#i saw the titan badge thing on their jacket and then when i saw the same badge on eda's outfit i made the connection that it must be some
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Headcanon: Raine is a councelor at the university of wild magic!
#lizard-dumbass talks about stuff#toh spoilers#the owl house#raine whispers#raine whispers my beloved#i saw the titan badge thing on their jacket and then when i saw the same badge on eda's outfit i made the connection that it must be some#school logo or just something that the staff wear to show that they are staff members#so then i started wondering what raine's job at the school would be#'bard magic teacher' is the obvious answer but idk i feel like they'd want to take a break from bard magic after everything#and i think the role of a school counselor just fits them so if you disagree then idk fight me or something#watching and dreaming
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[Image Description: A woman with tanned skin, red hair in a ponytail, and blue eyes. She is wearing a blue beanie hat with a head-mounted light attached, a maroon turtleneck under a light blue hooded jacket, red overalls, elbow-pads and knee-pads, maroon gloves, a blue belt with a brown ground-type icon as the buckle, and brown work boots. She has one hand on her hip and the other holding a red and white Pokeball. To her right is a large brown mole and groundhog hybrid-looking creature, with a tan belly, dark beady eyes with green leaf eyebrows, long green leaf whiskers, and long pale shovel-like claws on its hands and feet. Long green leaves are growing from the top of its head, as well as two white flowers with yellow stamens. it has a grumpy expression. The background is the various stalactites and stalagmites of a cave. End ID.]
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"Nice to see you've braved the descent. People aren't really made for caves, y'know, but something about the darkness and silence in these depths just draws you in. Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Hellen, and ground-types are my specialty. They draw me in just like those caves. Let me show you how wonderful they are!"
Here's Pokemon Circuit's third Gym Leader! Did you know that Kentucky has one of the world's most extensive cave systems? Mammoth Cave, babey! That thing's enormous, man! I saw a bat in there once, not that surprising but I was the first of our tour group to notice it so that's special to me :3
In Circuit Version's Brownslade Gym, you'll face off against the ground-type specialist Hellen. She works alongside her cousin to keep amateur explorers safe, and while he keeps people safe on the trails, Hellen keeps people safe in the extensive Titanic Caves, one entrance is just beyond the outskirts of Brownslade. The importance of this local landmark makes its mark on her gym's interior as well, as it is basically a miniature recreation of the many tunnels within Titanic Caves that one must navigate to reach her.
Hellen's team won't be too much of a hassle if you've got Soystodon (I'm going to assume your starters have evolved by now) or have your team so far pretty well balanced, though Kinedle will be weak against all three and Heronek has a weakness to both her first Pokemon's rock-type attacks and her ace's grass-type. She has a Graveler at level 27, a Mudbray at level 28, and finally her Dugowt at level 29 who she'll join in with for Union Battle. After becoming Champion, you can rematch Hellen with a higher-leveled full team of six: Golem, Mudsdale, Terreon, Whiscash, Organdobb, and Dugowt. ...wait, was that an "-eon"?? Yes, another new Eeveelution tease! Still can't show them off for WAY longer than I'd like, but I hope you'll like them when I can :D
Now I will say this: all the Gym Leaders do show up in both versions regardless of whether you get your badges from them, and you may end up being able to fight the ones who aren't that versions Gym Leaders in just friendly battles or even team up with them and fight someone else under certain circumstances. But I can't help but get this feeling that in Plow version, Hellen...may be battled under less benign conditions. I wonder if that feeling is anything to worry about...
💖🐶 Check out my pinned post for ways to support my artwork, among other things! 🐶💖
~If you like, please reblog to show your friends! Likes are appreciated, but reblogs let more people see my content! If you have something to say, feel free to give feedback in tags/comments/replies as well!~
Pokemon and related concepts © Nintendo/GameFreak Hellen Lusk, Dugowt, the Cantessy region, and artwork © PuppyLuver Studios
#pokemon#pokemon trainer#fakemon#cantessy region#gym leader hellen#dugowt#jess drew the thing#sfw#image description#long post
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Wicked Game
Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 // Read on A03
Washington, D.C - 1948. Fox Mulder is a detective on the top vice unit; scandal, corruption, and lies come with the territory. He is forced to investigate a fellow officer and finds the lies go much deeper than the truth.
tagging @today-in-fic
CHAPTER 4
3rd District Precinct Washington, DC
The modest forensics lab was situated in the basement of the precinct building. A fitting location. It was always a strange trip downstairs, almost like walking into a spook house at an amusement park. You’d notice every creak from the antiquated filing cabinets, there were shelves of textbooks, yellowing medical journals, rows of glass jars containing shriveled specimens. The morgue was tucked away in a corner with a series of metal doors on the tiled wall and a surprisingly shiny slab resting comfortably over a drain in the floor. No more room at the inn by the look of it. Autopsy tools hung neatly on the wall like a butcher’s knife set; at least in this corner the boys kept things tidy. I walked a little deeper into the lab and saw Byers flipping through an issue of National Geographic. I cleared my throat as I approached.
“Mulder. What brings you to our neck of the woods?” Byers asked, dropping the magazine in his lap. The 3rd was fortunate enough to have three pillars of forensic science in Melvin Frohike, Richard Langley, and John Byers. They had their finger on the pulse of crime investigation techniques and were eager to share their findings with practically anyone who would listen. A good deal of the jargon went over my head but it enhanced my vocabulary to say the least.
“Frohike called me regarding Spender’s case,” I replied, “We might have a golden ticket on our hands.”
“He and Langley have been upstairs for a while but they should return soon. Have a seat.” He motioned to a wooden stool near a cluttered lab counter. I obliged. Byers was not much of a talker when he was by himself so his attention shifted back to busywork. I picked at the rough edge of my thumb watching Byers place a metal canister on the end of the counter. He opened it then took a sample of a dark substance, added it to the boiling water, and adjusted the flame on the Bunsen burner changing the intensity. He looked up at the wall clock and turned back to his experiment. The color change in the beaker shifted to a dark brown. Byers gave it a stir and covered the top. He sensed my curiosity.
“Coffee will be ready in a few minutes if you’d like some.”
I laughed and politely declined.
“Don’t you have a percolator?”
“Now where’s the fun in that?” Just then Frohike and Langley entered the lab.
“Oh good. You’re here,” said Frohike as he reached for a nearby lab coat, slipped into the sleeves and flipped it up onto his shoulders.
“We had a whale of a meeting upstairs,” Langley added, shoving a worn out briefcase across the counter making an open space, “Looks like Spender’s dirty little secret is out.”
“Krycek, my informant, pegged him as a hop head. I knew Spender could be a little on edge but I thought he was too straight-laced to use heroin.” I folded my arms. “What did Skinner have to say?”
“The boss was none too pleased to find out that one of their top boys was on the horse.” Langley stated.
“And a thoroughbred at that. He was probably dipping into Vincenti’s supply.” Frohike remarked as he adjusted his glasses.
I sighed and shook my head. Byers poured his scientific brew into a small mug for himself and took a sip before saying, “Well there’s your motive.”
His colleagues shrugged in agreement as they each grabbed a cup of coffee.
“Makes you wonder if he was just starting out and got careless,” Langley said.
“Or he had been knee deep in the shit since making a deal, overconfidence took over, he couldn’t pay up and then blammo,” I said as I stood and leaned against the lab counter. Something about this seemed too easy. We had the gunman, we had a relatively clear motive, and we had the Captain scrambling to stuff this whole matter back under the rug. I needed to track down The Titan and put the squeeze on him for some information. Though with a newly buried partner I would need a second set of eyes on my surveillance job.
“Well boys, it’s been a treat but I have to make some telephone calls.”
“Hey Mulder,” Frohike called, “you should take some time for yourself; slow down for a day maybe.”
“That’s what whiskey is for.” I replied as I left the lab and took the stairs, not knowing what I’d walk into when I hit the bullpen.
Several officers didn’t bat an eye as I passed by their desks and I continued to avoid any eye contact as I glanced at my wristwatch. I reached my desk and pulled the phone closer as I took a seat, picking up the receiver. My index finger hovered over the rotary and just as I started to pull the number I heard the distinct baritone of Captain Skinner calling my name. It wasn’t bellowed so I knew I wasn’t being called in to serve detention for misconduct. I placed both hands on my desk and stood then met him at his office door. He blocked the threshold.
“Have you heard?” he asked.
“Yes. I was just down in forensics. I came up here to get started on what I presume is a surveillance assignment.”
Skinner thought for a moment.
“I want you to get a hold of Krycek. He’s going to accompany you on this detail.”
“Oh he’ll be thrilled.”
“Go on then,” Skinner said as he tensed his jaw, “And get me some goddamn answers.”
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Georgetown Waterfront 1:05 p.m.
Rain tapped angrily against the roof of the unmarked cruiser as I sat parked down the block from the Piccola Italia restaurant. It was a hole in the wall but a well known haunt for some of Vincenti’s crew. I hoped Carlo Lodi would be tempted by a lunch special of pasta arrabiata and cheap wine. My deli sandwich and soda I grabbed before the cloudburst paled in comparison, but I needed something in my stomach. I took another bite and watched a series of passersby through the streaks of rain on the window. I was early. I adjusted the radio dial and finished my lunch. With a swipe of the wiper blade I noticed a black coupe pull up in front of the restaurant. The door popped open and a hulking figure exited the passenger side, adjusted his jacket, and stepped under the awning out of the rain. He waited for his driver to join him before opening the front door. Just then there was a knock on my window. Krycek had his collar pulled up and drips of water cascaded off the brim of his hat. I rolled the window down to get a better look.
“You gonna let me in?”
“I don’t know if I can afford it.”
“Damnit Mulder...”
“It’s unlocked, Krycek.” I said as I looked at the empty passenger seat then rolled up the window, catching a splash of rain. He crossed in front of the car and waited for traffic to clear before opening the door. He sighed as he removed his hat and brushed off the rainwater.
“Alright fill me in,” Krycek said. I turned down the radio and had the last swig of soda.
“Recognize the car down there?” I began. He leaned forward and caught a glimpse as the wiper blade swiped the windshield.
“That looks like Carlo Lodi’s coupe.”
“He’s not alone. His lunch date is a suit that’s either a driver or a business partner, if you get my meaning. They’ve been in there for maybe ten minutes so if I move I can get what I need before his main course arrives.”
“Okay then,” Krycek said as he put his hat back on.
“I’m just going to have a nice conversation. I need to get him talking. If I get him back to the precinct I can be more heavy-handed.” I adjusted my fedora and touched my weapon for reassurance.
“You’re not saying “we” a whole lot. What the hell did you need me for?”
“At first I had you joining me on spoiling Lodi’s lunch but then I thought he might recognize you as a mole so you get to stay put. Keep the car running. If things take a turn I want you to head to the 3rd; with or without me. Ask for Captain Skinner.”
“Aw shucks this feels just like old times,” Krycek replied as he fished out a beat-up pack of Morleys shaking a stick loose. He pulled it out with his teeth then tipped his head down as he flipped his lighter, marrying flame to paper, blessing the squad car with a halo of smoke. Car tires splashed through wet pavement and I took that as my cue to get this show on the road. I opened the door and stepped onto the curb. The rain had slacked up as I walked. I narrowly avoided an umbrella being opened by an old man exiting a taxi. He continued on like I wasn’t even there.
Piccola Italia’s brick facade with its windows dressed in red and white gingham curtains fit the stereotype, as much as I hate to admit. But none of that mattered when I stepped inside and was hit with the aroma of bread, oil, and garlic. If I didn’t have a more pressing obligation I would have claimed a table and ordered a plate. I flashed my badge to the young woman at the cashier’s counter and she quickly nodded then went back to straightening menus. I moved past dark wood tables with diners enjoying an array of pastas and soups. My instinct led me through the dining room and I happened upon a curved booth tucked in a back corner near the kitchen. Lodi was there with his driver, luckily still just the two of them. He was reading the sports page from the newspaper and folded it in half then tapped a finger against it.
“That fuckin’ horse is gonna make me a stack of green, I’m telling ya.” He boasted with a laugh.
“Excuse me, Mr. Lodi?” I asked as I approached his table. He put down the paper and took a sip from his glass of wine and gave me a quizzical look.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah I believe you can.” I carefully reached for my badge and flipped it open. “Detective Fox Mulder. I just want to chat.”
“And what makes you think I want to listen, detective?”
“I see you got the sports section there. What’s your game? Baseball, football?”
Lodi shot a look at his driver and gestured towards my direction.
“This guy...if you must know Mr Mulder, I like the races.”
I took a seat across from him and folded my arms. Then I truly realized how much of a mountain this man was. His square jawline met a thick neck that was being held together by a stiff shirt collar and silk tie. I was waiting for it to burst open with each swallow. Broad shoulders and a barrel chest led to limbs that were solid muscle. The ring on his left pinky finger was about the size of a doorknob and had an insignia in the center. His pin-striped suit looked custom given his proportions. I got a little too comfortable and leaned forward in my chair, threading my fingers together.
“About a week ago, did you talk to a Jeffrey Spender about a horse race. Maybe come to collect a bet?” The mention of the name caught Lodi’s attention and he picked up on my code. Before he could respond, a waiter saddled up to the table and delivered a plate of pasta with a fiery red sauce. Lodi took another sip of wine.
“If I had to come collect you know there was a good reason for it,” he said as he twisted pasta on his fork then took a bite. The other man at the table started to undo his cuffs and slowly roll up his shirt sleeves.
“Well on behalf of the 3rd District precinct, I’d like to invite you over for a little heart to heart.,” I maintained a relaxed facade even though I knew what was coming, “We’ve got evidence placing you at a bar in Adams Morgan the same night as Spender.” Lodi ate another bite and closed his eyes savoring the spice. As he took his wine glass he raised his pinky finger which was the signal. I blinked and then I swear to God I saw enough stars to grace the American flag. A meaty Italian right hook slammed into my cheek like a sledgehammer. Glad he wasn’t wearing a ring. I was knocked sideways to the floor and I tried to catch the nearby table but instead let a dining chair unceremoniously break my fall. I never could take a hit. The few patrons in the restaurant barely took notice at the commotion. Carlo dabbed at the corner of his mouth and rose from his seat.
“Thank you, Theo,” he said as he moved over to pat my assailant’s shoulder. The enforcer’s goon cracked his knuckles and stood looking very pleased with himself. I moved my tongue to the inside of my cheek tasting fresh blood. I adjusted myself to sit upright, though not ready to stand just yet. I snatched a neatly folded napkin from one of the empty place settings and tried to dam the small crimson river from my mouth. Carlo crouched down next to me.
“So, you thought you could just walk into this fine establishment, disrupt my meal, and arrest me?”
“Until now it hasn’t stopped me,” I mumbled against the napkin.
“Unless you got a warrant in hand, I’m not going anywhere. And this business with who was it...Spender? That’s done and so are you.”
“Why don’t you just bump me off like you did him?” I asked as I tossed the bloody napkin aside. Carlo thought for a moment and leaned in closer.
“I like seeing you get knocked around every once in a while, Detective Mulder. Puts a smile on my face.” He blessed me with two exaggerated slaps on the cheek then got to his feet. “I think we’re finished here. Theo, show this son of a bitch the way out.” Carlo returned to his meal and raised a glass in my direction. I was still on my ass. I reached for my fedora and Theo took the liberty of hoisting me to my feet. The gorilla hands that left a new beauty mark gripped my upper arms and shoved me towards the kitchen.
“Easy there junior, my dance card is full.” I said as we moved through a swinging door. I was briefly distracted by the aroma of simmering marinara, stewing beef, and an array of spices. The sous chef and line cooks unphased by the disturbance continued prepping as I was hustled towards the back door and pushed out into the alley. I stumbled into the brick wall across the way and before I could turn around to get the final say, the goon slammed the metal door shut. My head tilted back and I gingerly rolled it from side to side. I adjusted the brim on my hat and shuffled down the alley towards the street.
The rain had passed and I found Krycek parked where I left him. He had a fresh cigarette in his lips and was reclined against the car seat. I tapped on the window and he unrolled it letting the rhythm of Count Bassie and his orchestra glide onto the sidewalk.
“Looks like negotiations went well,” he said with a chuckle.
“Yeah you could say that,” I replied. My cheek felt like someone was inflating a balloon under the surface. I needed a drink. A wisp of smoke swirled out of the window and Krycek flicked the butt into a puddle.
“Take the car back to the precinct.”
“What?”
“You can leave it running with the doors open if you want.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Take some advice I was given earlier today and get some rest. This case isn’t going cold anytime soon.” I watched as Krycek shifted gears and pulled away from the curb. There was a pang of mistrust thinking that the unmarked squad car would end up somewhere along the Potomac; but I also got the suspicion that Alex liked playing detective. Also long as I kept him on a short leash I could use him to my advantage. I crossed the street and walked the block until I found a phone booth. Before I slid open the door I had to spit out the stale blood that was collecting in my mouth. My cheek burned like fire. I picked up the receiver and dialed the operator.
“Yes I’m looking for a Dana Scully. Georgetown address.”
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Could you do prompt 17 where Speedy and Raven get into a fight and like you can continue from there, I’m a big Raven fan too
Assume Standard Disclaimer Tumblr Prompt #17. “Just leave me alone."
Thank you for requesting. I hope you enjoy reading this. Please read and review.
You can request from my PROMPT LIST.
Warning - Hurt/Comfort, teeny-tiny fluff.
Speedy + Raven Pairing
“I said get out.”
A certain violet haired empath yelled; anger in her voice but hurt and pain coursing through every cell of her body.
“No, Raven…just hear me out, please.” The red headed man, the cause of her pain and anger pleaded with the said woman.
He expected anger aimed towards him, he was waiting for it, he knew he deserved it but he didn’t expect a humorless laugh to be aimed towards him. His head snapped towards her direction and what he saw broke his heart.
The girl he loved more than anything, the one who made his life worth living was standing there, tears flowing down her beautiful amethyst eyes expressing all their pain and heartbreak while she chuckled humorlessly.
“It’s funny isn’t it, n-not fourteen hours ago I-I was asking for you to do the same thing.”
He pinched his eyes shut in regret, mentally cursing himself for his own stupidity which might just cost himself the best thing that ever happened in his life.
“But you didn’t…you d-didn’t even g-give me a chance to e-explain myself.”
His eyes, if possible, shut even tighter as he recalled the worst mistake of his life and the events that led up to it.
The wind blew with powerful passion outside, almost mirroring the one he felt for a certain enchantress who was laying next to him, he looked at the windy day outside and sighed wanting nothing more than to spend the day in bed with the woman he hoped that he would one day call wife.
He smiled remembering how unexpectedly he had met her, almost three years since the titans disbanded.
They had met unexpectedly one day in Star city where he had left his superhero identity behind and was working as a business man and learning the ropes from his mentor, Oliver Queen or Green Arrow to one day handle the Queen Enterprises.
He was sitting in a restaurant he frequented waiting for the cheque to arrive when he saw someone similar, someone who had just met in passing, someone who had always intrigued him but he never pursued that interest. He saw her.
She looked absolutely stunning, her dark hair cascading down her bare shoulders in waves, looking so smooth that his hands were itching to run through them; while her figure accentuated by the enticing black dress she was wearing, but what drew his most was her face, her amethyst gems glistening with the emotion he remembers always seeing in her eyes while her face remained stoic, her light pink blush and her red pouty lips which could make any man lose control.
She was sitting there, on one of the bar stools talking to a tall red head who he realized was another fellow titan, Starfire. He saw them both engaging in a conversation, or more like Kori, or Starfire as he had known her was talking while a dark haired woman was listening attentively when suddenly Kori’s phone rang and Kori excused herself saying that it was Richard and she will be back in a moment.
The tempting woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath to sooth her mind and slowly opened her eyes and started looking for the maître-d’ when she suddenly saw a man dressed impeccably in a tailcoat black tuxedo with a blank but a little stern expression on his face, his hands were behind him as he made his rounds around the restaurant; when Raven stopped him.
“Hi..uh, I’m on the list.” Raven said looking at his impassive face with one of her one as well, she shifted her eyes to his badge and got to know that his name was ‘Arthur’.
“Name?” he asked with a slight tinge of British accent. “Raven Roth.” The brunette answered. He looked at the list he was apparently holding behind him in his hands, no expression displayed on his face when he turned back to her and said “You are not on the list.”
“Uh what? It should be there…check again please.” Raven asked in surprise, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as her brows furrowed and the dark haired beauty got up from the bar stool to look for her name in the last.
“Oh here it is.” Raven said pointing towards a name in the list. The butler just raised an eyebrow, face still blank and said “That name, Kori Anders.”
“Yeah, I am with her…Raven Roth and Kori Anders.” Raven tried to explain but he was having none of this as he said in a tight voice “Your name needs to be on the list or have to accompany the person whose name is on the list.”
Raven sighed and rubbed her brow in irritation, she wondered how long it would take for Kori to come back, but before her irritation could grow a smooth masculine voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Raven.”
Raven turned and saw a handsome, red headed man sitting in his chair, he had the perfect olive skin and was very well built, she observed as she saw him raise his hand, (his biceps were bulging because of the movement, she noted) getting both hers and Arthur’s attention as he continued “Raven Roth.” He got up from his seat and she observed that he was tall also as he gestured to the seat in front of him saying “Raven, over here….Arthur she is with me.”
He saw a chance and took it, but he was surprised to see that she couldn’t recognize him. But he couldn’t blame her; if it wasn’t for her distinctive amethyst eyes he also might not have recognized her.
“Very well then.” Arthur remarked his face still void of any emotion as he looked at both of them again with almost knowing eyes and walked away. She started walking towards the man.
Raven, confused from the man’s behavior, she let her empathy flow and felt a familiar aura but she just couldn’t place her finger on it so she asked “Uh, do I know you?”
The supposed stranger’s face contorted into fake pain as he clutched his heart dramatically “Oh, how you wound me Rae, I thought that you would recognize this handsome face but oh well, you have always been immune to my insanely good looks and hair.”
With that remark, things started to add up. Someone who called her ‘Rae’ has to be someone from her titan days and with that narcissistic personality it could be only one. Oh how did she not recognize him?
“Roy?” she asked. And he grinned that wolfish smile of his at her reply and said “The one and only.”
He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt her snuggling closer to his warmth and grinned, thanking his stars every day for making them meet again.
Destiny drew her to him and he was never going to let go.
He turned on his side, wrapping his other arm around her and drawing her impossibly closer to his body and started peppering her cheeks with kisses. His body radiating love which made the empath smile in her sleep as she lost herself in his affections.
Their love had blossomed slowly, with both of them making effort to nurture it, helping it grow with time and patience. And now almost a year later since that fateful reunion, she was here in his bed, in his arms and in his life.
He slowly free himself from her grasp before hovering over her and waking her up with his loving kisses on her neck and face. He grinned when he saw her eyes open and her amethyst pools shining with desire.
He grabbed the comforter and pulled it over their heads and captured her mouth with his, enveloping both with passion and desire which they felt for each other.
Making this morning a good one.
After a couple of hours, the handsome red headed man was adjusting his tie as he looked at the still sleeping empath, grinning at his thoughts of wearing her out. He slowly approached her and sat on the bed, adjusting his suit jacket before gently running his hands through her soft hair.
The empath was sleeping on her side, hugging his pillow to her bare form; he mentally groaned at how tantalizing she looked and how he wished he could have stayed with her but unfortunately today he had a very important meeting, for which he also had to check on the details once again.
He leaned down and softly pecked her lips and then her forehead, softly muttering “I’ll see you soon, love.” He got up from the bed, giving another glance to her sleeping form before he picked up the comforter and covered his girlfriend’s form with it.
He couldn’t chance anyone else seeing her like this, he was a very possessive man when it came to her and it appeased him to know that he was the only one who she has been with and he would make sure that he would remain the only one.
He made his way out of the room, walking towards the other female who owned his heart, he entered her room, knowing that should be sleeping in as she always does until someone comes and wakes her up.
Silently he made his way towards his daughter, the symbol of his whirlwind romance with a villain, Lian. Her name and her eyes hinting towards her birth mother, Jade or better known as Cheshire’s origins and roots. Other than that she was a mini Roy, with that fiery hair and charming smile.
Jade had given up her rights on their daughter as soon as she was born, with Roy raising her on his own with help and guidance from his friends and his adoptive family.
She was the most important part of his life, his first priority so that’s why he held his breathe when he introduced Raven to her; knowing that if they didn’t get along then he won’t pursue his interest in the dark beauty.
But he was pleasantly surprised when Raven, who was not known for being soft had Lian enamoured with her after one meeting and slowly they both developed a mother- daughter bond. He still remembered how his usually stoic girlfriend cried on his chest when Lian first called her mom, on her second birthday.
He approached his daughter and kissed her forehead softly and tucked her in her comforter again before walking towards the exit with light footsteps, turning once again to look at his daughter making sure that she was sleeping comfortably
The day seemed to pass slowly, work was taking more time than he anticipated and he was dead tired by the time he reached home. He stretched his shoulders slightly while walking inside his mansion, wanting nothing more than to sleep.
He was greeted with unusual silence and he furrowed his eyebrows as he decided to investigate the cause of it. He approached his daughter’s room only to find it empty, the crease on his forehead deepening.
He quickly reached his room and found them there. Lian was laying on the bed sleeping while Raven tended to her. He rushed to his daughter and sat beside her bed, placing a hand on her forehead, checking for temperature only to find it normal.
Anything could have happened to her, he thought as worry for his daughter enveloped his entire being. He turned to Raven and asked in concern “What happened to her? Is she okay?”
The empath bit her lip nervously, an ominous feeling coming over her but she steeled herself and told him “She accidentally slipped in the garden and hit her head.”
“What! How did that happen? Was nobody watching her?” he said in anger.
She nervously, feeling his anger narrated the events which took place in the afternoon, how she and Lian were playing in the garden, how she got a call from her assistant and how while her attention was diverted the mini Roy was running and how she slipped and she was late to catch her. She added softly that she had healed her and was now sleeping.
She admitted ashamed, feeling like a sorry excuse of a mother to the little sleeping girl; she cursed herself for not paying more attention or for attending that call and these feelings only deepened when she saw Roy’s jaw ticked in anger.
Before she could say anything she saw him get up and walk towards her and roughly pull her up to a standing position with her arm in his tight grip as he led her out of the room with a roughness she had never seen or experienced.
Roy’s mind was clouded the stress of the day and his worry for his daughter clouding his judgement and putting rest to any rational thought his mind could form. He led her away from his sleeping daughter and roughly pulled his hand away from her.
“How could you?” He said his voice full of anger.
Before she could say anything he added, his usual loving eyes glaring at her “You were supposed to be watching her.”
“I-I was-s.” She muttered but that only added fuel to anger burning inside him. He could feel his heart explode as his feelings seeped through every pour on his body.
“If you were then how did she get hurt!” he yelled at her and she flinched, a part of him regretting everything he was saying but he was unable to stop. His frustration bubbling up to surface and now finally exploding.
At her.
But before she could defend herself he yelled in anger “I knew it…I just knew it. You weren’t fit to be a mother.” She stared at him like she had been slapped and his heart begged him to stop saying something he would definitely regret later but his mind was too far lost in anger to stop. Her eyes dilated at his anger and he could tell she was just along her breaking point. He was dancing with the line once again only this time he couldn't find the strength to stop. He soothing voice called out to him one last time, begging him to come back to her.
“It was my fault for trusting a demon with my daughter, I was a fool to think that could be maternal or even care about somebody…” she winced at his words but it was his next line which broke her “…I forgot how heartless you can be.” A tear slipped down her cheek shaking Roy back to reality. The weight of her emotions pressed on him so hard that he found it hard to breath. His harsh words hung in the air like venom eating away everything he had built with her.
Her gaze bore into his soul burning him with every passing second. Finally his mind caught up to his mouth and he couldn't help but gasp, "Rae, I didn't mean-that wasn't-I-" His words jumbled on his tongue forcing him to sound as stupid as he felt.
He watched helplessly as she summoned her powers and teleported away from him. He was forced to watch her body slide down into her portal, taking her away from the situation he had created. It was as if in slow motion, her gaze never left his, even with tears running down her face her eyes burned into his taking whatever sanity he had left. Just like that she was gone.
“Just leave me alone.” She said in a low voice but still effectively snapping him out of his thoughts, his words had hurt more than any wound she had sustained in any fight. She had trusted him with her insecurities and he had broken that trust by throwing all of that in her face in a fit of rage.
His eyes widened, guilt and regret in every pour of his body; no, he couldn’t let her go, not because of his stupidity, because of his misplaced anger.
“Raven, please anything but that. I am so sorry I said all that to you and I have no excuse for that but please forgive me.” He pleaded but her resolve was unrelenting.
“You really hurt m-me Roy.” She said softly and he hung his head in shame muttering a small ‘I know’.
He walked towards her and gently turned her around and his heart broke when he looked at her, tears stained her delicate face while her eyes held hurt. He gently wiped her tears away and said with determination “I will do anything to make you forgive me and I promise that this is the last time you will cry because of me.”
She sniffled but didn’t say anything to which he gently cupped her face, making her look in his baby blue eyes as he confessed “I love you Raven, and I’m sorry.” More tears came in her eyes as she hugged him, wetting his shirt while he soothingly ran his hands through her soft hair, determined to make good on his promise.
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Viral Wisdom
Summary: When Peter’s dentist decides the kid’s impacted wisdom teeth need to go, Tony offers to have the surgery done at the compound. Honestly, Peter is looking forward to it. After all, he’s seen the viral videos—he’s pretty sure he knows what to expect.
What could possibly go wrong?
Word count: 2700
Genre: Hurt/comfort, whump, minor surgery, fluff
A/N: Thanks to @sallyidss and @xxx-cat-xxx for beta reading!
Link to read on Ao3
“You’ve gotta video it, Mr. Stark,” Peter says between bites of the pizza he’s currently wolfing down as part of what he and Tony have jokingly dubbed ‘The Last Supper’. The kid will be getting all four of his wisdom teeth removed at eight o’clock sharp the next morning, and being a teenage boy with an absurdly fast enhanced metabolism means Peter has decided the twelve-hour mandatory fasting period before surgery will be the worst part of the whole procedure.
Tony raises his eyebrows in mock offense. “Oh I’ve gotta, do I?”
Peter grins. “Yup,” he says, popping the ‘p’. “It’s gonna be awesome. Ned’s cousin got hers out last December, and when she woke up she was so high from the anesthesia that she started accusing the dentist of stealing her teeth and selling them to the tooth fairy on the black market.” He sticks the last bite of his pizza slice in his mouth. “Her mom filmed it and the video went like, viral.”
“You know,” Tony remarks. “Hate to burst your bubble, kid, but I got my wisdom teeth out during my senior year at MIT and I don’t remember anything like this happening. Just a lot of eating applesauce and mashed potatoes while resembling Alvin the Chipmunk.”
“No, no it’s a thing,” Peter insists. “These videos are like, everywhere. I saw this one where this lady woke up and forgot she was married but suddenly noticed her wedding ring and started freaking out, thinking her husband had just proposed. But they had been married already for like, three years.”
Shaking his head, Tony huffs. “You are literally a superhero with a secret identity and you think it’s a good idea to get wildly high on medication and then have me film whatever crap comes out of your mouth so you can post it on, what, Facebook?”
“Ha, Facebook,” Peter snorts as he reaches for another slice. “Good one, Mr. Stark. No one uses Facebook anymore.”
X
The next morning, Peter’s not looking quite as excited as he was the previous night. He sits beside Tony in a plastic chair just inside the compound’s Medbay, anxiously texting back and forth with Ned as they wait for the SHIELD appointed oral surgeon and his assistant to finish prepping the procedure room.
When Peter’s dentist decided several weeks back that the impacted teeth had to go, Tony and May agreed it would have to be done at the compound. Peter’s enhanced physiology means that the dosage of anesthesia required to put him out could also take down a moderately-sized elephant. HIPAA protection or not, Tony would rather not have any raised eyebrows from standard medical professionals.
“You hanging in there?” Tony asks casually. The kid’s foot hasn’t stopped tapping once since they sat down and he’s wondering if Peter’s beginning to regret telling May he’d be fine doing this solo while she’s at work. “Ready to make, what is it then, Vine history?”
That remark elicits a short laugh from Peter. “Vine’s dead, Mr. Stark,” he informs. “It was the true tragedy of this generation.”
Tony sighs, exasperated. “Is it YouTube then? Reddit?”
Peter just shrugs. “Something like that.” His gaze lowers back to his lap and he fires off another text to Ned.
FRIDAY’s voice comes over the speakers, so sudden that it startles the kid and nearly causes him to drop the phone: “Dr. Jacobson is ready for you now, Peter.”
“Oh. Already? Wow, okay,” Peter babbles. “Not even 8:00 yet, no need to rush...” he complains as he pockets the phone.
Tony checks his watch. “It’s 7:58, kid,” he scoffs, getting to his feet. “Perks of being the only patient in the building.”
After a second’s hesitation, Peter stands as well and Tony frowns at the shakiness he observes. “You good?” he checks, lightly gripping the kid’s elbow just in case he decides to channel his inner Victorian lady. “I know your blood sugar’s gotta be low, but I promise, as soon as this is over, it’s all the ice cream and pudding you want.”
“Oh, yeah, that’ll be good,” Peter says half-heartedly.
Tony gives his back a little prod to encourage him toward the door. “C’mon kid. Let’s get a move on. Upward and onward and all that jazz...”
Swallowing hard, Peter begins shuffling forward with Tony guiding him along. “So, I’ve never, um, actually had anesthesia before,” he admits. “And, like, what if something… goes wrong?"
Tony softens, for the first time seeing the actual fear lurking beneath Peter’s façade. “Don’t worry—these guys know what they’re doing,” he assures, giving the kid’s shoulder a squeeze. “You’re gonna be fine.”
Lips pursed, Peter nods a few times. “Yeah. Yeah of course. Okay. I guess I’ll just, go on back there and, uh...“
“Do you want me to stay until they put you under?” Tony offers.
A look of relief instantly washes over Peter and he nods vigorously before stopping to quickly add in a tone of forced nonchalance, “But like, only if you don’t mind.”
Tony chuckles. “I think I can swing it.”
X
The IV placement is a little rough. Peter’s never been a fan of needles, but Tony distracts him by telling him to close his eyes and recite the second row of the periodic table. Once the saline is flowing, the assistant places an oxygen cannula under his nose.
Peter glances up at the dentist. “So, have you ever had someone say something, like, really inappropriate when they wake up?” he asks.
Jacobson chuckles drily. “Oh yes. I actually have a very amusing anecdote about that.”
Both Tony and Peter look at him expectantly, but the doctor just continues preparing his instruments.
“So, uh, what happened?” Peter asks finally.
Jacobson’s eyes narrow. “That is confidential information.”
Peter blinks at him. “Oh. Uh, of course.”
While the surgeon moves over to grab something from the counter, the assistant—a woman probably in her early thirties whose name badge reads ‘Megan’—gives a small laugh. “Don’t worry,” she says. “It can’t make you say anything you weren’t already thinking on some level.”
Peter gulps. “Great.” Turning to Tony, he says, “Uh, you know, on second thought, maybe we don’t need this on video…”
Tony huffs out a laugh. “Oh no, no take backs. In about an hour, you’ll be trending on Twitter. Or wherever the hell this is going.”
Before Peter can say anything, Megan gives a warning of, “Alright, here we go.” Then she injects the anesthesia into the IV port.
The effect is nearly instantaneous. “Whoa…” Peter mutters, shooting his mentor a nervous look. “Feels… weird.”
“You’re fine, Pete,” Tony promises. “I’ll be waiting right outside until you wake up.”
“Yeah…” he breathes out, eyelids drooping. “And ’s’goin’ on Instagram, Mr. Stark…”
A few moments later, the kid is out.
X
“Boss, the surgery is complete,” FRIDAY’s voice comes over the speakers in the waiting area. “The extractions went well. Peter has just regained consciousness and has been transferred to the recovery area.”
“Thanks, FRI.” Getting to his feet from the plastic chair, Tony closes out of the Minesweeper app on his phone and opens the camera one instead. “Guess it’s showtime…”
Already filming, Tony pushes open the door and makes his way back to the small room off to the side of the procedure area. Peter is sitting propped up on a cot as Megan drapes a blanket over him. Tightly rolled wads of cotton are sticking out of his mouth and his eyes are droopy and unfocused.
The assistant gives Tony a small smile. “He did great,” she assures in a quiet voice. “We’ll be right in the other room cleaning up if you need anything.”
“Thanks,” Tony tells her before turning his attention back to Peter and pulling up one of the stools to sit on. “Hey kid,” he greets. “How’s life with four gaping holes in your face?”
“Uhhh… M’s’r St’rk?” Peter manages to mumble, blinking a few times.
“The one and only,” Tony replies, his camera still trained on the kid. “Any dental conspiracy theories you wanna share with the audience? Declarations of affection you care to make?”
Peter’s face screws up into a weak sort of frown. “Wha…?”
Tony shakes his head slowly, chuckling to himself. “See, what’d I tell you, kid? Anesthesia just isn’t that exciting.”
“Uhhgg…” Peter groans, blinking again. The kid’s expression of utter confusion coupled with his already swelling cheeks is honestly adorable. “I-I don’t… I feel weird, I…”
Smirking, Tony focuses the camera a little closer on Peter’s face, ready to film whatever drug-induced ramblings pour forth from the kid’s lips.
But then all of a sudden, he’s watching tears well up in Peter’s eyes.
Tony’s grin falters. “Pete?”
“Oh god…” Peter draws in a shuddering breath, which comes back out in a choked sob. “I-I didn’... I can’t… I don’ like this...”
All traces of humor immediately dissolve from Tony. “Whoa, hey, you’re alright,” he says. As Peter continues to cry, Tony turns off the camera and shoves the phone back into his jacket pocket. Scooting closer to the bed, he takes the kid’s hand. “You’re fine, you’re okay.”
“I-I don’ feel... I, uh...” Peter chokes out between sobs. A bloody wad of cotton falls out of his mouth, which only causes him to cry harder. “Wh-Why ’m I bleedin’?” he cries.
“You just had a few teeth out, no biggie,” Tony assures. He grabs a fresh cotton roll from the table and sticks it in the kid’s mouth. “You’re fine, bud, I promise.”
Still crying, Peter manages to spit out, “Am I... is this… real?”
Tony’s heart clenches, going back to Titan, back to Peter being trapped for five years in some kind of altered state of consciousness. He’s kicking himself for not having realized sooner that something like this might freak him out.
“Ah, kid…” Tony sighs. “Yes, this is real. You’re real. You’re right here with me,” he promises, rubbing his hand up and down over the kid’s arm.
Suddenly Peter’s breath hitches in his throat. “‘m gonna throw up,” he chokes out.
The warning is immediately followed by an unproductive gag. Tony mutters a curse, jumping up and grabbing a plastic emesis basin from the counter. He barely manages to get it under Peter’s chin before the kid makes good on his threat.
“Hey, hey, easy, easy...” Tony says, switching to hold the bin with one hand and place the other on Peter’s back. He winces in sympathy at the bloody cotton and red-tinged strings of bile Peter is spitting out between sobs; he can only imagine how much that has to hurt. “FRIDAY, can you get the doc back in here?” he asks in a low voice.
Pulling in a shuddering breath, Peter glances up from the basin, eyes wide and fearful. “I th-threw up b-blood,” he whimpers, horrified. “...’m I dyin’?”
Aw fuck. “No, no of course not. It’s just from your mouth,” Tony explains, much more calmly than he feels.
The door reopens and Megan is the first to enter. She gives Peter a sympathetic smile as she steps into the room. The surgeon appears a few steps behind, looking totally unfazed by the teary, vomiting teen in the chair before him.
“Ah,” he says with a nod. His tone is factual, though not unkind. “We have a crier.”
“This just happens sometimes, nothing to worry about,” Megan quickly assures. She takes the bin from Tony and hands him an empty one before carefully wiping the tears and vomit off Peter’s face with a paper towel. “Anesthesia can have all kinds of different effects on people.”
Jacobson hums in agreement as he checks Peter’s mouth to ensure his stitches are still holding before giving him fresh gauze to stem the bleeding. The tears have stopped now and embarrassment seems to be rapidly replacing fear as the kid’s primary emotion. Unsure of what else to do, Tony just continues rubbing Peter’s back.
“Everything looks fine,” Jacobson concludes after a moment of looking him over. “You can take him back upstairs now. He’ll probably feel calmer once he’s in a familiar setting.”
Tony doesn’t need to be told twice. “Sounds good,” he says, grabbing the paper Megan hands him with the discharge instructions as he helps Peter to his feet. “Alright bud,” he says quietly. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
X
After getting Peter situated on the couch in the common area, Tony heads to the kitchen and returns with a tray of soft food selections to offer the kid.
“What are you feeling?” he asks, pointing to each food in turn. “Yogurt? Ice cream? Applesauce? Pudding?”
Peter blinks twice at him. “...Butterscotch puddin’?” he asks hopefully.
Tony scoffs. “No, because I’m not eighty. I’ve got chocolate or vanilla.”
“Oh.” Peter’s face falls. “Don’ want anythin’ then…”
“Nope, not an option,” Tony declares. “You have to take your super spidey-kid painkillers soon and I don’t want them to make you sick.”
“But I ‘ready got sick…” Peter moans.
“And it wasn’t fun, was it?” Tony reasons. “Which is why we’re trying to avoid that.”
“But ‘m not hungry…” Peter whines, turning his head away from his mentor to face the cushion, causing the ice pack to side down from his cheek. “Jus’ wanna sleep…”
Tony peels the lid off one of the vanilla pudding cups and scoops up a spoonful. “C’mon, Pete.” He says, holding it in front of the kid’s closed mouth. “You’re not gonna make me do the airplane thing, are you? Because I will definitely be filming that.”
“Uhhh… no...” Peter groans, finally taking the spoon from him. “No more internet…”
X
It’s been several hours now since Tony managed to bully the kid into choking down enough pudding to take his meds before letting him fall asleep. Aside from the obvious swelling, Peter’s looking far better for having had the nap.
“How are you feeling now?” Tony asks, handing Peter a fresh ice pack.
Peter accepts it from him and presses it to his comically large cheek. “Mortified,” he mumbles. “This is so not going on Instagram…”
Tony huffs out a laugh. “I don’t know, maybe it should. Like a PSA of sorts for all the kids out there looking to be the next viral sensation.”
“Wonderful,” Peter mutters, rolling his eyes.
Tony pats him on the shoulder. “You know, while you were out, I was looking up some of those videos you mentioned. I see the attraction. Did you watch the one where the black med student called pickled eggs a ‘hood snack’?”
Peter nods.
“Or the red-haired teenager who woke up thinking he was a gangster in Dubai?” Tony goes on.
“Classic,” Peter mutters.
“Or the girl who wanted to go swimming in the painting on the office wall so she could see the fishes?”
Peter waves a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah…”
“I’m telling you kid, I think there’s a market here…”
X
It’s two days later that Tony finally breaks down and shows the kid the video Rhodey took of him back in ‘87, burned directly off the VHS into FRIDAY’s archives:
A teenage Tony Stark sits on the floor of his dorm room, slumped against a twin-sized mattress. His cheeks are swollen to twice their usual size and drool is running down his chin onto the graph paper notebook he’s scribbling feverishly into.
“Tony, you gotta eat something so you can take your meds, dude,” Rhodey’s voice comes over the recording from off-screen.
“Go ‘way…” Tony groans, waving him off irritably. “‘m busy solvin’ th’… prob’em…”
Rhodey breathes out a heavy sigh. “Okay, for the last time, you can’t ‘solve’ the second law of thermodynamics.” He pauses for a beat. “Especially with a purple crayon.”
Tony looks up at him, eyes unfocused, and gives an almost evil grin. “Maybe you can’t but… I’m… ‘m’ really smart…” He blinks twice, then giggles. “m’ Tony Fuckin’ Stark…”
“Yeah, yeah, and Tony Fucking Stark needs to take his meds...” Rhodey mutters. “So what’s it gonna be, dude? Yogurt or applesauce?”
Tony’s face screws up in apparent thought before he mumbles, “A cheese’urger,” he decides. “Then I solve… gravity.”
Fic Masterlist
For more soft Irondad fics, try:
Dad Level: 3000
You Broke Tony
Sweet Potatoes & Stitches
#Irondad and Spiderson#spiderman fics#peter parker whump#sick peter parker#emotional hurt/comfort#wisdom teeth#minor surgery#irondad fic#my fic
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chapter five : emergency call
chapter five of cosmo hunters!
word count : 6.8k words
synopsis : hope is still recovering from the bomb incident. but her days of rest have been cut short by an announcement brought to her by voyage inc. an emergency meeting is being held and hope has been requested to attend. now, how she’ll go with pirates on her ship, she doesn’t know.
“ hope, wake up. ”
a vibration played at her wrist. how long she’s been passed out like that, she wasn’t too certain. because after absolutely exploding at the pirates, she found herself lost in her thoughts. what she could recall was heading down to the gym to blow off some steam, and returning to her room before absolutely collapsing.
in the midst of her sleep, she had a dream. it played off as a casual one, with her walking the streets of her home town, walking her pet dog down the sidewalk and waving at familiar neighbors sho seemed to be enjoying a day out in the sun. she recalled feeling safe in this dream, like things had fallen into place and that nothing could harm her.
but upon taking a corner to where she knew would lead to her house, she found herself feeling anxious. even in her dream, she could feel her heart sinking as her eyes traveled towards a figure standing not too far from her. it was a figure she couldn’t exactly recognize, but it was pale. pale and twitching and for some reason, hope felt the need to turn and run the other way.
even in her dream, she could tell this thing was going to spring up and start chasing her.
but before it got the chance, a.j’s voice saved her. hope gasped herself awake and immediately patted around, feeling soft bedsheets and her soft pillow and the view from the window still being the docks of the j-colony.
gulping, hope rubbed her eyes and looked at her wrist. her stopwatch had gone off as she realized that hours ago, she had put on a timer for how long she was supposed to sleep. because her head was still aching from the toxicity in her body. but after sweating some tense feelings in the gym, she found herself feeling somewhat refreshed.
but also exhausted. and horrified.
whatever that dream was, she prayed to whatever potent deity out there that she never has to have it again. and she was too tired to think about talking to a freudian psychoanalyst. and besides, she couldn’t think about relaxing just yet because she had things to do.
except, for a second, hope forgot she had killed the man on top of her bounty list. she paused and shook her head. “ there’s something wrong with me ”, she muttered to herself, pressing her hands against her cheeks after slapping them lightly. “ a.j, why’d you wake me up? ”.
“ i sensed an increase in your heart-rate whilst you were entering rem sleep and became worried that with the toxicity in your blood, you might end up suffering a stroke or a heart attack ”, a.j described. hope couldn’t help but chortle, closing her eyes. a.j had the tendency to explain things with that same cerebral tone with no awareness of the weight his words carry.
“ you should’ve let me die, then. ”
“ hope. ”
realizing the unneeded self-deprecation, hope shook her head once more. “ sorry, a.j. that was unnecessary ”, she spoke and ultimately got up from her bed. she suddenly paused and looked around, feeling like she’d just heard a noise. “ hear that? ”.
“ it’s voyage. they’re calling. ”
that was bizarre in every sense of the world. she had just spoken to lieutenant creed a couple of hours ago and all seemed to have been okay. besides, if there was something strange happening, he would have said something. but that’s when it came to mind, the possibility of an emergency call.
her eyes widened.
an emergency call.
hope ran. it was rare to get a signal from voyage unless if it was an emergency call or a distress signal. and all the possible reasons started to race through her head one by, possibilities becoming countless. she ran down the hall, ignoring her limp and took the elevator up once again to the navigation cabin, and for some reason, she felt like she wouldn’t leave this cabin anytime soon.
she saw the sign just above her head blaring with a red color and then tapped a button to allow the transmitted signal to reach her. the projector that had shown creed’s hologram yesterday lit up once more. the image took a while to clear as it always does, and hope stood there patiently until a figure appeared.
this figure, hope recognized to be beatrice yoh. she was easily the scariest person hope has ever had the pleasure of meeting. and as the chairwoman of a universal company, seeing her making the announcement and not a simple voyage general caused hope’s insides to tense up.
yoh was a woman in her late forties. you could tell based off of some wrinkles on her skin, traces of age slowly catching up to her but she remained beautiful, with long, black hair and monolid eyes and a pretty nose. she was normally seen wearing the voyage jacket, but today, she was wearing a long, white coat with the identification badge pinned to her chest.
“ this is beatrice yoh, chairwoman of voyage inc speaking. i am giving this announcement to call all voyage members to a meeting at our main base in titan, one of saturn’s many moons. i aim to round up as many members as i can for this meeting, so if you’re receiving this signal, you’re being summoned ”, her voice was smooth, but there was a vigor in it that gave this woman the true aura she emitted, and it was that of someone who was capable of doing incredible things.
“ the reason for the meeting cannot be discussed freely. but i am here to emphasize the severity of the situation. hence why voyage requires immediate responses from all possible units and members around the galaxy. the meeting will be held at 5 o’clock, saturn-jovian time ”, the woman continued, and hope spotted an attempt at a slight smile from her. “ we ask that you hurry. and we look forward to seeing each and every single one of you. ”
the hologram went off, just like that and hope was left sighing. this was incredibly odd, in every sense of the word. voyage wasn’t the type to publicly panic its members like this and it most definitely wouldn’t call people like hope who were in some way independent from the corporation. she had left the corporation as a pilot years ago and now they were calling her back as if it was her moral duty to obey.
but then she remembered the possibility of seeing lieutenant creed there and felt somewhat lenient to going. he was a person she wouldn’t mind seeing, and quite frankly, she missed him terribly. the idea of missing the chance to see him was stupid and she decided that she had to go.
but then her thoughts wandered to the pirates. a.j hadn’t alerted her in her sleep of anything concerning them so something told they weren’t planning on leaving. which was a bummer, especially now when she was given a vital task. and she didn’t trust voyage all too much to leave her ship parked out in the docks.
so what was she going to do? these guys most likely weren’t the type to listen to her even though she had exploded hours ago and wounded up hurting one of their members. so they would most likely end up sneaking out.
that’s when hope realized she was going to have to tell them whether she liked it or not. she groaned. after having just punched dominic, she wasn’t looking forward to coming into contact with any of them, even if it was for their own good.
thankfully, however, she didn’t really have to head down the elevator and seek any of them out because she saw the elevator door slide open. and out stepped enzo, who looked particularly calm for someone who had witnessed hope’s total mental breakdown hours ago.
“ hope— ”.
“ na-ah. me first. you listen. ”
enzo’s arms dropped to the side of his body as his expression relaxed and his chest heaved, “ okay . . . ”.
“ just now, beatrice yoh came into contact with me and other voyage ships around the area. supposedly, there is a meeting being held at titan and i have to go in case i want to keep my job or not miss out key details on something which could be an intergalactic war ”, hope explained, leaning lightly against her chair.
“ holy shit ”, enzo murmured. “ yoh? the chairwoman? ”. hope nodded. “ that woman never comes out in public, she’s always hiding away, doing something and only comes into the public eye to announce important things. so . . . this must be serious. ”
“ that’s my take on it. so i can’t avoid going. which is why i’m worried about what i’m going to do about you guys ”, hope began and saw enzo’s expression drop with an ounce of sadness which she couldn’t quite understand the origin of. as far as she was aware, she hadn’t been entirely too friendly to him either. “ speak, man, i wanna know your thoughts. ”
“ well, we can easily hide or pose ourselves as voyage inc officers. if you don’t want to be seen with us, we can stay hidden in the ship somehow ”, he stated and hope opened her mouth to object. “ we’ll stay this time. w-we won’t try to intervene. we kinda learned our lesson. ”
hope stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. she felt somewhat better in comparison to all that had occurred. getting some proper sleep had helped her recover some of her strength and the migraine was slightly gone but she would often feel pinches of pain and it wasn’t a nice sensation.
“ did you, now? ”.
enzo sighed and took a step closer, “ look, i’m sorry, okay? i know it was incredibly dumb to do that, especially since we ended up doing more harm than actually helping. i just . . . i felt like i owed it to you for taking us under your wing and that you could use some help. but i see it now that you were better off alone, and i’m sorry. ”
“ no, it wasn’t your place ”, hope commented and watched enzo give her a meek smile. but she appreciated the apology. perhaps he was trying to apologize earlier but she completely blew up at everyone. but she didn’t regret punching and nearly choking dominic out. the statement he made about nebula was not going to go unnoticed. “ but, dude, you don’t owe me anything. it was a bargain, you don’t have to help me with anything. getting you guys off my back is as great as it can be. ”
“ ouch ”, enzo said with a slight laugh, hope rolled her eyes slightly. “ your words pack quite the punch, you know that, right? ”.
“ i’ve been told. you’re not the first to have told me that ”, hope replied quickly, shifting slightly on her feet. “ i’m just being honest. you don’t owe me anything. we’re not a team. i’m simply doing you a favor and you’re doing one in return as well. uh, well, not exactly considering you went ag—”.
“ —against your orders, yeah, and i apologize again ”, enzo spoke with a firm nod, he didn’t show any intention at looking at her in the eyes and she was given the impression of either shame or guilt from him. “ listen, i-if there’s anything we can do for you, even if it’s just hiding in the ship, tell us. w-we don’t want to be known as the people making your life hell, hope. ”
“ you could start off by getting rid of dominic. ”
“ wha— ”.
hope chuckled slightly and shook her head, suppressing her smile. “ i’m kidding. but i believe the safest thing to do is to keep you guys out of the ship. something tells me voyage will snoop around even if it’s not their property. and if they find you, ” hope took a pause and gulped.
enzo watched her for a moment and then nodded, “ y-yeah. i can imagine what’ll happen. we won’t be the only ones in trouble, you might be susceptible for charges to do with a mutiny. ”
“ god, they have to use piracy terms to describe it ”, hope complained under her breath and heard a laugh from enzo. “ you guys are seriously everywhere, aren’t you? terrorizing the space-time continuum even through legal terms. ”
“ you really don’t like us. ”
“ i don’t ”, hope replied honestly and bit her lip for a moment. “ i’ve dealt with all sorts of criminals out in space, never once have i had a personal grudge against any of them. terrorists, assassins, hackers. all sorts. but the only people who make me sick to even hear about them are pirates. ”
she knew it was perhaps the worst thing to do, insulting a pirate to his face but she couldn’t really hide her dislike towards them. especially with the most recent events.
“ did we kill someone who matters to you or something? ”, enzo’s voice was sarcastic but when he saw the way hope’s expression changed into something more solemn, he seemed to switch his demeanor. “ n-no one died, right? ”.
“ my old man almost did a while back ”, hope said. enzo let out a small oh and nodded slowly. “ intergalactic space battle. a huge pirate ship was trying to pillage one of the structures at the v-colony, my dad’s team went to combat against it. ripped his ship in half and tore his arm from his body. ” enzo suddenly hissed in reaction to the tale. “ he had to amputate it. and he’s not getting a metal reestablishment for a couple of months. ”
so, she had just told a pirate about her story. but of course, it wasn’t the only reason why she wanted every pirate on the face of the galaxy to cease. it was because she’s heard stories from friends and how their families suffered from pirates, and how lives were changed because of the terror these galactic sailors caused.
most of the people who encountered pirates wounded up getting hurt in one way or another, and it was why she wanted to avoid the ones who had infiltrated her ship but now it seemed like it was out of the question, for the time being. she wanted to fly them to pluto but now she was being called for a meeting.
it was as if the universe was fighting to keep her near these people and she was doing everything in her power to fight against whatever this spooky determination was.
“ but your dad’s alive, yeah? ”, enzo questioned.
“ ‘course he is, he persevered through the pain like the badass he is. but that’s beside the point. his way of living has been completely changed. my dad used to play football and used to craft and create and used to play the guitar. and this accident took all of that from him, it took a part of his identity away ”, hope said, wishing that he could understand where she was going with this story. “ the damage may seem minimal at first but it ends up being catastrophic for the person later on. and he’s going to have to wait to get some normalcy back in his life. ” she smiled bitterly. “ it’s not fair. ”
silence settled and hope found enzo looking at her for a hot second, as if inspecting her or something. as if waiting for her to burst into tears. and as ready as she was to cry about it, she couldn’t look weak. not right now. “ s-so i hope you don’t take too much offense ”, she said somewhat lightheartedly. “ from what i’ve learned, dealing with pirates leads to pain and something always being taken away. whether it’s money, happiness or a man’s arm. ”
clearing her throat, hope turned to her control panel. “ uh, anyway. i’m going to ask a.j to manufacture some voyage uniforms and to fabricate some badges and identity chips. you’ll just have to play along with your roles and pray that it all works out ”, she proposed.
enzo finally moved out of his catatonic state. he blinked and cleared his throat, “ uh, yeah. we’ll wait for that. but uh, thank you. for telling me. ”
“ don’t pity me now, captain ”, hope teased in hopes of lightening the mood but it didn’t work as well as she hoped it would, because enzo still appeared to be frowning. “ i didn’t say it for sympathy. only understanding. there’s a difference. ”
“ i know ”, enzo said quickly and he gave her a smile, one which brought her a slight bit of comfort. “ but i have a feeling what you’ve said might be wrong. and that we’re doing god’s work in coming here and messing up your lifestyle. it was fate! ”.
he sounded so optimistic and certain about himself like he and this crew truly had the power to shift the course of her life as if they held that much significance. she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but not because he was talking utter bullshit, but because she wondered how long he would keep believe it.
“ fate sometimes isn’t a good thing, enzo. ”
time skip ﹏
whilst a.j began to manufacture the uniforms and the badges, hope set up nebula for the trip. after providing her with some fuel, hope started to prepare for lift-off. she pulled the lever on the side as per usual and nebula shifted, the legs folding into the contraptions and the ship soon began to hover.
indicating for any ships behind her, hope backed nebula out of the docks and turned right, and soon the ship was moving. it had been a shame that she hadn’t gotten the chance to explore j-colony properly, but surely she would be able to see it soon enough. perhaps she could drop in to really explore it.
anyway, nebula was out of the docks in five minutes. and upon being granted permission to leave, hope launched the orientation stick forward and nebula took off, j-colony growing smaller and smaller behind them whilst they raced into jupiter’s atmosphere and up to where the clouds were denser.
the turbulence revisited once more but significantly less than before. in fact, hope got to see the lightning up close, jumping slightly when a flash snapped just ahead of her and she let out an excited laugh. it seemed like the universe had listened to her prayers.
they started to eventually leave the gas giant’s atmosphere. jupiter had a great gravitational pull, so it seemed like nebula had to power through some storm to avoid being reeled back like metal to a magnet. but hope pushed through with full speed and soon enough, the clouds began to clear. it was unfortunate, however, that there was no crystal rain in the exit.
once hope saw the cluster of stars in the distance and ebony vacuum of space, she couldn’t help but smile. what she’s found in the last couple of days is that she’s been smiling a lot more. mostly to herself. it was like she finally began to marvel at the grace of the galaxies she was allowed to explore.
now, usually in the atmosphere of many planets, there are floating structures. and these structures, circular and some as large as the london eye back on earth, served as portals for ships. and it was just a matter of finding the one for saturn that was keeping hope from traveling straight for the ringed giant.
“ a.j, can you trace the closest saturn portal? ”.
“ checking for coordinates now. i’ve finished making the uniforms. perhaps you should go check on the pirates. i’ll set nebula on autopilot. ”
hope hummed, “ thanks, hun. ” standing up, hope looked out into the vast ocean of ebony littered with crystals and twinkling lights, forming a picture so beautiful that she wished she could burn the image in the back of her mind.
ripping her gaze away eventually, hope went down the elevator to the middle floor and managed to spot one of the pirates, vivi, already out in the hallway. she had something in her arms, it appeared to be folded clothes and hope quickly recognized the color of the material. it doesn’t take a second pair of eyes to identify a voyage inc uniform.
vivienne’s eyes met hope’s and she offered the bounty hunter a charming smile. hope only realized how pretty the beam was now. it was elegant, and had a pleasant air to it. “ the uniform is nice, i have to say, as much as i dislike voyage ”, she commented.
“ if you don’t stay for the rules, stay for the fashion ”, hope commented and was somewhat relieved to hear a laugh in response. she looked down for a moment and struggled to find the words but she managed at some point, arms crossed over her chest. “ uh, how is he? ”.
“ dom? ”, vivienne asked. hope nodded and the other reacted with a hum, though the soft smile never dared to go away. “ he’s okay. shocked, i’d imagine. but dawn is trying to clean his bruise. ”
“ oh shit, he’s got a bruise? ”.
“ well, yeah. you hit him pretty hard. don’t worry, he won’t sue. ”
hope couldn’t help but roll her eyes slightly. sure, she felt some guilt in having to punch a person to assert some level of dominance. usually, she would want to settle things peacefully but dominic made things incredibly difficult. and when things are difficult for hope, her stubbornness tends to make it even more difficult.
vivienne spoke again, “ but enzo spoke to me. you chose to trust us again, huh? i don’t know whether you’re just being nice or being stupid. ”
hope’s face dropped. “ don’t tell me you’re going to start insulting me as well, vivi. ”
the girl quickly shook her head and then her hands in a defensive manner. “ no, definitely not. i can respect what you’re doing. it’s a lot to be asked of. to have your space invaded and to have to deal with the hot garbages that we are ”, the blonde said and hope snickered. “ but you still help. i can admire that. ”
“ but don’t forget, we’re not fri— ”.
“ —friends, yes. i’ve caught onto that ”, vivienne nodded with solemnity, but she pushed through with a tight-lipped smile. “ still, i wish you can at least deal with us being a rowdy family. we don’t have our ship, but we have each other. ”
yes, they had each other. they were all friends, who had probably grown to accept their individual differences. whether it was an inflated ego or overbearing shyness. they seemed to accept each other, and though they bickered and called each other out on their bullshit, they remained close. like a family.
they were a functioning cackle of idiots who brought out the best in each other. she hadn’t known them for too long but she was smart enough to know that they mattered to each other.
hope grew quiet but she soon felt a hand on her shoulder. she didn’t shrug it off. “ you can always become a part of it, though. and even if you don’t want to, something tells me you’ll end up in it regardless ”, vivienne continued and patted hope’s cheek gently and then took a quick step back.
playing with her sleeves slightly, hope watched vivienne turn and walk away, possibly to change into her new clothes. standing in the empty hall, the girl let out a small sigh and heard a.j’s voice from her wristband.
“ hope, i found the portal. we’re due to enter it in five minutes, i suggest going back to the navigation cabin ”, he said. hope just nodded and did just that, but her thoughts were racing as she did. honestly, it wasn’t her intention to get distracted when she had something important to do.
once sat at her chair again, hope caught sight of an enormous portal up ahead. ah. usually, the ships that go to saturn end up being the bigger ones, after all, it was by that planet where the main base for voyage inc was located. and parking spaces were usually incredibly hard to find, so she pushed the speed lever and nebula sped up with a sharp snap forward.
soon, the portal drew closer and something seemed to turn on. it seemed like it had sensed nebula’s presence and turned officially enabled its entrance to open. blinding lights met hope’s aching eyes as she squinted and continued moving forward. soon, nebula had sunk in and was engulfed by a layer of light, and for a moment it felt like hope was coursing through space at speeds faster than light, like entering a dream sequence.
but nebula was only crossing through the teleporter, and by taking the portal, they would have reduced their 2 billion kilometer journey down to some minutes. hope waited as nebula traveled, trying not to push through the speed limit in case the portal ended up throwing her across the galaxy.
even though her eyes were aching, she didn’t have to sit there for long. soon, nebula broke through the portal’s traveling sequence and the lights cleared and hope found the ship crossing into new territory, landing face-first with the ringed giant known as saturn in the distance.
“ holy shit. ”
truly, she’s never been able to marvel planets like these in all their splendor properly, not even whilst crossing an entire galaxy in search of a criminal. the last time she saw saturn, it was on a space bus from earth to titan. and that was roughly four years ago. seeing it properly now, hope couldn’t help but smile.
smiling again. that was rather odd.
now, saturn had sixty-two moons. but nebula’s map managed to find titan not too far from where she was. so hope took after it as full speed, and it was like the stationary stars in the distances were moving in a series of lines of lights, similar to that of what she saw at j-colony.
grinning brightly, hope cheered, wanting to perform some tricks, turning nebula upside down but she was mindful of the passengers downstairs and she didn’t want to paint herself as a reckless pilot. even though she can be that if you were to ask it from here. she had at least a dozen tricks up her sleeve, it was just the matter of when she was able to show them off.
soon enough, titan came into view. and as per usual, the control center came into contact even before hope could approach the moon’s atmosphere. “ nbla-43, do you have clearance to access the docks of the voyage inc docks? ”.
it took every bone in her body to not mimic the tone of the man, it was like the other one she had come across upon entering jupiter. it was entertaining, to say the least. it goes to say that voyage tends to overwork their members to the point where they lose a sense of identity or humanity.
“ sending voyage inc identification details over ”.
and after the clearance was verified, nebula descended into titan’s atmosphere. it was quite like earth, in it that upon getting through many clouds, hope managed to find the ground and actual water in the form of oceans, lakes, and rivers. for many years, people considered titan as a possible home for humans. but the conditions there were not reflecting that of earth. still, it felt a lot more welcoming than the floating cities in gas giants like jupiter.
within the many mountain ranges, hope spotted a structure perched on the tallest mountain. it was immense, large enough to wrap around the entire peak of the mountain and even descended down to the bottom. it was like voyage had put a metal box over natural beauty. but within the structure laid the official voyage inc headquarters.
finding a parking space wasn’t as hard as hope was expecting, and she saw that it was mostly because she had shown up two hours before she even had to be anywhere near titan. well, she fancied being early than being late.
soon, nebula touched down on an empty space. the docks were in open-air, and hope soon spotted the voyage officers in oxygen helmets. she hummed, “ forgot there wasn’t any breathable oxygen on this moon. ”
“ titan may be hospitable compared to other moons and planets in the milkyway, but most of the atmosphere is composed of nitrogen. wearing a mask is necessary. oh, and i suggest getting a scarf and some gloves ”, a.j explained.
hope groaned, she was going to have to get changed into the stupid uniform. but she didn’t give herself time to complain. she simply got up from her seat after turning off nebula’s engine and after fussing around in her bedroom, came out in the official voyage inc clothes.
it was a navy blue coat reaching around the knees, fitted around the waist which meant the skirt was slightly shorter on the back and longer on the front. edged on the chest was an odd cross detail, from breast to breast and then a longer zipper from the neck to the waist. lest forget the navy blue, tight trousers beneath with some dark, slightly heeled boots.
oh, and the damned badge.
soon, she left her room and wandered to the lounge where she found the pirates. some were still putting on their jackets, others were adjusting their badges. hope’s eyes went over to dominic, and when he looked up, she held back the urge to gasp at the huge bruise that had formed on his cheekbone, just below the eye.
biting her lip, hope looked away with her hands behind her back. vivienne took notice of her and grinned, “ okay, the uniform is way cuter than i imagined. ” hope smiled slightly and averted her gaze towards enzo and quinn. they seemed to still be fidgeting with the badges.
“ there’s no pin. it’s a magnet, it attaches to that silver plate ”, hope called, motioning to her chest, near where her own badge was.
“ i knew that ”, enzo grumbled with a slight roll of the eyes. they all looked rather flattering in those clothes. it was odd to know that they were pirates dressed in the clothes of the people they hated the most, but they played it off casually. well, except for enzo and dom. who both had bruises on their faces.
quinn turned and glanced towards hope, “ you’re certain they won’t stop us, right? it’s not that i don’t trust your a.i, it just worries me that perhaps we’ll be stopped. that they’ll detect that the badges are fake. ”
hope quickly shook her head. “ the badges a.j made are not fakes. they’re very much real. your identities are what are fake. a.j just generated some names and other details and now you’ll just have to roll with it. if you tap your badge, this window will appear. you’ll see all the details you gotta study ”, she paused and looked at her wristband. “ in five minutes. ”
dawn stood on her tip-toes. she looked perhaps the cutest in the uniform, especially since it seemed like she’d done her hair up in space buns. “ i read mine already. my name is stella! i think it means star in . . . in—”.
“ italian, hun ”, vivienne quickly told her, reading through her own details. “ hah. my name is io, like jupiter’s moon. that’s nice! ”.
“ mine’s roger ”, enzo said with a sense of disappointment. “ roger? i’d like to change it. ”
“ no ”, hope told him promptly.
after that long period of getting ready and memorizing facts about fake identities, hope soon opened the hatchet after they had all slipped on oxygen helmets. oh, and got some gloves and scarves. titan might be like earth but it’s much colder. the stairs formed and hope descended first, wrapping her arms around herself. it was rather chilly, but she could survive, at least.
it was odd, stepping into a place that wasn’t the planet you were born in. earth was so familiar to many of them, and being somewhere new often causes people to either panic or be unable to contain their excitement. for hope, it was mostly the latter. but only for a moment, she didn’t want to be silly in front of them.
stepping out into the docks, she looked into the view around them. the docks were open like she’d mentioned, but also atop an immense mountain, so hope gulped and tried not to look directly down. but she took a moment to see the clouds of blues and greys and what seemed to be a tinge of turquoise. titan was truly bizarre but fascinating.
hope led the way flying through the docks as to avoid being blown off the mountain, hurrying through into a metal door after crossing a vast concrete field of vehicles and voyage officers leaving and entering the area, not to mention the dozen trucks bringing in deliveries and exporting items like weapons and resources for building.
the headquarters was gloomy and off on top of the mountain but upon crossing through some cleaning containers where they were blasted with some sort of steam to rid them of bacteria or anything toxic, they were allowed to set into the behemoth palace of lights and echoing footsteps.
it was beautiful from the inside. the building had at least twenty stories and a cut in the middle allowed a panoramic view of all the said levels from the railings. hope hurried over to the railings herself upon removing her helmet, and looked down to the open circle and saw officers working away, some in white coats, others carrying weapons, others in smart suits carrying briefcases.
it was an intimidating buzz, to say the least. but this was the hub for the intelligentsia and to be walking in it was perhaps the most thrilling experience of any person who adventures through space, even for pirates. for hope, she had always liked this place. it was safe, it felt safe. but she also felt trapped. thinking back on it, she could see why.
the dazzling blue lights and holograms and circular patterns may be satisfying for the human eye, but it never made her feel too good. if anything, she would often feel like it was too artificial. even j-colony, a city built as a floating island to mimic the cities back home, felt less artificial than this.
but they say it was secure.
hope didn’t even notice the pirates had gathered by the railings and also took a glance around the place. “ wow. okay, say what you want about this corporation but they have a very keen eye in fashion and architecture ”, vivienne muttered under her breath, dawn nodded vigorously.
quinn leaned closer to hope and spoke in a slightly lowered tone. “ working here must have been a pain, huh? ”, he questioned.
hope moved away slightly, not too fond of the proximity but she nodded and took a deep breath. “ i feel anxious being here. but i’ve been called and there’s also someone i’d love to see. so being here isn’t too bad. plus, they kinda amended the place ”, she began and would have continued but then she overheard someone calling her name.
throwing a glance over her shoulder, the girl couldn’t help but smile when lieutenant creed, the man of the hour, appeared. he was wearing the fancy white lab coat which he wore during their short conversation over the hologram. seeing him in person, however, she noticed the grey hairs on his scalp and even some on his goatee. but his freckles were as obvious as ever.
he offered her a wave and stretched out his hand when she approached, which she clasped into a firm handshake. “ look at you, you’ve gotten taller. or perhaps i’m shrinking ”, creed laughed.
“ you’re forty-seven ”, hope reminded him lightheartedly.
“ already forty-seven. even your dad is younger than me ”, creed exclaimed and patted her shoulder tenderly. “ still, it’s great to see you again. ” he looked over her and spotted the pirates and hope felt her stomach sink. “ oh, newbies? haven’t seen their faces before. ”
“ i, uh, managed to recruit them. ”
“ you? since when were you influential like your mother? ”.
“ don’t get rude. ”
creed let out a hearty laugh and greeted the group with a wave, and thank goodness, dawn, and enzo managed to comfortably wave back. quinn nodded and vivienne offered a polite bow in greeting. dominic, however, seemed distracted by something else. good, at least they were good at acting casual.
“ well, before i let you go, i have to remind you of something ”, the lieutenant spoke. her interest peaked. “ uh, it appears hiro has come back from his mission. he was summoned today here as well. ”
hope faked a gag and it was definitely intentional. hearing the very name often struck her with a sense of revulsion and with a bad taste in her mouth. she cherished creed with all her heart but she despised him right now for reminding him of that fool’s existence.
“ i preferred it if you hadn’t told me ”, hope uttered, covering her mouth with her hand.
creed gave her a meek smile, “ it was inevitable. he’s been doing quite well as a bounty hunter. well, he hasn’t been working alone, he’s had some help from a good friend of his. they’re a popular duo here. ”
hope’s eyebrows rose. “ poor girl ”, commented the bounty hunter, letting her hand drop to her side. “ but honestly, i don’t have anything to talk about with him anymore. so i might as well just enjoy my time here before the meeting. he’s not spoiling my good mood. ”
the lieutenant’s expression softened slightly. “ i hope so ”, he replied whilst looking fondly at her and the girl rolled her eyes playfully, but there was a flustered expression that manifested on her delicate features for a fleeting moment. “ anyway, i need to get going. you’ll see me at the meeting. try not to cause trouble for the next two hours, okay? ”.
nodding, hope watched him give her a small salute and let his eyes settle on the pirates behind her before the simper returned to his lips. he proceeded off in the direction of the labs and hope saw him off. her mind couldn’t help but wonder how he was dealing with the news of his friend, hope’s father. it must have hit him hard.
“ who’s hiro? ”.
hope yelled slightly when enzo’s face appeared beside her, he’d been peering over her shoulder and she didn’t even clock until he spoke. she huffed and ran a hand through her hair, “ no one important. ”
she saw enzo raise an eyebrow as if to say really, and she gave in. “ someone i dislike. we didn’t get along when we were both navigators and we still don’t like each other. i’ve grown to forget he exists, though ”, she stated.
“ well, if he tries to bother you, we’ve got your back ”, enzo declared. hope opened her mouth to say something but she didn’t have to based off of enzo’s passive reaction. “ i know, we’re not friends. but i’m not enzo right now. i’m roger. so as roger, i’ll cover for you. ”
he gave her a thumbs up and she almost didn’t react, he looked so foolish grinning so vibrantly like that. it was enough to envoke a slight snort from her as she averted her eyes elsewhere, “ that’s such a shitty name. “
“ i know. can we change it now? ”.
“ no. ”
secretly, though, hope felt grateful for the way not only he, but most of the pirates looked out for her. they were in their best behavior, and for a moment, that pang of guilt returned. she frowned for a moment as enzo returned to the crew, as she realized how shitty it was for that whole performance in the lounge hours ago. it wasn’t necessary.
but it was done now.
choices.
besides, karma would find a way to bite her back in the ass. soon.
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Comic Con
Hey there!
It’s been a while since we last caught up! What a better way than reliving post-con feels and experiences. This year, the only convention I attended was New York Comic Con. As you should know, it’s held in the Jacob K Javits Center in October.
I decided that I was going to go as Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite. The cosplay I pulled together was perfect for the day, it was breezy but still warm enough to walk around without a jacket (lucky she has a bolero, so I was covered).
The train ride there was quite uncomfortable since I had the big skirt and took up room, however not many people looked at me. Walking to the convention center, I saw a couple of people in their cosplays but not many which was disappointing since, in previous years, there would be groups walking down. I arrived around the time that they opened their doors, by the time I was expecting to get there I thought that there would be quite a wait because the last convention I went to, I waited forty-five minutes to get in (that’s arriving before opening the doors, too)! That was my second sign that this year wasn’t going to be like previous years.
Upon walking in, the security point was quick and easy: a simple checking of the bag, walking through the scanner and scanning my badge. When I walked through, I didn’t even take a breath and look around. I had caught my cousin walking around with his friend so I decided to surprise him. He didn’t even recognize me! We decided to walk around a bit before splitting up.
At the con, I had gotten a few things like prints and stickers from Babsdraws, two t-shirts from SuperHeroStuff, the free lanyard they have every year, and two surprise theme boxes (one for me and my mom)! I was disappointed because I couldn’t find Gabriel Picolo, one of my favorite Teen Titans artists. I also had tons of people coming up to me for pictures! But I had a conversation with a couple who was expecting a baby girl, they were dressed up as Harley Quinn and the Joker. (If you were the couple and stumble across this post, all the luck to you both!)
To sum up the con briefly: I’m glad I went for the experience but would have been okay if I skipped it. Next year is a big maybe at this point but if I went with the right people, I think I would be in better hands. Will be posting actual photos in a separate post!
#elizabeth comstock#elizabeth comstock cosplay#cosplay#nycc 2018#new york comic con 2018#nycc#bioshock cospla#bioshock infinite cosplay
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