my brother.

Nurse Rose: Really?

Usagi: Yeah, Kinda a long story.

Nurse Rose: And that doesn't make it weird.

Misaki: Um, there were times early in our relationship when I was worried he was still in love with him but-

Usagi: His brother means a lot to me, but Misaki's the love of my life, I love him so fucking much, I'll never love anyone as much as Misaki, he's my everything.

Nurse Rose: Wow, That's so sweet.

Misaki: (Sobbing) Usagi, stop saying stuff like that, I need to study.

Usagi: (Smirks) You already know that's how i feel about you, I say it to you all the time.

Misaki: Yeah, but i'm studyyinngggg.

Usagi: (Laughs). Get back to studying.

Misaki: You know i feel the same way about you right baby?

Usagi: Ahh, did you just call me baby? Do it again.

Misaki: Mmmhm, can't studying, watch tv or somthing.

Nurse Rose: Well (stands).If You need anything, you know how to get ahold of me.

Usagi: Yes, thank you.

Nurse Rose: (Exits).

(Misaki slams laptop and places it on the table in front of Usagi before pushing it out of the way, surprising him).

Usagi: Misaki, what are you doing? because we can't have sex if that's what you're trying to do. I mean I really want to, but we can't.

Misaki: No, I know that, but I have news.

Usagi: What news makes you act like THAT.

Misaki: Nurse Rose and Aikawa have a date tomorrow!

Usagi: Awe good for them.

Misaki: Why aren't you more Excited!

Usagi: I'll be more excited once you pass the test!

Misaki: (Grabs laptop) You're no fun.

Usagi: I-

Misaki: You just want me to graduate BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!

Usagi: Misaki

Misaki: I'm studying, I'm studying.

Misaki: Done, are you happy? (he looked beside him, it was ten, Usagi was out cold, he placed his laptop on the table, turned the lights off, and changed the channel to some dumb sitcom that would give him a good laugh and walked back over to Usagi, he softly ran his fingers through his soft grey hair, and leaned down softy giving him a kiss on the lips). Goodnight my love (He walked over the the sofa and sighed as he crawled under the covers, it felt weird not cuddling next to Usagi, they've been doing it a lot more recently and he knew he would have a hard time sleeping not wrapped in Usagi's arms, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.