#like yeah its sweet for some of shadows new friends hes made on earth to remind him of maria in little ways

[sonknuxadow]

tbhhh. i know maria means a lot to shadow and and their relationship is an important aspect of his character and is the reason he does what he does in sa2. im not saying people should throw all that out the window. but. i dont like it when people make maria the sole motivation for every action he takes and every friendship he forms. because hes still his own person with his own thoughts and feelings separate from hers. you know.

[spinoskingdom875]

Everyone gathered at Empire City Park for the Solar Eclipse. They sat down with picnic baskets and drinks waiting for the Eclipse to begin. Tails: Here you go. He handed everyone a pair of glasses. He gave one to Marine. Marine: Woo! This is gonna be a ripper! Sonic: Thanks, pal. These are some cool shades. Tails: And they're perfect for protecting our eyes when looking up at the Eclipse. Trikey: What will happen if we look at the eclipse without these? Tails: Well, the brightness would damage your vision, and you would go blind. Trikey: Oh dear. Then I'm glad you made these, so we can look at the Eclipse without hurting our eyes. Tails: And I have a pair for your new friend. He grabs a pair of solar glasses and hands them to Bumpy. Tails: So, you're Bumpy, correct? Bumpy: Uh-huh. Amy: When did you two first meet? Trikey: We first met in the forest, and we started playing hide-n-seek. And we also run around and pounce on each other. Bumpy: It was really fun, and now, I made a new friend, and hopefully more here. Amy: Aww, that's so sweet. We'll be glad to be your new friends. Bumpy: Aww, thanks!

Several minutes went by, and the sky began to dim. Eggman and Sage came by, and Cream introduced Trikey and Bumpy to Sage. Trikey was surprised to see the young girl. Trikey: Mr. Eggman, you never told us that you're a daddy. Is she your daughter? Eggman: Heh-heh, you could say that. She's not actually human, but she does have the feelings and emotions of one. She's Artificial Intelligence. The baby dinos were confused. Bumpy: Artif... Trikey: Artifishy... Bumpy: Uh, what does that mean? Eggman: Well, she's a type of fancy computer, and has the ability to perform tasks like thinking and learning, that would require the intelligence of living beings, such as you. Trikey and Bumpy: Whoa. Eggman: It's complicated, I know. That's why I love being an evil genius. Bumpy: Wait. He's a bad guy? Trikey: Yes. He builds lots of robots and uses them to fight against Sonic and his friends. Bumpy Gasped. Trikey: But he seems like a good papa to all of them, even Sage. Bumpy: Well, it's so nice to meet you, Sage. Sage: It's nice to meet you too, Bumpy, and Trikey.

They walked up to Tails who was on his Miles Electric. Trikey: Um, Tails? What is the eclipse about again? Tails: It's when the Moon passes between the Sun and our planet. It prevents the sun's light from reaching the Earth. He shows them a demonstration of an Eclipse on his Miles Electric. Tails: So, when the Moon is in front of the Sun, its shadow would cause the sky and our environment to get darker. Trikey: So, it will get dark down here? Tails nodded. Bumpy: Ooh. It sounds scary. Trikey: Yeah. Sonic: I wouldn't worry about it. Sure, it does get dark, but think about it like its nighttime. Knuckles: Then when it's over, the Moon will move out of the way, and the sky will light up again. Bumpy: Really? Sonic: Yeah, it'll be great moment. Trikey and Bumpy felt better.

Everyone continues eating lunch. Trikey introduced Bumpy to everyone, including Tikal who was also at the park sitting on a bench. They all chat as the sky becomes dimmer and dimmer. Vanilla: Oh. It's almost here. Be sure to put your glasses on, okay dear? Cream: Yes, Mama. We will. Marine: Hmm. Marine looks around the park. Marine: There are too many trees here. Should we find a better spot, or is this good enough? Charmy: Let me see, he puts on his glasses and flew across the park. He calls out to them by the park's steps. Charmy: How about here? Tails walks up with his device. Tails: This is perfect, and there are no trees above us. So, we got a good view. Tikal: Look, up there! The moon moves in front of the sun as the sky gets darker. Sonic: Glasses on, guys! Everyone puts on their glasses and heads for the stairs. Sonic: Hey, doc. You sure you don't need a pair? Eggman: Nah, I'm good. I modified my frames to withstand the eclipse's intensity. Sonic: Okay, then. Let's head over there and enjoy the show. They gaze up at the moon covering the sun, the light still leaking through. They all looked up in awe. Trikey and Bumpy hugged each other, still a little nervous. Tails held on to his Miles Electric, looking at the Solar Eclipse in the sky. The sky is now pitch black, the whole park is in total darkness, as lights flicker on throughout the city.

Marine: Crikey. That's a bright one, that is. Sonic whistles. Sonic: Isn't this quite a sight? Knuckles: Yeah. Tikal: This is incredible. I've never seen anything like it. Trikey: Me neither. Bumpy looks down. Bumpy: Trikey, look! They both looked to see fireflies flying around the park. Trikey: Why are they out all of a sudden? Bumpy: I guess they're confused because the eclipse makes everything look like it's nighttime. Marine: Don't forget about the crickets and cicadas. Them buggers can be pretty noisy at night. Sonic: They're thinking it's the evening since the sky is dark. Tails continues to make calculations on his device. The Solar Eclipse continued for several minutes. The sky remains dark. Afterward, the moon would move, and the sun's light would appear once again. The shadow departed over the park and the city. The whole area lit up.

Tails: Okay. You can now take off your glasses. They began to remove their solar glasses. Amy: Wow. That was amazing! Tikal: It was interesting. I'm glad I came to the park. Sonic: Yeah, what a show it was. Cream took hers off. Cream: It's over you two. You can take those off now. Trikey and Bumpy removed their goggles. Knuckles: What do you think? Trikey: That was... Awesome! Bumpy: Yeah! It actually does feel like it's nighttime! When will it happen again? Tails: Well, for this country, it would take about 20 years. Trikey and Bumpy: 20 years!? Cream: Wow, that's really a long time. I would be like Mama by then. Trikey Yeah, I would be like my mommy too. That really is a long time. Tikal: Well, let's be thankful that we were here to witness it. Eggman: Indeed. It is a once in a lifetime experience. Be glad that it happened, because it will be a long time until another Solar Eclipse will occur. Tails: Well. I feel like this will be a moment we'll never forget. Everyone agreed. Sonic nodded. Sonic: I hope the others got a good view though. Bumpy: There are more friends? Cream: Yes. And we'll be glad to introduce you to them. The baby Ankylosaur smiled warmly.

NOTE: Don't re-upload my pictures anywhere without my permission, please. Thank you.)

[awindylife-writes]

The Bar

Relationships: 10th Doctor x reader, Jack Harkness x reader (platonic)

Summary: Jack, the Doctor and you go to a bar. You are drugged and a man tries to take you but the Doctor luckily intervenes in time.

Warnings: attempted sexual assault, but nothing graphic

"C'm on guys, there's this really great bar on the far side of Kristella, the lnky Sky," Jack insisted. "They serve everything you could want to drink, they've got live music and there's a festival coming! It's like Halloween on Earth, but the whole planet does it. They've even got punch!"

You grinned, "Well, l'm in." Why not? You wanted to have the experience with the two best friends you had, and it wasn't just any day you could go to an alien bar.

The Doctor and Jack looked at you in surprise.

"What?" you glanced between them, eyebrows raised.

"I mean it's just..." Jack began, "l never thought you were a bar enthusiast."

"Oh, l'm not," you assured him. "I just don't see why we shouldn't go. I mean, we faced the Shadows of Onn just two days ago and then the whole icky Persistence Incorporated lot like, yesterday. A bar should be a nice change of pace, unless you really don't want to go, Doctor?" Both you and Jack turned to look at him and he rubbed the back of his neck under your gazes.

"Weeeell, if you insist," the Doctor shrugged his shoulders and Jack pumped the air, "Yes!"

"Aright then," you smiled. "Jack, what exactly do we want to wear?"

The TARDIS wardrobe awaited you.

~

So far, so good, you thought to yourself.

You had arrived at the bar and quickly claimed a stand-by table. You were lucky you had gotten it, there wasn't much space left. A band was playing, as Jack had promised, and there were enough people dancing to create a crowd. The music was alien and had some surprising metaphors, but there was a nice rhythm to it and you found yourself nodding along. You apprechiated the volume too, it was quiet enough to talk over it where you were standing.

The before-mentioned punch cost a laughable two Eeti and most took the generous opportunity, you included. Nevermind the Doctor and his "It smells funny" comments. Jack ordered something bright pink and alien at the bar while you scooped the punch into a glass. The Doctor stuck with apple juice.

It didn't take long for Jack to spot a cute guy at a table next to yours. You and the Doctor smiled knowingly when they started flirting across the way. Soon, Jack gave you a questioning look and you laughed. "Go on," you nodded your head towards the neighbouring table.

He smiled in grattitude and hugged you hurriedly. You patted his back.

"Go on, get outta here," the Doctor told Jack, voice warm.

"I want you back before noon, got it?" you levelled Jack's gaze in mock seriousness. He flipped you a salute before walking out, hand in hand with the guy.

The Doctor and you continued your conversation. As he rambled on about the rings of Ahknaten, you rubbed your eyes. Was it just you or was everything getting a little blurry? Maybe your alchohol tolerance was even lower than you had thought.

Then you noticed the Doctor was eyeing Jack's half finished drink, and you could tell he was curious.

"C'm on, Doctor," you grinned at him. "This is exactly the place and the time to try something like this."

He gave you a questioning look, and you nudged him with your elbow. "I dare you."

"Weeell, you see, now l just can't refuse. My honor absolutely cannot take a hit like this," he shook his head in mock offence, a smile playing at his lips. He carefully held the glass and took a tentative sip. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Ooh, is it any good?" You had to make an effort to sound chirpy. Maybe all the running was finally catching up to you, because you felt like you were about to nod off.

The Doctor cocked his head. "Actually, it's sweet. I didn't even consider alcohol could be sweet, didn't even think. Who made alcohol sweet? Brilliant invention I mean, if my taste buds have anything to say about it. It's not gonna have an effect on me, me being a Time Lord and all that, but l've never bothered with stuff like this, it didn't seem nearly as interesting as a new world behind the TARDIS door, but now that l consider it-"

"You're gonna go order another one?" You gently interjected his rambling.

"Mhm, yeah, l'll definitely order another one," he answered with a grin.

"Good for you. Oh, and you could go pay as well?" you suggested. You didn't think you would be ordering anything else, not with your head as fuzzy as it was.

He took the money out of his pocket (you had reminded him to get some before you'd arrived, it wasn't exactly like you, a human from Earth, had Kristellan currency on hand). "I'll be right back," he promised you and headed for the bar.

You didn't mind standing there at the table on your own, but it was a little akward. You felt like a sore thumb, standing out from the mixture of creatures around you. You watched the people at the edge of the dance floor, their shapes and colours blurring. Was that supposed to happen? You couldn't seem to take enough air in, though you tried to breathe deeply. The mist in your mind spread, and bit by bit it got harder to think. You stared vacantly at the moving shapes, trying to remember where the Doctor had gone. Why were your legs so weak?

Then there was someone at your side, holding your hand and asking you something. Something about dancing? You nodded, unsure what he wanted, and he grinned. Then he pulled you from the table, and that wasn't right. You were in the middle of the crowd now, and the green tinted man had his arms around you. What was happening?

~

The Doctor found himself staring at the punch bowl while he waited for his drink. There was something about it, something niggling at the back of his brain.

Then the air moved, and he could smell the scent of it again. But what was that, that tinge, something barely there, something like an acid? Something hydroxy... something with butan... hydroxybutan....

Y-hydroxibutanoic acid. The Doctor felt his blood run cold.

He whipped around and grabbed the unsuspecting barista by her wrist. "Listen to me, right now," he growled and her golden eyes widened. "That punch bowl is spiked, and everyone here could be in danger. Do something about it."

She nodded in horror so he knew she understood the urgency and turned to her colleague, her voice grave. He left all his money on the counter without a thought, he needed to find y/n.

~

When he arrived back at your table, you were gone. He looked around in panic. You had drunk the punch at least twenty minutes ago, which was definitely enough time for the drug to kick in. If anyone tried-

Then he finally found you. His hearts sped up. A man with his hand around you was pulling you through the crowd, towards the door. The Doctor saw your wobbling, unsteady steps, saw you still try to get the man's hands off of you.

White-hot fury exploded in his chest, it burned everything away. His hands tightened into fists at his sides and trembled with his rage. Blood rushed in his ears as he gritted his teeth into a snarl. This was it, this was what Daleks were afraid of. He ripped through the crowd withought a thought to anyone.

Upon reaching you, he pushed the two of you apart. The creep stumbled to the side but at once, the Doctor gently took you by the shoulders to hold you up. Yes, there was fury in him enough to scorch planets, but this was you.

Your eyes foggy, you tensed in his arms and shakily tried to break free, but he soothed you with a soft voice. "Hey, hey, it's me, it's the Doctor." You immediately stopped fighting.

"Doct'r," you slurred and fell into his chest, eyes half closed.

"What the hell, man?" the creep demanded.

The Doctor pressed you against his side and turned so he was holding you up the furthest you could be from the man who had tried to- No. He couldn't even think about it.

"Hey! Dont cockblo-" the turd came at the two of you but the Doctor grabbed his lapel and pulled him close. The creep's eyes went wide as he tried to break free.

It was easy, so incredibly easy to hold him in place. The Time Lord rarely used his full strength, always relayed on his mind, because he'd seen what war meant. But now the restraints were snapping like paper strings and the beast in him rattled its chains.

"You get one warning, just one. So listen closely," he growled in the turd's face. "Run. Run far and run fast, because if l see you, if l so much as smell you in the wind, l will find you, and l will teach you the meaning of hell." He suddenly released the creep who stubled from the force of it and scurried away, into the crowd.

The Doctor looked down at you and all rage evaporated. Your head was resting on his shoulder and you were leaning into him to stay upright. Your eyes were closed. He gripped you a little tighter and cooed, "Hey there. Let's get you home, aright?"

You hummed, only half-coherent at best, and nuzzled into him. Butterflies immediately filled his stomack, but this was not the time for that. He tried to take a step, but it soon became apparent that you couldn't walk.

The Doctor carefully lifted you into his arms and headed for the TARDIS.

~

When you two finally reached your room, he gently sat you on the bed where you wobbled a little but stayed upright. He kneeled down and unlaced your shoes. When they were off, he thought you would want him to leave, but then he felt your warm hand clumsily catch his.

"Stay," you mumbled and he looked up into your hazy eyes.

He felt his hearts beat faster at the soft look you gave him. He wanted to find that man and rip him apart, he wanted to give you the universe, wanted to wrap himself around you and never leave.

He could never refuse you.

"Alright," he whispered. He slowly stood up and pulled back the covers so you could get into the bed, then he took off his jacket and his shoes.

When he clambered in, he planned on staying away from you, but you found him and pressed yourself against him. You lay your head on his chest as your hands hugged his sides. When you nuzzled your cheek into his shirt and sighed in content, he felt something soft and warm spread through him. Of course he'd known you trusted him, but this- You were helpless, utterly helpless, and you trusted him to hold you. A thousand stars glowed in his chest as he put his arms around you.

A voice in his head told him he maybe shouldn't be enjoying this, considering the cause that had led you two here, but it was small and distant and not impossible to ignore. You were safe.

He nuzzled his cheek into your hair and fell asleep with you in his arms.

[giorno-plays-piano]

Vicious

Part IV

Pairing: Steve x reader, Bucky x reader, Thor x reader, Loki x reader, Peter x reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, stalking, possessiveness, theft, all characters are adults.

Words: 1880.

Summary: Transferring to Stark Academy that has only allowed to take in female students last semester, you realize you are just one of three young women among hundreds of students. Your things are constantly being stolen, and soon you begin fearing for your safety.

Part I

Part II

Part III

_________

After you came back to your room, you got a message from Steve about changing the locks on both you door and your locker. You were so taken aback by today's conversation in the student council room that you had completely forgotten about it. Apparently, Steve had already requested the change of locks on your behalf through email, and you were really grateful to him for that: you dreaded coming back to the room that had been forced open. Of course, tonight you would have to move your dresser to the door so that nobody could enter when you'd be sleeping.

Shit. It was absolutely crazy.

"I'm not sure about all this, Steve." You texted him while laying on your bed and staring at your phone in the darkness of the room. "It doesn't seem right."

Naturally, you meant the fake dating thing. It felt horrible thinking of what others would think after seeing you with five different guys. Would they be calling you a whore in the open? Make some nasty jokes behind your back? Report you to the school administration for immoral behavior? Remembering those bigots from the student office, you cringed at the thought.

Besides, it still didn't make sense to you why you had to date all five. Sure, if they were around you at all times like your friends, these unhinged bastards who stole your things wouldn't do anything funny again, but it wasn't like that. What could one guy do against a group of other students?

"Listen, I didn't want to talk about it in class, but I'm worried it won't end with a stolen lingerie."

You didn't like his message.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. They might attempt something much worse than a theft."

Oh no. Was he talking about rape? Seriously? Did he anticipate others were so crazy they would do something like that?

But then again, girls were being raped in colleges even if it weren't the all-boys schools. A shiver ran down your spine.

"But if several people attack me, just one of you won't be enough." You typed with your shaky fingers, trembling beneath your blanket.

"It's not about the pure force. Each of us has a certain reputation, and others wouldn't want to cross us over because of it."

Wait, this was interesting. What on Earth did he mean? What kind of reputation was that to prevent people from messing with them?

"Thor is a good athlete and a great leader, his basketball team is ready to beat people to death for him."

"Loki's father is one of academy’s main sponsors, and he can have this school turned upside down if he wants to."

"Bucky is a threat by himself, but he also have a company of loyal friends."

"I don't think Peter is serious enough to scare anyone, but with his computer skills he could easily blackmail others, I’ve already seen him doing it. Students would be wary to cross him over just like any of us."

Steve was writing you a bunch of messages with a terrifying speed, and you could barely read the first when he was already sending you the second. It felt absolutely insane. Did he choose every guy because the more powerful admirers you have, the less others would intervene? Well, at least in case of Bucky and Thor who could beat people to near death, it was wise. You preferred not to think of Peter - you had no idea someone as sweet and caring as him did something as disgusting as a blackmail.

“But what others will think? 5 boyfriends? Others will think you are dating-” you paused, chewing your lips to bit, “- a whore. Nobody gonna stood up for me.”

"Imagine if each of us tells our friends that other four guys were just asked to watch over you, but you date only one.”

Oh. Yes, this was slightly better. Then you wouldn’t have to do something as bold as kissing every guy in public, instead maintaining the mystery who you were really dating. 

Damn, how Steve even came up with this plan? Why was everything so complicated?

“It’s getting late. Good night.” Your phone vibrated again, and you huffed with irritation. You hoped you could ask him a bit more - about what you were going to do with the thieves Steve found, for example - but he was probably getting tired with all your questions. It was better to ask him tomorrow.

___________________

The next morning you were restless: since you were starting to going out with guys, you felt like you needed to look better than you usually were, so you spent your morning working on your hair and makeup. It was like fake dating, right? You had to pretend you wanted to look pretty for them.

What else did you have to do? Cook something sweet for them? Yeah, probably, but not at the start of your relationship. Going to cafe together? Helping each other study? Loki also mentioned the cinema...

You felt dumb. Of course, you dated guys before, but now you realized you had no idea how to act not to cause any suspicion. Oh boy, it was going to be a tough day.

Thor nocked at you door thirty minutes before your first session, but you woke up so early you were more than ready to go. As you opened the door, first moving the dresser back to its place, the guy looked at you with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Hey, what was that?"

"The dresser. I can't leave the door just like that until the lock is changed."

He blinked at you, watching the door and then probably remembering somebody forced the lock open to steal your underwear.

"These guys are batshit crazy." He mumbled and nodded you to go with him, putting his hand on your shoulder. "Don't worry, they won't do it again."

You wanted to argue they definitely would, but, seeing his warm smile, you thought Thor simply wanted to cheer you up and smiled at him in return. In the end, he was here only to make you feel safer: you didn't doubt he was very popular with the girls every time he went out to the city.

"You look great today!" He said sheepishly, walking in the dorm's corridor while other students were staring at him silently, obviously surprised to see you two together. "I mean, not that you looked bad yesterday, I just..."

Watching his face suddenly getting crimson red, you couldn't help but giggle at his expression. You could never think Thor was actually bashful around girls. Yeah, at your old place he'd definitely be one of the most popular guys around.

It was lunch time when you two could actually talk, sitting together at the same table and being watched by everyone around. Strangely, with Thor constantly talking and often rubbing your hand with his, it didn't feel suffocating, and you held your head high: regardless whether those pricks were looking at you, you weren't going to run away to your room and cry there like a little girl. Loki was right: you weren't a silly little sheep, scared of your own shadow. You wouldn't let anyone spoil your time in the academy you dreamt studying in.

Funny enough, Thor turned out to be a talkative type when he was speaking about basketball and his team in particular. He loved sports: while you were more into hockey, the way he talked was so enthusiastic it made you listen to him with a genuine interest. Thor's love for basketball was infectious.

He seemed a simple man, this giant bag of muscles who was laughing so loud people around him flinched; Thor wasn't the exact type of a guy you would encounter on your own, but he seemed nice, sincere, and surprisingly softhearted. You felt at ease talking to him, and soon you too acted like you'd known each other for long.

It was a pity you'd only met under this circumstances. It felt like you two could became friends.

But then when Thor absent-mindedly put his arm around your shoulders, you remembered Loki's warning: they would try to gain your favors. Was it the reason Thor was so nice to someone he just met? Wasn't it suspicious of him? You couldn't let your guard down after just one lunch together. In fact, you knew nothing of the man sitting in front of you.

"I knew something like would happen." Some guy to your left sighed loudly, catching your attention. "They were fucking crazy."

"I'm not surprised either. I just wanna know who they got in a fight with to be beaten like that. Have you heard they broke Gray's both legs?"

"Woah, both? That's brutal, man."

You shivered, trying not to listen to them.

"It'd happen sooner or later anyway. They were completely wild."

A word caught your attention right away: that was what Steve called those students who were stealing your things. Could it be a coincidence? Surely, in an all-boys school the students were fighting each other constantly.

But to the point of breaking both legs of someone? Really?

As you sent Thor a nervous look, he gently patted your shoulder, lowering his voice so no one would hear him, "I'm sure it's nothing to do with you. These things happen here from time to time because the guys have no idea what to do with all that testosterone."

You hoped he was right.

The rest of the day went as usual aside from Thor walking the corridors with you and chatting about sports: he managed to convince you to come see the game next month when they would be having a tournament. You were grateful to him for helping to ease your mind because the news of guys being sent to the ambulance made you shook. Steve also mentioned something about his and other's friends ready to beat anyone to death, right?

By the middle of your last class you couldn't think of it any longer and quickly typed a message to Loki. Of all people, right now he seemed the most sincere to you.

"Hi. Are the guys who were beaten last night are the ones who stole my things?"

Waiting was a special torture when you held the phone in your arms beneath your desk, hoping to see your screen lighting up with a message. In five minutes you got your reply.

"Yes." The message said simply, but it was enough for you to stare at your phone with horror, wishing you didn't ask Loki anything.

Oh shit. It wasn't a coincidence, right? It's impossible. Somebody did it on purpose. But who of the five?

"Do you know who did it?"

Next time he answered pretty fast, "No."

A part of you felt relieved. Maybe it wasn't related, finally. Maybe they got beaten by somebody who was fed up with their attitude because they were crazy as the guys in the cafeteria said.

But what if it weren't true?

"Who's the most brutal among you five?"

Biting your lips, you started rocking in your chair a little, making the guy on your left to roll his eyes in irritation.

The phone's screen flashed again.

"Barnes."

Part V

_________

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[rikalovesrice]

Trollhunters : Rise of The Titans [Rika’s Version!]

AIGHT SO THIS IS WHAT SHOULD’VE FREAKIN’ HAPPENED --

The movie starts a year after Wizards. We see Douxie, Archie, and Nari all settled in Metro City. Douxie managed to get a dinky little apartment and works two jobs. He comes home after a long day to Nari and Archie.

Maybe Nari’s running around chasing after Archie. Maybe the two of them are curled up on the couch and snoozing. Douxie smiles softly, petting Archie’s head and gently brushes Nari’s hair out of her face. Maybe Nari was singing to one of her plants and just beams when Douxie walks through the door. Just Magical Siblings and Their Therapy Cat fluff.

But that night, Douxie wakes up. Something feels very, very wrong. Nari feels it, too. 

Cut to the door to their apartment being busted right through, flames quickly consuming the threshold. To Douxie’s horror, it’s the Arcane Order and he immediately goes on the offensive. This is the first display in the movie of Douxie’s strength as a Master Wizard, his proficiency and skill with his magic as he holds his own against Bellroc and Skrael as he did in Wizards. He tells Archie to take Nari and run but neither of them want to leave him behind. Archie instead fights beside Douxie, urging for Nari to escape while she can. Nari’s reluctant because Douxie and Archie have become so precious to her.

When it looks like they’re about to be done in, Archie wills himself to transform into a huge dragon, taking Douxie and Nari into his claws and flying out of there, busting straight out of the apartment. But not before giving Bellroc and Skrael a thrashing with his tail. They manage to give the Order the slip. For now.

Archie quickly loses steam from holding such a form and crashes on the outskirts of the city, transforming back into a cat. Douxie cradles him in his arms. Nari tends to their wounds with her magic, looking forlorn. 

Douxie frantically dials a number on his phone. 

“Claire? Claire it’s me...” A column of fire erupts in the distance. A shot of Douxie, Archie, and Nari huddled close. “They found us.”

Trollhunters : Rise of the Titans Title Screen

The scene fades in on the new and improved Camelot, where the Lakes are staying. We see Jim spending time with his mother and Walter and it’s lovely. We see a hint of Jim’s trauma when he’s cooking and looks at his reflection in a spatula. He flinches away. He doesn’t want to look at himself. Barbara comforts him, a tender heartfelt moment between them.

Claire then emerges from a shadow portal with grim news : The Arcane Order have found Douxie and Nari.

Jim gathers his friends. Claire shadow portals them all to Douxie, who’s found shelter in a hut Nari made from tree roots. Douxie’s cast a barrier to hide their presence, though it won’t last long. 

It’s a really sweet and awesome reunion. Douxie gives Claire and Steve big hugs. Nari bounds up to Toby and holds his hand. Jim, Krel, and Douxie have a “good to see you again, bro” moment between them. Aaarrgh licks his lips at the sight of Archie.

It’s here that Douxie gives the deets on what’s happened. As they begin to figure out a way to keep Nari safe and away from the Order, Nari suddenly says, “No.”

After almost losing Douxie and Archie, her new family, Nari decides enough is enough. She wants to face her corrupted siblings head-on. To not only protect the world, but her newfound friends. 

Douxie understandably protests. But Nari, gentle but resolute, tells him she’s made up her mind. No more running.

And so, Douxie acquiesces. 

Cue the sequence/fight scene on the train!

Nari realizes what Douxie’s doing when it’s too late. They switch bodies and Douxie’s taken away by the Order. 

“Douxie, I’m so sorry...I couldn’t save her,” Claire laments.

Nari, in Douxie’s body, “N-no...No, I am fine. But Douxie...Douxie!”

Everyone’s like, “Oh no” but then oof, they all get arrested.

The police department scene! With Krel and the Blanks busting everyone out.

Now, we find ourselves back on Camelot where Jim’s being attended to by Walter and Barbara after waking up from a nightmare. Bellroc’s words torment him : “Without your Amulet, you are nothing but a frightened! Little!! BOY!!!”

Walter suggests Jim should lay low, let his friends handle things. Jim reaches a real low point here. Claire provides some comfort. Hand in hand, they make their way to the Round Table, where everyone’s licking their wounds. 

Blinky explains to them that the Order wants to awaken the Titans and need all three members of the Order to do so. While everyone’s relieved that Nari’s safe, Douxie’s now in the Order’s clutches and they want to figure out a way to save him.

Nari, sad and grim, says that Douxie’s spell will eventually wear off.

“He is, as humans say, buying us time...”

Cut to Douxie (in Nari’s body) with the Order. Douxie doesn’t make a sound, not wanting to give anything away. They try the ritual and when it fails, Bellroc and Skrael quickly suspect foul play. They realize that Nari isn’t Nari and proceed to forcefully, painfully, undo Douxie’s spell.

Douxie wakes up, back in his own body. He’s swarmed by his friends, all overcome with relief that he’s alright, but it’s short-lived. The Order has Nari. 

Douxie manages to recall where the Order took him. Before they head out, a downtrodden Jim says he should stay behind, going back to the bed chamber. Claire goes to talk to him, but Douxie stops her.

“Let’s give him some space,” Douxie says gently, though he looks just as concerned for Jim. “In the meantime,” he summons his staff, “we’ll hunt the Order down, put a stop to their schemes, and bring Nari home.”

Everyone heads to the warehouse-train track place (I forgot what it was called rip). Just then, Aja comes flying in, having been contacted by Krel. The Tarron siblings have a sweet, wholesome, long-awaited reunion. Also Staja and Creepslayerz reunited!

Aja cautions Steve about the whole seventh kiss-pregnancy thing and he quickly decides that, yeah no, he’s not quite ready for that. His Alien Queen Muffin (or whatever the heck he called her) is back and that’s all that matters to him. Also wtf Eli’s hot and taller than him now.

There’s a cute moment of Douxie and Aja really meeting for the first time. Aja recognizes him.

“Oh! You were the hand-reading waiter boy!”

Upon hearing she’s a Queen, Douxie’s Medieval chivalry kicks in and he bows at the waist.

“The name’s Hisirdoux, Your Majesty.” After Aja butchers his name, he says “Douxie” will do just fine. 

Nomura abruptly reminds them they don’t have time for pleasantries. They get to it. Douxie figures out the sigil and the illusion fades, revealing the Order performing their ritual with a brainwashed Nari. They’re unable to stop it and the Order members teleport away to join with their respective Titans. We see each of the Titans rising.

The Arcadia Gang regroups back on Camelot to form a plan. Jim, discouraged and deeply troubled, is leaning over a rail, head in his hands. Douxie comes up beside him, silent.

Jim eventually asks how things went. When Douxie tells him they failed and the Titans have risen, Jim feels even more powerless and guilt-ridden.

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry, I couldn’t...I can’t do anything. Without the Amulet I’m not the Trollhunter anymore and I’m just...useless--”

Douxie cuts him off, putting a hand on Jim’s shoulder. 

“Jim. That’s not true. Do you remember what I told you? That our strength doesn’t come from special trinkets. Our strength...” Douxie finally gets Jim to look at him, “comes from our friends. From each other. All of us together. That includes you.”

“But...without my Amulet how can I do anything--”

Douxie smiles gently. “By being true to yourself, Jim. As we, your friends, are true to you.”

Just then, Claire joins them and asks if Jim’s okay. Jim smiles as Douxie ruffles his hair.

“I will be. Thanks.”

Jim, Claire, and Douxie find everyone arguing at the Round Table. Aja is wanting to evacuate everyone off of Earth, to which Blinky protests. Everyone just keeps going back and forth until Jim yells for them to stop.

Time to divide and conquer, cutting back and forth between each battle with the Titans.

Aja, Krel, Steve, and Eli tackle the Fire Titan.

Blinky, Toby, and Nomura handle the Ice Titan, with Walter and Barbara steering Camelot.

Jim, Claire, Douxie, and Aaarrgh go for the Earth Titan. Douxie’s hoping to get through to Nari and break her free from the Order’s control.

Aja and Krel fight the Fire Titan side by side on their hoverboard. Steve and Eli help civilians off the bridge and keep them safe. 

Varvatos Vex in his giant robo mech incoming, along with a handful of Akiridion warships.

The Fire Titan proves to be too powerful and defeats Varvatos’ robot, melting down the Akiridion troops in the process. Aja and Krel are knocked down from their hoverboard. They and Varvatos retreat as the Fire Titan continues to burn a path towards its destination.

Toby and Nomura attempt to zipline their way to the Ice Titan to take down Skrael with Akiridion bombs. When the rope fails, Walter extends his wings to save them, but his wings quickly freeze. 

Nomura grabs the bombs and sacrifices herself, bidding a heartwrenching farewell to Toby and her longtime friend, thanking them both. She asks Toby to tell Jim she said goodbye. Ever agile, Nomura scales the Ice Titan and detonates the bombs.

But to everyone’s horror, the Ice Titan only puts itself back together. Walter sinks to his knees. Toby throws down his helmet. Their friend sacrificed herself for nothing.

Aaarrgh is charging after the Earth Titan, Douxie, Jim, and Claire hanging onto his back. Claire shadow portals the three of them onto the Titan’s back. Douxie begins to plead with Nari, even as she constricts him with vines.

Douxie manages to grab her hand. He begins to break the mind-control with his magic, still calling out to Nari as he’s losing the ability to breathe. 

Douxie’s voice reaches her and she breaks free. Nari frantically asks where she is, if she hurt him or his friends. Douxie, overcome with relief, just embraces her.

“You’re here with us, Nari...You’re here with us.”

Nari assures them they have a Titan on their side now. They receive communication from the Tarrons, who warn them that the Ice Titan is getting close to Arcadia.

No time to wonder why Skrael’s headed there. Claire makes a massive shadow portal to Arcadia (the field trip scene!), taking Nari’s Titan with them. Nari tries to reason with Skrael, but he’s having none of it.

NARI VS SKRAEL COMMENCE!

The Tarrons and Creepslayerz arrive on scene. Douxie boards Aja’s hoverboard and together they fire lazers and magic at the Ice Titan. Varvatos dashes and slashes his way up the Titan. Claire, Jim, Krel, Steve, and Eli work to rescue the school bus from getting crushed.

Well, it does get crushed but thankfully everyone made it off. Then, Archie comes flying in with his father, Charlemagne. Charlie flies all the students and Coach to safety. Archie joins Douxie in the air, blasting Skrael with fire.

“C’mon and face the music, Skrael!!!” Douxie summons Spellcaster and starts shredding.

Enraged, Skrael releases a devastating burst of magic that knocks Douxie, Aja, and Varvatos away. Nari seizes the opportunity to impale Skrael’s Titan, but not before Nari’s fatally wounded by him in return. Both Titans collapse.

Douxie runs to Nari, desperately calling her name. She’s on the ground, dying. Everyone gathers around, devastated. Douxie holds Nari in his arms. Archie nuzzles Nari’s arm, tears forming in his eyes. Douxie’s already crying.

“No..No, no, Nari, please...” Douxie holds her hand. “Nari, don’t go, please...!”

“It is okay, Douxie...Do not be sad...”

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry, I said I would protect you...” Douxie leans down, almost touching his forehead to hers (it’s Harry and Dobby y’all). His tears fall onto her face. “I said I would protect you...!”

“You did something greater, Douxie...” Nari squeezes his hand. Tears of her own roll down her cheeks. “You gave me a home. And many, many friends....” Douxie sobs harder, holding her close. “You saved me, Douxie...” She’s beginning to fade. She smiles, her eyes closing. “Thank you...Thank...”

Nari fades, wisps of magic and flower petals slipping through Douxie’s fingers. Douxie wails, Archie pressing close. Jim and Claire lay their hands on his shoulders. Claire hugs him.

Krel is then alerted that the Fire Titan is also on the move towards Arcadia.

Everyone reconvenes on Camelot. They all mourn the deaths of Nomura and Nari. 

They learn that Bellroc is headed towards Arcadia, the center of the universe, because that’s where the last Heartstone is. If at least one Titan reaches the Heartstone, the world will be wiped clean.

Before they head out, Douxie and the Tarrons present Jim with a brand new Amulet, forged from magic and Akiridion technology. That, and the stone in which Excaliber lodged itself. Douxie encourages Jim to try once more. 

Jim steps up on the stone, gazing fondly at his friends around him. They all place their hands on the stone in support. Jim pulls Excaliber from the stone. Everyone cheers for him.

Douxie’s seen texting someone.

FINAL SHOWDOWN IN ARCADIA

Bellroc is seen making their way towards the Heartstone. But what stands between them and the prize is the Guardians of Arcadia. 

Charlemagne, Archie, and Walter soar above. Blinky and Aaarrgh lead an army of trolls. More Akiridion fleets arrive, Aja and Krel at the helm. Varvatos has a brand new robo, too.

Bellroc sneers at their defiance and summons an army of their own : hundreds of big rocky lava monsters.

BATTLE OF THE MOST EPIC OF PROPORTIONS IS A GO.

Trolls are punching, Akiridions are blasting, magicians are casting.

JIM SUITS UP WITH HIS NEW ARMOR AND EXCALIBER AND IS LIKE DON’T THINK BECOMIN’ FOR YA BELLROC FOR THE GOOD OF AAAAAAAALL

Douxie conjures up a spell to send that boy flying onto that Fire Titan.

Toby and Aaarrgh slam and hammer their way through fiery goons. Claire and Aja team up to take down the opposition, noting they should get lunch together sometime. Charlemagne tears through the enemies with his claws and wings. Krel and the Creepslayerz flail about and kick tail anyway. 

Our heroes all cover one another and play off of each other’s strengths and it’s beautiful.

When Douxie’s about to get smothered by lava fists, there’s a flash of lightening and the monsters vaporize. 

Douxie turns to see Zoe with a brigade of hedge wizards. Douxie’s immediately bowled over, smitten.

“About time you showed up...,” Douxie says, in a daze cause wow Zoe’s so pretty.

“Oh, you’ve got a lot of nerve --” Explosions. More lava monsters. Zoe sighs and pats Douxie’s cheek. “Ugh, focus, you big sap!”

The pair are unstoppable together, mowing down the lava monsters in powerful bursts of blue and pink.

DOUXIE’S EYES GO BLUE AND ZOE’S EYES GO PINK EPIC AVATAR STATE RINGS OF MAGIC AS THEY DECIMATE THEIR FOES WITH ROCK MUSIC BLARING YESSSS

And well, Douxie can’t help himself and gives Zoe a good long smooch after they’ve destroyed half of Bellroc’s army.

Toby in the distance : HOW LONG HAS THAT BEEN A THING?????

Archie just groans.

And meanwhile, Jim’s finally facing off with Bellroc. After having one of the most badass fights in the franchise, Jim comes out on top, skewering Bellroc in the stomach with Excaliber.

AND BOOM THEY DID IT GUYS EARTH IS SAVED.

....But not without great cost.

Toby’s been mortally wounded, crushed by the falling pieces of the Fire Titan. There’s the tearful, heartbreaking moment Jim has to say goodbye to his best friend, the one who was there with him through it all.

“We did it, Jimbo...We did it...”

Jim holds Toby in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Claire holds Jim and weeps beside him. Aaarrgh is in hysterics but is calmed to pained whimpers by Blinky. The Arcadia Gang grieves, feeling the painful weight of losing the friends they held so dear....Nomura, Nari, and now Toby.

Time Skip/Montage

Douxie found a proper apartment in Arcadia. He keeps a potted plant with those distinct pink flowers, the flowers Nari loved, on his windowsill. Smiles softly at them every time. 

Scenes of Mary with Darci as she mourns. Steve and Eli hanging out. Douxie and Krel jamming, Krel creating beats and Douxie riffing on his guitar. Aja and Claire going on that lunch date. Archie taking a nap on top of Aaarrgh. Walter playing classical music.

It’s taken a while, but Jim’s starting to feel a little bit better. Douxie, Krel, Steve, and Eli came over for some bro time. Seeing the pain in his eyes, Douxie gives Jim a hug.

The final scene is a picnic at everyone’s favorite spot in Arcadia with a single bench and an awesome view of the town.

Aja and Steve are cuddling. Krel and Eli play with a frisbee. Blinky, Aaarrgh, and Varvatos laugh around a table. Douxie and Zoe, holding hands, are having a lively chat with Claire. Jim serves up a huge plate of enchiladas.

Walter and Barbara announce their engagement. Everyone celebrates. 

EMOTIONAL SPEECH VOICEOVER TIME.

Aja, Varvatos, and Eli depart back to Akiridion-5. Steve honks into a tissue. Krel pats him on the back as he waves to his sister.

Barbara kisses Jim on the forehead before going home with Walter.

Zoe kisses Douxie on the cheek and heads off. 

Steve and Krel are the next to go.

Douxie, Archie around his shoulders, pulls both Jim and Claire into a hug before leaving.

Blinky gives Jim a hug. Aaarrgh nuzzle him, looking sad. 

Jim and Claire hold hands and sit on the bench, gazing out at the town.

EMOTIONAL SPEECH VOICEOVER ENDS T_T

The End.

[passivenovember]

You Look Stupid When You’re Sad.

Steve Harrington smelled of sour patch kids and unbaked cookie dough.

Billy didn't think it was a bad smell, exactly, just weird; intense, heady, and stuck to the walls of his brain. Doughy when the sunlight couldn't dry the track marks of Steve's sweat before nap time, heady when it got into Billy's system and stuck with him like the thrum of his heartbeat.

Wherever Billy went Steve Harrington was there. Like a shadow. A noisy, scrawny, wire-frame glasses wearing shadow that elbowed its way into the chair across from Billy's during lunch and followed him around at recess; three feet behind and always pretending to spot interesting shapes in the clouds when he thought Billy wasn't looking, but.

Billy was always looking.

It was so weird.

Steve was so weird. The way he made bright, happy noises when he was paired with Billy for station time, how he always drug his mat over from the other side of the room to sleep next to Billy when it was time to zonk out after second recess despite knowing that the spot was saved for Barbara, Billy's actual best friend.

She got nightmares and Billy liked to be there to hold her hand while she dreamed but every afternoon, without fail, Steve came wondering over with his lip stuck out in a question.

It was confusing.

Steve was so confusing. The way he hugged his mat to his chest, chin quivering with a little, "Okay. Sorry, Bills." Every time Billy slapped his hand on the carpet and growled that the spot was taken. Occupation, not reserved for pasty-kneed dorks with wire frame glasses, and.

Billy didn't want to make the kid cry, or anything, but he always managed to do just that. Paint himself as a bad guy.

Billy rubbed his forehead as Barb settled in on his left hand side one afternoon after such an altercation, smiling so big her lips disappeared behind the plastic frames of her glasses.

"What's wrong, Stevie?" She asked, and.

Billy tried not to be jealous.

Steve hiccupped, cheeks growing redder by the second. "I wanna nap with you guys but Billy won't let me."

"Hey, that's not--"

"You can sleep with us if you want to. Billy has a really big blanket, maybe he can share with both of us." Barbara looked at him expectantly, like. "Right Billy?"

And it was dumb.

It was so dumb, that they were staring at him with hopeful eyes and Steve's chin was still quivering and Billy didn't want to be the bad guy; he wasn't Mesogog and he didn't want to hurt the kid's feelings, but.

Steve Harrington got under his skin. With his soft hair and big brown eyes, always following Billy around and begging for the space to be made. Billy got clumsy and nervous when Bambi was nearby, and.

The idea of sharing space. Sleeping next to Steve with his chirpy little noises and warm soft hands, it.

Made Billy feel like he was breaking out in itchy red bumps.

No.

He would stick to his guns; the blanket just wasn't big enough for three people. But then, Billy's grumpy brain supplied, Steve could steal Barbara and keep her as his own best friend if Billy didn't let him stay, so. It was time to cut his losses.

"God, you look stupid when you're sad." Billy muttered.

Steve started crying again.

Billy really wished he'd stop that.

"I'm sorry, Billy. I know I'm dumb but I don't mean to be." Steve whimpered. He tucked his mat under his arm and made to get up.

And leave.

As if Billy would let Steve make him look bad in front of everyone, especially Barbara.

"Lay down, dork." Billy grumbled, tugging the blanket up around his shoulders and peeling it back for Steve reluctantly.

Harrington's smile was so bright it could've melted crayons when he settled in close, chirping happily as Billy pulled the blanket around them and tucked in on impulse. The room went dark, Mr. Talamantez reminding them to count butterflies if sleep wouldn't come.

It didn't.

Steve smelled too much like cream and sugar for Billy to get any rest at all.

--

"Whatcha making, Billy?" Steve asked, pink tongue poking out in concentration as he peered over Billy's arm at his art project.

A stack of pink and red construction paper was Billy's favorite thing in the world because it meant endless possibilities. Pink was soft and sweet, red was passionate and cool. Like hot wheels and firetrucks and hearts full of warm oven mitts, so.

He pulled the leaflets from his backpack during circle time and got busy, carefully folding the delicate paper hamburger style and then tracing swirly, dramatic lines for each heart on the page.

Valentines was Billy's most favorite day of the year.

Even more than Christmas, even more than his birthday, and only a little bit more than Halloween because on Valentines? The whole universe was covered in flowers and little tin wrapped chocolates and love hearts were the best thing for a kid to make with scissors.

Billy ignored Steve's tongue, turning his shoulders to the room. "I'm making love hearts."

"For who?"

"None of your beeswax."

"Okay," Steve said happily, grabbing a handful of markers and re-situating himself much closer than Billy would've liked. Steve's Nike's tapped the itsy-bitsy-spider on the rug as he declared, "I'm drawing batman on a surfboard!"

And Billy tossed aside his first ruined Valentine. "Oh cool, I don't remember asking."

"That's okay," Steve giggled. "Sometimes I get motor mouth. My Daddy says it's 'cause I'm a fruit."

"My daddy called me that sometimes before he got sick." Billy turned to glare at him. "That's not a good thing."

"It is to me!" Steve giggled again. He was always doing that. "I like Kiwis. My mommy packed some for lunch and I had them for breakfast. They're yummy in geek yogurt. They make me smile because they have beards!"

Steve cackled like kiwi's having beards was the funniest thing on earth and Billy wondered what there was to be so happy about.

He tried not to smile at Steve's dumb face. "I think you mean Greek yogurt."

"Yeah, probably. If I'm like a kiwi, that's alright, I think." Steve's tongue poked out again. "Surfboards make me think of you." He declared, and.

Steve smelled like toasted chocolate on s'mores, his hands somehow kicking up more of his sugary sweet odor each time he reached for a new piece of paper. Billy didn't know how he was supposed to get anything done when his circle buddy smelled like a chocolate birthday cake.

It was kinda gross.

Billy pulled out a sliver marker and traced Stinky Butt Max on one of the smaller Valentines, remembering to fold down the corners so the sensitive skin on her palms wouldn't get hurt when she inevitably started smacking him it.

The pink Valentine looked more like a chewed up Starburst gummy this way, but. Max wouldn't know the difference.

Steve peered over his shoulder again, cooing softly. Like a baby dove. "That ones pretty, Bills! Is Max your Valentine?"

"Ew," Billy wrinkled his nose like he sometimes did when Max needed a diaper change. "She's my baby sister, don't be an Ick Monster."

"What's an Ick Monster?"

"Somebody who makes weird jokes and says weird things, so." Billy shrugged, scrawling his mothers name on a second love heart. He poked Steve's tummy with his marker. "That's you, I think."

Steve giggled before slapping Billy's hand away, and. Watching him work.

After a while Steve inched closer. "So you don't have a Valentine?" He wondered, and.

Billy didn't understand the question. "Mr. Talamantez said we're all each other's Valentines so nobody feels sad."

"Yeah, but. Everybody has someone they want to smooch on Valentines." Steve started playing with his hair, fingers twisting waves in a sea of brown, like they sometimes did when he was nervous. "Someone they like best-best. Better than all the other kids."

Now it was Billy's turn to giggle. "That's icky."

"Smooching?" Steve's eyes sparkled. "It's fun sometimes."

"Like you've ever kissed anyone."

Steve looked offended. "Have too."

"Have not."

"Have too," Steve pouted, crossing his arms.

Billy began work on a third Valentine. "Who did you kiss?"

"Nancy Wheeler."

Billy snorted, not sure if he wanted to imagine Steve kissing Nancy Wheeler, or. Kissing at all.

Steve's chin started quivering. "You don't believe me?"

"No." Billy said lightly, capping the marker with a sniff.

Kissing was not fun. It was wet and violent and looked like it maybe hurt a little bit, the way he'd seen his mom and Susan kiss when he got up to go potty at night. Billy regarded Steve through easy, narrowed eyes; Steve wasn't the kind of boy who kissed like that.

"How come you're so weird?" Billy wondered.

"I like being weird." Steve said, reaching for a green marker to color in his surfboard. Steve nodded at the small pile of Valentine's strewn on the carpet between them. "You should put the love hearts on foam when you're done."

"I was already gonna do that, genius."

Billy wasn't already going to do that, but he'd eat a centipede before he let Harrington know he came up with a good idea.

"They could be superhero colors!" Steve hollered suddenly. He was so loud all the time. "That way your mommy and sissy can know that you love them because they're cool. Like Aqua-man."

Billy frowned, watching Steve fold his Batman drawing over and over again until it all but disappeared from sight. He leaned back against the wall with an eye roll, shocked out how much Harrington lacked any concept of taste, or.

Shame.

"Aqua-man isn't cool," Billy said. Because Aqua-man wasn't, he was like. The lamest of them all. "His only power is making the bad guys drown, at least the other heroes can punch really hard."

"Punching isn't always the best, though." Steve tucked Batman into the front pocket of his shirt, leaning into Billy's space. "Sometimes punching just makes the bad guys stronger. Like Wilson Fisk."

Billy frowned. "Punching works for Spiderman."

Steve considered this fact, pink tongue poking out from the corner of his mouth again. He thought really hard for a long time, as if Steve didn't have Spiderman socks on everyday at recess when he removed his Nike's to fill them with rocks.

Such a weird guy.

Finally, Steve smiled. "I like water, though. Your eyes are like water. From the fountain in the hallway, and like the lake at camp." Steve pushed his way into Billy's space, frowning with his head cocked to the side like there was more thinking to cross of the list. "You're very pretty, Billy. Like a cloud."

And.

Billy didn't have the words to articulate the way Steve's smell went a little crazy after that, like a bag of powdered sugar had caught fire from a signal light once he realized what he'd said. Billy waited for Steve to take it back, because.

Boys calling other boys pretty wasn't allowed in Mr. Talamantez' classroom, or. Anywhere else.

Steve didn't take it back.

"You wouldn't like Aqua-Man's water, 'cause you'd drown." Billy said, getting back to work on his Valentines if only for a distraction from the way Steve was watching him. "He doesn't control his power very well and sometimes the mean guys get hurt real bad."

Steve kept right on talking. "I wouldn't be a mean guy though," He reasoned, sliding impossibly closer on the alphabet rug. "I'd help him fight crimes. Like Captain Underpants!"

And.

Billy had nothing to say to that, sucked in and drowning by the way Steve's eyes were glittering.

"You're a weird guy, you know?" Billy breathed.

Steve's giggle went right to Billy's tummy, teaching it to do backflips, somehow.

"That's okay." Steve said, reaching back for a fresh piece of paper. "You'll remember me better and maybe you'll ask me to be your Valentine."

Steve's hair fell across his eyes, head bopping along to whatever song he was singing to himself today. His lips glittered like a frosted donut. Like he'd been eating a strawberry ice cream cone instead of confusing all the boys around him.

Maybe you'll ask me to be your Valentine.

Huh.

Billy started work on a new love heart and pretended not to notice.

--

On Tuesday morning Billy woke to the smell of pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Maxine was already up.

Her long red hair was piled on top of her head in two Princess Leia buns. Susan had put in little heart clips and the pink dress Billy's mommy had made special was already covered in mashed banana and something that looked like magic marker.

She was all ready for Valentines day.

Billy didn't understand why they bothered trying to make her look dainty when Max was more interested in destroying Billy's favorite toys and starting fires.

She sat on the floor of the room they shared together, sucking her thumb and playing with Billy's favorite race car. Her wet, chubby fingers made the blue Camaro shine brightly with spit and Billy felt like his face was burning up.

"Hey," He said, rubbing at his eyes. "Hey, you're getting spit all over my--"

"Race car!"

Max held it out to him triumphantly. Billy frowned, moving to grab it from her chubby little fist. "I know that's my race--"

"It's a blue car," Max said thoughtfully. She looked at him, like, "Blue cars are my favorite."

"It's my favorite too--"

"Can we share?" Max wondered, putting the little wheels on Billy's knee and letting the car zoom back and forth. He imagined that Evel Knievel was in the drivers seat wondering why his car wasn't first in the race.

She looked happy, like always, to be playing with Billy's toys.

He sighed. "Yeah, I guess we can share. It's Valentine's Day."

Max seemed to enjoy that. "I like today!"

"You do?"

"Yup," She said happily, little chubby fingers tangling in Billy's hair because he hadn't brushed it yet. "Candy and sour gummy worms and kisses from cute boys!"

Billy glared. "You're kissing cute boys?"

"Uh-huh!" Max hollered. "Lucas gave me a dandelion."

Billy thought long and hard.

About Valentines Day and all the things that came with it. The pink shirt that hung pressed in his closet, fresh cupcakes with plastic rings, a bag of Scooby-doo Valentines Susan had picked up at the market for all his classmates, homemade love hearts at the bottom of his backpack. Three with red foam, one with a delicate lace doily, and.

Kisses.

Max was getting flowers and kisses from a boy.

From someone special.

Billy took the race car from Max's hand and drove it around, thinking about boys with brown eyes and soft hands.

Maybe you'll ask me to be your Valentine.

"Wanna eat some breakfast, Max?"

"I had 'nanas." She said with a smirk.

Billy hummed, standing to get dressed. "Mama probably made chocolate chip pancakes, you don't wanna eat something special?"

Max's little red eyebrows pinched together. "I can have yours?"

And.

Billy didn't know what was so necessary to her about taking everything that was his. Playing with his toys, sleeping in his pj's, eating his breakfast, it was like Max didn't know how take something and make it her own.

Billy pulled the pink shirt over his head, feeling every bit like a turtle when Max did the same with the collar of her dress.

"You can have my pancakes." Billy concluded, puffing out his chest. "If you'll be my Valentine."

"You don't have a boy to kiss?"

"I might," Billy picked the race car off the ground with a smile. "This is practice for when I see him at school. So, will you be my Valentine?"

She thought about it.

Long and hard, tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth, before nodding with her entire body. "I think he will."

Billy sighed. "Really?"

"If you give him sour gummy worms and smooch his forehead he will," Max said.

And.

Maybe things would turn out okay. Billy nodded, grabbing the race car and driving it across Max's forehead, careful that the little plastic wheels didn't get stuck in her hair.

--

From the stucco ceiling of the classroom beautiful strands of silver and gold hearts painted a mirage of stars.

All the desks had a rose and a cardboard mailbox intended for the delivery of Valentines and at the center of the room a table filled with cupcakes and strawberry Capri-sun packets. Preparation for the party this afternoon, and.

Mr. Talamantez had turned their space into a glittering, perfect fairytale.

Billy hugged his basket of Valentines close to his chest and tried not to search for Steve before dropping his backpack at the cubby station.

He was right in the middle of tugging his special sweater down over his head when Barbara scooted in next to him, pretty in a little pink jumpsuit.

She handed him a tiny, delicate giftbag full of chocolate hearts and dinosaur erasers, smiling from ear to ear as Billy hugged her nice and tight before handing off something he had made special. A tiny paper crane his mommy helped him fold, and a bunch of rainbow goldfish sat nestled in a basket of paper Mache.

They were her favorite snack in the whole world and Barbara was Billy's favorite person, so it seemed fitting.

She hugged him and Billy smiled, peering around the room for a head of wavy brown hair. "We could share our presents with Steve," He muttered, like. It wasn't a big deal or anything. Billy tugged on the sleeves of his red sweater and tried to stay cool. "Where is he?"

Barbara pointed to the book shelves.

Steve was sat under a string of twinkly lights, shoulders tucked against the pillows Mr. Talamantez set aside for circle time. His face was buried in the crook of his elbow, and.

He was crying.

Of course he was crying.

Billy felt the Valentine in his pocket grow heavy.

Barbara said, "Steve broke his glasses, maybe you could make him smile?"

And.

Billy wanted to do that. Longed to make Steve giggle and chirp with happiness like the annoying little Meadowlark he seemed be. It would be so easy to. Walk over there, tap Steve's shoulder, and say the words.

Pose the question.

Will you be my Valentine?

Steve was making huffy, nervous little noises when Billy came to a stop beside him.

"Hey Harrington, playing with all your friends?" Billy sneered, confident that Steve would giggle like he was did, but.

When he finally turned around his face was red and puffy. As if he'd been crying all morning and all night, too.

"What do you want, Billy?" Steve whispered.

He sounded sleepy. Spread thin, like the last spoonful of jam on burned toast.

"What's wrong?" Billy asked carefully. "What happened?"

Steve sat and rubbed at his eyes, chin wobbling as more tears spilled over. "My daddy broke my glasses." He whispered.

And Billy hated it.

He always hated when Steve cried but today. Right now, he.

Felt like he had to do something about it.

Billy took the love heart from his pocket and sat down next to Steve, cuddling back into the pillows until their shoulders were touching. It took all of five seconds for Steve to settle in next to him. Roll his head back against the wall until he was looking at Billy with a question in his eyes.

Steve looked at Billy's shoulder and back up at his face, like.

"Can I--"

"Come here, stupid." Billy grumbled, Pulling Steve in until they were cuddling on the pillows.

Steve chirped. It wasn't his usual sound, light and airy, it was.

Thick.

And heavy.

Like a blanket sopped with rain water. Steve buried his face in Billy's neck. "I don't have any Valentines to give this year."

"That's okay."

"I made something special for you," Steve whispered, pulling back to study Billy's face. "I know Mr. Talamantez said we weren't supposed to, but--"

"Will you be my Valentine?" Billy's stupid mouth said.

Steve blinked at him, and.

Billy wanted to hide in the bathroom for thousand years.

Steve pulled away to sit crisscross-applesauce. Facing Billy, like this was something important. "Huh?"

Billy mirrored him, tucking his hands away so they wouldn't shake when he held out the love heart.

It was pink. Big and bright and outlined with a white doily that Susan helped him glue around the edges. Billy had dug through Max's box of stickers for the one with Winne the Pooh, the one he'd been saving for someone special. Winnie was covered in tiny valentines, eating right out of a jar of honey with a butterfly sitting on his nose, and.

Billy had thought it was perfect.

He worked for hours on the font. The saying that made his mommy laugh when he read it to her; you're bear-y sweet. Be my Valentine.

Steve took the love heart in his hands, and.

Didn't say anything.

Billy frowned. "I just. Remember you asked me to be your Valentine, or. For you to be mine. And--" His hands were shaking again. "It's stupid. God, this is--"

Steve leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

It was gentle. Like the brush of butterfly wings, barely there and then gone before Billy had a chance to really register the movement, or. Think about what it could mean.

Steve wasn't crying anymore when he said, "I'll be your Valentine."

Billy's brain took a minute to catch up. "Huh?"

"I'll be your Valentine, Billy." Steve giggled, staring down at the love heart once more. "This is so cute. I loved Winnie the Pooh when I was a baby. My mom always put me in footie pajamas that had Eeyore on them. And tinker bell too, sometimes. You could've put the Red power ranger on there instead. He's my favorite--"

Billy sat back against the pillows.

He was learning that Steve Harrington was weird.

Like a puzzle with one piece missing, or. An empty tube of bubble mix. Steve was colorful and loud and all over the place with opinions. He shined bright and loved hard, and.

Sometimes it was best to sit back and listen.

--

Happy Valentines Day!!

I really just sat down and wrote this. Wow. Anyway--thank you for reading and supporting my work. Your comments and endless kindness keep me going when I don't always feel like trucking on, and I wanted to do something to remind you that if this was an elementary school classroom I would give you so many lollipops.

[wienerbarnes]

Much Ado About Nothing (1/6)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 2,726

Warnings: enemies to lovers, talk of wedding and marriage stuff

A/N: enjoy the first part and let me know what u think!

MAIN MASTERLIST | MUCH ADO MASTERLIST

The ride back to New York feels a lot longer than the ride to Croatia, Bucky decides. HYDRA wasn’t kidding around when they said cut one head off and two take its place, whatever. No matter how hard Earth’s Mightiest Heroes try, there’s another facility that pops up at one point or another.

Bucky tries to think positively; they should be off HYDRA duty, if they keep up the consistent schedule of finding a new facility every three or so months, for a bit now.

“What’s the first thing you guys are gonna do when you get back? I’m gonna get some hot chocolate from the little cafeteria in the main building.” Sam hums from the seat directly behind Bucky.

Bucky’s in the passenger while Steve pilots and he gives his own answer at the same time as Steve,

“Shower.”

“Propose to Sharon.”

A small pause for the boys to ensure they heard that correctly.

“Wanna run that by us again, Cap?” Sam pipes up.

“When we land, I’m going to propose to Sharon.” Steve repeats nonchalantly.

“Since when?!” Bucky asks. He knows for a fact that Steve and Sharon adore each other, but Steve has never brought up marriage once in the time he’s dated Sharon, and clearly he hasn’t done so to Sam, either.

“Listen, I know we haven’t been dating long, but I know I love her and I know she loves me, so, what’s the point in waiting?” He explains.

“Is this about what happened earlier, Steve?” Bucky asks, knowing his best friend all too well.

A bomb was in the facility, of course, and Steve and Bucky tried to disarm it while Sam rallied the rest of prisoners out of the building.

Now, while Steve has obtained most of his training through his serum-fueled muscle memory and military experience over the last few decades, he is extremely lucky. Steve has successfully disarmed twenty-nine bombs throughout his Avengers career. Not a single failure. With no bomb training.

So when he cut one of the wires confidently and the timer started ticking faster, it made him nervous. And it made him even more nervous when he clipped a different wire and the time counter automatically set to zero. He froze in shock and was lucky Bucky was able to fling the two of them out a window and away from the direct blast.

“Okay, so, yeah, maybe I got a little scared. But, listen, it’s not a lie that we lead dangerous lives. Why should I hold back on the things I want if I know tomorrow isn’t promised?” Steve defends.

“Steve, you can’t marry a girl because you’re scared of dying!” Bucky exclaims.

“I’m not marrying her for that, Bucky, I love her!”

“I know you love her, but -”

“But?! -”

“Alright, alright, listen,” Sam interrupts their sibling bickering, “If this is what you want, I’m with you 100%, Cap.” Sam reassures.

Steve gives a thankful smile and looks back to Bucky, hoping for the same.

“You know I’m always on board with you, you punk.” Bucky slaps a hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, guys.”

“Ah, big man’s gonna be engaged!” Sam throws his hands on Steve’s shoulders, jostling his body in the tiny pilot’s seat, and Bucky joins in on the teasing.

“I’m gonna tell everyone to meet in the hangar for when you ask her.” Sam says, pulling out his phone.

“You’re not gonna tell the Geek, are you?” Bucky groans.

“Of course, I’m gonna tell her. I don’t know why you don’t like her, man.”

Bucky rolls his eyes at the thought of the little lab rat. Sharon’s best friend. A young girl, born and raised in New York though thoroughly traveled through your work experience. Been to over fifty countries offering your expertise to combat cyberterrorism and have helped locate some of the hardest-to-find and worst people in the world.

You act like you’re all that just because you’re considered one of the youngest geniuses in the country and one of the greatest hackers in the world as well as the Avengers’ best tech expert of all time.

Whatever, big whoop, Bucky could care less.

As the jet lands, hugs and cheers are exchanged as the group of friends reacquaint themselves once again after a long mission. After greeting everyone, Bucky hangs on the outskirts of the group, waiting to see how Steve is going to pop his big question.

“C’mon, punk, don’t lose your courage.” Bucky talks to himself.

“I don’t know if you noticed, Bucky, but no one’s listening to you. You can stop talking.” Your voice pipes up next to him.

“Oh, hey, Little Miss Geeky, don’t you have some codes to hack, or something?” He bites at you.

“I told you not to call me that!”

“I told you not to call me that,” Bucky mocks you in a higher pitched voice.

“Geez, how does anyone stand you around here? I don’t get how all the female trainees are infatuated with you.”

“They definitely kiss my ass because I train them and I have the final say on whether or not they move on to second-class training, but even if I didn’t,” Bucky turns to face you now, “They’d still love me because every woman here loves me except for you, it seems.”

“Doesn’t matter anyway, I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone or anything right now, I don’t even know I’m capable of that, anymore.” Bucky finishes.

“Women everywhere are lucky, then. You’d make a horrible boyfriend. I’m glad I have no need for romance, either.”

“Hopefully you keep it that way, any guy that ends up with your catty ass will end up with his face scratched up.”

“Well, if his face looks anything like yours, a good scratching would only make it look better.”

“Alright, alright, enough, you two. Can’t even be civil around each other for five minutes.” Sam interrupts, slinging each of his arms around both you and Bucky’s shoulders, shoving himself in between the two of you.

“She started it.”

“No, he -”

“Stop! He’s about to do it.” Sam shushes you.

“He’s about to do what -”

“Guys, guys, I want everyone’s attention.” Steve’s voice calls out, and everyone quiets down immediately.

Steve turns to Sharon, “Sharon, you are the most beautiful, the strongest, the kindest, and most amazing woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” He begins.

“I’ve known for a while now, and I know you have, too, that I love you with every fiber of my being. You make me a better Captain, and a better man every day I’m with you. I truly and deeply believe that you’re my soulmate and I won’t ever find another girl like you in my life. You’re all I’ve ever wanted. So, I don’t want to waste anymore time,” Steve lowers down onto one knee and a few gasps echo from the group.

Bucky sees you slap a hand over your mouth in shock and Sam sniffles beside him. A small smile appears on Bucky’s face, too.

“Sharon, will you make me the happiest man alive, and marry me?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Steve, yes I’ll marry you!” Sharon cries out, jumping into Steve’s arms as he stands again, and the group claps and cheers for them.

They share sweet kiss after sweet kiss, relishing in the new step in their relationship.

Sharon’s voice catches everyone in their celebration, though, “Let’s get married now!”

Collective what’s come from the group of friends that surround them, “Like you said, babe, let’s not waste anymore time!”

“Sharon, if you think you’re not getting the most gorgeous and lovely wedding you deserve, you’re mistaken.” You tell her.

“For once, I agree with Techie, Shar. I mean you don’t have a dress, Steve doesn’t have a tux; hell, the two of you don’t even have rings!” Bucky says.

“I can make it happen in a week.” Tony’s voice booms from the group. Everyone looks to him.

“I can get you guys rings, I can get Sharon a dress, and Steve a suit, I can set up the smaller ballroom for a pre-wedding party for everyone tonight and get the bigger ballroom ready for a wedding by next Friday.” Tony offers.

“Consider it a wedding gift.” He smiles.

Sharon and Steve look to each other before looking back at Tony, “Next Friday it is, then.”

The group goes back to congratulating the newly engaged couple as well as conversing about the future wedding.

...

“Hey, did you guys hear about the rumored wedding?”

Bruce Banner pipes up in the empty lab after returning from downstairs. Well, not empty, of course, but empty of you, the intern’s tech leader in their internship.

“What idiot would want to get married, nowadays?” John pipes up.

The only reason he’s here is because his step-brother, Sam “The Falcon” Wilson insisted on getting him this internship gig. Everyone was always saying how he wasn’t going to live up to his big brother’s legacy, and he hated the fact that that was only ingrained into his existence further by the fact that Sam got him this position.

“Your brother’s best buddy.” Clint Barton enters and answers. Always roaming around the building, he is.

“What, that pretty boy, Steve?”

“That’s the one.” The archer confirms and plops himself down in a spinning chair.

“Huh. And I guess he’s marrying that pretty girlfriend of his? When did this happen?”

“That he is. It happened just downstairs now that they’ve returned from that mission. There’s a party tonight to celebrate.” Banner informs him, hoping the sound of a party will liven the kid’s spirits a bit.

Banner can see the kid’s frustration in living in his brother’s shadow - or feeling like so - and hopes that allowing him the opportunity to make some good memories will make his time here feel a little less miserable. Despite the connection to his brother, John’s incredibly smart for a nineteen-year-old, a teenager, and deserves to have a little play among all his work.

“Hmmm. I think I’ll go. Who doesn't love a good party, right?” John says, satisfying both Avengers in the lab with him.

Meanwhile, John’s fantasizing, he’s going to get into trouble around here.

…

Sharon, Tony, and you sit around a small table in the cafeteria while Sam waits for his hot chocolate across the room.

“If only I could find a guy in between Steve and Bucky. Steve’s too vanilla and Bucky’s too… Bucky.” You say.

“Keep thinking like that and you won’t find anyone.” Tony tells you.

“Well, good. I pray everyday that God doesn’t send me a husband. Ugh, and especially not a guy like Steve or Bucky; I can’t stand those beards.”

“Maybe you’ll find a husband that shaves.” Sharon offers.

“I know I’m not hearing my darling Geeky and husband as topics in the same conversation.” Sam finally joins with his cup of hot chocolate.

“You’re right, you’re not. I’ll start looking for a husband when they make men out of something other than trash. Speaking of which, I know Steve is America’s Golden Boy, or whatever, but you make sure he treats you right.” You say.

“I second that.” Sam agrees.

“I third it.” Tony follows.

Sharon laughs, “Guys, guys, I appreciate it, but I don’t need you guys to have that talk with me, Steve is amazing, and you all know it.”

“Yeah, yeah, anyway, I’m going to go shower for the party tonight, I’ve been holed up in the lab all morning.” You stand and go to exit the cafeteria.

Bucky’s way ahead of you in that aspect, following through with what he said on the jet and retreating up to his room to shower as soon as the congratulations were given to the happy couple.

Showering is a special ritual Bucky follows after a rough mission. Of course, everyone showers after a mission, but Bucky makes his post-mission showers extra special.

He double shampoos both his hair and his beard, lathering them up with a smooth conditioner after, while he washes all the dirt and gunk from his body with a lavender and grapeseed oil body soap.

He applies a face mask while he cleans up any wounds he might’ve sustained on the mission, as well as polishing and scrubbing his metal arm clean. Once he’s finished, he painfully reminds himself that he can’t just sleep for the next sixteen hours. He has to get ready to go to a party.

He sighs to himself, “Let’s get this over with.”

…

Everyone in the ballroom is dressed to the nines for the last-minute engagement party. There’s music, dancing, drinks, and just about everyone that works in the tower is in that room.

The group of friends all find each other eventually, and of course all of the attention is on the future bride and groom. Talk of colors and themes and cakes all overwhelm the couple - the question of whether or not Sharon will wear a garter makes Steve blush.

Quite honestly, they’re on the verge of just eloping downtown and saying to hell with all the parties and festivities.

“Okay, okay, can we talk about something else? I don’t want all this wedding stuff to be the only thing I hear about for the next seven days.” Sharon finally interrupts.

“Okay, what do you want to talk about, Miss Bride-to-be?” You ask.

“Well, how about when you’re going to find yourself a husband?” Sharon teases her friend, knowing how much she despises talking about her own love life, or lack thereof.

“Oh no, absolutely not, not this again. I’m going to get a drink.” You wave her off, stepping away from the group and making your way back towards the open bar.

“I hope I didn’t arrive just as we were talking about relationship stuff.” Bucky says as he arrives and finally finds his friends.

“I’m afraid you did.” Natasha confirms beside Sharon.

“In that case, I’m gonna follow Geeky’s lead and get a drink; I’ll certainly need one for that conversation.” Bucky excuses himself, the shadow of his dark blue suit follows the flow of your navy gown worn tonight; you surely matched by complete accident.

“Imagine if they were married.” Sharon thinks aloud to Natasha.

“Who? Barnes and Geek-a-Chic? Please, they’d kill each other within a week of being married.” Natasha argues.

“I hope y'all aren’t talking about our Barnes and Techie, because there’s no way in hell they’d be caught dead with each other like that.” Sam butts in, Steve by his side.

“C’mon guys, think about it. It’s like opposites attract and all that. Plus, I think they are the only people that are a match for their own wits.” Sharon explains.

“I don’t know, babe. They’re constantly at each other’s necks; I don’t even think they’ve had a normal conversation with each other without insults or bickering.” Steve says.

“I suggest we do the impossible.” Tony interrupts, clearly having had a few too many drinks.

“While we wait for the wedding to come, we are going to set those two up together.” He hiccups.

“Tony, you’re crazy.”

“That’ll never work.”

“I’m with it!” Sam shouts, excited to play along and work with Tony on his shenanigans.

“Atta boy, Sammy! C’mon, Sharon? Nat? Steve? Where’s Clint, I know he’ll be on board with this.” Tony whips his head around in all directions looking for the archer.

“C’mon, guys, it’ll be fun! The worst that can happen is that we fail.” Sam tries to convince.

“I think the worst that can happen is that we succeed! Imagine Barnes and her together!” Natasha exclaims.

“I just want her to be happy. She deserves a good boyfriend and husband.” Sharon says sweetly, Sam words slowly convincing her.

“I agree.” Steve chimes in, wanting the best for his own best friend as well.

The five of them turn towards the bar to see Bucky and their favorite tech nerd pushing and shoving at each other’s shoulders, clearly fighting about something once again.

“Alright, I’m on board. Let’s do it.” Natasha finally agrees.

John watches the happy friend group from a distance. He sees his brother smiling and laughing with his friends; his famous, talented, skilled friends, his friends who are soon going to be married and live happily ever after.

Not if he can help it, anyway.

[damn-stark]

Other half

Abby Anderson x reader

Requested by anon “What about a scenario about helping Abby and going AWOL and leaving the wolves behind, but plot twist: s/o is Isaac's child”

Warning- swearing, fluff, includes scenes from game

———

Quietly you watch as people in base gather around in a circle to gossip about some random person's recent travel, the sun up bright and hot, warming the whole messed up place you got to live in. Not to say that earth was not a beautiful place, because it was, in its infected infested moment and all, but it’s just many times you wished that life had turned out different. Not so troublesome and annoying.

The only thing that you had going for you and kept you afloat were your friends from Salt Lake. They were somewhat new, (A few years) but they were what kept things entertaining in this boring old commuting you called home. Especially Abby. She was the center of it all. With her incredible and beautiful muscles, her quiet and strong personality. She was amazing in every aspect and your father Isaac also loved her—For other reasons entirely, but he did, just like you.

“So I go check the room and—”

The door finally opens, cutting off whatever the guard was rambling about, the action a sweet relief and a blessing altogether.

“Hi Manny, Abby.” You greet happily, pushing your body off the wall and beginning to walk by them, offering the guard a lazy wave. “It’s about time you guys got out, what did my dear old father need?”

Manny was quick to answer before Abby had the chance to even think of an answer. “Basically that he needed Abby for the attack on the Scar Island.”

You roll your eyes and sigh. “Of course. What else?” Your eyes shifted to your favorite blond next to you, noting her silence and contemplating look. An easy give away that something else was definitely bugging her. “Abby? There's something more, what is it?”

Said girl only briefly glanced your way before she shook your head and grabbed your hand, taking you and guiding Manny past the crowd and tents, until finally she came to a stop somewhere quieter and under some shadows that protected you from the sun.

“I asked him about Owen and he said he wouldn’t go looking for him, but if he came he’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Your eyebrow quirks and you shoot her and Manny a questioning look. “I knew that..and?”

“I’m going to get him.” She finally revealed, making you let out a silent ‘oh’ and a smile to creep onto your lips, her eyebrows furrowing and shooting you a pointed look. “What?”

You shrug, “I should’ve known my girlfriend wasn’t going to sit and do nothing. But I also know my father and I know he wouldn’t let you leave so close to an ambush.”

Manny stands close and nods, agreeing to your statement and adding a witty comment. “Oh look you do love her.”

You roll your head to the side and smirk. “Yep.” Again you look back to Abby and nod. “So what are we doing? Sneaking us out?”

“No.” Abby reveals, “sneaking me out. Your dad would skin me alive if I let you come unprotected.”

“I can protect myself and I have you.” You interject.

Abby shakes her head. “No you’re staying here with Manny. It’s faster if I go alone, I’ll be back by morning. You can help me sneak out.”

You exhale deeply and scoff. “Fine.” Even if you already made up your mind.

You weren’t going to tell her though. Not yet.

——

“What if Owen is somewhere else?” Manny asks, his eyes reflecting the beautiful orange and yellow sunset in the horizon ahead. A calming view if you weren’t leading your girlfriend to a dangerous mission.

“He’s there.”

Manny lightly hits your arm to gesture Abby and you to continue moving. “Let’s get off the roof before someone sees us.” Manny began to guide Abby and you off the rooftop expressing his concern for his friend’s travel. “Can I talk out of this.”

“No.” Abby answered. “We don’t know what happened. We gotta find him.”

You weren’t really sure why there was such a need to find Owen. Her ex. But she was persistent—now you weren’t jealous of what they used to be, because one there was trust in the relationship between Abby and you. And two, Owen was your friend as well. But if he wanted to come back, no matter what he did, he would’ve. But he didn’t.

“If he really killed Danny.” Manny added as he and you jumped off the roof and onto a green covered wooden path, Abby's quick remark heard behind you.

“Fuck, Danny.”

You smirk and nod, staying silent to listen to what Abby had to say to Manny. Her tone softened to express more. “I do appreciate you. The both of you, helping me sneak out like this.”

You look over your shoulder and smile, Abby's own smile mirroring yours for a moment, a big admiration for your lovely girlfriend growing as the sun illuminated her face in a very beautiful way. Making her blue eyes glow like the ocean. She seemed to notice your gaze and just smirked. Her attention turned to Manny as he continued speaking as he walked down the catwalk to get to the stairs

“How are you getting to the aquarium? The highway?”

You shake your head and answer for her. “She’d be pretty dumb to do that, theirs too many patrols, she’d be spotted for sure.”

“I’ll rough it. Aquariums due west of here. Keep following the sun, right?” Abby added as she followed you down the stairs.

“I’m coming with you.” Manny interjected.

“I’ve done this before.”

You stay silent through their argument, knowing that you had your own secret choice that would make Abby upset. Manny wouldn’t mind, but she definitely would. Which is why staying silent and just following into the abandoned apartment was better. Only reacting when Abby found a very ‘steamy’ letter inside one of the rooms, her grin excited and teasing all at the same time. “Whispering Spanish in my ear?”

“Hey! That’s private!”

“Oh my god! This is your place?” Abby chuckled.

You snort and grin, “how many sex dens do you have in this QZ?”

Manny walks off and pretends he doesn’t know what you’re talking about. “¿Que? Perdón. No hablo inglés.”

You chuckle and follow after him. “Don’t worry you’re not the only one who gets love letters. I give them to Abby too.”

Abby snorts. “You do? Where cause I haven’t seen them.”

You tap the side of your head and smirk. “Telepathically, duh. Here I’ll read out loud.” You clear your throat and begin. “To my love, your hair is like perfectly golden wheat in a field of….uh, wheat? Your eyes are as blue as the ocean and your muscles are as big as comets. Xoxo, your other half.”

Abby and Manny chuckle as you wipe your shoulder pridefully.

“Such a talented poet.” Manny teased.

You grin, “oh, I know.”

Manny continues guiding you down the broken down apartment until you’re all outside again.

“Hey. thanks.” Abby directed to Manny.

“For this?”

“Yeah...and other stuff Y’know? You’re a good friend.”

Manny smiles, “come on, Abs. You know I can’t handle all this emotion.” Finally you all make it to the gate, the view so far clear from any infected. As many made clear, anyway. “Looks clear. C’mon.” Manny crouch’s down to give Abby a boost over the fence, her feet hitting the ground with a loud thud before she took a moment to look back around and say her goodbyes to Manny and to you. A mischievous smirk on your lips once she turned around to leave.

You place a finger on top of your lips to tell Manny to be quiet and discreet. His eyebrow raising to question your choices but soon letting you win with a single glare, boosting you over like he did with Abby. Said girl's attention turned to you as she heard the commotion, her eyes widening before her eyebrows pinched together.

“What the hell are you doing?” Her eyes looked over your shoulder to see Manny already up on the catwalk, hurrying his pace until he disappeared inside the apartment once again. Leaving you to deal with Abby with a knowing and happy smile.

“Going with you. I decided a long time ago.”

Abby shook her head and walked towards you with the same pointed look. “What about your dad?”

You scoff, “I don’t care what my dad says, I’m not letting you leave alone. I’m your other half, remember?” You smile towards the end of your sentence, making Abby stay quiet until she loudly huffed out of her nose. “Fine. But you stay close.”

You grin and nod. “Promise.” You quickly interlace your hand with hers and hold back your laugh as another “romantic” sentence comes to mind. “Riding off into the sunset, like two lovers.”

Abby shakes her head and snorts. “Dork.”

“I know.”

[chockfullofsecrets]

Critical Role: Making People Happy

(Read on AO3)

Rating: Gen

Summary: Jester fidgets with her sleeves for a minute, then with her tail and then -

Then, she has an idea. A wonderful, brilliant idea that’s going to cure her boredom and also hopefully make Caleb a lot less grumpy.

Beau and Caleb are fighting, again, and Jester's determined to solve at least half of this problem.

Wordcount: 3093

A/N: Went a little overboard with the lead-up here, whoops - one day i’m going to learn how to write actual tk fic lol

Fill for this anon prompt - hopefully I’ll only have to apologize for how late these are a couple more times, but anon i’m so sorry

---

Jester’s new friends aren’t like anyone she’s ever met before.

Some of them are super strong - like her! - and some of them can do magic even though they don’t know the Traveler - and some of them, she thinks, eyeing Fjord where he crouches over the beginnings of a fire, are very, very handsome -

More importantly, at the moment - her new friends are also really fucking grumpy.

The Lavish Chateau has had its fair share of visitors that snap like Beau or sulk like Caleb - but there’s always been a door or a wall in the way, Jester on the other side peeking through at the mess. The two of them have been arguing over some bits of Empire history for hours on the road, through Fjord gritting his teeth and Nott chugging from her flask and Molly wrapping himself in his coat to block them all out and get some sleep.

Jester had sat and sketched them - the way Caleb’s eyes went razor sharp among the dirt and hair on his face, the hooked snarl of Beau’s smile. There was a little space left at the bottom of the page, reserved for when they finally stopped and made up, but as the afternoon wore on she had given up on filling it.

Adventuring is plenty of fun, and she’s real good at it, but - sometimes she misses home. The simplicity, if not the loneliness.

They make camp in silence. Caleb stalks off the minute his bedroll is laid out, shoulders up around his ears.

“Yeah, you better run,” Beau lobs after him. There’s a soft oof as someone - presumably Fjord - elbows her.

“All right,” Molly interjects, finally, and waits for all of them to turn and stare at him sitting cross-legged on the grassy earth. He smiles beatifically under their attention. “While we wait for that mess to simmer down… dinner?”

Beau is sullenly silent. “Dinner,” Fjord agrees around her.

Molly holds an arm out to her. “Preferences, dear?” Taking the invitation wholeheartedly, Jester is on the ground and scrambling to cuddle up to his side with a speed that surprises even her. Molly just laughs and squeezes her around the shoulders.

She headbutts him playfully in the chest, minding her horns. “We should have something delicious, and really warm and nice, and maybe it can be sweet too-”

“The sweetest thing we have right now is carrots,” Fjord says flatly, but he’s - finally! - smiling too, and even Beau’s fists unclench a little when Jester groans dramatically and slumps completely into Molly. “Beau, would you care to help me slice some of them up with your incredible monk skills?”

Beau grumbles something under her breath. “I use my fists, man, I’m not a ninja.”

“You punch carrots into pieces? That’s insane.”

The visual and Fjord’s nonplussed tone have all of them laughing, even Beau, and the two of them get up to wrestle some food out of the cart. She nuzzles contentedly into Molly. “You’re really good at that,” she tells him. “Making people happy.”

Molly shrugs like he hasn’t just salvaged their chances of staying together as a group. “It’s good to get everything resolved before dinnertime. The things I’ve seen angry people do with hot food…”

“Really?,” she gasps, faux-scandalized, and then squeaks as Molly’s hand makes its way down to her tummy and starts tickling right at the soft spot under her ribs. “Hehey! Tell - heehee - tell me!”

She tries to tickle him back, reaching between them to pinch his side, but he just jumps a little and searches out her belly button to make her laugh even harder. “Maybe later. Come on, let’s not laze around - we’ll see if we can’t find some more firewood, hm?”

She bounces happily on her toes, swinging Molly’s arm around her like a shawl and then twirling it away as they both get up. “I’ll get you back, you know!”

Molly’s cheeks go dark purple, like they always do when she threatens him. It just makes her more intent on following through. “ I look forward to it,” is all he says, eyes flashing devilishly, and shoos her in one direction before sauntering off in the other. “Don’t go too far.”

“I won’t,” she calls over her shoulder, and immediately makes for the rise that Caleb disappeared over.

He’s so squishy, after all - if anyone shouldn’t be wandering off, it’s him.

She passes one tree, then another, leaves crunching under her boots. It’s clear after a few seconds that she doesn’t know any of the things that would help her figure out which direction Caleb is in, so she scoops her holy symbol up in one hand and flicks it with her thumb. “Oh, Traveler! Help me out here, okay?”

She’s asked for his help a million times before, for pranks and spells and just wanting company, and he has yet to disappoint - a gust of wind shuffles through her skirts and blows her bangs right into her eyes.

Well. No one would call the Traveler nice, but neither is she.

She spits out a hunk of hair, grinning, and skips along after it. Sure enough, there’s a flash of red hair that soon resolves itself into their stray wizard.

Caleb’s knees are tucked up under his chin, his back painfully straight against a tree. His eyes are closed - and it’s dangerous to sit in the middle of the woods with your eyes closed, isn’t it, especially when you’re a stinky wizard that probably attracts lots of bugs?

Caleb’s not dumb. But this? Very dumb. She’s going to wake him up and tell him so, and take him back to camp for dinner, and everything will be better tomorrow.

She reaches for his shoulder, but just as she’s about to grab him -

“Jester?”

“Nott!” She stumbles back, grabbing her face in shock as a particularly greenish patch of shadow transforms into a cloak with little pointed ears. “Where did you even come from?!”

“Oh, you know. Rogue stuff.” Nott shrugs, scampering up to meet her like she hasn’t just appeared from nowhere. “Caleb’s scouting right now, so I’m making sure nothing sneaks up on him.”

She knows that Caleb can’t hear them, but they’re in a dark forest and everyone else is being quiet so she kneels down and whispers to Nott anyways. “What, with Frumpkin? Why can’t he do that in camp? Not that you’re doing a bad job or anything, but we would totally look out for him too, you know.”

“He knows, it’s just-” Nott glances over at Caleb. “It’s been a long day.”

She sits there, both of them watching Caleb’s eyelids twitch. “Can I stay here with you, then? Just in case.”

“Sure, pull up some floor,” Nott encourages, and sidles over to tuck herself under Caleb’s arm. He makes an acknowledging noise and pulls her in, letting her rearrange herself against the folds of his coat, and Jester tries very very hard not to think of the way she used to cuddle with her mama as she settles on Caleb’s other side. It doesn’t quite work - the careful inches that she leaves between them, not wanting to spook him with her sudden appearance, feel like every single league from here to Nicodranas.

And. Well. It’s boring.

Jester fidgets with her sleeves for a minute, then with her tail and then -

Then, she has an idea. A wonderful, brilliant idea that’s going to cure her boredom and also hopefully make Caleb a lot less grumpy.

She holds out a single finger, wiggles it around a bit and smirks to herself, and then gently, gently reaches around behind Caleb’s knees to poke at his tummy.

He really is thin, and her finger sinks further into the ratty fabric of his shirt than she expects. But eventually her fingertip finds the soft curve of his belly and she skitters it around a bit, trying to find something sensitive.

Nothing happens.

She pouts, pulling her hand back, but after a moment of consideration she dives right back in, searching for his belly button - surely even he’s ticklish there. It takes a couple seconds of patting around - not a single muscle here, no wonder he goes down so easily in fights - but she finally finds the little dip of flesh and wriggles her finger inside.

Caleb does flinch at that, snorting a little and reaching hastily to bat her away. “Nott the Brave,” he huffs, the corner of his mouth twitching up, “what is going on out there? Are you all right?”

There’s a little fwip as Nott tugs wire through her fingers. “All clear here, Caleb! I’ll take care of it.”

The second Caleb hums in acknowledgement, Nott whips out from under Caleb’s arm to glare at her. “What are you doing? I thought you were here to help him-”

“We don’t even need to scout!” Jester protests. She rubs guiltily at the back of her hand. “And if he comes back to camp, then maybe he and Beau can talk and-”

Nott cuts her off, teeth flashing. “Caleb didn’t do anything wrong! If she says one more thing to him, I will shoot her-”

“Nott!” she interrupts, horrified. “Geez, calm down, we don’t have to shoot anyone!”

Nott quiets suddenly in her odd way, retreating slightly into Caleb’s shadow. “Well… all right.”

“Then shouldn’t we bring him back?”

Nott wraps a strand of hair around her finger, yellow eyes flicking from her to Caleb. “It makes him feel better to be in Frumpkin sometimes,” she says. “To be someone else for a bit.” Her eyes close. “I definitely wouldn’t want to be in this body, if I could choose.”

“Oh,” Jester says. She spins through a couple half-formed sentences and then thinks fuck it and reaches out to squeeze Nott’s hand instead. “That’s really sad, Nott.”

Nott sniffs and squeezes her hand back. “No, no, it’s alright… Caleb and I are going to figure it out. He’s very smart.”

Jester nods with considerably more certainty than she feels, pulling on a smile. “Well, I think that maybe he would feel even better if he just talked to Beau. I know these things! Sometimes I would be upset with Mama, and if I couldn’t talk to her about it I would have to go just stay in my room and it was all I could think about until I saw her again.”

Nott blinks. “Your mom just left you alone in your room?”

Wrong turn, wrong turn - “Oh, well, we had to, you know?”

“Sure, sure.” Nott’s eyes are still fixed squarely on Jester. “I wouldn’t know, I don’t have kids or anything.”

She kind of wants to chase that particular thread, but before she can say anything Nott sighs and looks back to Caleb. “You know what? Bring him back. He should have finished lapping around the camp by now anyway.”

Now that’s the turn she wants to take. “Really?” she asks, and doesn’t wait for a response before scooting around to sit in front of Caleb and stretch her fingers teasingly - really, it’s a shame that Caleb can’t see her right now or he would definitely be squirming. “Hm hm hm, okay, let’s see - hey, Nott, do you know where Caleb’s ticklish?”

They both consider Caleb’s skinny frame, the distinct lack of laugh lines. Nott scrambles around next to Jester and cocks her head thoughtfully. “His ribs, maybe? When we were on the road together, we couldn’t always light a fire and Caleb would let me sleep under his coat with him.” She smiles. “He wouldn’t complain when I moved around, but I think it tickled him a little.”

It sounds very cute, in her mind - so cute that she reaches for Nott and tickles her belly through all those layers instead. “Aw, did you squirm a lot? How come?”

Nott squawks and somehow rolls away to Jester’s other side between one blink and the next. “Hey! Focus!”

Jester pouts. “You never tickled him, though? How could you not? He’s so grumpy and sad all the time.”

“Oh, well…” Nott grimaces. “We were both pretty grumpy and sad, because we were very poor and on the run from the law. Honestly, I’ve never thought about it.”

“Oh,” Jester says. Maybe she shouldn’t have told them about the horse dresses.

Nott shrugs. “That’s why it’s good that we have you around, I guess. You make us all happier.”

That - the recognition, the simple way Nott says it, as fact - lights something bright and warm in her chest. “You really think so?”

“Yes! I mean…” She gestures to Caleb. “It’s not like anyone else came out here to look for us.”

“I will always come look for you, Nott.”

“Thanks Jessie, but we’re kind of worried about him right now-”

“Right, right.” She turns back to Caleb and wraps her hands gently around his ribs, right under his book holster. “Oh, Cay-leb…”

She wiggles a finger into his left side, then his right, delighted as he starts to squirm between her hands. “Coochie coochie coo,” she teases softly, even knowing that he can’t hear her yet. “Come on, wake up!”

Caleb reaches up and shoves her hands away, but that’s hardly a deterrent - and the little yelp of shock as her fingers get right back to tickling is very good. For the first time since she’s known him, laughter threatens under Caleb’s low tone. “Nott, was-”

And then, almost pleading - “Nott, that. It. It ti - tick -”

Oh. Oh, he can barely even say it. Jester beams.

Behind her, Nott sounds alarmed. “Jessie, you look evil right now.”

She stops tickling briefly and turns around. “Nott!” she whisper-screams. “He’s so ticklish!”

“You’re enjoying this, huh?”

She scoffs. “Yes, of course! All tieflings do.” It’s true, for all of two tieflings that Jester knows - her mama and Molly love tickling, and so does she. And so will the rest of their group, if she and Molly have anything to say about it.

She turns back to Caleb, squeezing back and forth between his ribs to make him wriggle again, and this time Caleb comes fully back to himself with a gasp. His eyes blink open, scanning frantically. She sees him register Nott, off to the side, then jump a little as he finds her right in front of him. His cheeks redden. “Ah - Jester -”

“Caleb,” she purrs, and twitches the tips of her fingers just a little. “Hey, did you know that your ribs are really, really ticklish?”

His arms shrink back against his sides, pressing her hands even further into his ribs where she’s still latched on. “They - I - I’m not-”

“Oh? You’re not ticklish?” Jester worms her fingers into the grooves of his ribs. “How come you’re so smiley then, huh, Caleb? What’s so funny?”

One of Caleb’s hands reaches up to pat shakily at the corner of his mouth, feeling out the wobbly grin there. He shoves it hastily over the lower half of his face. “I’m not!”

“No, I’m Nott,” Nott says, sounding terribly amused. “Come on, Caleb, I don’t think you’re fooling her.”

Jester doesn’t give him a chance to try again. “No, no, maybe he’s right!” She buries a hand under his arm, fingertips curling cruelly against the tender skin there, and reaches around his knees to find his belly button again with the other. “Maybe’s he’s not ticklish at all, not even a little, not even if I tickle right here-”

Caleb’s entire body jerks, eyes flaring wide as she digs in. “Mmph - heh-”

He’s much more ticklish when he’s paying attention, it seems. She can feel him trying to suck in his tummy, desperate to keep her away, and his face disappears into his knees as he brings his hands down in a futile attempt to protect his armpit. He can’t stop himself from laughing, though - he breaks almost instantly, whining through peals of frantic laughter as she reverts to nibbling little pinches along his ribs. “Ha - ha - ahaha!”

He kicks out, heels drumming against the ground as he spasms. “Uh oh,” Jester teases, digging her thumbs into his exposed tummy and rubbing in little circles, “that definitely looks like it tickles. Were you lying to us, Cay-leb?”

Caleb shakes his head, trying to hide against his shoulder now, and she can see red all the way to the tips of his ears. “Nn - hngh - plehehease, bitte,” he chokes out through an adorably enormous grin. “Why - I don’t-”

“Why am I tickling you?” she finishes, gleefully noting how he flinches at the word. “We-ll, at first you just looked so sad and lonely out here that Nott and I thought we should cheer you up. But now that I know you were lying about how very, very ticklish you are…” She digs back into his ribs, giggling as he breaks down into laughter all over again. “Well, now I think I’m just gonna tickle you until you admit it.”

“No,” Caleb pleads breathlessly. He doesn’t seem to be making any moves to get away from her, though, just flops onto the ground and shoves his face into an elbow. She could tease him about that too, she thinks, and maybe he would get even redder.

“Or,” she says instead, tickling along the curve of his ribs to his back, “I could tell Beau how ticklish you are and she could make you admit it.”

He does try to get away, then, rolling onto his belly and trying to wriggle out from under her. “No, no,” he begs between snickers, “don’t tell her, gods-”

“I think it would help you two fight less,” she tells him, curling her fingers under him to tickle his tummy again. It’s cute, the way he rocks from side to side trying to protect all of his ticklish spots at once. “But maybe, if you make up another way, then I won’t have to! And then no one else would have to know how cute and tickly you are, Caleb-”

“Fine,” he says frantically, “yes, yes, just stohop-”

She’s a little reluctant, especially when he starts to catch his breath and she just knows that he could take more tickling, but technically this solves the problem.

And technically, he still hasn’t admitted anything. There could be a lot of tickling in his future.

He’s back to normal now, holding Nott’s sleeve and whispering something sternly to her, but she tucks the memory of his infectious grin away for later.

This, it seems, is a pretty decent way to make him happy.

[chocolatequeennk]

Forever Timeless, 4/23

Summary: Two months after the Dalek Crucible, the Doctor and Rose are getting used to having the biggest family on Earth. As they visit Leadworth in 1996, Victorian England, a mysterious desert planet, and Elizabethan England, those family and friends often help in unexpected ways. But no matter where they go or who they’re with, it’s always the Doctor in the TARDIS with RoseTyler–just as it should be.

Ten x Rose, Donna x Lee

Betaed by @saecookie, @rudennotgingr, @pellaaearien, and @jabber-who-key

Tagging @doctorroseprompts for Doctor/Rose content

Part 7 of Being to Timelessness

AO3 | FF.NET | TSP

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3

Chapter Four: At Last

The Doctor looked at Lee as the TARDIS spun slowly in the Vortex. “I’ve got the coordinates all set. Are you ready to see Donna again?”

Lee nodded. “Please.”

The Doctor flipped the lever, and the time rotor moved up and down with its typical grinding, wheezing sound. Lee shook his head, amazement etched across his features. He studied the TARDIS like someone who’d heard about them all his life and couldn’t believe he was finally seeing one.

“Just n-never thought I would be inside a TARDIS,” he explained when Rose looked at him questioningly.

Rose reached out and patted the central column. “Put on a good show for him, dear.”

The TARDIS lights flashed, and they spun through time and space at a dizzying speed. The ship landed hard enough to send them all to the grating. Everyone laughed, no one harder than Lee.

The Doctor jumped up and brushed himself off. “Let’s go see what Donna and Jenny are up to,” he said, jogging up the ramp.

Rose’s phone chimed, and the Doctor had a sinking feeling he knew what the incoming message said. He waited for Rose to read it, and her sigh confirmed his fears.

“Oi, Sunshine. When we said a week, we meant an Earth week, as in seven days. You’re late.”

“Oh… this is bad.” The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. He could already feel the bleach burning his scalp.

“What’s wrong?” Lee asked.

“We landed a day later than we promised to meet Jenny and Donna,” Rose said as she typed out the text and hit send. She looked up in time to see Lee smile and shake his head. “What?”

“Just imaging Donna’s reaction.”

oOoOo

Donna was in the middle of telling Jenny exactly what she planned to say to the Doctor when her phone chimed with a text notification.

“Oh, that better be them,” she muttered as she fished it out of her purse.

Sorry we’re late, Rose said. We brought something for you.

Donna snorted. “If they think some little rinky-dink souvenir is going to make me forget they actually did strand us, they need to think again.” She picked up her bag and tossed a note on the table to cover the bill. “Come on, Jenny.”

They could see the TARDIS from the edge of the park, and Donna unconsciously picked up her pace. At the moment, she couldn’t tell if she were more eager to be home, or to give the Doctor a piece of her mind. Either way, she was glad to see the TARDIS.

When they were about ten feet away, the Doctor stuck his head out of the TARDIS. “Are you coming?” he asked.

Donna stopped and put her hand on her hip. “Oi, don’t get shirty with me, Spaceman,” she told him. “What did I tell you about not leaving us stranded in Barcelona? You’re just lucky the hotel had a vacancy so we could keep our room for another night—and lucky Jenny was positive you would only be a day or two late.”  

An amused chuckle cut off Donna’s tirade, and she whirled around to tell the innocent bystander exactly where he could put his busybody nose.

But the sight of a familiar face drew her up short. “Lee!” she gasped. Then she put her hands over her mouth, for once in her life completely speechless.

“Hello, D- D- Donna.”

The stuttering broke through her shock, and she ran to him, reaching out to touch his face, his hair, anything just to convince herself he was really there.

Her hands finally settled on his shoulders, and she clung to him just as she had in their last moments together in the Library. “Oh God, oh God. Is this real?”

“You’re real,” Lee said, holding her just as desperately. “I hoped you were real.”

“I found you. I promised I’d find you, and I did. I found you.”

Donna pulled back and cupped his face between her hands. “But… how? And where?”

“I got t- t- trapped,” he explained. “Between worlds.”

“When we activated the transmat at the Library, the Reality Bomb was in full effect,” the Doctor explained.

Donna tore her gaze away from Lee to pay attention to his explanation.

“And Lee’s transmat beam, unfortunately, got caught in the Void—the space between the universes. He was literally stuck in a crack between worlds. Somehow, the crack opened up in the bedroom of a little girl in 1996, which was where we found Lee.”

A shiver ran down Donna’s spine. “I thought you said all of that was repairing itself. Closing back up like it had never happened.”

The Doctor tugged on his ear. “Strictly speaking, it didn’t happen. Not in this timeline. Mickey and Pete and Jackie were only able to hop through because Pete’s World ran ahead of ours, and things hadn’t yet—”

“I asked about Lee, not the whole bloody universe.”

He cleared his throat. “Right. Sorry. Welllll… the crack was closing when we found Lee. But he’s here now!” he said quickly, before she could react.

Donna pulled Lee into a hug. “I can’t believe I came so close to losing you,” she whispered. His hand stroked her hair, and she had to swallow back tears. “I spent so long looking for you…”

Rose caught Jenny’s eye and gestured towards the park. Taking the Doctor’s hand, she pulled him towards the trees, trusting their daughter to follow.

oOoOo

Lee closed his eyes and rested his head on top of Donna’s. Her whispered confession eased one concern he’d had—that what they’d had in the Library had all been a lie.

Up until then, he’d felt a bit like he was on a first date, sweaty palms and all. But now… “I was sent to the Library to find out what happened. Instead I found you.”

Donna stepped back half a step and looked up at him. “What do you mean, you were sent?”

He lowered his voice and leaned in. “I’m a Time Agent,” he told her quietly.

“You mean Rose was right?” Donna exclaimed.

Lee chuckled. “Yes, she was.” He frowned. “I apparently spent 100 years in the Library’s mainframe, and I still don’t know what happened.”

Donna smiled and took his hand. “Well I can answer that,” she said. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

“We were supposed to have a quiet day in,” Donna started. “I was painting my toes, Jenny was reading, and Rose was painting. Then the Doctor came in and told us to get ready to go…”

Lee listened raptly to the tale, from the message on the psychic paper to the surprise strangers arriving in the Library to the lights suddenly going out.

He sucked in a breath when Donna repeated the Doctor’s warning. “Count the shadows.”

“Vashta Nerada,” he breathed.

Donna rolled her eyes. “Of course you’ve heard of them.” She sighed. “Am I always going to be the only one who doesn’t know things?”

Lee blinked at her. This insecurity… It hadn’t been there in the Library. But maybe the program of the computer had given her the confidence she apparently lacked. It had certainly made other changes, like making his stutter even worse than it was in reality.

Donna took a breath and continued the story. “So, one of the crew was taken. Eaten, I guess. And as soon as the Doctor knew how big of a threat it was, he wanted to send me and Jenny back to the TARDIS to be safe. He dragged us into the little shop, with the transmat pad by the door.”

Lee nodded. That was when their story began, then.

oOoOo

The Doctor wrapped his arm around Rose’s shoulder as they walked the paths in the park. They’d taken off in the opposite direction of Donna and Lee, with Jenny walking beside them, telling them all about their week long holiday.

The Doctor held Rose close as he thought about the other couple and wondered how things were going for them. He remembered how devastated Donna had been when she’d gotten back from the pocket universe in the Library computer. She’d had the life she’d always wanted, but it had been fake.

Hopefully Lee can make it real this time, Rose said, following his train of thought.

He hummed in agreement. I hope so. I just… He took a moment to soak in everything they had—each other, their bond, their daughter walking with them. Donna deserves all of this, too.

Rose stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re very sweet sometimes,” she whispered.

Her phone beeped before he could reply. Rose checked the text, but all three of them had turned back towards the TARDIS as soon as they heard the chime, guessing what the message was.

oOoOo

Rose smiled when she caught sight of the couple. They were sitting across from each other at a picnic table, holding hands.

It looks like Donna’s worries that the real Lee might not care about her didn’t come true.

The Doctor hummed. Yep. Oh, I’m glad.

Donna saw them first and she jumped up. “About time you got back here,” she snarked. “Although I shouldn’t be surprised you’re late… don’t think I’ve forgotten you were a whole day late getting here.” She gestured at the Doctor’s head. “Nice platinum blonde, I think.”

“But… you…” The Doctor gestured vaguely between Donna and Lee. “I had a good reason for being late! And aren’t you glad the TARDIS took us to Leadworth to find him?”

Donna’s teasing expression faded to happiness. “Yeah. All right, you’re off the hook this time, Spaceman. But next time…” She raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

“So, are we ready to go back to Cardiff?” Jenny asked. “I bet Gran is wondering where we are.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Mum will find something to mutter about, no matter when we arrive. But, as long as we don’t need to make any stops first…”

She looked at Donna and Lee. “You’re certainly welcome to come with us, Lee. We have a few friends who might be very interested to meet you, actually. I understand if you aren’t up for meeting a whole group of new people today, though. We could drop you and Donna off somewhere and come back after the party, if you’d rather.”

Lee shook his head. “I’ll come with you.”

“Excellent!” The Doctor, still worried about his hair, darted to the TARDIS and unlocked the door. “Come on them, what are we waiting for?”

“I was going to say that your mother-in-law’s anger at you missing the party would be punishment enough, but you’ll just natter on about how this is a time machine.” Donna pursed her lips. “And you’ll be able to get us back in time without her even knowing we were almost late. It’s almost not fair.”

“Jackie’s stubborn refusal to grasp the basics of time travel can be frustrating, but it does have its advantages,” the Doctor agreed.

oOoOo

The Doctor watched his little entourage as he and Rose flew the TARDIS back to Cardiff. Donna was watching Lee like she thought he was going to disappear again, and he had her hand clasped firmly in his own.

Jenny sat on the jump seat, watching the two of them. The Doctor tilted his head and studied his daughter. There was something… off in the way she was holding herself.

Let’s take Jenny for a trip on her own as soon as we can, he suggested to Rose.

Rose turned slightly to watch Jenny for a moment, and then she nodded.

Their landing was soft, and Rose led the way to the top of the ramp. “Time to visit family,” she told everyone. “Lee… I know you agreed to come, but  please don’t feel like you need to spend time with my mum. I love her, but she can be… a lot.”

Lee smiled reassuringly. “I’m pretty sure I’ve met people more difficult than your mum, Rose.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” the Doctor muttered under his breath.

Rose glared at him, and he smiled unrepentantly back. They both knew that the faux antagonistic vibe between him and Jackie was all for show… Well, mostly.

“All right,” he said, gesturing for them all to leave the ship. “If we don’t get out there now, she’ll be banging on the door wondering why we’re staying in this box.”

Rose opened the door and started laughing when she saw her mum halfway to them.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Jackie said. “I don’t know why you’d want to stay in that box when the party is inside.”

Rose stepped outside and moved aside so everyone else could exit the TARDIS. Jackie’s eyes lit on Lee, and Rose nodded. “Donna brought a plus one, if that’s okay.”

Jackie smiled. “Of course! Now come on, the party is nearly started.” She turned and led the way back to the front door.

A car pulled into the drive as they were walking inside, and Rose raised her eyebrows when she realised that Martha and Mickey had arrived together. The Doctor had told her about the timelines he had noticed, but she hadn’t really given it much thought.

The two groups met at the front door and entered the house together. “It’s about time you all got here,” Jack called from the living room. “I was starting…”

His voice trailed off when he caught sight of Lee. “Well hello,” he said. “Jack Harkness, and you are…”

“Not interested,” Donna said firmly. “This is Lee. Lee McAvoy. We met at the Library.”

Rose covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile at Donna’s clever wording, but to her surprise, Jack’s gaze sharpened.

“Lee McAvoy? At the Library?” he said, emphasising the article.

Donna looked back and forth between the two men. “Oh right,” she said after a minute. “Jack used to be a Time Agent, too.”

“Yeah, and I remember hearing about an agent who was lost in the whole quarantine of the Library.” He looked at the Doctor. “You know, I actually wondered about Lee here when you told us you’d been to the Library. But I assumed if you didn’t mention him that you hadn’t met.”

He looked at Donna, then at her hand clasped in Lee’s. “I guess I was asking the wrong person,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.

“Jaaaaack,” the Doctor said, exasperated.

“You know, I’ve heard of Jack Harkness, too,” Lee interjected.

Jack leaned forward. “Oh yeah? The tales of my greatness go before me?”

Lee shook his head soberly, bur Rose noticed a glimmer in his eyes. “N-no. The tales of your…” He opened and closed his mouth a few times. “Of your nakedness.”  

The whole group burst into laughter. “He’s got you there, Captain Cheesecake,” Mickey said, pounding the man on the back.

“Why are you naked in all the stories, Mr. Jack?” a very young voice asked.

Rose bit her lip and looked down at her little brother, who had snuck into the room when no one had noticed. Oh dear, she thought, looking at the unamused expression on her mum’s face.

“Oh really?” Jackie said as she picked up Tony. “What kind of stories have you been telling my little boy, Harkness?”

She ignored Jack’s incoherent sputtering and wheeled on Pete. “And you, Mister. We’ll be talking about you taking Tony with you to work.” She swept out of the room, and everyone let out collective breath.

“I see what you mean, Rose,” Lee offered, and the tension broke into laughter.

Jenny slipped away from the group, making her way to the kitchen. Pete was pulling dishes out of the cupboards. “Can I help set the table?” she said, guessing what he was up to.

“Of course.”

They each picked up a stack of dishes and carried them into the dining room. As they laid plates around the table, Jenny felt her granddad watching her.

“Jackie tells me Donna brought a plus one tonight,” he said after a few minutes.

Jenny’s hand clenched around the knives she held. “Yeah. Lee McAvoy. They were married in a parallel universe, and we’ve been trying to find him.”

Pete nodded; he understood different universes and different lives better than anyone. “I’m glad Donna was able to find him. She’s seemed a little sad this summer.”

Jenny sighed. Donna had been sad, which made her own upset that much more selfish. “Yeah,” she said quietly.

They finished setting the table, and then Jenny followed Pete back into the kitchen. “Of course,” he said, “Lee joining your group changes the dynamics a bit, doesn’t it?”

Jenny bit her lip, then let everything she was feeling spill out. “Yeah. Mum and Dad, and Donna and Lee. And then me. Just Jenny. I’m the fifth wheel.”

She dropped onto a bench and slouched. “I don’t fit anymore.”

Pete held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. “Then you have to find a way to make yourself fit,” he said firmly. “Come on; dinner is just about ready.”

oOoOo

After supper had been cleared from the table, the Doctor clapped his hands. “All right everyone, may I have your attention!”

“Oh, we’d better listen to him, or he’ll find a way to blow up the dining room or something,” Jackie said sardonically. Everyone else laughed.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “If you’re done taking the mick—”

“Never,” Mickey said.

“Then maybe,” he continued, raising his voice a little, “you’d like to hear my new safety resolution.”

“Oh, for—” Jackie took a large gulp of her wine. “I’m going to regret this, but let’s hear it.”

“Thank you, Jackie.” Finally, everyone quieted and gave him their full attention. “All of you have travelled with us at one time or another, and most of you have had the… let’s say the misfortune of being stranded.”

Mickey nodded. “On a spaceship in eighteenth century France.”

“Quite right, Mickey Smith. And now, we’re all going our separate ways, to a certain extent. Some of us are in Cardiff,” he gestured at Pete and Jack, “Some in London,” Mickey and Martha, “And some of you might not even live in this time.” This to Lee. “And since we all seem to find trouble more easily than most, I’d like to offer… let’s call it a safety button.”

“What are you thinking, Doctor?” Martha asked. “Project Indigo was completely dismantled by UNIT when the Earth was put back where it belonged.”

Jack held up the wrist that had his vortex manipulator. “I’ve got my own safety button.”

Lee reached into his back pocket and pulled out an identical device. “Me t-t-too.”

“Where did you get that?” Donna exclaimed.

Lee pointed at himself. “T-t-t…” He paused and took a breath. “Time Agent,” he said, forcing the words out.

The Doctor interrupted before Donna insisted on a full history of where he’d been hiding his Vortex Manipulator this whole time. “Excellent, the two of you are covered then. But for the rest of you, what I’m about to suggest is the next best thing.”

The soft murmur of conversation around the table stopped and everyone looked at him. The Doctor nodded and launched into his explanation.

“The TARDIS and I have been working on a little project.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out ten thin pieces of wire. “These are homing beacons. I’ll just install these in your mobile phones under the battery. If you’re ever in trouble and need us to come get you, just press and hold 9 and it’ll activate the beacon.”  

“I hate to admit it,” Jackie said, “but that’s actually a good idea.”

Everyone around the table nodded and pulled their phones out. The Doctor rolled his eyes at Jackie, but went to work on installing the homing beacons onto all of the phones, working down the line.

The last phone on the table was a plastic toy mobile. He looked down at his young brother-in-law, staring up at him with all the seriousness a three-year-old could muster. “I wanna be able to call you too, Doctor.”

The Doctor ruffled the boy’s hair. “Absolutely, Tony Tyler.” He picked up the toy and pointed the sonic screwdriver at it, letting the sound fill the room for a few seconds before he stopped. Then he handed the toy back to Tony.

“There you go. One Tony Tyler homing beacon, ready to go.”

The nanny, who had been waiting at the doorway, came in and held her hand out. “Come on, Tony, you got to talk to the Doctor like you wanted. It’s time for your bath now.”

“Night, Doctor! Night Rosie!”

“Oh, I don’t warrant a good night,” Jackie said, but the Doctor was fairly certain she sounded less irritated than usual.

Sally, the housekeeper, brought out coffee and tea and placed them on the sidebar. Jackie smiled and thanked her, then looked at the group.

“As long as we’re all making announcements, I’ve got one of my own. You’re all invited to our place for Christmas. We’ve got plenty of room for all of you, if we pull out the couches.”

Mickey and Martha both started shaking their heads. “We can’t get that long off,” Mickey said. “We’ll be doing good to get out here for dinner and back to London before we’re expected to be at work the next day.”

“Oh, come on,” Jackie wheedled. “It won’t be the same without you.”

The Doctor got an idea, and after gaining Rose’s approval, he spoke up. “There is a way we could have a holiday house party and still get everyone to work on time the next day.”

“How’s that, boss?”

Martha got it immediately, though. “If we leave the current timeline for the week, right Doctor?”

He nodded. “We could take everyone off-world for a holiday trip. Pick you all up on the 23rd, say, and then bring you back the next morning. Not only do you get a few days’ holiday, you’ll still have Christmas Day at home to catch up on laundry or whatever.”

“I’m not spending our first Christmas together in a hotel on some strange alien planet,” Jackie protested.

“But we could rent a house,” Rose told her. “You could do all the grocery shopping and bring everything with you, and then you’d still get to host the party just like you wanted.”

Jackie pursed her lips. “You’ll help him find a house?” she pressed.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, but he kept his mouth shut.

“Yeah, I’ll help him.”

Jackie looked around at everyone. “Are you all okay with this?”

Mickey nodded. “It’ll be nice to get away for more than a day,” he said. “UNIT has been working us hard for the last few months, trying to clean up the mess left by the Daleks.”

“All right then,” Jackie conceded. “We’ll go away for the holiday.” She pointed at the Doctor. “But we better not end up on the planet Zhoz.”

“I’ll have you know—”

Jackie waved him off. “Come on, everyone. Get yourself a cuppa and let’s go sit down in the living room.”

oOoOo

Rose took her cuppa and went to an over-stuffed armchair tucked slightly away from the rest of the seating arrangement. She tucked her legs up underneath herself and watched her family.

Jack and Lee were swapping stories from the Time Agency. Donna was sitting pressed against Lee’s side, and every once in a  while she’d interject with a story of her own from traveling on the TARDIS. Rose loved to see her newfound confidence—a year ago, she wouldn’t have felt like she had anything to add to a conversation like that.

A naked streak interrupted her observations. Rose jumped up when she realised the streak was her little brother, dripping wet from his bath. He shrieked with laughter as he darted through the living room.

“Oh, Lord,” Jackie muttered.

“I’ve got him, Mum,” Rose told her as she took chase.

It wasn’t hard to track the little boy. If the puddles of water hadn’t given him away, the constant giggling would have. She caught up with him just before he opened the back door to run out into the garden.

“Oh no you don’t, mister,” she said, scooping him up. “Come on, time to go to bed.”

She waved at Pete and Jenny, who were trying not to laugh. “And apologise to Dad for interrupting him and Jenny,” she instructed.

“Sorry, Daddy!” Tony shouted.

“You’re forgiven, Tiger.” Pete stood up and kissed Tony on the forehead. “Now be nice to Anna. She’s getting her exercise in today.”

The winded nanny smiled tiredly. “Thank you, Mr. Tyler.” She took Tony from Rose. “Come on, young man. It’s bed time for all streaking toddlers.”

“What’s streaking?” Tony asked as they left the room.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Rose, Pete, and Jenny burst out laughing.

When Rose reentered the living room, Jack was leaning back on the couch, a gleeful smirk on his face. “And now I’m not the only one with a naked story.”

[alpaca-writes]

Mystics, Chapter 19

When Arch becomes hired on at Mystics by the strange shopkeeper Lyrem Nomadus, everything seems to be going well- in fact, their life nearly becomes perfection. Soon enough, however, Arch realizes that perhaps not everything is as perfect as it seems….

Read Chapters 1-18 and more HERE

Taglist: @myst-in-the-mirror, @livingforthewhump

CW: psychological whump, emotional whump, memory whump, angst... like so much, Lyrem centric chapter

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

CHAPTER NINETEEN: A BLAST FROM THE PAST

        Daffodils and tiger lilies.

        Lyrem had to admit that they went well together. The sunshine colours would brighten the deathly cold winter’s day in an instant, and he desperately needed some warmth right now. The frigid January day was threatening to bring him under the tide of darkness. He had been away for a while. A job that was supposed to take a week turned into a month of running around and making deals with all sorts to please a certain U.S. senator. A republican, no less. He was dying to have Maria back in his arms again. It had been too long.

        The radio lit up on its own.

        “-great start to 1991 from Janet Jackson, folks! Next up we have Madonna with ‘Justify My Love’”-

        “Scared?”

        Paimon appeared in the passenger seat. Lyrem looked past him to glance at the bright yellow door at the end of the walkway. The snow had been cleared already, and the lights in the house were all out save for the porch.

        “Why would I be scared?” he asked.

        “You missed Christmas. Women love Christmas. They build up so much hope and sing Baby Please Come Home!” Paimon chuckled. “And you know, if you’re not coming, then she might be singing it to someone else- in more ways than one, if you know what I mean.”

        Lyrem scowled at him and opened his truck door. It closed with a loud creaking at the hinges and being stupid in the moment, re-opened the door to retrieve the lovely blooms that he had picked out.

        “She’s my true love,” he stated, peering in to Paimon. “Isn’t that what you promised me? She’d never hurt me like that. She’d never betray me.”

        “She’s not a robot, Lyrem, she’s a human being with control over her own choices. Even true love can’t compete with free will.” Paimon shrugged and forced a small smile. “But, you know, perhaps she’s one of those really special ones. You best take care of her.”

        Lyrem grew disgusted at the insinuation and slammed the door. Paimon had already vanished into thin air.

        Before he realized it, he was facing the yellow door, and holding the flowers close to shield them from the cold. The door was unlocked, and he stepped through. It was just after dinner-time. Something about the house felt wrong. There was too much energy. Lyrem wasn’t much of a psychic, but he could feel the heat in the air- oppressive and… suffocating. The words that Paimon had spoken lingered in the back of his mind- or maybe it was the front of his mind disguised as the back of his mind…

        Get rid of the thoughts Lyrem. They are not yours-

        He turned, kicking off his shoes and flicked on the light.

        “SURPRISE!”-

        He ditched the flowers, and pressed his back against the door. Lyrem prepared to defend himself with a knife that would have been on his person if it weren’t for security confiscating it as he tried to take it as carry-on. The rest of the lights in the house lit themselves with the help of some extra hands from recognizable faces- but Lyrem was on high-alert. They may as well have been strangers. In reality, they were friends. 

Well, Maria’s friends. Lyrem didn’t have any friends- not human friends.

        There was a bright flash of light, that caught his scowling glare and froze it in time. The grinning face of a dark-haired man looked back at him over the camera as it spit out a polaroid.

        Slowly, Lyrem caught himself up. There were streamers of bright colours draped along the ceiling and a shining banner that read HAPPY BIRTHDAY hung across the entranceway to the living room. Realizing that his reaction to the event was less than ideal, he smiled. Maria popped in front of him, escaping her hiding spot from behind the couch.

        “What… what is all this?” Lyrem started. He knew what it was. It was his 42nd Birthday, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled.

        “It’s your birthday, you goose!” Maria wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him quickly on the lips.

        “Right.” He picked up the flowers off the floor, and handed them to her, in a less ceremonial fashion than he was hoping.

        “Awe, aren’t you sweet.” She accepted them and played with the petals idly. “You forgot last year’s too, but this time, when I heard you’d be coming home, I knew you couldn’t miss out on Christmas and a birthday party! Just wouldn’t be right.” She ran off into the kitchen, abandoning him.

        The rest of the guests, couples mostly milled about and filtered into the hall. Lyrem nodded and smiled to them kindly.

        “Good trip?”

        He nodded, taking the questions like a politician surrounded by nosey reporters.

        “Where did you have to go this time?” Kelly, a blonde lady with thick lenses in her bright pink bifocals inquired of him. Her husband wrapped an arm around her waist. Lyrem always forgot his name but it was something very basic. He was the one with the camera.

        Valhalla. “Norway,” he replied.

        “Remind me, what is it that you do again, Lyrem?” the husband asked.

        “I’m… a liaison. A third-party negotiator of sales. Very boring work, I assure you.”

        “Oh? What kind of sales?”

        “Depends on the client,” he answered shortly. “I’m a freelancer.”

        “Happy Birthday, to you… Happy Birthday, to you…

                    Happy Birthday, dear Lyremmm, Happy Birthday too you!”

         The chorus of voices broke out amongst the chit-chat as Maria carried the cake all the way into the hall. It was lit up and lighting up her face. Kelly’s husband lifted the camera, and snapped a quick photo.

         “What are you all still doing in the hallway?” She snapped playfully. “Get in the dining room already so we can eat cake and play Pictionary.”

        They all filtered off to the dining room to the side of the Georgian style house. Kelly ran off to bring in the wine that had been left chilling in the fridge. Her husband handed off the pictures to Lyrem.

        “This one of you didn’t turn out, I don’t know what happened. Your face went all black and fuzzy- but this one of Maria’s looking pretty cute, eh?”

        Lyrem took the photos graciously and clicked his tongue.

        “Philly, could you open this one for me?” Kelly ushered her husband away to help with the wine bottles. She giggled out loud and sneered. “I have the worst grip.”

        “Lyrem!” Maria scolded. “You need to blow out your candles! Make a wish!”

        He sighed. He wished that the party would be over. He wished that these people would go home. He wished he could get a night alone with his fiancée. He wished that he could find something… anything that would bring him comfort. Then, he wished he wasn’t constantly wondering if he was a bad man.

        And that was all he wished even before he reached the end of the table.

        By the time he leaned over the cake he was completely out of wishes, but blew out the candles anyway. Maria smiled. He loved it when she did that.

        The room went dark, delving into the shadows and engulfed by the confusion, Lyrem blinked, and realized suddenly that he wasn’t back in the old Georgian house, with Maria and surrounded by friends and… Phillip.

         . . . . . . . .

        “No, go back!” A light voice said through the dark.

        “Persephone, it is unkind to spy on the lives of others, even if they are guests in our realm”-

        “Pfft,” the higher voice brushed off the scolding lower one. “This isn’t our realm and you know it.”

        “Nevertheless, he is our guest. We ought to treat him with respect.”

        “But I want to see them kiss again”-

        “Persephone, stop”-

         . . . . . . .

        Lyrem almost woke, but was jolted back to a time… different than his birthday and he lost control over his own mind once again.

        They were awake and lying in their bed, bodies bare and snuggling beneath the quilts as the powdery snow fell, piling against the bedroom window and onto the boughs of the trembling aspen outside. It was a bit less than a year later. They were married now. The little gold ring was on his finger and hers matched just as simply. Carolers were outside, they were a week too early, but then, he didn’t mind the soft sounds that seemed to leak their way in through the window on the second floor.

        He wasn’t looking out the window, entertained by counting the snowflakes like she was. He was enjoying her, watching her. Kissing her olive skin and wrapping himself in closer to her back as one hand played with her soft hair and the other stroked her waist. He felt like himself. He felt warm, and safe, and loved.

        “I have to tell you something.”

        He stopped kissing. Maria rolled over to face him and stared into his eyes. Suspiciously, he leaned his head away from hers and she pursed her lips nervously.

        “What do you need to tell me?” he prompted.

        Maria took a long breath, putting Lyrem on edge.

        “You were gone a long time for this last client, you know? I didn’t have a lot to do, and I tried to start my own travel company after Jet Rover let me go. I tried to stay busy… you know?”

        Lyrem nodded and swallowed. The travel agency went bankrupt soon after. Maria had been left by the wayside to pick up her life and start something new just before Lyrem needed to travel out to Belize for work. He came back with one hell of a tan. The tone of her voice grew shakier. The anxiety was growing stronger for both of them.

        “Yeah, yeah, I know.” He said gently. He was gone too often. For too long. Dammit all. He should have told Paimon to shove it instead of going along with his ridiculous schemes. Huitzilopochtli, an Aztec God of War, never did end up striking a deal with them to give the Pentagon a little morale boost after all. Lyrem ended up losing money in that charade too. Not the wisest bet he had ever made. He wouldn’t blame her for leaving him- for sleeping with another man. These winters were hell on earth, after all-

        “I bought a place,” she said.

        Lyrem twisted his face-

        “You bought a place?” he repeated, confused. They had a place. It was a beautiful place. He wasn’t always in it either. She didn’t need her own place.

        “On seventeenth. I thought to myself, you know, there is no point in me wandering around and trying to make a living for myself in travel if you’ll be off travelling for work too. And I can’t just eat, cook, and clean for myself all the time- I’d lose my mind so... I’m starting a business!”

        “Oh,” Lyrem’s eyes grew wide, and then interested. “What kind of business?”

        “I… I don’t know yet”- Maria grinned excitedly, glad that his interest was showing. “I just bought the space on a whim. I don’t even really know why. I just needed to do something.”

        “Well… That certainly is something.”

        “You don’t like the idea?” She asked. Puzzled by his sudden change in demeanour, taking it as a briefly condescending tone. 

        “No, no. It’s not that. I just…” he was lost in thought as the air grew chilled. He watched the skin on her shoulder pebble up as she sighed.

        “You thought I was about to tell you I was pregnant,” she surmised.

        “Mm.” he nodded, even if it wasn’t true.

        The thought of having children had crossed his mind. She wasn’t as old as he was. It wouldn’t be so risky to bring kids into this world except-

        “Not really on my mind, you know that,” she commented in a rush.

        He nodded again.

        “I know… But what if we did try?” the words fell out of his mouth suddenly and without much thought. Entertaining the idea of being a father was something that he often did before Maria had announced her opposition to the idea. Perhaps something had changed in her since she was let go from Jet Rover Travel Inc.

        She turned away from him, focusing on the snow as it fell from one white blanket to another.

        “I just... I don’t want to be a mother,” she said quietly.

        He didn’t remember how painful this moment was. Though quiet in her refusal, his heart was still brutally torn open by her words. That was her choice, and he would respect it. That didn’t make the reality any less painful to accept. True love didn’t include a perfect family. There wasn’t a written agreement for something like this, but if he wanted Maria to be happy, he would have to learn to live with her decision. He rolled off his side of the bed.

        “It’s fucking freezing in here, isn’t it?” he commented, rubbing one eye. “I’m going to turn up the heat.”

         . . . . .

        “Are you happy, now?” the voice from the darkness asked.

        “No, I thought there was more love here than that”- the light voice said annoyed. “Ugh! Did I skip over something?”

        “Look at what you put him through, the man is crying.”

        Lyrem searched the darkness as it quickly enveloped him once again. He remembered his place, a dead man reliving his time with Maria and how it had been squandered and painted with resentment.

        He always imagined it happier than this.

        “The poor thing was enraptured by her- there’s just something so bittersweet about that.”

        “Hey!” Lyrem shouted into the air angrily. “I can hear you, you know!”

        There was a low grunt from somewhere in the darkness. “We cannot waste our time. We need to find the right moment. The one with his call, or else we will never be able to find him again.”

        Lyrem spun around. There was nothing. Nothing up, nothing down, nothing anywhere. The voices, however, emerged from every direction.

        “Find who?!” Lyrem called out, brimming with frustration and an added vulnerability to the idea that these intruders could see whatever they wanted.

        “Fine,” Persephone settled reluctantly. Slowly, her voice faded away. “But I get to watch their wedding after! I want to see a happy ending after all this sadness…”

[tarithenurse]

Nightingale - 24

Fandom: Naruto Pairing: Hatake Kakashi &/x Fem!OC Contents: Bit of everything – fun, challenge, angst, feels, fluff, confusion, fear, violence. A/N: A long chapter for once o.O  As usual, ASK or REBLOG for tag!

Ch. 24

Kakashi's mind is pendulumming between serene quiet and something similar to a wasp nest. One that has been kicked. As someone who's used to logical thinking, he finds the status quo unsettling...but also strangely invigorating despite not carrying any direct risks as supposed to many of his past experiences. Perhaps, at least this once, something can dull the ache he has known for years? Looking at the monument with its sharp lines defining the stones – a design befitting the weight of loss and memories – guilt rears its ugly head.

"Surviving while others pass on can be a burden sometimes," the creaky voice of the Hokage interrupts, "but perhaps our very duty is to do more than just survive. It's to live...because they cannot."

"Hmm." I refuse to forget them even if I one day move on.

The silence between the two men is not enough to stop the rustle of the wind as it rushes between the leaves.

Four days have passed since Kakashi found out he was the warden of Uguisu and he has been doing his best to pay attention to both her and Team 7 and keep their focus on training – a task that's annoyingly easy with the former. Where the trio barely contain their curiosity, the woman has become withdrawn. A logical reaction, the jōnin reminds himself often, but one that leaves him awake most of the night with a head full of worries and nightmarish scenarios.

"She never got to mourn her loved ones, Kakashi. A lone survivor, stranded in the middle of a war-to-be. Our new comrade will need time before she can recognize friend from foe," the old man wisely ponders."

"Haï." I can't push her. Only wait and be ready.

...

Two out of three genin are paying attention to the exercises, refining their techniques to minimize waste of chakra. The last, however, is obviously ogling the fifth person in the clearing and as a result earning his sensei's disapproval.

It isn't the first time Uguisu joins when she's finished her lessons at the Academy. In the beginning, she would sneak closer in the cover of the forest and sit down in a partially obscured spot where she could observe from. To Kakashi, it had brought a sense of familiarity. From the kids, once they noticed her, the primary reaction would be insecurity and it had forced her out of hiding and eventually into training along side them even if her focus had been on other techniques.

The kunai zips past the fox boy’s face and slams into the trunk of the stump with a thud.

“Hey!”

But the boy’s complains fall on deaf ears. “Stay aware of your surroundings at all times...without losing focus of the task at hand, Naruto.”

A mix between a scoff and a laugh slips from Sasuke, causing his team mate to cringe.

In a way, it feels like Kakashi has been in charge of the four “students” for years because he has already figured out their strengths and is trying to find ways to amend their shortcomings. And as the session comes to an end, bringing about sweet free time for the kids, the sensei has made a decision concerning Uguisu’s training.

“Iruka tells me you’re a diligent student,” the jōnin admits as they watch the trio leave, “not much for him to do but fill in some voids and have you polish off the theory. That’s good.”

“Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.”

It’s strange how a title he’s heard before without blinking can morph and affect him all of a sudden. The heart beats a little bit faster. The air is a slightly stuffier under the mask. And something in his pelvis tightens enough to tell him he’ll have a different task at hand later.

“Yeah...well...” He pulls out a little bell from a pocket and ties it to one of his belt loops. “I’m maybe more critical.” She arches an eyebrow as an unspoken demand for an explanation. “Genjutsu. Ninjutsu. They’re not the problem...taijutsu is. It made sense for Orochimaru to teach you according to your role off the battlefield and so close combat really isn’t your forte, is it?”

Uguisu scowls. “I can defend myself.”

“I’ve seen. But can you attack?” Gut tightened, Kakashi hates himself for what he’s asking of this woman who has been through hell and finally is beginning the long way back.

Maybe to the untrained eye, the change in her stance wouldn’t be noticeable – it is to any shinobi worth their salt. A slight inwards rotation of the right foot, knees bending a smidgen, hands flexing before summoning the hardness needed to land proper blows. Show me what you’ve got.

Planted solidly, he easily dodges the first blows by bending and twisting, but then Uguisu buckles down to the task. Step. Jump. Parry. They are reflexes rather than active decisions. All too obviously, she prepares for a roundhouse kick which Kakashi can avoid by back flipping away.

“You’re wasting energy with the big movements. Keep it tight and clean -” the jōnin instructs and exemplifies -“to minimize your opponent’s chance to read your actions beforehand.”

Returning to a defensive role, he observes as she tries to implement the pointer. Precise...yes. Pushing a flurry of jabs aside, Kakashi steps around her with ease. And at least she’s quick to orient herself, he admits while scrambling backwards because the student has followed him.

“The perfection of your defence -” he leaps over the woman before continuing -”is what you have to bring into an assault.”

The thin line of her mouth is probably the result of biting back some snarky comment, and Kakashi smiles behind the mask. Fear can lead to fight, flight or freeze...but anger and frustration, on the other hand. So to taunt her, frustrate her, he presents the body language of a bored person and offhandedly blocks and dodges anything Uguisu throws at him.

“Umph!”

Although the strength behind is lacking, the kick still sends the man stumbling backwards, sucking in deep breaths of air to replace what was forced from his lungs. It carries the scent of damp earth, bark, and cotton.

“Ha!” Uguisu triumphs briefly.

“It’ll take more than that.”

A single sign is all it takes for a second Kakashi to appear next to the real one in a puff of white smoke.

“Cheater,” she smirks, seemingly unsurprised by the added figure.

You’re smiling now... Already, he hates himself for what he’ll be doing and the only comfort is the sparring that precedes. Throwing himself into the battle (and keeping the copy on the sidelines), the jōnin coaxes and coaches is student through the moves she has trained on the dummy targets day in and day out.

Slowly, her confidence grows. Not perfect, but better.

“Come at me like you mean it.”

She manages a wry smile. “Intent to kill?”

Yes. A glint of steel in the lowering sun is the only warning the warden has, but he doesn’t mind as long as they follow his plan (one of them without knowing). Kakashi chooses to cheer the woman on instead, finally having to defend himself in earnest although she isn’t on the top 20 of dangerous opponents.

As if in a dance, they circle and move with each other. Step, and leaps, and rolls create a pattern in the trampled grass while continuously bringing the sparring partners closer to the Shadow Clone. Now! The smoke bomb obscures the entire area and forces the combatants to separate until the cloud has blown away – somewhere, Uguisu is using the pause to regain her breath and calm the nerves while the jōnin applies the disguise he’s prepared.

The smoke slowly dissipates, revealing how Uguisu has backed off and prepared herself for anything – almost anything as it turns out when she lays eyes on the adversary and her face contorts in fear. Don't freeze. But how can she not when the mask and wig resembles Orochimaru?

"Take a moment to refocus. Calm down." At least the voice isn't that of her former tormentor. "Breathe."

A kunai shakingly reflects the low sun, knuckles are white from the tight grip on it even as the woman's immediate reaction morphs into bitter resolve.

Kakashi barely manages to dodge the trio of shuriken and is granted no respite as he finds himself under a powerful assault. Pent up hatred swirls and coalesces to drive the blue-haired fury forward – and he lets her for a while. Counting each unused opportunity, the jōnin keeps tracks of how many times he could have fatally wounded her for a while.

"Enough!" A kick to the midriff sends Uguisu tumbling backwards, landing on her butt. "If you want to beat him, you've got to keep your wits!"

She's panting and sweating from the fruitless efforts, but the pallor of fear still clings to her skin. "Haï."

Looks like she means it. Kakashi's own view is restricted more than normal, but he recognizes the way a fighter would evaluate their target: dark eyes are identifying the weak spots, the disadvantages of the opponent. He can see, she has formulated some sort of plan as she pushes to the feet.

"Cheap trick," the woman comments, "but I get your point, sensei."

This time, both of them give as good as they get and the disguised man tries to push every single button he can in an effort to test Uguisu's mind and skills. Hmm, he parries a kick, technique's lacking. Too often, the strikes aimed at him are deflected, resulting in a waste of energy and a gain in frustration. As he begins to outmatch her efforts, he can see the fear return along with the dangerous openings. Using one of those weaknesses, Kakashi strikes quick as a snake, his fingers brushing the delicate skin on her throat before she evades him.

Twice more, similar near-finishes happen.

Finally fed up and pushed to her limits, Uguisu charges. Ignoring any inkling of self-preservation, she attempts a feigned attack towards his right flank followed immediately by a punch which could have broken his nose if he hadn't moved in time. Guiding the woman's movement into a spin, the jōnin leans into her back, a hand on her shoulder to illustrate a potentially fatal situation.

"Never rush in mindlessly." His voice is muffled by the Orochimaru-mask.

Under his hand, Uguisu is tense and shivering, her breath superficial even if she tries to control it enough to say, "I might've left myself open, but at least it's a draw."

"Huh?"

A slight pressure to the inside of Kakashi's left thigh makes him look down between them to find a kunai resting against between the creases of his trousers at the groin. Femoral artery. A slight jangle catches his ear from their other side.

"You used your frustration to distract me and let you close enough," he comments with an unseen smile.

"Hm-m. Now let go and get rid of that hideous stuff!"

...

Uguisu is silent as they walk side by side back to Konoha. I might have gone too far. Still pale, lips reduced to a thin line, the woman appears to be swept away by thoughts, and her warden is loathe to leave her alone in her current state.

"How 'bout a bowl of victory ramen?" he offers quietly.

Nodding silently, a strand of blue hair disentangling itself so she has to push it behind the ear, the girl follows.

It's not until they're sitting with each their own bowl of steaming hot noodles that the usual healthy colour returns to her cheeks although she remains quiet.

...

Kakashi can't sleep.

Again and again, he replays the evening's test and categorizes everything he has learned throughout it. As suspected, close combat isn't the woman's forte although there's hope for further improvement. What worries him the most, however, is the emotional burden she carries. It'll become a lia-

A gentle tap on the windowpane disrupts his thoughts and he turns to see a familiar silhouette perched outside which he waves to welcome in. The jōnin wants to reach out to her when she has settled in the window sill, wants to take her hand and apologize for the hardships and the trauma lingering. Instead, he lies quietly with the hands behind the head and watches her squirm for a while.

"Can I sit on the bed?"

Even without the small, shaky voice, he would have agreed in an instant and scoots over. Uguisu waits until he's in place once more, then she comes to sit in silence.

One minute. I wouldn't have to stretch my arm to reach her hand.

Three minutes. When does her breathing calm?

Eight minutes. Is that...? A thin path down her cheek glitters in the moonlight breaking through the clouds randomly. Shit. This is my fault. A logic thought protests against the claim to blame but is immediately drowned.

"Ugui-"

"Please, don't talk," she interrupts.

He shuts up not just because she asks him but because she reaches out and grabs his hand, sending a bucketful of nerves into overloading as they race to relay the input. Warm. Soft, despite the expected patches of callouses that match his own. A slight tremor runs from her to Kakashi and only diminishes as he caresses her knuckles with a thumb.

"Is't..? Would..?" Her blush is unreasonable adorable when combined with the meek stammer.

Pushing the pillow sideways, Kakashi tries to contain a giddiness. "You don't have to ask, just make yourself comfortable."

"Carte blanche to do anything I want?"

"Well..." He contemplates the possible risks. "Yeah."

Uguisu insists that he keeps the pillow as she lies down on the side with an arm under her head instead. Knees tucked towards the chest and a hand still clasping his, she finally seems to find a sort of peace. I should apologize. But as he formulates and discards a variety of sentences, the woman's eyelids grow heavy and soon, she's sleeping. It's a light sleep, disturbed by dreams that furrow her brows and the slightest movement by Kakashi – when he tries to reach over and pull the covers around her, she's startled awake.

Through the night, the jōnin doses on and off, comfortable with the sound of the second heartbeat travelling through the mattress and into his ear. Finally calm.

...

Maybe it's the cold, emptiness of his hand that wakes Kakashi...at least it's the first thing he registers, quickly followed by the awareness that the mattress is only giving in to the pressure of his own weight. When he opens the eye, the weak dawn is battling against clouds and the mind of the jōnin takes time to theorize that they grey layer won't recede during the day. Something else adds to the shadows still filling the room: Uguisu is standing by the window.

"Mrug'shu?" At least the curses are clearly articulated in Kakashi's mind.

A sad smile tugs at the woman's cheek, softened by the light. "Go back to sleep, 'Kashi...and...thank you."

"Always."

The window swooshes as it slides back and forth in the rail, cutting off the connection between the two of them. Whyyyyy? Rubbing his face hard and scratching the white hair until his scalp tingles, he's left with no answers and only the scent of cotton that lingers in the sheets next to him. That's it...the unbeatable Copy-Ninja has been defeated. I'm done for! If anyone was watching him, though, they'd see the mask pulled askew by a goofy smile.

[holyhikari]

Okay. Okay. It’s 2020, most of the world is shut down and the first episode of Digimon Adventure aired yesterday, missing a ‘Butter-Fly’ and with a colon to spare. Life sure is something. 

Gotta say I’m relieved. (For now, at least.) Sure, yeah, I got into the hype train for the reboot from the get-go and determined to just have fun, but. If I can picture all the ways something can go wrong — go BORING — down to excruciating details right from the first episode, why not? That’s what brains are for. So that’s what I did. 

Should have saved all that energy. 

I want to share with all of you my thoughts on this episode, break it down a little bit; how it made me feel, the few character introductions we got, the pace, the plot and its possibilities. 

As much as I want to approach this series keeping the idea of authenticity in mind, it is a reboot. They chose a certain set of (popular!) pre-existent characters to explore, to work with; a balance between creating and adapting. And I’m very interested in seeing how they’ll combine the core elements of Digimon Adventure with all there is unique to this generation of kids, teens and, you know it, adults who stuck around. 

Since all we’ve got is the introduction to the series, I’ll be contrasting TOKYO DIGITAL CRISIS to how the original Adventure kicked off back in 1999 with  ADRIFT? THE ISLAND OF ADVENTURE!

I did try to keep this as coherent and review-like as possible, but there’s a fair amount of fan-girling and it’s all seen through my very biased Adventure-stan-colored lens. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya. 

‘99 starts with an image of our planet, and  ‘20 starts almost the same. This time, though, we can see we aren’t alone. ‘The Digital World affecting the Earth’ is something that happens, I believe, in every Digimon reincarnation. In ‘99, it’s deeply affecting our climate. Now, the issue doesn’t seem so drastic that it’s able to reach influence organic matter and mess up many Nature’s cycles across the globe, but it’s still not looking so good for our kids. (It’s the first episode and Hikari and Yuuko almost get train-sandwiched, but I suppose that almost having your head chopped off, courtesy of Kuwagamon, isn’t lovely either.) 

Anyway. 

I think this Digital World/Network shot isn’t actually part of the episode? I think it’s part of the opening (I mean, not the OP sequence with the song, obviously), and that we’ll be seeing it before each episode starts. Still, it’s an interesting juxtaposition, isn’t it?

A Glorious World is upon us! I wasn’t actually expecting Butter-Fly or anything similar to it, don’t worry. I’m glad the new OP is its own thing! I want Digimon Adventure ‘20 to be as authentic as possible without losing the original’s heart. The song is nice enough. I don’t want to compare it to Butter-Fly, but I’m only human. Give me a few episodes. Gotta let go. 

The OP has way more Taichi than the others. No surprise there. He’s our goggle boy. (Still, since they went for a quick throwback to the original opening, it’s a shame only Taichi was shown falling down towards the Digital World). 

Everyone got a part, though. Shout out to Takeru and Hikari for being yet again the ominous, powerful baby-faced duo that is definitely up to something. 

It’s so interesting that, while the other crests are shown very clearly and surrounded by sparkles, Light and Hope are only shown briefly shining in their partners’ shadows. Why is Takeru so far away from us, why is this so sinister-looking. Hi, mysterious plot. Nice to meet you.

Wherever Hikari is by the end of the OP, it reminds me of Vamdemon’s castle. Maybe she feels connected to Tailmon and follows her somehow? Angemon wasn’t shown in the OP with the older six children’s partners, just Patamon. I wonder if they’ll try to make us grieve for Angemon a second time. It’d work with me. Either way, I imagine we’re in for another last-minute Patamon evolution when everything looks hopeless. 

This time, though, we’ve got Hikari from the beginning (yes, I am VERY excited about this, thank you for asking, THIS IS WHAT I DESERVE), and, while I think Patamon is more powerful in regular conditions (as in, Angemon can probably take Angewomon in a fight despite the level imbalance, but as soon as Hikari starts glowing you know who’s winning), he will now be sharing the spotlight with another Archangel evolution… as his friend or as his foe, considering that Tailmon might be a double agent of some sorts in the beginning. Welp. 

Anyway. Toei isn’t fooling around, in the OP we can see MetalGreymon in a very scary-looking, glitchy fashion that I’m LIVING for, WarGreymon’s silhouette and, good grief, there’s even a glimpse of Omegamon. Talk about too much information. Maybe chill out a little? (I say this, but the adults already know all of their evos, and the kids just want MOOOOOOORE monstahhhhhrrrrrrsss….which is fair.)

MetalGreymon looks dope here. The others, though, are only shown up to their Adult evolution, even Gabumon. I don’t think they will have only Gabumon and Agumon reaching their Mega forms, and then fusing into Omegamon while everyone else only gets as far as Perfect.  Again.

They wouldn’t do this to us. Right? Yeah, they would. Maybe we can have Holydramon/Ophanimon and Seraphimon later on, as a treat. Aaaaaand, depending on how many episodes — how many seasons — this new timeline gets, I’m not giving up hope just yet. Let me have Phoenixmon, Toei, you heartless thing. 

Moving on to the actual episode… The first non-Digimon character to show up is the true protagonist. Our queen is back. Our little Digivice thief, Miko herself.

Just you wait, you ain’t gonna be Hikari’s favorite cat-like creature for long. 

Speaking of Hikari, LOOK AT THIS WITTLE BABY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2020 Taichi right off the bat was Taichi for me. He’s talking to Yuuko and yells “Hikariii~” so loudly Hikari hears it from where she stands, the short cutie. Their mom just hands down the phone for her without missing a beat so Taichi can comfort her through whatever she’s worrying about (her summer classes, probably). Such a sweet, natural little moment that flashes both characters out. I want more of that, please.

We’re then introduced to Koushiro! I’m not gonna lie, I cringed the first time I heard him speak. I thought the voice didn’t fit him very well. This impression faded quickly enough, though, and I’m already attached to his new voice. Later, I realized that part of the reason he sounded off to me was because of how nervous he seemed — around Taichi, of all people! In this version, they’re just meeting for the first time, so it’s very in-character for him. Guess I was kinda shocked seeing Koushiro not feeling at ease talking to Taichi. Poor thing is Anxious! And he’s overthinking about Summer Camp! And he’s happy Taichi is his neighbor! That certainly would’ve helped during the Vandemon arc back in ‘99. 

Koushiro gets a little bit over his awkwardness upon hearing the news regarding the cyber attack, something he’s curious about, and finally steps towards Taichi instead of away, which is spot on. These two fall into an easy camaraderie, as they SHOULD, and they head to the train station together, where Taichi decides to, I don’t know… run like crazy on the tracks until he gets to the rogue train where his family is and stop it with sheer force of will? Yeah! Sounds like him! 

And now to one of the most interesting parts of this adaption, is that they’re showing us the Crests early on and HOW they’re doing it. 

Taichi is able to meet Koromon because he’s being brave.

I mean, the first time, he was chosen because of his courage, too, but they all go in together. They’re taken. They’re washed off the Earth. And while Taichi had no idea he was going to be pulled into the Net, he chose to try to save Hikari and his mom (and, a few moments later, he chose to dive in towards Koromon). This time, it feels so much more personal. The screen switched back and forth between the Crest of Courage, Taichi and Hikari, who I believed called his name. The scene worked so well! (Following this pattern, Koushiro gets his Digivice when expressing curiosity, the will to pursue an explanation for what was happening!!!!)

On the other hand, it’s sort of bittersweet  they weren’t pulled in together. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they didn’t try to introduce all of them AND the Digital World at the same time again. But… ‘99 established them as a ‘team’ within seconds. It’s interesting, though. I’m VERY curious to see how their bonding will go this time around!

Taichi and Koromon meeting was beautiful. I was worried the soundtrack wouldn’t even stand a chance against the masterpiece that is the original one, but the musing playing was so delicate, so majestic. I felt I was witnessing a precious moment. Also, Koromon’s ears twisting into how we represent the DNA while he was evolving was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SUCH A GOOD DETAIL!!!!!! 

It cracked me up when Koushiro said that what was happening was very surprising while not sounding surprised at all. I wonder how long the kid has been looking into the cyber attacks. Oh, and the Network is pretty. Prettier than I had anticipated, though not that different from Appmon’s style, I think? I can’t wait to get a look at the actual Digital World and see if it has that unique feeling and that odd, watercolor painting aesthetic. I hope I can trust the OP:

 Did you notice that Agumon giggled a few times? He looked at Taichi with such love, familiarity and devotion and like he knew something. It felt… right. My heart. My poor, poor heart. (I know this Agumon probably has met Taichi before inside of this very Universe, like the Hikarigaoka incident in the original version, but I like to think about Universe-hopping platonic soulmates.) 

Overall the sound work was fantastic, but this scene deserves a highlight. The noise of the Kuramon lookalike moving after evolving was genuinely disturbing. And look at how pretty this is:

Speaking of evolution, AGUMON EVOLVING INTO GREYMON WAS THE SHIT. I loved how straight-up FERAL it was, while still keeping the “Digital” part of “Digital Monster” very much present. It reminded me a bit of Hosoda’s Greymon (most amazing Greymon to this day!) in the Digimon Adventure Movie and, now that I think of it, of him fighting in some Tri. Reunion scenes. Scary Greymon is the best Greymon. Yes. I like it when the Digimon manage to disturb and scare me, okay? They aren’t called monsters for nothing. 

I mean we got to see his horn literally bursting out of his skin. This is low-key terrifying. 10/10.

BUT WHERE IS THE EVOLUTION THEME SONG

I am: deceased. Cause of death: Hikari’s soft smile when she realizes her big brother managed to help them. 

Alternatively, this first pic had killed me on the spot.

FINALLY, we get to see Yamato, and of course, he’s staring down dramatically at Taichi on top of Garurumon like the intense person he is. And, no big deal, there’s a cyber attack in a U.S military base and, uh, apparently the next episode is the 2020 version of Bokura no War Game?! 

I— WHAT?!

No pressure, am I right? I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be falling off a good ol’ cliff with my camping buddies. 

To be honest, if they intended to end it like this, it felt like this should’ve been a special episode. Maybe one-hour-long or so? Why……….HOW……….. They wanna go from the pilot straight to a Bokura no War game tribute?! The very movie that introduced Omegamon. I swear, if Omegamon’s debut is the SECOND episode, I’m gonna break. How is this gonna work. Well, at least they have us… intrigued? 

The ED is so Yamato-focused it’s almost weird that his voice actor isn’t the one singing lmao. That amount of Yamatoness got me by surprise. Some of the pics look like a PowerPoint presentation of CD cover ideas for his yet-to-exist (or not) band… and I say this lovingly, okay? I love him so much. 

This is my favorite one!

I lost count of how many times I listened to this song!! It also got me hooked up. What’s up with Takeru and how the writers took the whole Angel aesthetic to a whole new level?! Is he sick? Is he dying? Is this why Yamato is so sad and lonely throughout the ED?????? EVERYONE GO BEFRIEND HIM. I heard he’s a good friend.

Be right back, I’m gonna tattoo this pic to my face.

Bonus commentary!

I bet I wasn’t the only one looking for  random cameos whenever they showed us crowds. Didn’t find anyone we know, but I’m sure this will change. 02 characters cameos, I’m ready for you. 

Soooooooooo the Tachikawa own a tech company this time?? For all we know they own Japan. That’s scarier than the Diablomon-like virus giving Trump a headache. If so, Mimi is gonna be way more spoiled than before. Oh, dear.

I HOPE WE SEE MORE OF THESE PIXEL BABIES! That was a perfect Easter egg.

If none of these icons at the bottom is the Digimon Analyzer, then what’s the point of my entire existence? 

I can’t wait for next Saturday! Even if solely to yell “WHY??????” at my screen.  

I can’t thank you enough if you read this far!

[coffee-randomness]

Trembling

Here, have this medium! reader x Jason Todd  of sorts fic no one asked for but I somehow ended up writing (to cope?). 

Word count: 1431

Warnings: Mentions of death, ghost, violence, cemeteries, fire. 

Tags: @0hmydeku @the-shadow-of-atlantis @insideoflit

The first time you felt the ground tremble under your feet, you were standing on a cemetery. No one else noticed the violent movement of the earth or the new figure standing amongst them, which was weird because it was dressed in a very bright  and beautiful pink dress, contrasting with all the black. Your mother had passed away two days ago yet, you saw her with such vivity it brought tears to your eyes. She seemed solemn, looking down at the coffin that was being covered in dirt, a soft breeze that creep through your skin and rose goosebumps threading through her hair. 

Remembering her laying in a bed and tainting a white cloth red with her coughs as nurses pulled you out of the room for the last time, you shook free from your aunt’s grasp and ran to her like you always did: bringing her flowers so she could tread her hair in the way you loved so much, bringing her drawings of her and your dad holding hands while he sat beside her, bringing her anything you knew would make her smile. 

Your mother smiled at you and whispered about good and evil, of how you were both and she hoped you never had to hold so tightly onto one you forgot about the other. Then she turned away, leaving a kiss on your father’s cheek and you watched a faint glow enveloping her form before she disappeared forever. 

It wasn’t until much later, on your fifteen birthday, that you understood what had happened that afternoon. 

You were surrounded by your friends, admiring the precious cake they bought for you and you felt the chair, the dining table and the whole kitchen trembling so violently you were surprised nothing was falling or breaking. You held onto the edges of the table to keep balance, dizziness setting in your stomach, when you saw Amanda standing in front of you. She was covered in fire, half of her face bruised so bad you held back a scream and the whole room was starting to reek of burned hair and skin. However, no one stopped singing the happy birthday song.

“You need to let me spend the night here,” she said, eyes pleading.

Amanda was holding up the cake looking as happy as ever, yet she was burned almost to the crisp, two opposing figures of the same person converging in your vision. You thought that maybe this was a bad joke, that maybe Jason was hiding in some corner holding up a camera, stifling his laughter behind his palm like he did sometimes. 

“Hey, are you okay?” said the other Amanda, worry leaking into her tone as she shook your shoulder.

The cake was now on the table in front of you, candles melting onto the frost. All of your friends were there, including Jason, who was looking at you with a mix of curiosity and fear, no camera in sight, just the lamenting figure of your worse for wear best friend and her perfectly normal, perfectly healthy counterpart. 

You shook your head, prying your eyes away from the burned down Amanda. “Yeah, sorry.”

“Please, just don’t…” She stopped beside you, her sad expression bringing tears to your eyes. “Know you can avoid this.”

And just like that, she disappeared, the same mysterious halo that covered your mom all those years ago wrapping around her. You were left to celebrate your birthday with a bittersweet taste in your mouth, and when everyone started to go home, you held onto Amanda’s hand and begged her to stay, almost breaking down.  She looked at you funny, still, she complied. 

The next day, as your dad was driving you to school, you passed the ashes of Amanda’s house and you recall her panicked screams and sobs pressed against your shoulder, but she was there and your heart grew content and warm, knowing she was safe and alive. 

Something odd happened the first time Jason kissed you, it had nothing to do with your crazy pulse or the dancing butterflies in your stomach, or with the way his thumb traced small circles in your heating cheeks as he leaned more into you, sighing. He pulled back, licking a smirk off his lips, eyes half-lidded with soft things you knew he would never say out loud, and smiled. You held his shoulders, feeling the mattress of his bed shake, the door opening and closing on its own.

There was a mask over his eyes, an unspoken secret, and a yellow cape hanging from his shoulders. It was brief, but it was there and it made you blink with confusion. 

“Oh shit, I screwed up, I’m so sorry… I didn’t meant to, well of course I did, I just... ah fuck.” Jason stammered, scratching the back of his back and searching for apologies. “Look, I should’ve ask you first, I’m sorry I kissed you.”

You frowned. “Well, I’m not.” 

“What?”

You cupped his face, ignoring the feeling of the leather that was not really there under your palm, and kissed him again. This time, as he pulled back, satisfaction was written all over his face.

“So, um…” He started, looking away from you. “Are we, you know?”

“Whatever you wanna call it, boy wonder,” you smiled.

Jason froze for a second, and from the corner of your eye, you saw Robin sneaking out of his opened window, a soft glow you were starting to get all too familiar with enveloping him. 

“What, do you have a vigilante fantasy now?” he asked, trying to play it cool.

“Hmm,” you pretended to think, “I just think Robin’s neat.”

You shrugged and Jason laughed.

“Well, maybe one day I can introduce you two.” He pulled a strand of hair behind your ear. “Only if you promised not to leave me for him.”

The next time you saw Jason as Robin wasn’t that sweet. He was drenched in blood, beaten black and blue and standing at the end of your bed in the middle of the night, the near earthquake sensation having had woken you up. He said it was unavoidable and that he was sorry for never telling you outright who he was and what he did, and in a trembling whisper you could barely hear, that he loved you. Then he disappeared, the faint glow enveloping his form an odd color you weren’t able to pinpoint, and you cried your eyes out that night. And the ones that followed, with Amanda stroking your back and staying silent, because there was nothing she could say after watching you lost the only boy you had opened your heart to. 

It felt as if the whole world was trembling down constantly. Anger filled your insides and somewhere deep inside of you, you swore to yourself you would never lost anyone like you lost Jason again. And, even though you haven’t dared to step on a cemetery ever since the afternoon your mother was buried, you talked to the disembodied forms that wandered in the night and learned all of the secrets they would whisper, sat in cold gravestones until the sun started to come from behind the clouds. 

By the time the sound of bullets and motorcycles engines filled your dreams as the ground shook, you had already killed thirty men, scums that trafficked and sold and brought nothing to the world but suffering. The Fortune Teller, they called you, though you never quite liked the name until one night you stumbled upon a man wearing a red helmet and heard it straight from his lips. 

“I have a deal for you,” he offered, voice jaded with something electronic that made it unrecognizable, and the ground shook enough to warn you. 

A glimpse was enough to have you throwing away your careful demeanor, a boyish grin and ruffled pitch black hair.

“Jason?” you stuttered, trembling voice filling the empty space of your apartment. 

“Damn, you’re as good as they say,” Red Hood whispered. 

You saw him emerging from green waters, gasping for air, a literal zombie walking through the streets of Gotham. Brushing off death like it was a bad joke.

“Do you remember me?” you asked, hope filling your chest. 

“As if I could ever forget you,” he answered and lifted the helmet so you could see his face. 

Jason whispered your name, soft and filled with so much tenderness your breath trembled. Stepping back, you invited him in without any questions and it felt as if the world were a little more stable now that he was back.  

[the19thduckpotato]

In the Shadow of a Smile (Pt 3)

Part 2

Izuku grinned. “Woah, that’s a lot of places! You sure we have time for all of ‘em?”

POOMPF!!

"ALL MIGHT ALWAYS HAS PLENTY OF TIME!"  He roared enthusiastic laughter then coughed and disappeared in a cloud of steam.  Toshinori waved the cloud away and rubbed the back of his head, still snickering. "'Cause, you know...retirement...and stuff."  Spoken as casual as possible.

Izuku nodded, responding just as casually. “Ah, fair point, yeah.” He leaned his head against Toshi’s arm. “Don’tcha get tired after a whole day out, though? I do. N I know I don’t... really... have an excuse, but....” He scrubbed at the back on his head with a sheepish grin. “I do, anyway.”

"No excuse?  I disagree!  You're training to be a hero AND training at UA, which is daunting enough as it is.  On top of that--"  Toshi made a show of glancing about, making sure they wouldn't be overheard.  "--One for All.  Especially with all this new stuff, the vestiges, the Quirks."  He ruffled Izuku's hair.  "And don't forget, you're still a growing teenager.  That's the height of your body going through a bunch of stuff that's going to leave you exhausted." He stopped and looked to Izuku as if only just now considering this.  "Promise me you'll let me know when you have had your fill, ok?"

Izuku bit his lip, still feeling a little weird about... quitting when tired?? if he wasn’t sick or injured?? isn’t that for wimps?? but... “Okay.” Maybe if I see you getting tired, I can ask to go too... or even if I don’t, I don’t have to feel bad about saying I wanna go because I know you push yourself n you hide it n—

Mentor sideglanced student then let his gaze drift to the river.  "There's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself.  Remember that." Uh huh.

“W— e-ell... is it REALLY necessary, though... like, I do want to quit far more often than I should. At a lot of things. I can’t just stop every time I feel like it! ...Right?”

"My experience with ya?  You never quit when it really matters." "He takes after you, Toshinori.  ...that's not a compliment." "You're consistently fighting, working harder, pushing farther, to show you're as worthy as anyone else to be where you are.  I trust your judgment.  Don't run yourself into the ground and don't slack on improving One for All when you can.  We can't have an exhausted Symbol of Peace now, can we?" He grinned companionably as he-- i'm tired of being tired --heard the thought flit through.  He mentally batted it away and made for the popcorn shop.

“But... doesn’t everything matter?” Izuku tilted his head.

Toshi chuckled fondly.  "Easy, don't overthink it.  You remember what I asked you, way back when?  When you saved your friend Bakugo from that sludge monster.  I asked what prompted you and you said your body just moved without thinking.  And those are the times that, if I'm forced to say so, are the ones that matter most.  So your body needs to be in its best form as much as possible.  So that means resting when you need to and--" Toshi made an embarrassed noise and dropped his raised arm.  "Oop, I'm lecturing again." Like you think you have any idea what you're talking about. A very faint protest noise and his fingers curled in.  But the nails didn't dig in.  Not this time.

“No no, I like it!” Izuku nodded up at his mentor reassuringly, then sank into overthought, knuckle coming up to his lips. But... what if I’m overthinking in an important moment and don’t move?? There are DEFINITELY things that are important that I’ve messed up— and— ...and I’m overthinking NOW... but does that mean this moment isn’t important?? That CAN’T be, it is, I know, I’m here! I can see it! He looked around as they entered the door of the popcorn shop, distracted by all the new sights and sounds and SMELLS, OH WOW, THE SMELLS— It made Izuku a tiny bit dizzy with the sudden intensity of it.

Toshinori waved cheerfully at the greeting calls of "oh hello, Mr. Yagi!" A plump lady with her hair wrapped up beamed and bobbed welcome.  "Just in time for the fresh batch--and who is this?" Toshi grinned.  "This is Izuku, my student.  Izuku, this is Madame Popol.  I've been talking up your skills all afternoon so you might want to break out your best flavors." Madame Popol looked delighted at that and bustled off to do just so.  Toshi took a seat at the nearby bench and breathed deep.  How he missed the scents that mingled here!

After flashing a grin and small wave at Madame Popol, Izuku took a seat beside his dad, smiling up at him fondly. He looks so happy...♡

Madame Popol soon returned with a circular wooden tray carved with multiple notches.  In each notch sat a handful of popcorn, each a different shade of color.  The plump lady began to describe the flavors and Toshi made his mind wander. remember when you used to get bags full of popcorn all the time?  And Torino would bark disappoint at your snacking habits while Master would just roar laughter and steal a few kernels? "...now this one is strawberry, over here is smokey chipotle, and this one is classic white cheddar." Toshi's mouth watered a bit and he glanced about at the brightly colored bags, tied with equally bright ribbons. Then, unbidden, a sudden urge to rise up and plunge his hands into the barrels and bags of popcorn.  Sink in, elbow deep, and start wildly stuffing his face. that would be incredibly stupid. I know You'd land yourself in the hospital with a stunt like that. I know. And so Toshi busied himself with watching Izuku's reactions to the many flavors presented him.

Izuku’s eyes were wide as he listened, not remembering all of the flavors in the list but making a beeline for the strawberry, picking up a kernel and popping it in his mouth. “Mm!” His eyes somehow got wider. “That’s really good!”

Madame Popol winked.  "Excellent!  Sweet taste for an equally sweet boy.  Don't you worry now, Mr. Yagi, I got some of yours all prepped and ready to go." Toshi began to pull his wallet out and Madame Popol cheerfully swatted his hand. "Poppi!" "You just let me borrow this one's tastebuds for a few more flavors and we'll call it even.  ...how about cookies and cream, Izuku?  Or pickle?  Bet you never heard of that before!"

Half of Izuku’s face scrunched, though he kept smiling amusedly. “Bet I have!”

"But have you actually tried it?"

“Wwwwwwell....”

Madam Popol held out the tray. Toshi leaned back on the bench and smiled, closing his eyes and breathing deep again. just one handful surely it wouldn't be that bad A really small handful, even

Izuku took a piece.... His whole face scrunched up.

Toshi was finding the temptation getting a bit too strong and turned to Izuku to stammer out some sort of excuse-- --saw the kid's face-- "What on earth?!" --and gave in to a helpless bout of laughter. Madame Popol beamed at both of their reactions, still keeping a knowing eye on her lanky regular.  "Isn't that marvelous?" she chirped.

"I'm... not sure it's... my cup of tea." Izuku shook his head, a tiny bit of blush on his cheeks, but being honest. Really don't like pickles....

"It isn't for everyone," Madane Popol agreed, not even slightly put out.  "Now then.  As you can see, we're pretty talented here.  So I need to ask--what is one flavor you'd never expect to taste on popcorn?  And not anything too weird or wild.  I'm asking from a curious business owner standpoint."

Izuku thought for a bit. "....Well I wouldn't want to eat it, but... horseradish?"

Madame Popol nodded thoughtfully.  "And what about something you would eat?  Something like--" With a sudden expert motion that surprised even Toshi, she snatched a small bag from behind the counter and tossed it to the tall blond. "Mr. Yagi," she scolded fondly but firmly, "My dear, have a munch on that and please cheer up.  And you--"  she said, pointing at Izuku.  "--flavor?" Toshi looked sheepish as Madame Popol dropped a large cloth bag in his lap and began filling it with assorted flavors of popcorn. "How many kids in your class again, hun?  I'm sure our lovely Mr. Yagi will make sure these all get to them, won't he?"

"Uuuuhhh...." Izuku thought more. "Really, I just like the cheddar stuff, mostly." He popped one in his mouth, smiling at the flavor. "Strawberry is good, but I could eat these about forever." Am I being too familiar? This is oddly easy. If the words are coming this easy, are they really good? Or am I just not paying enough attention.... He looked around at Toshi and Madame Popol. They do seem unoffended though... maybe it's good, maybe I'm just being funny... yes, play the clown, I can do that... be sure not to try too hard, though, no one likes that-- stOP OVER TH I NK I N G

Toshi froze as the cloth bag filled up.  Was I that easy to read?  Crap.  I need to get better about that.  To stop making it so visible. He glanced at Izuku--my anchor--and grinned.  "You heard him, Madame Popol, biggest bag of cheddar you got." She pretended to look offended.  "I dont think you realize just how big the biggest bag I have is.  I daresay you'd need to bring your big self out to haul it away."  She flexed one arm and giggled. Toshi gave a gentle smile at that.  "Sounds like a challenge," he returned, a little less enthusiastic than he had meant to sound.

Izuku covered his face and squeaked happily at that. "I didn't mean FOREVER forever!" Oh noooooo, that's too much! I can't let him buy that for me... but I can't STOP him! He grinned widely, though not missing Toshi's tone of voice. He didn't quite know what to make of it, though, so he filed the fact away while keeping it in reach.

Madame Popol wedged one last portion of popcorn (bacon jalapeno) into the cloth bag and tutted at Toshi's protests.  "Now now, I dont expect you boys to carry any of these around all day.  You look like you have other places you want to visit.  I'll just have these sent to your office, Mr. Yagi, darlin." Toshi shifted for his wallet again and she cheerfully hmphed.  "This man," she sighed in frustrated adoration, "he doesn't even eat yet like I ask and yet still tries to pay before services rendered." "Poppi--" "Shoo with you now!  Out of my shop, no, out, I'll send you the bill later.  Izuku please, one moment."  She beckoned to the boy while still shooing Toshi out.

"--?" Izuku looked between Madame Popol and the currently-leaving Toshi nervously. He could feel his muscles tensing at the idea of staying behind alone, but... his gaze settled on her.

She produced a pocket sized bag of strawberry popcorn and pressed it into his hands.  "Whatever you're doing, keep it up.  This may sound odd but...you're very good for him."  She sighed softly and gazed about her shop.  "Would that I could show him my appreciation for all that he's done with more than just popcorn but that's what the heavens saw fit.  So that will be as I keep doing.  But you--" Her eyes twinkled knowingly.  "--you've been blessed with the ability to bring his smile out."  She looked like she wanted to say more, then shook her head and waddled back to the counter.  "Come back anytime, lovey.  There will always be a bag of your favorite waiting here for you."

Izuku gazed up at her as she spoke, completely understanding what it feels like to want to support someone you're grateful to but... not being able to. He smiled down at the bag of strawberry popcorn in his hands, glad he had met this Very Warm Person. "Thank you," he said softly.

She gently tweaked one of his freckled cheeks.  "No no," she replied.  "thank you."   Then, returning to form, she cheerfully flapped her apron at him.  "Get on, now!  That man has long legs and could be halfway to Kyoto by now.  Go catch up!"

He squeaked and ducked at the tweak, and hurried obediently after Toshi out the door.

((part 4))

[fuckyeahjonesy]

THE KISS OF DAWN (16+)

This fanfic is partly based on a true story, which happened in 2012 in Austria, with different names and profession.

Ben Hardy is one of the most popular British stars, but the price for the fame is getting bigger. While everyone else is happily in love around him, he simply can't find his place and it's getting way harder for him to trust someone. Due to the failed dates and failed attempts to get into a relationship, he's feeling lost and hopeless... until the day he receives a mysterious letter... 

PART 1. - THE FIRST SNOW

He woke up for the first snow. Even though it was time for that, he was quite surprised to notice the white flakes falling outside, as he was about to make his morning coffee. He looked out of the window, and his plump lips curled into a smile, as he recalled many sweet, lovely childhood memories regarding the snowy England. His dad would build the tallest snowman in town. And then he lifted up the little boy to let him finish the procedure and place the carrot nose on the head. “We made it again, daddy!” -shouted the little Ben with a big gap between his front teeth (they were expecting a visit from tooth fairy that night), and jumped up to give his father a proud high five. The next step was giving him a name. They always chose a different name for their snowmen, and as long as he stood outside, he belonged to the family. Ben always felt like he got a new brother for a while. Winter was a season full of magic, and for Benjamin Jones the biggest magic was being loved.

The coffee machine beeped loudly, and the sound pulled him back to reality; or back to the emptiness of his flat, to be more exact. He poured the coffee in a mug he got from his mother. “Not a morning person” was written on it, and it said a lot about him. No matter, how many hours he slept, waking up was always a cruel challenge for him. Not even mentioning the mornings after a heavy party night. Ugh, let’s just quickly forget about that.

Ben leaned against the cupboard and started drinking his coffee, while he unlocked his phone to check his e-mails & notifications. His messy, blonde locks were almost long enough to shield his sight. He was wearing an old t-shirt and underwear. Even if the shirt itself was quite loose, the shape of his muscular chest was perfectly visible. The veins on his hands were like wild rivers flooding down the biggest forests, to keep the spirit of nature alive. He was an utterly beautiful creature, someone you could stare at for hours.

After finishing his coffee he set his Spotify playlist on shuffle, and decided to take a quick shower. He was hoping he'd feel refreshed faster by that. He’s working on a movie now, and he doesn’t allow himself to act poorly or make any mistakes. The work continues today and he wants to prove them why he’s there. Thank God, his career was a real blessing lately. His hard work is finally paying off. Big names, legendary directors, talented actors, exciting storylines, positive critics, supportive fans, funny interviews and a fantastic salary with many benefits. Ben has reached a level he has always dreamed of. But there were some lonely nights and quiet mornings, that made him to think about it all. And he always felt like something is missing. He undressed, stepped into the shower cabin and turned the water on. As its temperature got warm enough, he took a deep breath and stood underneath the shower head. His nipples turned immediately hard, as the first hot drops landed on his smooth skin. He put some shower gel on his palm, and started spreading it all over his body. In the meantime, his mind couldn’t stop racing for a single minute.

Almost all of his friends were in a relationship, or engaged, or married… and he never dared to confess it, even to himself, but sometimes he was jealous of their happiness. He was with a girl for 9 years, and took love for granted. And then his relationship ended, but it felt good to taste freedom after such a long time. He loved being a popular man who could get literally anyone.

Yeah, it was a good game for a while, but as the time passed by, he started feeling like he needed a change. He always heard sentences like: “Oh wow, you’re that famous actor, right? What are you doing later?” or “My friend says you’re in a movie, who are you?” or “I saw you in Borhap, you must earn a good money, what kind of car do you have? Would you take me for a ride?” or “You should take me to a restaurant, my friends will never believe who I went out with!”

Nobody on Earth asked him how he feels or what he’s thinking about. They felt so special about hanging out with Ben Hardy, yet nobody cared about what’s going on with Benjamin Jones. He felt like fame was a mask, and most of the people cared only about the fancy part of his life.

And the more famous he became, the harder it was for him to let people closer. He was often insecure, confused, anxious. Failed dates and failed attempts to get into a relationship made it hard for him to generally trust anyone. He didn’t understand why it was happening, but he felt like the problem was himself. And he had no idea how to make it work.

He saw his friends being happy lovebirds, building a future together with the one chosen by their heart. Weddings, kids, the first holiday as a family. And then, there was Ben, who’s about to turn 30, and sometimes he feels like he’d rather be a damn rugby trainer, but at least he had someone by his side, who loves him for who he is, and not for the celebrity who’s harrassed by the awful British media.

He turned off the water, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Being lonely was like a shadow in his life. Sometimes it was behind him, sometimes it disappeared, but at the end it always returned, like a scary nightmare. He missed cuddling up with someone, experiencing funny moments with someone, falling asleep in the arms of someone, sharing a meal with someone that looked ugly because he cooked it, but at least it was made with love. He missed calling someone at the end of a long workday and telling her all the interesting stuff he did that day for the first time in his life. He missed asking for an advice from someone he can fully trust. He missed having sex with someone he passionately loves and admires from the bottom of his heart, and wasn't just raw fucks from Instagram. He missed the taste of good morning kisses. He missed feeling safe and sound, because someone was by his side.

And what he missed the most was belonging to someone. Just like those snowmen belonged to him, when he was a kid.

He brushed his teeth, dressed, and packed everything in his backpack. He's going to have breakfast with his colleagues before work. He put his winter jacket on, switched the lights off, and stepped out, right into the ass cold winter.

He woke up for the first snow that day. And he had no clue yet, that this day will change his view about the first snow forever.