#kevin probably saves the world

[orangechickenpillow]

One thing about Jason Ritter is that he does everything with his whole pussy

[incorrect-bhaalspawn-quotes]

Neera: Do not tell Corwin.

Charname: What? Why?

Neera: She'll narc! No offense.

[starsandgutters]

Horizon Zero Dawn AU where Kevin is Aloy & Kayleigh is Elisabet

[novelconcepts]

A thing I find really important about the way Kevin Can Fuck Himself goes about its job: Allison is kind of a mess. She’s self-centered, she doesn’t put other people’s needs first, she makes reckless choices that endanger herself and others. And the show says: yes. Right. She’s flawed as fuck. And she still does not deserve any of what’s happening to her. It could be argued that she is, in fact, this flawed as a direct product of her trauma. Her self-absorption, unlike Kevin’s, is actually self-preservation. It puts Patty in danger. It tunes out Diane’s pain. It capitalizes on Sam’s relationship problems. And still, the show says: yes. Right. She’s going about this in fumbling, worrying ways. And she still does not deserve any of what’s happening to her.

Know how we know this? How we really know this, outside of our own objectivity, our own awareness of the abuse she’s enduring even to the soundtrack of laughter?

Because Tammy is the one to find her. Because Tammy is the one holding the cards at the end of the game. Tammy, who does not like Allison. Who sees so clearly the complicated, messy, dangerous person Allison can be. The mistakes she is prone to making in the name of desperation. How imperfect she is at every level. And Tammy, who is the character most explicitly set to call Allison on all of her shit, to drag her before a court of law, to lean on that hot-button of whether or not she’s a “good person” until it breaks—lets her go. Folds the cards up, puts them in her pocket, and leaves.

Because Tammy, like the show, like the thesis statement of abuse is never earned, never deserved, never warranted, understands. This is a world that so often sanitizes women after it’s too late to save them. A world that insists she should have done more to get out. A world that insists you should be kind and moral and perfect, or maybe you got what was coming to you. This is a world that sees fighting back as an equally heinous crime. As punishable, if not more so, than the actions of the instigator.

But this show doesn’t want to play that game. This show doesn’t want to fuck with it at all. Allison doesn’t have to be perfect and moral and above reproach. Allison has blood on her hands, and a DUI neatly ignored, and knowingly has an affair with her married boss. Allison hurts her friends sometimes, and she makes awful decisions out of desperation, and she doesn’t always pay attention to other people’s plotlines. And the show says: yes. Right. She’s making choices you probably should not agree with.

And she still does not deserve any of what is happening to her.

[mrsbarnesblog]

Hi girl ❤️ inhope it's ok to send in a request. i thought of something where the reader is working at the Avengers Compound and trains new agents, but one of them grows fond of her and like creeps up on her or follows her around all the time. Soon Bucky noticed that and decides to help. As the guy then again waits up on you and gets too close for Bucky's liking, he steps in between and kisses you passionately, making the creep leave and takes you by surprise. But what started as only some help, continues in Bucky's bedroom, revealing hidden feelings and passion 😏 i hope this is ok with you ❤️

we could've done it earlier

masterlist ko-fi ao3

Word count: 2.3k

Warnings: +18❗️creepy men, protective Bucky, smut, friends to lovers, idiots in love, dirty talk, unprotected sex

Author's note: well, that was fun to write. I hope you'll like it and that I saw the vision right. thank you for the request💘

You rolled your eyes again when you noticed that Kevin’s eyes stayed on your body for way too long. You had just finished another session of training with the new recruits from S.H.I.E.L.D. and everything was fine—most of them were really talented and eager to learn, but that one guy had acted super weird since the day Fury introduced you. 

He always gave you weird looks, tried to flirt with you during the training and you swore that he was following you around the tower because you “accidentally” bumped into him and ended up in the same room more times than you could count. 

You decided to forget about it for today and took a quick shower in the gym, and after changing your sweaty clothes, you went to the kitchen on Avenger’s floor to grab a snack. 

You didn’t even have time to look through the cupboards when you saw a figure in the corner of your eye walking towards you. 

“Mind some company?” Kevin stepped closer to you with that creepy smile on his face and scanned your body up and down once again.

“What are you doing here? It’s Avenger’s quarters; you shouldn’t be here.” You crossed your arms over your chest to hide from his stare. 

“Well, I thought they could make an exception for me, especially since my favorite trainer lives here.” He stepped closer and you instantly stepped back. Yes, you were one of the Avengers, but it didn’t change the fact that he was a man who clearly had bad intentions towards you, so your body and mind worked differently around him. “And I also thought we could do something together, if you know what I’m talking about.” 

“I don’t know what you are talking about, and I’m not interested in whatever you are suggesting. Please don’t overstep the line. I’m your trainer and nothing more.” You tried to talk firmly and confidently, even though your whole body was tensed from Kevin’s almost predatory stare. “I-I have a boyfriend. Don’t try to do anything.”

“You’re lying. I know that you want me. And I want you–” Kevin wanted to get closer to you, but a certain Super Soldier appeared out of nowhere, stood between you and him, and kissed you. 

Bucky was watching this whole scene from the beginning. He also saw how that guy was following you around and just staring at you shamelessly. 

Bucky had a crush on you since the day you met, but he didn’t try to change things between you, being too scared that you wouldn't ever talk to him again. At first, he thought that there were mutual feelings between you and Kevin because you were so sweet to everyone, but the more he paid attention, the more he noticed how uncomfortable you would get every time you spotted Kevin in the same room. 

So when Bucky saw him following you once again, and this time being even more persistent, he knew that he should save you. 

So he just stepped in and kissed you.

Was it stupid? Probably. Did he regret doing it? Not in the slightest way. 

Your whole body froze, and your mind was overloaded with the unknown feeling of Bucky’s lips and his hands on your face while he was slowly kissing you. He kissed you as if he had all the time in the world, and as if Kevin, who was clearly confused and angry, was not standing right behind him.

Bucky slightly pulled away, not letting go of your face, and looked back at Kevin. “Do you have a problem with my girlfriend?” His stare could scare anyone, and the way all the color washed away from Kevin’s made him feel weirdly satisfied.

He looked back at you, not missing how your pupils were dilated and your mouth was slightly open in shock, before he captured your lips in another kiss. Now it was not so sweet, though. Bucky was clearly dominating over you, biting your lip and then licking it with his tongue. 

You both didn’t notice how Kevin left. Too lost in each other’s touches, scents, and lips. It was addicting.

“I’m sorry for doing it without permission. Just wanted to scare him away from you.” Bucky mumbled against your lips, yet he didn’t move, not even an inch away from your body. Your eyes lowered to his lips, already craving to feel them again. And Bucky understood it straightaway. “Tell me to stop.” He knew that he was fucked up. Before, he was just observing you and trying to suppress his feelings, but now that he had finally touched and kissed you, he couldn’t hide it anymore. 

Your head was feeling fuzzy, while your hands were clenching onto Bucky’s shirt. You could barely understand what he was saying to you, but that familiar heat in your stomach appeared again, as it did every time he called you “doll” or smiled.

“Please don’t…” You whine, pulling him even closer. “I want you. I need you, Buck.” You kissed him this time, raising one hand to bury it in his fluffy and soft hair. Bucky moaned in your mouth when you slightly dragged your nails along his scalp. 

He gripped your waist with both of his hands and then let the metal one slide down to the back side of your thigh. Bucky mumbled a raspy “jump”, and you, without hesitation, followed his command, wrapping your legs around his waist. 

You both moaned when your clothed core met the hardness in his jeans. As if it were an instinct, you moved your hips, trying to do something to relieve that aching feeling in your body.

“Stop moving, or I’ll fuck you right in this kitchen, doll.” 

It was shameful how quickly you would’ve agreed to do that. 

After firmly settling you in place, Bucky went to his room without a struggle, carrying your weight and kissing the heated skin of your neck. As soon as the door was closed and you were gently placed on a perfectly made bed, you both became even more greedy for each other. 

Tugging clothes, pulling hair, and biting each other’s lips and skin. Bucky's firm body was pressing against yours, and you nearly drowned in the mattress. Bucky's cock became even harder when he finally got a good look at your face—half-closed eyes, smollen red lips, completely messed-up hair. You looked fucking majestic.

“You are so fucking beautiful, Y/N. Fuck, I wanted to do it for so long.” He said it harshly, trying to catch a breath. 

“Me too. Me too, Bucky… Oh God, it almost hurts.” You tried to move your lower body upwards to grind yourself on something, but Bucky just smirked at you and pinned you back to the bed. 

“Be patient and let me have my time with you, doll.”

“Not now, please. James. I need it. Just fuck me. We can do whatever you want later. ” You almost cried, your hands sliding under Bucky’s shirt and sending shudders down his back. Who was he to decline your request when you asked so nicely?

When he just slightly nodded to your words, you lifted up your arms, allowing Bucky to take off your oversized t-shirt. He almost choked on his saliva when he discovered that you were naked underneath it. 

“I love the twenty-first century.” Your laugh quickly turned into a moan when Bucky took one of your nipples into his mouth and pinched the other one with his fingers. The way he tried to be so gentle with his metal arm didn’t go unnoticed by you. He was always so careful not to hurt you in any possible way, but this felt much more intimate, deeper. 

After finally being satisfied with his work on your tits, Bucky trailed a way of kisses down to your leggings, slightly pushed the waistband down and teased you with his wet tongue, almost in the place where you wanted him the most. 

“Just take it off.” 

Bucky stood on his knees in between your legs and pulled down your pants and underwear, throwing them on the floor. “Dear fucking God. I’ll have my sweet time with her later.” He licked his lips, eyes glued to your wet folds. You just wined at his words, slightly pressing your legs together to exert some kind of pressure on your swollen clit. 

Bucky hesitated to take off his shirt. Being too lost in you, he almost forgot about his metal arm. But you were on his bed, naked, impatient, and only with lust written in your eyes. He knew you wouldn't judge him. 

Actually, you had never seen Bucky without clothes; only once did you catch him after the gym in the tightest possible t-shirt that revealed every little muscle on his chest and press. But holy shit, seeing him naked was shocking in the best possible way. His perfectly sculpted body, tanned skin, and slightly dingling silver dog tags made your mouth water with the need to kiss every centimeter of him. When your eyes shifted a little bit higher and caught the tormented skin on his shoulder, you felt nothing but sadness and pride for Bucky being so strong.

“You’re pretty.” The pink color spread to Bucky’s ears at your words. “And I want you all. Buck, you better hurry up and undress or I will have to handle this on my own." You slowly lowered your hand in between your legs to tease him and ease the tension in Bucky’s body, and you saw it working by the way his eyes were laser-focused on your actions.

“You’re playing with fire, doll.” He lowered his body on yours again, pushing away your hand, but instead pinned it above your head and kissed you. His free hand finally unbuckled his pants, and he did not bother taking them completely off—he just pushed them down slightly because he did not want to lose the sensation of being so close to you. “Oh fuuuck—” Bucky moaned as his cock touched your lower stomach and you could help but drag your eyes there. 

"There's no way you’re walking around with this…” You whispered in disbelief. 

“Mhm, you’ll get used to it.” He gave you a cocky smile. “Um, do you want me to find a condom? Fuck, I don’t have it.” The worry appeared in Bucky’s face and he looked around the room, as if the box could just magically appear somewhere. 

“No-no, Bucky, just fuck me. Please. I’m on birth control. I need you in me right now.” You were too desperate, wrapping your legs around his body and pushing him closer. The tip of his hard cock slipped across your pussy and you both hissed at the feeling. 

Bucky nodded more to himself and finally reached in between your bodies, gave himself a few pumps and started pushing inside of you. The stretch was almost painful, but at the same time, it was the best thing you had ever felt. 

He couldn’t hold it inside anymore. As soon as you took every inch of him, Bucky started moving in a steady rhythm. He lost himself in the way he fit so perfectly into you. He was fucking you without mercy. You gripped his shoulder with your free hand, while the non-stop moans escaped your mouth with every movement. Your body was jumping up and down on the bed; your eyes rolled back in pleasure and not a single thought flashed through your head. 

“So good for me. You’re taking me so well, doll. Just like that.” He was practically splitting you apart with his cock, but it seemed like you became even wetter with every second. If you weren’t too lost in pleasure, you would be ashamed of the way you made a total mess on his cock and thighs. 

Bucky, on the other hand, did not seem to mind; he kept pounding into you, sensing how you clenched tighter around him as you got closer to the orgasm. He freed your hand and grabbed your face so you would stay focused on his face. 

“Tell me how good you feel, baby. Your sweet juice is practically soaking my bed.” He said it without losing the speed of his thrusts or breaking eye contact. 

“So good– Bucky! Oh my fucking God.” You moaned through greated teeth, barely being able to keep your eyes open. 

“Are you going to cum, sweet girl? Gonna milk my cock?” His face got closer to yours, so your lips barely touched when his was talking. You wanted to cry, moan, scream, or do everything all at once when the pure bliss washed over you. “Ye-e-es, that’s it, baby. Take it all, fuck!” 

Bucky pushed his cock into your spasming pussy a few more times before he groanted somewhere near your ear and you felt the hot liquid covering your insides. You both were heavily breathing, clinging closer to each other. You felt too hot and sweaty; the feeling of Bucky’s heavy body covering your smaller form was so calming and safe. Bucky hummed into your neck when you wrapped your hands around his shoulders and lowered his flesh one to sofly trace the delicate skin of your thigh. 

“I can’t believe that we wasted so much time. We could’ve done it earlier.” Bucky rolled to his side, dragging you with him. He pushed your hair out of your face, and his hand stayed on your cheek for a few seconds while he was admiring you. 

“We’re idiots.” You giggled and bit your lip, looking at Bucky.

“We totally are. But I won’t let you go again.”

You were just staring at each other, smiling. It felt so natural to be in his arms, surrounded by his scent and warmth, as if it were supposed to have happened a long time ago. Bucky couldn’t help but move forward to capture your lips in another sweet kiss. 

Everything finally fell into place. 

[amorchai]

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐉𝐈𝐌 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆.

pairing(s): jim halpert x reader

words: 998

warnings/tags: established relationship, dwight being dwight.

you were typing at a rare fast speed, keyboard drowning out the sound of kelly squealing over the new season release of her favourite show. you didn’t even notice jim’s presence until his foot is nudging your chair, chuckling when you drag your eyes from the computer and to his smug face.

“can you sign these off by the end of the day? i need to pass them onto michael before five…” there was a hint of teasing in his tone, smiling at you. it been a few months of secretly dating, and the butterflies of a newfound romance were still swarming every time he looked at you like that.

“i have a few things to get through but after i sign these i can hand them to michael myself, saves you the task,” you smile back, overly sweet in sarcasm when his eyes glimmer. “oh great, well thank you, y/n.”

you smile in response, your gazes not leaving one another as he backs up towards the door to leave to the main office, not before smiling awkwardly at a peering kelly and glancing at the following camera.

“isn’t he like, so cute?” asks kelly. and you knew what she was doing, she was into ryan – which you heard all about – so she was playing matchmaker with you as she usually did.

thankfully it wasn’t with dwight this time.

“i guess.” you say back, typing on your computer with a wide uncontained smile, uncaring of the camera because at least kelly can’t tell your expression from behind. “why don’t you ask him out? i think he’s totally into you,” kelly continues and you look at the camera hesitantly before replying, “i don’t know, i’ll see.”

the next time you see jim is when you’re refilling your teacup, swirling your spoon around the aromatic herbs with a sense of boredom when your head turns to the sound of the door opening.

“hey, you,” jim smiles and you return it. he starts pouring himself a new coffee, shoulder pressed to yours in the empty kitchen. “what are you doing tonight?” you ask, pretending you don’t already know.

“oh, i don’t know, probably order some cheap takeout and watch the new movie i rented,” he says, as if you’re not involved in those plans, “what about you?”

kevin walks in the room, awkwardly smiling at you both as he heads to the stocked fridge and you try not to make it noticeable how much you’re staring at jim. his lips curling into a smile, raised eyebrows and some light stubble around his jaw ready to be shaved making him look better than normal, if it was even possible.

i clear my throat, “oh uh- dinner with some friends, then gonna go home and watch a movie myself.” jim nods at your lies, winking as kevin sits at the table, too busy struggling to open his boxed food to notice.

“have fun with that,” jim says when you begin to walk away, his usual smug smile making you want to kiss him there and then. you glance at kevin, who is in his own world, so quickly you lean up and kiss jim’s cheek. his cheeks turn red fast as his eyes widen, “how dare you,” he teases in a whisper as you walk back to your desk.

his eyes always look at you the moment you enter the room. the clock on the wall close to turning five when you enter the office from your desk at the other side of the floor. jim fidgets with a pen, stopping everything he’s doing when you walk through the room.

you smile at him knowingly, walking past him with a load of papers to take into michael’s office and he spins in his chair to stare at you when you shut the door. he can’t wait to sit out by his car to drive you back to his, finally being able to hold your hand and kiss you.

“never going to happen.”

jim turns back around, sighing as he clicks his mouse, “what’s that, dwight?” dwight rolls his eyes, invested in his work but too observant of everything else at the same time, “you and y/n.”

“oh really?” jim says, heavily amused. “y/n’s smart. too smart to date someone like you, jim,” dwight chuckles to himself, scoffing and sending a look of ‘am i right, pam?’ to reception as pam just watches in amusement with a shaking head by the constant bickering.

you walk out the office, sliding your hand over jim’s shoulder with a squeeze that only he notices and he smiles widely as the clock finally turns to five. jim didn’t mind what was being said, knowing he’d be in your company the rest of the weekend.

michael immediately sends everyone home – never a man to keep people late, stanley moving faster than anyone out the door as everyone bids their goodbyes.

jim shrugs on his jacket, watching as you wait in the kitchen area – laughing along to chatterbox kelly until everyone else is away. he loved it, the sneaking around, no one else knowing you were his or he was yours.

“you know what dwight, i think you’re right,” jim muses, minutes later. “i know. i always am. what am i right about now?” dwight says frustrated, scarf wrapped around his neck as he grabs briefcase, not correlating jim’s words to the previous conversation.

“have a great weekend,” jim replies, placing a hand on dwight’s shoulder, while smiling – eyes not leaving your frame. dwight gets defensive, pushing jim’s arm away, “bye, weirdo.”

soon, kelly walks away, waving jim off so it’s just you, him, and michael. and you walk towards him in excitement, both of you looking to michael from his desk, “see you monday, michael!”

“have fun, you guys,” he responds as you walk off. the moment the elevator door opens, jim’s tugging your hand into his, guiding you into the elevator. a stream of laughter follows, lips that missed one another meeting in a loving kiss.

amorchai masterlist . taglist

amorchai © ─ all rights reserved. no reposting/translating/copying will be tolerated.

[caspiansinclair]

A LIST OF TFC KANDREW QUOTES/CRUMBS (i love them. i probably missed a good amount since this was from a light skimming through):

- to andrew: “you already have kevin”

- “[andrew] said he’d break his fingers if Coach ever made him play with kevin again.” “but he’s playing now?” “only because kevin is. kevin got back on court with a racquet in his right hand, and andrew wasn’t far behind. up until then they were fighting like cats and dogs. now look at them. they’re practically trading friendship bracelets and i couldn’t fit a crowbar between them if it’d save my life.” “but why? andrew hates kevin’s obsession with exy.” “the day they start making sense, let me know. i gave up trying to sort it all out weeks ago. you could ask, but neither of them will answer. but as long as i’m doling out advice? stop staring at kevin so much. you’re making me fear for your life.” “what do you mean?” “andrew is scary territorial over him. he punches me in the first time i said i’d like to get kevin too wasted to be straight.”

- “andrew was only here because kevin day never went anywhere alone.”

- about andrew: “he has only eyes for kevin”

- ‘“look at me,” andrew said. kevin turned a haunted at him… “it’ll be fine,” andrew said. “i promised, didn’t i? don’t you believe me?” it took a while, but at last kevin visibly relaxed. the dead edge melted out of his eyes as he absorbed every ounce of strength andrew could give him. the unwavering trust kevin had in andrew was amazing.”

- about andrew: “kevin needs him right now and that trumps whatever agreement you two had”

- “kevin had andrew to lean on”

- “i hate you.” “you don’t.” “how would you know?” “because if you did, andrew wouldn’t let you anywhere near me.”

- “andrew put his hand to kevin’s back and shoved him into the bedroom” (this one’s here for sillies.)

- “since kevin appears to be in the center of his (andrew’s) strange world”

- “this means andrew is keeping you, same as he kept kevin”

- “you’re the reason kevin’s going to stay with our team. andrew’s got kevin’s back, but you’ve got kevin’s attention. that makes you invaluable to andrew.”

- “kevin had to climb up andrew’s side to get to his feet after downing 13 drinks in an hour and a half”

- “Kevin was standing with Andrew inside the goal line, left hand out so Andrew could tug at his outer glove. Andrew undid the straps and peeled it off, then hooked it under his arm so he could take off Kevin's arm guard. He left Kevin's under-glove on, but unhooked the loop from Kevin's middle finger so he could slide the black cloth to Kevin's wrist. Kevin flexed his fingers slowly, staring at his scars, then turned his hand over and flexed his fingers again”

- “The look on Matt's face said he was just getting started, but Andrew stepped between them before Matt could go after Kevin again. Andrew was smiling and his stance was casual, but Matt knew better than to try his luck against the short psychopath. Matt took a step back, silently conceding the fight, and shot Neil a worried look. Kevin got to his feet behind Andrew and glared at Neil.”

[fluentmoviequoter]

Crushes Aren't Just for Kids

Pairing: Bruce Wayne x fem!JL!reader (Justice League Unlimited!Bruce)

Summary: When all adults are banished from earth, you join Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern in a unique fight to save the world. Along the way, some hidden feelings are revealed.

Warnings: spoilers/rewrite for Justice League Unlimited 1x3 "Kid's Stuff", fluff, mention of beheading, canon-level violence and action

Word Count: 3.1k+ words

A/N: I can't tell you how many times I've watched this show because Kevin Conroy's Batman in the DCAU tv shows is unmatched (and the kids who did the voice acting in this episode did phenomenally). I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think!🤍

Part 2: Butterflies Aren't Just for Kids >

Picture from Pinterest

Masterlist | DC Masterlist | Request Info

You are in a unique position for several reasons. Being one of the only human members of the Justice League, you find yourself pushing yourself to be the best you can and ensuring that you can keep up with your superpowered teammates. Plus, you are one of the only people who knew Bruce Wayne before you knew Batman, and no matter how much he denies it, you knew after one look that the man under the cowl was none other than your favorite billionaire. When you first arrived on the Watchtower with your fellow vigilante, you wondered if any of the superheroes (especially those who had unique mind powers) could tell that you wanted to be more than fellow crime fighters with Batman. If they did, no one said anything, so your secret crush has remained secret as it grows stronger.

“Bats,” you warn as you duck away from Cheetah’s claws.

Bruce flips away from Deadshot’s line of fire before rushing up beside him. He punches under his jaw, and you watch as Deadshot lifts Bruce off the ground. Bruce throws a batarang, and you slide away from them as Deadshot falls to the floor.

“Guess that’s a wrap,” Green Lantern says. At Bruce’s look, he adds, “Sorry. Been hanging out with Flash too much.”

“I don’t see how that’s a bad thing,” you tease.

You look away from John and see three police officers entering the vault. A pink wave follows them inside, and your eyes widen when the officers disappear. Bruce pulls you to his side as John creates a forcefield with his ring, but it fails nearly as quickly as it appears.

When you open your eyes on a floating rock, you’re still tucked against Bruce’s side. You step back quickly and look around. Dozens of rocks surround you and each holds numerous people; adults only, you notice.

“It was judgment day,” Copper exclaims, “and- and we got sent to the bad place. The bad place!”

“Where else were you expecting to go?” you ask sarcastically.

“Snap out of it, Copper!” Cheetah demands as she slaps him.

“Yeah, calm down,” John calls. “We’re probably just in another dimension.”

“I don’t see any children,” Bruce says.

“You would be the one to notice,” you murmur. “It’s not a bad thing,” you add when he directs his bat glare at you.

“That’s because a child is responsible,” a woman wearing a mask interjects as she hovers above you.

“Morgaine Le Fay,” Bruce greets, though he’s prepared to fight rather than exchange niceties and introductions.

“Great, magic,” you mutter as you fall in line between Bruce and Diana.

“I mean you no harm,” Morgaine assures. “My son Mordred has wrought this treachery. Banishing all adults to this shadow realm.”

“Do you think Flash is here?” you whisper to John.

“50/50,” he answers.

“After I spent millennia feeding him, bathing him, preparing him to be a king,” Morgaine continues. “Where did I go wrong?”

“You’re a sorceress. Can’t you just undo his spell?” Diana asks.

“No. He’s got the amulet of first magic. He’s too powerful. But if we all work together…”

“You want us to defeat your own son?” Bruce clarifies.

“So don’t trust me. Let him rule the world and all your children. Here we will stay. Forever.”

“But what can we do? We’re stuck here, aren’t we?” Diana says.

“Please don’t say-“ you begin.

“Not exactly,” Morgaine answers.

“That,” you finish as your shoulders slump.

“The spell only banishes adults.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” you and John say together.

“It’s the only way,” Morgaine says.

“We have to do it,” Clark announces.

John exhales deeply, and you step back to be at Bruce’s side again. Magic has never been your preferred battle, and as Morgaine directs her spell at you and everything turns green, you clutch Bruce’s cape in your hand.

When you arrive in Mordred’s amusement park-turned-kingdom, you’re ready to leave. Being turned into a kid again wasn’t exactly on your superhero bingo card, and as a human, you don’t bring much to the fight anyway.

“I hope this is temporary,” Bruce complains.

You look over at him and feel butterflies in your stomach. Despite de-aging, you still have a crush on Bruce, but it hits harder and faster. You tear your eyes away from him and try to calm your racing heart. Each moment you live as a kid, you’ll start acting more like one.

“You sound weird,” Clark says. “Whoa. So do I.”

Diana looks between Clark and John before straightening her shoulders. She towers over them and smiles. “I kind of like this.”

“Why are you squinting?” you ask John.

Bruce, Clark, and Diana look over after you ask, and you drop your eyes to avoid looking at Bruce again.

“I wore glasses as a kid. Guess I need ‘em again,” John answers.

A pair of oversized green glasses appear on his face, and he jumps in surprise. They’re nothing like what adult John would create, and you stifle a laugh at the sight of them.

“I didn’t even try to make these!” he exclaims.

Clark laughs as Bruce says, “I hope not.”

You pat John’s back as he focuses on making nicer glasses. Once he’s ready and Clark compliments his new look, Diana reminds you that you’re supposed to be looking for Mordred.

“Bet the little punk’s in there,” Bruce says.

He points to the castle looming in the distance and begins running. You run behind him and watch as Diana, Clark, and John fly past you.

“It’s not a race,” Bruce grumbles.

He speeds up, but you keep your pace and make it to the castle all the same. Despite the earlier teasing about John’s glasses, none of you have mentioned any differences between the kid and adult versions of one another. You’re thankful, though, because reliving your childhood is not your favorite pastime. When you enter the castle, you stay behind Bruce as he stands beside Diana.

“The Justice Babies!” Mordred calls before laughing.

“What are you laughing at, precious?” Bruce asks.

“Precious?” you repeat.

“You,” Mordred answers. “Mother sent you, didn’t she?”

“Maybe she wanted a chance to have a normal kid,” you taunt.

“She shouldn’t send a boy to do a man’s job,” Mordred tells Bruce.

He grabs the amulet, and you watch as a young boy’s toys come to life. They grow until they’re giant, and you stumble backward before running for cover. When Clark flies into one of them and is knocked to the floor, you begin questioning if it was truly a good idea to become kids to fight a boy with powerful magic.

“Bruce, batarang,” you request.

He hands you one before running toward Mordred. You wait for one of the toys to run toward you before sliding between its legs.

“I’ll make a laser cannon. No, a missile launcher,” John says above you. “Oh! Oh, I know.”

“Just pick something!” you and Bruce yell together.

You dig the batarang into the back of the toy’s leg and roll to the side as it collapses to the ground before disappearing. Bruce and John take one out, while Clark disables the other with his laser vision.

When you hear Bruce grunting and see him dangling from his cape in the grip of the last toy, you gasp and run toward him. Diana beats you there and catches him.

“You okay, tough guy?” she asks.

“Let go. I’m fine,” Bruce demands as he struggles to get out of her hold.

His shoulders drop and his cape surrounds him as he sulks. You don’t ask the same question Diana had but thank him for the batarang as he passes.

“That’s not fair,” Mordred complains.

“Get him!” Bruce calls.

You run behind Diana and aren’t surprised when you’re all encased in ice. Mordred is powerful, and you and your fellow “Justice Babies” seem to be forgetting that. When you fall into a dungeon and are freed from the ice, you scoot toward Bruce. One of the cells opens, and red eyes glow within. You clutch Bruce’s cape and watch as a small demon walks out.

“Etrigan?” Bruce asks.

He steps away from you, and his cape slips through your fingers. You stay behind John’s forcefield as Diana lifts Bruce out of the way of Etrigan’s flame. Diana has been closer to Bruce during this mission than usual, and the butterflies in your stomach start causing more pain than happiness as you wonder if they’ve been hiding feelings for one another in the Watchtower, too.

“Don’t hurt him!” Bruce yells as Clark pulls Etrigan away from you and John.

Etrigan bites Clark’s arm, and he calls, “Tell him that!”

“C’mere,” you tell Etrigan. You crouch to the floor and pull him into your arms. “Stop!”

He calms down, and Diana helps Bruce up as Etrigan cries. You look at Bruce and shrug.

“He’s just a baby,” Diana says.

“And he needs more than a hug,” John adds, waving his hand in front of his nose.

“Now, that is a job for Superman,” Bruce says.

Bruce takes Etrigan from your arms and passes him to Clark. When Bruce takes your hand to lead you out of the dungeon, you nearly trip over your own feet. You’ve never been more ready to grow up before, you think.

Mordred’s new kingdom is comprised mostly of children doing what they were never allowed to do before. When you walk through the paths surrounding what used to be the center of the park, you are surrounded by children doing dangerous stunts and breaking rules.

“You two, knock that off!” Clark demands when he sees two boys playing with wooden swords.

“What are you gonna do? You’re just a kid,” they taunt.

Clark shoots a laser between them and answers, “I’m the kid with laser beams coming out of his eyes.”

“That’s just gonna scare them,” you interject before they run away screaming. “You can’t threaten kids the same way you threaten criminals.”

“Then what do we do?” John asks.

“Tattle,” Diana answers. She flies to an elevated area and yells, “That’s enough!”

Everyone freezes, and you find yourself reaching for Bruce.

“You can’t tell us what to do! You’re not our mom!” someone replies.

“No, but I promise you we will find all of your moms and I’m gonna tell!” Diana answers.

“Well, what should we do?”

“Go outside and wait for your parents. Now!” Diana demands with a hand on her hip.

“Man, your girlfriend sure is bossy,” John tells Bruce.

“Shut up,” he replies before leaving John’s side.

Those butterflies in your stomach become dead weight. You stall behind John, but he turns to look at you.

“You like Bruce,” he accuses.

“What? No!” you answer too quickly. “We’re friends.”

“Mmhmm.”

John gestures for you to come with him, and you follow Bruce together. You know that John knows more than he ever lets on, and if anyone found out about your crush, you suppose you should be glad that it’s the one who can keep a secret. Better him than Wally.

“He’s almost asleep,” Diana whispers as you look into Mordred’s hideout. “We can take him.”

“I’ll make a lawnmower and chew him up,” John suggests.

“A lawnmower?” you repeat incredulously. “Why?”

“I say we get that amulet away from him first,” Bruce says. “We’ll split up and sneak behind him. Then Lantern can do his thing. But no mowers.”

“Why?” John questions.

“Because it’s stupid,” Clark answers.

“He’ll hear it, too,” you whisper with much more kindness than Clark.

“I guess I’ll go with Clark,” Diana says. “Unless I should go with you,” she tells Bruce.

“Whatever,” Bruce answers.

John sees your eyes drop and says, “Clark can go alone. I’ll go with Diana.”

You appreciate it but shake your head because you don’t want to be left alone with Bruce.

“Whatever,” Bruce repeats.

“Go,” John whispers.

You lead Bruce around the side of the cave, and John shakes his head as he watches you go.

“What’s with them?” Clark asks.

“Really?” Diana questions.

“Man, for somebody with fifty different kinds of vision you are so blind,” John responds.

“What?”

“Is that a claw?” you ask Bruce as John tries to get the amulet.

“Unfortunately,” he answers.

He may be young, but his sarcasm hasn’t changed a bit. You lean against him when John’s claw wavers before disappearing. The amulet falls to Mordred’s chest, and Bruce moves you carefully as he calls, “Get the amulet!”

You join Bruce, Diana, Clark, and John in a failing attempt to hold Mordred down and take the amulet. He uses his magic to grow and throws Bruce and Diana off of him before standing. A young girl is standing nearby, and you take her hand to lead her to safety as the others fight Mordred.

“Bats!” you yell, just as you had as an adult this morning.

Bruce looks back and sees the living gargoyle chasing him and John and directs John toward a small bridge.

“Close the door!” you yell as Bruce enters the castle.

Diana closes and locks the door behind him, and you listen to John come up with complicated plans to stop Mordred as Bruce thinks.

“Forget it!” Bruce calls after John mentions giant handcuffs. “We’ve got to focus on…” Bruce’s eyes lock with yours and he says, “Never mind what I just said. We’ll take care of everything else. Lantern, you go crazy.”

“What are you going to do?” you ask.

“It’s time for all of us to grow up,” Bruce answers.

He takes your hand before running toward another area of the kingdom. Your butterflies begin reviving, and you wonder if anything will be the same after this.

“Go!” he yells to Clark.

Clark pulls the amulet from Mordred’s neck while he’s distracted by John before tossing it to Bruce.

“This is the most dangerous game of keep away I’ve ever played,” you yell as you take the amulet from Bruce and run it to Diana. Diana throws it to Etrigan, and you flinch when he bites into it. The wave of purple magic that escapes it is unsettling, but you don’t take your eyes off Mordred.

“I already absorbed too much of the amulet’s power,” Mordred says as he stands.

He uses his magic to suspend all of you, and Etrigan, upside down in the air. He pulls a sword from a nearby stone, and it turns purple before reappearing as a curved blade.

“I’ll take care of my kingly duty myself,” he declares.

“Is he really going to behead us in an amusement park?” you ask with your arms crossed over your chest.

“I’m scared,” the girl you helped earlier says. “I want my mommy.”

Mordred lowers his blade to say, “You don’t need a mommy. You’re better off without one. Trust me.”

“Ooh, mommy issues,” John muses. “Those ain’t easy.”

The girl begins crying and Clark taunts, “Some king.”

“I’m not impressed,” Diana agrees.

“What’d you expect? He’s a boy doing a man’s job,” Bruce finishes.

“You don’t know what it’s like being stuck as a kid,” Mordred says.

“Since you’ve had all that power, you could have been a man anytime you wanted. I think you’re too chicken to grow up.”

“Yep, big chicken. That’s what you are,” John agrees, flapping his arms like wings. “Bock, bock.”

“Face it, precious,” Bruce continues. “You like being a little mama’s boy.”

“I’ll show you!” Mordred yells. “I’ll show you all.”

“Sure, you will,” you agree with an eye roll.

“And when I am a true king, I’ll start with the human!” Mordred adds, pointing to you.

Bruce looks at you, but you keep your eyes on Mordred as he spreads his arms and is surrounded by purple ribbons of magic. Etrigan claps as Mordred’s spell spreads, and he reappears as a man.

“I’m older than you now,” Mordred says as he turns to face you.

The magic released his spell, and you catch yourself as you fall from the air.

“You sure are,” Bruce says.

Mordred disappears, banished by his own spell. As an adult, he couldn’t stay, and now you can only wait until Morgaine does her part. Bruce steps to your side and you turn your face toward him.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Yes,” you answer just before Morgaine appears.

“A bargain is a bargain,” she says as she waves her hand before you.

The spell is lifted, and you are an adult again in only a second. You hadn’t prepared for the change in size however and are pressed against Bruce’s chest with the sudden growth. He makes no move to get space from you, though.

“Mommy,” Etrigan coos at Diana.

She drops him and steps back. You chuckle at the scene and Diana looks at you with furrowed brows before smiling and rolling her eyes.

Morgaine opens a portal, and Bruce places a hand on your hip as he steps around you.

“Wait,” he calls. “What happened to Mordred?”

“My spell gave him eternal youth but now that he’s broken it all he has is eternal life,” she answers.

“Circumstances aside, it was kind of enjoyable to be a kid again,” Diana says.

You walk to Bruce’s side and watch the happy reunions of children with their parents.

“I’m sorry,” you offer softly.

“For what?” he asks.

“You just- you didn’t get to be a kid like the rest of us.”

“Perhaps Diana was right. It wasn’t completely unenjoyable.”

He turns toward you, and his arm is pressed to your shoulder.

“You’re telling me the big, bad bat had a little bit of fun?” you tease.

“You never talk about your childhood,” he deflects. “So, I’m sorry if this brought up bad memories.”

“Just dead butterflies,” you answer.

Bruce glares at you, but it’s the one unique to when he’s reading you.

“Is that why Lantern sent us off alone together?”

You look down as you nod.

“My butterflies are alive and well, and happy to wait for you,” Bruce murmurs.

“Butterflies or bats?” you ask.

“Should we be having this conversation in an amusement park?”

“You’re right. Let’s go to Metropolis and make the cover of the Daily Planet so Clark has to write all about it.”

Bruce sighs, but he takes your hand as he leads you outside the amusement park. He presses a button on his utility belt and the Batmobile pulls up a moment later.

“Bruce,” you say once you’re inside. “You were a really cute kid.”

“You were really bad at eye contact,” Bruce counters. “Or was that just with me?”

“I guess crushes aren’t just for kids,” you muse.

“Maybe Diana will stop pestering me to ask you out now.”

You nod as you watch the road before you. It takes a moment, but you finally understand what Bruce just said.

“What?”

[drachenlegend]

Current Era Herrscher Reader x Fire Moth Members

Part 1, Part 2

Synopsis: The CE (Your/Name) is enlisted to World Serpent following a run-in that resulted in their involvement with one of Jackal’s experiments and enters the Elysian Realm. This is probably the final part unless you want to see an epilogue. Also, spoilers for the Chapters 29-31.

The first half will serve as an introduction and as Kevin and Elysia’s parts. The second half will be the other Flame-chasers.

The cold corridors of World Serpent’s base made your skin crawl as you were dragged along the ice-cold floor with a bag over your head and your arms chained behind you with Honkai-suppressing properties. It was a rather medieval experience but certainly not of the ones you were keen on experiencing.

“Now, now. Let’s all take a moment to calm down and-” 

“Oh, shut up already!” One of Jackal’s subordinates smacked you across your face to shut you up, which it did - for a few seconds.

“Come now, friends. Can’t we at least take off the hood? I’m starting to fall asleep here! At least, let me look around!”

“God, they’re so annoying.” The person on your left muttered.

“Relax, we’re almost at the Sire’s throne room.” The person to your right calmed down their friend. “We can leave them there and Lady Jackal will take over from there.”

“I know, I know... Hey, do you think the Sire does anything besides sit on his throne-”

“Both of you, silence.” A woman’s voice shut them both up and made you perk up upon hearing the newcomer approach you while two sets of footsteps went in the other direction. Her heels clicked on the floor and circled around you as you could feel her sizing you up until she stopped behind you. “Get up.” You could feel her warm breath on your ear and shivered slightly but obliged to her command.

“You must be Jackal. Your helpers were lovely company, though I have more reason to believe you’ll be far more charming!” You smile despite the grim situation you found yourself in, finding everything happening around you far too amusing to not enjoy the moment.

Jackal doesn’t say anything to you; she merely pushes you up the stairs and into a large throne room where the temperature had dropped immensely. However, the more important factor was the even more immense power radiating from the person sitting in the throne in the center that was enough to attract your attention.

“Sire. I’ve brought the individual responsible for the stagnation of our operations.”

“Hey, don’t forget your two friends! They did most of the heavy lifting-”

Smack!

“Do not mention those incompetent buffoons.”

“Sorry...”

“...Understood.” The person called “Sire” said and you could tell it was a male’s. “Do they have a name?”

“Of course, Sire. Their name is...” You could hear Jackal calmly shuffling through papers, the calmness of her movements turning agitated as she couldn’t for the life of her find your name.

“Are you sure you’re not the incompetent one?” You inquire in a mock innocent tone, tilting your head at the woman who was seconds away from smacking you again.

“How dare you-”

“Jackal.” The man merely said. “Leave us. You’ve done enough.”

“Y-Yes, Sire...” You heard the disappointment in Jackal’s voice and felt a bit bad for her but your attention went over to the leader of his organization.

“Are you done playing your games, Herrscher?”

You smile and stood up, breaking the chains binding you as if they were made of glass. “Yeah, maybe a little. I’ll save it for Madame Jackal. I also heard that there was a pretty little bird wandering here as well.” Pulling the hood of your head, you were prepared to face an icy stare of a monster but were instead met with a slightly wide eyed stare from a white-haired man who was, for whatever reason, surprised to see your face. “So, you’re this ‘Sire’ that I’ve been hearing a lot about? Hm... That doesn’t sound cool enough. How about ‘Ice Cube?’ Does that sound good?”

“...(Your/Name)?“ You heard him whisper, still taken aback by your appearances, and you raised an eyebrow.

“Huh? You know my name? Who are you, Ice Cube?”

“...” The king of ice shook his head and regained his composure, although, you could see the tiniest crack in his mask. “It is not your business, Herrscher. What matters now,” He stood up from his throne, summoning a mighty greatsword of flames from nowhere and heating up the room. “is what you plan on doing now.”

“Heh, I’m quite confident in my fighting capabilities, Ice Cube.” You smiled and ready yourself for battle. “But, how about this? If I win, I get to walk free and you won’t bother me ever. If you win, then I’ll help you with whatever cult-y things you’re doing.”

The man didn’t say anything and you took his silence as his agreement to the terms. Stretching your body, you prepared to fight-

===

A Few Weeks Later...

===

You totally lost won the fight.

......

Ahem, Kevin didn’t exactly beat you into the dirt like some may have thought but it was more comparable to an older brother scolding their mischievous younger sibling.

Silver lining: you were able to force out of him a terrifying transformation that no one in this era had ever seen before and destroyed around 80% of the main World Serpent base, earning you the animosity of Jackal who had to clean up after you two.

After you woke up, you found the man waiting patiently for you and he introduced himself to you as Kevin Kaslana. That name... It made you feel an odd sense of nostalgia but you couldn’t put your finger on it and he didn’t seem to want to say anything when you pestered him about this. You decided to honor your side of the agreement since you were seeking answers from Kevin.

“Are you focusing on the mission?” Your elder in the World Serpent hierarchy, a woman with short, light gray hair and crimson orbs, shook you out of your reminiscing with her question, mistaking your silence for... window shopping.

“Of course I am, Songbird! It’s just... *sighs* I’m bored.”

“So, you aren’t focusing...”

“C’mon, Songbird. All of this waiting around and spying is booooooring! Let’s go grab something to eat, just me and you, and then we can go back to base together!”

“Pass.” Raven bluntly replied and kept looking through the scope of her sniper rifle, surveying the dull buildings and dark alleyways.

“Why are you so fixated in this Kiana girl anyways? Got a grudge or something?”

“...Something like that.”

You raise an eyebrow but before you could comment on it, you received a transmission to return to base.

“Oh, got to go, Songbird. Ice Cube’s calling me back. You fine with staying in Arc City while only having Jackal for company?”

“Is anyone ever fine with that?” Raven remarks as you both chuckle before bidding farewell to each other.

After a long ride back with nothing to do to pass the time, you found yourself outside of the throne room and were (not) surprised to find Kevin waiting for you in his usual stance: arms crossed and eyes closed.

“Yo, Ice Cube!” You shouted, waving a hand at the man when he opened his eyes. There was a tiny inkling of relief in his blue eyes before he snuffed it out as quickly as it had surfaced. “Why’d you call me back?”

“(Your/Name), I think it’s time for you to learn the truth of the Honkai and visit the Elysian Realm.”

“Already?” You raise an eyebrow, having heard of this place from “Songbird” and admitted that you were a tad bit curious about this mysterious location. Though, you weren’t expecting to be sent there this early, considering that Raven had only gone recently after many years of serving World Serpent. “Don’tcha think  you should wait until springing something this important upon me, Ice Cube?”

“You’re... a special case.” You saw the odd look in Kevin’s eyes return and decided to not comment on it as he continued to stare off into space.

“...Soooo, where do I go exactly?”

Kevin snapped out of his sorrowful reminiscing and pointed toward the ominous, dark hallway at the end of the corridor.

“Ah, of course. I should have known that it would be in the creepiest place here... Later, Ice Cube.” You shake your head and waved goodbye. You headed off in the direction that Kevin had indicated, noticing that the only footsteps echoing throughout the hallway was yours. But, when you looked back, he was gone. “How does he keep doing that...?” You thought to yourself and merely shrugged it off for now - there were more pressing matters to attend to. 

Each step you took forward toward the Elysian Realm seemed to make each subsequent step feel even heavier than the previous. You felt a bud of unease growing in your chest the closer you got to those ominously inviting doors.

Placing a hand on the doors, you readied yourself to find what was inside, taking a deep breath and closing your eyes, and then kicking the door open with a bright smile.

“Greetings for I, Y/N - the one and only Herrscher of World Serpent, have arrived! No need for applause or cheers!” You waited...and waited for a response but were only met with a dead silence. Anyone could have dropped a needle and you would have heard it.

When you opened your eyes, you found...an empty room.

“Really? No one to greet little ol’ me? Ice Cube’s gonna get a scolding from me...” With an annoyed pout, you venture deeper into this odd place, left with a sour taste in your mouth after this initial disappointment that was soon washed away with the spectacle that was this location.

On your left was a wall stacked with memorials and trinkets from the Previous Era, a minibar, and a small lounge area. Meanwhile, on your right was a set of peculiar tubes with seemingly no significant purpose and a large table with various screens pulled up on the back wall, showing... Well, you didn’t pay much attention to the details in the real world so why would you now?

What really caught your attention was the floating device in the back-center, radiating a strange pink light.

“Hm... I probably shouldn't touch that...”

...

"Oh, who am I kidding?" You press some buttons and, after a bright flash of light, found yourself on a strange platform that looked nothing like the lobby area. However, before you could question your surroundings, Honkai beasts began to emerge from the ground.

With a smirk, you summon your weapon and twirl it.

Back in the lobby, a single Flame-chaser logged in and let out a yawn.

“Hi~! Sorry for being a little late, I wanted to make sure I looked my best for you, newcomer~!” The extroverted woman with pointy ears looked around to see that no one was here. She was a little disappointed but also didn’t mind at the same time.

“Oh, they must be running late as well. I’ll just wait here then~!“ Elysia excitedly sat down on one of the couches and waited patiently...for a couple of minutes...

“Any minute now~!”

A few more minutes pass...

“Any minute now...”

Those few minutes of waiting eventually turn into hours...

“...D-Did I get the day wrong? Kevin wouldn’t lie to me, would he? No, he’s too nice to do that.” Elysia was now curled up into a ball, a rather adorable pout on her face as she struggled to hold back dramatic tears. “Nonono, I made sure to not mess up the date. So, where are they?” 

Elysia sniffed twice before she heard the sound of the portal to the deeper parts of the Elysian Realm open and realized what happened. She quickly wiped her face and returned to her normal, chirpy self in no time.

“Hiii~!” Elysia turned her head to greet the ‘newcomer‘ with her usual bright smile. “Welcome to-” Her eyes widened and her smile faltered when she saw your face and the blood trickling down your face as many emotions and memories overwhelmed her.

“Oh, hey. Do you know where I am?” You casually ask, smiling happily while fixing your clothes that were in tatters after your little “Elysian Realm Test Run.” Your good mood was quickly replaced with confusion when you looked back up to see the elf-eared woman staring straight at you with a shocked expression and tears welling up in her eyes.

“(Y-Your/Name)?” Elysia’s voice cracked when she said your name. She knew that another Y/N would be born in the Current Era and that the one she knew was long gone, but that didn’t make it hurt any less when you said:  

“Do I know you?”

With a forced smile, Elysia shook her head and muttered a soft “No, of course not...”

“Hey, I might not know who you are...” You close the distance between you and her, and cupped her face, wiping her tears away. “But, that doesn’t mean I won’t be concerned when you start to cry after seeing me.”

Elysia smiled at you and grabbed your hands, noting how delicate and smooth they felt. Just then, a strange sensation shot through her and your body, and her eyes widened in shock.

“Y-You’re...”

“Oh, right. I should probably introduce myself anyways even though you already know my name...” Taking a few steps back and pulling your hands away from a frozen-in-place Elysia, you simply bowed. “I am [Your/Name] [Last/Name], this era’s Herrscher of Binding.”

“Oh...” Elysia cupped your face, her eyes sparkling with tears and her smile replaced with a frown - a sight that had never been seen before. “How cruel can fate be? To make you shoulder the burdens of a Herrscher once more...”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Elysia did not answer and simply shook her head before turning away, disabling herself for the time being as she disappeared in a flash of light.

Even if you had no idea what was going on, you still felt a pang of guilt in your chest, followed by a soul-crushing feeling when you remembered Elysia’s face.

You questioned if you should have even came here and decided that perhaps it would be best to leave as things had gone way off course to what you imagined and the mood was ruined.

However, before you stepped back through the door to the real world, you heard the sound of footsteps behind you and turned your head to see Kevin.

“Oh, Ice Cube... When did you get here and why did you even send me here? I don’t mind the extra training from that device back there but I feel like I could get the same results in... What?”

“...” Kevin didn’t say anything and continued to stare at you in a mixture of utter confusion and shock.

You were confused by the surprise on Kevin’s face, wondering why he was making the same expression he had done when you first met him. Then, you felt the power exuding from him.

“Ice Cube, when did you... How did you get this strong in such a short time frame!? You’ve been holding back against me?“

“...No, I believe you’re misunderstanding the situation. Do you not know where you are?” A tilt of the head from you was all he needed to know that, yes, you had no idea where you were. “...(sighs) Follow me.” Kevin merely said and led you over to the lounge area where he would explain the purpose of the Elysian Realm to you.

===

...Timeskip...

===

“I see...” You nodded and gazed at the table in front of you, sitting on the opposite side of the lounge from Kevin. “So, this is where you make your noodles.”

“...Were you even paying attention?”

“Yeah, yeah. This is the place where the memories of the Previous Era’s greatest warriors are stored in the form of simulations - which is what you are - and where I can learn more about them. But, do you have any idea how famous your noodles are in the outside world?“

“Focus, Y/N.” PE Kevin tried to grab your attention but you were well off in your own world.

“I mean, some people at World Serpent worship them more than you-”

“Do you not wish to learn more of what your connection to the Previous Era is? To learn of why the other me and I reacted the way we did?” You didn’t respond but the silence in the lounge spoke louder than words. “Then, I would suggest you explore more and seek out answers.” Kevin recommended to you before making a swift exit.

You stared down at the unopened instant noodles in your hand before sighing to yourself and placing it on the table. “Guess you were always supposed to be good at convincing me then, Ice Cube.” You left the lounge and approached the floating device once more, Kevin’s advice echoing in your mind, followed by a series of questions.

Who was I to these people?

What happened to the PE version of me?

Why did Ice Cube send me here?

Taking a deep breath, you pressed the button and closed your eyes as you felt yourself being teleported deeper inside this mysterious place. When you opened your eyes, you found yourself back on the platform with Honkai beast simulations appearing around you and readied yourself to fight your way through this strange world for the answers to the questions plaguing your mind.

The beasts were no match for you and they were annihilated within seconds thanks to your Herrscher powers.

However, now, you found yourself facing three floating mechanisms all with different symbols in the center which wasn’t present the first time. You looked around for a guide, but found none, unaware that the person that was supposed to be your guide through the Elysian Realm had left you in tears and disabled herself for the time being.

However, even without Elysia here, you could tell that the realm was waiting for you to make a choice and your eyes flickered between the gateways before you finally made your choice...

Aponia [III] - Discipline

"You're... No, I know you're not them... And, yet..."

Aponia's special connection to the Elysian Realm allowed her to sense the presence of a Herrscher. However, that didn't mean she knew it was you until you stepped in front of her with the same smile as your predecessor, the same pair of (Eye/Color) orbs gleaming with life, your (Hair/Length) (Hair/Color) hair — everything was the same.

Aponia is normally quiet and her emotions are still like the seas on a windless day, but when you speak with her, you can see straight through her without trouble. Whenever she is around you, she is reminded of the endearing child she once looked after and tries both metaphorically and literally get closer to you, and is heartbroken when you back away.

Eventually, Aponia accepts that you're your own person and stops trying to relive the past through you. However, that doesn't stop the occasion pats on the head that you accept and lingering sorrowful gazes she unknowingly sends your way when you speak with the other Flame-chasers. To humanity, they defeated a Herrscher that day, but to her, she lost her child.

"'Why do I keep following you?' I...am unsure of how to answer that. I know you are your own person. And, yet, I cannot help but make sure you are safe at all times. Perhaps, I wish to take responsibility for that fateful day..."

Eden [IV] - Gold

"Either the Elysian Realm is malfunctioning, or someone installed an update that allows us to hallucinate..." The empty chuckle escaping Eden echoed across the lounge and left a wave of discomfort to wash over you.

Contrary to what Raven and Owl told you beforehand, Eden is far from the elegant idol you were led to believe and more akin to a rambling drunk, but something told you that was in part thanks to you.

Whenever you entered her domain, you always happened upon Eden taking a sip of her wine as she stared off into the distance with a foggy look in her eyes. You weren't sure how a simulation could get tipsy, but that didn't make the sight of her drunk sobs and intoxicated murmurs any less comfortable to sit through.

Eden's unhealthy addiction eases over time and she apologizes for her "unprofessional" showings. She starts to show more of that side that your co-workers mentioned and you begin to see glimpses of the revered, gentle, beloved songstress of the Previous Era. However, no matter how much she tries to hide it, you can still see lingering fragments of sorrow behind her gaze whenever you locked eyes with her.

"I know it is unfair of me to ask this, but... May I ask of you to sing a song with me? It's... the only regret I refused to leave in the Previous Era... You will? Oh, thank you for indulging in this troublesome relic's request."

Vill-V [V] - Helix

"Behold! The brand-new and perfected Kevin Killer Mk. 2000! You should feel honored, Herrscher of the Current Era! For this technology and level of ingenuity has never... never... Y-You... Why are you here?"

The whispers surrounding the holder of the Helix signet told you volumes of her flamboyancy and her domain certainly lived up to your expectations. Vill-V, on the other hand, did not.

From the other Flame-chasers, you've learned about her multiple personalities and the drastic differences between them. Yet, whenever you tried to strike up a conversation with her, you are only met with sadness and a reluctance to converse.

It takes a lot of effort on your end, but eventually the talk you share with her last longer than a few words. They turn to 5 words, 6, words, 7 words, 8 words, then a sentence, several sentences, and before long, you could finally hold a entire conversation with her. After that, it didn't take long for her to show her true self (or selves, in this case) and you two quickly became quick friends, much to both Kevin's annoyance (and slight relief).

"Attention everyone! The greatest magician of all time is here with her new assistant! Prepare to be awed by our spectacular performance!"

Kalpas [VI] - Decimation

"...Are you a trick of the Honkai? Or, are you here just to anger me with your face?"

Kalpas isn't like the others. He knows that the PE (Your/Name) is long dead and the one in front of him now is someone else entirely. However, despite knowing this, the anger burning in his chest whenever his gaze lands on you, forcing him to remember that day, eats away at him without mercy.

Kalpas tries to avoid you whenever possible and you do the same to him, leaving him feeling an odd mixture of both contentedness and annoyance. While you are preoccupied with the trials of the other Flame-chasers, he watches you from afar, along with Sakura.

Even when every data of his simulation fully recognizes you as a Herrscher of the Current Era, it doesn't stop him from falling into the same trap the others were ensnared in: He still saw shadows of the previous (Your/Name) in you.

"...Your technique is too flashy. If I hadn't stepped in, you would have been injured. Go in for the kill next time... Huh? You think I've been watching you this entire time? Don't be absurd. Why would I do that? You trying to pick a fight?!"

And, that was the events that led up to Kalpas being placed in the "naughty boys and girls corner" by Kevin, Elysia, Aponia, and Sakura.

Su [VII] - Bodhi

"...Hm? You... I see... Have you been trapped in this samsara of tragedy, (Your/Name)?"

Su is difficult to read, whether it was intentional on his end or not. A part of you believes that he feels a little melancholic when he "sees" you while the other half wonders if he shared the same relationship to your previous self like his fellow MANTIS.

Su spends much of his time meditating, making it difficult to approach him. He is usually the one who initiates the conversation, which usually ends with you having to sit down to listen to his 3-hour-long spiels.

It is only through Elysia's tutorage, you slowly learn how to read the enlightened individual and realize he does care. It is also through Elysia that you tragically learn Su was the doctor who extensively tried everything he could to save your predecessor, only to end up being the only one there to hold their hand as they passed away.

"...(Your/Name)? Is there something you need- Oh." Su was taken aback when you hugged him out of the blue and didn't quite understand until you whispered a soft, "Thank you for trying until the very end." "...Thank you."

Sakura [VIII] - Setsuna

"A Herrscher? Wait, no. You're..."

After your predecessor's death, the real Sakura never synced with her simulation, leaving the latter blissfully unaware of the tragic fate that befell the PE (Your/Name). When she learns the truth, Sakura is distraught and in shambles. Thankfully, your presence and words are a tremendous help in her recovery, and it doesn't take long for her to bounce back and pick up the pieces on the ground.

Sakura is a gentle, loving soul and frequently goes out of her way to make your stay at the Elysian Realm is the best it can be, which meant she will usually butt heads with Kalpas to a certain extent and Mobius.

Much like Kalpas, Sakura watches over you from afar as you effortlessly cleave through the hordes of Honkai beasts standing in your way. And, also like with Kalpas, there's a small iota of older sibling's pride blooming in her chest when she sees your strength.

"Even though you're not the (your/Name) I knew, I can't help but feel content with knowing you've grown into a capable warrior... I... I only wish Rin was here to see you too."

Kosma [IX] and Griseo [XI] - Daybreak and Stars

"(Y-Your/Name)?" Kosma muttered, his harmonica falling to the floor as so did Griseo's brush.

By now, you believed you were more than accustomed to the reactions of the Flame-chasers upon seeing your face. Soon, you were proven wrong when you felt Griseo's little arms try to wrap around your waist as she bawled loudly while Kosma held back, instead choosing to gawk at you from afar.

Every moment you spent in the Elysian Realm from that point onward was with Griseo and Kosma trailing behind you like two baby ducklings following their mother, which you didn't mind. Of course, everyone knew they were thousands of years older than you, but that didn't stop the giggles and laughs from the onlookers.

The painting world Griseo frequented was vibrant and humming with life whenever you visited and the tunes coming from Kosma's harmonica sounded more cheerful as he listened to you paint together.

"...Stay safe."

"Come over again tomorrow...please."

Mobius [X] - Infinity

"Hmph. When I saw Elysia disable herself for an entire day, I knew something was wrong."

Much like Kalpas, Mobius knows you're not the PE (Your/Name) and isn't so welcoming like the other Flame-chasers, so expect to be met with hostility and venom as she lives up to the Honkai beast she infused herself with.

The portals leading to her domain are extremely rare to come across, which, to her annoyance, meant you would take it every time to visit her laboratory. Her dislike for you is crystal clear but your curiosity for how she felt about your predecessor spurred you on to remain by her side.

Mobius does a well enough job to hide her feelings and it takes you a longer time to decipher her true feelings. It is only thanks to the pieces of information you gathered from conversations with the other Flame-chasers and Klein do you finally can say you can began to understand Mobius with confidence.

"Hm? Oh, it's you... 'Do I miss the previous (Your/Name)?' How foolish. What makes you think... Oh, I see now. Klein and others fed you this foolish notion that I missed them, haven't they? If you wish to pass my trials, then you'd best learn to filter out the false lies from the riffraff." Mobius tells you with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, where you can see the tiniest fragments of sadness locked behind the vault of her simulation programming.

Hua [XII] - Vicissitude

"The Honkai... It has already taken so much from me, including the person who shares the same face as you. Tell me, or you an enemy or a friend?"

Hua tries to put up a tough exterior, but the cracks of her mask make themselves known before she could even finish her question as you slowly bring her into a small hug like you did with Su.

There were some moments that Hua chose to forget via Fenghuang Down but the moments she spent with the PE (Your/Name), from the first meeting to their death, remained with her all these years. Therefore, it is imperative to let her take her time in getting used to seeing your face again.

Back in the Previous Era, besides the other Flame-chasers, Hua wasn't too experienced with making friends and that made your friendship all the more special to her. Hua follows you around the Elysian Realm like with Kosma and Griseo, but unlike them, knows when to give you space, specifically when you underwent a trial.

Hua is ashamed to admit that she is jealous of the real her once she learns that she is alive thanks to you. She wishes to fly high and experience the fresh air of the Current Era, but doesn't mind listening to your stores and seeing it through your lenses.

"This necklace... It... It belonged to the previous you. I know it is unfair of me to ask this, but... Can I ask you to take care of it for me?"

Pardofelis [XIII] - Reverie

"...Huh? Huh? Huh?! (Your/Name), is that you?! Oh, I knew all these years of throwing coins in the fountain would pay off!"

It takes a lot of effort to get out of the bear hug she ensnared you in but eventually, you manage to sit her down and explain who you were, earning a soft "...Oh."

Surprisingly, she doesn't dwell too long on her mistake and bounces back to her usual happy-go-lucky self. She treats you no different than she would if you were the Previous (Your/Name) while also acknowledging you were your own person which was a nice change of pace.

Purchasing items from her shop still costs you money—don't get it twisted. But, at least they were all between 50% to 100% off, so there's nothing complain about...right?

Pardofelis and, by extension, Can always greet you with a cheerful smile and hug you tightly. It sorta reminded you when you were younger and had look after two of your neighbor's cats. Heck, they even purr when you scratch them under the chin.

"Hey, (Your/Name)! I got some new things in the shop today! Whaddaya say to these bad boys I nabbed from Big Sis Snake's room?...Huh? She's looking for m-me? Uh... A-Actually, I have a favor! Can you return these for me, h-hahaha..."

[elegyofthemoon]

so i still havent read through her character story and i will after i finish running errands, but from her voice lines, it really makes me think a lot of like ch 17/thunders over nagazora mei, who was content to fall into darkness - to be wiped of existence and to be kept in solitude and isolation - away from her loved ones (kiana) if it meant that kiana would live and have a chance.

like i think esp her line on black holes makes me think more about the mei who fell into the shadows and dooming herself to the very thing she feared and doomed her to becoming a herrscher in the first place

its just the gentle/quiet drifting away into nothingness

but so many of her lines reflect on the brevity of life and existence so its just. yeah....

me reading through acheron's voice lines just looks like

[cartoon-cass]

Comprehensive breakdown of MURDER DRONES - Episode 7: Mass Destruction

I saw a breakdown of this episode on youtube and it was just clearly rushed so I want to do this episode justice so here's my comprehensive breakdown.

New intro, look at them! They look so happy, that is not the case in the episode, to say the least. With how much rubber hosing this animation has I would not be surprised if this was done by Kevin Temmer Tunes with what he learned from amazing digital circus Edit: N was animated by Micah Preciado and Uzi by Zachary Preciado

Bad day to accidentally grab the wrong uniform, I do wonder where the actual Dr.Chambers was in all this. Wonder if it would have made a difference... probably not.

Not actually important but having the shadows of the claws that aren't actually there be the thing to interact with the world is fucking cool as hell. This whole scene is a cool twist on an exorcism with robots and science.

Like look at this, it's a pentagram magnet, a normal pentagram from my basic pop culture understanding it's meant to not only summon a demon but also keep them from leaving the circle. A strong magnet is so smart for this case as it's used to keep Nori in place, I mean it doesn't end up working in the end but it's the thought that counts.

It took my second watch of this episode to realize why the lights got turned on, it revealed the tentacles and claws but it's sun light, the same stuff that burns the Disassembly Drones and Uzi. It even has the same effect as in the end of Episode 4

Can I just say how extra it is making the USB a crucifix, I love it. Also I just notice that on the end of the crucifix the detailing is actually in the shape of a USB symbol, the details in this show is amazing, you can see all the love that went in to it.

This is probably the most terrifying way to hold these robots. I couldn't blame any of the robots for wanting to kill the human good god. Also Yeva playing Tetris, the game has a lot of ties to Russia so wonder if she spoke Russian too, she doesn't speak in this episode and not sure if we'll get more flashback with her so not sure if we will ever find out.

Not sure why Mitchell stop Yeva from entering the church but I like to think he thought Yeva was like a kid, look at him holding her hand in the scene before, and was trying to keep her save and knew something was off. That being said I'd love to hear what you think is his reasoning, sound off in the comments/reblogs.

Pulling back we can see Nori, specifically her core, looking at a crucifix comparing it to the USB crucifix in the video to see if it's the one with the patch, it's not, so she goes out for the hunt to see if she can find it.

Like daughter, like mother, honestly cool little details that lets us know what kind of character Nori is with the very little time we have with her. Drawing made presumably by her of herself as a human cat girl, twice, motor oil cans everywhere, a fricking ninja star, nightcore music, a anime statue that might be a reference to something but I have no clue, also magnets which have been used in the passed like drugs so that's um... something.

was originally just going to point out the funny little animation errors in this scene, as the paper goes through the Ipod and the crinkled paper is mirrored but then I wanted to check what was on the paper and...

It's a missing poster of all things? it uses the exact posters used in episode 3 it's probably just reusing assets but I thought it was a cool thing to point out.

Uzi bleeds blood in these scenes and it's not necessarily mentioned out loud, clearly something AS related, but there might be more to it, or it just looks cool.

This man is in some serious denial, but credit where credit is due, when "Tessa" tells N to stop he turns around, and when Uzi apologized for not being able to help he immediately apologized for Snapping at her. Also look at Tessa's little pointing, thought it was funny.

N: "We're not going to hurt you."

I can't blame Uzi for taking this the wrong way, he's clearly telling Tessa off but all Uzi hears is "hurt you", hence why she only parrots that part.

Thad: "Aaand you won't tell me why we're wandering around 'cause...?" Lizzy: "I'm a good friend, and secrets are blackmail. And it's not about football." Thad: "Okay. Does your secret friend want to know about football, or...?"

Anyone else wondering who Lizzy's good friend is? The only 2 characters we know are good friends with Lizzy are Doll and V. It's possible that through everything Doll sent a text to Lizzy asking her to do something but I feel like V just makes more sense. This does assume V made her way away from the sentinels, if I had to guess she's just a core at the moment which might be why she couldn't do it herself, no wings nor weapons as a core, also makes the blackmail line make more sense.

N: "I deserve this. I deserve this. I deserve this."

Baby girl NO! no you don't, your too hard on your self

That scream. That cut. *chef's kiss* perfect.

This scene just shows us why Uzi went towards the church. Also note when she's the most stressed her eye turns yellow so it does seem stress is the deciding factor whether she can be possessed.

V/AS: You know, you're one of the main reasons... [voice glitching] ...I wanted your team to retain your personalities.

This quote I think has some interesting implications, I mean it obviously confirms that the DD squad was influence by AS but it might also be why it keeps a bit of the personality of which ever host it's using.

This scene holy shit, the music, the lighting, the sound design and animation, that's how you do horror! You don't even need detailed gore, in fact most of it is just off screen. like look at the DD's off in the distance one catches the pilot of the helicopter mid air then they fight over it like hungry animals.

Ok so I hit the image limit and it's almost 1 in the morning so I'm gonna go to bed and continue this tomorrow

~to be continued~

[jamiesshelves]

Parts of TSC I can't stop thinking about (after my first read)

Jean having a few minutes before Riko got to him and using it to text Renee a warning. NOT asking her to help him. But warning her. Probably to protect Kevin and Neil more than himself.

Jean viewing himself as a captive with Wymack and Abby

Jean calling Neil Nathaniel until that sudden switch (just like when Neil thought of himself as Nathaniel)

Jean being the same age as Neil, so one of the youngest characters we know

Jean worshipping Thea and her calling him Paris

Jean throwing out Andrew's candy

Jean roasting Aaron for being unimportant even with a murder investigation going on

Renee giving Jean forehead kisses

"Right person, wrong time"

Jean taking Renee's picture and it being the only picture he has

The way the world perceives Riko as a martyr after his death

The way the world brushes aside that he almost killed Neil on live TV

"The only one close enough was andrew"

Jean reaching towards the TV as if he could save Neil and wanting him and Andrew to run

Jeremy being brunette through the events of TFC

The Trojans being okay with their plan for the foxes game because they knew they'd lose to the ravens eventually anyway

Jeremy living at home and having an estranged family situation

Jeremy having a butler he loves and trusts more than his family

BarkBark

Jean's promise to Kevin

Jean calling Kevin a "beautiful boy"

Both Jean and Jeremy trusting Kevin whole heartedly

Kevin giving truths about the nest to Jeremy

Kevin admitting to sticking to Andrew like glue because he didn't know how to be by himself after the nest

The coaches concern as they realize the way raven coaches treated Jean

The rumors about Jean and that Neil never thought of them

Jean being confirmed a bi king and simping over everyone except canon beautiful Neil

Jean probably not simping after Neil because he's the partner that could've been, aka a brother/safe space he never got

Jean not realizing why top surgery scars, and his abuse scars, would be seen differently

Jean not understanding why Trojans can pick their own clothes, food, majors, etc

Andrew letting Neil go to the FBI in California without him because he trusts his runaway to come back

Neil's immediate response to hearing about Greyson is hiring a hitman

Neil sassing the FBI

"I guess Drake wasn't a biter"

Neil telling Jean he can lock his door if it makes him feel safe but he doesn't have to worry anymore

Cat wanting to teach Jean to ride a motorcycle

"Kevin has earned the right to be"

Jean being afraid to ever teach anyone French again

Jeremy hiding from the police

Elodie

"That's putting it mildly." WHAT THE FUCK STUART.

Jean's list.

Jean still texting Renee

The reason the Trojans stay so positive

"I'm not safe with you anymore"

The parallels between Jean and Neil

Jean thinking he never got anything he didn't deserve

Jean only having a carry on bag like Neil

Wymack giving Jean money and his note

The Trojans giving Jean forehead kisses

Jeremy being into Jean but wanting to allow Jean to be able to heal first

Honestly more but this is enough for now lol

[ninyard]

Hellooo i saw that you were asking for asks (that sounds funny) and I wanna know some of your hcs on Kevin and Allison being besties/ kevjean relationship

This is my chance to finally share some Allison/Kevin hcs so I'm gonna seize this opportunity with both hands and give you this total MESS of a brain dump

- Allison is the only fox that doesn't make fun of Kevin's eating habits. Kevin KNOWS his relationship with food is fucked up because of the nest and Allison knows it too, so she refuses to make bets or make fun of the way that he eats. Kevin only realised because she once tried to quietly tell Nicky to knock it off when he was pushing Kevin to have dessert or making fun of what he'd decided to have instead.

- Kevin also knows not to talk about the numbers or macros in front of her, too. They have a weird unspoken mutual respect RE: food and they both appreciate each others efforts on that front without ever actually mentioning it. they also have a gesture for each other that's code for "i want a snack do you have anything" and they'll throw each other protein bars if they're out/on a long bus journey etc.

- they are the BEST drinking buddies. Whenever the team starts drinking/partying/clubbing more together post-TKM, they are literally CHILDREN when they're drunk together. Kevin gets tired of the monsters being boring when they go out and there's only so much dancing he can do with just Nicky and Aaron alone. So Allison pulls him up to the bar one night to do a tequila shot, and they literally have the most unexpectedly fun night ever. Kevin loosens up a whole lot without the threat of Riko etc post tkm, and when I tell you he is such a fun drunk. now he doesn't really drink THAT much during the season but off-season? oh he's a party animal. I could write thousands of words about him and Allison getting drunk together and becoming literal best friends as soon as they have a drop of alcohol in their systems but here's some things I think they've done drunk

stole a shopping cart and sat in it as they pushed each other down the road in it (and fallen out of it and laughed so fucking hard) ((but were bruised up as fuck the next day because of it)

he's sat her on his shoulders - while dan sits on matt's - as the two girls try to push the other one off

he's really easily convinced to do things by her. another shot? sure. and another shot IMMEDIATELY after that? alrighty! karaoke? well, okay. jockeyback? stealing traffic cones? pulling pranks and fucking with the other foxes? acting like actual teenagers? okidokie!

she's probably the only person in the world who has successfully convinced kevin day to sing

he holds back her hair if she has to puke

she convinced him to let her do his makeup once. full glam. like a serious look, fully beat, full coverage look. there's a picture out there somewhere of it that she saves for blackmail.

fucked. make out sometimes. strip poker. they dance together :)

he never lets her walk alone anywhere when she's drunk. if she can't find one of the girls to accompany her to the bathroom at a party she'll take him.

she's taught him full dance routines

she was joking that there's no way the raven warmups could be that different to theirs, and bet him that she'd be able to do them without breaking a sweat (he won)

they've both ugly drunk cried in front of each other (but they never talk about that sober)

she's pretty light so he's bench pressed her before

- They know each others drink orders/favourite shots

- if Allison is out, say she's with her friends and not with the foxes, and she has to wait alone for a taxi or walk somewhere alone, she'll call him and he'll stay on the phone with her until she's safe

- They make fun of each other and bully each other like there's no tomorrow (affectionate). the whole "Allison hates Kevin" thing WAS true for a while, but once they get closer, she just pretends to hate him. he's like an annoying brother to her

- Allison is really easily frightened, and Kevin thinks it's funny to scare her. she's never safe walking around a corner or into a room if Kevin is there and in a good mood.

- they're not BEST FRIENDS. like they're not in each others pocket all the time and laughing and joking ALL THE TIME but she can read him like a book. she knows when he's having an off day, or thinking about something too much.

- She also knows when he's being serious and when not to joke around. She knows when he doesn't want cheering up or to joke about something and knows when to back off. The same with him - he knows when she's having a mood that requires being cheered up, or a mood that requires him to leave her the fuck alone.

- He's a big reason why she puts a whole lot more of herself into Exy post tkm. She's always been invested, but once they talk more, and they consider each other friends, she listens to him talking about Exy and it really clicks for her. his dedication. and also how fucking talented he really is. She doesn't do the night training with him but they'll occasionally go to the gym together or start practice a half an hour early to run some basic raven drills.

- They're iconic when they get together to do press after games. they bounce off each other like nothing else. they're just so funny. and he's also like andy murray in that he will ALWAYS defend her, dan, and renee's talent if interviewers start to focus more on him instead of the girls. he'll step in if an interviewer says something shitty or misogynistic. she LOVES directing objectifying and misogynistic questions his way.

- She calls him a bitch and makes fun of him for being a nepo baby. He calls her an asshole and makes fun of her for being a rich kid.

- Have gone to banquets as each others date.

that's just a few random thoughts off the top of my head but yes. Allison and Kevin. Literally the only Two Pretty Best Friends ever to exist.

[oscarpiastriwdc]

albums i would play for each driver on the 2024 F1 grid to expand their music taste

Max Verstappen: Graceland by Paul Simon - As a fan of classic and folk rock, I'd imagine Max has been exposed to Simon and Garfunkel and I think he'd enjoy the sprawling, detailed, careful expanse of Simon's solo masterpiece. Angels in the architecture spinning in infinity, etc etc

Checo Perez: Ramomex by Rebel'd Punk - One of the Mexican bands who pioneered punk music in the country, but Checo probably missed this release because he was too busy karting and moving to europe as a teen. It's never too late to have a proper angry punk phase, though.

Charles Leclerc: Ten Love Songs by Susanne Sundfør - Groundbreaking, life-altering pop music that pushes every boundary. This hits the sad songs craving and I think would interest him as a musician and burgeoning songwriter.

Carlos Sainz: Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey - daddy issues. I just know he'd vibe out to Brooklyn Baby.

Lando Norris: Destiny by DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - I dream of sitting him down and exposing him to actually good, interesting, fun contemporary dj music.

Oscar Piastri: Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads - He has that certain David Byrne swag and demeanor of someone who'd love the Talking Heads if only given the chance.

Fernando Alonso: 10,000 gecs by 100 gecs - At first the old man would be extremely confused but once he was on board he would be blasting The Most Wanted Person In The United States all day every day.

Lance Stroll: Talon of the Hawk by The Front Bottoms - that post that's like the problem is men are making podcasts instead of forming midwest emo bands. but it's men are becoming f1 drivers instead of forming midwest emo bands. I think some TFB exposure could be the spark of inspiration for a great career pivot.

Lewis Hamilton: Maps by billy woods and Kenny Segal - I fear Lewis might have been too worried about Merc's performance last year to have checked out this fantastic collaboration that was one of 2023's best albums.

George Russell: Contra by Vampire Weekend - I just saw Vampire Weekend live following the release of the new album and at the show there was a guy a few feet ahead of me in the merch line who had the exact same energy as GR. The mix of prep vibes and world music would work into his taste while expanding his listening beyond coldplay.

Yuki Tsunoda: GLOW ON by Turnstile - 100% a selfish pick, I want to mosh with Yuki in the pit of a Turnstile pit.

Daniel Ricciardo: The Panhandlers by The Panhandlers - A country supergroup I return to time and again, wistful and nostalgic, making you yearn for West Texas no matter where in the world you are.

Alex Albon: Pelican West by Haircut 100 - Funky British jazz pop, perfect for dancing and vibing.

Logan Sargeant: Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling by Slaughter Beach, Dog - I fear Logie might be too young or too norm core to have had a proper Modern Baseball phase (it's never too late logie! listen to Intersection!) but Ewald's 2023 offering seems like something he missed last year that's perfectly up his alley.

Valtteri Bottas: Merriweather Post Pavillion by Animal Collective - Weird and complex, I think he should throw it on while on a long bike ride and let his mullet fly in the breeze.

Zhou Guanyu: God Save the Animals by Alex G - no you don't understand i need him to listen to Alex G he would love it

Kevin Magnussen: Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins - Ethereal music he can feel and let wash over him in a wave to relax and transcend the horrors of driving for Haas.

Nico Hulkenberg: Supernatural by Santana - dad music but make it funky and good

Pierre Gasly: Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans by Uffie - A perfect twist on early 2000s French electronic music, I think it'd remind him of the club while sounding entirely new and make him want to pick up a side dj gig of his own.

Esteban Ocon: Lescop by Lescop - French indie pop-rock! His most recent album is fantastic, but Este should check out Lescop's 2013 debut first.

following a conversation with @liamlawsonlesbian and her definitive book rec list i'm doing something similar for music (she bullied me into posting this sorry). large range in popularity/mainstream-ness of artists depending on the driver and what i think they're already listening to.

[bireggiemantle]

Would Transitioning Save Her: A Sliding Scale of the Impact of MTF Transition on Riverdale Character

(Ranked from Best impact to Worst Impact)

1. Archie - should've been a dyke from the get go. I could write a billion essays about this

2. Reggie - being freed from toxic masculinity would fix her

3. Moose - considering how deeply repressed she is I think seeing the tv glow would save her.

4. FP - transitioning could save her marriage. this would not improve her alcoholism. BUT ! it might help her stop bottling so many of her issues up

5. Munroe - transitioning just fits into her plot of self acceptance to me. wlw prison archie + munroe would fuck crazy

6. Sweet Pea - this is solely based on vibes

7. Original/50s Dilton - big cock t girl representation for the win!

8. Hiram - this would make veronica leagues worse. could you imagine if her daddy issues became mommy issues

9. Clay - relatively unaffected by transition. I think she's already pretty open and honest about who she is, and it wouldn't take much for her to admit this about herself

10. Fangs - no impact. already a lesbian in my eyes

11. Jughead - canonically transgender but also it would absolutely make her worse and more insufferable. this could save s1 jughead (and briefly s5 jughead) but s2 jughead on is the queen of repression and it would take a lot of force to get her to come out. if she's repressing something after all

12. Chic - win for weird girls everywhere. would drastically improve her relationship with betty

13. Bret - stonewall prep plotline but it's toxic lesbians bret and jughead. she would try to fuck donna but donna would NEVER stoop so low

14. Kevin - considering how much of her sense of self is reliant on her identity, transitioning could either really help her or force her further into a world of identity politics. she'd be the world's worst kind of white feminist for sure though

15. Charles

16. Dilton - also vibes

17. Hal - sorry betty

18. Fred - not saving her marriage but would allow her to connect better with archie and I believe she'd be a better parent to her

19. Uncle Frank - could free her but would probably do irreparable damage instead

20. Sheriff Keller - this is a cisgender man

21. Jason - I don't even want to imagine what his relationship with cheryl would have looked like if he was a woman. huge win for incest freaks I guess

22. Julian - five steps back for lgbt rights

[jpmarvel90]

Absent

Masterlist Scarlett Masterlist

Relationship: Scarlett x Reader

Summary: Scarlett is away more than she's at home, leaving her wife with the kids. When a project means that Y/n is once again pushing back her own work, tension builds and a fight is soon to follow.

Word count: 5550

Y/n's POV:

From the outside looking in, we look like the perfect happy family. A wife and three kids, a nice home and lucky enough to not have to worry about money. What people don't see is the strained relationship and the exhaustion that I feel with every passing day.

I have been married to Scarlett for 6 years and we have three beautiful children. Noah who is four and our 18 month old twins, Izzy, and Mia. We met through a photoshoot she was doing for the Avengers. It wasn't my usual gig, but I'm friends with Kevin Feige and he had asked if I would do photography for the movies. It worked well as I could fit it around the work at my studio and I met the love of my life.

Due to Scarlett's work schedule, we agreed that I would carry any kids that we wanted. So, I closed up the studio when I had Noah and it's been closed ever since. This wasn't the plan though. When Noah turned one, Scarlett was supposed to slow down with her work so it would allow me to return part time. However, she was at the height of her career and was getting offers she just couldn't turn down.

At the time it wasn't the end of the world. I loved being with Noah, he was such an easy baby. Just being in his presence made me so happy. Knowing we wanted another kid. I agreed that I would wait before returning to work until our next children were one.

Once the twins were born our family felt complete. Scarlett took time off for a couple of months when they were born, and it was perfect. Just the five of us living our best life. But then more projects started again for Scarlett, and she would be away filming for all these different projects. We made the decision to stay in New York as we would be close to her family. But it meant that she was often having to go to LA or Atlanta for filming.

I love Scarlett more than anything in this world. Well, level with the kids. But I sometimes feel that she loves acting that little bit more than me. The twins are a lot more work than Noah was which has in turn caused Noah to act out as he feels like they get all the attention. I'm often enemy number one for him. Then Scarlett comes home and she's his saving grace.

I'm exhausted. I barely sleep as the twins still like to wake during the night. I then find I spend the day being a kid herder to make sure they're fed and happy. I'm hoping that once Noah starts school, it'll come a little easier. But at the moment, my time when the kids are asleep isn't spent on me, it's spent on cleaning the home, doing the laundry. I need my wife to help me.

Now you're probably thinking, don't suffer in silence. How is she supposed to know if you don't tell her. Well, I have. We had a long discussion about it before she left for her last project in Atlanta. She has promised that everything is going to change once she's home. She's going to be more present and we're going to be that happy, perfect family again.

She's due home today, and I'm excited to get back to where we were. I know the kids miss her so much whilst she's away. She's missed a lot with the twins, their first words and steps. Both happening whilst she was in Atlanta. It's almost like they're different kids to when she left.

As soon as she walks through the door, she's practically knocked off her feet as Noah runs to her, his little arms wrapping around her legs tightly. I smile as she bends down and picks him up, peppering her face with kisses. "My little prince! I've missed you so much!" She coos, holding him close. "I missed you too mommy." He responds with a big grin.

She notices me holding both twins and her eyes sparkle. I place them down on the floor and they both waddle over to her and I see tears brim her eyes at how much they have grown. "Wow! Look at my babies! You've grown so much!" She says excitedly as she bends down to scoop them up in her arms. Their giggles ring out as she peppers their faces with kisses like she had with Noah. Who was still clinging to her leg by the way.

After she's greeted the kids, she makes her way towards me and gives me a quick peck as her hands are currently full. "Hi babe. I missed you more than I can express." She shares. Looking in her eyes, I can see it's the truth. "I missed you to my love. I'll take your bags upstairs and join you in the living room." I tell her, which earns another kiss in thanks.

That evening is perfect, we spend it together as a family for the first time in a long time. The kids are so happy to have their mom home and are attached to her at every minute. I happily make us dinner so she can enjoy the love from the kids. Knowing that I'll get my chance this evening.

The excitement of having their mom home makes it easy to get the kids to sleep today. I watch with a permanent smile on my face as Scarlett says goodnight to each of them. Grateful that she's finally home.

We get into bed early ourselves and enjoy being back in each other's company. She fills me in on all the excitement of her filming and how Lizzie is planning on a visit soon to come and see the kids. Apparently, she needs some niece and nephew time.

The next few weeks are amazing. Everything is how we had planned it. Scarlett only had a couple of meetings here and there, but otherwise she was around, being the amazing mom that she is. For the first time I feel like I'm not run into the ground. Getting time with the kids, but also for myself and with my wife.

Once evening, we're sat having a glass of wine after the kids have gone to bed and I'm shocked at what comes out of Scarlett's mouth. "I want another baby." She admits, her eyes burning into me as she waits for my reaction. I choke on my wine at her comment, looking at her and seeing that she's totally serious. I take a moment to think of my response. We had talked about having three kids but didn't expect the twins. I just assumed we had finished.

"Are you ready to carry?" I ask. She had always wanted to carry for herself, but her schedule just never really enabled her to. Maybe now she's slowing down she feels like it's time. "I thought you could carry them. You've done an amazing job with them, and I love when you're pregnant." She smiles at me. "But my studio is opening back in two months. It would be bad for business if I were to close it again within the year. I thought you wanted to carry anyway." I ask her.

"I do. But with this next project taking me to the Czech Republic, it'll be difficult and I'm getting older. I'm not as young as you remember." She responds with a chuckle. "What project in the Czech Republic?" I ask her, shocked as it was the first I had heard about it. "For Jojo Rabbit. I had the meeting last week. I told you, didn't I?" She says as if I just forgot that my wife had another project away from home.

"No, you told me you were having dinner with Taika. Nothing more. But I thought you were taking a break for a while so I could get back into work." I return, not really believing that she's done this. "Can't you just postpone it? This movie is something special and I'm really excited about it." She says as if I'm not excited to finally be getting back to work. "I've already postponed it once Scarlett. When you went to New Zealand for Ghost Shell. We talked about this. It was my turn to be able to get back to work Scar." I try not to raise my voice, but the frustration is there.

"It's just three months and then I'll be home." She tries to defend. "Which is when you'll then be doing reshoots for Marvel and back in Atlanta for a month. We're not just here for you when you want us you know." I say, the frustration getting the better of me. "Excuse me?" She asks offended. "When was the last time you were home for more than a month at a time?" I question her, standing from my seat and starting to pace.

I look to her when she doesn't answer. She doesn't remember. "I love the kids more than anything Scar but they are a lot of work. The twins never sleep through the night and Noah hates that they get a lot of my attention. Which would be fine if there were two parents here to even the load but there's not." I huff and she let's out a low laugh. "Oh, come on Y/n, they're as good as gold when I'm home." She defends.

I just scoff at her assumption. "Because they miss you and want to be on their best behaviour for you. I'm always the bad guy. The one getting yelled at by Noah because I can't take him to the park because the twins have tough and tumble. I've lost count of how many times he's shouted that he hates me. Still hurts each time though." I start to ramble, all the stress and anxiety seeping out of me.

"I'm constantly exhausted, because I'm either with the kids, or cleaning up after them. I don't get time to myself. And on top of that I miss my wife. We were meant to go through the journey of having kids, together. But I've never felt more alone. My own needs and dreams always come in behind the kids and you. Starting work again was something for me. Not just something I want, but something I need. To show me that I'm more than just a mom!" I yell my rambling thoughts and I can see that they are shocking Scarlett. She's not even responding anymore.

"Do you even want to be apart of this family anymore or are we just a chore? Because as soon as you're home, it seems like you're always looking for a reason to leave." Sadness fills my voice with my last question. Tears falling down my face as I admit how I've truly been feeling.

"How could you even ask that. I love you and the kids more than I can express. You own my heart and the thought of not having you physically hurts." She defends. "But you barely have us Scarlett. A couple of weeks here or there and you're off again." I shot back, once again stunning her.

We sit in silence, just the sound of a clock ticking breaking it. I'm sat on the sofa opposite her, the physical space between us representing the gap in our relationship. "I don't know if I can keep doing this." I whisper, almost afraid to admit it. Scarlett's head snaps up at my words, fear filling her eyes. "I feel like I have given everything, and I've not got anything left." The admission rolls of my tongue without me even meaning too. "What do you mean Y/n?" She asks, panic lacing her voice as she stands and takes a seat next to me. "I have been more than accommodating for your career. I understand that you love it. But I'm asking you to love us more." I look her directly in her eyes as I speak.

"I won't let you pick work over us again." I state firmly. "What? No, Y/n. Please. You can't leave me. I love you so much. I love the kids! Please what can I do." She pleads, cupping my face as we both cry. "Put us first." I reveal. She looks at me unable to answer and it's my fear come to life. She's going to pick her work over her family.

We're interrupted when we hear little footsteps on the floor. "Hi my prince. Are you ok?" I ask, quickly wiping at my eyes and going to him. "Why is mommy crying?" He asks, pointing at Scarlett. "Did you make her cry?" He turns to me with a fierce look in his eye. "No buddy we're just..." But he doesn't me finish. "Don't make my mommy cry! You'll scare her away like you always do! I hate you!" And there it is. The words he loves to say to me these days.

I fight back the tears of pain and move towards him, but he hits my hand away. "NO!" He shouts. "Noah, please. Let me explain." I try but he shakes his head again. "NO! Why can't you be the one that goes and not mommy." His words feel like a knife to my heart. I hear a gasp from Scarlett as she walks towards us. "That is not how you talk to Mama, Noah!" She tells him off. He just stomps his foot and rushes back upstairs repeating his hatred for me as he goes.

Scarlett places a hand on my shoulder, but I shake it off. "He doesn't mean it." She speaks softly but I just scoff at her words. He does. "I can't do this. I'm going to bed. I'll take the guest room tonight." I say, not giving her time to respond before dashing upstairs and shutting myself away. I've never felt so lost, and I don't know if I'm ever going to find my way out.

Scarlett's POV:

I'm shocked at how Noah just acted with Y/n. He's always such a sweet kid. I could see how much his words hurt Y/n as the light went from her eyes. I tried to offer some comfort, but she shrugs me off. Before I know it, I'm alone in the living room with my thoughts. I've fucked up.

I've been so blinded by my love of my job that I've failed to see the damage it's doing back home. Y/n has always been so accommodating, but I've really taken advantage of that kindness and I think that I may have pushed her too far. I think I may have lost her.

I know that Y/n needs time and me rushing into her room will just start another argument. So, I decide to deal with the gremlin first. He should never talk to Y/n like that. Not that I have anyone to blame but myself. I head up to his room and find him sat pouting on his bed. I smirk a little as he looks just like Y/n in this moment. I take a seat next to him on his bed and he goes to cuddle me, but I stop him.

"We need to talk Mister." I tell him firmly. "Why did you talk to mama like that?" I question him. "She is always busy with the twins and makes you sad, so you go away." He responds. His pout still firmly on his face. "Mama isn't the reason I go away bud. I go away for work. Which means that mama is the one that is here to look after you and your sisters." I try to explain. "I wish you were here and not her." He repeats his point from earlier.

"That's not a very nice thing to say, is it? You'd be sad if mama wasn't around, wouldn't you?" I probe and he thinks for a moment. "But you would be here so I would be happy." He turns to look at me. Wow, I have really managed to make my kid hate his mama because he thinks she's the reason I'm not around. God I am so stupid. "Noah. Come on. I know that you don't want her to leave. Do you understand that what you said to her earlier hurt her and made her sad?" I ask, hoping his sympathetic natures comes through.

His eyes look to mine with worry. "I don't want her to be sad." He mumbles. "I just miss you and want to have more time to play with her when you're not here." He defends. "Oh buddy. That is all my fault. I am away too much and that is all on me not mama. And because I'm away, it means she has to work twice as hard to look after you all so doesn't always have the time to play. So, if you hate anyone it should be me." I admit. He shuffles closer to me and cuddles to my arm. "I could never hate you mommy." He comforts me. "You should never hate mama either." I say with a firm tone, making his gaze drop. "I know. I just get sad." He admits. "And that's ok. But you should never be mean to mama ok." He nods and pull him into a hug. "Tomorrow, you're going to apologise to mama, and we'll do something nice to make her feel better." I tell him and he agrees.

I tuck him back into bed and make my way back downstairs to clean up. It's not too late, but it feels it without having Y/n with me. I miss her. How ridiculous is that? She's only been gone an hour and I miss her. She's always here when I'm home. It's what I love so much.

I can't stop thinking about everything that she said. I hate that she could ever question that I don't love her or the kids more than my job. I know that's all on me, I should have made the effort to show her that more. When it comes to it, I can live without acting, but I can't live without Y/n.

I end up calling my mom and she spends most of the call scolding me. She told me how much work Y/n had done to start getting ready for the studio to reopen and how she had managed to get a few big name clients. It makes my guilt only grow. I am the worst wife.

That night I barely sleep. I spend most of it staring at the empty space beside me, replaying what Y/n had said over and over. The pain in her eyes, the question of if I still love her and want this family. By 5am I give up and start on the day. Once I'm showered and check on the kids, I head downstairs to my laptop. Trying to work out how to fix this.

When the kids start to stir, I get the twins up and sort out their breakfast. Luckily, Noah is still asleep, after his late night, so I can focus on them. Whilst they're playing on their mat, I grab my phone and call Taika. I explain that I need to drop out of the project and put my family first. He's disappointed but he does offer me one option. To take Y/n and the kids with me. That he would arrange for us to have a house near set so we can be together when I'm not filming. He said that he wouldn't look to recast until I confirmed with him if I want to take that offer or not.

This movie really did appeal to me. It's so unique and I think it would be really good fun to do. But that doesn't matter to me anymore. I would still be asking Y/n to postpone her studio opening by a month. I don't think she would go for that. I'm putting Y/n and the kids first. Like I always should have done.

When Noah gets up, we have breakfast together. Which is not a fun experience. I don't make his pancakes the right way and I gave him the wrong fruit, so we're off to a good start. I'm surprised Y/n isn't up yet, but I don't want to rush her. She deserves some time to herself. I can put up with a sulky four year old for the day. She's done it for months.

Throughout the day I realise that there is a lot I don't know about my kids, and it hurts. They have changed since I was last home, and without Y/n's subtle guidance, I'm left to fend on out of date knowledge. The only brightside is that Noah is starting to realise how much he needs his mama.

By the afternoon, all three kids are craving time with their mama. Hell, I'm craving time with my wife. I manage to get the kids somewhat settled in the living room whilst I grab my laptop once again. Maybe a family holiday would be a good place to start. We always talked about Disneyland and Y/n has always wanted to go to Hawaii. I call my mom to see if she would come as well, that way, Y/n and I could have a mini holiday ourselves. She happily agrees, saying that she will do anything to stop my stupid ass losing the best thing that ever happened to me.

By dinner, Y/n finally comes out of the guest room. I give her a big smile, but it soon drops when I see how tired she looks and the tear stains down her cheeks. Her eyes bloodshot and puffy. It makes my heart ache that this is all cause because of me. "Hi my love." I great her, to which she hums in response. She goes to head towards the kitchen, but the kids don't let her get to far. "Mama!" Izzy shouts when she sees her, holding her arms out to be hold. "Hi there my little princess." She smiles at our daughter, resting her on her hip as she goes through the motions of making herself a coffee.

I admire her as she moves around effortless, keep Izzy happy, whilst still managing to sort a drink and some food for herself. It makes my heart grow when I hear the little laughs from the baby when Y/n tickles her after she stole a raspberry from her bowl. Y/n moves into the living room and places Izzy on the mat, but she instantly moves to Y/n and is joined by Mia, both climbing up onto the sofa to be closer to their mama.

Noah, however, stays sat on the floor with his toys. "Hi Noah. Do you want to join our snuggle?" Y/n asks but Noah shakes his head. I frown when I see his reluctance after our talk last night. I see a flash of hurt cross over Y/n's face, but she quickly hides it when the twins start to ramble at her.

I quickly text my mom and ask if she could pop over to take the kids for the evening. I know it's short notice, but I need to save my marriage. It's holding on with a thread and I don't know how much longer it's going to hold. Thankfully, she agrees, restating her comment from the call earlier and I hang up just in time to see Noah, once again, reject Y/n.

Y/n sighs, getting up from the sofa and handing me Mia. Izzy now with her brother on the floor. "I need a walk." She mumbles, grabbing a coat and her phone before leaving the house. I wanted to stop her, but I also need to talk with Noah.

"Noah buddy. Why are you still being mean to mama?" I ask him. His eyes go wide and he's quickly shaking his head. "I'm not being mean!" He defends. "Yes, you are. You're ignoring her." I stay firm and his little lips trembles. "I didn't mean to! She looks sad and I felt bad cos I made her sad. She's not going to leave forever is she?" He admits before the fear of his mama leaving takes over. He burrows himself into my side for comfort. "Oh sweetie. She's not sad because of you. She's sad because of me. Your hugs would make her feel so much better! And no. She isn't going away. She's just gone for a walk." I try to reassure him. I have done a stand up job of screwing things up for my wife and our son!

I spend the time explaining to him why Y/n is feeling sad and how we both have to do our best to make her feel better. He seems to understand and is now patiently waiting for Y/n to come home. As the clock ticks on, I panic, worried that maybe she's left me. Left us. I've pushed her so far that she's gone. When mom arrives, she has to deal with me freaking out and just as I feel like I'm about to totally break down, the front door opens and Y/n walks in. I let out a sigh of relief, knowing she's come home.

"Mama! You're back!" Noah shouts as he rushes into the hallway and collides with Y/n's body. "Of course, I am buddy." She smiles, running her hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, mama." He apologises. "I don't hate you. I love you a lot." He tells her, complete honesty in his eyes. They have a moment together as Noah tells her why he was angry and that he knows it wasn't Y/n's fault.

Y/n looks at me suspiciously when she sees my mom with the kids' overnight bag but allows it when she takes the kids back to hers tonight. "I want us to be able to talk without the worry of the kids." I explain as she gets comfortable in the living room. "Do we have anything more to talk about?" She questions through a sigh. "You may not. But I do. I have a lot I need to say. I hope you'll give me the chance." I say, looking at her with pleading eyes.

When she nods, I take the seat next to her, holding her hand in mine. "I've fucked up. There is no excuse. So, all I can say is that I'm sorry and I promise that I am going to change. This family are my priority. The thought of never acting again makes me sad. But the thought of losing you or the kids makes me feel sick to my stomach. I know that I would never cope. My life wouldn't be worth living." I start off, setting out my thoughts early so she knows where I'm coming from.

"I am so sorry that I made you feel like you were going through this alone. I'm so ashamed of myself that I couldn't see the pain you were in and allowed you to continue making the sacrifices for this family when I was making none. I will stop acting and focus to being a mom and a wife so you can get back to doing what you love. I'll find another passion that accommodates both of us." I promise her. But my words seem to have the opposite effect than I had hoped. My heart stops when she starts shaking her head at me.

"Scarlett. I don't want you to stop doing something that you love. I just want you to prioritise better. To put us first. I would never ask you to quit acting. But these last few years, you've been away more than you've been with us. We just want you in our lives more. We miss you so much. Then as we get used to you being home, you're gone again." She explains.

"We have a lot to work on, but I know how important this project with Taika is for you. So, I spent this morning rearranging some of my clients so I can start once you're back." I can't believe she would do this for me. After everything I have done, she is still putting me first. "No, babe. I can't ask you to do that. I meant what I said. It's time for me to put you first and allow you to follow your dreams..." I start to ramble, but she cuts in. "It's too late. It's already done. But things need to change when you're back Scarlett. It's not fair to me or the kids." She interrupts.

"This project doesn't mean more to me than this family Y/n. I actually called Taika this morning to pull out of the project." I admit and she looks at me shocked. "Really? But you were so excited for it." She replies in shock. "But I'm more excited to support you in your work and be around with the kids more." I come back, wanting her to know that nothing is as important to me than her and our children.

She sits for a moment and looks to me. "I don't want you to resent me because you're missing out on roles that you want to do." She says shyly. I place my finger under her chin and lift it so she can look at me. "But it's ok for you to give up on your dreams instead?" I question her with a raised eyebrow. "When I married you, my dream was to have a family with you. But when we achieved that, I got greedy and wanted the best of both worlds. I never should have taken advantage of you like I did. I promise that I'll never do it to you again." It's not a baseless promise and I hope that she can see that. I think she does when she pulls me into her and holds me close, letting out breath as she does.

"I bet Taika was annoyed to lose you." She says after we've sat in silence for a while. "He understood. Scolded me a little for screwing up. Even offered for the four of you to join me and live out there whilst we film. But he gets why I made the decision I did." Her head snaps up to mine when she hears what I said. "He offered for us to live in the Czech Republic whilst you film?" She asks and I nod. "Yeah, he said he'd arrange a house close to set so I was away from you as little as possible." I reply, whilst running my hand through her hair, enjoying being this close to her again.

"We should do it." She mumbles into my shoulder. "What was that babe?" I question, not sure I heard her right. "We should do it. I've already moved my work around. Noah doesn't start school until you're back. This way you can do the project and we can readjust once we're home." She sits back to look at me as she talks, and I can see that she means what she's saying. It's not just to make me feel better. "Are you sure that's what you want? I really don't mind if I step back from this project. I don't want you to do this for me and it put us even further back." I admit.

"If I hadn't moved work around maybe I wouldn't be saying it. But it's a chance for us to live abroad. The kids would learn so much from it. Besides, you said yourself that you think this is an Oscar worthy film. Who am I to deny you that opportunity." She smiles, placing a kiss on my cheek.

"I'll only do it on one condition. Well two actually." I say, trying to be firm, but the nerves taking over. "I'm listening." She smiles. "First, we have a holiday. I was thinking Disneyland, then the two of us head to Hawaii. Mom already said she'd stay at the parks with the kids." I start off and feel more relaxed when she laughs. "Ok, and your second condition?" She pushes me to continue.

"Well, it's not really a condition. I guess a promise from my part. I'm going to step back from filming for a bit. I want to be the supportive wife you deserve. I'll only pick roles that really appeal to me. Besides, I always wanted to start my own skincare line. I can do that from here in New York and be around all the time. Being the mother and wife that I am supposed to be." I keep eye contact as I talk so she can see how genuine I'm being.

She doesn't respond. Not verbally anyway. She leans in and captures my lips in a loving kiss. One that shows me everything that I could have lost. I can't believe that I allowed my own desire to live my dream, to damage my family so much. Seeing the pain on Y/n's face is something that I never want to see again. I will do everything in my power, to make sure that I am the best I can be for this family.