#i remember feeling her get more engaged with the story and being like ''whoa this is REALLY good''
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simptasia · 4 months ago
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mum wasn't much into DS9, she didnt like it when it was airing, and only really started to get into it in the later years of her life. she loved quark. but still, i'm glad she got to see "dr. bashir i presume?" before she died
and she loved it
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sleeplesssmoll · 3 months ago
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How do you think vertin would parent the suitcase kids?
I think the best example of how she parents is Jessica's story, but the kids' voicelines also paint a great picture. You can read many of them on the fan wiki.
Vertin for the most part seems to give them freedom, unless its a safety/health concern. She also likes to mess with them too, but in a very playful way. The kids look up to her too. They feel comfortable asking her for things and like her involvement in their activities. Vertin actively engages with them too, which is probably how she fostered these little relationships. Ms. Moissan asks Vertin to help check Sotheby's homework and stuff too, so even the adults recognize her skills when dealing children.
In Jessica's story, when Jessica gets in trouble for misbehaving at the school, Vertin doesn't yell at her. Instead she talks to her and tries to find the root of the issue, while redirecting/guiding her. She also seems genuinely upset by Jessica's expressions of loneliness and dissatisfaction and tries to make things better.
If I had to sum up how she interacts with kids:
patient
playful
invested/engaged in their activities
cares about their health/safety
seems to share snacks with the kids
mentor/role model
stern when she needs to be
Here are some of voice lines to help paint a picture (left out head pats/hand holding but she does a lot of that and its not exclusive to kids). There's a lot more interactions than this and I'm sure you'll see them pop up throughout the game.
Eagle (age 13)
Bond Morning: "Good morning. I will sketch the way you wake up now in my diary." (poor Vertin's barely awake)
Intimacy :Please praise me... Will you?
Praise: Tough. Brave. Never give up. You've done a great job.
Morning: Good morning. Let me help you put the tent away, please. (seems like Vertin took Eagle out on a little camping trip or maybe just set up a spot in the Wilderness?)
Avgust (age 8)
Bond Morning: I prepared breakfast for you! It's Runium slag... The critters told me it's the best food in the world. But I think people don't like how it tastes. My mom says she likes it, though she has never eaten her breakfast in front of me.
Night: I have blankets and milk ready, Vertin. Now you must lie down for story time. The story I'm going to tell is about the Snow Maiden, the granddaughter of Old Father Frost …
Praise You deserve a certificate, or an award, and a medal! I will make one for you. I've seen them make it before …
Intimacy: Could you give me a Picrasma? My snowman needs a nose!
Mondlicht (age 10)
Intimacy: Hey are you free now? I found this book in my room. Could you ... (this once is cute because she's usually trying to protect everyone but here she is being a kid and asking for story time)
Twins Sleep (age 8)
Bond: Night No, no! I don't want to brush my teeth! (Vertin has it tough sometimes)
Spathodea (age 14)
Bond: Morning Vertin, would you like to try a new hairstyle? Like boxer braids... Look, I 100% respect your choice, but are you sure you don't want to give it a go? I've been thinking how perfect it will look on you...
Clothing and Torso: Whoa... No, haha... It tickles... Hahaha! Oh my... I-I have a strange feeling of deja vu. Something like this happened before, but I don't remember what it really was...
Intimacy: Wow, I've never had any chocolate like this! Emm, I mean, it's not the best chocolate I've had, of course. The best one has something to do with a special moment that means a lot to me... While this one, I like it simply because it's appetizing... So, can I have one more?
Chitchat Ⅱ: Wait... Wh-What is it that you're holding? A piece of paper from my... bag? Aaaaah! That's my report card! Stop reading!
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shyficwriter · 4 years ago
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Sick
Guardians of the Galaxy fanfic | Reader x Guardians (With Yondu & Kraglin)
Summary: You are quite sick, and unfortunately for everyone else, you won't stay in bed. Might have something to do with being delirious with fever, or maybe you're just a terrible patient. Who's to say?
Authors note: Content warning for hallucinated gore (I think? maybe horror is a better description? Let me know), and mentions of blood, and of course mentions of all the nastiness that comes with a stomach sickness (Don't worry, I kept it clean, didn't want to gross myself out lol) The characters are safe, story has a happy ending.
Word Count: 7,120
Damn, you felt like shit.
It was the first morning in forever where you could remember not actually wanting to get out of bed. Everything was sore, and damn it was just so cold. Why was it cold? Peter usually kept the ship decently warm?
You sighed and rolled out of bed, pausing momentarily when the room began to spin and your stomach tightened in nausea. Damn. That mission the other day must have taken more out of you than you thought. You didn't think you'd still be this sore and tired two days later. This was worse than yesterday, and you weren't exactly expecting the nausea, but at least it had passed.
Oh well. Nothing you can really do about it. Besides, you had more pressing matters, like figuring out why it was so damn cold. You were shaking and had to fight your teeth from chattering. Better put on a sweater.
After washing up and getting ready you headed out of your room to ask Peter why it was so cold, maybe check on the boiler yourself if he hadn't. You found him with Gamora and Kraglin on the flight deck discussing the best course to Berhert, where you guys were planning to dock for a few days and maybe chase down a few leads for new jobs.
"Why is it so freaking cold in here?" you ask. "Did the boiler break down or something?"
They turned to look at you and it was then you realized they were in their regular clothes, not even wearing jackets to keep them warm. Peter was even wearing short sleeves. "I feel fine?" he said, looking to Gamora. "Are you cold?"
She shook her head, adding that if anything, she thought Peter kept it a little too warm on the ship.
You raised an eyebrow, wondering how they could possibly be warm when you were freezing. You shook your head gently. "Guess it's just me then," you grumble.
"You ok? Ya look a little pale there?" Kraglin asked after noticing you were at least a shade or two lighter than normal and how the skin around your eyes wasn't normally that dark.
"I'm fine, Kraglin," you say, trying not to sound like too much of an asshole despite being cranky that you were so cold and achy.
Peter looked at you suspiciously a moment before saying, "Hey, come here a sec."
"Why?" you ask, just as suspiciously.
"Just come here."
You roll your eyes as you approach. "Fine." Once you stopped a few feet from him you asked, "What?"
He raised his hand out toward your forehead, and in your surprise you leaned away quick, instantly regretting it as the room began to spin again.
You gathered yourself somewhat quickly and noticed his hand coming back. You smacked it away. "What are you doing??" you asked through squinty eyes.
"I'm trying to feel your temperature, dummy. Quit moving!" he responded, irritated when you dodged him once again.
"What am I? A child? I don't need you to feel my temperature, mom." you sassed, taking a few steps backward out of the way. "I'm fine." you say irritably.
"Well you like shit."
You almost laughed in surprise at his bluntness as you leaned back with a mildly offended expression. "Well fuck you too, dickweed. You aren't exactly a looker yourself." You didn't really think he was ugly, you were just being mean, but it made Kraglin laugh anyway.
Peter shot him a look before turning back to you and saying, "I didn't mean it like that. I just think you should probably go back to bed if you aren't feeling well."
"First off, I have shit to do, I'm not going back to bed. Secondly, I never said I wasn't feeling well, I just said I was cold," you say bitterly, hugging your arms close to your chest as another chill hit you.
"Then why are you sweating?" Peter asked.
You looked at him a moment, confused, before bringing your own hand up to your forehead. Sure enough, you were starting to sweat a little around your hairline. You wiped your hand on your sweater as you gave him a bitter look before turning and walking away.
"Go back to bed!" Peter called after you.
You flipped him the bird, not turning around as you continued out of the room. "You don't tell me what to do. You ain't my mother."
Peter narrowed his eyes as you walked away. "Yeah... well... Good!"
Gamora rolled her eyes at both yours and Peter's immaturity and returned the conversation to the navigation.
***
You made you way down to the kitchen, thinking maybe you'd make some toast. Your stomach felt a bit crampy now, and you thought toast might be light enough to soothe it before you got started on your chores. Maybe some milk. Milk was nice and gentle, right?
Rocket and Groot were already in the kitchen eating some cereal when you got there. You nodded toward them in greeting as you put down some bread in the toaster. You pulled down a glass and went to open the fridge to pour yourself some milk while you waited when Rocket spoke up.
"Oh hey, we're out of milk, if that's what you're after."
You sighed. "Juice will have to do then," you say, grabbing the bottle and pouring yourself a glass of the light green liquid. You leaned against the counter and sipped at it as Rocket made conversation.
"You said you're going to blow out the dryer line today, right?"
"Yeah."
"About how long are you gonna be? I need to wash a load and I was hoping to get it started before I got to work fixing Groot's game-thing so it might be done by the time I finished."
"Shouldn't be too long. Should only take abo-"
Just then the toaster popped, making you jump a mile, and Rocket and Groot laugh at your reaction.
"Oh man, I don't get why you Terrans are so scared of that! Haha!"
You only glare at him before removing your toast and turning your attention to buttering it rather than engage about how you were definitely not scared of a toaster like you would have any other time. You just didn't feel like it today.
"I am Groot?"
"Yeah, you ok? Normally you yell back when I tease you about the toaster. You sick or something?"
You were finished buttering your toast so you turned to give him an unimpressed look. "What? If I don't yell at you, you think I must be sick?"
Rocket shrugged, "I mean, yeah?" He collected his and Groot's now empty bowls and hopped over to put them in the sink. "You've always yelled something back, what else I'm I supposed to think?" He turned back towards you and looked you over. "And are you supposed to look that... dead?"
You narrowed your eyes. "You supposed to be that bald?"
"What? I'm literally covered in fur." Rocket said, looking at you like he thought you were stupid.
"You won't be if I shave you, you little shit."
"I am Groot."
"I'm not sure if cranky's the word I'd use right now, buddy." Rocket said, throwing you a sideways glance. "Come on, let's go see if Drax wants to play cards or something." With that the pair left the room, leaving you alone to nibble at your toast and sip at your juice in peace.
It didn't exactly help the cramping in your stomach though, you realized as you placed your glass in the sink. You took a deep breath as another chill hit you and you rested over the sink a bit to get your bearings, taking a few more deep breaths hoping it would ease the cramping in your stomach.
Once you felt steady enough you left the kitchen, intent to get started on today's tasks, first being the dryer line, then changing the various air filters about the ship. You'd probably also get around to checking all the smoke detectors before lunch, but for now you just needed to get down to the laundry room to get started.
God, it was so cold.
You made your way down the hall from the kitchen and turned off towards the laundry room when you were startled by Yondu. He had been coming up the other hallway in the direction you were now headed and decided to greet you with a clap on the back and a loud, "Hey, squirt! What'cha doing?"
He always called you squirt, pipsqueak, munchkin, just because he knew it annoyed you to be called childish nicknames. To be fair, he did still call Peter, a fully grown man, 'boy,' as well as also sometimes calling him 'squirt,' and Gamora 'girl,' so at least you knew it wasn't personal.
The startle, as well as the impact of his hand meeting your shoulder sent you forward. You grabbed hold of the wall and tried to steady yourself as the hall spun around you.
"Whoa, ya alright there?" Yondu asked, not expecting to have thrown you so off balance.
You look up at him weakly and nod, breathing deeply through your nose as you held a hand to your stomach, still bent over slightly from where you had caught yourself. You thought you were going to be sick, but you were doing your damnedest to keep it together. "Yeah." you swallowed, trying to fight the slight tremors beginning to shake you. "Yeah, I'm good."
"Ya don't look it. I think you need to take your ass back to bed."
You glare at him. "I'm fine. I just need a sec." As if your body were trying to betray you, another chill shot through your spine, making you shake as a strong cramp made you fold into yourself with a, "Ow, fuck!"
Shit. You knew what was coming and there was nothing you could do to stop it. You quickly turned away from Yondu and vomited on the floor with such force that it felt like something had ripped your stomach open and you fought not to whimper at the pain. You heard him make a disgusted noise, and you didn't blame him.
Teeth chattering and dizzy, you looked at the mess and said, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I'll clean that up." Your vision swam as you shook, one hand gripping at the wall, the other still wrapped about your middle.
Before Yondu could think to respond you had dropped to your knees, thankfully missing the puddle of sick on the floor, and vomited again.
You couldn't stop shaking, and resigned into leaning into the wall, eyes closed as you turned your forehead to rest against the cold metal. Your breath came in shudders as you heard Yondu cry out, "Shit! Quill!" He sounded urgent, but you didn't have time to think about that, you were too busy shaking and trying not to vomit again.
You thought you heard Rocket's voice from up the hall say, "See! I knew you were sick!" and you briefly opened your eyes to look up and make out the little blurry figure approaching before closing them again, weakly throwing him the bird as you focused on keeping it together, both arms now clutching your stomach as you grimaced in pain. It would be over soon. You just needed to gather yourself so you could clean up the mess you made and then you could get on with your day. God your stomach hurt...
You heard Yondu call out for Peter a second time, more urgently than the first and adding, "Kraglin! Somebody! Get down here!" when you lost your battle against your stomach and vomited for a third time. This time Rocket's cries for Peter joined him. You wondered why they were freaking out and calling for Peter when you felt Yondu grab your shoulders to stop you from falling forwards, causing your eyes to pop open allowing you to see your puddle of sick was now red, though you couldn't remember eating anything red... Was the juice you drank red? No, it was green... "Well that's not ideal..." you slurred out, realizing that it probably definitely shouldn't be red, but couldn't quite get a grasp on exactly why you knew it shouldn't be.
The last thing you heard was the sounds of boots thundering down the hallway, getting closer as they mingled with the noises of Yondu and Rocket's shouting before everything went dark.
***
You woke up in your bed laying on top of your sheets. You still didn't feel great, your stomach still felt crampy and also now burned a bit, but it was better than the sharp pain of before and at least you didn't really feel nauseous anymore.
It was still really cold though. You sat up and your head swam. You looked down to see you were still in your sweater and contemplated putting another one on before deciding against it. You were going to be up moving around doing your chores in a second, you'd likely warm up then.
You gingerly pulled yourself out of bed, thinking you might go get some water first, when you looked over at your nightstand for the time and found that someone had already left you a glass. How kind. You sipped at the water and silently grumbled when you realized you had been asleep for nearly two hours.
Wait... why were you in bed again? You sort of remembered getting sick. Peter probably made you lay down a bit. He was a mother hen like that.
No matter, you were up now. Time to get to work.
You left your room and had made it about 20 feet before Gamora spotted you and ordered you back to bed. You made out her two stern faces staring at you... wait two? You thought she only had one of those?
"Why?" you ask, wondering if Peter's mother-hening had rubbed off on her. Way you saw it, you only threw up, it wasn't the end of the world.
"Because you're sick, that's why!" Gamora replied, sounding exasperated.
"I'm fine." you assured, making a face a her. "You worry too much, chicken. The sky's still there." Hmm... you might have gotten that phrase wrong, or did you? You couldn't quite remember. Oh well.
"Bed. Now." she ordered. You blinked and suddenly she once again only had one face. One very cross looking face. Oh well. You still knew better than to argue with her, regardless of how many faces she chose to wear today, so begrudgingly you turned around and went back to your room with a dramatic sigh.
When enough time passed that you were certain she'd be gone, you attempted your escape again. This time you got about halfway to the laundry when you spotted little Groot in the hallway. He looked at you contemplatively and said, "I am Groot?" which you took to mean he was probably asking if you were supposed to be up and out of bed. Leave it to Peter to tell the whole damn ship.
You gave the little guy your best smile and made a shushing gesture with your finger to your lips. "Our secret, right buddy?"
He smiled and ran off.
Taking that as an agreement to silence you went on your way only to not make it much further before hearing someone tell you to "Stop right there!" You turned to find Gamora and Peter looking very disapproving while Rocket stood there looking smug with little Groot sat on his shoulder. Knowing you were defeated, your shoulders fell as you said, "I know, I know. 'Back to bed.'" As you made your way past them you looked down at the little twig and muttered, "Traitor." only to be met with him sticking his little tongue out at you playfully.
Your third attempt was much the same, only this time it was Mantis who caught you and she wasn't quiet about it at all when she went running off yelling to Yondu that you were out of bed again, much to your chagrin as it prompted him to come out of a nearby room. He didn't even have to say anything. He just stared you down, and you held up your hands in defeat and said "Ok! Ok! I'm going!" before scurrying the best you could back to your room.
You didn't even get out of your room on your fourth attempt, having opened the door to find Drax had been walking by at just that moment. He stopped and narrowed his eyes at you with arms crossed, daring you to try it. You looked at him awkwardly a moment before sighing and just closing the door. Maybe you'd take a nap and wait them out. You were a little sleepy...
On your fifth attempt you got nearly to the doors of the laundry when you heard someone shout, "Where do you think you're going?! Get back to bed!"
You turned around irritably to see it was Peter and Kraglin now, looking fairly cross. Seriously!? Why can't they just let you be!
You crossed your arms. "I have to blow out the dryer line, asshat. Where are you going?" you sassed.
Kraglin leaned to Peter and muttered something you couldn't quite make out. Something about the flight hangar? Oh well, probably wasn't important.
Peter looked at you like you were a misbehaving child. "I'm going to take you back to bed, that where I'm going."
You rolled your eyes and waved him off this time, turning your back on him to continue on your quest.
"Hey!" he scolded, effortlessly catching up with you and grabbing your arm to stop you. "I'm not kidding, you need to go back to bed." He put a hand to your forehead, this time succeeding since he had you by the arm and you couldn't get away. "You're burning up. Come on, back to bed." he repeated.
"Screw off." you say weakly, the sudden motion of being grabbed making you dizzy.
"See this is what I mean. You need to rest." Peter's tone was slightly more gentle now, but it didn't make you any less cranky. "Do you really think you're gonna puke blood and then just be allowed to walk about like everything's fine? You're crazy. You need to stay in bed until a doctor can see you!"
Huh. So that hadn't been a dream... Maybe it was the fever talking, but you didn't really care too much. You didn't want or need to see a doctor. You tried to reason with him.
"If I don't blow the lint out of the line it could catch fire. You want that, Star-Brat?" Ok, so you were still a bit cranky, probably could have said that nicer. Oh well. You tried to pry his hand away but failed, sighing in frustration.
"Already did it." Kraglin lied, throwing a hinting look to Peter.
Taking the cue Peter nodded. "Uh- Yeah, he got it done while you were sleeping.'"
"See?" Kraglin said, "Now you got nothing to worry about and you can just get some rest."
You jerked your arm and this time succeeded in freeing yourself, but not without feeling faint. "Nice try." you say, stumbling back a little. "There's still other stuff I needed to get done."
Peter grabbed your arm again, afraid you might fall backward if he didn't, and this time wasted no time marching you in the direction of your room. "And it can all wait until tomorrow. Right now you rest. This is the last time we're gonna tell you."
You looked at him confused. Last time? Had there been others? Oh right... you thought remembered him and Gamora yelling at you once before... oh and Yondu... you had forgotten Yondu. Bunch of mother hens...
Too weak to free yourself again you settled for complaining that you were fine, and for Peter to just let you go about your business. It all went on deaf ears.
On the way back to your room the three of you passed by Yondu, who laughed and said, "Told ya the squirt would try and escape again, didn't I? Just as stubborn as the two of you boys."
Peter chuckled, looking to the blue man and saying, "Remember that time we had to literally tie Kraglin to the bed when he caught the Kree flu and wouldn't stay in the Med Bay?"
Kraglin rolled his eyes and Yondu laughed, looking at you. "Now there's an idea!"
You shot him a look. "If you tie me down I swear I'll gut all of you," you say crankily.
"Stay in bed then and we won't have a problem," Yondu grinned, adding, "Don't make us have to knock you out."
You glared at him again but finally allowed Peter to lead you back to your room with minimal grumbling.
Once in your room he threw back your covers and ordered you to get into bed or else he and Kraglin would tie you to it. Afraid they might actually follow through with the threat, you obeyed, grumbling about how they were treating you like a child.
"Quit acting like one and we won't have to," Kraglin quipped, pointing to the water glass on your table and stating how you needed to keep your fluids up and that it better be gone by the time one of them came back to check on you.
You just turned on your side away from them and grumbled out a sleepy, "Yeah, yeah. Leave me alone."
Satisfied that you'd finally stay put the two men left the room. Once Peter closed the door behind them Kraglin said, "I guess I better actually go clean that dryer line now, huh?"
Peter chuckled. "Yeah, maybe."
***
Peter met up with Gamora on the flight deck. "How soon until the Doc can get here?"
As soon as he, Gamora, and Kraglin had all ran down from the flight deck to see what Yondu and Rocket were yelling about and found you passed out in Yondu's arms in front of a puddle of your own all-too-bloody sick they immediately sent Kraglin back up to call one of Berhert's doctors to try and get one to meet them at the ship, knowing they were still about three days out from even thinking about landing.
"Still about a day out," Gamora answered.
"I'm getting nervous," Peter admitted since it was just he and Gamora alone now. He told her how you were you were practically burning to the touch when he was dragging you back to your room for the final time, and even though you put on a good act with the banter, you couldn't hide from him the fact that you couldn't stop shivering or the way you looked like death warmed over.
He also told her what Kraglin had said, how they thought the fever was getting to you. When they found you last you were making your way towards the flight hangar, but you thought you were headed towards the laundry. They were on opposite ends of the ship.
Gamora validated his concerns, taking his hand to comfort him before saying, "Don't worry, the doctor will get here in time."
Peter sighed and nodded.
If- No. When you got better, Peter was going to kick your ass for making him worry.
***
You woke up again a few hours later feeling thirsty and achy. You looked over to see you still had about a sip of water left and drank it. Placing the glass back on the nightstand you stared at the ceiling for a moment before realizing you also needed to pee. Ugh. Inconvenient. If you couldn't work or do anything else you'd at least rather be sleeping. Actually, now that you thought about it, right now you didn't even want to work anymore. You just wanted sleep.
You knew surely you wouldn't get yelled at for being out of bed for getting up to use the toilet, so you sat up with the intent to roll out of bed and walk across the hall to do your business. Maybe you'd get some more water on the way as well.
No sooner had you sat up did you see it in the corner. Your stomach flipped and you rubbed your eyes, but it was still there. With horror in your eyes and your urge to use the toilet completely forgotten, you stared at the horrifying sight, unable to make a sound.
In the corner of the room was a humanoid figure, looking like it had been skinned alive. It was eyeless, only dark oozing holes remained where its eyes should have been, same with its nose. It was twitching grotesquely, blood and yellow ooze sloughing off its body as it did so, puddling about the floor at its feet. It tilted its head at you with a wicked toothy grin of sharp yellow teeth.
You pressed yourself against the headboard, shaking like mad, only a tiny squeak able to leave your throat. Sweat tickled down your forehead but you didn't dare move to wipe it away.
You sat like this for what felt like an eternity but was likely only a few moments before you heard the door to your room open and heard Yondu's voice.
"Me and Rat just came to make sure ya didn't run away again." He chuckled, before noticing the state of you and his tone changed. "What's the matter?"
You didn't look at him, didn't say anything, not wanting to take your eyes off the monster or do anything that might spur it into motion, and pointed a trembling hand at it.
Yondu looked where you were pointing. There was nothing there.
He looked down at a confused Rocket and just muttered, "Shit," realizing that you were likely hallucinating from the fever. He spoke to you softly, easing himself into the room so as to not make any sudden movements, "Listen here now, there's nothing there. It's alright."
You swallowed hearing his words. There was nothing there. There was nothing there. It couldn't hurt you. It couldn't-
It took a step towards you.
"Please," you managed to get out, jerking back into the headboard, trembling. You silently begged that you would fall asleep, or wake up, anything to make the nightmare before you go away.
Yondu's eyes widened and he held up his hands as he took another gentle step toward you despite how you still hadn't looked his way. "It's alright, you're ok, whatever it is- it's not real."
"Please," you say again, pleadingly, "Please knock me out."
Yondu looked at you in confusion. "What?"
"Please... Please. Knock me out. Sedate me- I don't care." You begged. You believed his voice when it said the creature wasn't real, or at very least you wanted to believe it very badly. However, believing it wasn't real didn't change the fact that you could still see it. Tears started to leak from your eyes. "Please make it stop."
Seeing you beg like that tore at something in Yondu's heart. You guys all did scary shit all the time. Came with the job of being part of the "Guardians of the Galaxy." Everyone had seen each other scared at some point, but this was different.
He spoke softly. "Ok, ok." He looked at Rocket for assistance. When he had threatened to knock you out earlier it had only been a joke. Other than sucker-punching you, which he had no intention of doing, he didn't actually have anything he could give you that would knock you out.
Rocket spoke up, uncharacteristically softly, trying to be helpful. "Look, it's ok, we're here, you're safe." He made to jump up on the bed before Yondu could stop him.
A reddish oozing blob similar to the creature in the corner but with reddish eyes jumped up by your feet and you screamed.
Yondu's scolding cry to Rocket of "Dammit, boy! No!" was drowned out by your cry as you kicked and sent the horrible thing flying to the end of your bed. It just managed to keep from falling to the floor by sinking its claws into the blanket, and it stood back up with a shake. You shrieked as you threw your empty water glass right at the creatures head only for it to catch it and toss it aside on the bed.
Then you felt strong hands grab your wrists. You heard Yondu's voice calling your name, saying it was alright, that everything was ok, but it wasn't Yondu. It was the creature from the corner.
"I don't think that's helping!" Rocket said, hopping off the bed to narrowly avoid being kicked again.
"Well jumpin' up on the bed wasn't yer brightest idea either, boy!" Yondu scolded back. You were sliding down the headboard, trying to get away from him, so he switched tactics. He traded gripping your wrists in favor of wrapping his arms around you, effectively pining your arms with your wrists against your chest in a hug so he could rock you gently saying, "Shh, it's alright, you're safe. It's alright. Shh."
Tears ran down your face as the creature wrapped itself around you. You turned your face away, kicking and struggling to break free as you cried softly, "No no no! Please no!"
Yondu continued to rock you, hoping you'd snap out of it. After a couple more shushes and assurances that you were safe, that weren't quite working, he threw a sideways glance at Rocket. "This doesn't leave this room, got it?"
Rocket cheekily replied, "Me? Tell everyone you're a giant softie? Never!"
Yondu glared at him and was about to say something snarky in return when he heard Mantis from the doorway.
She peeked in nervously. "Is everything ok? I was walking by and I heard screaming."
Rocket got an idea. Drax had told him how Mantis had put Ego, an entire living planet, to sleep. Surely a mere Terran should be no problem. "Mantis come here, we need your help."
Mantis quickly but shyly entered your room. Seeing the state of you in Yondu's arms she worriedly asked the pair if you were ok.
"Not exactly." Rocket answered honestly, telling Mantis how the fever put you in a bad way, and they now needed her help to put you to sleep so you'd feel better.
"Think you can do that for us, Bug?" Yondu asked, still holding you tightly as you cried and struggled to get away, his eyes nearly pleading.
Mantis nodded.
You felt the creature's arms wrap tighter and you kicked fruitlessly. You had kept your eyes shut tightly, but upon feeling that you almost had an arm free you allowed them to open.
You regretted it.
There was now also a shorter monster, just like the one from the corner that had you now in its clutches. Dark horns protruded from its forehead and it opened its glistening maw as it reached a bloodied, oozing hand toward your face.
You threw back your head in a weak, terrified, cry of anguish, struggling against the hold of the other monster as you kicked and sobbed a desperate, "Please no! Don't!" before once again darkness enveloped you.
Your struggling ceased and Yondu laid you down to rest on your pillow, brushing some sweaty hair back from your eyes before standing up.
"Jeez," Rocket said, shaking his head and wondering aloud what you had seen that made you do "that."
Yondu looked down to see that Rocket wasn't just referencing your terrified crying and thrashing. He made a face of pity before sighing and looking up at Mantis. "Sweetheart, I need ya to go fetch Gamora for me, alright? If ya can't find her get Drax. I'm gonna go find some more sheets."
***
When Mantis came and told Gamora what had happened she immediately had Peter call the doctor they sent for to ask him what to do. You were clearly worsening and Peter was worried the doctor wouldn't get there in time.
Once on the line and after finding your temperature was over 40°C, and learning about the hallucinations, the doctor instructed that you needed to be cooled down immediately, and suggested they place you in a cold bath or shower. After that, they needed to keep your fluids up and monitor your fever.
Until the doctor would get there in about 18 hours, there was unfortunately not much else he could tell them to do.
So they waited.
***
The next time you fully came-to was nearly two days later.
You woke up in your bed feeling tired but better than before. Your stomach was still slightly achy, but the terrible cramping was gone. You also didn't feel as cold and stiff as you previously had.
You sat up, this time without the room performing cartwheels as you did so, and you took that as a good sign.
The room was dimly lit, but you still noticed you were wearing different clothes. You also felt... cleaner than you'd expect, for lack of better word. You realized the implications were that one of the others had likely bathed and re-dressed you and you resolved not to think too much about it as you felt a blush start to creep up your neck.
A loud snore startled you and you looked over to see Drax asleep in a chair between the wall and your bed, an open magazine spread across his stomach where he must have fallen asleep reading it.
You quietly swung your feet over the bed, intent on stretching your legs a bit, but you were startled again when your feet touched down on the floor and a loud tinkling of bells set off, startling Drax awake in turn.
After a grunt and a rub of his eyes he looked at you disapprovingly, asking what you were doing.
"I was just going to walk around a bit," you answer, doing your best not to be snarky. "Why the hell are there bells trip-wired to my bed?"
"You're supposed to stay in bed. You kept trying to get up and falling. It was Rocket's idea so we'd hear you trying to escape."
It was your turn to make a disapproving face, but you supposed you couldn't exactly be mad at them for caring, even if it seemed unnecessary. "Well, why are you here?"
"We've been taking shifts to watch over you, Peter said we were waiting for your fever to break, but I told him waiting for your temperature to return to normal would be sufficient."
"Oh," is all you could say, brushing off his absurd literalness. "Um, thank you." you add quietly. You hadn't realized.
"Yes. Now will you go back to bed, or do you need help going to the toilet again?"
You blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Well, each time you were almost awake enough to think you could walk the past couple days it was because you needed to use the toilet or you were going to vomit. I just assumed you were doing it again. You're very stubborn."
"No, Drax." you say, blushing fully now. You weren't sure if you were embarrassed more by his bluntness or the new knowledge that the others had to help you pee and clean up your sick. You didn't even want to think about if they had to wipe your ass. You'd literally die. "Even if I did, I can do it by myself. I feel much better now." It wasn't until then that it hit you what he had said. "Wait- Did you say two days?"
"I did."
"I've been out... for two days?"
"Yes."
"So... this whole time? ...You guys have been looking out for me?"
"Yes." Drax answered, seeming confused why you'd even ask. "Us and the doctor that came by yesterday." He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you crying?"
You wiped at your eyes quickly, having wished he hadn't noticed the tears that sprang to your eyes and filled your waterline. "I'm not," you sniff, looking down a the bed. "Just... Thanks. You didn't need to do that, so thanks. You can go to bed now. I feel better now. Sorry."
Drax stood. "Why are you apologizing? That's what family is supposed to do." He picked up a thermometer that had been placed on your nightstand and aimed it at your forehead. "And we did need to. You are small and weak like Peter. You would have died if we hadn't." The thermometer beeped and Drax read it. "You're right, your temperature is almost back to normal. But I suggest you still go back to sleep."
You wanted to tell him he was being dramatic about the dying part, but then you remembered that you actually didn't really remember much past seeing your bloody vomit, and you had absolutely no memory of any doctor, so you didn't push it.
"If your fever is gone you no longer need to be watched. I'll let the others know. Goodnight." Drax said, walking around the bed towards the door.
"Uh, Drax?"
He turned to you. "Yes?"
You wrapped your arms around his middle. "Thanks again."
He returned the hug, patting you on the back as he said, "You don't need to thank me. I know you'd do the same in return. Now sleep."
You pulled back from the hug and nodded, a gesture that you'd be good and go to sleep.
Drax seemed to want the confirmation of you getting back under the covers though, so with a light laugh huffed through your nose you crawled back between the sheets and obeyed. Seemingly satisfied, Drax finally left.
***
You woke the next morning feeling almost completely like yourself again.
You washed up and dressed, but not before removing the trip-wire bells from your bed, and then you made your way out of your room to get a glass of water and see if you could find the others.
Turned out, both the water and your teammates were all in the same place.
You walked into the kitchen to find everyone already inside. Before you could say anything Kraglin spoke up.
"Look! The world's worst patient lives!" he said with a grin.
"Nah, Krags, that's still you." Yondu corrected, giving you a wink as Peter agreed with him, but amended that it was a close race.
You walked over to a cabinet to get yourself a glass. "Drax told me what you guys did, and- well, thanks," you say walking over to the sink. "I mean, spare me the details, I don't want to hear anymore about it than what Drax already told me happened, but still, thanks. You didn't need to." You filled your glass and turned back to face them, sipping your water.
Yondu noted your blush and nudged you in the arm on his way to the coffee. "Don't mention it, kid."
This sentiment was met with nods and verbalizations of agreement from the others. You were family. That's what family did.
"Kay, but next time, which I hope there won't be, just stay in bed." Peter laughed.
"Yeah, yeah." you say, grumbling playfully.
"You hear that? Someone write that down." said Rocket, "We're going to hold you to that."
"Don't push it." you say, eyeing the raccoon.
"What? Your stubborn ass only tried to escape like a hundred times," Kraglin joked.
"And that's my cue to get to work," you say, setting your glass on the counter with the intent to run away from this conversation. However, you were stopped by Yondu grabbing your sleeve with an "Ah, Ah" and Gamora shoving a bowl of Yarrow Root across the table with the command to "Eat something first. You don't want to set yourself back and get sick again."
You sighed but didn't argue, knowing it was better to comply and realizing you were a little hungry anyway. You took a root from the bowl and bit into it to satisfy your friends.
That's when Peter speaks up and tells you that the doctor said you needed to take it easy for at least a day or two.
You narrowed your eyes. "When?"
"When she was here."
"When was that?" You take another bite of the root.
"Couple days ago."
You swallow. "Well then I'm considering that as time served." you say, deciding you'd take your breakfast to go.
Drax blocked your path.
"Um, can I get through?"
"No. Quill said this might happen. I'm stopping you from escaping. Finish your breakfast."
You shoot a glare at Peter before giving a hopeful look to Rocket. "You can talk some sense into them, right?"
Rocket shrugged. "Not my problem." before collecting Groot and leaving the kitchen with Mantis, who mouthed the word "Sorry" to you as they left.
You sighed, knowing there sure as hell wasn't any reasoning with the other five. "Really? This is what we're gonna do?"
"Yep." Peter grinned. Yondu and Kraglin simply shrugged behind their coffee.
Once you relented and sat down Gamora stood and stated that it wouldn't kill you to rest after being sick before leaving with Drax, who had apparently decided his job as security guard was now over. He said he was glad you were feeling better before following Gamora to the door and saying to her, without consideration that you could still hear, something to the tune that he imagined you felt better... now that you weren't puking and soiling yourself.
You choked on your water.
The other three pretended to be utterly fixated with the table and walls of the kitchen and you covered your face with your hands and moaned, "Next time please let me die."
"Will ya settle for us forgettin' it happened and never speakin' of it again?" Kraglin asked, fighting back a chuckle.
"Yes please." you squeaked from behind your hands.
Seeing an opportunity and taking it Peter added, "You still have to take the next couple days easy though."
"Anything!" you promise, lowering your head to the table.
"I think we got ourselves a deal." Yondu laughed, getting up to put his now empty coffee cup in the sink. "C'mon squirt, I'm sure we can find somethin' to take your mind off it."
And you did. You spent the next couple days just hanging around the ship with the guys and watching old movies Peter had collected over the years, telling funny stories, playing cards, and actually keeping your promise to let your body rest. Before long the whole ordeal was all but forgotten, but you were still always grateful for your family.
You knew no matter what, they had your back.
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ddarker-dreams · 3 years ago
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when they mention abt childe's wedding towards the bride herself i was like "ooff i felt that" THE GOOSEBUMPS
(i decided to go ahead and consolidate my responses to the snowstorm so i won't clog up your guys' feed!!)
that was one of the moments i looked forward to writing the most ngl. just the sheer audacity childe has to inconvenience other, well-meaning folk with his nonsense. he's so annoying GEH!!!!
Anon 2 said: OMG THAT CHILDE FIC! What an asshole.. srsly killing innocent ppl. I always do wonder what super evil punishments the yandere has in store for them. Also- I have noticed this throughout but your stories always have a lot of 'screentime' for the yanderes & while I love that I think it's totally okay to not have them show up as much! All that time without Childe was really building up the tension, anxiety and unforeseen horror :3 you really nailed that but uggghh how did Childe find ussss
that's a relief to hear!! i wanted to try and see if i could keep a story engaging without the yandere constantly being present, so that was the challenge i gave myself. i think that childe was able to find darling for a few reasons. the first and foremost was that he lied about when he'd be home and was fresh on the trail not too long after darling escaped (maybe an hour or two?). second, is he's way more familiar with the territory than darling is, that was a fact he could use to his advantage. all that added up to him finding darling.
Anon 3 said: That childe fic was amazing !! I loved the reader so so much ! Do you think you’ll write anymore with them 👉👈 (Sorry if that’s pressuring, it’s not intentional)Also perhaps share the playlist 👉👈 if you’re comfortable ofc
thank you very much anon!!!! and hm,, i’m not sure if i’ll write more for that particular universe, although i do want to try writing more ruthless darlings. so it’s likely you’ll see more of that in the near future. as for the mini playlist, i can give you the songs on it! 
one / two / three / four / five
the first song gave inspiration for the fics namesake!
Anon 4 said: It's always such a joy when you write Childe. Love your work and keep it up <33333
trust me, i absolutely adore writing for childe! he’s my favorite for a reason. his unhinged nature lends perfectly to the yandere trope. man is already bloodthirsty, he’s just looking for an excuse. thank you very much!!! 
Anon 5 said: CHILDE FOOD THANK YOU!!!!!🍽 it was so good and nerve-wracking omg
i wanted to make it as nerve-wracking as possible,, there’s just something about running away in the snowy woods at night that feels ominous. smh childe... why couldn’t you have picked a tropical place instead? thank you so much for the feedback!!
Anon 6 said: AAAAAAAAAA THE SNOWSTORM FIC SISBZISNSJSMSOJ BEAUTIFUL MUAH MUAH
Many hugs and kisses to you!! \(⁎˃ᆺ˂)/
THANK YOU NONNIE!!! I APPRECIATE IT A LOT <3 
Anon 7 said: THE CHILDE PIECE IS A MASTERPIECE
i’m so glad to hear you think so hrjtkmgerl i was working on it for a few days at full steam. i remember getting to around the 3k word mark and going uh. hm. is this any good actually ? so seeing the positive reception i feel extra grateful!! 
Anon 8 said: as always your works leave me in awe, I really love how you write, Snowstorm was beautiful. 🥺🥺
thank you very much!!!!! i’m glad that i decided to make it a longer fic, it’s been a while since i’ve done one of those for genshin. 
Anon 9 said: me, watching reader get insulted by the dress lady:╰(‵□′)╯
reader: *kills her w/ a broach*
me: o_O
seriously tho i gasped?? bc whoa!! that was so good props to u asfsdfsd..u rlly kept the tension going and gave me whiplash so many times (in a good way!)
LMOIGER i was wondering if anyone would see it coming?? the start of the story is what i based the rest of the fic on... i just wanted to write for a darling who was willing to do literally anything to escape. i kept google pictures of pins and going could darling kill someone with this? then just decided whatever, you can do anything you put your mind to, probably. goodbye alina. that’s when everything started going haywire...
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txemrn · 2 years ago
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Enjoy your thoughts! Do you think Addison's documents are real or fake? What do you think of the idea of her being a twin?
Hey, anon!
Thank you so much for your Ask! 💜
My thoughts are definitely a different perspective that a lot of TNA fans do not agree with, but I'm glad that I can provide alternative view points.
I do think her documents are real. And I have a few reasons why. I feel like having a fake DNA test and a fake marriage license is way too easy of a plot for this story. "How do we solve the problem?" "Just make everything fake." NO! That's just too easy and, dare I say, lazy writing on PB's part. They brought her back; now give us some drama!
Another thought is if I'm desperate to get my life back, to get the love of my life back and my kids back, I'd probably run to show them immediately. Now, should she have done what she did at the engagement party? Oh hell no... I can be vindictive myself, but that was poor choice, and of course, makes her look even more like a bad person.
But then I'd also like to point out a few things:
We know that even before she "died," Addi never played by the rules, and would sometimes create unnecessary attention (remember: that's why Sam tried hiring Naya for her, but it was "too late"). So, should we really be surprised she did this? Still doesn't make it right...
IF her story is true (BIG IF), you now have a woman in her late 30s who has probably become socially awkward. She might remember Sam and the boys, but her memory is probably still coming back to her day by day. She remembers having 2-year-old boys, not almost 8-year-old boys. She's missed so much of them growing up (think about how much of your personality is shaped between those ages... and she missed those growing pains). So again, IF her story is true, my heart truly goes out to her because THAT is terrifying. And then to have the man you married not want you?
The theory of Addison being a twin or a body double, again, would be such a let down. We are in the THIRD book with this HUGE twist of Addison is alive. I mean... WHOA! SHOCKER! (Although, I've been joking since book 1 that Addison ran away because she was tired of Dalton's shit)... I feel a twist like this needs more of a story than a twin seeking money and/or revenge. *shrugs*
There are plenty of AMAZING stories (some of them right here in the FF world) that deal with mistaken identities and body doubles and twins. I just think that plot is not meant for TNA book 3.
We need something just as shocking, and my money is on the older Daltons.
Thanks again for your questions! Happy reading! 💜
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imaginationintowords · 4 years ago
Text
Folklore [song series]
invisible strings
Modern Day AU! Bucky Barnes x Natasha Romanoff; Steve Rogers x OC!Reader
Plot: Inspired by Taylor Swift’s new album Folklore. The story follows the timeline of Bucky and Elizabeth’s life throughout the years
Word count: 3401
[ a/n: thank you so much for all the love and support. We’re almost done with this series! If I forgot to tag you please let me know! Also the ending is a bit lackluster but decided to save the best one for something special for the last chapter]
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Age: 21
Year: June/July 2015
Location: CA & NY
"Thank-you all for coming and christening our new place," Thor thanks everyone, as he and Loki stood up at the dining table in their lit up backyard.
"Now there's one person I want to thank, my love," Thor said, reaching his hand out to Wanda who was sat to his left, Loki took his seat back down, "My love, I just want to thank-you for being by my side these last two years. I have never been as happy as I am with anyone else. Now I'm not very good with my words, but what I do know is how I feel about you. The love I have for you exceeds anything else."
"So, I just need to ask you this one question," he says, bending down on one knee, holding Wanda's left hand, while holding the ring box in the other, "Will you, Wanda Maximoff marry me?
"Yes," she cried out, throwing her arms around Thor's neck.
Everyone got up to cheer the newly engaged couple.
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Steve and Elizabeth laid naked in her bed, comfortably in each other's presence after the night's activities.
"I can't believe Wanda and Thor are engaged," Elizabeth said, as Steve rubbed her arm as she laid on his chest.
"He's been talking about it for the last year," Steve tells her, "Said he didn't want to scare her off."
"Guess I'm going to have to find a new roommate," she jokes.
"Well actually, I was thinking."
"You better not be proposing to me post sex, while we're naked in bed," Elizabeth playfully jabbed his chest, looking up at him from his chest.
"No, no," Steve lets out a hearty laugh, "Not yet. We still have time for that."
"I was actually thinking, why don't we get a place together. After graduation," Steve suggests.
"What about your job?"
"I can commute," he says, "I'll be done with school in May. You still have law school after graduation, and I have no doubt Stanford is going to accept you into their law program, so you don't have to move."
"What if I don't get accepted?"
"I highly doubt you won't, but if you don't, I'm sure Columbia will snatch you up. And I'd follow you, wherever you go."
"Really?" Elizabeth asked, surprised he would even say that.
"Yeah. There's a lot of architect firms out there, and I'm sure my boss will give me a nice recommendation."
"I couldn't ask that of you Steve," Elizabeth said, getting off of his chest to sit up, grabbing the blanket to cover her chest.
"Which is why I'm offering. I want to do that Liz. This right here," he sits up, and gestures to the both, "This is all I want. So please, if it comes time for that, just let me."
"Okay. Promise you won't resent me?" She asks, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
"Never," he seriously says, pulling her in for a kiss, and back into his arms.
As they laid in bed, Steve notices Liz is lost in her thoughts.
"Whatcha thinking about?"
"Us, and everything that's lead us to this moment. Like there were some invisible strings leading me to you," she tells him.
"Yeah, you're correct," he ponders.
"Like everything that's happened, happened for a reason. We weren't supposed to be with each other then otherwise we probably wouldn't have made it out of high school."
"You don't think?" Steve asked.
"No, because we wouldn't have been the people we are now. Let's be real here Steve, you and I are not Bucky or Peggy. We're dreamers. Full on happy ending believing people who happened to be with realists at the time. We would've been so naive about the world outside of Brooklyn," Elizabeth says.
"We had never truly experienced pain in the way that we did. If we didn't go through senior year the way that we did, we wouldn't be here. Not specifically together or in California. But we would be stuck in a life where we forced ourselves to be happy. Where we didn't have room to grow. Room to experience a different way of life. We would've been who we were as 16 year olds. And don't get me wrong but that's no way to be."
"I'm glad this happened when it did," she says tilting her head to look at Steve's face.
"Me too," he smiled kissing the top of her head.
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"Wow, my arm is so tired from lugging this ring around," Wanda announces walking into Elizabeth's room where she was packing things into a suitcase.
"Must be so exhausting," Liz teases as Wanda takes a seat on her bed.
"Incredibly," Wanda smiled, "How's the packing going?"
"Good, I have everything I'll need for the next two weeks," Liz tells her, "You guys are flying in two days before Steve's birthday right?"
"Yup! Thor seems to be more excited about Steve turning 21 than he is," Wanda laughs, "Next up will be you next month. Vegas won't be ready for us."
"Thor really is going out for all of our 21st birthdays, is he."
"He's excited we're all legally allowed to drink," Wanda says.
"So," Wanda shifted in her seat, "Are you guys going to the baby shower?"
"Yeah we are," Liz nodded her head, "Things have been better, and Steve really wants to be there for Bucky, and so do I."
"How are you feeling about it all?"
"Honestly, if Bucky is happy then so am I."
"It doesn't bother you even the slightest that he's having a baby with the woman he cheated on you with?"
"No," Liz shakes her head, "We've both moved on and grew from our situation. I'm happy with Steve, truly 100% happy. I know in my heart that Steve is the one."
"Whoa, wait, back that up," Wanda immediately shot up from her spot on the bed, "He's the one?"
"Yeah," Liz bascule smiles, her cheeks turning a slight pink.
"I mean, I knew that you loved him, but I don't think you've ever said out loud that he was the one."
Elizabeth shrugs her shoulders trying to fight off the huge grin that wants to spread across her face, "Well he is."
"Wow, umm this is great news," Wanda says looking around the room.
"What's wrong?" Liz asks taking in Wanda's sudden mood change.
"I just," Wanda coughed, trying to fight back the ball in her throat, her eyes tearing up, "I'm so happy for you. God this ring is making me incredibly emotional."
"Aw Wands," Elizabeth pulled her into a hug.
"You just deserve to be with someone who truly thinks the world of you and would move those worlds for you," Wanda cries in Liz's shoulder, "I just remember you telling me all about the shit you went through with Bucky in high school, and then the crap he put you through freshman year. You were just so over the idea of love. Even with steve you were so cautious, so just to hear you say that he's the one. I'm just so incredibly happy."
Elizabeth hugged Wanda tightly, tears streaming down her face. It meant the world to her to hear Wanda say those things. She felts so incredibly lucky to have a friends like her in her life.
"I better be your maid of honor," Wanda teased pulling away and wiping her tears, "Because you already know you're mine."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
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"We still need to get a baby shower gift for tomorrow," Elizabeth told Steve as they lounged around his childhood bedroom. Steve was sat at his desk sketching, while Elizabeth laid in his bed reading a book.
"I can do that if you want," Steve offered, not wanting to make Elizabeth uncomfortable no matter how many times she's told him she was fine.
"Somehow I don't think I can trust you getting the correct gift," Elizabeth teased.
"Babies like legos right?" He teased back, getting up to join her on the bed, laying his head down on her stomach.
"We can go together, I still need to get a few things for the party next weekend," she said playing with his hair.
Steve hummed in response, feeling himself getting tired, "A quick little nap and we'll go."
"Sounds good," she smiled at the man snuggled up on her.
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The next day the couple were walking into the Barnes' backyard, hand-in-hand with a gift bag.
They were both instantly greeted by Bucky's mother Winnie.
"Oh you two made it!" She enthusiastically greeted them, pulling them both into a hug.
"Of course. We wouldn't have missed it," Steve smiled at her.
"Thank-you," she turned to Liz and grabbed her hand, "both of you. James really appreciates it. We all do. Especially with everything that has happened, he's going to need his best friends."
"You don't have to thank us," Liz says, "We'll always be there for Bucky. No matter what happens."
"Well thank-you," she smiles, and then turns to Steve, "Steve the men have been sent inside, so you can see your way inside."
"Already getting pushed aside," he jokes.
He placed a kiss on Elizabeth's cheek, "I'll be inside if you need me."
She nodded her head, then glanced around the yard and caught eye contact with an old high school classmate, Natasha's friend, rolling her eyes at the couple.
She cleared her throat, "Where do the gifts go?"
"Over at that table where Rebecca is at," Winnie smiled, and pointed to the table to the right where Rebecca was organizing all the gifts. Liz thanked her and made her way over.
Liz couldn't help but start to feel a bit uncomfortable. She hadn't planned for she and Steve to be separated for the entire party. She didn't really know anyone here, aside from Bucky's family, where things were still a bit awkward after last summer.
Even though things were good between Steve, Bucky, and her, it was still awkward. She and Natasha don't have the best history, they still haven't talked everything out, clear the air. Not that Nat owed Elizabeth a conversation, she just thought that now that things were okay, maybe them two can work on their relationship, for the sake of Bucky. But whenever Liz tried to reach out Nat would just say that she was busy, so she didn't push it. Not with Natasha being pregnant, plus she figured now that she was in town for two weeks that maybe they could get together for a quick chat.
"Hey Liz," Rebecca greeted her, a sigh of relief to see a friendly face.
"Hey Bec," she smiled, hugging the teen.
"God, I'm so glad to see you," Rebecca said pulling back from the hug, "Some of these girls are real bitches."
Liz was taken back for a second hearing Rebecca swear, it's sometimes hard to believe that tiny little toddler is now this young lady about to enter her senior year of high school.
"I'm sure they're not so bad," Liz said trying to give them the benefit of the doubt.
"Really? Because they're looking at you like you just murdered their entire family," Rebecca said.
Elizabeth turned around to see Natasha's friends huddled in a semi-circle around Natasha, all whispering and glaring at her. She turned back around to Rebecca and gave her a force smile.
Rebecca felt bad at bringing that to Liz's attention. Liz was always so nice to her, and even continues to keep in contact with her especially when Rebecca needs any help or advice.
"I can take that," she said trying to change the subject.
"Thank-you," she quietly said, handing over the gift bag to Rebecca.
"They're just jealous," Rebecca tells her, "Even with having my brother's child, Natasha still can't find it in her cold hearted heart to be nice to you."
"She doesn't owe me anything."
"Now that's not true. She owes you a lot, and the least she can do is be nice, especially with my mother throwing her this baby shower and allowing her to live with us until she and Bucky find a place."
"She's living here?" Elizabeth asked, surprised to hear that. Bucky never mentioned Nat living with them, they did know that they were looking at places closer to his job and school.
"Yeah, she moved in probably two months ago, when she really started to show," Rebecca tells her, "Apparently she hadn't told her dad, and once she started showing she had to confess. He kicked her out. Said she was ruining her life."
"That's intense," Elizabeth said.
"Yup. So my mom and Keith are letting her stay until they find a place of their own," Rebecca says, "And as much as I love my brother I can't wait til she's gone. He's an idiot for knocking her up."
"She can't be that bad," Liz said trying to give Nat the benefit of the doubt.
"Trust me Liz, she is. Being pregnant has made her a complete devil," Rebecca stresses, "My mom is way too nice to have that be the mother of her first grandchild."
Before Liz could respond to that, someone came up behind her.
"Oh Becky, I wanted the gifts to be color coordinated," Natasha remarked, with her hand on her belly.
"My mom told me to do it by size," Rebecca rolled her eyes, "And my name's Rebecca."
"But Becky is so cute."
"No it's not," Rebecca argued.
"Hi Natasha," Elizabeth awkwardly greeted, breaking up the conversation.
"Oh hi Elizabeth," Natasha stiffly said, forcing a smile on her face as she rubs her belly, "Didn't think you would show up."
"Oh, well Steve told Bucky we were coming," she explains.
"Of course he did."
"You look pretty," Elizabeth complimented her to try and break the tension.
"I know. I'm absolutely glowing carrying Bucky's child," she replied with a snarky tone.
"I'm really happy for you both."
"Sure you are," she rolled her eyes.
"No, I truly am. That's why I actually wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if maybe we can get together sometime this next week, to talk," Liz suggests.
"There's no need," Nat tells her, "I get what you're doing. You think that getting on my good graces will put you in Bucky's good graces, but I hate to break it to you, that's not going to happen. I'm trying my best here to be polite to you, but once this baby is born, I'll make sure Bucky no longer makes time for you and Steve. I am his life now, and we don't have space in it for you both."
"Nat-"
"Thanks for the gift, hopefully the gift receipt is in the bag," Natasha fake smiled, "Enjoy the party."
"Fix the gifts Becky," she turned to Rebecca enunciating 'Becky', before walking away to go back to her friends.
"Told you she was the devil," Rebecca commented, ignoring Natasha's request.
"Yeah, you weren't lying," Elizabeth turned to look at Nat who was laughing with her friends.
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Steve and Elizabeth said their final goodbyes a couple of hours later, and walked back to their rental car.
"That went well, don't you think?" Steve commented on as he started the car.
"Yeah it did," she lied.
Elizabeth decided it was probably best not to bring it up to Steve. He and Bucky just fixed their relationship, that she was afraid if she told Steve that Bucky wouldn't believe them. She would just have to hope that Bucky wouldn't allow their friendship to take another hit. She had faith that their friendship was stronger than that.
"Do you mind if we made a stop somewhere?" Steve asks her as he pulls away from the curb.
"No, of course not."
"Perfect. We just have to make one quick pit stop before," he says a few minutes later, parking in a parking lot of a cafe.
Steve walked back out of the cafe with a picnic basket.
"What's that for?" She asked smiling as he got in, putting the basket in the backseat.
"Just wait and see," he winked.
15 minutes later they were pulling up to a park.
"A park?"
"Thought we could have an impromptu picnic date," he smiles, "Wait here."
He got out of the car and grabbed the basket from the backseat. She heard him close and open the trunk. He then opened her door.
"Mi lady," he held his hand open for her to take.
"Oh why thank-you kind sir," she giggled taking his hand.
He led her to a nice spot on top of a hill, overlooking the park.
"Can you hold this for me real quick," he asked, holding out the picnic basket for her.
She took it from him as he laid out the blanket. Steve took the basket back and started to unpack the contents and laid them out on the blanket for them.
"A little dinner at sunset," he offered his hand so she can sit down next to him on the blanket.
"This was perfect Steve," she kissed his cheek, as they finished off their little dinner.
"Just thought I'd thank-you for coming with me today," he says wrapping his arm around her, as she leaned into him.
"You don't have to thank me."
"I know I don't, but I want to. I know you say you were fine with today, and I completely believe you, but I also know that even if you're okay with it, it's still can be uncomfortable," he says, "So I just want to show you how appreciative I am of you."
"I love you," she leans her head up to capture his lips with her's.
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Age: 27
Year: 2021
Location: Brooklyn, NY
"Steve whats with the blind fold," Elizabeth giggled in the passenger seat of their rental car.
"It's a surprise," he laughed, "Now just be patient, we're almost there."
"Steve, come on you know I hate surprises."
"You liked the last surprise I gave you," he teased.
"It was a kitten, that's different," she smiled.
"You still loved it," he said, "Plus we're here already."
"Oh that was quick," she said reaching to take her blindfold off.
"Don't," he warned her, "Not yet."
Steve helped her out of the car, and linked their arms together as he led her to the surprise.
"Okay, we're here," he nervously said, he took her blindfold off.
Liz adjusted her eyes after being in the dark for the past 30 minutes. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a lantern lit up picnic on top of the hill at the park.
"Surprise," Steve said behind her.
Liz turned around to find Steve down on one knee, with an opened ring box.
"Steve," she gasped.
He took her left hand into his own.
"Elizabeth Carolina Sanchez, words can't even explain how much I am in love with you, but I'm going to try. I don't think i can remember back to a time where you weren't a part of my life, and honestly i don't want to. You've made me so incredibly happy these last almost seven years, and no matter how much I say I'm appreciate of you, i don't think it's ever going to be enough. Getting to wake up to you every day to you smiling at me, honestly i don't think there's a greater thing in the world. I'd give the entire world, if it meant that I got to see you smile every day of my life. I don't ever want to imagine a life without you. You've made me the best person I could ever want to be. There's not a day that doesn't go by where you don't continuously tell me how proud you are of me, and the endless amount of support and love you've given me. There's no one I'd rather spend my entire life with. Start a family with. Be a family with. So, Elizabeth, will you do me the greatest honor of marrying me?"
"Yes," Elizabeth choked out, as the tears streamed down her face. She lunged herself into Steve's arms and kissed him.
"I love you so much," she cried.
"I love you too," he said, pulling her into another kiss.
They pulled away, and Steve placed the ring on her finger.
"I love you," she said again.
58 notes · View notes
mieohmy · 4 years ago
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𝖬𝖺𝗉 𝗍𝗈 𝖸𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖧𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍 | 𝖫𝖾𝖾 𝖩𝗎𝗒𝖾𝗈𝗇
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PAIRING: spy! lee juyeon x spy! fem reader
GENRE: fluff, humor, angst, strangers-to-somewhat-lovers?, spy au 
WC: 3.3k 
NOTES:  mentions of violence, weapons
SUMMARY: to be honest, you had no idea how you became a spy with your horrible direction skills. thank goodness for an extremely cute guy that comes to the rescue. 
You groan in frustration. Why is this thing so complicated? You’re sure you’ve spent at least 30 minutes (30 minutes and 44 seconds to be exact) trying to figure out how to work this stupid GPS. You curse your horrible directional skills.
It all started with a new case assigned to you. Your boss had called you in and, after naming you “one of the best spies we’ve ever had,” decided to give you a new undercover case. With a new partner. You had no idea who your soon-to-be partner was, not really paying attention to what your boss said oops, and deciding just to study the case later.  
After skimming the case file, you took note of the important parts and just threw it aside, putting it to the back of your mind. Which you now regret since you had absolutely no idea how to get to the very high-class party you were attending under a cover, along with your new partner you were supposed to meet up with at the entrance that you were supposed to be at in 8 minutes sharp. You being a very capable spy, knew almost the whole city through and through, but this party was in the more nicer part of the city that you weren’t as familiar with.
Which leads to you now, standing in the middle of the street at night. In a very revealing and glamorous dress that you would never wear but were required to for the case (but mainly because your best friend Yeji said that you should “loosen up more” and “you never have fun”). You would disagree, you considered your job extremely fun and satisfying. It wasn’t every day that you could bash bad guys’ faces in.
Shivering from a sudden gust of wind, it caused you to focus on the task once more. Your phone in hand, you had typed in the address in maps and were sadly still trying to figure out how to get there. You squinted at the screen. Which way were you facing? Is that left or right? You continued walking, still staring at the screen and not paying attention to your surroundings (your boss would be shaking his head if he saw).
You let out a sound of frustration. Why were maps so hard to read? You took a few more steps until you heard a “Whoa!” and an arm reached across and grabbed your shoulder, effectively cutting you off and stopping you abruptly.
You immediately look up, eyes focusing on a lamppost right in front of your face. You glance down at the arm blocking you and then at the person who just saved you and your face (but mainly your pride).
Of course, it had to be an extremely attractive male who saved you from almost face-planting into a pole. You immediately back up and bow at him, muttering thanks and apologies. He laughs, just brushing it off and asking, “I noticed a pretty girl like you all alone and walking, but I never thought you would almost walk straight into a pole.” You blush in embarrassment, from what you almost did or the compliment, you’re not sure. You cough before replying, “I was actually trying to find my way to this party, but I’m afraid I have no idea how to get there.” You study him for a moment, his black hair styled up with gel and wearing a very expensive suit that you’re sure costs more than your car. His body posture seems relaxed so you’re able to put your guard down a little.
His eyes widen for a second before he says, “Actually, I’m on the way to a party as well. Could it be we’re going to the same place?” Turned out, you both were. And luckily, he knew the way. So you were going the right way, you think as he continues on past the telephone pole, you one step behind him.
The mysterious guy introduces himself as Joel, and you comment on his name before he tells you he’s originally from America but moved here to Korea to build his own business. You tilt your head, noticing he didn’t have any kind of accent, but you brush it off. You introduced yourself under your cover name, a daughter representing your father who owns a successful business in printing.
You get along pretty well with him for the 4 minutes that you’re walking together. It didn’t seem awkward or uncomfortable. To be honest, you didn’t really have time or luck for romance with your job, so talking with him made you feel jittery? Not to mention his good looks too. You admired his tall physique from behind as you two continued walking.  
You subtly take your in-ear piece tucked in your secret dress pocket and hold it in your hand, waiting until you get closer. When you near the entrance, you turn the earpiece on and put it in, hoping no one saw. You wait until you hear Yeji’s voice coming through. “Can you hear me?” You clear your throat as a sign of confirmation so Joel didn’t suspect anything. As you near the steps to the entrance, you turn to him, “Thank you for guiding me to the right place. I would’ve messed up if I didn’t make it here on time. You don’t have to wait for me here, I have to take a call before going in.” You really would’ve screwed up, you thought. Spies didn’t tolerate lateness and you hoped your partner that you still haven’t found yet did.
Joel nods in understanding, “Then I’ll see you inside perhaps?” You give him a shy smile before nodding back. He grins, giving you a thumbs up before ascending the stairs. “Who was that?” Yeji questioned. “Nobody, just a cute guy that helped me get here,” you reply, looking around the place for any sign of your mysterious partner. You hear her gasp faintly. “You actually called a guy cute?!”
You roll your eyes, deciding to go up the stairs and look. “Yeah, well it doesn’t matter right now. I’m looking for my co-worker, and I have no idea who and where they are.” Yeji makes a sound of disapproval. “You don’t know who they are?” You hear the typing of her keyboard before she responds, “Lee Juyeon. 23. Under Cre.ker branch. He goes by the code name of Joel Lee if you meet him inside.” You raise your eyebrows in shock. “Shoot. The guy that I was talking to earlier was him. And he just left.” Yeji groans. “You didn’t know who he was? And he didn’t either?” And you two are supposedly our best spies...” she mutters off.
Lee Juyeon. The name sounds familiar to you, but you guess you’ve never met him before since you would’ve known if you had seen a face like that before, and he didn’t recognize you either.
You sigh before climbing up the rest of the stairs and giving your invitation to the man waiting by the entrance before heading in. It’s enormous. Elegant. Extravagant. Exactly how you expected it. There are fancy people, food, decorations. You would be lying if you said it didn’t take your breath away still.
Focusing on the task at hand, you scan the area. Where is he? You get distracted by a couple of waiters offering you extremely fancy drinks (which you gladly accept). You are finally able to locate him talking to a group of people.  You notice he’s definitely engaged in the conversation but occasionally looks up and scans the room, possibly searching for you?
You hoped he figured out that you were his partner. You honestly wanted to smack him and yourself as well since neither of you guys realized that you were working together. As you study the place, you notice some shady guys in the corner, talking amongst themselves. You don’t know what it is, but they seem off. You narrow your eyes at them, making a note in your head to keep an eye out. “Yeji,” you murmur, “there are some guys to my left that are giving me weird vibes.” “Okay, if you need backup, let me know.”
You recall what your boss had said to you when giving the mission. “-don’t forget that you two have to act like you don’t know each other. You can interact, but don’t make it obvious, alright? ...... “-you two escape through the vents, and you know it from there?” You remember yourself faintly nodding. Your boss gives you a look. “You know what to do if you fail—”
Then you’re interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. You spin around, and there’s a man. He bows and introduces himself as Lee Sangyeon. You return the bow, and Yeji speaks in your ear. “Lee Sangyeon. Vice-chairman of the man you’re after.” Exactly who you’re looking for. You talk for a little more before giving him a sweet smile, blinking up at him. “Would you be so kind as to introduce me to your boss?” Not forgetting about Joel or Juyeon?, you find him looking at you as Sangyeon guides you to your target.
You return your attention to Sangyeon, who leads you to what seems to be the chairman. Target acquired. Middle-aged, slightly drunk, but you can see the gleam in his eyes when he meets you. You bow, trying your best to seem elegant. When the chairman grins at you, you remember his profile. Attracted to innocent girls that play hard-to-get. Strangely specific, you thought at the time, but now you’re grateful for it. “What’s a beautiful girl doing here at a party like this?” You smile in disgust bashfully and recite your story. Perfectly memorized to the bone.
As the party continues, you continue to get closer to the chairman, laughing at whatever he says. You’re not sure what Juyeon is doing at the moment, but music begins to play. The chairman asked you to dance, and of course, you accept. You two dance for a couple of minutes(which you felt extremely uncomfortable but tried not to show it) until Juyeon surprisingly cuts in and asks if he can dance with you. You let out a sigh of relief. The chairman laughs, giving you away with a shoo as he leaves, but you can tell his eyes are still watching you.
Juyeon’s hands naturally go on your waist, and you put your hands around his neck. You’re not sure why you feel so nervous though, heart beating faster for some reason.
You take the chance to look at him. How did you not see such a handsome guy at work before? He smirks, noticing you staring. “What is it?” You blush again, but this was not the time to get distracted. You introduce yourself properly. He quirks his eyebrows in confusion before you reach up to whisper in his ear, “We have to pretend we’ve never met before, Lee Juyeon.” He looks shocked, confused, and almost scared before it clicks in his head. “I’m glad I got a pretty girl like you as my partner,” he replies with a grin, eyes staring deep into yours. You think you hear Yeji squeal.
You two continue swaying, occasionally scanning the area. It felt natural like you could continue dancing with him forever. But you were on a mission, and as much as you wanted to keep dancing, you needed to focus. “I’m gonna go to the door on your right, 2 o’clock, follow me in 3,” you murmur. Finally stepping back, it suddenly feels colder now that you’re not in his arms.
You walk towards the door, but not before being stopped by the chairman. He really won’t let you go, you think. You smile and quickly tell him you have to take a quick call, and he lets you go. Once you twist the knob, you scan the surroundings. It’s an empty hallway, with two doors on the left and one straight down. You wait for a little until you heard the door click.
You turn and Juyeon’s there, and so you talk. “How did we not know who each other was?!” He lowers his head in shame, “I didn’t really take the time to look up who you were..” You laugh before continuing. “ it’s my fault too, anyways, do you know what we have to do?” He nods, about to reply until you hear voices getting closer to the door. You immediately grab him and pull him into the nearest room, shutting the door.
You hear the doors open, and the sound of men’s voices cut through. “Do you have it ready?” “Yes, set to 15 minutes.” There are more murmurs that you strain to hear, but it’s very faint. After a couple of minutes, they leave the hallway. You sigh in relief, having completely forgotten about Juyeon. When you try to turn, you realize what position you’re in. You were leaning against the door, ear pressed to it, and Juyeon was over you, one arm by your head, bodies almost pressed together.
You catch his eye and notice them flick down to your lips. You think you’re slowly leaning in, closer, you can almost feel his lips, until Yeji suddenly asks, “What happened?” Your eyes fling open, and you regain your composure, suddenly clearing your throat. He immediately steps back, allowing you to open the door as you reply to her and go back out into the party, sending him one last look.
The chairman finds you again, no surprise. You suddenly stumble, and he catches you, concerned. You suck in a breath. “I’m... not feeling so well. Is there a place I could rest for a moment?” You look at him underneath your lashes, hoping he would take you to the right room. “Of course, of course, you can stay in my study.” He guides you slowly, hand on your back, to the correct room. He takes out his key and unlocks it, letting you in and placing you on his couch. He puts his hand on your exposed shoulder, and you want to smack it away. “I’m afraid I can’t stay in here with you, but I’ll check up on you in a bit. Let me know if you need anything.” As he closes the door behind him, you immediately get up and go to his desk.
Where is the flash drive? You search through every drawer, moving swiftly as your time is limited. You hope Juyeon is out there, distracting the chairman and doing what was assigned. You continue ruffling through papers until you spot it. “Got it Yeji.” You hide it under your dress. “Great, now-“ She’s immediately interrupted by a loud BOOM from outside the room. Then screams and crashes follow. You immediately rush outside.
It’s chaos. People were running everywhere, trying to escape. And then you see the men from earlier, guns out and shooting. You roll your eyes in frustration. What do they want? Of course, people were messing up your mission. You search for Juyeon, but he’s not in sight. Beginning to panic, you look around. Do I help people or escape? Your boss’s words echo. The mission always comes first. You let out a sigh before comming Yeji. “We need backup. Now. Those guys set off a bomb and have guns.” “On it,” she replies.
Then Juyeon comes into your vision. Once he sees you, he immediately rushes to you, checking over you. “Are you okay-“ You put your hand over his, reassuring. “I’m fine, got the drive. Just follow me, alright?” You run one of the doors. Luckily there’s so much happening no one notices you. You kick it open, and he follows behind you, briskly running through the hallway into the restroom.
Once you get in there, you turn to Juyeon. His ears are red, you notice, probably from being in a restroom with you, but you ignore it. “Juyeon, can you get in that vent?” He looks extremely confused, but the look in your eyes must’ve told him. He climbs on top of the sink and hits it. The door falls down, and he looks at you before climbing in. You climb onto the sink ungracefully, cursing your heels. Juyeon looks down at you, and you reach out your arms, signaling for him to help you up. He grabs your arms and easily pulls you up.
Even though you’ve done countless missions, some far more dangerous than this one, you immediately let out a small shriek at the dirty vents. “Y/n, what is going on?” You sigh, “I don’t have time to explain, just keep going forward until you hit the end.”
You continue crawling in the nasty vents, praying for your very expensive dress.  “Just a little more,” he grunts. Once he finally reaches the end, you direct him to open the vent, and he busts it open and crawls out. He politely helps you get out, and you’re about to comment, but you suddenly hear noises below you.
You look around. You’re both on the rooftop, wind blowing past and ruffling your dress. There’s a door leading up to the rooftop where you think you heard the sounds coming from.
“Shoot. I think they’re coming up here.” You grab Juyeon’s hand and lead him to the edge. “What are you doing?” he asks, eyes wide. “Just trust me,” you reply. You position yourself so your back is facing the edge, and you’re in front of him. “Y/n- what-” he splutters. You wrap his arms around your back and place your hands on his shoulders, inching closer and closer to the edge. You think you hear the door burst open and shouts, but you close your eyes, praying this would work, and fall back, pulling Juyeon with you as you rush through the air.
For a second, all you can hear is the rushing of the wind and your hair blowing past, and then you hit something hard, letting out an oof. When you open your eyes, you see Juyeon on top of you, eyes squeezed shut. The only thing heard was the sound of breathing from you two, mixing in the air.
“Juyeon,” you call softly. He slowly opens his eyes, meeting your eyes, somewhat dazed. “Are you okay?” “Wh-what just happened?” he shakily responds. “Since our plan kinda got messed up, this was the backup that I called for. Sorry I didn’t get the chance to tell you..” You unconsciously play with the back of his neck. He says nothing, dark eyes just staring into you.
You open your mouth to ask him to get off you because he was kinda heavy, but you got cut off by Juyeon leaning into you, wrapping his arms around you. You freeze, shocked, before hugging him back. He stays like that for a moment before murmuring, “I’m extremely scared of heights, but thank you.” You were about to ask him why, but whatever you two landed in came to a sudden stop. Honestly, you were so distracted you didn’t notice it was even moving in the first place.
You look at your surroundings. You two were in the back of a truck. Luckily you had landed on top of a covered tapestry(?) to break your fall, but you knew you would be sore after.
You hear a voice, and both your heads turn toward the sound. It was Eric, coming around the back and suddenly seeing you two. “You guys alright-“ He suddenly stops at the sight. You quickly tap Juyeon’s shoulder, and he lets you up. You slowly sit up with a groan. Eric was still frozen so you raise an eyebrow at him. “Oh. Right. Yeah, um we’ve got everything covered. The people are taken care of, and everyone’s safe. I’m guessing you guys are ok?”
“Yeah,” Juyeon suddenly says, getting up and helping you off. He takes your hand as you two continue walking, not letting go. You two share a look before carrying on back to turn in the flash drive, still safely tucked under your dress. Only confused Eric noticing your bashful expression and Juyeon’s red ears as you two walk off.
170 notes · View notes
purplerose244 · 4 years ago
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My thoughts on Ninjago the Island!!! 🏝🏝🏝
So, gotta be honest... this is not a Blind reaction thing, I actually watched it in French first so I know most of the stuff already 😅 It's entertaining, it got great animation, but nothing more than that in my opinion 🤷‍♀️
Still there is stuff I liked or I want to point out, and finally I'm seeing the English version so I can actually understand what the HECK they are saying 🤩
Alright, nothing else to say, here we go!
UNCHARTED
I haven't actually seen anything Clutch Powers related before Ninjago, is he always like this? I love that he is a jerk honestly, just wondering 😂
Press F for respect for intern Dwaine (at least he seems to like being... used?)
Clutch: It's just a bunch of rocks! It's not alive!
Totem: I'm about to end this man's whole career
Wait, Misako is part of the explorers club? ... that would have come in handy in season 11 to get the scroll of Forbitten Spinjitzu from the club instead of begging uncle Powers for it... *sighs* I don't mind plot holes in Ninjago like most fans I think, but if you wanna make Misako relevant again at least pay attention to the details 😅
Wow, after the end of season 13 I would've thought Wu was going to go through a midlife crisis, not Misako 😂😂
Oww, everytime I hear I get 😢 Bless your soul Kirby, always in our hearts 🖤🖤🖤
Well hello Brian
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Always nice to see you 😊
Twitchy Tim must have been pretty interesting to voice 🤔 I like him enough, he's fun and all, maybe not at the level of the characters we got last season
Okay, the place is called the STORM belt, there are LIGHTNINGS, and the sand of the beach is BLUE. Are we gonna address any of these similarities to our Bluebell here or not? 😅
Wait, Tim was giving a hot air balloon tour, does that mean other people where with him? What of them? Are they dead? Did he let them die on the island?... am I reading too much into this? Probably 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
Alright, the part of the boats? SO COOL 🤩🤩 I literally can't say anything bad about the animation at this point
Why did they think leaving Kai, Jay and Cole on one boat was going to be a good idea 😂 Also Zane just randomly doing sick tricks on his vehicle, love that nindroid
I'm guessing Nya is keeping her water abilities for her season 🤷‍♀️
Yep, yep, this is why the creators try to keep Pixal out of the adventures, with her everything is way too cool and easy to access to 😎😎
Twitchy Tim: There are statues that become alive!!
Lloyd:... so it's a season 2 stone army ripoff, we've seen worse
It's a cute episode overall 👍
THE KEEPERS OF THE AMULET
OKAY THE INTRO IS SO FREAKING COOL 🤩🤩🤩🤩
So Twitchy Tim has temporarily taken over Jay's role of spazzing out and complain about worse case scenarios... in another occasion they might have bonded over this, maybe 😂
Okay, survival position? MOOD
Nya: DRAGOOON 😱
Me: DRAGOOOOOOON 😍😍😍
Why am I not surprised that Jay was the one that named him Zippy? 💙 Also HE'S SO CUTE 💕💕💕 Love how in every adventure, we always get very different types of dragon in this show 👌 I'm a simple person, I see a dragon... 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Oh-oh, it's the "Lloyd's done with this crap"'s face
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This means serious business... am I that used to LEGO characters that this way of crossing arms on the chest looks almost normal to me? 😅
Soooo, Master of the Mountain clearly gave Cole too much development... because now he got demoted to "the one who is always hungry" 🤦‍♀️ I'm all for Cole's endearing love for cakes, which is super relatable, but if you're gonna push it on his fun side, at least be coherent 🙃
Is it just me or it feels like the writing of this special was made by someone different from the one of season 13? Like, it's not bad, just less engaging and witty. For now. Maybe I'm being premature 🤷‍♀️
New way of nerfing powers, we got... weird, sucking power totem thingies... OKAY
My gosh I really can't say anything about the animation, look at that! It's all cinematic with such a light! YES!! 🤩
I'M SORRY
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WHY ARE WE LOOKING OVER THIS??? IT LOOKS LIKE COLE'S LAVA PUNCHES BUT THEY ARE JAY LIGHTNING FEET??? IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT AGAIN??? WHY ARE WE IGNORING THIS??? 💙💙💙💙
So they at least addressed that lightning isn't a Jay's thing only anymore 😅
Alright, Jay having a mental breakdown because of a bridge because it always breaks, that's the Bluebell I know and love 😂😂 Nya telling him to keep moving was cute too 💙❤💙❤
Okay, I'm sorry but this really bothers me, what kind of lightning can instantly knock out the MASTER OF LIGHTNING??? Like, my gosh, really??? I hope they give us an explanation, like it's some sort of special lightning, because this really doesn't sit right with me. Jay is lightning proof, we've seen it in Skybound, we've seen it in Sons of Garmadon, I DON'T BELIEVE HE WOULD JUST BE KNOCKED OUT LIKE THAT 😡😡😡
Soooooo, storm amulet? Being one with the lightning? Is that the reason why Jay got to be the sacrifice? 😅
THE GIFT OF JAY
Alright, I am kinda looking forward for this one, what did Bluebell actually say or do to get him into trouble this time 😂😂
Oh, he just... introduced himself... well that was underwhelming
SENSEI👏YOU👏ARE👏A👏FREAKING👏GOD👏STOP👏GETTING👏KIDNAPPED👏BY👏RANDOM👏VILLAINS👏
Bring ooooon Lloyd Grills ��
Okay I did like the little speech, definitely resonates with how Lloyd survived this long even though everything wanted him to give up, even his father... I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING 😭
Jay out there making the real questions 😂
Awwww Edna used to call him gift of Jay? I can totally see it, so cute 💙💙 Makes even more sense if Libber actually left Jay at the Walkers' door...
Pff, Jay made the connection I would've done honestly 🤷‍♀️ Like, him being the master of lightning really didn't give these dudes any impression or inspiration? Any cool idea, full Road of El Dorado style? 🙃🙃
Lloyd out there abusing of the animation budget 💚💚💚
Somehow these ninja never actual sneak in, it's always a huge mess everyone knows about beforehand 😂 It's familiar though, I'm used to it and happy with it 👍
I might not be the biggest Misako fan, but you know what I am a fan of?
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LEGO HUGS 😍😍😍😍😍
Dang it uncle Powers, you just got here to make a mess did you 😅
Not the first person of the fandom to say this, but Jay looks absolutely lovely with that flower crown 🌺🌺🌺
Oh poor greenie
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Lloyd just has the worst luck 😓
Jay: Why would I be the gift?
Kai: Yeah who would want Jay?
Nya: Huh, me?? 😡
Got some very good Jaya for this little special, can't complain 💙❤💙❤
I mean, not matter how big of a snake Wojira might turn out to be, we've already seen the biggest and the second biggest snake of all so 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
Whoa, at last... IT WAS THE FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER THAT HAD SOMETHING HE SHOULD'VE TOLD WU A LONG TIME AGO!! 😱 Wu, you got pulled a Wu, how does it feel? 😂
Again, Jay freaking out, kinda my jam it's too funny 💙💙
Wow Kai way to be hominous offscreen 👏👏 I miss talking about my flame babe, this really isn't his time 🤷‍♀️
THE TOOTH OF WOJIRA
So when I first watched this I was genuinely, really excited about knowing the truth behind all this. It turned out very different from what I first thought, but at least in this case it's okay (besides I was pushing with the lightning meaning just to see Libber again 😅😅😅)
I feel like the guys get their powers stolen or blocked so much it takes them a minute to remember "Oh wait I can literally burn my way out" 🤷‍♀️
SPINJITZU YAY 🤩
I... forgot that Misako knows how to fight 😅 She knows how to do spinjitzu too if I remember correctly...
NYA BEING LIKE "OUT OF THE WAY IMMA SAVE MY BOYFRIEND AGAIN" ❤💙❤💙
Gotta love how they were all crazy worried about Jay, like, this is something that never changes through the show. They really care so so much for each other 💕💕💕
Ooohhhh, okay, so Wojira does seem to be the main villain of next season according to the story. I remember Tommy saying that we needed to have faith and this is probably why. The special was okay, nothing too much, and hopefully that too much we will see in Nya's season 😍😍😍
What the- pff, I didn't notice this the first time 😂
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At this point I can't tell if that one short with the chicken of the movie carried a hate or a love for chickens in the actual show 😂😂
Nice to see Jay standing up for himself at least for a little while 💪 Also Lloyd being "He's our trouble", aww family 💜
THERE IT IS
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MY BRUISE HEART IS SOARING 🖤💙🖤💙
Gotta give props to the voice actors, voicing an explanation while fighting must be pretty hard! WE ARE BLESSED WITH AN AMAZING CAST!!! 🤩🤩🤩
And there he is, our favorite jerk... shaved Ronin 😂 He does look a little weird, but it's fair, new animation and all. Not the weirdest until now 🤷‍♀️
I genuinely had to make a mental check to see where we are with Ronin now, like, he started as a villain, then a partner, he betrayed us, became an ally, he hunted the ninja, then joined them, that timeline was erased, he was around in SoG and... wow this man is chaotic 😂😂
Yaaaay, Twitchy's last minute redemption act! Lloyd is too good at motivational speeches 👏👏
A bit of Lava OTP/BrOTP
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Cause it's good for the heart ❤🖤❤🖤
Okay, Scooby doo reference, why not? Also honestly, I'm confident Ronin has seen A LOT of jails and prisons... probably won't stay behind bars for long 😅
Mammatus: sorry for imprisoning you and almost killing your friend
Kai: no biggie, that's how we make friends in this show
Alright the "And Clutch Powers" gag made me chuckle 😂 ... wait where is he- DANG IT UNCLE POWERS
Okay, this is the last time I say it I promise, but I mean. I MEAN
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THE ANIMATION GUYS 😍😍😍
Aaaaand sensei you jinxed it 😅 But you apparently awakened Nya's season so I'm gonna forgive you on this one 😉
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are a few little details that bothered me a little, and it wasn't as exciting as I maybe hoped it was going to be, but it was fine. Enjoyable still. These characters make me like the show, even when it got nothing too impactful 🤷‍♀️
But I got triggered about that lightning thing with Jay 😅 I guess I'll just fanfic whatever I had in mind...
Don't have to repeat myself about the animation *chef's kiss*
The writing was really less engaging, a little normal in a way? Idk just a feeling. Nice to see Ronin again though, I really like him. And nice to see Jay freaking out, I really like that too 😂
To be honest I wanted to put down my thoughts on this one because I REALLY wanna do the same with Nya's season 🤩🤩 I already know that Maya is gonna be there and I am so HAPPY already!!! 💙💙💙
So that's it from me! Thank you for reading me ranting, see you next season! 😊
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askaceattorney · 4 years ago
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Turnabout Memories
Hello and hap’piraki, everyone!
(Whoa...  Déjà vu.)
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Now that we’re finally nearing the end of this (*twitch, twitch*) year, and now that I’m preparing to step off this blog for a time, I’d like to take a moment to reminisce about all the ground we’ve covered since the day I first discovered the uniquely fun experience of Ask Ace Attorney.
It all began a few years ago when...
Oh, right -- this’ll probably be pretty lengthy, so I’ll continue below the cut.
It all began a few years ago when I discovered Ask Ace Attorney through a Google search.  I don’t remember most of the details, but when I first found out about a blog that attempts to bring video game characters to life through blog posts and the power of imagination, I thought the idea was both strange...and amazing.
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I’d only recently started getting into Ace Attorney at the time (after seeing Matthew Taranto’s hilarious mashup between it and the Kirby series), so I decided to send in a few letters and see if they’d get an answer.  Sure enough, a few months later, I saw the first response to one of them!  It was a pretty exciting feeling, to say the least.
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I’d share that letter response here, but unfortunately, it included my real name, so we’ll have to save it for later.  For now, here are a couple of the earliest ones from me: a deeply emotional one from Dahlia to Iris (a little far-fetched, maybe, but I CAN SEE IT HAPPENING, THE MOD), and a short, punny one from Moe to Phoenix.  Not surprisingly, I enjoyed seeing the characters react to them in ways I found believable as much as I enjoyed writing these and several other letters.  I knew the Mod (the only moderator here at the time) wasn’t affiliated with Capcom, but his character portrayals were spot-on each time, and my creative spark and love for Ace Attorney received some constant fuel for a while thanks to this blog.
And then...this happened.  For a brief moment, I thought about how fun it would be to see if I could do what the Mod had been doing for so long, but then I decided it’d probably be better to leave it in someone else’s hands.  Sure, I was a huge fan of Ace Attorney and its loveable characters, but did I really love them enough to pretend to be them on a hugely popular blog?  Naaah.
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I went over the rest of that story once before, so I’ll just give a brief recap here: my friend the Modthorne won the audition to become the next de Modder, I asked her if I could join, and then it ended up just being me here, followed by Mods Paups, Kristoph, and Maya.  That’s the way we became the Ask Ace Attorney bunch.
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So, when I first made my debut as the Commode Co-Mod, my only real strategy for answering letters was to emulate the Mod's style.  I honestly wondered if I could accurately portray so many different personalities in a believable way, but, with a few hiccups along the way, I somehow managed to pull it off to some degree.  I also started developing my own style and becoming less conscientious about how my portrayals looked (that definitely took some time, though), and worrying less about the blog’s popularity and overall performance review.  That, I believe, was a big part of what made both of those steadily rise over time, until we ended up reaching and surpassing 12,000 followers!  (I’m still geekin’ out about that one.)  Just relaxing and going with the flow made things a lot easier for me, and apparently helped Ask Ace Attorney reach its current level of popularity.  Something tells me that choice paid off in the end, and thank goodness.
I of course have to give credit to the popularity of Ace Attorney and its characters, as well as the Mod for giving me and the other moderators so much material to start off with, but I sure never expected my role in helping to build the Ace Attorney fandom’s strength and size to be quite this large.  Heck, just getting to create things for so many people is a huge honor, so...what can I say to that, except a huge thank you to Capcom and the Mod?
Don’t worry, I’ll get to thanking all of you in just a moment.  ; )
So, anyway, that’s all the general stuff.  Let’s talk about the highlights of the last three years, now, shall we?
My first holiday-related post was an April Fool’s Day one, so let’s start there.  We came close to hearing about Phoenix’s lawyer camp incident...
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...gave a few of the characters a chance to ask some questions of their own...
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...had a little run-in with some of the bad guys...
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...and briefly opened the window into some characters’ minds.
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We sure didn’t fool around when it came to fooling around, did we?
Then there was Halloween.  We dealt with a creeper in the darkness...
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...let one of the lesser-known characters go on a brief venture beyond the fourth wall...
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...let some characters switch outfits and personalities for a short while...
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...and paid homage to a classic interactive cartoon by letting them give out candy.
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We sure had our fill of sweets and spooks, didn’t we?
And then there was Christmas, which included some of my favorite content.  We enjoyed a musical performance by several members of the Ace Attorney cast...
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...a less flattering musical performance by yours truly...
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...a short play taking place in Pearls’s dreams...
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...and a fan-made song parody about a non-canon (but believable) incident involving Phoenix and a reindeer.
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(Sorry if that image cursed anyone for life, by the way.)
I don’t know about you, but I loved every bit of our holiday hijinks.
And of course, we can’t leave out some of the great moments that occurred on non-holidays, including Her Benevolence falling victim to a classic comedy gag...
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...Pearls meeting herself from a different time period somehow...
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...Apollo taking a trip to the Pokemon world in his dreams...
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...Athena getting tricked into thinking she had passed on briefly...
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...Trucy getting caught red-handed by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself...
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...and, uh...this thing happening to Iris.
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No idea what I was thinking back then.  Sometimes you just have to go with the moment.
Not to mention one letter response that received an unexpected explosion of popularity.  Edgeworth always did know how to drop a sass bomb, didn’t he?  And one moment I’ll likely never forget is the letter regarding Athena’s hair.  For the record, I thought the shorter hairstyle looked okay, but somehow I didn’t think she would feel the same way.  Make of that what you will.  X )
Of course, it wasn’t all fun times and laughter -- I ended up stepping on some toes by accident, making a few jokes in bad taste, struggling to keep a balance between blogging and the real world, and...well...
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...that happened.  I don’t regret a moment of it, though, because if Ace Attorney (and life) have taught me anything, it’s that powering through the less enjoyable moments in life is what makes us stronger, and what makes the good times that much more enjoyable.
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But out of all the fun, hilarious, thought-provoking, and deeply touching moments that stood out in the last three years of blogging, the one I would say I enjoyed the most is this one.  It was my first attempt at responding to a letter in character (with one of the biggest “characters” in the series, no less), but, as with many of my letter responses, it also included some of me in it -- specifically, the part where Athena tries to sound optimistic, but not too prideful.  That was the sort of attitude I wanted to have whenever I answered letters -- I wanted to keep the fun and creativity of Ace Attorney and its characters going without injecting too much of myself into it.  The series wasn’t mine, after all, and neither was the blog, so my main goal was simply to sound like the characters.
And with that in mind, let me just say this: If any of these letters (even one of them) have made you smile or laugh on an unpleasant day, made you think about things from a different perspective, or simply helped you suspend your disbelief for a moment and believe you’re actually talking to someone from a video game, then my goal has been reached.
Anyway, I didn’t mean for this to be my goodbye speech (I’m saving that for later).  What it is is a sincere thank you for the fun and creativity that I and the rest of the moderators were able to engage in with all of you, thanks to our shared love of Ace Attorney, its characters, and its unique humor and depth.  Every last piece of witty dialogue, every picture, every song, and every custom sprite (the last of which can be found here), was inspired by your creativity and willingness to participate in this imaginative collaboration work.
I hope you’ve enjoyed it at least half as much as I have.  You guys are awesome.
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-The Co-Mod
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paulfwesley · 4 years ago
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A Split Second (Part 2) [Bryce Lahela x f!MC]
Pairing: Bryce Lahela x f!MC (Dr. Claire King).
Chapter Rating: T (one use of the f-word)
Word Count: 2.4K.
Description: A confrontation. Who will make it out? TW: guns, violence, blood. Part 1. 
Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices’ Open Heart. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Claire King’s background is my own creation, based off of MC in-game’s personality.
Author’s Note: OKAY did NOT expect that reaction! I’m glad everyone loved the first part, and I hope you all enjoy part two! Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the tag list! 
Tagging:@n-whas @anotherbeingsworld @frenchieswiftie @mightyloveoak @jaydito-tjjd @vamped99 @graphitekayla @bitchloveskcbaseball @jamespotterthefirst @commander-rahrah @macy-ray85
Enjoy! 
Bryce Lahela was a lot of things. 
A surgical resident. A guy with great hair. A guy who had magic hands. But he never expected to be a coward. 
Which he was. He was a coward for avoiding Claire; dodging her calls, avoiding hang out with their friends if she was there, running to the opposite side of the hospital if he even caught a whiff of her jasmine perfume wafting down the hall. Even still, he longed for the sight of her face, the sound of her laugh, the way she fit perfectly in the spot between his shoulder and his neck.
And he felt like such an idiot. When he first decided to try and cheer Claire up, it was just as a friend. Sure, he had some lingering feelings from their first days as interns, but one look at Claire and Doctor Ramsey in the same room and it was clear which doctor she had her sights on. He had given up all hope of trying to catch her attention and reserved himself to just being a good friend, trying his best to ignore the way his skin felt like it was on fire whenever she accidentally brushed his fingers, the way a thrill ran through his core whenever she smiled at him. 
And then Doctor Ramsey left, and Claire was left in shambles. Oh, she did a very good job of hiding it; smiling, laughing, engaging with her friends, staying on top of her patients and proving that she was deserving of the role of the Junior Fellow on the Diagnostics team. But Bryce knew her. Every smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, brightening her baby blues with joy that Bryce could lose himself in. She was quieter in gatherings, losing herself in her beer bottle and only speaking when spoken to. She didn’t banter like she normally did with her patients; they showed up, she diagnosed, and then they left. She couldn’t even find the joy in the job she loved because she couldn’t find the joy in her life. 
That was where Bryce drew the line. It was when he went up to her and asked her to go Go-Karting, like they did when they were in the midst of the drama with Mrs. Martinez. And even though her smile still seemed a bit forced, it was much better the next time they hung out and watched a movie. Horror, at his insistence, and she spent the entire movie in his shoulder. Bryce wasn’t going to lie; there was a reason he didn’t suggest a rom-com or a comedy. 
And then the night where they hung out as friends, and everyone went to bed one by one until it was just him and Claire, when she looked in his eyes with such a deep longing and vulnerability that he knew was reflected in his, he impulsively leaned over and kissed her. And when she didn’t pull away, when she tentatively pressed her lips back against his, wrapped her arms around his neck, sighed gently against him, he promised himself that he wouldn’t let it get serious, because that wasn’t what she was looking for. It wasn’t; she just wanted comfort, and well, Bryce was willing to give. 
For a long time, things were good. With each passing day, Claire became more and more like her old self. Bryce would turn the corner and catch her telling a story of a brave, fantastical mermaid to a six year old girl who had her eyes squeezed shut as she drew blood from her, and then he would watch that girl hug Claire because she made her feel safe. She always started the conversation as soon as they sat down in their usual booth at Donahue’s. At the end of each shift, when she met Bryce in the locker room, she smiled and wrapped her arm around his back, snuggling herself into his chest and telling him about her day. And at home, when their limbs were tangled together, and her breathing tickled his shoulder, Bryce thought life couldn’t get any better. 
And then Ramsey came back. 
His good life was shattered. Ramsey was back, which meant that Claire would go back to her pursuit of him. He knew her; Claire wasn’t the type to give up so easily on something. And he knew, when she decided to hang back and “check in about tomorrow” with Doctor Ramsey. Bryce wasn’t an idiot. But then again, maybe he was. Because he did the one thing he told himself not to do. 
Bryce figured it’d be easier to have a clean break; give the both of them some space to reset before he was ready to be around her without really being able to be with her. To program his chest not to tighten whenever he saw her across the hall, to control his hands when they itched to touch her when she sat beside him, to ignore the jump in his stomach when he saw her eyes light up when she laughed. That would take time. How long? He didn’t know. 
He was walking down the hall in Edenbrook, trying to think of where he could spend the lockdown (the surgical floor? He could catch up on his charts, but all work and no fun made Bryce Lehla a bored man. He wasn’t sure where his friends were either, and no one was answering their texts, and he was too afraid to try and find them in case Claire was with them; he didn’t want to be stuck there) when he turned the corner and someone collided with his chest. “Whoa!” he jostled, his hands automatically reaching out to catch the person who bumped into him. He looked down to see Sienna in his arms, eyes wild, panting, tears on her face. He frowned. “Sienna? What-”
Her eyes widened. “Bryce!” she choked. She pointed back in the direction she came from. “It’s--it’s Claire!” 
Bryce’s stomach dropped. “What? What about Claire?” 
Sienna choked out a sob. Her entire body shook underneath Bryce’s fingers, and he tightened his grip on her in an effort to keep her grounded. “Sienna, what happened to Claire?” 
Sienna’s jaw trembled. “S-shooter,” she breathed. “We’re under lockdown because of a shooter. And he’s here for Claire.” 
That was the last thing Bryce Lahela heard before he took off. He pointedly ignored Sienna’s desperate calls of his name, of her telling him to come back so they could find help. The only thing he heard was the thump of his blood in his ears. His heart hammered in his chest, his sneakers squeaking loudly against the linoleum. Bryce ran as fast as his legs could take him, but it still wasn’t fast enough. Not her not her not her not her not her not her--
He screeched to a stop when he turned the corner. Right in front of him stood Claire, her hands up, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She turned when she heard movement, and she gasped at the sight of him. Red rimmed her eyes, tears spilled down her cheeks, her parted lips wobbled. “Bryce--” she spluttered.
“Hey!” he heard, and he was forced to tear his gaze away from Claire to look at the man standing in front of them. He didn’t recognize him, but he pointed a gun in his face. Bryce’s arms immediately went into the air at the sight of the fury storming in the man’s eyes. “If it isn’t pretty boy!” 
Okay, so Bryce didn’t know him, but this man someone knew Bryce. “Sir--”
“Shut up!” the man shouted, his hand shaking, from anger, or nervousness, Bryce didn’t know. 
Claire discreetly took a step back, closer to Bryce. “Wally, it’s okay, he’s a friend-”
“He’s no friend!” Wally seethed. “He’s that guy you’re always with! At the bar, at the movies, at the park! He’s always there! You’re always smiling with him, kissing him!” His grip tightened on the gun. “How could you kiss him? After everything that happened between us?” 
Claire furrowed her brows. “Nothing happened between us, Wally,” she said in the gentlest, softest voice. “You came in after a car crash, I treated you, and that was it.” 
“No!” Wally cried. Tears poked out of the corner of his eyes. “Don’t you remember?” 
“Okay buddy, just take a breath--” Bryce tried, but instead Wally took a threatening step towards the two of them. 
“Shut your fucking mouth before I blow your brains all over the wall,” he growled. 
“No!” Claire’s eyelids flew open as she stepped directly in front of Bryce. He immediately put his hand on her shoulder and tried to force her back, she her feet stayed rooted in place. Her hands shook and her lips trembled, but she still had a strong resolve on her face. She wasn’t going down without a fight. Bryce couldn’t help but stare at her in awe, despite the situation. “Wally, I see so many people every week--” she started.
“But how could you forget?” he seethed. “What you said to me? You said, you said, ‘Any woman would be lucky to have you, Wally’, remember? Remember?”
She gulped. “I remember,” she said quickly, though when her eyes briefly flickered over at Bryce, he knew she was lying. “I remember. But I wasn’t talking about me.”
“Of course you were,” Wally said quickly. “You just didn’t want to make the first move. That’s why I started following you around. I found you at that bar, and I finally had the confidence to go up and talk to you. You were walking out with that guy, and just as I started walking towards you, you stopped and kissed him in the street!” he growled. “What does he have that I don’t, huh?” 
“Wally, it’s not about you,” Claire said in her steadiest voice, though Bryce could hear the tremble. “I’m sorry if I made it seem like I was into you, but--”
“But nothing!” Wally cut in. “You’re just like every other bitch out there. You play with a man’s feelings and then turn around and ignore him!” He flicked the safety off. “Not anymore. If I kill you, then kill me, we can be together, with no one else around to keep you from me. Everything will be okay.”
All the colour drained from Claire’s face, and anger flashed in Bryce’s chest. He staggered forward, throwing up a fist. “You son of a bitch! If you even harm one hair on her head--”
“Hey!” Wally shouted. He took a step back but kept the gun trained on him. “I’m the one with the gun, asshole! So just stay back. This is between me and Doctor King.”
“Wally, please!” Claire cried. “You don’t want to do this.”
“Yes, I do!” He exclaimed. “Don’t you see, Claire? This is the only way we can be together!” 
“Wally,” Bryce cut in. Claire looked over her shoulder at him, eyes pleading for him to shut up, but he wasn’t never good at that. “If you love Claire like you say you do, you’d never even think about hurting her.”
“What do you know about it?” He growled.
“Because I love her too!” Bryce revealed. He didn’t look at Claire, but he could feel the intensity of her gaze burning his cheekbones. “I love her too,” he said softer. “I know everything about her. I know she makes fun of Grey’s Anatomy when she watches it with her friends, but she truly loves the show. She’s a weirdo who burns her toast to a crisp and butters both sides. She’s the clumsiest person that’s ever existed; she could trip over thin air. She sang in an a Capella group in university and isn’t the least bit ashamed.
“She’s also the strongest person I know. She’s… she’s been through a lot in the past year. She’s been betrayed, she experienced a loss, and… and she went through a bad heart break. But she always made it seem like it wasn’t so bad, because that’s just the person she is. She’ll take on everyone else’s pain and problems and never talk about her own, because she doesn’t want to burden anybody.” Bryce gulped, his mouth dry, his throat tight. “And I have spent the last few months tortured, because I had to see her in pain because I didn’t know how to take it away. I wake up everyday thinking about how I’m going to make Claire smile, because she always knows how to make me smile, even when she can’t. And now… now I know she can never be mine, because she loves someone else.” He shook his head. “But all the same... a bright light like her… someone who just knows how to make your day better, who you know would never harm anybody, who makes this world a better place just by existing,  if it were to ever leave this world, it’d be a much darker place, and I know you don’t want to be responsible for that.” He drew a deep breath, and this time, he risked a peek at Claire. She stared at him, her lips parted, her eyes filled with awe, tears spilling down her cheeks. “When you love someone, when they hurt, you hurt.” He turned back to Wally. “And I’ll die before I let her hurt again.” 
Wally’s face had changed throughout Bryce’s speech. The anger in his eyes shifted to a sort of mutual understanding over the love they had for this one girl, though Wally’s type of love wasn’t quite right. Then, when he talked about Claire’s light, Bryce swore he saw something like sorrow, like he had just visited a world where Claire didn’t exist, and he didn’t like it. But when his gaze landed on Claire, staring at Bryce with wonder, like he was the sun, like every word that just came out of his mouth made all of her dreams come true, the vexation resurfaced, brighter and hotter and angrier than before. He moved his hand clutching the gun. “Then so be it.” 
“NO!” Claire screeched, her eyes jumping from Wally teasing the trigger back to Bryce.  When it finally registered to Bryce what Wally was going to do, he reached for Claire, shouting, “Claire!” just as Claire moved to push Bryce out of the way. 
The gun went off with a loud pop that echoed, the barrel smoking as the bullet whizzed through the air. An anguished cry broke the silence, reverberating off of the walls and carrying down the hall. 
A split second. That was all it took. 
Just a split second. 
81 notes · View notes
muffintonic · 4 years ago
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MY CATU LIVEBLOG
I did it for the crossover, so I thought i’d do it for the new movie (Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, for those unaware of the acronym)! 
TLDR: 8/10 not canon, but surprisingly good nevertheless.
Good: character interactions, dialogue (hilarious), everyone was involved, nice use of Chekhov's guns, absolutely EPIC background music
Bad: off-model issues, animation kind of flash-esque at times, the color palette was more like MML than PnF (more saturated and oddly shaded with clashing colors), overly long gags/pacing problems, immersion-breaking/stereotypical sound effects sometimes, some OOC
Ahh, i've missed Candace's singing.
WAIT A SECOND, WHY DOES HER CHARACTER MODEL LOOK SO MEATY (her head shape is blobby, too)
Oh my god, the entire Hirano family a minute in....i'm living.
Hmmm, the pyramid sports thing was from "Thanks But No Thanks," which is a Season 4 episode. In that episode, Vanessa is dating Monty, which only happened after "Minor Monogram" in Season 3. We know that Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension takes place in July after "Candace Loses Her Head" (since Doof's Drill-inator from that episode is scene in ATSD), but also before or around "Great Balls of Water" (since it's July in that episode) and definitely before "This is Your Backstory" (2D!Doof's advice to Doof is referenced)/"Road to Danville" (Phineas' trust gesture is referenced)/"Fly on the Wall" (the summer song gets referenced). LONG STORY SHORT: if ATSD took place in July, when the fridge does CATU take place if we're considering it canon?
Seriously, her off-modelness is super distracting to me. It was fine that she essentially had a triangle silhouette because she also had stick limbs, but giving her realistically meaty limbs makes me question why the rest of her is shaped like that. Bad.
That is some EPIC opening music!
Okay, the weird shading on that clown is also super distracting. PnF's design aesthetic is light and bright....I wonder if the MML people worked on this movie or something (which would also explain Candace's odd meatiness).
Why are all the lines so thick????? It looks like one of those low-budget toonboom or whatever animations Disney posts to YouTube.
Hmmmmm, Doof did the "evenly matched" thing in "Doofapus," too.
OH MY GOD, THE SATURATED COLORS + DARKNESS + THICK LINES ARE SOOOOOOOOO UGLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.
Bwahahahahaha, that pause when Candace is like "Actually, yes, WTF is it now?" is hilarious.
I like the detail of how all the kids' bikes are lying there in the driveway.
I would've just grabbed Linda's head and turned it at that point, honestly.
Linda is telling Candace calmly that she's exhausted...WHEN DOES THIS MOVIE TAKE PLACE?!!!!
Candace learns by "Sci-Fi Pie Fly" that she can take a break from busting to the betterment of her mental health sometimes....and that's a Season 3 episode. WHEN. DOES. THIS. MOVIE. TAKE. PLACE.
Ahh, i've missed Baljeet and Buford's banter. #oldmarriedcouple
Phineas is like "Candace wasn't having fun this summer? D:" but, like, if this movie takes place in the middle....they sure as heck didn't acknowledge it for the entire rest of the summer. HRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, THIS IS WHY YOU CAN'T JUST RETROACTIVELY INSERT EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SERIES: WE KNOW HOW THE REST OF THE SUMMER/THEIR LIVES TURNED OUT.
Why is Perry's wrist communicator a square. It's a circle throughout the entire series.
Does Vanessa have a scooter license? Do you need a license to ride a scooter? She was complaining in "Vanessassary Roughness" that she was always riding on the back of Doof's scooter, so I assumed she didn't. We did learn in "Finding Mary McGuffin" that she knows how to drive/has her license in "This is Your Backstory," does that count?
WAIT, WHY IS VANESSA SO PINK???? SHE AND DOOF ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A DIFFERENT SHADE OF WHITE (more coffee-toned) FROM THE FLYNN-FLETCHERS. Goddang, I had always appreciated how even the white characters were all different shades from each other in PnF....what a letdown.
Mmmm, characters either willingly engage in diegetic music in this show ("Where's Pinky?"), or it's just an imagine spot/non-diegetic. "Why do I have a guitar?" is not something that should be said.
Hmmmmmmmm, Candace is faulting the universe.......in ATSD she's talking about the Mysterious Force.....HMMMMMMMMM.....
Sounds like that was what Vanessa used to stop her Evil Busting phase...nice. Also, i'm only ~7 minutes into this movie, but i've spent the last 30 minutes watching it.
Hey, astute observation! That's what I always say: Candace wants to bust her brothers both because their projects can get dangerous ("Happy Birthday Isabella"/"Picture This"/"The Great Indoors"/ATSD/etc), and because she feels overshadowed by them/that they can get away with more than her ("Gi-Ants"/"For Your Ice Only"/"Love at First Byte")!
OH MY GOD, SHE ACTUALLY SAID "...completely overshadowed by Phineas and Ferb?" HOLY VALIDATION BATMAN
Man, i've said it before about Vanessa's deconstruction of Doof's motivations in "Last Day of Summer," but she would make a great therapist or something. I hope she goes into Psychology in the future.
HMmmm, I do kind of wish it was with Stacy that she had this breakthrough with, considering how Stacy's been her best friend since they were 5 years old ("Phineas and Ferb Save Summer")/she's only known Vanessa since "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!" somewhere in June. Like, I get that Vanessa is more in-tune with psychological stuff like this and it makes sense, but i’m just a Stacy fan at heart
Oooh, she's even saying "breakthrough" and "healing!"
UGLY SHADING/SATURATION YET AGAIN (did I mention that the D.E.I. scooter is also the wrong color from how we've seen it before? because it is)
Bwuh, "What Do it Do?" all over again.
Okay, seriously, it looks like the giant thing is floating...where's the shadow under it?? THERE IS NONE.
BRO, THERE HAD BETTER BE MORE STACY IN THIS MOVIE. DON'T TELL ME SHE JUST GETS A CAMEO AT THE BEGINNING.
What did they make her? I want to know!
Ooooh, Candace's hands are way too small in that window shot. The off-modelness is so distracting.
AUGH, PHINEAS HAS A BABY HAND, TOO.
Haha, I love it when debris falls in with Perry when he goes to his lair.
Bwahaha, he's so done with Monogram
They use landlines ("Sipping with the Enemy") and physical files...don't try to tell me that PnF takes place later than 2012 I won't hear it.
NICE FILE PHOTO, CANDY
Wait, they have a whole alert-protocol thing about a host family member getting kidnapped by aliens, but it says to send the assigned agent on the mission??? In "Undercover Carl" and "Bullseye!" Monogram specifically didn't want Perry to get involved (in ATSD Perry was acting on his own), so ????????? Is it because he's their best agent or what?????
Some stuff is missing from Phineas and Ferb's room (on the walls).
GALACTIC WEB???? My first thought was the Galactic Kids Next Door
Haha, oh, these kids. Love little moments like these.
Why do characters always play with a ball when in jail/trapped? 2D!Candace did it in ATSD, too.
Why is that CGI so conspicuous. PnF used CGI sometimes, and it didn't look like butt. We're in 2020, people.
BWAHAHA, Vanessa!!
Ooh, they're bringing back Space Adventure! Now, we know that after "Not Phineas and Ferb" in Season 2 they say they're over it, but also that 9 episodes later in "Nerds of a Feather," Phineas and Ferb go to a convention/dress up from it. WHEN DOES THIS MOVIE TAKE PLACE.
Hmmm, cutaway gags like I remember MML doing...still too Family Guy for my tastes, especially with it being overly long. (I'm also not pleased with how Baljeet's half-lidded eyes goes straight across instead of bending over the curvature of his eye like what PnF usually does....the straight thing is also Family Guy/South Park's style. This does not bode well.)
WHOA, OFF-MODEL BALJEET ALERT!!!!! WHY IS HE SHORTER THAN PHINEAS AND WHY IS HIS ARM BENDING LIKE THAT!!!!
Bruh, Phineas thinking it's dangerous and not asking his friends to go seems OOC. Where was this attitude in "Meapless to Seattle?" In "Night of the Living Pharmacists?" In ANY OTHER dangerous scenario?
I do like how the kids are getting to go with them this time after missing out on ATSD.
NORM?!!!!!!!!!!!
PBBBFFFT, WHY DO YOU THINK GIVING THEM BUFORD WOULD APPEASE THEM
Hey, yeah, they've never made mistakes like this! What's going on?
Okay, seriously, in ATSD and NOTLP the kids don't know who Doof is. WHEN. MOVIE. Also, Doof's lab interior does have the correct items in it, but they're colored + shaded weirdly.
DOOF IS A VIRGO?!! Okay, that tracks with him being incompatible with Sagittarius people from "Love at First Byte."
Mmmm, the animation is definitely more on the "low budget YouTube shorts" level. The way Doof moves....
Yeah, gotta stick to your brand, bwaha!
OKAY, SERIOUSLY, THAT IS NOT THE SAME CHICKEN-REPLACE INATOR FROM "What a Croc!" GET THE GODDANG COLORS RIGHT JEEZ DID THESE PEOPLE NOT LOOK AT A SINGLE MODEL SHEET BEFORE MAKING THIS MOVIE
Bwahahahahahahaha, I missed Buford and Isabella's banter (and Buford is right: they might need a canoe...or maybe that's just my over-preparedness talking)!
Again: "Undercover Carl"/"Bullseye!"
Ah, Buford.
Wait a second, they didn't even have an introduction scene between Doof and the kids like they did in ATSD. *insert thinking emoji here*
Meh, D.E.I.'s been blown up worse before (the "Ask a Foolish Question" time comes to mind)
DOOF YOU ARE THE ADULT SUPERVISION!!!! GAH!!
Wait, what are you talking about Candace? I don't remember a voice automated translator being a thing in the Flynn-Fletcher household. If this is a crack at Alexa/Google Home or whatever, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE IN ALL OF THE EPISODES OF PNF
They could have done a fireman slide, I guess...though maybe the friction would've made that a bad idea.
Okay, is everyone going to get mind-wiped at the end of this or what? Candace didn't even know Vanessa's last name or where she lived in "It's No Picnic," and they definitely didn't seem friendly enough in NOTLP considering all of these interactions. I'm going to count up all the "WHEN MOVIE" comments i've made by the end of this liveblog, and if it's 10+ i'm just going to say the movie is non-canon/just an OVA. I am enjoying it more than the MML crossover so far, so that's good, though.
Haha, oh, Candace. See, this is why she and Stacy are BFFs: same braincell (AKA Stacy's "Elementary My Dear Stacy"/"Put That Putter Away" moments).
OH, CANDACE. XD
OH, SNAP!!!
Ugh, okay, the "WHEN MOVIE" doesn't even matter anymore. Officially non-canon due to irreconcilable timeline a la MML post-2016 reference.
Yay, Isabella showing off her skills again! People tend to forget that she's also smart.
Go, Perry!!
Oh my god, the "unsung hero" being technically sung....good stuff
Oh my god, Perry, nooooo!! Someone save him!
Wait, did Doof purposefully put that platypus-sized spacesuit on the ship for Perry?!! Awwwwwwwww!!
HAHA, BUFORD
Oh my god, Vanessa, noooo!!! D: I bet the pods were sent back to where they came from/Vanessa should've been in the Earth pod.
Goddang, good thing that planet's got breathable air (not that that ever really gets addressed in PnF, haha).
Ah, okay, it took her to the planet the aliens are from. Weird.
Wait, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, these aliens are weirdly humanoid!! What!! PnF was so good about that ("Out to Lauch"/"The Chronicles of Meap"/"Escape from Phineas Tower"/"Sci-Fi Pie Fly")!!
So they were sending out pods looking for a leader? Weird. Also, they already had Candace be the leader in "Gi-Ants"/"Unfair Science Fair Redux (Another Story)."
Wait, they're doing show-tunes, and pretty much only people who are Evil in PnF do that ("Phineas and Ferb Save Summer"/"The Klimpaloon Ultimatum"/most of Doof's songs). I bet they're going to sacrifice her because of a prophecy or something.
Okay, -1000 points for the Floss. I hate it so much. You know what you'd be flossing if you did that with real rope? POOP. GROSS. Bring back Baljeet dabbing if you're going to make a reference like that, dabbing is fun.
Okay, this song is officially going on for too long. I know the overly long gag thing is a Family Guy staple, too. U G H, leave that horribleness out of my wholesome cartoons, please. Goddang, the influence was even in WBB's movie, too (Panda's dead pose). The Horribleness Lovers are infiltrating the animation industry. (How do I know about the Horribleness if I don't watch Family Guy/South Park? From people making infoposts about how horrible they are + reading up on their wikias/watching YouTube analyses of them, of course. Knowledge is power, and you must know your enemy.)
Seriously, open the freaking door. All of these overly long gags are not only unfunny, they eat up the runtime. PnF has great pacing where it's not too fast (Wander Over Yonder was sometimes too fast), but spends enough time on the things that need it. Opening a door is not something that needs time, especially when it's following up an overly long song.
I bet they're going to extract the element from her or something.
I'M PARANOID, TOO
Wait, this lady (I didn't catch her name) seems to be their leader?? Is she abdicating?
So the aliens have a gender binary, too? Is that necessary? Would that be necessary?
Hmm, I know that Doof didn't realize how futile rotating the moon was in "The Doof Side of the Moon" and what a boat was in "Are You My Mummy?" but he tends to be smart about intricate science stuff. Like, the problem with his inators (he even says it himself in "Phineas and Ferb Save Summer") is that he executes them poorly, not that he's failing in other aspects. Like, is this is the same scientist that built a Re-Good inator solely from plane parts in "Where's Perry?"
That cutaway was not necessary.
BALJEET, NO. Also, is it in character for him to be so gung-ho about trying out this unprecedented maneuver? I know he does have a wild side, but it's not usually about science things/throwing things that require this much caution to the wind.
Wouldn't they pass out from the G-forces or whatever?
Wait, what was the point of that alien mammoth getting flung? I mean, I figured that was going to happen to their ship by the way it landed on the mushroom.
Haha, oh, Doof.
XDDDD Buford had better save the day, since he's the only one that doesn't register the ominous tone. If he doesn't that'd be such a waste of the gag.
Haha, Buford. Still my favorite kid. :')
Okay, I seriously can't hear anything this alien leader lady says. It's like she's whispering all her lines with a hoarse throat or half-mumbling parts of her sentences or something. I have my volume turned up, and it's not helping.
Gross. WAIT, ISN'T THAT LIKE WHAT THE CITIZENS OF THE CANDY KINGDOM DO FROM ADVENTURE TIME?
Wait, do they have a farming culture? They were doing something in a field right now.
Hmm, yeah, lots of non-humanoid alien species on this planet alone....did they NEED to make the kidnapper ones so humanoid?
Doof, you even said that there was no adult supervision earlier. XD Isabella's definitely more qualified to lead, considering she's a Fireside Girl Troop leader/her vast array of badges compared to Doof absolutely ruining the Tri-State Area in "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" and not knowing what leadership entails in "The Beak"/"Last Day of Summer."
Haha, yeah, see! Whip out those badges.
HAHAHAHA, Oh, Doof. I can see him facing front in the card's photo, ahhh, frontal Doof.
DOOF!!! XDD
Oh my god, he took her hat. She looks like she's starting to get pissed....you never want to get on Isabella's bad side. XDD (She knows hapkido/jujitsu from NOTLP)
Oh my god, this song is amazing.
See, songs are okay to be long if they're dynamic: lots of movement between locations, varying camera angles, engaging lyrics, moves the plot forward, etc. Now this is PnF!
Baljeet, please. XD
Oh my god, poor Doof. Yowch! I hope his leg's not broken. D: He's certainly dragging it around like it is.
HAHA, I love how he just calmly zaps it!!! Nice (and a good example of the experience thing he was talking about earlier).
That chicken looks uncomfortably realistic for PnF's style (we've seen Agent C in "Traffic Cam Caper" before and a rooster in "Cheer Up Candace").
They got the farmer's hair color wrong. Interesting that they brought him and his wife back, though!
What's with the sudden cartoony sound effects for Doof falling??????? Bad.
Hmm, the audience seems like they're being mind-controlled.
It can't be the first time ever, since she was a star in "Flop Starz"/"Run Away Runway"/"Lights, Candace, Action!"/"Unfair Science Fair Redxux (Another Story)"/"Gi-Ants."
For a hot second I thought she was going to ask Candace to marry her or join her family or something.
I bet Vanessa is going to tame that alien dragon! Also, I hope they realize she's not on earth soon.
I bet the gift they made Candace at the beginning is going to change her mind about living it up on the alien planet.
Oh my GOD, Candace has shown repeatedly that she loves and cares about her little brothers. WELP, GOOD THING THIS MOVIE AIN'T CANON.
Like, seriously, if this movie was canon, there's no way the boys would ever drop the "Candace is unhappy" thing for the rest of the summer.
HAHA, LIKE I SAID: ISABELLA IS TO BE FEARED. XD Also, wasn't it Candace's fault since she sent them away?
"While I love ominous patch-related threats more than anyone--" *AHEM* "Right, apart from Ferb" BOYS, PLEASE. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I'm getting flashbacks to Horde Prime inviting Glimmer to dinner. Also, I almost typed "Glitter" instead of Glimmer right now.
I bet she killed her brothers or had them mind-controlled or something.
Ooooooof, that's ominous.
Aw, Baljeet's so interested in joining Buford's gang.
Bwahaha, Doof looks so interested! I bet he's going to remember the stuff they're listing for later or something.
DID MONOGRAM JUST SAY DO NOT ENGAGE THE ALIENS BECAUSE OF AN INTER-GALACTIC TREATY?? IS THAT A LILO AND STITCH REFERENCE???? (probably not, but i've been getting into L&S again lately)
Meh, Buford and Baljeet survived being eaten by the worm from "One Good Turn." Those aliens will be fiiiiiiiiiiiiine. :P
Were those alien prisoners rebels or something? They have a hidden city, but they also seemed too scared to be rebels.
Oh my god, cubism.
Okay, so they're not rebels, per se, but they resist by....hiding and cowering. Sort of?
MMmmmyep, the show tunes tipped me off. So these guys got invaded by another alien species, huh? OOF, cordyceps vibes
So she needs Candace to be food for the spores or something?
Yep, she's using Candace as plant food.
Overly long gag again. :\\\\\\\\
Okay, so she didn't kill/mind-control them, but she did lock them up. I was right!
I don't know how their alien biology works, but humans can't eternally walk. Candace's legs would eventually get tired/become not able to move until the lactic acid she builds up wears off. She could also develop varicose veins or blood clots from all that standing. Bad move, aliens.
Yeah, Candace would never do something like that! Also, see: it was her fault they ended up on the prison shuttle, not Doof or Isabella's.
Bruh, the rest of the earth gang breathes CO2...did your scanners not pick up on that?
Oh my god, Candace, don't reveal information that could get earth invaded.
Wait, how was she keeping the mushroom alive before? Where did it come from?
Also, WHAT ABOUT VANESSA!!! SOMEONE SAVE VANESSA!!!
Wait, why was the alien lady holding onto the smaller alien's long moustache? Is he her pet?? CONFUSION
Ugh, they don't have to make every single thing a gag. PnF knew when to make moments real/dramatic. Grow a spine and live with the weight of emotional tension, movie.
ANOTHER OVERLY LONG GAG? No wonder this movie is so long.
Wait, is Shego the VA for the alien lady? The way she yelled sounded like Marlene, who has Shego's VA. I'm going to look this up later.
BWAHA, Vanessa hears the ominous tone, too!
I don't doubt that Doof will be able to cobble something together to get them back, but that honestly has nothing to do with "adulting" since Phineas and Ferb could probably do the same, and they're kids.
I absolutely love how Buford's still carrying that canoe everywhere.
YES!!! Haha, yes, Doof, Perry is your guardian angel (and emotional support animal). :')
I KNEW Vanessa was going to tame that dragon!!
Yeah, see, she never has that dragon again, so this movie is totally just an OVA.
OH MY GOD, PULLING A Chowder HERE, I SEE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Yeah, you can see how off-model/pink Vanessa is right here where she's standing next to Doof. She's supposed to have his brown-tinged coloring (just look at any other time she’s next to him--”Finding Mary McGuffin”/”Minor Monogram”/NOTLP/”Hail Doofania!”/”A Real Boy”/etc).
Bwahahahaha, chicken selfie
Oh, yeah, that makes sense. What would happen if they killed the chicken? Does it only switch with alive chickens?
BWEHEHEHEHEHE
Though I don't like the particular scare chord they used when Doof holds up the Axe inator--very stereotypical/they could've composed a new version, like how Candace's leitmotif is technically Ring Around the Rosie, but different.
Aww, why not, Vanessa? It's your best bet home! Although, I guess it would be awkward considering Perry's right there....
I need to see a photo of the Lieutenant Baljeet's talking about here, for....reasons.
See, Baljeet's recklessness in this movie seems more like something Buford-i'm going to randomly mess with this ("Fly on the Wall")-Van Stomm would do
In "Nerds of a Feather" Baljeet cosplays as a Space Adventure character, so....
"You made another boat?! What've I been lugging this one around for?!" NICE, BUFORD, BWAHA
Wait, how on earth did that work? Can hunks of metal just allow something to fly like that? I admit to not knowing how planes work, but at least those have, like, engines and whatever.
WAIT A SECOND, I SPY MISHTI IN THAT MCFREAKING STADIUM CROWD!!! WHAT IS SHE DOING THERE!!! SHE'S NOT A NORMAL FILLER BACKGROUND CHARACTER!!
Stacy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder if they meant to put her mom on the bleacher seat behind her, or if it's another Mishti case.
They spelled his name wrong: we saw in "Doof 101" that it's John P. Trystate (the elementary school is named after him)
Beh, nothing bad is ever supposed to happen to Roger, that's the whole point of his character. Bad.
Ah, Bujeet banter.
WHY IS ISABELLA'S ROBOT A CAT THING
They should've made something to kill the mushroom instead.
OH, JEREMY XD Wait, that didn't sound like Mitchel Musso. 
Was he just making those weapons because it's his hobby? Stacy did suggest a compound bow as a gift for him in "Vanessassary Roughness," and there's a bow on the counter
Buford and Isabella banter!
I like the detail of Candace's hair being disheveled and her socks drooping after walking all this time
Aww, does she feel guilty? :(
She does. Again, this movie can't be canon, because they don't acknowledge what she's saying for the rest of the summer and this kind of breakdown would definitely leave a mark on her.
AHA, I knew that gift would come into play!
Aww, that's a cute mug! Also, good on Candace for not drinking coffee!
HMMM, OKAY, SO THE SIBLING HUG FROM "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted," WHICH WAS PERRY'S DREAM, IS ON THAT PROJECTION OF THEIR NICE MOMENTS. TOLD YA: NOT CANON.
Haha, nice @ the new gelatin memory. It aligns nicely with the various things Candace has done offscreen that Phineas and Ferb get a kick out of (getting her face caught in the dishwasher, getting tangled in the clothesline, etc)
The exploding thing is technically a step forward, but, again, the real issue is killing that mushroom. Also, are Doof and Co. still stuck??
"Why does that sound like her name?" "I dunno." BOYS
STACY...JEREMY...LARPING.....Aww, don't be ashamed, Jeremy! Candace does Ducky Momo cosplay, and she accepted your dance deficiency in "Nerdy Dancin'!" I have to say, I love it when Stacy and Jeremy are on the same side, since Candace was sidelining Stacy in favor of spending time with Jeremy for a while (to the point where "Canderemy" happened).
Mmm, I notice a trend in cartoons lately about applying psychology to things. Amphibia, SPOP, Steven Universe...it's nice to get kids used to the idea that introspection is healthy.
DID SHE JUST DIE
Okay, did they just...fly from another planet? The gang went beyond light speed to get back home....there's atmosphere issues....they didn't even bother to try and have them salvage the space suits from the inator even though characters in PnF can't survive in space/always have to wear a space suit (Doof even puffed up in "Out to Launch" when he stuck his head outside without a helmet on, and Perry made sure to put a helmet on him when he was going spaceward in "The Doof Side of the Moon")?
Oooh, okay, furthest chicken. Nice.
Aww, the dragon's shielding them! Reminds me of How to Train Your Dragon when Toothless was protecting Hiccup from the flames
WOW, that is an EPIC remix of Perry's theme music!!! Holy crud, there's not as much background music as usual in this movie, but the music that is there goes HARD.
Bwahaha, to quote Maui: "The chicken lives!"
Oh my god, Baljeet really likes petting zoos? Also, I guess the farmer's last name is McDonald??
Beverly Hills + Beverly Hills adjacent...why XD
The chicken still lives!!
Okay, so she's alive.
Ah, so that’s why the mammoth got flung.
Aw, I wish Jeremy and Stacy had had more of an action scene after gearing up.
Okay, see, this lesson she's learned? How if this movie was canon, none of the rest of the summer would have been possible? MMmmmmmmmyeah.
Wait, so the American police are just taking the aliens?? No special forces or anything?? They're ALIENS.
LAWRENCE, DON'T TOUCH THAT!!
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!! I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welp, it took me 5 hours to watch this 1 hr 24 min movie...wowza. I forgot to write it when they occurred, but I didn’t like that the alien lady’s blinking had a sound effect in that one scene or that they used the Wilhelm scream during the final battle. I do wish there’d been more Perry and Doof interactions + some more Stacy, but what we did get was good. There were some pacing problems (too much alien screentime), but the excellent interactions between the PnF gang made up for them. Also, I genuinely laughed at at least two handfuls of moments! Anyway: a good movie!! I'm shocked--i'm so picky, and I haven't liked anything since "Last Day of Summer!" I mean, it's definitely an OVA/not canon, but still!! Solid 8/10.
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ren1327 · 4 years ago
Text
Pretty Boy Ch. 6 Final
Ben woke up in a plush bed, body heavy and sore.
An arm curled around his back and he looked up to see Kenji’s sleeping face.
He noticed they were most likely at Kenji’s house and he wondered how they had gone from the club to here. He remembered everything else. Vividly.
He hummed and kissed Kenji’s jaw and cheek over and over, making the more muscular man groan before a smile graced his face and he pulled Ben into a tight hug, kissing him softly.
“Did we even drink?” Kenji asked.
“Only a sip between us.” Ben said with a smile.
“Then why do I feel drunk?” He asked and winked, Ben laughing and kissing him again.
“Where are my clothes?” Ben asked, looking around.
Kenji stretched and was about to say something when his father burst into the room.
“Kenji! Ben is missing—” He froze seeing both very naked boys in bed and his eyes scanned the room, seeing several trojan wrappers.
He closed his eyes and walked out, Kenji struggling to yank on some pants.
“Wait here.” He said and left, closing the door.
He found Kosei sitting in his office. He had his elbows on the table, face in his hands as he shivered a bit.
“Dad?”
“Will you go through with the marriage?” He asked, looking up.
“What?” Kenji asked.
“Will you go through with the marriage arranged for you?”
“I…Dad, I really like Ben. In fact, I think he could be the one.”
“Then I ask again.” Kosei said, louder. “Will you go through with the marriage arranged for you?”
He heard a sharp gasp.
Both men turned and saw Ben in the hall, dressed in his rumpled clothing. He was covering his mouth and his eyes shiny with unshed tears.
He turned and ran.
“Ben!” Kenji yelled and followed him.
He heard a car outside and looked out the window to see Ben getting into a sleek black car and it speeding off.
Dave was in the entrance hall.
“Who was that?” Kenji yelled.
“Uh, Barry.” Dave said, looking a little dazed.
“When did he get here?” Kenji yelled, grabbing some extra shoes and a shirt from the coat closet.
“He stayed over.”
“Why was he—”
He paused when he saw Dave’s cheeks color.
“I…I need to go.” Kenji said and ran to the garage.
He was just starting his car when Kosei came in.
Before his father could say anything, he peeled out and sped towards campus, to the shop.
 *
 “He’s not here.” Sammy hissed. “So get out.”
“Sammy, please.” Kenji said.
“No! He called me in tears! Barry had to stop to help him through a panic attack!” She yelled, despite the shop being busy. Many students watched.
“It’s all a misunderstanding!” Kenji said.
Grey came out from the back.
The shop door jingled as he grabbed Grey’s arm. “Listen! You got to tell your Dad to call the whole thing off!”
Grey yanked his arm away. “Hey, whoa! What are you talking about?!”
“Kenji!” Brooklynn grabbed his arm. “It’s not him!”
“What?”
“Okay, what the fuck is going on?!” Sammy yelled and everyone froze at hearing their resident cinnamon roll curse.
“Kenji.” Brooklynn panted softly, seeing as she had run after making a discovery. She searched her phone. “I was looking at my selfies from the party. And I had taken one in Masrani’s office before security found me—”
“Brooklynn, what the hell?” Kenji asked.
“Shut. Up.” She growled. “On his desk. I didn’t notice til I zoomed in…”
She held it up, showing a portrait on what he assumed was a family photo. Masrani, his wife and between them…
“Ben.”
“Ben Pincus-Masrani. His stepson from Sandra Pincus.” She said.
Kenji blinked and leaned against the counter, his knees shaky and weak.
“I’m engaged to Ben.” He said. Then he smiled.
“I’m engaged to Ben!”
Sammy was steaming and Grey and Brooklynn took a step back as she yelled “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!”
 *
 Simon knocked on his son’s door.
“Ben?” He asked and found his son curled up in bed under his blankets, Bumpy nestled up to the pile and whining.
“Son, what happened?”
“I thought he liked me.” He heard softly.
“Who, Son?” Simon asked as he placed a hand on the pile.
“Kenji. I…Dad I slept with him and he’s been engaged this whole time.” He said.
Simon took his hand back and bit his lip. He took a deep breath and said a prayer before peeling back the covers to see his boy, red eyes and crest fallen.
“Ben. I need to tell you something about Kenji. And about you.”
“Dad?” He asked and sat up.
Barry came in with some tissues and a water bottle. Simon took them and opened the bottle, handing it to Ben. “Drink.”
Ben took it and sipped about half of the bottle down slowly.
“Ben…Kosei Kon is one of my dearest friends.” He said softly. “And we drink sometimes.”
Ben looked at him curiously, but didn’t interrupt.
“I had had you for three years and loved you so dearly. Every time we met, the subject of our sons came up and one night we had gone way over our limit and somehow managed to write up a marriage contract between us for Kenji…and you.”
Ben felt like throwing up.
“I…I’m the one Kenji is supposed to marry?”
Simon nodded and Ben stared at his lap.
“When were you going to tell me?” He asked.
“We never expected you two would meet and like each other. We had hoped and—”
“You kept this from me. Did Kenji know?”
“I’m not sure. I know Kosei told him of the contract.”
Ben swallowed and suddenly heard someone pounding on the door. Barry left, hand on his taser.
There was yelling and someone ran to the room.
Ben stared up at his fiancé; Kenji Kon.
“Ben…” He whispered and fell to his knees, putting his forehead to the floor. “I didn’t know! If I did—”
Ben heard him sob and Bumpy jumped off the bed to lick Kenji’s ear.
“Your dog is making it really hard to do this.”
“Why didn’t any of you tell me?” Ben asked.
“I didn’t know I was engaged to you.” Kenji said, looking up. “If I had…”
“What?”
“I would have asked if I could court you or something.” He said. “I love you.”
“We just met.” Ben said.
“You feel it too.” Kenji pleaded.
Ben shut his eyes and sighed. “I do.”
Simon had covered his mouth, looking from one to the other. He quietly picked up Bumpy and exited the room, closing the door.
They both looked at each other and laughed.
Ben started crying again. “This is so crazy. How did they even make a contract drunk?”
“I know, right?” Kenji said.
He sat next to Ben and hugged him close. Ben sighed and leaned into his chest.
“Hey.” He said softly.
“Mm?”
“Do we have to get married right now?” Ben asked.
Kenji got back on the floor, on one knee. Ben laughed softly as he took his hands.
“Ben Pincus-Masrani. Over the last two weeks I have found you to be an adorable crybaby who can kick my ass at bowling, making drinks and having good taste—”
“Including you?” Ben asked.
“It was implied.” Kenji said with a grin. “But…I also found you sweet, brave and just…amazing. I really love you. So, can we stay like this until we graduate?”
“Engaged slash dating?” Ben asked.
“Engaged slash dating.” Kenji said.
Ben nodded and slid off the bed to kiss Kenji.
“Yes.” Ben whispered and kissed him.
 *
 “I can’t believe I’d see the day.” Brooklynn as Kenji and Ben stood for a picture in their white suits.
“It’s just an engagement party.” Yaz said. “I already know the wedding is gonna be crazy!”
“Oh, Ben!” Candy said and hugged her future son-in-law. “Happy birthday, Baby!”
Kosei smiled. “Thank you for being so patient with my son and this misunderstanding.”
Ben hugged both Kons and nodded. “It’s fine. I’m glad all this happened. Sorry this party came like, three years late.”
“Oh, Baby, don’t worry.” Candy said. “Kenji’s been busting his butt for this and I’m kinda glad. Are you okay with being outed as a Masrani?”
“It was bound to happen. I’m just glad I could give my exclusive to the most famous reporter out there.” He said and winked at Brooklynn.
The pink haired journalist winked back.
“Ben, Ben!” Carmen yelled; her little arms outstretched for him. Bumpy followed the little girl everywhere, both becoming attached from the moment they met.
Ben picked up the little girl as Kenji picked up the pint-sized corgi. Carmen nuzzled Ben and then made grabby hands for Kenji and Bumpy.
“Congratulations on your engagement and birthday.” Santi said, Sammy running forward to hug Ben.
She whirled on Kenji when Brooklynn took Carmen and Bumpy jumped away from him.
“And you! You better be the best husband when the time comes.”
“I will.” Kenji said, hugging Ben from behind. “I can’t risk losing my Ben.”
Darius smiled and put an arm around Brooklynn’s shoulders.
Zia and Franklyn came to talk to Ben next and Kenji shook hands with Ajay and Roland Tembo.
After a few hours, and a lot of cake, Ben and Kenji left to their two story house they had been living in for the last year. Kenji lifted Ben in a bridal carry and carried him in through the door.
“Do you have to do that every time?” Ben asked.
“Don’t have to.” Kenji said. “Want to.”
“Good. Now, for your engagement present.” Ben said as he stood up. “Bumpy’s with your sister for the night.”
“Yes?”
“Well?” Ben asked. “Unwrap me.”
Kenji gathered Ben in his arms and kissed him.
“I love you, Kenji.” He whispered.
“I love you too, Pretty Boy.” He said as Ben laughed and pulled him into another kiss.
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three-drink-amy · 5 years ago
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Sweet Creature
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I want to just say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love for this story. I never expected such a reaction to a little story like this! I really appreciate all the replies, comments, likes, and asks showing love for it! I hope you enjoy the last chapter! 
master list - AO3
Chapter Sixteen
Claire stood by a tall table, watching Joe and Gayle dance happily. Their wedding had turned out beautifully, no matter the extremely long engagement. And she had to hand it to Gayle — the castle was gorgeous. A smile spread across her face as she saw the unrestrained joy on her friends’ faces. The day really had been perfect. 
Jamie sidled up next to her, handing her a drink. Taking it from him, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” 
“But, of course,” he replied, sipping his own drink. He stood with his back to the table, mirroring her position. She could feel his eyes on her, roving up and down her body. Looking over, she raised a brow at him. “Have I told ye how gorgeous ye look?” 
Claire laughed, looking down at the suit she’d insisted upon. The slim cut was ideal and looked — she humbly admitted — damn good on her. And she couldn’t deny the flutter in her stomach each time she felt Jamie’s appreciating glances. “Yes, you have, actually. About five times today.” 
Jamie laughed, snaking his arm around her waist. “Ye may hear it about five more times by the end of the night.” 
Her laugh rang out as she laid her head against his shoulder. 
“Can ye make me a promise?” Jamie asked. 
“Yes, I promise that I’ll still wear it back to the hotel and you can take it off me.” 
He nearly choked on his drink. “Oh, I just assumed that was a given,” he replied. “No, I actually had something else I was going to make ye promise me.” 
“What’s that?” 
“Can ye promise that we’ll no’ have this bloody long of an engagement?” he asked, ignoring the way her head whipped over to look at him. 
“While I agree that it was, in fact, very long, I would like to remind you that you have not proposed. We are not engaged. And my ring finger is tragically empty,” she told him, holding out her left hand for emphasis. 
A grin crossed his face. “Aye, I did actually ken that. But I thought it would be good to make these agreements before that happens.” 
She rolled her eyes. “And when is it going to happen?” 
Jamie squeezed his hand that was resting on her waist. “Wouldn’t ye like to know.” He grinned at her before kissing the top of her head. “I mean, ye’ve never even said if ye want to get marrit.” 
“Yes, I have! Plenty of times in the last eleven to twelve years, I’ve mentioned my plans to one day marry.” 
It was Jamie’s turn to roll his eyes. “Alright, fine, ye told yer friend Jamie that one day ye wanted to get marrit. Ye’ve never mentioned it to yer boyfriend Jamie.” 
She looked up at him, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Hmmm. I guess you’re right. Maybe I just thought it was one of those things we didn’t have to talk about. We just knew.” 
“I suppose it could have been. But I’d rather no’ spend the money on a ring and plan some fancy proposal just to have ye laugh in my face.” 
Claire hip checked him, shaking her head. “You’re a fool, Jamie Fraser. Like that would ever happen.” She curled back into his side. “Also, you know it’s us. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I’d say yes if we were still naked in bed.” 
Jamie laughed as he pulled her closer. “As tempting as that sounds, I would fear for the day in the future when our bairns ask us how I proposed.” 
She laughed with him. “So, is that talk also happening right now?” she asked with a grin. 
He took a sip of his drink as he watched her over the rim. “I’ll no’ lie to ye and say that I’ve no’ thought many times about having bairns wi’ ye, Claire.” 
Leaning up, she kissed the underside of his jaw. “Well then, I shouldn’t lie to you and say I’ve not thought of the same thing.” 
He smiled broadly, meeting her for a kiss. “Seems like we’re on the same page.” 
She nodded, laughing to herself. “Took us long enough.” 
Jamie rolled his eyes. “What’s ten years in the grand scheme of life?” He put his drink down on the table and took her hand, pulling her toward the dance floor. His hand went to her waist, keeping her close to him as they started to sway to the music. “I’ve a lot of living I plan to do wi’ ye, Claire Beauchamp.” 
She couldn’t help but stare up at him, feeling very touched. “Same page, indeed.” They met for another kiss, moving slowly to the music and forgetting everyone else there. 
“I heard some people by the buffet talking about how delicious and beautiful the cake was,” Jamie commented as they continued to dance. 
“Oh?” 
“Aye, they said they wanted to ken what bakery they got the cake from,” he told her. “Dinna fash, I made sure they kent that it was Sassenach Sweets.” 
Claire laughed, laying her head against his shoulder. “Very kind of you. You know, your sister still takes credit for my success with cakes. All because I made Kitty’s cake.” 
He hid a smile in her hair. “Of course she does. She takes credit for us being together because she told me one time that she thought we’d be a good pair.” 
“Oh, I didn’t realize I should have thanked her,” Claire joked. “It’s been over a year and a half. She probably thinks I’m ungrateful.” Jamie laughed, both of them feeling the vibrations as they held each other closely. 
Jamie was silent as he glanced around the room at the rest of the reception. “I think we could go smaller than this,” he commented. 
Claire glanced up at him. “Already planning it?” 
He shrugged as he looked down at her. “Can ye blame me?” 
“No,” she decided, smiling to herself. There were still times she couldn’t quite believe it had all happened. She’d told Jamie of her long-held feelings — granted, after he’d confessed his — and they’d been together since. It was just that easy. Sure, they fought occasionally and had undergone the difficulties of merging their lives even more. But a year and a half later, they were still solid. More solid than they’d been before. She wrapped her arms tighter, more thankful than ever that they’d figured it all out. 
* * *
Claire was pacing through the kitchen at the bakery, stewing. The bell rang, signalling his arrival. “Claire,” he called from the front. 
“Back here!” 
Jamie walked in, looking more dressed up than she’d remembered him being as he’d left for work that morning. “What’s up? I thought we were going to meet at the restaurant.” 
“We were. But I had something I wanted to talk to you about and I didn’t want to do it in public,” she explained. 
Jamie’s face grew a bit serious, concerned. “If ye’re about to break up wi’ me, I have to say, I’m no’ going to take it well.” 
Claire laughed, shaking her head. “Of course I’m not, you idiot!” 
“Oh good, then my fears are taken care of,” he said with a teasing sigh of relief. “What’s going on?” 
She wheeled the chair out of her office and motioned for him to sit down. He raised one brow at her, but followed her directions. Standing in front of him, she adopted a straighter posture, her hands clasping and unclasping nervously. 
“Okay, so as you know, the business has been growing over the last two years,” she started. Jamie nodded. “And so I had those meetings today about all that.” 
“What did they say?” 
“They told me that there’s interest in a fifth location,” she informed him. Four months after the Edinburgh store opened, a fourth store had started the process of opening in Aberdeen. The success of her bakery had been mindblowing to her, but Jamie kept insisting it was all to her brilliance. 
Jamie’s eyes widened, an excited smile on his face. “That’s incredible! Where?” 
Claire took a deep breath. “London.” 
“Whoa. The sassenachs are taking back the sweets?” he asked. 
She laughed. “I suppose so.” 
“Sassenach, that’s amazing!” He jumped up and wrapped her in a hug. 
“It’s a lot, but yes, rather exciting.” She gestured for him to sit back down. “So, on the heels of that, they proposed some changes to the business model.” 
“Such as?” 
“Well, they suggested that in order to allow me time to do more of the part of my job I actually like, I should bring on someone to manage the business side of things,” she explained. “Look over the finances and make sure everything’s in order. Like a CFO.” 
“That makes sense,” Jamie agreed. “Ye’ve balanced a lot of things all on yer shoulders over the last six years. Rather than having advisors and such, ye could have the person on staff.” 
“Exactly,” Claire said with a nod. “And it makes sense. So they told me to think about who I want to offer the role to.” 
“And? Do ye have any ideas?” 
“I do,” she confirmed, pausing for a moment. “You.”
Jamie’s eyebrows shot up. “Me?” 
“Yes, you.” She started pacing again, her nerves getting the better of her. “Look, I know this would be a big deal, but I have a pitch more or less ready. I think you’d be great in the role. I mean, you’re great with money.” 
“Ye ken that I didna earn all the money in my bank account,” Jamie reminded her. 
“I know, but you never blew it. The biggest risk you took was this,” she replied, gesturing to the room around them.  “Okay, other reasons. You know the financial side of things, like businesses. You have been a part of this company since it started and —” 
“Silently.” 
“Not that silent,” she retorted with a grin. “Even when you told me to make all the decisions, you still gave your opinion.” 
“Ye barely took any of them.” 
“I took some of them. But that was then. That was setting up an image and such. This is different. This is keeping it afloat. Keeping it running. This bakery is basically my baby. And there’s no one I trust with that but you.” 
Jamie grinned. “I’m the only one ye trust wi’ yer baby?” 
“Shut up.” 
She stopped pacing and stood in front of him. 
“Look, I know it’s a lot to ask. And I want you to take your time to think about it. But to me, you’re the only person who makes sense. You’ve been invested in this company as long as it’s been a company.” 
“No’ really. Ye gave me back the money almost two years ago,” Jamie reminded her. 
Claire rolled her eyes, groaning at him. “Okay, fine, you’ve been emotionally and financially invested at different points in its history.” She paused, looking him in the eye. “I know it might be crazy, but you’re the only person I could even think of having this position.” 
Jamie sat silently, looking thoughtful. “Alright, I have some questions of my own.” 
“Fair enough. Please ask.” 
“Ye’d still have to make the final call on every decision this person made, aye?” 
She closed her eyes, thinking it over. “Probably. As the owner, I think I’d want that right.”
“Only makes sense,” he agreed. “Then one single person couldna ruin yer business.” 
She tilted her head as she looked at him. “You wouldn’t ruin it.” 
“Never said it was me,” he replied cheekily. “Next question.” He stood up and paced as she had been before. “Would this person need to go wi’ ye, like when ye open the London branch or when ye go around to check the other stores?” 
Claire caught the ghost of a smile on his face. “It would certainly make sense for that person to go along. Make sure everything is running smoothly financially as well.”
“Would it be frowned upon for this role to go to yer husband?” he asked, his back to her. 
She narrowed her eyes at his back. “Yet again, jumping ahead of yourself there.” He shrugged, continuing to pace in silence. “I know it would be hard for you to leave your job.” 
“No’ really. I like my job, but I hate my boss. And many of my coworkers,” Jamie admitted. “Plus, we’re already saving money by combining our homes.” 
Claire smiled. “That’s true. Even if we chose to live in the more expensive flat…” 
“Mine was bigger!” Jamie defended. 
“You have a lot of money saved up,” Claire continued. “So, even if it was not a very profitable job at first, you’d be okay. I mean, you never listened to Ian and I when we told you to buy something flashy.” 
He laughed, tilting his head side to side thoughtfully. “That’s no’ completely true. Ye’ll be pleased to ken that I did finally make some flashy purchase.” 
She laughed. “Oh? And what’s that?” 
Jamie reached in his pocket and pulled out a box. Opening it, he revealed a gorgeous diamond ring. He smiled at her, waiting for her reaction. At first, she simply felt stunned, her eyes bouncing from his face back to the ring. 
“Oh my god,” she whispered. 
“I dinna ken what it is about ye, Claire Beauchamp, but ye make me want to spend large amounts of money on ye,” he teased, bending down to be on one knee. “I love ye, Sassenach, wi’ everything I am. I want to spend my life wi’ ye. Will ye marry me?” 
Claire’s mouth hung open, closing and reopening a few times before she finally spoke. A smirk crossed her face as she looked back at him. “You know we said 35, right?” His brow furrowed, looking incredibly confused. “Our marriage pact was for 35, not 30. You’re a bit early.” 
Jamie rolled his eyes. “Are ye serious right now?” 
She burst out laughing, walking closer to him. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist. If I thought you didn’t already absolutely know what my answer was, I wouldn’t have joked.” 
“I’m still waiting.” 
Claire knelt down in front of him, her hands coming to rest on either side of his face. “Absolutely, without a doubt in my mind, I will marry you.” 
He smiled brightly, bringing her in for a long kiss. After sliding the ring on her finger, he sat back down in the chair. “Okay, onto my next question.” 
She whipped her head over to him, stunned by his ability to just return to business. “O-kay.” 
“I believe ye can see now why I asked about yer husband working for ye,” he told her with a cheeky grin. 
“Were you just carrying this around with you?” she asked, looking down at her hand, marveling at the beautiful ring he’d chosen for her. 
“No’ for long. I was going to propose after dinner. But I couldna wait that long, I suppose.” 
“I can’t say I mind. How many more questions do you have? I’d rather turn the conversation to the rather big thing that just happened,” she pressed. 
He laughed. “Only a couple. I want to make sure what I’m agreeing to.” She nodded, rolling her eyes a bit. “So, if I were to accept this position, would my office be near yers?” 
“I think we could make that happen. But would you really want it to be?” 
“Oh, aye. Of course I would.” He reached out his hand to bring her closer. “I always want to be near ye.” She squeezed his hand as she grabbed it. 
“Living together and working together might be a lot of togetherness.” 
Jamie pulled her onto his lap. “I canna wait.” 
She framed his face with her hands. “Does that mean…?” 
“Oh, I was going to accept it from the moment ye asked me,” he informed her with a smile. “But ye always have to have questions in interviews.” She laughed, leaning into kiss him. It was sloppy and happy, both of them elated. “The most important question I had was whether I’d get to go wi’ ye to the other stores.” He held her tighter against him. “Edinburgh was an easy trip. Aberdeen was doable. London would be a lot longer.” 
“True.” 
He brought her close to him, almost kissing her again. “And I dinna think I can be away from my wife that long.” 
Claire smiled, pressing her lips to his. Her legs settled around his hips as she pulled him close to her. His hands rested at her back, holding her tight to him. As they separated, she laid her forehead against his. “I love you,” she whispered. 
His hands squeezed against her. “And I love ye.”
“You know what I also love?” 
“Hmm?” 
“When you’re wrong.” 
Jamie pulled back, looking at her with an amused but confused expression. “I’m sorry?” 
“Do you remember that night when Joe told us he was going to propose?”  Jamie sighed, rolling his eyes as a reluctant grin crossed his face. He clearly remembered the moment she was referencing. “You said neither of us were anywhere close to getting married. And yet...here we are,” she commented, holding out her hand for both of them to look at the ring. 
Jamie laughed, squeezing her waist. “I believe I also said we needed to turn our lives around, which I would argue, we rather did.” 
She leaned her forehead back against his. “Yeah, I suppose we did. All for the better.” 
“Exactly.” 
Claire kissed him softly. It was a quiet moment they would both cherish. “So, you’re accepting the job?” 
“Wholeheartedly,” he promised her. “And ye’re accepting my offer?” 
“Wholeheartedly,” she repeated with a laugh. “Last weekend, at Joe’s wedding, you mentioned that you don’t want a long engagement…” Claire reminded him. 
“That’s right. I dinna want to wait too long to call ye my wife,” Jamie assured her, stroking her hair from her face. 
“I mean, we’ll be gone a lot once the London store really starts developing. Would be an awful time to try and plan a wedding,” she mused. 
Jamie nodded, a mock serious look on his face. “Oh, aye. Awful, indeed.” 
“Seems only smart that we already have that taken care of.” 
“Only seems reasonable,” Jamie agreed, the corner of his mouth quirking up in an amused smile. She smiled back, kissing him again. “How do ye feel about dinner?” 
Claire sat further back on his lap, looking at him thoughtfully. “Honestly? I don’t really care about dinner. I kind of want to go home from the work we’re about to share to the home that we already share and get ready to start spending the rest of our lives together.” 
He grinned at her, picking her up as he stood from the chair. “That sounds rather wonderful.”
Together, they shut down the bakery, turning off the lights and making sure everything was in its place. Claire turned to lock the door as they stepped outside. She felt Jamie place a kiss at the back of her neck as she put the key in the lock. Looking back in through the glass of the door, she flashed back to the first time she showed Jamie the bakery. If only I could tell six-years-ago-Claire that one day Jamie would propose to her there, she thought to herself. 
For the umpteenth time, Claire turned to leave the bakery with Jamie. But for the first time, they were walking off toward their future together. And boy, was it sweet.
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millennial-ring · 4 years ago
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Can we get more on the three P's? Pain, Pride, and Pure?
           17. PAIN
So this is actually the document where I saved the RP where Bakura came back to find Malik engaged to Seto, aptly named “PAIN” because it’s...fairly angsty. Me and this friend used to RP on Skype, making new group chats with side accounts before deleting them and leaving the two of us (which is so unnecessarily inconvenient lol but it’s what we had to do so we could rp multiple things at a time/not lose the rp in our regular group) and whenever we finished or got bored of an RP one of us would sit down, scroll all the way to the top, and copy and paste the entire thing into a word doc for re-readability. We rp’d it for well over a year, if not longer, so there’s no way to really reread it and condense it into a summary because sooo much happens. I guess highlights that I remember (or at least thing I remember fgjkdjh? we started this rp in 2016)
Bakura gives Malik a necklace he made himself (instead of a ring) before they part ways and Malik ofc keeps wearing it even after Bakura comes back and screams at them. There’s one scene early into the power relationship (when Malik still considers them fuck buddies) where Malik jumps into bed with Ryou, shoves his phone into his face, and starts screaming about Seto’s “you’re adorable” reply to a no-make up, bedhead selfie Malik had sent (bc how dare Seto be cute and do romantic things like that and kiss Malik’s hand and feed Malik chocolate covered strawberries before sex and buy him jewelry when they’re just fucking!) and Ryou’s just like “oh my fucking god just date him already gtfo my room I want to sleep.” Uhm... Malik and Seto are in the middle of wedding planning (visiting Isis and Rishid in Egypt at the time) when Bakura comes back, but they’re talking about a spring wedding in one of the parks/gardens in Seto’s neighborhood and Seto makes a comment about having the ceremony under the wisteria tree because he wants to see wisteria blossoms in Malik’s hair. Malik imagines brushing stray petals from Seto’s hair as they lean in for the kiss that will bind them for life - and then ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. Bakura passes out after using all his energy to scream at Malik (bc he JUST returned from the shadows, having had to go through multiple trials and actually give up some of his memories to be able to return) and they put him in the guest bedroom while Malik calls Ryou for help. While they wait for Ryou, Bakura wakes up and crawls out the window and runs away LOL. Uhm... Malik has a fluffy white therapy cat, ykno one of those grumpy looking smoosh faced ones, named Bakura. At some point while they’re still in Egypt Ryou takes Bakura to Kul Elna, where there’s a monument/memorial to the people that died in the massacre, and a very close knit community. Ryou takes Bakura to a community garden run by a pregnant woman named Adela who also owns a restaurant there - the food grown by the locals is used in the restaurant and iirc there was also some kind of donations thing going on where struggling families could come and take whatever they needed provided they bring back seeds or the scraps for compost or help a bit in the garden or something like that. I don’t think we ever made it explicit but we were pretty much implying that Adela was Bakura’s Actual Mom reincarnated. I think Bakura was also around for the birth, but I can’t remember much of it aside from him holding the baby. But the modern Kul Elna village actually practiced a lot of the old traditions and Bakura’s like “whoa... fuck it I might move here”. Uuuhh Bakura tells Ryou how every family in Kul Elna had a special “tzai” (tea) recipe and it could only be shared with people close to said family...before he makes some for Ryou. I think my friend got this from Star Wars? But I like it and we’ve included it in basically all our rps since. Uhm~ At one point Bakura kisses Malik and Malik slaps him and that’s how Bakura knows It’s Really Over. Malik and Seto play rock paper scissors to decide who bottoms every now and then, but it’s moreso a way to say “I want to bottom tonight but for some reason my pride keeps me from saying it outright” (dear 2016 us: bottoming is not shameful!) but also we never rp’d it, it was part of a time skip, but Malik and Seto had a threesome with Ryou and Ryou ate Seto’s ass. That’s all. We had Atem coming back and I remember he wanted to try and smooth things over but whenever Bakura saw him he had a panic attack. Uhm...that’s all for now lol, I can’t really remember much else.
             18. pride
Unfortunately, again, this is not a document about prideshipping. Every so often I get emotional and I start writing emotional things that I think I’ll post to Facebook, but then I either chicken out because I don’t want to be known or perceived. Let people continue to think I’m a hyperactive halfwit and have no deeper meaning to my thoughts. It’s chill. 
But this one was about the concept of LGBT Pride and how I felt about it, how startled I am sometimes when I run across support and acceptance in unconventional or unexpected places, how I worked hard to be comfortable enough to make the “because I’m gay” jokes out loud because growing up in a rural Kansas town I was exposed to my fair share of homophobia, both from family and from community, and even the people I called friends. It was gonna be one of those “wow I love my friends and family because now that I’ve weeded out the assholes I’m surrounded by love and support and this is exactly how much it means to me and why!” kinda posts, but I’m really bad at those, so this stayed in my WIPs. Maybe when Pride month rolls around again and I get nostalgic and emotional again I’ll finish it.
             19. pure
This one’s a “fic” written about mine and my friend’s OCs from an old superhero/supervillain RP group. My character, Zaine, was separated from his girlfriend, Tansy, during a battle with heroes that killed a lot of supers and civilians alike. They were reunited after a few years (both had assumed the other had died and somehow hadn’t run into each other at all asdkja, it was our excuse as to why the characters had changed so much (since we were coming back to rp these characters after a few years ourselves, and wanted to revamp them a bit without them losing their relationships or experiences). But in that time, Zaine became better friends with his buddy Forest, and before the gal who made Tansy rejoined the group, me and the guy who made Forest were debating if Zaine and Forest should get together. But Tansy came back and Zaine got back together with her, but I made it canon that Zaine was crushing on Forest prior to that/still a bit after Tansy came back. Zaine is in a band and it’s sort of a running joke that his band members are all betting how long it takes for a threesome or for Tansy (who’s a bit possessive) to attack Forest, and they constantly tease Zaine about how much time he spends with Forest, make “hey don’t fuel the shippers” jokes, some other stuff along those lines, etc. It’s all good natured tho.
Anyway that’s all canon. The fic was “pureshipping” - Zaine, Tansy, and Forest. It was kinda me exploring how a relationship might develop between the three of them and I was writing little bits for my friends at work based on the answers they gave me to the “How would they react to/feel about this” questions I asked before turning that into a proper story. 
It started with Tansy trying to remember when exactly she became open to the idea of polyamory, since as I said, she’s a bit possessive and got jealous easily. She recalls a night Zaine brings Forest back to their apartment after a bachelor party, with them plastered and barely able to stand. They fall down, and Zaine shushes Forest because Tansy has her laptop out and she’s working. Forest shushes Zaine back, they put their fingers against each other’s lips and keep shushing each other, drawing closer until the only thing separating their mouths are their fingers, and Tansy’s just like “whoa” and something clicks because A) she sees Zaine’s lids lower while looking at Forest the way they do when he wants to kiss HER and B) why is she not freaking out about this isn’t she a poisonous little viper that hisses at anyone that tries to flirt with Zaine? But nope, she’s never been jealous of Forest even if his and Zaine’s relationship is fairly intimate for what most consider friendship. And then a few days later she sees one of those memes that’s like “Zaine has two hands” (bc Forest is also a famous musician, and he and Zaine do a lot together, both professionally on the music front and in like. Idk, livestreams and general hanging out. so ofc weirdos ship them, and since Zaine and Tansy went public there’s gonna be ppl that include her in the weirdness) on a TVD fan page she follows so she understands some of Zaine’s inside jokes and she sees a comment from Zaine’s official facebook that’s like “these hands were made for holding!” 
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and Tansy’s like. “Oh shit. Zaine DOES have two hands!” so a few days later over breakfast she asks Zaine how he REALLY feels about Forest and ofc he’s like “he’s my best friend???” and Tansy’s like “ok but no for real how do you REALLY feel about him” and then calls him out about about having a crush on him and Zaine, who’s canonically weirdly monogamous is like “no!!” but Tansy whittles him down until he admits he “HAD” a crush on Forest before he and Tansy reconnected, but swears nothing happened between them and Tansy’s like “WOULD YOU LIKE TO?” and brings up the idea of Zaine dating Forest, and Zaine’s like “I’m with you, Tans, I didn’t mean to make you feel inadequate” and she’s like “I appreciate it but not what I meant. I know you, Zaine, I know you’re a lover and not being able to tell Forest how you really feel is hurting you, so if you want to then I highly encourage you ask him out” and after like 2 whole days of debating Zaine comes back to her saying he was going to, and then a few days later they invite Forest over to have The Talk and Tansy says they’re free to date, but Forest is still mourning Kelvin, his fiancé that “died” ((in quotes bc these aren’t our characters to actually kill so all characters are just assumed dead if the roleplayer didn’t rejoin but ofc if they came back “hey surprise i’m alive!) in the war between heroes and villains and says he needs time to think about it. He thinks it over for two whole weeks -and in the meantime, Tansy is happy to see his and Zaine’s relationship hasn’t changed at all- before agreeing. They sit down to discuss boundaries and permissions and whatever, and this line: 
Tansy would never dream of forbidding them from doing anything that she and Zaine would do, especially because Zaine was a lover. He loved with all his heart, soul, and body, as if his purpose in life was to treasure his partners so thoroughly they would never question his feelings for them. It would be unfair to Forest and downright cruel to Zaine for Tansy to restrict them.
aaaa I know I wrote it but I love it. So after boundaries are discussed and all that Zaine and Forest have their first proper kiss, and it’s so sweet Tansy feels breathless alongside them. The three of them cuddle up to watch a movie but Zaine’s paying more attention to the two of them, taking turns kissing each of them while Tansy and Forest accidentally start competing for who can pull the most reactions from Zaine. Forest starts spending every weekend at Zaine and Tansy’s place and it always ends with them cuddling on the couch while watching movies, Zaine between them, but overtime Forest and Tansy become more affectionate with each other and end game was obviously the three of them, but I stopped writing it just after Forest spent the first night in bed with them.
Tansy smiled and looped her arm around Zaine, cuddling up to his side like a cat seeking attention. Zaine’s own arm found its way around her shoulders to keep her close. The last thing Tansy saw before her eyes dropped closed was Forest on the other side of Zaine mirroring her, and the last touch she registered was Forest’s hand brushing over her arm.
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unproduciblesmackdown · 4 years ago
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i'm here for your Jare and Lana Thoughts
hmm i’m not good at like, coming up with concrete ideas/hcs, or at recalling anything, but yeah they should get to be friends
i mean we don’t know that alana has Any friends, and really even pre-act 2, evan is not an amazing friend to jared, and even if things were better re: that relationship, it’s not really ideal to for jared to have one single friend anyways.......and, again, evan’s not exactly the perfect friend and like, even though i think anyone taking any real note of the material realizes that jared and evan’s relationship being not very close or great at this juncture is a two-way street, it’s easily arguable that evan’s a worse friend to jared in canon than jared is to him. so like, if jared’s gonna have One Friend lol tbh it would be great if he and alana could become friends and like, have someone to hang out with and just have a chill time being Not Alone for once and not having to feel like they have to be maintaining this perfect performance at all times or be dropped
really like it’s a great concept to just imagine them getting to spend time together doing totally unremarkable average Hanging Out stuff.......do homework together sometimes instead of alone in their respective bedrooms, spend time together on the weekend and play video games / watch a movie, just do some chill shit that gives them the chance to have conversations and share interests and personal info and just like, get used to feeling more relaxed in this person’s presence and like this is a real friendship......maybe they spend time together in canon doing tcp stuff ever but we were never shown it, and that’s a bit of a transition from being mostly strangers (distant acquaintances) to being Sort Of friends / at least being more familiar with each other......and maybe they can become closer After the tcp heyday, like, presumably in the timeskip-and-beyond part of things.....like, yeah there's the issue of everything that happened re: tcp and how jared knows more about the inside story while maybe alana just suspects, and natch i don't think jared would be willing to share that Inside Story if only because we all know that he and evan are mutually protecting each other forever, but also i don't think that like, thoroughly discussing the tcp stuff is absolutely crucial to jared and alana getting to be friends. for one thing, they probably can't have gotten That close during tcp, since by act 2 jared is apparently not super involved, and for another thing i think by the finale times both alana and jared might Both just be wanting to pretty much like, move on from all the tcp stuff.
also like, really i don't remember if jared's Extracurriculars like model u.n. was from pre-bway content and/or if it was from "cherrypicking anything worthwhile from the novel" content lol, but also stuff like being a camp counselor can't be completely effortless, and as someone who isn't too close to his parents and for whomst, at least at one point, theoretically, his car insurance being paid was tied to him doing stuff his mom wants him to do e.g. Be Nice To Evan, i get the idea that maybe jared does some academic / extracurricular stuff at least partially with the motivation of staying in the good graces of his parents and other adults / being Approved of via those routes of like, performing well at various Set Tasks like "get good grades" "be in model u.n." "be nice to evan, theoretically, according to jared himself" and etc........anyways this is a really roundabout way to get to "alana might be engaged in like, structured / approved Tasks as a means to being supported, not in the exact same way as jared is but with enough of a parallel that he Understands it".....like, i think yeah we can deduce that alana is kind of Studious or at least cares about her academic performance, but people like, forget that she's Not just doing everything for her college applications, and that most of what the focus is on is alana doing Extracurricular stuff that's more involved with / focused on Local Community than just like, school......she's talking about what she did over the summer, which is sure inherently Not stuff for school, and tcp is only partly about the school, and isn't Academic.......alana probably sees Community Involvement as a means to support / connection / positive attention, which is a bit different from jared who like, yeah might be kinda on that wavelength in Disappear thru Ywbf, but also it might be mostly "oh i can be in this group with evan and alana"......jared mostly seems to regard Attention From Anyone Else as something potentially negative, even though of course he doesn't want to Not get any attention, so on the one hand he's trying to get ahead of that Potential Negative Attention by trying to establish his own Role as [i'm the jokes boy] and be able to Deflect attention away from himself, or at least from whatever aspects of himself he doesn't want to have anyone focus on / question, and he seems to have an even more Defensive approach re: adults (i.e. "literally nothing i tell my parents is true") and it's easy to imagine that he sees it as like, as long as he Does This Checklist of Tasks He's Supposed To Do, e.g. "get decent grades" / "do some extracurriculars (i'm just remembering model u.n. was from Prior Versions Of The Show b/c it was related to that perjury thing and being the ambassador of luxembourg)" / etc and Adults Will Leave Him Alone Entirely Maybe........alana of course doesn't really wanna be left alone, but also she's more focused on her Peers than adults as well, ppl mischaracterizing her as like, only caring about grades & Rules & generally being a killjoy.........but natch if she Is trying to get good grades and Is involving herself in a lot of projects academic or extracurricular or unaffiliated with school at all, and there's gonna be more Work involved in that, and probably hanging out with her will involve doing work Parallel to each other, or at least, alana doing work while you do whatever.......and i think jared would Get that and wouldn't be like, "why are you boring" lol......out here down to bond with evan over basically a writing project......having Computer Skills which he presumably honed / hones on his own time.........this is a mess but im basically getting to "jared wouldn't think alana is boring or anything and would understand pursuing Something through the routes of Projects and Commitments and Approved Activities" look i'm phrasing everything terribly but if i don't just get shit down i'll never answer this ask
meanwhile i think alana would think jared is funny, which is nice b/c despite jared trying to be Humorous evan doesn't act very interested or like he's like "jared you're hilarious and i love that about you" lmao like. obviously people interpret jared's Attitude as like omg so uncaring he has no feelings he also has no problems b/c he Takes Nothing Seriously (which obviously. Humor / demeanor doesn't necessarily reflect taking whatever "seriously" or not.) and maybe evan's misinterpreting it too, but even if he Knows better re: how jared really feels about things, he's not exactly trying to engage with him about it any other way, so.......anyways alana thought connor's terrible joke from probably a while back is funny so. she'd probably Genuinely be like "haha good one jared" and jared would get to be like :o :o :o whoa i made a joke and someone reacted......natch jared's also just trying to like, Provoke evan into paying attention to him sometimes with his Humour / being able to comment on Real Shit without giving away his Real Feelings but like, probably not the ideal form of communication, and jared's out here @ connor like "it was a joke" so he'd probably be fine if any other students like, reacted to his jokes as jokes.........and alana could. also she might Joke sometimes in return lol
there Is that bit of an issue where yeah alana having a tendency to just Take The Lead on things where jared has a tendency to just like, back off if he isn't expressly given space in the first place or if he's pushed back, and this isn't Ideal obviously but like, he and alana don't have to interact via Working On Projects Together alone, especially not tcp, and it'd be an inherently different dynamic if they were interacting solely due to being Friends / wanting to hang out for no especial reason vs interacting to work on something together........and i don't think alana would Want a friendship to be the same as "someone she works on a project with" like, as far as we know in canon, alana only has Acquaintances and jared ends up losing his one friend, so i think if alana and jared become closer later on / start this new Actual Friendship between themselves, alana wouldn't want it to feel the same as like, being involved in tcp together (and neither would jared), and i also don't think jared would necessarily want it to feel like his friendship with evan, which natch wasn't going great, particularly not in those final months l o l .......even though both of them being Friendless would probably make them somewhat eager to make One Friend, they both got burned by their attempts to Get Closer To People (or A Person in jared's case lol) ("everyone needed it for something" like okayyy if you say so, guess we Are just forgetting about alana and jared's existence), and they might not exactly be raring to go about [Obtaining Friendship] the same way again. and since they both had a pretty Transactional approach to getting positive attention (i.e. jared helping evan out and doing shit for him, alana doing the same and presumably doing the bulk of the tcp work when evan ingeniously held jared at arm's length instead of having him more involved but then kind of peaced out of the project himself) it'd probably be nice for alana to have someone who seems to like being around her without it being due to any of the work she does / has done, whereas jared probably doesn't wanna be The Guy Who Helps Out and is only talked to for that purpose..............and them both having a friend who they Didn't make / keep via their respective wtaw-type approaches to things is probably gonna be encouraging re: the fact that yknow, they don't have to put on that certain Performance of what they think people might want from them / people might find Acceptable from them........and of course if they spend more time together they'll get more used to the other / learn about them, and probably ~Learn About Themselves~ since they're finally getting to like, Not be putting on a performance for someone / feeling like they have to play some specific role to be liked or whatever
and like, alana isn't just all Boring and incapable of having fun or comprehending what that is........i like soph's hc that she loves karaoke, jared could tag along and be the audience lol and it's just like, hey we can just have fun together doing shit for fun and not like, feeling like you're having to prove your worth to the other person all the time, just having some confidence that the other person likes you for who you are and they can relax and actually enjoy it
naturally i like the idea that alana and jared become friends (or better friends) in college........the rest of senior year has to be Not A Great Time and just generally more fraught than usual for them, and they could stand to have the summer before college to kinda take a breath (but also maybe feel worried about college) but then yknow once college starts they're In college and it's different from hs (and better), and it being a Different environment with Different people and a Different structure can also help them just like, get more comfortable with themselves and maybe (hopefully) feel more capable of pursuing stuff they really wanna do and just overall be having a better time than, say, in senior year of high school.....would sure be convenient if they went to the same one of course. lol. hang out all the time on campus / between classes, go to Social Occasions together, be in the same dorm / just keep hanging out at each other's, etc
also just like, on its own, i always like the idea of jared also being able to Make Friends / have decent, positive, accepting Social Interactions via joining a club / being involved in some extracurricular type shit, where he Can be comfortable like "oh i'm here to Do Some Tasks so i get to be part of this group of people just by signing up, not by everyone else deciding they want me around" and then yknow, be spending time with this group of people that way, end up hanging out at various points kind of branching off of whatever Tasks are being done, and sort of gradually realize that people Don't Dislike him and can then catch on that maybe he has some potential friends here.........it's fun to think of him doing like, tech work for theatre, and also in the midst of all these theatre people he can like, fully realize Oh I'm Gay (and maybe get to fully process what went down there re: evan and his own Heartbreak there, like the fact that it Was heartbreak).......and to add the idea of Alana Being Friends with him during college, maybe a) she can hang out over in the theatre area sometimes while he's doing whatever and work on her own stuff but also get to interact with everyone else who might be around and b) if he gets any comp tickets she can get one and c) idk she can maybe also be Directly involved in helping out sometimes......
and also anyways getting all the way to This Point in the answer before mentioning that like, of course both jared and alana are gay and maybe haven't figured this out entirely by the events of Canon but sure could during college and could be each other's Supportive Friend, naturally if one of them figures it out first the other one is like wow great i'm such an Ally of that, boy it feels really great to Know i have a gay friend actually, b/c i'm Such An Ally......and then figuring it out for themself as well lmao like aha. hope they don't think i'm copying them lol...........also the one Jared And Alana "Dating" idea i permit is that maybe back in the day when neither of them were Aware of their own gayness they like, vibed with each other and were like "hmm is this Having A Crush?" and "dated" awkwardly for like a month or two or something (or less lol)......naturally they could've had this sort of experience with Anyone but like, the sort of underlying thing that the Affinity they mistook for "i wanna date this person" was them rly having the potential to be good friends and have a significant relationship that way. but then them having this real awkward "dating" experience probably would delay that for at least a little bit lmao like avoiding each other b/c even if it sure was just like, a not-that-dramatic mutual breakup, it's still uncomfortable and it's like "why didn't this work out at all"............but yeah the important part is they're gay and they're friends and if they are also good friends while they're figuring out the Being Gay stuff for themselves then that's just nice for them.....have this person be supportive and glad for you........
also and yknow there's the idea of "what if jared and evan start to make up in College Times and possibly kleinsen happens" and obviously being back in touch with evan would be both fraught for jared and alana even if they're in this place where it's easier to extend him some grace here, but they'd sure understand each other's misgivings and trepidation here even if they don't really lay out each and every Detail of like "yeah here's why and how i was hurt back in the day in tcp times".......and yknow, for jared it wouldn't have to be like "wow after i lost evan i've had No Friends and having him back in my life would mean i'm not completely alone anymore," which might help him take his time in contemplating / reflecting upon the situation lol. and who knows, alana might be down to accept an apology as well at least or something. but regardless of that concept Yeah jared and alana getting to be friends in college would be cool for both of them.
these are all broad sweeping concepts lmao instead of like any fun details or specific events / scenarios lol but yeah here are some Thoughts.......a real tl;dr is that it'd be nice if like, overall, both jared and alana felt like they had some more space in college to figure themselves out and feel less pressure to fit some precise role that will win them approval, and they find some Connection through each other and get to share that like, Figuring Themselves Out territory while being friends and getting some emotional support from each other, and they are gay
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enygmass · 4 years ago
Text
Title: Fragments
Author: Ames
Wordcount: 2355
Fandom: Not batman for once [whoa]
Synopsis: Brief glimpses of Nikolai’s life from birth (ish??) to the first scene of the game
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So I haven’t written one-shots in so long, but I discovered the game Monstrata Fracture like a hot min ago and haven’t been able to get it off my mind so like… if you wanna bag yourself a monster babe then you should jump over to @astralore [or their itchi.io] and check it out, i’m js... ^^
Anyway I may be botching this but I a) love Nikolai and b) love delving into characters pasts, so let's rock and roll, kids
Everything this is based on was snagged from the game play, mythology books, and lore that was answered on the blog 
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When the eggs were retrieved from the ocean, the fortune teller had announced that the speckling on the shell of the seventh egg looked “off.” The second fortune teller agreed, and the third one had not protested the former declaration.The three fortune tellers were sisters, renowned for the accuracy of their predictions, and for them to state such a thing with brutal bluntness brought immediate attention to this small, stunted, seventh egg. Albeit, a declaration that this seventh child would bring great things had come along with the unusual spotting, yes, but the unusual spotting was what stood most clear in the minds of all who were present. 
The young mothers did their best to pay it no heed. Alkonosts were superstitious by nature. Their ancestors had brought with them tales of dangers in the woods, of beasts in the snowdrifts, and of consequences for every action. Once, this declaration of unusual spotting may have brought dread to the ears of any parent, but the two mothers were of a more modern mentality. They thanked the sisters, inclining their heads with grace, before sweeping the eggs up into their arms and leaving. 
Seven eggs, seven children, and the seventh, to be a son. 
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Nikolai could not recall the exact procedure that led him to become a he. 
What he could recall were colours. Colours of all kinds; reds, golds, blues, greens. It was a myriad of hues that swirled before his naive eyes. He remembered that he had tried to speak. He had wanted to say something to his mothers, perhaps ask them what the colours represented, but he was silenced by a talon coming down and pressing upon his chest like a weight. 
Then, with the colours, there had suddenly been pain. Magic always had a consequence. This was a concept that had been drilled into the minds of any species that lived in their realm. Any entity that used magic, was exposed to magic, or even so much as learned about magic, knew that it took as much as it gave.
It felt like he was being reborn. 
A part of him wondered why he had agreed to this, although the reward held greater merit. To be able to feel like he was truly himself made the process worthwhile. Not to mention that the sprawling records of their family lineage that his mothers’ kept locked away indicated that he was not the first one in their family line to go through with this procedure.  
The process overall lasted minutes, but to Nikolai, it felt like centuries. It was only when the colours faded away and the bombardment of sensations fell to a dull thrumming in his mind did he become aware of his mothers’ voices. 
“Take him back to his room. The recovery process…”
“The recovery process can be tedious.” Another voice, less familiar and more jarring, cut his mothers’ protests short. Nikolai struggled to see who the owner was as the world seemed to spin in front of his eyes. He could make out the form of another Alkonost woman, with brown feathers meticulously groomed, standing a few feet away. Her lips were pursed in a thin line and her golden eyes were fixated on someone behind Nikolai’s prone form. 
“But it has never failed. He’ll be fine within a few days.” Another shift, and Nikolai felt himself being lifted from his position on the floor. The Alkonost woman’s gaze moved to meet Nikolai’s and her lips, if possible, drew into an even tighter line. “Contact us if problems arise, although I think there won’t be. I highly doubt the one who is supposed to be destined for ‘great things’ will be going away any time soon.”
With that, she turned away as the world in front of Nikolai’s eyes faded to black. 
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“Nikolai.” The voice of his teacher snapped Nikolai out of his daze, forcing him to turn his gaze from the treeline outside to the front of the classroom. An Alkonost woman stood at the front, her grey feathers adorned with silver, and a small smile tugging at her lips. “You’re lost, again.” 
“Not lost,” Nikolai was quick to protest as he straightened his back. “Just thinking.” 
“And what were we thinking of today?” The amusement was not lost in her tone as she settled herself on the edge of her desk. Her name was Lada, and she had been teaching him and his sisters to sing since they were hatchlings. His mothers’ could have taught them, but they were too busy with their political careers. Hence why Lada was in their lives. 
Singing was, unsurprisingly, a major part of an Alkonosts life. Singing was involved in everything they did: celebrations, mourning, daily routines, even mundane tasks such as cleaning often led to a chorus of songs from the flock engaged. One of the most profound memories Nikolai held was singing at a chapel during a Christmas celebration. The way the chapel had been lit in a brilliant golden glow, with holly entwining its columns, and how the room had been filled with Alkonost of all colour and kind singing with their glorious voices, was burned into his mind. He held onto it with every ounce of strength he had, in fear that he would never experience it again. 
“The regulations.” He spoke what he thought because he knew that Lada would find out either way. The regulations were on his mind a lot lately. His mothers had taken him aside and explained that his family, in particular, were under government watch for the use of their voices. An average Alkonost could wipe an individual's memories for 12-24 hours with the right training. Nikolai’s family could wipe them for more than 48. In fact, an ancestor of his had been known to have a voice that could wipe memories for years, if she so chose. 
“Ah.” Lada’s smile slipped and she fixed him with a more stern look. “What about the regulations?”
The question was so simple, but enough to cause Nikolai’s shoulders to tense up. It was no secret that the regulations were greatly protested by many Alkonost, but there were a few in the mixes—Lada included—who believed they saw the benefits of the regulations. 
“They’re unethical, that’s what,” Nikolai was quick to snap with his response, his brow furrowing as he turned to face his tutor. “Why should we be restricted when our gift doesn’t even make it into the harmful category of magic? Vampires have no restrictions on their compulsion abilities, and I dare say that being able to persuade someone to do something like slaughter their family is much more dire than causing memory loss for a day. Not to mention the lack of restrictions on Banshees, Fae, or even Kelpies. God knows their abilities are worth a ban.” 
Lada’s expression betrayed no emotions as she folded her talons on her lap, allowing Nikolai his brief vent. It was only when there was a pause for breath between his rants did she speak. 
“You’re forgetting, Nikolai, that many of the individuals you’ve listed have their own struggles they deal with. Yes, they may not have restrictions, but they’re subjected to far worse.” Lada’s lips twisted to a grimace as she fixed him with a stern gaze. “Like the slave trade, for example. No Alkonost is subject to that, but I can tell you that many Kelpies are.” 
The slave trade. It was one of Lada’s main points to bring up whenever they got into this debate. Nikolai was young, yes, but he was well educated in what the slave trade incorporated. Many Alkonost and other higher-class species had a hand in its ongoing, and it wasn’t uncommon to hear it discussed at Alkonost events. Nikolai bit his tongue. It was better to not discuss those kinds of things with Lada; she usually found a way to make several fair points to counter any objection Nikolai voiced. He wasn’t a fan of the trade either, but his resentment didn’t run as deep as Lada’s did. 
“Why don’t we get back to the topic at hand?” Lada clapped her talons together and stood back up, gesturing for Nikolai to come closer. “We can practice a piece from принц огня, if you would like?” 
принц огня was an Alkonost tale from the old country about an Alkonost Prince with red, gold, and violet plumage who discovered he had the ability to control fire. Most people chalked it up that he was a phoenix mixed into the nest, but it was still one of Nikolai's favorite stories to listen to when he was a hatchling—only because he saw so much of himself in the Prince. Not to mention that both of them had received ill-fated prophecies about how they were destined for greatness, although the Prince's ended off on a much more tragic note. From what the text said, his magic cost him the life of his loved one, and although his powers brought great change for the Alkonosts, his grief over his partner's death drove him into utter despair. The story ended off with the Prince becoming nothing but a wandering hermit who sang a mournful ballad, much to many's chagrin. Alkonosts rarely felt, but when they did feel, they felt with their entire being, and the Prince's story showed how dire the consequences of this could be. 
Gathering himself, Nikolai frowned at Lada's abrupt change of topic, but nodded his head regardless. In the end, it was best to focus on lessons rather than politics. 
_______________________________
"You seem preoccupied." Rishika's voice all but purred in Nikolai's ear as she settled herself beside him, tucking her feathers in as she did so. The sunlight filtering between the tree leaves and into the courtyard caused Nikolai to squint a bit as he turned his head to address her. She was looking rather smug this morning. 
"What did you do now?" Rishika, for all she was worth, was quite notorious for inciting a bit of trouble wherever she went. Nikolai had found this out himself when they met in high school, which he so fondly called the 'Incident'. She became a close friend of his after the 'Incident' occurred. She also became a fast enemy of the two students; they ended up getting expelled, although Nikolai was more responsible for that outcome. Not that anyone would say that, of course.
Rishika had the audacity to look offended at his question for just a moment, before a wide grin split across her face. "I got the dog girl—Aileen, I think her name was?—to loan me some of her assignments for cheap. At least now I'll finally get what McCal is talking about in their statistics classes." 
"Did you blackmail her or something?" Another more disapproving tone interjected before Nikolai could get a word in. A flash of raven-black feathers indicated the arrival of Faust, who promptly settled himself into his usual position on Nikolai's right. Rishika shook her head vigorously.
"Hardly! I just needed to ask, and she was more than obliging." She tutted a bit before closing her eyes. "Sometimes simply asking is the best way."
"She was probably terrified." Nikolai's own lips twitched into a grin as he surveyed the courtyard. "You're a rather intimidating person, even when you aren't trying to be." 
The courtyard was less busy than usual, which was odd. The last gasps of the summer months often drew everyone to the outdoors in a bid to bask in the warmth before the long winter set in. Nikolai knew for a fact that he wasn't too eager to have to bundle up again, hence why he was out here. His body was naturally warm and to be wrapped in scarves and blankets was near-torture for him. This didn't seem to be the same case for others. Besides the flock of Alkonosts, there was a wyvern, a fae, a faun, and a few groups of various other species dispersed among the trees. 
"Well, I'm rather flattered by that declaration, Nikolai." Rishika rested a talon on her chest as she sent him a rueful smirk. "It's the closest thing to a compliment you've ever given." 
Now it was Faust's turn to give a scoff as he leaned back on the picnic bench, focusing his attention skywards. Nikolai followed his gaze to the windows of the North Courtyard. The university itself was impressive, but the architecture was truly a marvel. Given that the university was an old castle generously loaned by a few nobles, the mixture of gothic arches with Edwardian flair was breathtaking when first seen. After several classes and near breakdowns, though, Nikolai deduced that it lost a bit of its charm. 
He was about to prod Faust to see what was on his mind—presumably, something to do with James—but a flash of colours in one of the windows caught his attention first. The figure that the colour belonged to seemed to pause and look towards them, as though they knew they were being observed. Nikolai's smile grew broader as he leaned forward, taking in their still form. Alkonosts had wonderful sight-another perk of their natural predation- and Nikolai could see every detail of their observer's face. He leaned to his right and jabbed his elbow sharply into Faust's side, gesturing to the observer. 
"It seems like we have an audience." Faust focused his attention to where Nikolai had indicated, and arched an eyebrow in response. 
Nikolai, in return, leaned forward further and shot a rather exaggerated wink and kiss to where the observer stood, prompting Faust to let out a chuckle. The observer seemed to bristle at the attention and hurry off, leaving Nikolai to watch their form disappear past the remaining few windows. 
"Was that necessary?" Faust asked, closing his eyes again. 
"Well, I strive to make our audiences feel welcomed. Besides," Nikolai paused and looked between his two friends. "Do any of you recognize what that was?"
Both Rishika and Faust shook their heads. None of the flock seemed able to assign what species their mysterious observer belonged to, leaving Nikolai feeling unsatisfied. Hopefully, he'd run into the observer at a closer proximity. 
They were interesting, and interesting things were something that Nikolai always strived to collect.
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