#look at Perseus he quite literally looks like a little man

[sarafangirlart]

This is the only artistic depiction of Aganippe I’ve ever seen.

[aliciavance4228]

This is one of the aspects that I find fascinating about Perseus, and makes him different compared to other heroes. He holds respects even for his enemies and shows that in different ways. In one of the versions where he killed Acrisius by accident he gave the kingdom to Megapenthes ("great mourning"), son of Proetus, and took over Megapenthes' kingdom of Tiryns: "When he understood that the oracular promise had been fulfilled, he buried Akrisios outside the polis, and then, too ashamed to enter Argos and claim the estate of the man who had died because of him, he went to Proitos' son Megapenthes at Tiryns and made a trade with him, handing him Argos. So Megapenthes ruled the Argives, and Perseus ruled Tiryns, as well as Mideia and Mykenai, both of which he walled." Dude was literally ashamed of taking the throne of a man he killed, despite the fact that he was next to the throne AND that his grandfather tried to kill him back when he was little (and by extension he has good reasons to hate him).

Then there's the war between him amd Dionysus, where he buried the women who fought alongside the god and even gave separate graves to those of higher ranks: "The tomb near this [the temple of Zeus Nemeios at Argos] they call that of the maenad Khorea (Chorea), saying that she was one of the women who joined Dionysos in his expedition against Argos, and that Perseus, being victorious in the battle, put most of the women to the sword. To the rest they gave a common grave, but to Khorea they gave burial apart because of her high rank."

Two of the few times when he proved himself to be surpringly ruthless was when he petrified Phineus and Polydectes, respectively. In both cases, both of them had few to no redemptive traits, and what is quite interesting is that the main reason why he killed them was because both of them hurted someone he cared for. Before turning Phineus into stone, he told him that he made this decision partly because this was the only way Andromeda could look at his face without being afraid or disturbed, which tells you a LOT about what type of man he was: "You shall be seen thus always, in the palace where resides my father-in-law, that my surrendered spouse may soften her great grief when she but sees the darling image of her first betrothed." And then there's Polydectes, whom Perseus petrified for obivious reasons.

Also, the fact that pretty much everyone liked him -Even Hera!- and those who didn't were usually vile scumbags tells lots of things about his character. While being far from perfect, he shows a human decency and sense of duty that make him conventionally heroic even by modern standards. The fact that Heracles and Achilles receive more attention and simpathy than him is honestly ironic.

Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 21. 7 :

"Not far from the building in the market-place of Argos is a mound of earth, in which they say lies the head of the Gorgon Medousa (Medusa) [...] In Argos, by the side of this monument of the Gorgon, is the grave of Gorgophone (Gorgon-kilIer), the daughter of Perseus."

Apparently she wasn't only the first woman to marry twice; she was also buried nearby the monument of the Gorgon and not far away from the head of Medusa. I know that her grave might've been chosen due to her name, but the mere fact that she received this type of honor makes me wonder if she was Perseus' favourite child (which would quite funny considering the fact that he had seven sons).

[phoebosacerales]

You know how finding good info about fixed stars is kinda complicated? Are you familiar with fixed star Zaniah? If so, can you explain a bit what it stands for

FIXED STARS

It is not complicated to find good information on the fixed stars. I don't know if I'll describe your case, but I'll tell you why most people think it is. The best place for this is the Constellation of Words website. It not only gives you all the information, but also gives you its sources.

You go there on the list of fixed stars and find the degree you're looking for on the list "Long 2000", right? For anybody who doesn't know, you look at the degrees of longitude when you want to find if there's any fixed star conjunct something in your chart, and the fixed stars change degrees a little bit every century, so on the list "Long 1900" you'll find the degrees for the fixed stars in the year 1900.

Let's say someone has their Sun at 26 degrees Taurus. That's on the fixed star Algol. And they go to the page for Algol on the Constellation of Words website and look only at the interpretation for the Sun with Algol.

A lot of people do this. They'll ignore all the rich information that site gives, and definitely nevermind what the arabs, or the hindus, or the chinese had to say about that star, because those guys don't know anything, right? They only see this:

With Sun: Violent death or extreme sickness. If also in no aspect to a benefic, or there is no benefic in the 8th house, and the dispositor of the Sun in a day nativity or if the Moon in the night one is in square or opposition to Mars, the native will be beheaded; if the luminary culminate he will be maimed, mangled, wounded or torn to pieces alive; and if Mars is at the same time in Gemini or Pisces his hands or feet will be cut off. [Robson, p.124.]

That's not only scary, but useless if they haven't read the entire article. They won't understand why those things were said. If they would only read the whole page, they'd have a lot more insights. They would know for example that Algol is a star on the constellation Perseus, and that's the head of Medusa. They would understand its name and etymology, which is important. Never ignore names.

The more they find, the more they have questions, they start exploring the site and the sources it gives. And of course, they'd click on "Perseus" to understand the whole constellation and not just one little star. You don't understand Aries by just looking at what the ancients said about Hamal. Perseus and Medusa have a story, their story is full of meaning and you start understanding it by understanding the myths.

Perseus was a hero with qualities of intelligence, strength, boldness etc. The association with the planets that the ancient astrologers would give were helping by being kinda closely descriptive of the nature of these stories:

According to Ptolemy, Perseus is like Jupiter and Saturn. It is said to give an intelligent, strong, bold and adventurous nature, but a tendency to lying. By the Kabalists it is associated with the Hebrew letter Lamed and the 12th Tarot Trump "The Hanged Man." [Robson, p.56.]

A lot of these statements were made for when the star was rising, which would describe the nature of the person. So, not every fixed star you have activated by planets will talk about your character. It will most definitely talk about events in your life.

But this is Perseus. Algol is the head of Medusa, which is almost treated as separate, but not quite. Algol will focus on the more violent aspects of the constellation.

Of the nature of Saturn and Jupiter. It causes misfortune, violence, decapitation, hanging, electrocution and mob violence, and gives a dogged and violent nature that causes death to the native or others. It is the most evil star in the heavens. [Robson, p.124.]

And still, those were exaggerated truths. Altough we see literal manifestations of this, a lot of things will tend to show as much more metaphorical or symbolic, especially in modern times. We're talking mainly about a story of decapitation here, so, a lot of the themes are about justice, but of a very violent kind, it's about putting end to carnage by being even more violent. It's Saturn and Jupiter, as Ptolemy says. Justice, but also endings and mercilessness.

I think watching movies released during a fixed star's activation is a great way to explore the themes and understand how they show up with some nuance. One of my favorite manifestations of fixed stars is the movie Bacurau, which was released with the Sun with Algol.

It's not only about the decapitations in that movie, you can see the underlying tone and it's much deeper. Bacurau also had the Moon with the Corvus constellation. Which is described as an ominous bird and also a procratinator.

The myth above tells how Apollo sends the Raven to fetch water (Hydra) in the god’s cup (Crater). The procrastinating Raven got back late because he waited for some figs to ripen before returning. Ravens, crows, and rooks, go ‘kraa kraa’ []. The call of the crow is a nasal caw compared to the deep, guttural croak of the raven, although both species have extensive and varied vocal repertoires []. The cawing of the ravens or crows was heard as 'Cras! Cras!' by Latin speakers, and was thought to mean 'Tomorrow! Tomorrow!' We get the word procrastination, 'postpone until the morrow”, from Latin cras.'

Interestingly, "Bacurau" is the name of a brazilian bird, which is commonly called in some places as "amanhã-eu-vou", which means "I'll go tomorrow". Bacurau is a nocturnal hunter, attentive to it's surroundings, while ravens are really smart scavengers, same as the people in that movie. Corvus always brings dark news and sorrow, like the people of Bacurau, who are always in grief. The Moon was on the star Algorab:

Of the nature of Mars and Saturn. It gives destructiveness, malevolence, fiendishness, repulsiveness and lying, and is connected with scavenging.

The movie premiered on the 15th of May 2019, at 10pm; in Cannes, France. That gives us a Sagittarius ascendant, with the star Antares rising with it, another violent one: the heart of the scorpion.

'By virtue of its tail armed with its powerful sting, the Scorpion creates natures ardent for war and active service, which rejoices in plenteous bloodshed and in carnage more than in plunder. Why, these men spend even peace under arms: they fill the glades and scour the woods; they wage fierce warfare now against man, now against beast, and now they sell their persons to provide the spectacle of death and to perish in the arena, when, warfare in abeyance, they each find themselves foes to attack. There are those, too, who enjoy mock-fights and jousts in arms (such is their love of fighting) and devote their leisure to the study of war and every pursuit which arises from the art of war.' (Manilius, Astronomica)

This describes the first thing we understand about Bacurau when we're watching pretty clearly. Rejoicing in carnage. But this is also a defensive star. The scorpion is an equipped and technological animal. He's sent to kill the giant Orion, who tried to rape Artemis, or, in other accounts, threatened to kill all living creatures to prove his strength and hunting skills. The scorpion is sent by Artemis to sting him in the heel and is put in the sky for it. It makes me think of the people of Bacurau, threatened with anihilation and coming out of the holes to trap the enemy and sting them from behind.

I swear to you that all the information I have on fixed stars, I found on that site. Of course, I ended up investigating people, movies, books etc with those stars and that adds to my knowledge too, but that site is all I read on fixed stars.

I advise anyone to limit their knowlegde of stars. Have you seen how many are there? Not all in the catalogue wil be important. And if you worry about knowing a lot of them, you'll never really know them. So how do you know which are important? You watch for magnitude. The brightest stars are the most important and they were studied a lot more.

The smaller the number on magnitude, the brighter they are. Some of them are even negative, like Sirius, which is -1.46 on magnitude. Sirius is the single brightest star in the sky. Algol is 2.1, as you can see above. I don't consider the stars with a magnitude number higher than 3.5. Unless I see them manifest pretty clearly, which is not common. I can't even name one now. They start getting invisible to the naked eye, correlating to weaker effects.

Zaniah is a star in the Virgo constellation, magnitude 4.0. I don't know it and I probably won't study it, but it seems to have been an important star, marking an arabic lunar mansion. If you want to investigate it, I suggest looking at the article for Virgo and then go to specific stars.

[thejudgingtrash]

Invisible Strings (2,5k)

(Ruby Red!Percabeth AU and I hope tumblr doesn’t mess up things again 🙄 Not beta’d, this was just a random sprint for a scene)

“Mister Jackson!” yelled Mrs. Dodds as she was trying to chase after the taller student who unfortunately had longer legs, better stamina and much more urgency to get out of this situation. An unwelcoming combination and another chain of chaotic events that had unfolded.

“Come back at once!” Percy didn’t think to march back to that wretched woman that called herself a math teacher. Why now? Why me?, he cursed in his thoughts. Alas there was no time. He had to flee if he didn’t want everyone to witness what was about to unfold.

“Percy!” Grover huffed as his best friend had just shoved his backpack into his stomach. He was more than aware of Percy’s… condition, but that didn’t mean that Percy could just do what he wanted, whenever he wanted. That and he was much slower due to the cast around his foot and the tight pants from the mustard yellow school uniform.

But things took a different turn as Percy’s stomach turned and the feeling of the quick drop from a rollercoaster reappeared. 

“Argh!” Percy yelped. Nausea spread through his body like a mutated infection and he felt sick. Waves of heat followed, however, there was no fever. But it was no ordinary sickness that plagued him, no. It was much worse.

The two boys fled as best as they could, Grover with his crutches and Percy’s backpack in his hands and Percy who tried to not trip and turn invisible in front of the entire few confused students in the hallway that were watching. Not to mention a certain crazy teacher that was chasing after them.

“Quick! Into Mr. Brunner’s classroom! The room should be empty, the sixth graders are on a field trip,” Grover remembered and took a sharp turn with his best friend following. Percy ran into the classroom; possible students be damned if they were in there. Luckily, his best friend had been right. The room was unlocked and entirely empty. Chalk dust and smelly remains of unwashed teenagers stood in the air.

Grover barely sneaked into room as it happened right in front of him. The student would have never thought that he would see it happening live in front of him.

“Take care of my-” Percy was unable to finish his sentence. His vision blurred and it literally felt like someone had pulled the rug under him. His feet didn’t feel like they were touching the hard floor anymore.

Grover’s jaw dropped as Percy seemed to have been pulled up by an invisible hand and pulled back into nothingness with force. Perseus Jackson had disappeared and Grover had no idea where he was. Or rather when he was.

For Percy it felt like a minor earthquake. His vision shook and his feet found the ground again. Instead of the bright daylight in the old castle that usually was his school, it was the middle of the night. The tall windows showed the moon in all of its beauty. But now there was no school. It was quite literally an old castle. Instead of neon tubes amounted on the ceiling there were dozens of candles trying to bring light to the room. Instead of two dozen wooden desks where students normally sat around to at least pretend to learn something and a blackboard in front of them, there was only one mighty secretary in the middle of the room. It overflowed with scrolls and books, coins and other instruments. An abacus? Swords stacked on the walls? Who knew.

Percy grimaced at the thought of the carelessly displayed candles that were a fire hazard as he was alone in this room. It was good for him for the moment to have a source of light but with his clumsiness it would be a matter of minutes until he would accidentally knock something over and set everything ablaze. 

Bookshelf after bookshelf was stacked against the wall, some with carefully crafted decorations, many books written in Latin and therefore nearly unintelligible for Percy. Taking Latin in class and understanding Latin on a whim were two very different things. The dim light did the rest as it was simply not bright enough to snoop around further. Percy walked around the desk and looked at the other items on the table. A fancy quill, dark ink, a couple of envelopes, a tricorn hat and an unfinished letter. 

Beloved mother, the person wrote and didn’t bother to finish the correspondence. July 17th, 1764 was marked as the date in the upper corner. What a lousy child, Percy shook his head. His eyes moved to the left where a finished letter remained. It had been written by someone else.

To my dearest son Apollo, the first line was the most Percy could read as the cursive was way too embellished and elongated for him to decipher in such a short period of time. Apollo! His heart swelled. The friendly school ghost was still alive, not a ghost yet and thriving in 1764. Technically that meant Percy could try to sneak out and look out for him…

A laughter erupted outside the door and the doorknob turned. Percy was lucky he didn’t scream. He was ready to jump underneath the table for all he cared. He wasn’t in the mood of getting chased through a house in a different time period yet again. The young student was lucky. He was able to hear the muffled voice of a woman say, “Oh no! Not in here Zeus! I do not wish to defile your son’s study yet again!”

“Alright, my dear. Let us make sure my wife shall not interfere this time,” sighed Zeus. The woman’s laughter slightly echoed as they moved further away.

Percy frowned. Yikes, Apollo was right when he said his father was a rake. Then he shook his head and carefully approached the door. The steps got quieter. The student inhaled and with all of his courage he turned the doorknob. A cloud of perfumes and spices hit him straight in the face. Then the sour and foul smell of sweat, urine and other unpleasant things followed.

Percy sharpened his senses. He could hear music. String music to be exact and a pianoforte in the background. More laughter, heels stomping on the floor. Or where people dancing? Dancing to the string music? Conversations tried to dominate and drown out the music but it was an everlasting fight of audience and musicians. Who could be the loudest?

The hallway that Percy was used to was no longer covered in its ugly orange coating, instead a lovely violet was illuminated by dozens of candles that hung around in the walls and standing still in candle sockets. Gone were the lockers, the corridor was filled with pompous vases and statues, expensive artwork which included a painting of Apollo smirking at the observer. Percy cracked a grin and shook his head. That was Apollo to you.

“Wait!” pleaded a young woman as someone else climbed up the stairs. It was a tall man and from his stance and body language he seemed to be more than just displeased. The young woman fought her way up the stairs with the hoop skirt and layers upon layers of fabric. 

“Please wait! Let me explain!”

The man she seemed to hunt down, didn’t bother listening to her and it was a matter of mere seconds until Percy got exposed. Panic spread through his synapses and the muscle memory forced his feet to go. He took a turn around a corner and approached the first door. The room was already occupied as the door stood ajar.

If Percy didn’t know any better it was that Zeus guy and his mistress as a middle-aged man in the finest robes was kneeling on the floor and taking the pair of tights that covered his lover’s milky legs. Oh my god no, Percy thought and approached the next door in a haste. He opened it and was greeted again by an empty room to his relief.

But the steps only got louder and louder. Percy looked out for a hideout. There was nothing but a couple of sofas, another row of bookshelves and a contrabass in the room. Oh no, Percy thought as the steps approached. He looked to the windows, only to realize they had been covered by heavy looking curtains. Better than nothing. He ran to the window and thanked the gods for the broad windowsills. Percy was scrawny enough to fit onto them.

“It’s not what you think it is!” The woman tried to explain as the man stormed into the room. 

“Oh yeah?” The man huffed. He sounded familiar. Way too familiar. Percy decided to pull a little bit of the curtain aside. He saw the broad shoulders of the man and the emerald green tail coat he was wearing. The man had long black locks that were tied into a pony tail. A proud stance that prevented the golden heels on his feet from looking utterly ridiculous.

“Also, it would be improper for me to run after you. It should be you defending me, in case something happens,” the soft voice of the lady demanded.

“Me defending you?! Anna, did you forget you carry daggers in your corset and had a goddamn sword hidden underneath there?” The 18th century man pointed to the wide skirt.

“I don’t think-” He had crossed his arms and spun around in an annoyed whiff only for his eyes to widen and his face to pale. Percy behind the curtain pressed his hand against his mouth as he was also shocked. The man standing in front of the other woman, was him. Him as in Percy.

It was weird looking at yourself for the first time without a mirror in front of you. Was your forehead really that wide? You really needed to visit the saloon soon again. Whoever that other Percy was, he made a waving motion with his hands, signalizing “Hide!” to student Percy.

“What are you doing there? Could someone be spying on us?” this Anna lady asked. The candle light brightened up her face and Percy saw her light gray eyes for the very first time. Her heart shaped face made him speechless. His heart stopped beating for a second or two. The pointy nose and rosy cheeks, white teeth and the light eyebrows. The way she bit her lip as she was calculating the next move, the slight worry in her eyes. She didn’t look as ridiculous with that huge red wig as most other people would. The green dress hugged her curves despite the ridiculously large amounts of fabric surrounding her. She didn’t seem much older than he was, but the authority her voice carried made her seem that way.

“Nothing, nothing!” the other Percy clearly lied.

“Did you already forget?” Anna huffed as she tried to place her hands around her waist without ruining the beautiful dress. Her eyes were glued to his back. “I can tell when you’re telling a-”

She did not finish her sentence as she had been cut-off by the other Percy. Cut off by his lips, to be exact. The Percy behind the curtain looked shocked at the scene in front of him. 

The strange girl and his other self separated. “I’m…” The other Percy harrumphed and looked to the side. “I’m terribly sorry, I don’t know what overcame me and-”

“Oh, shut up!” the beautiful young woman barked, grabbed the other Percy by the ruffled collar and pulled him in for another kiss. The pair kissed as if there was no tomorrow left. The Percy on the other side of the room had never kissed a person in his life. The truth or dare kiss five years ago from Nancy Bobofit did not count. But as far as he could tell… he did a great job. At least Percy assumed he did as the woman grabbed his hair and didn’t seem to want him let go. Oh wow, the large hands found her tiny waist and Percy hoped that both of them remained steady on their feet. From the swaying it looked like they would fall flat to the ground.

Then the wicked feeling came back. The dizziness, the spots in his vision, the rumbling ground. Percy’s fingers clung to the windowsill as he felt being spewed into his right time line. If he had been sorting his thoughts right, he would have disturbed the wood shop class by Ms. Minerva. Percy closed his eyes and shoved the curtain aside. No screams or gasps, no puzzled students. He opened the sea green eyes again.

Oh yeah, the kids are on their field trip, he remembered. Ms. Minerva otherwise would have reprimanded him further to Mrs. Dodds pleasure. The flabbergasted student quickly left the room. Percy had to lie to janitor Argus about why he was still at school and fortunately managed to get away with his lame excuse of forgetting his smartphone in a classroom. Said smartphone he just pulled out of his pocket and pressed the first number in his call logs.

“Grover!” Percy exhaled. “I just spent my time in 1764, I saw an unfinished letter in Mr. Brunner’s classroom.”

“You are okay! Where are you? Mrs. Dodds wants to murder you!”

“Just got out of school, I’m on my way home.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Grover sighed into the speaker which created a little bit of static. “You were gone for almost two hours! I shoved all of your stuff into Jason’s stomach who was not pleased with you ‘skipping school’ earlier.” 

“Shit,” Percy cursed. Two hours? How? It felt more like five minutes, did he truly spent that much time lingering around? He should have picked up Estelle from band practice an hour and a half ago. His mother would kill him.

“There’s something else I need to mention,” Percy began. “I didn’t just land there in 1764… I saw someone…”

“Who?” Grover asked.

“Myself,” Percy answered. “It was clearly me… Or a twin brother I didn’t know I had and I was…” Kissing a pretty girl. “Having an argument… with some weird girl that I didn’t know either. I shooed myself away for her not to notice me! Grover, what the hell is going on?!”

Percy imagined how Grover’s eyebrows rose and how he was fumbling with the zipper of his favorite jacket as he always used to do whenever he was trying to connect new information. Someone else yelled in the background. It sounded like Mrs. Underwood.

“We need to talk about this later and strategize, mom needs me downstairs,” proposed Grover. “Percy, you have to speak to your mother about the time traveling! She knows more about all of this, she has to! Who knows into what time period you’ll jump next! Pretty sure that London in the 1940s seems more than just dangerous with world war two going on. Or… I don’t know. Any other year when vaccines still weren’t a thing yet. Catching the plague or medieval herpes sounds horrific.”

Percy winced. Both at the thought of more uncontrolled time jumps and also at the thought of medieval herpes.

Grover was right. He needed to speak to his mother and confess. It wasn’t his annoying cousin Jason who had inherited this weird time traveler gene. 

It was him, Perseus Jackson, the poorest bastard one could imagine.

I tried and I blame you for everything @marisolsnose 🤷🏾‍♀️

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Old place' : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

'Old place'

I need you close to me, I'm feeling safer with you !'

Chapter Summary : Yirina remembered one of her main goals in her life right now before an friend got an thought in head......

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +4000

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

Well, we can say that we have succeed in our little improvised mission to put our hands on Lukas Ritter without having any big problems except for that fight I had with him as he tried to neutralize me but the only thing he has done was to make my bottom lip bleed a little but nothing too serious to me. We managed to corner him in an isolated spot on an parking and we got what we needed from him : he will be forced to comply and to help the MI6 as an insider in the KGB, giving us everything that we need to get Portnova back.

During that little interrogation, I could feel Zasha's anger to hear everything about Portnova and I can understand their pain when we will have to face her after 3 years....let's hope it will go well. We returned back to the safehouse to heal my little wound on the lips, Park make an call to someone in the MI6 to give instructions to Ritter and then, we took a nap back in that car again with Park, Zasha taking the couch back for them and if only we could sleep on an bed instead of the backseat of the car.....too much to ask in that place....

The next day started well because in the first hour in the morning, we received an transmission from Lukas himself, giving us some details on Portnova's team but also explaining that he had to keep an low profile and that he will send only a few transmissions in an day. Even with that, we were relieved that he was willing to work with us. During the next two days, we stayed in the safehouse as Lukas was sending us an lot of details through his few messages and by the odds, the Perseus agents that Woods's team were tracking to get Adler back.....it was the same members of Portnova's team inside the KGB.

With that revelations in head, we shared that intel with Woods and thanks to that and the numerous contacts from Greta & Garrett, they could shorten their trip in here and us too. While they were focused on the team, us....we kept our focus on Portnova herself, trying to find an way to approach her. Today, the 14th of May, after an long day of work, it was time for us to get some heavy sleep so, me & Park....back in the car like always....I'm not going to sleep in the same place as Hudson and if I tell it loudly, I will....if I can see him because I didn't see him at all since two days....he kinda avoid me and it's better for me and for him too.

I was talking with someone in the phone in my old office inside the Lubyanka Building and according to my state and the position I was using inside my seat, that call kinda make me put on my nerves, holding the phone firmly. Zasha was peacefully working at their desk, trying to not make any eyes contacts with me during my call, more focused on their paperworks.

"Yeah, yeah, just get it done !" I affirmed clearly to the person I was talking to throught the phone and redressing myself on my chair  before I decide to hang up the phone. "What an prick !" I whispered to myself, looking at the phone.

"Something's wrong ?" Zasha asked as they saw me, having finished with my call, putting their head up.

"The Perseus guy in charge to give us some transmissions did make an mistake and it's avoiding us to have the necessary papers to work." I explained, taking an breath as I looked at Zasha who was an bit confused. "If he don't give us these papers, we can say goodbye to some vacations."

"Ah shit." They rolled their eyes around at hearing me.

"I hear you, Zed."  I said with an grin on my face.

"You have something planned for the next days ?" They questioned me.

"No, Freya is in an mission in Romania for an undetermined time....so, that's means that I will be alone." I raised my shoulder, biting my lips at the same time.

"You know, you can come with us : I'm taking Dedov & Portnova for an trip." They started, putting down their pen on their desk. "Away from Russia....can be interesting for you."

'I don't know, where did you three planned to go ?" I asked them, my arms going on my desk, looking curiously at Zasha.

"Well, we either think of going in England...or in Miami." My eyes went wide at hearing this from Zasha to be honest, mainly on the second proposition.

"Miami ?" I told them, scratching my nose.

"Yeah, should change of the cold air of Moscow and if it's vacations, we're not going to be harrassed every 5 minutes by Perseus agents." They affirmed, tapping with their fingers on the desk nervously before checking their own watch. "It's strange, Portnova should be here." They looked at the office that was at the other side of the room, empty....her workplace.

"You're right." I admitted, narrowing my eyes by looking at Portnova's desk. "Did she told you if she got something to do ?"

"No, not at all." Zasha replied before suddenly, we could hear some knocks at the office's door that was very silent and very strange.

"Come in." I ordered in an normal voice and then, the door opened, revealing Portnova herself but her hair was like more messier than ever.....

"Hi." She waved at us both, looking very strange, her hair was covering an specific part of her face and by that, me & Zasha looked at each other, confused.

"You're okay ?" Zasha demanded.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm alright."  She breathed in an low voice but before she could move, Zasha immediately stepped away from their chair to get to her, with me doing the same. "Zed, I told you...I'm alright." She repeated but we could both see that there were something bad. Zasha removed the hair that was covering her left eye....and we could discover an black eye.

"Who did this ?" Zasha was getting angry about this as we could see Portnova having some tears out of her both eyes.

"Some..." She started, trying to clean up her tears on her face. "Some assholes in the parking of the building...they tried to harass me while they were fixing their car....they did this 5 minutes ago." She added, making Zasha looking in rage and me too.

'They're still in there ?" She nodded to me slowly.

"Let's go get these sons of a bitch !" Zasha told me and I was fully approving their idea before we start to get out of my office.

We were both in rage, clenching our fists all along the way to the parking. We were only focused on beating the shit out of these guys who dared to hurt Portnova.....our friend like that. That act wasn't going to stay unpunished after all. I think that the guards were pretty confused to see 2 peoples walking angrily towards the parking and once we got out to the parking of the building, we were immediately looking around to see an car that was needed to be fixed and we found it quickly.

There were only 2 guys near it...those fuckers who hit Portnova. Zasha was like an beast that couldn't be stop and I wasn't going to stop them at all. They started to walk rapidly towards the man that was checking the car's engine with the raised hood of it. They immediately took the hood in their hands and lowered it multiple time on the guy that was checking the engine. I saw the other guy that was at the driving seat and when he saw his friend getting beaten, he start to get away from his seat, opening his door to get out.

I kicked the door with my feet furiously, closing it by force and causing the panicked guy to fall on his back. He was pleading for not getting beaten but it was too late as I have already put my hands on him and then, I literally threw him in one of the car's window, hurting him very badly.

"Grigoriev !" A man shouted in anger to me as I was going to finish the guy off....I looked around to see an bald tough man arriving in the scene.

"Kravchenko !" I whispered, seeing him arrive near the car as Zasha stop also to beat the other guy.

"What the fuck did you do to my men ?" He asked me, looking at the guys we just beaten.

"They have hurt an friend so we hurt them." I replied clearly to them, crossing my arms to him. "If your men are dicks, we were in our right !" I added with anger towards him.

"We're going to see...."

"Comrade Kravchenko."  Another man's voice came in....Perseus himself dressed in an KGB high officer, walking slowly towards Kravchenko, his hands behind his back. "Were you trying to....threaten my 'daughter' ?" He questioned him as in me, I was feeling very uncomfortable to be called like this by Perseus.

"No, sir, I didn't threatened Grigoriev, her and their friend just beat my men."  He gestured to the beaten guys as Zasha walk next to me.

"They have hurt Portnova, sir." Zasha explained as Perseus peaked his head towards us.

"So, their actions are justified....you should leave, Kravchenko, you're awaited !" Perseus told him in an very serious tone, making an tap on Kravchenko shoulder before the latter start to walk away, leaving us with Perseus. "You need to control yourself, Yirina." He started before looking at Zasha. "Same for you, Krypto." He added, looking at us an bit worried as Zasha was still angered about what happened to Portnova. I then stepped in front of Perseus, facing him....

"We don't hurt my friends and that....showed to everyone what we are capable of !"

I was quite surprised to relive that particular memory but it showed that me & Zasha, we were pretty serious about protecting our friends, that I was in rage when a friend was hurt. In fact, it did reinforce my intentions to help my friends even further for the future. Suddenly, I could hear knock against an window, waking me up in the car in the middle of the night with Park in my arms. I was the only one who heard them and when I opened my eyes, I could see Zasha standing outside the car, apparently wanting to talk....in the middle of the night.

I wasn't able to let them like that and going back to sleep so I slowly start to move, gesturing to Zed that I was coming silently, not wanting to awake Park in her sleep. I stepped out of the car, closing the door slowly before I walk a few meters from the car.

"Zed....why did you wake me up ?" I started, passing my hands through my eyes, looking more tired than ever before I looked at my watch. "It's 2 AM !" I added in an low voice.

"I know, I'm sorry." They apologized, also sounding low.

"I hope you got something that will excuse that..." I scoffed to them with an small grin before I yawn. "What's wrong ?" I asked them, seeing them an bit worried.

"Well...I had an thought while sleeping." They replied, joining their hands together, looking away from me for an second. "I was wondering if....our old places we were living are still there...." They said, making me raise an eyebrow.

"You're serious ?" I told them, confused.

"I know, it's maybe stupid but I was thinking of it." They said, still sounding apologizing to have wake me up. "Maybe those places are burned, abandoned or used by Perseus but...what if we go to these places ?"

"You want us to go there ?" They nodded to me. "Like....right now ? At 2 AM ?" They nodded again to me, making me roll my eyes around. It was maybe stupid to do this at this time but Zasha got me curious about our places we lived before and I couldn't refuse that opportunity. "Where do you want to start ?" I asked them.

"As I remember, your place isn't so far from here, you were living in the Cheryomushki District so we could go there first as I remember the place well." They responded, putting their hands on their waist. "I was living almost at the other side of the city so, your place is first."

"Okay..." I breathed, looking around towards the horizon, seeing the city from afar before looking at the car. "We need Park to come with us, you're not against it ?"

"No, she should come." They affirmed, causing me to walk back to the car, letting them at their position to go awake Park from her sleep at 2AM....she's going to kill me...

"Park." I whispered as I was back inside the car, moving gently her shoulder with my hands. "Park." I repeated again as she start to slowly wake up.

"Yiri...what's wrong ?" She said in an very low voice, opening her eyes to see me over here, wondering what I wanted.

"Uhm..." I cut myself as I didn't know how I was going to say that Zasha wanted to go to our old places like that at 2AM. "You're maybe to say that we're crazy but....we maybe need to go to my old living place." I finally told her as I could see her eyes going wide.

"What ?" She chuckled, redressing herself to get back on sitting, me moving to allow her to do that. "You're serious ?" She added and I nodded.

"It's stupid but we can try." I raised my shoulders to her, seeing her wide eyes towards me....yes, she's going to kill me. "It's dangerous maybe but we can try our luck."

"Yes, it's dangerous." She affirmed, peaking her head to look outside, seeing Zasha awaiting for us. "Who got this idea ?" She demanded.

"Listen, if you don't want, say it right now." I told her in an normal voice before taking an deep breath, I could see her bit her lips before looking at me, nodding.

"Okay, we will do something...which time is it by the way ?" She asked rhetorically as she check her own watch before her eyes went wide again and she look back at me. "Well, guess that nobody will do something to stop us." She stated, surprising me as I was already seeing her with her hands around my neck to have her woke up at this time of the day before she took an breath. "I'm gonna take my satellite phone in case, tell Zed to get ready !" She ordered as she stepped out of the car, going back inside the warehouse to grab what she need as I was gesturing to Zasha to come in the car.

She came back really quick with her phone as I did install myself in the front passenger seat of the car, struggling to not get myself back to sleep as Zasha installed themselves in the driving seat, they were the one that were knowing where we were exactly living in Moscow so we had to put our hopes on them and it's sure that they are good in it. Park go back inside the car and once fully seated, we drove off the place...going to our mysterious destination as Zasha was the one to drive.

During the drive, everyone was struggling to not get back to sleep actually, putting the radio volume up to make sure that everyone keep their eyes fully open but there were constant yawns for the three of us because if someone was yawning, another will do it in the 15 next seconds and it became an endless cycle with us. Finally, we arrived in an apartment complex in the Cheryomushki District like Zasha said.

"So, this is the place ?" I started, getting out of the car that Zasha parked in an empty space right in front of the complex. The streets were pretty silent at this time of the day, no cars were driving, no bystanders were walking...just us...

"Yes, you lived there." Zasha answered, looking at me as I was checking the building.

"It's looking quite lovely to say." Park said in an curious tone, her left hand on her waist and the other covering her mouth to yawn again.....she was the one who did this the most in the car.

"Well, let's enter quickly then." I suggested as I start to walk away from the car, followed by Zed & Park inside the building that was the place I lived before....let's hope that the place isn't crowded with Perseus agents. We entere the main hallway and our first reaction was to go near the mailboxes. "I lived at the first floor." I whispered, having found my mailbox....still with my name on it despite the three years that passed.

"So this place is still apparently used." Park said in an low voice, not wanting to speak too high and to awake everyone around. "Let's get up." She ordered as we move to get up the stairs....can say that I was lucky to have lived at the first floor of the building....wasn't going to get tired to say. We arrived at the door with throught it, my old apartment maybe empty....or filled with Perseus agents. First thing to do was to take our guns in hand.....before we decided like that....to knock at the door.

"Why I did this ?" I thought to myself as I was the one to knock at the door. I took an breath after that, awaiting but by luck, no sounds were coming inside....either the persons in it are sleeping or there are nobody there.

"Wait, let's see under that carpet." Park pointed at the carpet I was standing on, making me move and letting her check below it....and we discover an key.....seriously ?

"The good old trick of the key under the carpet." Zasha whispered as Park was taking the key in her hand to unlock the door. At that moment, I could feel my heart pounding faster than usual because I was going to go back to an place from my old life...it will go well, Yiri ! It will !....

"Okay, here we go." Park opened slowly the door with her left hand, the other having her gun, getting herself inside the apartment that was in the dark.

We stayed behind her as we were going further inside the apartment....with me still feeling weird to get back here. Seriously, I never thought that it was going to be Zasha themselves who was going to make me go back here and here we are, standing in my old living room at 2AM with our guns in hand because Zasha had the thought of visiting our old places again. The room was like in my memories but there were nothing like pictures or personal things from me and it was looking used recently.

"I'm going to check the bedroom." Zasha proclaimed as they start to walk to get inside the room, leaving me alone with Park after we had check the kitchen that was just at the living room sight before I decide to go sit on the same chair I was always sitting in my memories, trying to get my thought in order.

"Damnit, I never thought...." I said, putting my arms on the armrest and looking outside through the same window. "How do you find the place ?" I asked to Park in an low voice.

"It's lovely to be honest." Park replied, moving to get next to me, still standing up to look outside with me. "How do you feel ?" She questioned me, seeing my state that it was all strange.

"It's feeling so weird to be here, you know ?" I started, holding my head with my right hand as I have already put back my M1911 in my jacket to look at Park. "I come back here as 'Yirina Grigoriev', 'Bell'....well, she would have never acknowledge the place." I scoffed about the end of it as Park moved to get at the same level as me, a knee to the ground. "I could still see myself in that seat, drinking & smoking to forget the fact that I did work with Perseus all this day."

"I'm sorry." She told me, putting an hand on my shoulder and looking down.

"You couldn't know." I breathed, taking her hand into mine. "It was never your fault." I added, sure of my own words as I look at Park who wasn't agreeing at all, she's still feeling guilty that she helped Adler but for me, she's already forgiven....since 3 years...since the moment she said sorry, the moment I stepped out of that room. "Park....it was never your fault !" I affirmed, smiling at her as I moved my other hand to her chin gently, making her look at me fully.

"I.....I.....thanks." She grinned before I put an little kiss on her cheek and then, I redresed myself on the seat, still having her hands in mine but her now smiling. "You know that we're always there for you...that I'm always there for you."

"I know." I smiled at her before I could see Zasha coming back from the bedroom.

"The place is used by Freya !" They exclaimed in an low voice, having something like an picture in their hands. I stand up at hearing her name from their mouth.

"You're sure ?" I asked.

"Yes, got this as proof !" They handed to me the picture but also....an necklace. The picture, it was me with Freya, both in military outfits with Perseus insignia on them. We were young at that time and Freya...her hair wasn't not like today....not shaved on the side, this picture was the third real thing from my old life that I saw. The necklace, it was something that Freya was always wearing and seeing it here means that she was coming here time to time. "Freya must be using your old apartment as an way to not forgive you, it seems."

"In fact....Freya...she saw me last month, she realized that I wasn't dead." I told them as they were unaware of it at all because I never speak about it to them, their eyes went wide about this.

"Wait, are you saying that Freya saw you alive ?" Zasha was sounding more confused than ever.

"Yes but....it wasn't 'Yirina' at all....it was...'Bell' !" I replied in an low voice. I spoke about that to Zasha and they start to slowly realize my words.

"Oh, so you're meaning that she thinks that you're still...brainwashed ?" I nodded to them, biting my lips.

"Yirina think it can be used as an way to have Freya back in our side and I think it too." Park affirmed, standing next to me as she was checking the picture. "She did have Freya's number to call her." She added, making Zasha to look at me more surprised.

"It's been 2 weeks that I didn't call her." I breathed before looking at the phone in the living room, I wasn't in the mood to call Freya right now. "Maybe later." I whispered before I look around the living room.

"So what should we do ?" Zasha asked

"Since Freya is still using the place, you're gonna put her necklace back at where you found it." I answered, handing to Zasha Freya's necklace...but keeping the picture with me before finally handing it too. I wanted to take it but if I did, Freya will have know that I did come here. "We're going to leave quickly before we got any surprises and then, we're driving to your old place." I said to Zasha before they start to return into my old bedroom that I didn't enter and I think it was better that I don't. Since I came back here, my memories in here were like reliving themselves in my ears...my voice, Freya's voice, Zasha's voice....

"Do you think we will come back here ?" Park demanded, putting her hand behind my back and honestly, I couldn't give her an proper answer to that question.

"I don't know to be frankly...." I responded, looking down at my feets and taking an deep breath. Maybe I will come back here, maybe not and I will have to make an choice. This place, it was strange to step in it again and leaving it without something, it kinda make me feel strange & weird like if I never know of this place.....

"We should get out for now....this place is going to freak me out."

[bouwrites]

Even Heroes Have the Right to Dream: Chapter 6

Just put off another day of knowing where you’re from.

First, Previous, Next. Ao3.

Story under read-more.

A lot happens during Jon’s second semester of college. Like, too much, frankly. Between his fight (can he call that a fight?) with Marinette, his struggling grades, his tense relationship with Damian, and the ever-present “S” looming over him no matter how much he tries to avoid it, his second semester isn’t nearly as fun as the first.

And also, he forgets about the thing he is supposed to do that semester. That is, to figure out what on Earth he’s going to do with his life. Being an undecided major isn’t the end of the world if he’s still in his first year, but he goes from “I’ve got plenty of time to figure it out” to “Holy crap, I’ve already finished a year” in no time at all and now he’s signed up for classes for his next semester and still doesn’t even know what he’s going to study.

He’s running out of core classes to waste time on. He’s probably already wasted a few credits and all the money that goes into them. If he wants to graduate on time, then he needs to get his life in order.

Easier said than done. Especially given… well… his life.

And if he’s honest, being home isn’t helping much. Or any. If anything, it’s just stressing him out.

There is peace in his chores. When he goes out to work on the farm, he’s focused, and he knows what he’s doing, and it feels worthwhile. He’s helping in a completely ordinary way. He’s taking some of the burden of the work off his parents.

And with his dad flying away every other night, his mom needs the help. Jon likes to help. The problem is when there’s no more work to do. Because when there’s no more work to do, there’s nothing to do, and all Jon can do is sit in his room, stare at a book, or a screen, and wait until there is something else to do.

What happened to little me who’d rush through chores just to run off and do something fun? Jon thinks, balancing his bookmark on his nose. Now I draw them out as long as I can, and I have nowhere to run to if I wanted. Where did I used to go?

His mind wanders to the batcave, and to his base with Damian when they started their little team, and he sighs. Right. Hero work. Was that all I could think about back then? Why can’t I- Why does it hurt to think about now?

Jon tosses his bookmark back between the pages in his hands and sets his book aside. He doesn’t want to be a hero. The thought of actually putting the cape back on again makes him feel ill, and when he thinks about facing once more some of the things he’s already beaten, he freezes. It’s like he runs headfirst straight into a brick wall and he’s thrown back, out of breath, aching, and powerless.

So, he opens his window and jumps out like any normal human being, walks a while out onto the flat farmland, and finds one of the sparse trees dotting the landscape. He climbs up into it, consciously avoiding use of flight to make the effort easier, feeling the rough bark on his palms, smelling the earth and wood and the dust and hay, hearing the night bugs singing to each other, and takes a seat on long branch outstretched like a hand.

Directly above him is the tree’s canopy, of course, but forward is the horizon. The land is flat, with only the occasional far-distant farmhouse interrupting it. Behind him, in the distance, if he looks closely, he can see Metropolis, but ahead of him the world stretches until it meets the sky and the dotted farmhouses turn into a multitude of stars, and then there’s a whole galaxy right in front of him.

A galaxy ahead of him, and Jon doesn’t know what to do. He feels so small. Just a kid in a tree in the infinite vastness of space. He can fly anywhere, do anything, and yet… he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t know what he wants. All he knows is that it isn’t to go “up, up, and away.”

If every star is some future him that he can become, if every star is an opportunity, which one does he take? Can he fly away with Aquila? Can he grab the handle of the big dipper? Learn to hunt from Orion or play something beautiful with Lyra?

“Heh…” He chuckles, almost huffing. “Ridiculous.”

Idle fantasies are all that is. It’s nice, to think he has so many options, to think he can do anything he dreams. But dreams are dreams and reality is reality. People don’t have those infinite chances, and he’s no different. He just doesn’t want to squander the chances that he does have. Quite frankly, those much more limited chances are already too many for him to process. So how is he supposed to just go out and pick something?

He’s been Superboy his whole life, or all his life that matters, at least. How is he supposed to figure out what he wants to do, if he doesn’t even know who he is? Jon doesn’t know. He doesn’t know much of anything except for that Aquila is way too far above him to ever reach.

Jon is twenty years old. He’s been on this planet for twenty years. Half his life he’s had two names. One devoted to protecting the people of Earth, and one devoted to protecting the other name. Without Superboy he doesn’t have purpose, but… Jon feels the wood of the tree strain under his grip, and it’s only his long, long years of mastering his control that stops him from destroying the branch entirely and sending him plummeting to the ground. He’s not even ten feet up and he’s literally invulnerable, but that drop scares him.

It reminds him of every far worse fall he’s taken, and it reminds him that no one is there to catch him anymore. No one else is on this path he’s started down. No one else is walking away from Perseus. Most people are trying to sail towards it. Most especially his parents.

Well, no one except for Marinette. At least she knows where she wants to end up. She’s running towards another constellation; Jon is simply running away. It makes his eyes sting, like the dust has finally gotten to them, and he ducks his head despite knowing he’ll never spot his next constellation if he can’t look up.

“Am I a coward?” Jon asks. He’s again in a place he doesn’t belong. He’s underdressed and unprepared but he’s here because he doesn’t know where he’s running and Damian has… well if nothing else, he has a very clear outlook on the world. Perhaps not the best, or healthiest, but it’s stark and defined and solid. And Jon is tired of falling. “Because I can’t be a hero? Does stepping down make me a… scared, selfish…”

“Not at all.”

Jon blinks, taken aback. “Wh- really?”

Damian quirks his brow, giving him a precious glance away from whatever is going on on the computer screen. “Did you want me to say yes?”

Jon runs his hands through his hair. “I’m- I don’t want you to tell me what you think I want to hear! I want to hear what you really think. Am I a coward for quitting being a hero?”

“No.” Damian says. “And I won’t repeat myself a third time.” Jon stares at him, baffled by how Damian freaking Wayne can sit there so casually telling him he’s not a coward as if quitting hero duty doesn’t go against everything the man stands for. Damian, who earlier this very year chastised him for not answering the call of duty when he’s not even on duty, who for their entire lives has been dragging Jon around the world on missions to save it, does not think Jon is chickening out when that’s pretty much objectively what Jon’s doing.

Because it is. Jon is just too scared to fight. He’s not dumb, he knows what panic is. Lord knows he’s felt it enough. He’s a nearly invulnerable alien with a whole menagerie of deus ex machina powers and he’s frightened to death of a mugger attacking a stranger. Jon has no idea how on Earth Damian can come to a different conclusion.

Damian sighs. He rubs at his eyes in an unexpectedly tired motion and pulls off his mask. “Jon, you know I am not… the best with things like this.”

Yeah, you don’t say. Jon bites his tongue to stop from saying what pops into his mind. It’s mean, and he doesn’t want to lash out just because he’s upset about his own problems that don’t have anything to do with his friend. He knows it’s still hard for Damian to admit his flaws, so rubbing it in when he does isn’t what a good friend would do.

“So, I will say it simply. From what you have told me, I believe your childhood of fighting as a hero has traumatized you, and it is simply logical that you are unable to continue. I do not blame you at all for stepping down.”

Jon hugs himself. “Why, though? You’ve been in worse situations for longer than me, and you’ve done almost everything I have on top of it, and you don’t even have powers. And- And I was fine until a little while ago! Why can’t I… be brave enough?”

Damian frowns. “I… am confused. I was under the impression that you are happy with your decision to retire. Do you want to be Superboy again?”

“No!” The way Jon yells is perhaps a bit too desperate, but he just reacts. “God, no! I just… I keep thinking about all the people that I could be saving if I was, and I think about how sitting on my thumbs like I am is hurting those people, and then I think I’m a bad person because I didn’t help someone when I could have and it’s all just pointless suffering because I don’t even know how to not… hero. And I’m selfish because I still don’t want to be a hero again, and I’m worthless because I don’t even know what I’m doing and that’s just ending up with me doing nothing, and I’m-”

“Jon!” Jon flinches away from the voice, reacting to the stern authority it holds and shutting his mouth. “You are none of those things, Jon.” Damian says firmly. Jon just watches timidly as he sighs, crosses his arms, closes his eyes, and leans back in his chair. “Look.” Damian finally sighs. “You are one of the most brilliant people I have ever met. One of the few people I am truly honored to call a friend. It does not matter if you’re Superboy or not. That does not change your worth.”

Damian stands to approach Jon. All he does is put his hands on Jon’s shoulders, but that’s more than Jon expects. It settles some of the excitement in his gut. “No one reacts to trauma the same way. In my family, punching criminals is a coping mechanism, because we all have our own baggage we came into this life with. Your family isn’t mine, and you are not me. You retired, and you felt safe, so you began to process all the trauma you could not before then. That is why you panic, like you just did, when you contemplate coming back. That’s why you can’t be Superboy, and thus cannot be called a coward for not doing so. Understand?”

Jon nods numbly. Damian makes sense. He usually does. When he doesn’t have his head up his own butt, but that’s been getting less and less common as they get older.

“You are a good person, Jon. Insufferably so, sometimes. No matter what else, don’t doubt that.”

“I…” Jon isn’t sure what to say. This is pretty much the exact opposite of what he expects from Damian. But… Lord. He wraps his arms tight around Damian. “Thank you.”

“Gah- Hey! Unhand me!”

Jon giggles, squeezes him just a little tighter, and lets him go. “Thanks.” Jon says again. “I really needed to hear that.”

Damian tuts derisively. “Yes, well… you’re welcome. Are you feeling better?”

“A little.” Jon says honestly. “I still need to figure out what I’m going to do, but I’m… a little more confident that I’m doing the right thing.”

“Why did you not think so? Out of guilt?”

“Partly.” Jon rubs his arms awkwardly. “Partly because it still just… it’s all confusing. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m not just talking about my major. I don’t know basically anything. I’m trying to figure out where I want to take my life while I’m trying to figure out how to just be human and I…” He sighs. “I don’t know.”

Damian hums. “You know, I went through a lot of grief reconciling being the son of batman as well as being an al Ghul.”

Jon frowns. “Yeah. And?”

“And when I first came here, I tried to do batman’s thing, in the only way I knew how. The way my mother taught me. Father had to teach me how to be a hero in his way, molded after him and my brothers in their time as Robin.”

“Is there… a lesson here?”

Damian sighs. “The lesson is that you are not human, Jon. Whether you’re a hero or not, you are still half-Kryptonian. I was trying to say that I could never be happy here so long as I kept fighting so hard to reject the fact that I am an al Ghul. Yes, I obviously had to reject the House of al Ghul, but to pretend I was never part of it would be to pretend my entire childhood is not what it was. I will never be ‘normal’ as most people consider it. You won’t either. Your father became Superman in part because he could not stand to hide among humans. You face the same problem, hero or no.”

Jon huffs. “Well, I can’t be a hero and I can’t be normal, so what the hell am I?”

Damian rolls his eyes. “You’re Jon Kent. I don’t have the answers for you. I simply told you what I think.” He sighs. “I wish I could help, but I can’t tell you what to do with your life. We both know that would end disastrously.”

“Aha, yeah. That would be a mess.”

Jon spies a rare smile from Damian. “I do want the best for you. That is why I’m telling you this. Don’t hang your hopes on the common idea of normal. It necessarily excludes people like us. Find something you’re happy with and make that your normal.”

Jon takes a moment to contemplate that. Realistically, he knows Damian is right. No one’s normal includes hiding superpowers and an alien heritage and a heroic past. The very idea that half-Kryptonian Jon can be normal is, at its very core, laughable.

Yet… there was a point in time that he felt that way. When he felt like he could do it. Live an average life despite everything. That was… when he was close with Marinette. And Jon still isn’t sure how much of that was chemistry between them as friends, or just Marinette’s personality making him feel at home, or him just throwing all his hopes on her and needing it to work so badly that he tricked himself into making it work, but… he definitely knows how he felt. So, it is possible. Yet, Jon feels like it wouldn’t have been had he lived with anyone but Marinette, so maybe it only was possible then because neither of them are actually normal in the first place. Maybe them finding normal is only because they aren’t.

And now Jon’s head is starting to hurt. Still, “I think you’re probably right.” He says to Damian. “I’ve got a lot of thinking to do.”

Damian nods shortly to acknowledge and dismiss him.

Before Jon leaves, though, he stops to look back at Damian. “You’ve really grown up, you know.”

Damian clicks his tongue. He’s already back on the computer, clacking away at the keys. “I’m twenty-three years old now. I should hope so.”

Jon snickers and turns away. That’s fair. I guess we’re all growing up.

Jon can’t be a hero and he can’t be normal. He can be happy, though. He may have only brushed hands with it so far, but he can. When Jon heads out to sit in a tree just a few days before he needs to leave once more for college, Jon has hope. Hope for the future, for a future in which he’s content and safe and, to an extent, normal.

The only problem is that he still can’t quite picture it. He still doesn’t know exactly how to get there, or even in which direction he should go. And he still has no idea what he should major in. And that’s… kind of annoying.

You have plenty of time, Jon thinks, sarcastically, not like you’ve wasted your entire year not figuring it out or anything.

What do I even want to do? I always assumed I’d be a journalist. I’m not against it, but what if there’s something else I’d like more? What if I choose wrong? And even if I do become a journalist, should I study it in college, or should I pick something else like I planned from the start?

Will I stay sane in three years of psychology classes?

Yeah, no, probably not. I could take ethics and lecture dad. That’d be funny. Lot of work for a joke, though.

Or I coul-

“Jon? Is that you? You know, I didn’t take you for the brooding type.”

Jon just about falls out of his tree when he jumps and tries to spin around to see who found him here in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. “Aunt Kara!” He whines. “Don’t sneak up on me like that! How did you even know I was here?���

Supergirl snickers. “I can read your mind, remember? And you think very loudly.”

Jon just crosses his arms, pouting. He knows his cheeks color at the reminder of how she used to tease him, which only makes him more embarrassed because he knows that’s the reaction she wants. “That’s not funny, Aunt Kara.”

Shrugging, she says, “I thought it was. Nah, your friend told me you’d be here. Brooding.”

Goddamn it, Damian. “How did he- no, wait, he’s Damian. Never mind.” Jon sighs. “Not that I’m not happy to see you… in the middle of the night… do Mom and Dad even know you’re here?”

“I don’t need their permission to see my nephew!”

“You’re on their property.”

“I’m above their property.” Supergirl grins, gesturing to her feet, which are a good five feet off the ground.

Jon shakes his head. “Whatever. Why are you here?”

Supergirl laughs. “Aw, is that any way to talk to your favorite aunt?” Jon just rolls his eyes. After a moment, Supergirl sobers, her expression softens, and she asks, “Mind if I join you?”

Jon purses his lips and moves over a little, allowing Supergirl to sit next to him on the branch. They’re squished together, and Supergirl throws her arm around his shoulders, but Jon doesn’t honestly mind. She likes to tease him, but she is his aunt. He loves her.

“So, want to tell me why you’re out here instead of sleeping?”

“Why?” Jon counters. “Damian’s already told you.”

She tilts her head in non-committal gesture. “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t care what he says. I want you to tell me. What’s up?”

Jon sighs. “I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know anything. That’s the problem. I’m starting second year – I really need to figure out what I’m going to study – and recently I’ve been doubting I even want to- er, never mind.”

Supergirl’s gaze pierces into him. As much as he loves her, and as fun of an aunt she can be, it’s always been obvious to Jon that she’s the most… alien of them. It makes sense, considering she actually remembers Krypton, but even so there are times when she can be downright unsettling. It makes him feel… vulnerable. Like she can see every facet of him. It’s doubly unsettling, he finds, when he can’t even see his own facets. “Everyone wonders what they’re going to do with their lives.” Supergirl says gently. “College isn’t the end of the road. A lot of people don’t find their calling until much later in their lives.”

Jon tugs at his hair. “Yeah, that’s a nice thought and all, but I still need to pick a major.”

Supergirl snorts. “Alright. Fair, then. You’ve got to make a choice. What do you want to do? Throw some ideas out, let’s spitball. It’s a longstanding family tradition to go into journalism. How do you feel about that?”

Jon flinches. “Lukewarm.”

Supergirl laughs again. “Alright. How about, uh photography?”

“I’ve got a pretty steady hand?” Jon shrugs.

“Hm. Analytics?”

“Hard yikes.”

“You’re a tough nut, aren’t you? Alright, how about… graphics design?”

“Do you actually not know any jobs except what goes into the news?”

Supergirl scoffs playfully. “Are you mocking me? My favorite nephew, being so mean to me when I’m only trying to help!” Jon has to spend a moment fighting off her playful shoving and trying his best to not fall out of the tree, but by the time she relents, he’s out of breath from laughing and his cheeks hurt.

And that’s why he loves Aunt Kara. She can always cheer him up. She’s always been strangely good at that. No matter what kind of mood he’s in, she always manages to bring him out of his shell. She makes him feel… not like himself, but like he can be himself. Like it’s safe to be anything he wants, and she won’t judge him.

Maybe it’s just because she can be a bit weird herself sometimes.

“Hey.” She leans in close to him, like she’s sharing a secret. “Want to get out of here?”

“And go where?”

“On a… field trip.” She says. “Come on.”

“I don’t know, Aunt Kara. We should probably tell Mom and Dad if we’re going somewhere.”

“Pssh, they won’t know we left! Besides, you’re with me! Nothing can happen to you while I’m here. Also, uh, you’re twenty now, Jon. You don’t need their permission to go out.”

“It’s not about permission. I’m still living with them.” Jon protests. “It’s just courtesy, so they don’t worry.”

Supergirl rolls her eyes. “We’ll write them a note. Come on.”

Jon sighs. “Alright. Where are we going, though?”

Supergirl winks conspiratorially. “You’ll see.”

They quickly write a note (even though Aunt Kara insists they’ll be back before his parents wake up – which Jon hopes is true, because he does want to sleep tonight) and take off, Supergirl in her cape and him in pajama pants and a flannel shirt. And he knows where they’re going. He figures it out when they don’t stop at any sensible place to do so. The Fortress of Solitude.

“Here we are!” Supergirl chirps. “This is a much better place to brood!”

Jon’s laugh is almost helpless as he covers his face. He thought going into the batcave was weird after he retired. This? The Fortress? It’s too much.

Jon knows the Fortress of Solitude. He’s used it as a base when he was Superboy just like Aunt Kara and his dad does. When he peeks around at the alien architecture and almost magical technology, all Jon can think about is the damn “S.” It doesn’t help that it’s plastered all over the place, either.

When he walks into the Fortress of Solitude, Jon looks up at the statues of his grandparents, flinches at the burn of that “S” on their chests being branded into his skull, and feels like a failure.

When he sits in a tree and watches the stars on the horizon, he feels small in a cosmic sense. It puts him into perspective on a grand scale, and things are a little easier to think about because ultimately it doesn’t weigh all that much. When he looks up at the statue of the grandparents he’ll never know, he’s also put into perspective, just not as a speck in the infinite vastness of the universe.

No, under their eyes, he’s, in essence, the heir of Krypton.

An entire world destroyed. Two survivors. One goes on to have a son. And then that son does everything he can to be as human as possible. How must he devastate these people? This world whose culture and traditions will probably die with Aunt Kara?

A part of Jon wants to carry that burden, too. To carry on Krypton and live for them. But Jon has lived his life for other people up until this point and because of that, now he’s lost. He can’t carry a world on his shoulders. He hates that that means that his aunt has to do so for him, but he can’t. He’s not that strong.

Being in the Fortress is too much for him. Already he feels like it’s crushing him. How can he carry such a weight? How can he carry Krypton, when he doesn’t know anything about it? He’s never been there, never experienced it. He doesn’t even have a Kryptonian name! Being human is already complicated enough. Jon can’t be Kryptonian on top of that.

He’s starting to think he knows how Atlas feels.

“Are you okay, Jon?”

Jon shakes his head. His throat is tight and clogged and he can’t seem to clear it. It takes him some time to manage to ask, “Why’d you bring me here?”

“Because I know what you’re afraid of.” Supergirl says plainly. “Kal and I both went through the same thing. Listen, Jon.” She takes his hands in hers, and he lifts his eyes to meet hers. “You are at a point in your life where you’re trying to decide your whole future. What you’ll take with you, what you’ll leave behind, what path you want to follow.

“Damian told me that he’s worried you’re rejecting part of yourself. The Kryptonian part. He said that you want to be completely human.”

Jon turns his gaze back to the ground. “That’s… partly true. I just want to live like an ordinary person. I don’t want any of…” He sighs. “this.”

“I know.”

“I- you do?” Jon furrows his brow. If he’s honest, he expects Aunt Kara to be angry with him. Krypton is very important to her, so to admit that he’s trying to distance himself from it even so long after it’s death must hurt.

“Of course, I do, kiddo. I live on Earth, too. Earth is my home, too. I know what it’s like to want to fit in.”

Yeah. Jon supposes she would.

“And I want to help you.” Supergirl says, firmer. “You’re having trouble making a decision, right? So, you’re going to make one. Here. That’s the real reason I brought you here. Come on, I’ve got something to show you.”

Supergirl guides him by the hand into another room. She opens a box, almost reverently, and pulls out a large flag. There’s a planet in the middle, blue and green like Earth, but the land masses are different (Jon at least knows enough to recognize it as Krypton) with rays of color filling the rest of the flag. It’s Krypton, in a rainbow halo, sort of. “Do you know what this is?” Supergirl asks.

Jon does. “The Kryptonian flag.”

Supergirl gives him a smile. “Do you know what it represents?”

“Krypton?” Jon purses his lips.

She chuckles. “Essentially, yes. The design of the flag was chosen to represent the Girod.”

“The eleven virtues.” Jon says.

“Exactly! Do you remember what they are?”

Jon again averts his gaze.

“It’s alright, Jon.”

“I’m sorry. I feel like I should know more about Krypton.”

“Do you want to?” Supergirl asks the question so casually that Jon is a little thrown off. “Because that’s the decision I want you to make tonight.” Her tone gets more serious again, making Jon wince. “The Girod is the foundation of Kryptonian society. This,” she indicates the flag, “is what it means to be Kryptonian.

“Diversity coming from unity. In the center, that’s Unity. The three green rays are the core virtues. From lightest to darkest in color, Truth, Industriousness, and Justice. Peace, Synergy, Imagination, Purity, Restraint, Hope, Altruism.”

Jon’s cheeks warm, because he feels like a little kid all over again with Aunt Kara explaining the Girod to him. His knowledge of Krypton is limited, and indeed this very subject is one he’s been taught and forgotten, but he knows this is quite literally one of the first things Kryptonian kids would learn. It’s the core of their whole society.

“Damian is worried that if you turn your back on Krypton, you won’t ever be happy, but he doesn’t know what it’s like to have millions of years of culture, technology, family, meaning… whole civilizations wiped out. We’re all that remains of Krypton. I can’t change your DNA. You can’t be totally human. But, I can tell you this: Krypton is not your burden to carry. It’s dead.” Supergirl closes her eyes, and Jon has a sinking feeling she’s trying not to cry. After a moment, she pats the flag gently. “If you don’t want this, we’re not going to make you take it. Okay? If you want to live your life like a human, then that’s okay. I will never try to force you to carry on Krypton’s legacy.”

Jon stares at the flag in Supergirl’s lap. Eleven virtues, each one more impossible to achieve than the last. Did Krypton really achieve this, or is this just an ideal? Because… “That’s a lot to live up to.”

“I know. It’s not easy, and you won’t be perfect, but whatever you choose, whether you want to be human or if you want to be Kryptonian, or both, I’m proud of you. You’ve grown up into such a brave young man, and I can honestly say that you are one of the best people I know. By both human and Kryptonian standards.”

“A-Aunt Kara, I…”

“I know this doesn’t help you decide what career you want to go into or what you want to study,” Supergirl says, lowering her head to look at the flag, “but I felt it was important for you to know. You are not responsible for Krypton. Kal and I are not going to stop you from living however you want. You know Krypton is very important to me, but you know what’s more important?”

“…What?” Jon has a sneaking suspicion he knows exactly what.

“You. I still honor where I came from, and I do my best to keep our culture and traditions alive, but Krypton is dead. It’s our heritage, and it’s important to me, but it’s not a big deal if it isn’t to you. I promise. You’ve never even seen it. I wouldn’t blame you if you can’t connect to it. Human culture is much more… relevant. Even for me.” She watches him with that piercing, alien gaze again. “Right now, you’re deciding where you want your life to go. I want to tell you that if you don’t want it to include Krypton, it doesn’t have to. You’re not obligated to try to preserve it. And neither Kal nor I will judge you for it.”

Jon chuckles nervously. “You sure about Dad?”

Supergirl giggles. “I promise. We all just want you to be happy. You’re far more important than a dead culture.”

“I… I…” Jon chokes down his emotions again, and just goes for a hug instead of trying to explain. “Thank you.”

Supergirl’s hug is crushing, as always. It’s familiar, completely inhuman, and remarkably comforting. When she does let him go, though, she asks, “So, what’s your decision?”

“My decision…” Jon’s throat goes dry. “About whether I’m Kryptonian or not?” Supergirl inclines her head. Jon sighs. He looks again to the flag in her lap. “Diversity from unity. It sounds like a… beautiful ideal.”

“It was beautiful.” Supergirl says softly.

Jon closes his eyes. This is his get out of jail free card. All the pressure of his Kryptonian heritage shed just like that. With one decision. No judgement, no punishment. And somewhere inside him, Jon really does resent the Kryptonian part of him. It’s what makes him different. It’s what means he’ll never be normal. It’s what gives him the ability that curses his fear and unwillingness, and brands him evil by neglect.

But him being Kryptonian can’t change. Damian’s right. Rejecting Krypton won’t make him any more human. His DNA is beyond anyone’s ability to simply rewrite. Embracing it, though? Carrying the weight of Krypton’s culture, of its people, like Atlas holding the heavens? How is that better?

“Diversity from unity.” Jon thinks. Maybe that’s how. It’s Marinette. It’s being together, finding their normal, not because they’re regular people through and through, but because of their differences. It’s what makes them unique that makes them belong, not what makes them the same.

Jon isn’t entirely sure he buys that, but it’s… such a beautiful ideal. He hopes for it. If nothing else, it’s a direction. Something to strive for. “Can I…” He says, hesitantly, as his answer, “keep that?”

Supergirl’s eyes follow his finger, and her lips twitch upwards into a smile. “Of course,” She says. Carefully, she folds up the Kryptonian flag and hands it off to him.

It’s heavier than he expects. Sort of like the cape. He doubts himself, but he wants to dream. He wants to believe the Girod is more than just an ideal.

“You know, Kal never gave you a Kryptonian name, did he?” Supergirl says suddenly, startling Jon.

“O-oh, uh, no. I’m just… just Jon.”

“Jon.” Supergirl hums as she leads the way back to the main room of the Fortress. “How about Kon-El? That suits you, don’t you think?”

Jon blinks. “Kon-El? Where’d the K come from?”

“Kara! Duh!” Supergirl winks at him.

She always can make Jon laugh. “And that’s… a traditional Kryptonian way to name a kid, huh?” He teases.

“Pfft, no, that’s just because I’m awesome.” They laugh together until they come upon the statue of Jon’s grandparents and he gets lost staring at them again. He’s not sure if he can live up to their ideals. In truth, he’s not even sure how much he can do to try. “Or I could name you after your granddad, like Kal did. Jor-El. You’re still a J that way.”

Jon manages a smile for the frozen images of his grandparents. “I don’t know.”

“He’d be proud of you, you know. They both would. I know you never met them, but… they’d be proud.”

“Yeah.” Jon takes a deep breath and tears his eyes from the statues once more. “Thanks, Aunt Kara.”

——-=——-

Tag List: @moonystars14 @pawsitivelymiraculous @magic-miraculous @vixen-uchiha @buticaaba @bigpicklebananatree @lozzybowe  @moonlightstar64 @amayakans @theatreandcomicfreak @toodaloo-kangaroo @too0bsessedformyowngood <3

[pocketsizeddemon]

Cookies

Bang Chan x Reader fluff, 2.1k words, AO3

I was craving a friends-to-lovers Chan fluff so I wrote it.

You were one of Minho's oldest friends. He was the first friend you made when you moved to Korea. You lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same school up until some point, and you’ve been through thick and thin. Even though it was difficult to stay in touch during his trainee years, and even more now that he was actually an idol, you two still tried to make time for each other. He was literally like a little brother to you. Or more like the close cousin that you can be annoying with. A few months before his debut he was insisting that he wanted you to meet his members but both of your guys’ schedule was hectic, yours with university and work and his with promotions and practice and it never really happened until months later.

You still remember the day that Minho walked you into the chaos that was their dorm with a box full of donuts as a little treat for them. Eight cheerful boys running up to meet you and, of course, devour the donuts that you made for them. That was about a year ago. After all this time you were actually a regular at the SKZ dorms, you had become friends with all the boys and you bringing sweets for them regularly made you their number one guest of honor. Minho was often complaining that you had spoiled the maknae line rotten.

It was an evening like all else. Felix and Jisung were sitting on the couch playing games with Changbin watching them, Minho, Hyunjin and Seungmin were out for a walk, Jeongin was napping, Chan was in the studio and you and Woojin were chilling in the kitchen, having coffee and catching up. As you were talking, a fresh-out-of-bed Jeongin walked in the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, taking a detour to hug you when he noticed you.

“What did you bring us this time, noona?” He asked cheerfully.

“Oh? So I’m only good for bringing you guys sweets, hmm?” you teased him.

“No, no, no!!” he tried to explain himself. “It’s just that I was craving cookies.”

“Cookies?” you asked as you made a list in your head.

“Yes! Like the ones you brought us a few weeks ago, they were delicious. Channie-hyung and Han-hyung ate like half of them and we didn’t even get to enjoy them.” He pouted sadly.

“Well… I’m pretty sure we can make them!” you pondered and started listing the ingredients to Woojin, who in exchange nodded.

“We can do that?” Jeongin asked, full of shock.

“Who do you think has been making the sweets all this time?” Woojin answered as he pointed at you. “And yes Y/N, we have all the ingredients apart from chocolate chips. But I’m pretty sure Minho, Hyunjin and Seungmin will be back in a bit, so we can tell them to bring some on their way back.”

Five hours, and way too many cookie butter batches later, you were laying down on the couch, a blanket covered you as you tried to get comfy. It was around 8p.m. when you started with the cookies and now it was almost 1a.m. It was lovely to see the boys trying to help you cream the butter and sugar together and knead the dough, or seeing them argue on how much chocolate chips they should put in the mix. It was by far the slowest and funniest cookie making experience you’ve ever had. In the end, you had made a lot of cookies, though mostly they were gone in the next two hours as you watched a movie. You had insisted that they left a few of them for their leader, who would be sure to return later.

Naturally at the end of all this, it was too late to go home on your own, so you grabbed your designated sleepover blanket and nestled on their couch after they all went to bed. It wasn’t often that you stayed overnight but it had happened a few times so this wasn’t new for you. Surprisingly, even though you were quite tired, sleep wouldn’t come to you. Insomnia was a usual thing for you, so you were watching cute cat videos on your phone. It was pushing 2a.m when Chan returned from the studio, with a squeaking from the door and the soft sound of his footsteps. You sat up as he turned on the light and stretched.

“What are you doing up so late?” he giggled quietly. You could see that he was really tired, dark circles underneath his sparkly eyes. You rolled your eyes, mentally scolding yourself for getting romantic like this.

“We got baking cookies and it took longer than expected, so the boys offered me to stay over. But I can’t really fall asleep.”

“You baked cookies? Are there any left for me?” There’s that lovely sparkle again, you thought as you pointed to the box on the kitchen counter.

“What are you doing out so late?” was now your turn to ask him.

“Editing.” he sighed as he all but fell on the couch you were sitting on, munching on a cookie. “I wasn't able to finish something I wanted and I’m so frustr- Oh my god these are delicious!” he looked at you. “Did you make these?”

“I mean… the recipe is mine but everyone helped!” you said with a shrug.

He smiled sweetly at you and you kept talking for a bit. As you could see his eyes getting heavier and heavier, you patted the couch right next to you, wordlessly calling him closer for some cuddles. You knew Chris well enough, he basically lived on affection and you could tell that he really needed and most definitely wouldn’t pass up the chance for a hug. He wrapped his arms around you and you got comfy, trying to not nuzzle to his chest. You tried to get his head away from work for a bit, in hopes to get his stress to ease. Asking him what’s his interest these days seemed to do the work as he brought up astronomy and how interesting he found it lately. He was reading about the stars of Andromeda just yesterday.

“Oh so you know the story behind it too?”

“Sadly no” he said with a sigh. “The book I got is mostly scientific so I don’t really know the mythology.” He pouted.

“Good thing I had an ancient Greek mythology phase then.” you giggled and you started telling him the story of Andromeda and Perseus. Five minutes in you could hear his soft snores and you tried to hold in your giggles. You pulled the blankets over you two and in a few minutes you were fast asleep too.

Around 6a.m. an incredible thirst woke Chris up. As he saw you nuzzled up into him, clinging to his shirt, he felt a blush creep up his cheeks. How were you so cute? Your voice had peacefully lulled him to sleep last night and even though he’s only slept a few hours, he was already feeling rested. He smiled warmly, gave you a tiny kiss on your forehead, carefully got up and after covering you back up, went to his own bedroom.

A few hours later you woke up into the already noise-filled dorm. As you finished washing up and walked towards the kitchen to grab a glass of water, you saw Chan already sitting on the table with an extra cup of coffee next to you and you swore you could feel your heart flutter.

~

It had been a few weeks later that you got to see the boys again. You were busy with some paperwork and they were promoting their latest comeback. Minho had suggested that you could come watch their performance and then you could all go get food and hang out later since they’d have a few days off. You were backstage, just catching up with them, simultaneously daydreaming of sleeping in Chris’ arms. You’d be lying if you denied that you haven’t been feeling warm and soft every time you thought about it. You happened to be talking with him at the moment that a very familiar figure walked into the room.

There stood Matthew, or… you were pretty sure he went by BM lately. Your older brother’s best friend, from way before you moved to Korea was KARD’s beast rapper and dancer Big Matthew and naturally, growing up he had been like a second older brother to you. Chris, being the friendliest person was politely saying hello to him before he turned to introduce you to his hyung and before he could blink you were receiving a bear hug from your old friend.

“Y-You two know each other?” Chris stuttered.

“This little munchkin? I knew her since she was in diapers!” BM laughed out loud, ruffling your hair. You started catching up and since the boys had to start getting their makeup done so he took you outside of the room to continue your conversation. You were soon laughing to his jokes, remembering old stories and talking about each other’s families. In-between a joke and completely out of nowhere he got serious.

“So what's up with you and Bang Chan?” he asked.

"N-nothing! We're just friends!" you mumbled.

“Yeah ok, as if you're not starry-eyed when you look at him.” He rolled his eyes as he answered.

And all of a sudden your eyes were full of tears the feelings that you were trying so hard to hide, pouring out as you began telling him everything. Your feelings and how they grew without you even realizing it, how sweet and lovely Chris was and how he always found time, even when he seemed to be so busy to send you cute supportive messages and ask you about your day. You finally had to admit it, you were in love with him…

“Please don’t tell anyone Big Bear. I’ll get in trouble… or worse he’d get in trouble” you wiped some last stray tears and sniffled as he hugged you protectively.

Little did you know that Chris had heard everything. He had finished getting ready first and went out looking for you, and he happened to find you talking about old stories and felt his heart sink. You sure seemed close with BM. And then he heard his question… and your quiet sobs. And he couldn’t believe his ears. He truly felt like the luckiest man in the word, he wanted to come hold you and wipe your tears himself but he felt frozen in place. As he heard the conversation die down he found the courage to come over.

You could feel Matthew poking gently at your side as Chris approached and you pretended to worry about BM overworking himself, and patting his shoulder. Chris smiled cutely at you two and quickly found an excuse.

“Do you mind if I steal Y/N from you hyung? Minho wants to tell her something.” he said, scratching his head. BM looked at him knowingly, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll let you, but you have to take care of her, alright Chan?” Matthew smirked.

Chris smiled softly and nodded, took your hand and started walking towards the changing room and you followed him, trying to slow your shocked and still slightly overwhelmed heart. You also tried to not overthink the fact that he was holding your hand ever so softly. He stopped halfway though and you quirked an eyebrow, almost ready to ask him what’s wrong when he turned towards you and took your free hand in his too.

“Ok so… I lied. Minho didn’t want to tell you anything… It was me who wanted to tell you something. Something really important.” You instantly grew worried, but before you could ask anything he continued.

“I like you! Like, a lot. I’ve liked you for a long time. You’re so kind and loving and so very cute, I swear there’s not a day that I don’t want to kiss your cheeks. The boys like you and you’re so good at taking care of them. You’re as sweet as the cookies you bake and then some.” he kissed your hand as he confessed his feelings to you and you stood there in shock.

You could feel the tears from earlier almost returning, this time from joy.

“Ch-Chris are you serious?” you asked, your hands shaking. He nodded shyly, rubbing the back of your hand.

“I like you too Chris, I’ve liked you for so long” you answer as you let go of his hands and excitedly wrapped them around his shoulders for a hug. He just as excitedly wrapped his arms around your waist and gave you his warmest hug.

He gently raised his hands to your cheeks, caressing your face ever so softly and looked into your eyes he leaned down for a kiss.

“Mmhm, I was right, definitely sweeter than the cookies” he teased and you giggled as you stood on the tips of your toes to steal one more kiss.

[wolfgangisdead]

dancing with the bones

chapter one | chapter two |

fandom original content

rating teen

warning maybe some morbidity, a lot of dead, lot of pop culture references

notes I’m not good with accents :|

-

Perseus was surprisingly calm when we entered the cemetery, as if we weren’t in the one place that zombies would appear first. Not like I believed zombies would pop out and eat my brains, but it was Halloween, the one night a year where the spooky and deceased are said to return to the living. Never said if it was in their old bodies or as spirits, or even both! I’m not about to mess with that. 

I was not Perseus. I was not completely unafraid and fascinated by the death that surrounded us because, really, I don’t mix with the dead. It’s like trying to put a coin on top of Mercury, like in that NileRed video. It won’t work. 

There wasn’t anything off with the cemetery, it didn’t feel like someone was watching us anymore, but I didn’t want to turn my back and suddenly Jason Voorhees has stabbed me in the back. 

Silence followed us until we reached a specific area, a rather barren hill that held exactly one mausoleum and nothing else. Exactly nothing else. No grass, no trees, nothing. Just dirt.

“Sae, what ‘er we lookin’ at?”

When I say I screamed, I mean that I let out the loudest, most fear filled scream that Satan himself could hear in the deepest sanctum of Hell. Behind us stood a tall man adorned in slightly baggy black clothes that definitely were not from this time period and were covered in cobwebs and dust as well as a belled top hat. I wasn’t quite sure what it was that had been coating his jacket and pants, and his hat, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know to begin with.

His skin was as black as night, not in the natural skin tone sense, but literally like the color of ash and soot. His face was painted white, like a skull, so I figured that was his costume, but it was a bit strange how we hadn’t had heard him walk up. 

“Sorry there, wee lassie, didn’t mean to spook ye!”

Percy looked at me, a grin on there face as they looked at the stranger, as if saying “would you look at that, he’s Scottish!” This was more or less not a moment to be excited about that as now we were in a cemetery with a stranger and separated from the others. 

“I - I.... Y - You’re Scottish....” I pointed a shaky finger at him, as if stating the obvious would make this encounter any less terrifying and unnerving.

“Aye, I am!” He responded proudly, tipping his hat to us. “A cemetery isnae a place for ye, wee lassie. Ye shouldn’t be here, aye?” 

“I’m sorry, what?” I didn’t want to sound rude, but my ability to understand accents wasn’t that great and he was not making much sense, but why would he? We did just meet him in a cemetery and he’s adorned in things that make me feel like he just rose from the dead. 

“He’s saying a cemetery isn’t a place for us and that we shouldn’t be here.” Percy looked at me, then back to the skeleton man, eyes squinted. “Who’re you?”

“Bones, at yer service!” He swopped his hat from his head, stumbling a little as he bowed. He had slightly unruly hair that was kept back by a bandana of some sort, but he was quick to return his hat to his head. “And ye?”

“I’m Perseus, or Percy, and that’s Nef.” Percy wasted no time in introducing us, but I wished they had at least had half the mind to wonder if this... Bones was here to kill us.

I was silent at first, squinting at him. “Can I call you Bojangles? You seem like a Bojangles.” 

“Nay!” He huffed, turning his full attention to me. “It’s Halloween, aye?”

I bit back a sarcastic response, nodding slowly. “It is, why? You got somewhere to be? Late for a very important date?”

“Hm, it’s time tae wake th’ others.” He turned away from us, skittering away like a nervous mouse looking for food while also remaining hesitant to the sneaky cats that may be lying around. 

Percy looked at me and nodded, telling me all that I needed to know and I responded with a slow, warning shake of my head. They did not listen. Instead, they followed Bones, looking around and acting as if they understood exactly what Bones was talking about. With a heavy sigh, I followed after them, silent. 

“It's time tae wake up ye wee heathens! hallows eve is upon us!” He shouted into the cemetery, as if expecting a response from the dead. His accent thickened the louder he had gotten, it was a bit amusing but I had no idea what he was saying. 

Percy and I traded glances before looking back at Bones. 

“I said wake up ye wee bastards, it’s time tae go!” He grabbed a stick and threw it right into an old, withered headstone, thankfully not knocking a piece off.

Was this man okay?

I didn’t have time to ask because then a few, much odder beings emerged from the dirt. There was a florescent spirit, a literal man of bones and not Bones himself, and a witch? I couldn’t tell you honestly even if I wanted to. 

I was seconds away from screaming when a hand clamped over my mouth, I responded with a curt punch to whatever had touched me and hoped to any deity out there listening that it wasn’t a zombie.

It was a werewolf. 

“Goodness me, wee miss, 'at was quite a Scottish jimmy!” Bones patted my back as if we were friends, acting as if he didn’t scare the living daylights out of me mere moments before. He was amused at least which might’ve meant he would not be murdering two people tonight. “She can flin' a scottish jimmy, isnae 'at brammer?”

What. What was that even supposed to mean? Even Percy couldn’t offer me much help on translating. I squinted at Bones, as if asking him what he meant.

“You’re confusing the poor girl, Bones. Why don’t you go off and handle something else while we get them more comfortable, yes?” The skeleton waved at Bones dismissively, as if he was any better of an option here. 

The skeleton wore a suit, definitely note of this era, but that didn’t matter. He had a suit and a monocle on as well as a top hat, similar to Bones’. How does it even fit on him? How? 

“Not to be rude or anything here but you’re a skeleton, that person’s a ghost, and that’s a werewolf and I am terrified out of my mind.” I looked between them all, putting Percy between us. They were too busy being fascinated by the ghost to really bother with anything, and had this been any other situation, I would’ve been too. 

“Oh, nonsense, we’re just as human as you are. I’m Harold.” He held out a boney hand towards me after giving Perseus a simple pat to the head. “Lovely to meet you. These are my friends, Bartholomew the Werewolf and Ibis the Ghost.”

I shook his hand, but the feel of bone against my skin was not one I particularly enjoyed. “There isn’t enough therapy in the world that can ever repair the nightmares I will be having from this night onwards. I’m Nef, that’s Percy.”

“We’ve got work tae dae, we cannae - cannot stay.” Bones’ voice did something a bit weird, as if he were trying to talk in a way that I could understand. I’m not sure if that’s what he was doing, but I still appreciated it. I still wasn’t sure what he meant earlier, though. 

“Can we come?” Percy looked between them, as if practically begging them. “It beats being with Katrina, right, Nef?”

“Katrina? Who’s ‘at?” Bones looked between us, brows raised in amusement as he scratched and smudged the paint on his face, but what was peculiar was that only the white smudged, as if the ashen color was actually his skin. But that would be impossible, right? I refused to believe anything else.

Harold and Bones, as well as the others, had all traded each other looks before Bones cleared his throat.

“You’re welcome tae come, but stay close tae us, aye?” He squinted at us, but whatever they had planned didn’t seem like it was all that safe. 

Percy didn’t seem to mind much, it was more like the gears in their head were forming some sort of questionnaire to ask the strange beings when the time came strictly for writing purposes. 

I wasn’t sure what to think, though. I mean, a Scottish... being that doesn’t seem to belong in this world just woke up a whole bunch of beings that should not be awake and moving. Sure, Bones was nice and all, but a skeleton just shook my hand. A skeleton. Therapy cannot help me now. 

[ineffably-good]

Flufftober #30: Costumes

(Ok this isn’t really the prompt - the official prompt was pumpkins, but I already covered that pretty specifically in a prompt #4 -- so I made up my own.) 

__

“Crowley, look, we’ve been invited to a costume party!” Aziraphale said, his voice rising in excitement. “Oh I do love Halloween!”

Crowley frowns. “Well I don’t. Demons hate Halloween. Haven’t we talked about this already?”

“I know, I know,” Aziraphale says, considering his best moves in this situation. “And if you don’t want to go, we don’t have to. But – you like spooky! You really like spooky. And you like misbehavior, right? Few places are as rife with chances for misbehavior as a costume party! You just think it over a little bit…”

And with that he sat back and buried himself in his book, while secretly watching Crowley’s face.

Crowley did give it some thought. He remembered how much of a good time he used to have at masked balls in eighteenth century France, for one. Somehow people thought that just by putting a lacy mask across a tiny portion of their face, they were completely unrecognizable and all the normal social mores no longer applied to them. It was like ground zero for the temptation trade; people were up for almost anything when they found themselves in costume.

Plus there was the fact that Aziraphale clearly wanted to go. He did try, generally, to let the angel have what he wanted, at least when what he wanted wasn’t likely to burn anything to the ground.

“Whose party is it?” he asked.

“Oh, one of the charities I donate to. Rented a hall up in Primrose Hill and is having a big swanky party on Halloween night.”

Crowley drummed his fingers on the edge of the couch. “Okay,” he said finally, “I could probably go. But I’m not wearing anything stupid, so don’t get any big ideas about us being dogs or flowers or anything like that.”

Aziraphale beamed at him and was clearly not trying to bounce. “Oh no, of course not, my dear! I’ll find us something just perfect, don’t you worry.”

Crowley felt a small seed of worry begin to take hold. “You have to run it by me before you purchase anything, angel. Seriously. Don’t do your usual on this one, okay?”

Aziraphale laughed. “All right, all right. I’ll gather some options for you tonight, just have to do some research first.”

++

They went out for sushi that night, and Aziraphale waited until Crowley had a couple of cups of sake and a few nigiri in him before he broached the subject again.

“So,” he said warmly, “I have a few thoughts on possible couple costumes for us.”

“Couple costumes?” Crowley said. “Why do we have to do that?”

Aziraphale looked a little hurt. “You don’t want to do a couples costume? I mean… we are a couple after all…”

Crowley rolled his eyes, but only a little. This was neither the battle nor the hill he wanted to go down on, no question. He raised a hand in defeat. “Okay, angel, I’m sorry – of course we can do a couples costume. It’ll be –” he squinted and made a face like he’d tasted a bitter lemon “—fun.”  

Aziraphale took a swig of his sake and looked at Crowley consideringly. Should he start with the easy ones to reject, or with the best ones? He wasn’t sure.

“Well?” Crowley said. “Lay ‘em on me. Don’t leave me hanging.”

“All right,” Aziraphale said, pulling out a small notebook that looked suspiciously similar to the sleep experiment notebook. “First up would be your classic superhero/sidekick combination. Something like, perhaps, Batman and Robin. I, of course, would be Batman, and you would be… well –”

“Could be fun, but I’m not going as Robin, angel. And why would you be Batman? I’m more his type.”

“I could be dark and brooding!” Aziraphale insisted.

“You’re not the type. You’d be better off wearing those ridiculous green booties and the tights,” Crowley said. “You’d look great!”

Aziraphale gave him a long, slow stare, then deliberately took out a small pen and crossed that one off the list.

“Next there are a variety of historical options. Henry VIII and Anne Bolyn?”

Crowley grinned. “Henry II and Thomas Becket would be a lot more fun. We could spend the whole evening trying to smite each other.”

Aziraphale sighed and crossed that one off. “You could be a white rose and I could be a red rose and we could be the war of the roses?” he said hopefully.

“Angel,” Crowley said, distinctly and clearly. “I thought I said no flowers. Did I not say no flowers?”

“Yes, of course.” Aziraphale made another note. “How about Romeo and Juliet?”

“You’re Juliet,” the demon countered quickly. “And only if we can play out the death scene.”

“You’re ridiculous,” the angel said. “Okay, how about Punch and Judy?”

“Would one of us get to hit the other with a large board?”

“Why,” the angel asked in despair, “are you so violent tonight?”

Crowley shrugged and stuffed another nigiri in his mouth. Aziraphale retaliated by gather most of the remaining salmon pieces onto his plate.

They went through many more entries on the list, Crowley mocking or adjusting each of them as needed, until they were left with very few options.

“Well perhaps we should go to a costume shop and look around,” Aziraphale said finally, in defeat.

“I’m game for that,” Crowley said. “We’ll go tomorrow.”

++

 The next day they went to an obscure historical costume shop in the theater district to look at possible outfits. Aziraphale tried to be on his nicest behavior, charming the proprietor, because he suspected Crowley was going to be quite a handful. As usual, he was correct in this assessment.

“What are you gentleman looking for?” the man asked them.

“Something amusing, I suppose,” Aziraphale said, “possibly historical or liter –”

“Nothing stupid,” Crowley cut in, “and no flowers. Something cool.”

The proprietor blinked, taking this in, and set off to see what he could find. He brought out a rack full of options a few minutes later and took them off in pairs to show them. Kings and princes, Hamlet and Ophelia, jokers and jesters, Romans, Egyptians, Medusa and Perseus (“I like the snakes on that one!” Crowley said), Vikings and gladiators – somehow nothing really caught their fancy.

“Well what might you be interested in?” the proprietor asked, nearing the end of his patience.

“Got any serial killers?” Crowley asked. “Or how about rock stars. Got any Sex Pistols? Sid and Nancy?”

Aziraphale sighed quietly.

 ++

“I think we made a good choice!” Crowley said brightly on the way home. “That was a brilliant last minute save that man made, there. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself!”

“It’s certainly unusual,” Aziraphale said. “I’m not sure how I feel about wearing that, to be honest.”

“Oh, come on, angel, it’s not that bad,” Crowley cajoled. “Wear it for me?”

Aziraphale huffed. “Whose idea was this whole party thing? I’m not at all sure we should even be going.”

Crowley reached over and took his hand without comment.

 ++

One week later, the night of the party arrived.

Crowley grinned at Aziraphale after dinner. “Are you ready for this?” he asked.

“Oh, dear, I don’t know –” Aziraphale said. “You’re going to have to help me with the spray paint, yes?”

“Angel, you don’t have to spray-paint yourself,” Crowley pointed out. “You’re an ethereal being with powers. Just do it!”

“That’s true,” Aziraphale said doubtfully. “I still think I’m going to look ridiculous.”

“You’re going to look hot, angel.” Crowley said, closing that conversation. “Now come on, let’s get changed.”

Crowley had a very easy time of it, slipping into his outfit easily and excitedly. He actually couldn’t believe he’d given the angel such a hard time about this – he was truly rather excited about this one. Aziraphale, however, was locked away in his closet making fussy noises as he tried to work out his half.

“You ok in there, angel?” Crowley called.

“Just fine! Out in a moment,” the angel called back.

Crowley wandered downstairs and carefully made himself a martini while he waited. Finally, after having time to slowly sip half of it, he heard Aziraphale making his way downstairs. He turned around and gasped at the vision before him.

Aziraphale was clad head to toe in a tight gold dress that clung to his form, and his skin was covered everywhere with a thick layer of gold to which he’d added just a bit of angelic glow so that he looked radiant on all surfaces. His hair had been smoothed out of its usual curl a bit and swooped down over his forehead, and if Crowley wasn’t mistaken he’d modified his corporation a bit to be a little more female-shaped – it nipped in a bit more at the waist and flared out becomingly below.

Goldfinger, Crowley thought. I knew there was a reason that movie was one of my favorites.

“Why do you get to be Bond and I have to be the Bond girl again?” the angel asked plaintively.

“Because! I’ve got the bullet marks in my car. Plus, I never get to wear a tuxedo,” Crowley said. “Besides, you kind of like it, admit it.”

“Of course I like it, you look amazing,” Aziraphale said, sincerely.

“I meant, you kind of like what you’re wearing.” Crowley grinned. “Don’t you? Just a little tiny bit?”

Aziraphale flapped a hand and tried to stifle a returning grin. “Oh stop. I suppose I do look better in gold than you do,” he said, preening a little. “And the skin tone is sort of fun. Haven’t dressed as a lady in quite some time!”

Crowley sauntered over and kissed him. “You look delectable, Ms. Galore. You’re going to be the hit of the party.”

The demon offered his arm most dashingly and Aziraphale took it, casting one last look in the mirror as they headed out. The things you do for love, he thought, casting a glance at his devastatingly handsome date in his well-cut tuxedo. He took a moment to make the heels he was wearing just the tiniest bit taller and magically more comfortable, and then straightened up.

He tossed his hair back and tried to assemble the best Bond-girl attitude he could manage. He hadn’t even shown Crowley yet the pretend pistol he’d strapped to his thigh. He’d save that for later, when they were dancing. He was certain that detail would bring the evening to a rather pleasant resolution.

[toaarcan]

I saw Medusa discourse again so it’s time to get mythological.

Medusa isn’t the story of a young woman being screwed over by the gods until they dispatch some asshole with a sword to kill her. It’s an interesting reinterpretation (Though one that largely forgets the Perseus himself wouldn’t be active antagonist, just another pawn in the gods’ game), but it’s... not remotely accurate to the story as told.

Per the Greek myth, Medusa and her two sisters were born as Gorgons, among the many monstrous children of primordial sea gods Phorcys and Ceto. The Gorgons were generally arseholes to everyone, using their petrification abilities whenever they felt like it. The Greeks didn’t put that much effort into their monsters’ motives.

For some reason, Medusa was the only one of the trio that was mortal, and Polydectes of Seriphus sent Perseus to fetch her head, not because he wanted it, but because he wanted to bang Perseus’ mum and needed to get her kid out of the way.

Athena and Hermes, and depending on your telling, Hephaestus, Zeus, and/or Hades helped Perseus acquire the means to actually slay Medusa, turning the quest from a clear suicide mission to viable, and Perseus would not only accomplish this task but also save Andromeda and use the severed head to petrify Polydectes.

So, where, then, did the idea of Medusa-as-victim come from? Rome. In particular, Roman poet Ovid’s epic Metamorphoses. 

Ovid was something of a political rabble-rouser. He was strongly opposed to Emperor Augustus making Tiberius his successor, instead supporting the Emperor’s adopted son, and this, combined with something about incest, got him exiled. It’s not clear what the incest in question is, whether Ovid was boning his own daughter and/or grandaughter, or whether Ovid found out that Augustus was own boning his daughter and/or grandaughter, but either way, someone was boning their own daughter and/or grandaughter and that meant Ovid had to go. 

Ovid’s difficult relationship with authority manifested in his works, too. He would frequently depict humans in his stories as the helpless pawns and victims of jackass gods, and therefore he has some pretty solid retellings of the many tales of ZeusJupiter’s libido ruining everything.

Yes, I said Jupiter. This guy was Roman. He probably wrote in Greek because poets and pretentiousness went hand-in-hand, but when referring to the gods, Ovid would be writing from a Roman perspective, not a Greek one. Likewise, I’ll be using Roman names when discussing the roles of the gods in Ovid’s telling.

Medusa was no exception to his depictions of jackass gods. Ovid created the new origin story for her, that she was a beautiful woman who was raped in Minerva’s temple by Neptune, and Minerva punished her for “desecrating” said temple by transforming her into a hideous monster with snakes for hair, so ugly that anyone that looked at her would turn to stone.

This is the part that’s so yikes-worthy of course, which leads to plenty of discourse as to whether Minerva (Not Athena, Minerva) is heroic feminist giving a rape victim the power to defend herself by turning all of her attackers into stone, or a horrible victim-blaming asshole punishing a woman for the crime of being raped.

It’s worth noting that if you go by the former interpretation, that Minerva was trying to help Medusa, she might’ve overstepped the mark a little. Like, I’m just saying, if you’re going to give someone a special power to protect them from getting raped, maybe don’t do it in such a way that indiscriminately kills anyone, not just rapists, that looks at them, and also turn them into a monster in the process?

Minerva: Sorry about my uncle. I’m going to give you the power to turn people into stone, so you won’t get attacked again.

Medusa: Wow, thanks.

Minerva: But you can’t turn it off. Anyone that looks at you will die. Including your friends.

Medusa: Wait, what?

Minerva: Also I’m turning you into a Gorgon.

Medusa: Wait, stop-

Minerva: So it’s less that you have a power and more that you’re just so ugly that looking at you petrifies people.

Medusa: Why-

Minerva: And now you have to go and live in a cave with two other Gorgons*.

Medusa: Stop-

Minerva: Also I’m going to lend my shield to my half-brother so he can kill you.

*Later versions would state that Stheno and Euryale were Medusa’s human sisters, that were transformed too because they defended Medusa against Minerva’s wrath.

Ultimately, Ovid leaned toward the “Minerva punishes Medusa” end of the scale, though he wasn’t condemning Minerva either. He specifically describes Medusa’s punishment as “just”, which is a turbo-yikes, but not all that surprising considering the man also wrote Ars Amatoria, which was basically a 2 CE book on pick-up artistry. We’re not dealing with a proto-feminist here.

The thing about the Perseus story is that it’s old. Really old. We’re talking Mycenaean here, quite literally, in fact, as Perseus founded and subsequently became the King of Mycenae. So we’re looking at a pre-hellenistic story that got some rewritten fanfiction by a Roman later. How much later?

Well, real-life Mycenae was founded in the Neolithic age, but realistically we’re looking more in the region of the 1600 BCE to 1100 BCE Mycenaean Greece period, which is the general time in which Greek mythology was set.  

Ovid, meanwhile, published Metamorphoses in 8 CE.

So the story was around for over a millennium before some Roman decided to rewrite it to metaphorically support his political beliefs.

[kidblink-182]

the lightning thief tour

i saw the lightning thief last night and hOLY SHIT! JUST HOLY SHIT! click the read more for my notes n stagedoor experience n shit. obvi SPOILERS

ACT ONE

-so the show starts off with a quite literal BANG i’m talking bright white light and thunder noises so chirren b careful if you go to see it -i almost screamed when james went onstage and THATS when i knew this was real -hooray for grungy dancing our parents suck -they tore down the lightning bolt curtains and chris slid out and i lost my mind -“their father kronos-” “KRONOOOOOSSSSSS” -“please see me by the sphynx” (glass display turns around from pyramid to sphynx) -“i was on this field trip, and the x-rated art they had there? crazy.” -percy is literally so flamboyant and so sarcastic i was cracking up the whole two hours -james as gabe oh so help me gods -he sounded so desperate/afraid the whole time -“BEAN. DIP.” on the literal verge of tears -i loved sally so much. she can riff like it’s nobody’s business, and i can never get enough of it. i love carrie but jalynn... oh, jalynn. -“oh look. a goat in a trash can.” -classic “you’re a furry” joke. classic 10/10 -“i’m half goat!” “i’m sorry, this is just a lot to take in right now, okay?” -they did sally’s “death” in slow motion, which made it even more hard to watch. -also BIG FUCKING SEIZURE WARNING FOR THE MINOTAUR SCENE THAT SHIT IS INTENSE -i.... don’t know how to feel about poseidon. ryan literally goes to the bottom of his vocal range for poseidon and it’s the funniest shit (my mom loved it), and he’s like... he’s like a demon surfer. lowkey like jonathan raviv’s poseidon a lil better but ryan? oh gods he’s incredible. he’s the only man who can pull off hawaiian shirts. -annabeth comes in one of those wheel cart things you use to haul heavy shit -“another terrible day” in E minor? oddly needed and very refreshing. -chiron’s “reveal” scene was... interesting to say the least. -their sign :( my fave song of the show. so emotional. chiron puts his hand on percy’s shoulder at one point, percy shows so much emotion, and ryan can sing like an ANGEL i love his vibrato -when luke came on stage i literally whooped so loudly -oh gods there was this one scene luke: welcome to the dysfunctional family! oh, there’s someone who wants to see you grover: percy, i’m so sorry. satyrs are supposed to be protectors. i’m the worst satyr in the world. percy: grover, i’m so glad you’re here right now. then they hug and i sob -“it’s not a lightsaber” -oh btw jorrel is SO DAMN CUTE -clarisse’s battlecry is my energy -RYAN IS IN DRAG THIS ISN’T A DRILL RYAN IS IN DRAG AND IT’S SO EASY TO RECOGNIZE HIM BUT IT’S THE BEST THING TO WATCH -HE LITERALLY “HITS” HIS CROTCH WITH HIS AXE BY ACCIDENT -percy wheels himself in on the toilet. QT. -“she could’ve killed me!” “the plan would have worked either way.” -grover did a cute lil tap dance in “i’m the child of pan” -while crying you just hear grover go I DON’T LIKE THIS SONG ANYMORE then just keeps fucking dancing -“as long as you are here with me puts arm around percy” -“mr d wants to kill you- i mean, talk to you” -“it’s not just some silly lightning bolt on a traveling musical tour!” -“look at the boy! he’s hardly a thief!” “oh, i suppose, unless you’re a good actor, and OHOHOHOHO, i’m the god of drama, and i can say HE’S NOT.” -mr d’s obsession with dolphins is my will to live -the oracle is actually really fucking silly bc of everyone hiding under her dress -“AND YOU SHALL FAIL” “spirit fingers FAIIILLLLLLLLLL” -oh god good kid was making me feel things. the emotion, the lighting, the fog, the music, i was on the verge of tears. chris is so talented. -“if you’re the son of poseidon and you wanna be alone, don’t go to the lake. it’s the first place they look. don’t worry, i won’t tell chiron you’re here.” -“and i’ll be the second first! :D” -annabeth does a riff on her high note of QUEST and we don’t talk about it enough

ACT TWO

-RYAN AS AUNTIE EM IS THE REASON I GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING. -“i had a boyfriend... deep voice ONCE.” -he kept moving his hips and dropping into a deep voice and moving his hips and i was sure i was gonna die -“nemesis... nemesees.... nemisisises... WE DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER.” -perc+grov literally pulled a dirty dancing so percy could chop off her head. -“but it wasn’t your fault.” “you’re right, it’s yours.” -kristen’s vocals were stellar as usual and they used this badass lighting to make it look like sunlight was pokin out through windows as lil disco lights. -oh btw i was blinded like 3214732148904722 times but idgaf -“i know a way to get our parents to notice us HELP ME BOX THIS HEAD” -“care of: ~perseus jackson~ and ANNABETH C H A S E.” -was ares wearing a tracksuit? what the literal- -HKJFDSALK grover pulled his hair up during the slomo part and it stuck upright -percy’s like “i swallowed a bug” -“i’m gonna pass out... pass out... p a s s  o u t.” -KRONOS MADE ME ALMOST PISS MYSELF IT’S SO CREEPY WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK -grover shakes him awake like “you really do drool in your sleep,,,,” -in tree on the hill jorrel was actually sobbing and chris got up at one point to go to him and it was so touching -the scene above them made my heart ache too, especially the freezeframe during “maybe if i’d been a little bit braver” where thalia’s collapsed and luke and annabeth are holding each other i just... a h -charon as the elevator woman is GREAT -her riffs made me want to get up and start boogie-ing -“like? the fish sauce?” -ARGUABLY THE BEST PART OF THE SHOW WAS HADES -HE’S FUCKING GAY -LIKE FLAMINGLY FLAMBOYANT. I’M NOT EVEN KIND OF JOKING. LISP AND EVERYTHING. THERE WERE T E A R S. -ares wears a tank top in son of poseidon and i died -sally and poseidon flirted like hell and POSEIDON SHOT FINGER GUNS AND POOR PERCY WAS SO AWKAWRDHFALHFJDASFJHK -in last day of summer percy tried reaching out for luke early but luke just walked away b4 mr d came on stage -luke grabs percy by the shirt when he says “good!” and shoves him back -gods i can’t get over james’ vocals. so good. SO GOOD. -luke took the banner w him when he stabbed percy and ran -bring on the monsters was actually a huge bop and i didn’t cry like i thought i would :0 -all in all i re-lost my voice screaming over this shit and i’m so grateful i got to see it

STAGEDOOR

-so the stagedoor was super vague @ first bc i heard they weren’t doing it from a parent, but not even the staff were sure -so mom let me hang out by the stagedoor to see if ppl came out -chris came out first & i didn’t even recognize him til he was right in front of me (dramatic ass all bundled up like an eskimo) and he felt bad bc he couldn’t stay long and didn’t have a pen to sign anything but i couldn’ stop saying oH MY GOD OH MY GOD -then jorrel came out and was like “i can’t sign anything either but pics would be much quicker if you wanted them” and igOT TWO PICS WITH JORREL GUYS THIS IS NOT A DRILL -he was like “it’s so cold (findlay ohio) how do y’all live here?” and i was like “we don’t know” his dramatic southern californian ASS i loved him -i got a signature from sarah, and she was super sweet (she took the pic for me bc my fingers were numb from the cold. NEGATIVE WINDCHILL GUYS. WELCOME TO OHIO. -i asked jalynn to adopt me and shes like YALL ARE TOO SWEET and i got her signature too -i ALSO met kristen and got her signature+picture as well, idk how i wasn’t panicking but i was so flustered -someone told kristen they’d take a bullet for her and she went DON’T DO THAT -everyone else walked past and couldn’t bc of the cold but we cheered for them anyway -so yeah by the time i got in the car my fingers were literally burning and i couldn’t feel my legs but I GOT SIGNATURES AND PICTURES AND THAT’S WHAT MATTERS -i also got a t-shirt -who’s hardcore? me. i’m hardcore.

hope you guys enjoyed these notes lol

[sidekickhq]

Any WCs recommendations that can be filled by a character’s that 18/19

everything is under the cut !

AJAX FALCONE , our CHARLES MICHAEL DAVIS fc is looking for OTHER GANG MEMBERS connection who looks like UTP who is UTP YEARS OLD you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( very very flexible on who these characters are. The one requirement is that they would be members of a mutant street gang, based out of several different large cities. you want jax to be like an older bro? DONE. pal? DONE. wise old man? DONE. literally, i’ll work with your character however, but it just needs to make sense for them to be part of a mutant street gang! )

ANDROMEDA ROSALIE ISLEY-QUINZEL, our LANA CONDOR fc is looking for a GOTHAM FRIEND connection who looks like UTP who is 19-26 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( they were both in gotham together at/around the same time! there’s a few ways this could go. they went to dance academy with andy, they were someone who took her under their wing, or just someone right around her age that she became friends with. while andy didn’t partake in the gotham walk of life directly, she didn’t ever judge it or care about it much. she helped, sometimes, too, so this char’s morality is rather open. )

BEATRICE ZSASZ, our EMMY ROSSUM fc is looking for a GOOD INFLUENCE connection who looks like UTP who is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying at scbotage ( but feel free to do so !! ). ( bea has a lot of bad habits. she’s constantly destroying herself, and yet she survives. like a cockroach. every sort of risky business she can participate in, i assure you she has. she’s done everything in her power to make sure she doesn’t make it past 30. this is someone who tries to steer her away from her self-destructive tendencies. )

ETIENNE BEAUBIER-JINADU, our SUHO fc is looking for a EX FRIENDS / MAX OF FIVE connection who looks like HENRIK HOLM, BARBIE FERREIRA, CODY CHRISTIAN, HASEUL, MAIA COTTON, MADELAINE PETSCH / UP TO PLAYER who is 19-25 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( tw: abusive relationship. this is for the group of friends that etienne cut out of his life when he was dating his now ex-girlfriend. it was an abusive and controlling relationship so his friends could have possibly tried to talk to him about it and he ended up pushing them away until they were gone. i think it would be cool for them to be friends again. he’s put his past behind him and is trying to move forward. ) 

MAGGIE THANOSDOTTIR, our ZOEY DEUTCH fc is looking for a SPACE BEST FRIEND connection who looks like UTP who is 100+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( maggie spent most of her life in space - she is currently 450 and has only been on midgard for like 1-2 of those years. i would love for her to have someone that she was very close with when she was younger ( 200’s) and have travelled around space with. she’s was a little less morally concious then, so they probably got into some fun but crazy shit. if you want more infor or to talk this plot through more just message me at bby-thanos)

MAKENA THURMAN, our ZOE KRAVITZ fc is looking for her ADULTHOOD SUX SQUAD / THREE - FOUR FRIENDS connection who look like UTP who are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( you know what’s hard about adulthood? all of it. makena was kinda super shuttled towards having to be a functioning adult when keely came along, but that doesn’t mean she 1. enjoys it and 2. is any good at it. paying bills on time is hard. remembering to renew her internet security is hard. getting regular smear tests? hard. nothing is easy, and this is the group of friends she laments that with. three to four wine mom’s / dad’s / parent’s / people who aren’t parents but who are in or around the same age and having just as much trouble adjusting / etc who met in a doctors office or something and who now get together every week just to drink wine and complain about taxes and anti-vaxxers. )

MORGAN ROTH, our SOFIA CARSON fc is, looking for a BEST FRIEND connection who looks like UTP who is 18 TO 20 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( preferably another tt kid. but they grew up together and have been friends since they were little kids. just ! best friends ! who care about and support each other !)

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for a YOUNGER SIBLING FIGURE connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER who is UNDER 21. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so! i’m into two versions of how this goes, but both of them are down to one thing: nikki has never had a sibling, and with the shitty homelife she’s had… she’s always kind of craved one. she sees something of herself in this character, and that’s where the option is. either they’re sweet and innocent and something to be protected, like she once was… or they’re a demon straight out of the depths of hell, and someone she can see her current self in. nikki will take them under her wing and be a voice of reason, if needed, or a cool older figure who can supply them with booze, if .. also needed. it’s p open cause i’m not too fussy ! )

PERSEUS XAVIER-LEHNSHERR, our NICK ROBINSON fc is looking for an ADHD PAL connection who looks like UTP, who is 17-24 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( they’ve been best friends since percy was adopted by the xavier-lehnsherrs at five years old, and have been best friends since. they grew up together. learned how to ride a bike together, snuck out for the first time together, and everything in-between and after the fact. the general polarity of their personalities doesn’t matter, but it’s necessary that they get along. bonus fun if this person doesn’t like will, percy’s s/o. )

PERSEUS XAVIER-LEHNSHERR & WILLIAM WADE WILSON, our NICK ROBINSON & BRANDON FLYNN fcs are looking for a PARTY SQUAD / 4 PEOPLE connection who looks like UTP who is UTP YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( a party squad !!! yeet. those who go out together stay together. they’re thick as thieves and have been through a lot. they’re totally awful in the fact that they have very little respect for the law. percy + will hav been friends w them for a while + spends a lot of his time w them. check out pinterest @ desiderum/party-squad/ for the board.  ) ( blayze constantine, more )

PERSEUS XAVIER-LEHNSHERR, our NICK ROBINSON fc is looking for a WOMB TO TOMB BEST FRIEND connection who looks like UTP, who is 17-21 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( they’ve been best friends since percy was adopted by the xavier-lehnsherrs at five years old, and have been best friends since. they grew up together. learned how to ride a bike together, snuck out for the first time together, and everything in-between and after the fact. the general polarity of their personalities doesn’t matter, but it’s necessary that they get along. bonus fun if this person doesn’t like will, percy’s s/o. )

SELENE CONSTANTINE, our VIRGINIA GARDNER fc, is looking for a MAGIC FRIENDS // TWO TO THREE connection who looks like ANY FACE who is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( selene’s been around magic their entire life, and they are very comfortable with magic and other magic users. i just want a friend group of people that are all magical or magic-adjacent. they don’t have to be the traditional witch / sorcerers / magicians just… magic-adjacent. )

TEDDY BROCK our TOM HOLLAND fc is looking for a PUNK GANG connection who looks like UTP who is 17-23 YEARS OLD. ? you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( it’d be rad to have some kinda cool kid gang who just skip class n chill and listen to records and hate authority (like “cool” kids) kinda like an old biker gang ! ) ( gunnar vidarson, more )

TEDDY BROCK, our TOM HOLLAND fc is looking for a BEST FRIENDS/SECRET CRUSH connection who looks like PLAYER’S CHOICE, ANY GENDER who is 18-20 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( just someone they relate to or someone completely different that checks up on them, gets them massively. their symbiote probably loves ur character a lot ?? friends to lovers type bs!!)

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for SOMEONE TO PROTECT who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is ANY AGE / PREFERABLY YOUNGER THAN HER. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( from now and until the end of her life, victoria is gonna be living with what she’s done, and working on making herself better. i like the idea of her coming across someone who’s just… good. the goodness radiates off of them, and they make her think of all the innocent people she’s hurt, and also kind of make her think about the innocent person she could have been, if the world allowed - and maybe they’re not having such a good time of it, or maybe they are and she just wants to make sure that things never sour for them, but either way, she takes it upon herself to be their guardian angel. maybe more accurately. personal attack dog. she works hard to keep them safe and to her that means being willing to lay her life down for them at a moments notice and being equally as willing to take a life for them, too. ) ( isaac howlett & ? )

WINIFRED BANNER-ROSS, our SOPHIE TURNER fc is looking for a CHURCH FRIEND connection who looks like UTP, who is 18-24 OR 25+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying . ( tw: church / catholicism. winnie runs the youth group @ the church near paragon so im. idk just pals from that church. youth group kids, maybe. 18-24 would b youth group ppl, anything older would be other church attendants )

WINIFRED BANNER-ROSS, our SOPHIE TURNER fc is looking for a SHARED / MUTUAL TRAUMA BUDDY connection who looks like UTP, who is UTP YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying . ( tw: shooting. despite being completely different, they bond over the trauma they’ve suffered after being shot, and ur character helps winnie out quite a bit. their friendship is peculiar, but an essential one for both of them )

ATTICUS ‘KIT’ COULSON , our LUKE PASQUALINO fc is looking for a YOUNGER SIBLING  connection who looks like  LUDOVICA MARTINO, GIORGIA WHIGHAM, NICOLE MAINES, HERMAN TOMMERAAS, LUDOVICO TERSIGNI, OR UTP  who is  16-21 YEARS OLD.  you  DON’T  have to contact prior to applying at. ( kit was all over the place as a teenager, constantly in trouble for partying. growing up, they were always the closest to their twin and probably wasn’t the best older sibling, whereas their twin probably was much closer with the younger sibling. i can see this sibling either trying to get closer to kit, or pushing them further away after their mother and brother died when kit was 18. )

BUCKY BARNES, our SEBASTIAN STAN fc is looking for a BIOLOGICAL SON connection who looks like PLAYER’S CHOICE, who is 17-21. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( honestly just a mini bucky would be amazing )

FABIAN TODD, our BOB MORLEY fc is looking for a BIO SIBLINGS ( 3 ) connection who looks like LIZA SOBERNO, JAMES REID, PARIS BERELC / ANY RELEVANT FC who is 18-25 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so they’re kids of mario falcone + his wife, though fabian doesn’t know it and doesn’t know they’re siblings because fabian was left in an alley not long after they’re birth. )

ISAAC HOWLETT, our BEN HARDY fc is looking for a YOUNGER SIBLING connection who looks like  PLAYER’S CHOICE, who is 16-18 years old. you DO have to contact prior to applying at FLOWINGELECTRICITYX. ( the two of them would’ve been half siblings, same mother different father. They also would’ve been really close until their mother died. They got separated then, because of Isaac running off and being taken to Xavier’s School. They then would’ve been adopted/taken in by a superhero/villain!)

JEANNIE DRAKE KENT, our STEFANIE SCOTT fc is looking for a HALF SIBLING ( via warren )  connection who looks like ( EMMA DUMONT, ASAMI ZDRENKA, RYAN POTTER ANY ½ WHITE FC ))  who is ( 19-23 YEARS OLD. ) you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( half siblings that are known publically to be worthington – nothing is set in stone with this connection but feel free to message at gods lost roomba#5813 to hear more about it!  )

LAURA KINNEY, our MONICA RAYMUND fc is looking for a ADOPTED CHILD ( 2 ) connection who looks like CENGIZ AL, FROY GUTIERREZ, SHAMIR BAILEY, JUDE KARDA, CAMERON BOYCE / UTP who is 16-23 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so these two, laura took in, probably a few years ago but could’ve been more recently too. they’d be a victim of abuse, underage prostitution, kidnapping or even from an organization similar to weapon x or weapon x itself. just abuse in general because i think it would hit laura hard and she wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to them. laura would’ve rescued them on one of her missions and took them in and eventually legally adopted them. they’re really close, i imagine and laura would kill anything for them. bonus points if they’re trans or nb !!! )

RAYNOR LOKISON, our CODY FERN fc is looking for a ADOPTED CHILD connection who looks like PLAYER’S CHOICE, who is 16-17 YEARS OLD. you CAN have to contact prior to applying at ofrcvenants. ( raynor is a therapist who works with kids/people who have lost someone. Raynor tries to keep a distance from clients, but he got attached to your character and close, and ended up adopting them. )

ROSARIO HILL, our MELISSA BARRERA fc, is looking for a YOUNGER HALF SIBLINGS / ADOPTED SIBLINGS ( 1 to 2 ) connection who looks like DIEGO TINOCO, TRINITY ANNE, EDEN ESTRADA, SOFIA REYES, CIERRA RAMRIEZ, ISSA LISH, DANNA PAOLA, ARIELA BARER, MANPREET MABRA, LAURA HARRIER, TRISTIN MAYS, LULU ANTARISKA, KEKE PALMER, TAZZY PHE, TINA TAMASHIRO, TOMMY MARTINEZ, MARLON LANGELAND / AT LEAST HALF MEXICAN IF BIO, ANY FACE IF ADOPTED who is UNDER 25 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying.

SOFIA STRANGE, our ELIZABETH OLSEN fc is looking for a FULL SIBLING connection who looks like KIERNAN SHIPKA, ALDEN EHRENREICH, EZRA MILLER, UTP who is 18-25. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( they would probs be a sorcerer too? but like a mini army of strange kids would be dope. )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for her ( TWO ) YOUNGER HALF-SIBLINGS VIA CHLOE & LUCIFER who look like ANY FACE CLAIM / ONLY HAVE TO BE HALF WHITE who are anything from 16-22 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( i’m tweaking the timeline that i’m mainly working from - the lucifer tv show - just a bit to allow for a broader age range of siblings, but what i waNT here is !! lil decker-morningstar kids !! i’m not even fussy on whether they’re like, bio or not, i just think… trix would be an awesome big sister, and it would REALLY solidify the fam connection here for there to be a lil fam running abt the place. )

ANDROMEDA ISLEY-QUINZEL, our LANA CONDOR fc is looking for a POLY SHIP / 2 1 CHARS connection who looks like UTP, who is 19-25 YEARS OLD. you DO have to contact prior to applying at SHCOTINGSTAR. ( andy has baggage, certainly. she’s a past weapon x detainee, unbeknownst to her, adopted from a broken family, and had her heart broken by the first person she dated. she’s serial dated for years. but these people, they made her stop & start to appreciate love for what it is again. this connect can be filled by someone of any gender. ) ( half filled by birdie drake-kent )

DANIEL FOSTER-THORSON, our TARJEI SANDVIK MOE fc is looking for a EX BOYFRIEND connection who looks like MIGUEL BERNARDEAU, CHRIS VERES, DYLAN SPRAYBERRY, ANY FC who is 18-21. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( they’d preferably be a kid of another asgardian. someone not related to thor, obviously. he and danny dated when he spent a summer on asgard, and it probably happened directly after he and his first girlfriend broke up. he was exploring his sexuality and they were super cute for as long as they lasted, but it was the briefest fling and when he returned to earth, it ended. now they’re reunited! )

DANIEL FOSTER-THORSON, our TARJEI SANDVIK MOE fc is looking for an EX GIRLFRIEND connection who looks like OLIVIA COOKE, ISABELA MONER, BENEDETTA PORCAROLI, LETITIA WRIGHT, ANY FC who is 18-21. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( the first and only girlfriend danny ever had. they were probably really cute at first and perfectly on track, but as time went on danny’s misgivings grew, and he started to realize that he wasn’t into her in the way he should have been. they could have ended badly or on good terms, and either would be cool by me! )

DEVYN XAVIER-LEHNSHERR, our COURTNEY EATON fc is looking for a SKINNY LOVE connection who looks like PLAYER’S CHOICE, who is 19-22 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( basically, your character and Devyn are in love with each other but neither of them have been able to tell the other. )

HELENA BARNES, our KATHERINE LANGFORD fc, is looking for a EX GIRLFRIEND connection who looks like IMAN MESKINI. INDYA MOORE, ARIELA BARER, NEELAM GILL, ODEYA RUSH, PARIS BERELC, LYDIA GRAHAM, NICOLE MAINES, NATALIE ALYN LIND, LIZA SOBERANO, NATASHA LIU BORDIZZO / UTP who is 18-21 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying at. ( the relationship wouldn’t have been the healthiest uh because helena isn’t the best at emotions other than anger  )

HELENA BARNES, our KATHERINE LANGFORD fc, is looking for a SLOW BURN ROMANCE connection who looks like LYRICA OKANO, NATALIA DYER, ARIELA BARER, LISA TEIGE, PARIS BERELC, HAILEE STEINFELD, LIZA SOBERANO, CINDY KIMBERLY // PLAYER’S CHOICE who is 18-21. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( girls falling in love and working through trauma and being soft ! it’s all i want )

IVAR BRAGISON, our KIM JISOO fc is looking for a MUSE/ROMANTIC PARTNER connection who looks like UTP! who is 18+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( at first, ivar is just drawn to them and wants to know about them, to write about them but the more they get to know each other, the more they romantically bond and like many other muses with their artist, they become lovers. - any gender is ok for this connection )

SERAPHINE CURRY, our MAIA COTTON fc is looking for a LOVE INTEREST connection who looks like ANY FEMALE/FEMALE ALLIGNING NB FC who is 19-23 YEARS OLD. you (DON’T ) have to contact prior to applying at BUT CAN @/SELACHIS. (can also … be apart of the childhood crush wc, but effectively, someone who is a lot more assertive in their emotions, very much the yang to sela’s ying, i would love to have an end game ship but 👉👈 )

TEDDY BROCK, our TOM HOLLAND fc is looking for an EX-SOMETHING connection who looks like ANY MALE FC who is  18-22 YEARS OLD you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( teddy is an emo loser who pretends to be all emotionless and punk, it would be nice for them to have someone they can be nerdy and vulnerable around, they maybe even know the symbiote? ? but just someone who he can be soft w !)

TEDDY BROCK, our TOM HOLLAND fc is looking for a FLING/FWB connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER who is # 19-22 YEARS OLD you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( honestly something casual and regular ig?? like whenever one of them is bored or stressed they,, hang out. the symbiote means my kid has a lotta…energy so this can be multiple connections, any gender!! ) 

WILLIAM WILSON, our BRANDON FLYNN fc is looking for his EXES connection who look like PLAYERS CHOICE who are 19-23. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( before he got with percy will was sort of all over the place, and he has a lot of exes to prove it. he probably stupidly let quite a few of them think that they were going to be something more before moving on from his flavor of the week, so there’s equal opportunity here for grudges to be held as there is for them both to have moved on. )

AERONWY GWYNN, our VAJEN VAN DEN BOSCH fc is looking for a PARENTS CLUB connection who looks like UTP ! who is ANY AGE you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( this is for a group of parents who aren’t necessarily the best parents? they all try super hard but they probably didn’t have the initial instincts people assume parents have. bonus points if they struggle with post partum depression / psychosis like aeron does. )

ANDROMEDA ROSALIE ISLEY-QUINZEL, our LANA CONDOR fc is looking for a LITTLE SIBLING FIGURE connection who looks like UTP+ who is YOUNGER THAN 24 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( something about them drew andy in and made her want to protect them. it can be as simple as they’re aura or as intricate as them being the same in some way - similar powers, both adopted, etc. but andy is fiercely protective of this person. she’s not a very scary person, she’s often the one BEING protected, but for them it’s a role reversal, whether they younger of the two likes it or not. )

CASSIE LANG, KATE BISHOP, & NOH-VARR, our HAYLEY KIYOKO, MEDALION RAHIMI, & NICO TORTORELLA fc, is looking for a NEW YOUNG AVENGERS // MAX TWO connection who looks like INDYA MOORE, LYRICA OKANO, ANA DE ARMAS, LISA TEIGE, AMANDLA STENBERG, KARAN BARR, DAVID CASTRO, RJ CYLER, ABIGAIL COWEN, PARIS BERELC, YARA SHAHIDI, IMAN MESKINI // ANY FC THAT WORKS who is 26 & UNDER you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( a few months ago, the young avengers got back together! exciting. this is basically a wc for new paragon students that they have welcomed into the young avengers since then. can be an avengers or not, can have a legacy or not, it doesn’t really matter! )

DANIEL FOSTER-THORSON, our TARJEI SANDVIK MOE fc is looking for PEOPLE HE TUTORS connection who looks like PLAYERS CHOICE who are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( danny is pretty smart, so if your character is slacking at school or something, he can be of assistance! he’s also… pretty easy to walk all over, so this doesn’t have to be such a cut and dry connect if you want someone to play off of your character a bit ) ( gunnar vidarson, more )

DANIEL FOSTER-THORSON, our TARJEI SANDVIK MOE fc is looking for a FORMER BULLY connection who looks like PLAYERS CHOICE who are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( kids can sometimes be.. not the best. back when they were younger, this character used to pick on danny a bit; it was easily done, but also, you know, not great. danny’s never quite forgiven them and it might be the only grudge he’s ever held, but they’ve kinda. totally forgotten about him. )

ELEKTRA TROY, our JENNA COLEMAN fc is looking for a CLIENT connections who looks like UTP who is ANY AGE you ( DON’T ) have to contact prior to applying. ( elektra is a defense attorney and has probably defended some people in paragon - would love for her to have some clients either present or past! ) 

FLETCHER WEST, our GRANT GUSTIN fc is looking for a PATIENT connection who looks like UTP who is UTP YEARS OLD you DON’T have to contact prior to applying ( young medical resident Fletcher West sees a career for himself in treating/taking care of meta-humans, mutants, mutates, etc. If you gotta problem, yo he’ll solve it) ( kurt rogers, benjamin parker ii, more )

GARFIELD LOGAN , our MANNY JACINTO fc is looking for a YOUTUBE FAN connection who looks like UTP who is 16 - 24 YEARS OLD you ( DON’T ) have to contact prior to applying ( SO Beast Boy has a very popular Youtube channel, because he also is an actor and does voice acting. Ya boy is an entertainer! And hes here at Paragon!! Your muse would be a fan, and we can decide what happens from there! Fun fan bonding times would be something gar is here for. Let him happily influence young people for the better ! )

JOSEPHINE-MARIE JUDE MURDOCK, our MEAGHAN RATH fc, is looking for a STUDENTS connection who looks like UTP who is 16-18 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( have a high schooler that needs to impress a girl and/or colleges? have a high schooler that needs another elective? have a pretentious high schooler? put them in French class. )

JOSEPHINE-MARIE JUDE MURDOCK, our MEAGHAN RATH fc, is looking for a ZOMBIE / BACK FROM THE DEAD CLUB connection who looks like UTP who is ANY AGE. you DON’T. ( not the official name but just people who are friends based on the fact that they all died and came back to life. )

KATE BISHOP, our MEDALION RAHIMI fc, is looking for CLIENTS (MULTIPLE) connection who looks like UTP who are ANY AGE.  you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( kate’s a p.i., she investigates things from cheating to crimes to the occasional crime ring, so uh yeah hire this coffee-fueled mess. ) 

KURT ROGERS, our ALPEREN DUYMAZ fc is looking for a CLIENTS connection who looks like UTP who is UTP YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( if your muse needs to hire a hero who is trying his gosh dang hardest but will probably only produce mediocre results, then kurt is your boi.)

KURT ROGERS, our ALPEREN DUYMAZ fc is looking for a PARTNER/HERO TEAM connection who looks like UTP who is UTP YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( i just need him to have at least a partner while he’s doing heroics, otherwise the big dummy is going to get himself killed.)

KURT ROGERS, our ALPEREN DUYMAZ fc is looking for a COWORKERS connection who looks like UTP who is UTP YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( just give me people who work at johnny’s bar and complain about customers with kurt or bother him about his lack of people skills. )

LOGAN, our  HUGH JACKMAN fc is looking for SAVED MUTANTS connections who looks like UTP who is ANY AGE you DONT have to contact prior to applying. ( So we all know Logan has a habit of happening upon small mutant children that have run into some trouble. The details of this are VERY open to each specific muse, but basically Logan found these connections in a tough spot, then probably brought them to Xavier’s (or, more recently, Paragon) for help. ) 

LOGAN, our  HUGH JACKMAN fc is looking for WEAPON X connections who looks like UTP who is ANY AGE you DONT have to contact prior to applying. ( The only requirement of this connection is that the muse was somehow affiliated with Weapon X, and somehow had contact with Logan at some point. Very loose & open, we can decide whether they’re allies or enemies or somewhere in between, and where things go! ) 

LOGAN, our HUGH JACKMAN fc is looking for PEOPLE HE’S HELPED connection who looks like UTP who is ANY AGE you DONT have to contact prior to applying. ( This is vague because there are SO MANY possibilities. Logan has travelled far and wide, and if a major issue comes up somewhere around him and catches his attention? You bet he tried to help somehow. This could range from like…. helping someone escape an abusive partner to stopping a small town from falling into the hands of total corruption. Come at me with your ideas!!! ) 

MAKENA THURMAN, our ZOE KRAVITZ fc is looking for her ACCIDENTAL VICTIM connection who looks like UTP who is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( though she doesn’t really know it ( she’s always suspected, but there’s no real way for her to check ), makena has some level of probability manipulation, inherited from her mother. for her, this manifested as doing well in tests she didn’t study for, but stressed about until her mutation kicked in, or being unusually good at convincing her parents to allow certain things, or… dot dot dot. a lot of lucky coincidences, if you will, have dotted HER life - but for this character, just being in the vicinity of the girl that doesn’t like them and who they certainly don’t like either ( reasons tbd ) turns their luck sour. she projects onto them unknowingly, twisting their luck and turning it bad - meaning that when they’re around kena, they’re FAR more likely to suffer some pretty horrible happenings. maybe they realize what’s happening, based solely on knowing about her mom. maybe not, and it’s something that needs to be discovered. either way… who’s to say how they’ll solve it?)

MARISOL GRAYSON, our VICTORIA JUSTICE fc is looking for a NEXT GEN TITANS connection who looks like LIZA SOBERANO, TIERA SKOVBYE, OLIVIA HOLT, SHARON ROONEY, ARIA SHAHGHASEMI, ASA BUTTERFIELD, CODY FERN, AUBREY JOSEPH / UP TO PLAYER who is 17+ you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( marisol’s dream has always been to be a vigilante and now she is under the mantle of blackbat, which means that she desperately wants to get a team going. they don’t even have to be a kid of a canon yj/tt/titans member and their mantle’s could be completely original! i also see it as everyone being a leader depending on what’s going on and what mission they’re handling. ) 

MORGAN ROTH, our SOFIA CARSON fc, is looking for a INCORRECT PREDICTION connection who looks like ANY FC who is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( morgan gives out cheap divination readings and sometimes just… gives someone a reading because she is um a lot. she’s mostly correct, but this time ! she was wrong ! just flat out wrong! i imagine it was something comically wrong like ‘you are going to get a promotion at work soon’ and the next day… your muse was fired or smth )

NAOMI DANE-SUMMERS, our NAOMI SCOTT fc is looking for a MINI BROTHERHOOD OF EVIL MUTANTS connection who looks like UTP who is 16-28ISH you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( essentially they’re the new age of the brotherhood of evil mutants !! the new generation. )

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for a EX-CLIENTS connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER who is ANY AGE you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( i’m gonna keep this one a little vague, cause.. i wanna leave it open to multiple people, and i think every single one of those could have a different sort of dynamic with her. nikki used to work as a drugrunner for a major dealer named callum. he was, for want of a better description - an abusive piece of shit, and he continued to be that right up until nikki killed him in self defense. HOWEVER, before he died and she got carted off to jail, nikki used to do a lot of jobs for him, and they led her across states. she would have rubbed shoulders with a lot of not so great people, but also some kinda ok ones. some might have heard what happened, others won’t and might be kinda confused about what the FUCK happened to their supply, but either way.. i want. also. callum coulda had some other helpers. idk. i just want it ALL. ) 

RAMONA DARKHOLME, our MADCHEN AMICK fc is looking for a APPRENTICE connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is YOUNGER THAN 30. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( right now, she’s a security guard and mechanic, but over her 53 years, romy has been a lot of things. while i see this as someone who she’s grown quite close to / taken under her wing / been adopted by who’s interested in learning the tricks of the mechanics trade, i’d be willing to talk with anyone on changing that and making what they’re learning from romy into something different! i just think it’d be neat if she had someone who’s almost becoming a child figure, in her eyes, who she can kinda… learn to be softer with, and really practice with in regards to learning how to be a better mother. )

SELENE CONSTANTINE, our VIRGINIA GARDNER fc is looking for a TEAM OF SCAM ARTISTS & THIEVES connection who looks like UTP who is ANY AGE you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( think leverage! a close-knit found family who just happen to be crooks and criminals. part robin hood type thing part just for their own gain ) ( manon gwynn, ajax falcone + others ! )

SERAPHINE CURRY, our MAIA COTTON fc is looking for a MUSE connection who looks like ANY FC who is 19-25 YEARS OLD. you (DON’T ) have to contact prior to applying at BUT CAN @/SELACHIS. ( just someone she paints and writes music for all the time. would love. )

SKYLAR MCCOY, our JENNIE KIM fc is looking for a SOMEONE SHE KNEW FROM WHEN SHE WAS WITH VICTOR connection who looks like UTP, who is UTP YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( she spent eleven years of her life with him. from ages six to seventeen, skylar, or as this muse would have known her, artemis, was under victor creed’s hand, going around the world with him as he worked with the hand - and when she worked with him, eventually. this connection is someone that knew skylar during her time then. who remember her as someone else. artemis, a dying light that only knew how to fight, not how to think. )

THEORA TREVOR, our KATE SIEGEL fc, is looking for a PROTEGE-LIKE connection who looks like UTP who is 16 TO 26. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( This is basically for a character that wants to be a doctor, whatever stage of their education they are in. And while Theora isn’t exactly the traditional mentor type, she took them under her wing. She cares, even if she’s not the best as expressing that. )

TOMMY SHEPHERD MAXIMOFF, our SURAJ SHARMA fc is looking for a GROUP OF FELLOW FORMER INMATES/WEAPON EXPERIMENTS BY THE US GOVERNMENT THAT TOMMY BROKE OUT (unlimited) connection who looks like UTP, who is 16-26. you DON’T (but can) have to contact prior to applying at FEELTHESTXRM/DISCORD. ( basically while the young avengers were broken up Tommy sort of bounced aimlessly around the country from family member to family member until eventually he got tired of feeling useless and decided to start going around to other ““juvies”” (read: lowkey mutant/superhuman testing facilities trying to turn kids and teens into weapons under the guise of being maximum security juvenile detention centers for superhumans) and basically destroying them and freeing everyone along the way. Some of these people ended up joining Tommy on his quest and they ended up forming this sort of, makeshift family especially considering most of them had no family to go back to and that they were all technically escaped felons. Some of them probably left over time to do other stuff, some of them could even be villains now (which would be fun (read: dramatic) since tommy is back with the YA), but they all would still love each other lots and probably be highkey protective of each other. (some of these folks could also end up in part of the new YA, i think that wuld be neato!))

TOVA VIDARSDOTTIR, our EMMA MACKEY fc is looking for COWORKERS connection who looks like ANY FC who are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( just a small connect for more people who work in the local record store ! tova could do with some people who she can have the typical work dynamic with, and mayb they can even b friends outside of it! )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for ILLEGAL PATIENTS who look like UP TO PLAYER and are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( trix is a med student, and she does a lot of work at the local hospital - but i also imagine that over the last few years, she’s sort of made a name for herself in the lowkey sense as someone who’s willing to treat patients out of hours / out of the hospital / etc on the downlow. if your character is a vigilante / hero / villain / etc, who sometimes gets themselves fuckt up and doesn’t want to make the big deal it could be by getting treated officially… hit her up ! she’ll fix you up for free, and she’ll do it discreetly. )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for MORTUARY COWORKERS who look like UP TO PLAYER and are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so !! trixie currently works at the local morgue, and as of right now… i think she’s the only one who does? and i’d love for her to have some coworkers there, cause it’s obviously such a heavy job, and i think… while it doesn’t phase trix, it would still be nice for her to have people who can relate to how TOUGH it can be sometimes, and who she can kind of have developed a little something something with. )

WILLIAM WILSON, our BRANDON FLYNN fc is looking for his ARCH-NEMESIS connection who looks like ANY FC who us ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( wrong place, wrong time, every time, apparently. will isn’t a vigilante by any means, and he definitely gets into a lot of trouble on his own, but he likes to be nosy and that has led to him seemingly foiling this characters plans… quite a few times, now. almost habitually. they probably think of him as the worlds biggest killjoy because he always stops their fun, specifically, unaware that will can be as bad as them usually. )

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for her THERAPIST who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( victoria is just the latest in a line of traumatized students to begin attending the school / living in paragon, but… when i say she’d really benefit from having someone who’s trying to listen and understand and help her… i mean it. they don’t even have to be fully licensed therapists - and part of me kind of loves if it’s just someone doing this out of the goodness of their heart. she’s spent twenty six years being broken down into a shell of an actual human being, and under her “fathers” thumb, she’s never developed any sort of emotional or social or, well, normal skills needed to live, and really suffered every sort of abuse a person could. she certainly has some sort of stockholm syndrome from it all that’s going to be hard to break through, and she just needs someone who’ll listen, and hear her, and then.. offer a shoulder to lean on, or offer words that might help her through. )

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for her TUTOR / ANY NUMBER OF who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( again ! victoria is another in a long line joining the school who doesn’t really have.. any sort of formal education behind her, and while i do think it’s a good idea to have her go down this path, i struggle to see how she’ll make it without having people willing to work with her. she’s smart, and she’ll pick things up quite quickly, but she’s still going to be a difficult sort of student just because she’s never really had to learn things in this kind of setting - people with patience encouraged, but people without would be equally fun )

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for VICTIMS who look like UP TO PLAYER and are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( twenty six years spent being little more than another weapon in victor creed’s hands means that victoria has… a lot of blood on her hands. i dare say that none of it is blood she wanted to spill, but the fact remains that she never really knew enough torefuse. she’s done a lot of things she’s not proud of, and she’s hurt a lot of people - meaning she’s going to be spending a great deal of her very long life trying, in vain, to make amends in some way. i want for her to encounter people who she’s hurt. either directly, or that… she hurt their family or distant family before alongside victor, and either she recognizes them and seeks them out, or they recognize her and seek her out. give her people who shout and scream about what she’s done, and people who can’t believe she’s being allowed walk around and keep on living. give her people who know she was just another victim of a psychopath, who could maybe give her something she’s never had before - forgiveness - and make her feel a way she’s also… never felt before. give her all sorts of connections under this heading bc i think it’s unrealistic if she has none. ) 

[passionate-baker]

Italian Adventures Part I: Florence

Friends, welcome to Part I of our Italian Adventures: Florence!

I’m so excited to share this travel guide with you! It has been such a long time in the making and I’m dying to tell you about all of our favourite places in the Tuscan capital. 

Let me just start with this statement: we adore Italy. If Italophile is a word - which google has led me to believe it could be - then Boyfriend & I would definitely be described as such. We love the vibe, the food, the wine, the museums, the language, the atmosphere, the gelato, everything. This is the case for Italy as a whole, yes - but Florence in particular has something that other Italian cities just can’t compare with.. and I’m not just talking about the world’s best cheesecake - but there’s more on that below. 

There’s a huge amount of recommendations in this post. I’ve streamlined the recs into six sections: Stay / Coffee / Eat / Drink / Museums + Attractions / Places to See. The first four are self-explanatory, but the difference between the last two sections is an entry fee; Museums + Attractions are all paid entrance, while the Places to See are free. If you have any doubts about any of the places listed below, just know that we’ve been to each & every single place a whole bunch of times (some an embarrassingly large amount of times), so you know you can actually trust us when we say they’re reliable. 

Happy travelling, friends! 

STAY

Leonardo House  //  we’ve stayed at Leonardo House on our last two visits to the city, and - unless we win the lottery and splurge on a fancy hotel - we’ll definitely be returning again! It has an amazing location, it’s extremely budget friendly, and the manager is so so lovely. It’s more of a hostel than anything else, so it’s more pared back than what you might be looking for, but the private rooms are clean and quiet. Honestly, it’s the location that has us returning time after time - it is literally less than a three minute walk straight into the centre of the Duomo complex - what more could you ask for?

COFFEE

Caffe Gilli  //  we have a copy of Ruth Orkin’s fabulous American Girl in Italy photograph & I’d wanted to visit the spot it was taken in since the first moment I saw it. That place is Caffe Gilli. We were so far from disappointed upon walking in the doors that we went back for our morning hit every. single. day. and then some. Pro tip: drink your coffee & eat your pastry at the bar, it costs much less! .. and before you ask: yes, we tried to capture our own take of the iconic photo, and also: no, you cannot see it. A must-visit. 

La Rinascente  //  to be honest, I can’t actually remember what the coffee is like in Rinascente - but that isn’t why you should go there anyway. The cafe boasts a rooftop terrace - La Terrazza - that has a breathtaking view over the Duomo complex. It is the ultimate place for a romantic coffee date. Shout-out to Boyfriend’s parents for recommending!

EAT

4Leoni  //  we are obsessed with 4Leoni. It is hands down our favourite restaurant in Florence, and we have been back an embarrassing amount of times. The food is always impeccable, the location is stunning, the staff are extremely friendly, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and it’s home to the best baked cheesecake the world has ever seen. I’m not even exaggerating a little bit. A definite must-visit. 

Il Santo Bevitore  //  okay fine, we are also mildly obsessed with IlSB, and have returned a few times now. The food is always exceptional, and there is a level of perfection & professionalism about the place that 4Leoni can’t quite compare with. The menu is inventive, unusual - on our last visit there was a strong Japanese influence to the meals - and leaves us wowed every time. Our most recent culinary highlights included: an n’duja pasta starter that left Boyfriend drooling, & a mouth-wateringly thick steak that was cooked to absolute perfection. Another must-visit.

Trattoria Giovanni  //  I can’t remember exactly what led us to this restaurant, but we had an unexpectedly fantastic meal. The atmosphere wasn’t as comfortable as either 4Leoni or Il Santo Bevitore, but the place can’t be faulted on the food. We shared a delicious cheese board to start, and had two absolutely perfect pasta dishes for mains -  braised beef cheek for him, and wild boar for me. Overall, a surprisingly good find.

O’Munaciello  //  pizzeria in the Oltrarno. A large, quirky room decorated with fairy lights, candles, and puppets. A real no frills place, but the pizza is reliably good and not too expensive. 

La Carraia Gelato  //  our favourite gelato in city, and arguably the best of the bunch. We are repeat visitors and are forever opting for our fave flavours: nocciola & pistacchio - so. good. 

DRINK

Il Santino  //  extra chic wine bar connected to Il Santo Bevitore. An amazingly tiny space with a small handful of tables clustered together & stools lining the bar. The room is dark & moody, the vibe casual & hipster. The menu is minuscule and sans prices, but after a brief chat with our extremely knowledgeable waitress, we were brought the custom made charcuterie & cheese board of our dreams. We lingered over our tiny table with our various glasses of wine - which were paired with our food by our waitress - for as long as was socially acceptable. If you read our Edinburgh Guide, the place has the same kind of feel as Smith & Gertrude (but so much nicer and friendlier). We loved every single second, a definite must-visit. 

La Ménagere  //  I’ll be honest, I only wanted to visit LM because of the powers of Instagram. I saw it on my feed, I loved the style, & I had to see it for myself. The space itself is beautiful, and it melted my insta-eyes as soon as we reached the door. Initially, I had to drag Boyfriend inside - he isn’t as easily influenced as I - but once we spied the cocktail list, peace was restored. An ice cold margarita served in a silver chalice for me, an old fashioned garnished with shavings of chocolate for him. They were, honestly, the best cocktails of our entire lives. Win-win!

5 e Cinque  //  one night, after dinner in 4Leoni - which is literally a stone’s throw away - we wandered in here for a glass of wine. We enjoyed two glasses of the most delicious Sangiovese ever, for an incredibly reasonable price. Although we had just eaten, everything on the dinner menu sounded so enticing that we vowed to return.

Bulli & Balene  //  the perfect spot for an Aperol Spritz. I think we went to B&B every single day we were in Florence. Both as a pre- & post-dinner at 4Leoni drink, as an afternoon pick-me-up, as a “hey, that place was nice!” stop-off on a wander around town, as a perfect spot to people-watch over a glass or two, you name it. Added bonus: drinks are excellent value!

Archea Brewery  //  we love wine & all - don’t get us wrong - but sometimes you just need a good beer, and this is the place for that. We visit every time we’re in the city & have yet to leave disappointed. Think dark cavernous room with a cozy atmosphere and a relaxed vibe. Pro tip: go for the own brand lager, it’s delicious! A beer lover’s must-visit.

Antica Sosta degle Aldobrandini  //  a perfect people-watching spot. Small bar, cheap food, located across the road from the Medici Chapel, with cold Becks in fridge. We’ll take two, thanks.   

MUSEUMS + ATTRACTIONS 

Santa Maria del Fiore Complex  //  obviously, everyone visits the complex for one reason: the Duomo. The Cathedral itself is breathtakingly beautiful & probably worth some of your precious time, but definitely don’t miss the chance to climb the Duomo. If you’re an art history nerd like me, be sure to check out the Duomo Museum at the back of the complex - amongst other things, they have Michelangelo’s Florentine Pieta (!), and an exact replica of Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise that you can actually look at without being hassled by hundreds of tourists. Pro tip: buy your ticket for the complex (you have to by an all-in-one ticket) the day before you plan to climb the Duomo; that way you can beat the majority of the queues by getting there before the ticket office opens for the day. For sure, a must-visit. 

Uffizi  //  like the Louvre, this is one of those museums that you just can’t miss. It’s home to some wonderful pieces of art by the greats: Botticelli, Da Vinci, Caravaggio etc, the list is endless. It always takes longer to work through the circuitous layout than expected, so be sure to allow extra time.

Accademia  //  obviously, when in Florence, you have to visit Michelangelo’s masterpiece: David... or more specifically speaking, you have to go marvel at that perfectly sculpted specimen of man. I made several return trips around the pedestal just to fully appreciate how beautiful he is. And to check out his butt, of course. Wowza. 

Boboli Gardens  //  although undeniably beautiful in their own right, we only bought tickets into the gardens for one reason: the Buontalenti Grotto. The grotto is at the end of the Vasari Corridor - which I’ve never had the opportunity to visit but would absolutely love to - & is honestly like something straight out of my imagination. We stood outside the gates staring in for an embarrassing amount of time - the sculptures inside are beyond amazing.

PLACES TO SEE

Loggia dei Lanzi  //  my favourite sculpture in the entire world - The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna - is located in the Loggia, not a stone’s throw from the Uffizi. Basically, the Loggia is a free, open-air sculpture gallery filled with unmissable pieces of art. Whenever we visit, I stand mesmerized under Giambologna’s masterpiece before moving on to gawp at Cellini’s selfie in the back of Perseus’s helmet. For me, this is a total must-visit.

Palazzo Michelangelo  //  everyone recommends walking up here and it is easy to see why: you get to see beautiful Firenze from on high! The bridges spanning the width of the winding Arno, the red rooftops capping the city, the Duomo. Pro tip: head up there super early to avoid the crowds... or brave the crowds & go for that magical time right before the sun sets. 

Fiesole  //  we actually have Boyfriend’s mom to thank for telling us all about the small hilltop village of Fiesole, about a 20-minute bus ride out of the city. The bus ticket was super cheap (like, €1.50), and the journey alone was worth it - it takes these winding roads out of the city going up, up, up, leaving you gaping out the window at the views of Florence below. The village is adorable, and very quiet in comparison to the busy streets of Firenze. We hiked up towards the Monastery of San Francesco to get that view over Florence. Perfection!

Palazzo Stozzi  //  a breathtakingly beautiful space in the heart of the city. Used largely as an exhibition space - when we visited they were just about to start a Marina Ambrovic show - but open to the public to walk around. 

RELATED POSTS: 

Bremen, Germany  //  Paris, France  //  Amsterdam, Holland   //  Copenhagen, Denmark  //  Cork, Ireland  //  Edinburgh, Scotland  //  Westport, Ireland  //  Barcelona, Spain  //  Munich, Germany  //  Vienna, Austria  //  London, UK i - ii - iii 

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Letting loose' : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

"Letting loose"

Chapter Summary : Yirina and the team succeeded in getting away from the hotel but their day is still not done yet.....

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +3800

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

"Did you actually throw Derazio from the top of the hotel ?" That was the first thing Wolf said to us after we managed to leave the penthouse unharmed & from the same elevator we used to go up. He was looking as hell confused by what he heard, Derazio's free fall on the street....on that car did make a lot of noises around and apparently, Wolf was able to listen to the radio & the police communications his contact gave to us too, making him learned where was Derazio now......dead !

"Well, actually, I threw him out from his penthouse window." I was the one to reply to him as we came back in the parking area & not even a body was there, meaning that either Wolf was scouting around the place.....or he's a quick cleaner of bodies and blood pools, can't guess about it. "Maybe brutal but it was necessary." I added as we walked back to the car, checking at the same time the mag that was in my M16.

"He wouldn't want to talk more and if he wanted to do that, he will be more on taunting us than giving us details." Park said, defending my choice of dealing with Derazio as she approved of it. She put her gun in the trunk and we soon followed her move. "By the way, he's finally out."

"Leaving us with only Alvarez & Duvall to deal with." Sims continued in her argument as he closed the trunk of the car before walking to the front passenger door. "Perseus has stopped delivering guns to Duvall since their agent has left the US, that's the only thing we found that is useful for us." He added, getting in the car first before we joined him in the car, me getting behind me as Park sit next to me and Wolf taking the driver seat again.

"Like you said, Park." Wolf started before looking at her from his seat. "The main thing is that we finally got his paranoid man out of the equation."  He snorted, thinking that we really did what he heard. "But throwing him from his penthouse...." He stopped himself in his words as he looked at me as I was the one who did this.  "You, the russians, make things differently." I raised an eyebrow at this statement, looking curious.

"Maybe...." I slowly narrowed my eyes to Wolf, sounding a little bit nervous as I was comfy in the seat, just awaiting that we get the hell out of this place.....

"Anyway..." Sims gave a little friendly nudge to Wolf. "Let's move out of here before we got problems from the police." He ordered and finally, Wolf start the car and we were off the place in no time.

When the car was outside the private parking, we could see the numerous police car already surrounding the hotel entrance and we were able to see briefly Derazio's body that has landed on a car at its back before we decided that it was better to escape before the cop start to suspect us as we were literally leaving the hotel's private parking. Without any hesitation, Wolf drove off, making us free from that place and finally able to return back to the safehouse without a scratch and no one hurt and wounded.

The news of Derazio's death was already on the air when we turn on the radio back at the safehouse and at that time, we decided to take our day, letting everyone to have a little rest after that little mission we just did, it wasn't actually sleeping but more now thinking about something than the mission itself. The dashboard were less filled now that we were done with Derazio as we removed intels on him and put them asides. It was now filled with the intel we got on Alvarez and Duvall....now, Alvarez was our target before we can move on Duvall.

The evening came and Wolf make us some dishes, changing from the Burger Town burgers we usually ordered each day. It was mainly dishes native to his state : something called 'Gombo' and to be honest, it was really good. Very nice and tasty in mouth, we were becoming just like tourists as Wolf explained to us what was inside the dishes. After that, when we were finished, he arrived with an bottle in his hand.

"What's this ?" I asked, curious as I just saw the bottle in his hand

"That's bourbon." He replied, putting the bottle in the middle of the table, before sitting down back on his seat. "51% of corn and the other part is either rye or wheat."

"I guess that's an typical american alcohol." I suggested, getting my arms on the table too, looking at the bottle....it's looking like scotch...Sims nodded to me,

"Coming from the Kentucky." He said as he took the bottle in his hand to serve the drink in each other glass. He first start by himself before serving Wolf.

"Might be interesting." Park exclaimed, implying that she never had the chance to drink it as Sims served her glass, filling it a half before he arrived near my own glass.

"Uhm, I don't know." I put my hand over my glass, not sure to have a drink as drinking alcohol is not something I do everyday......well, I drank scotch back in that memory in the Lubyanka maybe because I was angry..... "Drinking isn't my thing !'

"Come on, Yiri. Just one." Park whispered to me in a lovely voice but she said it a little bit loud as I could see Sims raised an eyebrow from hearing that....he was laughing inside of him, I think.....as for Wolf, he looked at her with an incomprehension.

"Yiri ?" He asked, holding his glass of bourbon in his hand.

"Oh...." She started, blushing a little from seeing that look on his face and Sims's one too. "It's just that me & Yirina, we know each other for 3 years now and that little name came in like that one day." She justified herself, joining her hands under the table, she was sounding sure of herself as I was acting to make sure he will buy it. "So, sometimes, I called her like that."

"That's kinda cool." Wolf breathed, sounding a bit happy of that before he looked at me with an curious look "Sims said you were a defector from the KGB, since when exactly ?" He asked....a basic question but for me, I wasn't going to tell everyone that I was an Perseus agent....and that I was brainwashed.

"Well, it was after an CIA operation in Turkey !" I replied like that, causing Park & Sims to look at me with wide eyes and realized that I couldn't tell the truth and they needed to buy in it. "Russell Adler, you might know him, he convinced me to work with the CIA instead and that what I did." I continued as Park & Sims were grinning at me, a little bit uncomfortable. "After a while, I decide to go work with the MI6, way better." I looked at Park with an big smile, as under the table, I touched her with my feet gently to make her react.

"Exactly, Yirina has been working with the MI6 since we stopped Perseus in Solovetsky." She acted in her role even if I could see that she wasn't liking to pretend something that didn't happened : saying that I was 'alive' between Solovetsky and last month.

"Well, that's quite an story, Yirina." Wolf looked at me with an good look, having bought in our little lies.

"She's someone, Wolf !" Sims exclaimed, boasting my skills and my exploits as he was still holding the bottle in his hand above the hand that was covering my glass. "So, just one ?" He snorted.

"Just one." I repeated, changing my mind and I removed my hand from the glass, allowing him to finally serve me with bourbon. Once he was done, I took the glass in hand at the same time as everyone who were awaiting me.

"Cheers !" Park breathed before we drank together in one sip our glasses. At first, I could tell that bourbon was very different from scotch and to debate.....well, I can't debate on it but it was quite nice.

"Wow, that is something." I first said, putting the empty glass back on the table before I make some little cough from drinking, gently tapping my chest to pass it. "Very different from scotch." Park nodded with me, thinking the same thing.

"Welcome to America, Yirina !" Sims scoffed around, making me laugh a little before it was suddenly interrupted by an loud noise in the operations room, like people talking in a strange language.

"Aw shit, must be the listening device jamming again." Wolf rolled his eyes as he decided to got up from his chair to take a look to it. It was real that the listening device was sometimes making some weirds things and each time, Wolf was repairing it but again, it was breaking again. After some 2 minutes that he didn't come, he called us out. "Everyone, come here !" He ordered us, causing us to leave the table to check with him about what's the problem. When we were arrived in the operations room, Wolf was near the listening device. "Listen to this." He then activate the device.

In fact, it wasn't broke again. A communication was just intercepted by it and by the first listening, there were two men talking : one were very louder and sounding younger as the second man were more calm and trying to reason the first one. I couldn't tell what they were talking about as it was Spanish at first but also because they were talking very fast, giving me more confused feelings about it, not even understanding a single word.

"Okay, so...." I started, holding my forehead with my right hand "Who is this and what they're saying ?" I asked fully to Wolf.

"This was Alvarez and his uncle Zarraga !" He replied, having guessed the two voices like that. "Basically, what we did today, that put an damn scare inside Alvarez : he want to flee the country." He added, giving us the details of the conversation as everyone were more confused, even Park who knew Spanish well.

"And he ask to his uncle to help him, I guess." Park breathed, having somehow guessed a part of it.

"We lost already our Perseus agent that left the US & Duvall unprotected but now, we're losing Alvarez that is going to get helped by his uncle." Sims affirmed as I started to think about something....about Alvarez. "You think of something ?" He looked at me, seeing me thinking.

"I think that Alvarez is in danger." I admitted, causing everyone to look at me with wide eyes and for that, I had to explain. "Park said that Zarraga, his uncle, was great friends with Duvall." I looked at Park, who realized my thoughts.

"Shit, his uncle is gonna tip off Duvall about his nephew whereabouts." She put her hands on her waist, looking down before she put her eyes on Wolf. "Are there any locations for us to find Alvarez ?" She asked to him.

"Zarraga told him to go into a abandoned lighthouse in the south of the Bayou." He responded before he walk to the guns table. "I think that we have to go there before Duvall's men."

"Okay...." Sims started before taking a deep breath. "Prepare your equipment and guns, we're gonna save Alvarez's ass." He ordered us and we part away again to get ready on that unexpected mission we just got.

That was unexpected but we had no choices now : we couldn't let Alvarez get killed because of Duvall. He can give us more intels about bringing Duvall down and we can't afford to lose him. We decided to take the same M16s we used, taking the remaining mags that we didn't use for our operation in the Royal Hotel and then, once ready, we left again the safehouse, letting Wolf to drive again as he knew the Bayou perfectly and the place Alvarez was hiding.

No one inside the car was believing that we were going to save Alvarez and not killing him at all but then, we resigned ourselves to that. I started to think that he couldn't know about who he was working and the fact that he unadvertently, decided to hide into that place, not knowing that his own uncle was going to bait him to Duvall. He couldn't know of that....and now, we're going to try to save his ass like Sims said.

Good for us, the abandoned lighthouse wasn't so far from the safehouse and by the odds, when we arrived to the place, it was very calm and we arrived first before Duvall's men and we all know that they will soon get here in a matter of time, giving us small time to get it done with Alvarez and saving him.

"There's some lights coming from that house." Sims called us out as we put the car in a safe place and got out of it, pointing to us the house in question, the one at the end of the road of that place.

"Maybe Alvarez is hiding in there." Park suggested, taking her own M16 in hand from the car trunk.

"I think that someone should go try to put senses in him." Wolf said, looking at the three of us, his sniper rifle in hand.

"I can try." I proposed myself to do it even if I don't know how to talk spanish, no one was arguing my choice so that's mean it's on me. "Of course, it's maybe gonna take time."

"Enough to have Duvall's men to come to us when we finally have reasoned him." Sims proclaimed, understanding the risk to have Alvarez going out of cover.

"We should be prepare for that." Park walked to get in the middle of the place, looking at some buildings. "While Yirina is talking with Alvarez, the three other is gonna hide somewhere where we can ambush them and taking care off quickly."

"That could work, get yourself ready to hide." I then start to walk slowly towards the supposed house Alvarez was maybe hiding. "You can follow the talk with my radio." I tapped my radio to them that I strapped on my jacket before I turned around to focus on what I will do & talk.

I arrived on the porch of the house and I could hear some footsteps inside like someone running to hide, he was already there of course. Before entering the house, I put my M16 on my back and took my M1911 in hand, preferring to keep the big gun in case we're going to have an fight with Duvall. I took a deep breath and then I start to slowly open the front door to get inside, my M1911 aiming in front of me.

The house was pretty ruins like the place all around and I start to though about how this place didn't fall down itself as the wind were making some weird noises against the wall and the floor were also making loud noises each time I was walking on it. Suddenly, I looked at a mirror that had an view on a hallway and I could see Alvarez himself with an AK-47 in hand and he was going to get out of cover. I reacted quickly by taking cover behind an couch as he started to blast with his gun.

"Alvarez !" I shouted, biting my lips from my cover. "We're just here to talk, to help you !" I could hear him start to reload his gun and dropping his mag two time

"Como mierda ! Voy a matarte !" He said to me....maybe insulting me in his language....why you didn't learn Spanish, Yiri ?.....

"You understand english ?" I asked to him as he dropped again his AK-47 mag on the noisy floor.

"Si !" He replied in spanish....maybe it was yes for him.

"Okay, I'm going to put my gun down." I told him before I dropped my M1911 at his direction and I start to get out of my cover with my hands up as I could see him, walking to my gun to get it in his hand, aiming at me with it. "Only here to talk." I added, wanting to reason him.

"You...americans...you're working with Duvall ! You want to kill me !" He started, sounding scared in his voice, seeing me like someone working with Duvall.

"We're here to save you, damnit !" I start to advance towards him slowly, my hands still up.

"Don't move." He ordered me.

"Your uncle has sold you out to Duvall !" I explained to him, all sure in my voice. "He never intended to get you out of here."

"You're lying, he said that he will send me a boat." I could see in him the stress to have me in sight as me, I was staying calm, I did put the safety on my M1911 and he didn't see it.

"Yirina..." I could hear Wolf's voice from my radio. "I just spot Duvall's men arriving in vans....two cars." He added before his radio shut down and I looked at Alvarez, sure of myself.

"You heard it right !" I exclaimed to him. "Your uncle betrayed you." I repeated my words again before he start to redress the gun in my direction to give it back to me.

"I....I....I need help." He breathed down, looking outside.

"I just need you to stay focused and in cover, we're going to get you out of here." I affirmed before I removed the safety from my gun, back in my hands and putting it back in my holstler as I took my M16 again. "Stay with me, okay ?" He nodded before I start to get outside by the front door as Duvall's men were arriving in their car near the place we parked our car.

"They're coming out of their vans." It was Sims observing the situation from up close as I could see him posted right in the house just next to those guys.

"Okay, wait that they're in the middle of the place. Then, we're unleashing hell on these bastards." Park added, making me laugh inside of me by hearing the end of it. We waited patiently as those guys were walking slowly towards the house and then....

"Let's do this !" I whispered in my radio, launching the ambush....and unleashing hell on these guys.....

Me & Alvarez were the first one to open fire on these poor devils from the porch of the house and our element of surprise helped us kill the men who were in first line...at least 4 guys were down....The others went quickly into hiding and start returning the favor on us before the others could finally shoot from their positions. Park was located at the house right in the middle of the place just next to the location Duvall's men were before we opened fire as Wolf was located off the ground level, using his sniper rifle near a house next to the one I was with Alvarez.

Duvall's men weren't joking at all as I could see that they were well armed....courtesy of the US Army, I suppose....and surprisely for me, some of them were wearing a white hood with a red cross on it, something about them was very weird....something I don't know well. One of them tried to throw a molotov on us but bad for him, Wolf was able to get him before, shooting exactly on the molotov, causing him to burn from it and some flames to land on a electricity pole, making it burn slowly.

That move caused those guys to panick and some of them tried to shoot everywhere all around them, realizing that we were more than just me & Alvarez but their panick allowed us to get the upper hand on them as I start to go out of cover, a few enemies remaining and Park was starting to do the same thing, getting things done by using her hands on the guy that was standing in shock just next to the house she was hiding.

Thanks to our ambush and our actions, we could finally dispose of the men Duvall sent to kill Alvarez and once they weren't breathing anymore, I moved with Alvarez at the middle of the place, getting joined by Park & Sims as Wolf will arrive soon.

"Alvarez." Sims was the first to talk after the fight was done. "See that we didn't lie to you ?" He asked with a smile on his face, showing him around: the bodies, a burning pole.

"Si." Alvarez breathed, trying to catch his breath as Sims moved to give a tap on his shoulder,

"Fine so now, you gonna be a good man and follow us before....."

"We got more problems !" Wolf arrived, running behind me as we all looked at him, wondering what put him in that state. "There's more coming from a side path to the lighthouse."

"Shit, we better get Alvarez and us out of here." Park exclaimed before gunshots finally got heard again and we could see more Duvall's men coming exactly from behind the house I found Alvarez. "Quick, to the car !" She took Alvarez with her & Sims as me & Wolf stayed behind.

"Get him in safety, we'll take care of it." I affirmed as I move to get to a cover and Wolf was doing the same. We start to reciprocate the gunshots from our covers until we realized that there were too many of them. "Wolf, join Park & Sims, I'll cover you !" I ordered him and he quickly complied as I protected him. I was going to follow him until the burning pole fall down exactly behind me, blocking any attempts for me to run.

"Yirina !" I could hear Park's voice, trembling & worried as I looked through the flames of the pole, trying to find her.

"I will find a way out, don't....." I couldn't finish that I was jumped up by one of them from the side, moving me away from my cover and in sight of Duvall's men.

"Got a white traitor here !" The man that threw himself in me shouted to his friends from afar before I could take my M1911 from my holstler and shoot three bullets in him as he wasn't controlling my hands.

I tried to get back to cover rapidly but suddenly, I was knocked out behind me by someone I didn't see when I tried to get up. My head was hurting a lot, I was in pain by getting hit in the back of it. I could still hear Park's voice telling that everything will be okay in my head....I want to be okay, Park !......with you !...... as I was looking through the flames, trying to still find her before I could feel my body getting dragged away by those white masked men on the ground, hearing some inaudibles voices and then, I could hear a perfect voice before I passed out.....

"Duvall is gonna enjoy that white traitor !"

[cyberstabbing]

Sci-fi/Dystopian future/Danger Days/idk

Heaven’s Not About Your Reputation - Desolation Row AU. The Tipper Laws have consumed the nation; more and more freedoms are being restricted every day. After getting thrown in jail for causing a riot with their illegal punk show, My Chem decides to do the logical thing: cause even more trouble. 28k

In Repair - "Shit,“ Frank mutters, and shoves both hands through his hair. He looks around the kitchen like he’s gonna find what he should do scratched into the old linoleum, then looks back at the bot. He gnaws on his lip. Fuck it. He already knows what he’s gonna do. He’s just gotta do it.

Getting down on his knees, he braces a hand on the edge of the crate and leans over the bot. It’s dressed in a plain white tee and matching drawstring pants like an escaped mental patient. Frank rolls his neck and cracks his knuckles, shaking the ache out of them before carefully laying his palm against its cheek. He’s pretty sure his voice is steady when he says, "Activate.”

Nothing happens. Fucking shitty packaging– the thing’s busted. But Frank keeps his hand where it is, jumping a little when he feels the surge of energy beneath it. The robot’s skin goes from room temperature to lukewarm, then warm. Frank watches it open its eyes, the light behind them adjusting until they’re a pale sort of brown. It looks at him and asks, “Am I dead?” 33k

sing it for the n00bs - Gerard would be killing twice as many dracs right now if his fucking spacebar would quit sticking. (Gamer AU, wherein the Danger Days universe is an MMORPG.) 17k

I was rereading this on a bus in France with my stepsister. She asked me what I was reading and I just squirmed around in my seat. So she shouted “FANFICTION??” And I was like … Well, I mean, yes–but hear me out!! And so I told her about Danger Days, the Killjoys and the whole gamer au concept.

She actually thought it sounded pretty cool. Or maybe she just wanted me to quit gushing about it and leave her alone.

The point is, if someone who just heard a second-rate description of this fic still thought it sounded interesting, that means it’s HELLA RAD. And it is. So. Read it.

The Way They Fly - Frank is a robot. He is in love with his genius creator, Gerard, who doesn’t realize that Frank is capable of real feelings. Frank starts breaking down, getting ill, and Gerard doesn’t know what to do to fix it - all his methods are completely useless, none of the programming explains why this is happening to his Frank - but it’s because Frank has a broken heart. 17k

Of Another Kind - Gerard is an alien on a mission–to find a human mate on Earth. He’s decided on Frank Iero, but his database doesn’t give him all the facts he needs to win over his future companion, and there are just some things he will have to learn on his own. 17k

Let The Darkness Lead You Home - Vampires are in charge and most of the humans on earth are prey, so Frank Iero’s parents have him train as a cyber tech to protect him. Leaving the family he’s born into may have saved his life, but his parents never could have expected the lengths he’d go to in order to find a new family to call home. 49k

The Chasing of Moons - The biggest dilemma in all of this is that Frank slept with his future husband. Now Frank’s just got to make sure that the future with him stays intact, but it’s not so easy when present day Gerard seems to hate his guts. 110k

Might I Have a Bit of Earth - Gerard took things. He didn’t used to take things; he used to ask before, say please and may I and other things his parents taught him, because that was what you did. You didn’t just take. 14k

Space pirates :D !!

Are You Broken? (from the Robot!Gerard series) - Frank gets sick and Gerard doesn’t understand. <1k (the series is 7k)

Lovely Way to Burn - Frank is no stranger to sickness. He’s been wheezing his way in and out of hospitals since he was a kid, but things are different now. He was already pulled from two assignments due to illness, and the third time is the charm. Three strikes and you’re out. 4k

video girl - This is a space AU that has more random worldbuilding than actual porn in it. In which Frank wanders into a virtual sex video booth. 1k

Reaching Through The Mirror - The one where Party Poison and Basement!Gerard have sex. 5k

(part one of Time Travel ‘verse)

James Cameron Got It Wrong - In which 2005!Frank and Fun Ghoul get it on. Then Frank accidentally winds up in 2019. 56k

(part two of Time Travel ‘verse)

yoooo i just found some really really REALLY good fanart. .. unbelievably good. and six years after the fic came out! that’s amazing!! anyway, here it is.

EDIT #2: found some more! Man, that fic just keeps giving.

EDIT #3: Damn it, the artist’s blog (second one) is marked as having “sensitive content”, so I couldn’t view it anymore on this account. So here is the post reblogged on a sfw blog for y’all youngins, and here is a screenshot juuust in case the sfw blog deactivates and that link stops working, too. 

The Science of Sleep - It’s 2011 and Frank Iero’s life is pretty average until the night where he starts getting dreams about a strange, apocalyptic California where there’s rayguns, grey corporations and terrorists who use art and color as a weapon. Interesting and fun at first, but the more he dreams about this world, the more he starts to wonder if it really is a dream… and the deeper he gets into this futuristic world, the more it seems to affect his life in the present day.

And just how exactly does everything all seem to link in with that douchebag black-haired artist who sits in Starbucks every day?

(Set in the Danger Days world but not necessarily following the cannon established by the album and music video’s.) 93k

Killjoys Never Die - No description. 2k

i want to die i want to die i want to die

Up Against Your Will (HERE is the chapter index) - Stepping into a world so different from their own, Frank and Gerard struggle to survive. 18 chapters

this was amazing, but also hard to read in some parts, bc of the non con and gore :/ not my cup of tea, but I did love the word building and the fic overall.

Fogs, Sheets and Thunder - Not as grey as it seems. A post-apocalyptic postal service AU. 5k

And ze art!

​The World Famous Extraterrestial Diner - Sure the menu had a picture of literally everything in it, causing the menu itself to be ten pages in total, but that was for the foreign visitors. And not just the ones from other countries, according to the owners.Gerard worked at a diner located directly on the famous ‘extraterrestrial highway’. The pictures were more for if any actual aliens ever came by Earth for a good meal and couldn’t speak English. They had the pictures to see exactly what was on offer. Even the beverages had their own separate pictures.Not that they had had any extraterrestial visitors since, like, ever. 8k

Born to Motorbabies - Here's the thing with having a crush on a mysterious DJ; it's kind of an inconvenient place to hang your affections. 12k

The person who’s rec list i snagged this from (can’t remember who, sorry!) added “​affectionately referred to as the dishwasher fic” which is v cute so I’m putting it here too.

...the weapon - Tattoos are one of the ways they measure out the time between getting ghosted. Inspired by Art is... 0.2k

Code Red - In the fall out of a fire fight, Party Poison goes looking for medicine, and finds pretty much the exact opposite of that. 2k Ship: Party Poison/Korse

Workplace Appropriate Attire - Korse is a creepy boyfriend. 1k

Ship: Party Poison/Korse

This was fun to read, but some lines made me go OH SHIT, because ...... well if you read this you will know what I’m talking about.

We Got Machines - There are questions on the lips of everyone with eyes or money on the arena. Who is this kid? Where’d he come from? Who trained him? BLind’s got no records on him, meaning he’s a Zonebrat returning to the grasp of the city of his own volition. Another anomaly. That a 16 year old nobody could waltz in out of nowhere and turn the system on its head is... concerning to BLind. <1k

Part 1 of KJ/Griefers 'verse (3.5k in total)

Ship: Deadmau5/G3rard

xoxoxoxo - Party Poison wakes up somewhere he's never been - but there's plenty that's familiar here. 1k

Ship: Party Poison/Korse

Looking for Satellites - Galaxy-hopping alien trader Gerard has business on space station Perseus Four. Getting to know station administrator Grant is a nice bonus. 25k Ship: Gerard/Grant Gerard is a sexy, telepathic and open minded (heh) alien and it’s great.

the only hope for me - Korse has never been one to show his emotions. 1k Ship: Korse/Party Poison

your kicks don't hit, so we remain the same - a battery city ambush goes somewhat wrong. korsepoison. 0.8k Ship: Korse/Party Poison

Methane Skies - Run, run, bunny, run. 3k

Hot damn this is some creepy and suspenseful stuff. Ship: (implied) Korse/Party Poison

mutilate, maim and destroy (just a tad) - For clarification, this fic is about Gerard Way the actual person being tortured by Korse in the Killjoys universe. Like. Hnng, you'll see nevermind. Ship: Gerard/Korse

A Room Full Of Suicides - His jaw was clenched and his whole body quivering. He looked right at Korse with those huge, transparent eyes. “Do what you want to me. I don’t give a shit, Korse.” He drew in a breath that shook. “You wouldn’t understand. It’s about standing up for what you believe in.” God, the kid was adorable. Korse couldn’t wait to make him scream. 4k Ship: Korse/Party Poison, Fun Ghoul/Party Poison (implied)

Of All the Places in the Universe - Gerard, an alien with a severe case of anomie and wanderlust, crash-lands in Jersey while traveling the galaxy. A chance meeting with a creature his studies had told him didn't exist leads to a surprising turn of events. With time, Gerard comes to call Earth home, and finds love with the adorable punk who found him--Frank, an energetic puppy of a werewolf who's really more bark than bite. 30k

"You know The Smiths?"

Gerard grinned. "Oh, yes! They're one of my favorite Earth bands."

Thank You For The - Just an alien in New Jersey, looking for a mate. 0.5k Ship: Gabe Saporta/Mikey Way

"Have fun," Gerard said, even though he'd just told Mikey he couldn't have fun because he needed to be careful. Mikey wished his venom sacs were fully developed. He would spit on Gerard's shoes.

Double Exposure - “The worst part was the confession. Well, the explanation sucked too.” Written for prompt 38. Frank/Mikey - Frank and Mikey bodyswap during tour and have to play shows as each other. 2.5k

Frank isn’t part italian in this fic. He’s part alien! :D Ship: Frank/Mikey

[eos10transcriptions]

101 - Welcome to EOS 10 (transcription)

101 - WELCOME TO EOS 10

Transcribed by: @akmazianisgay

Read on google docs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_c00sI1LlqULJOW_rCdii5ZvrDuCxOoGR9gnJWGQRiM/edit?usp=sharing

SCENE 1

SOUND: DOOR OPENING

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS

RYAN (to himself):

Huh… okay, big, uhmmm…

(outward) Hi excuse me, I- um okay. Hi, can you-

(SIGHS)

Excuse me, hi, I uh…

(loudly) I’m looking for the infirmary, can anyone-?

SOUND: COMPUTER BEEPING

RYAN (CONT’D):

(to himself) Okay, um… primary docking ring… airlock corridor C to level 10 Promenade… then take a right at the… Gimjaach stand? I don’t see a Gimjaach stand… I don’t even know what a Gimjaach stand is.

(outward) Hi, can you help me? No, of course not. Huh. Maybe that… guy, I assume, can help. Hi, uh sir, can- ma’am. Sir? Definitely sir, sorry I’m looking for the infirmary.

SOUND: UNINTELLIGIBLE NOISES

RYAN:

Great, yes, and the Gimjaach stand would be…?

SOUND: UNINTELLIGIBLE NOISES

RYAN:

Oh. So that’s Gimjaach… that is disgusting.

CUT TO: THEME

SCENE 2 (INFIRMARY)

JANE (exasperated):

No.

LEVI:

It could be Talarian flu!

JANE:

Have you been to Talarian Prime lately?

LEVI:

Not this rotation… Oxonians disease perhaps? Should I remove my pants? You can check-

JANE (forcefully cutting him off):

No. Thank you.

LEVI:

I don’t mind!

JANE:

It’s okay.

LEVI:

It will take but a second!

JANE:

Go back to the kitchen, Levi.

SOUND: DOOR OPENING, FOOTSTEPS

RYAN:

Oh! Hi, I’m-

JANE (cutting him off):

Sign in at the kiosk with your name, species ID, and station identifier, please.

RYAN:

No, I’m looking for- I’m sorry, I’m Dr. Dalias, uh nice to meet you… Johns?

JANE:

Jane. Nurse Jane Johns.

RYAN:

...Really? Really- uh, really nice to meet you, Lieutenant Johns, Nurse uh Lieutenant Johns.

JANE:

Jane is fine.

RYAN:

Okay. I’m, uh, looking for Dr. Urvidian?

JANE:

Oh! You… he’s been waiting for you

RYAN:

Is that a good thing?

JANE (laughing):

No. Not even a little bit.

TRANSITION TO: SCENE 3 (DR. URVIDIAN’S OFFICE)

JANE:

Dr. Urvidian, Dr. Dalias is here to see you.

URVIDIAN (slurred):

Dr. Dalias?

SOUND: DRINKING

URVIDIAN (CONT’D):

Doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor Dalias?

RYAN:

Uhh…

URVIDIAN:

Finally! I’ve been waiting for you… waiting for you to come replace me. Come to take my job? Come to undo my life’s work?

(CHUCKLES)

Well not as long as I’m standing here on my own feet.

SOUND: HEAVY THUD

RYAN:

He just passed out…

JANE:

Uh-huh.

RYAN:

...He do that a lot?

JANE:

Uh-huh.

CUT TO: SCENE 4 (INFIRMARY)

SOUND: HEART MONITOR BEEPING (CONTINUED)

URVIDIAN:

(GROANS)

RYAN:

Welcome back. Something hurt?

URVIDIAN:

Yes. Everything. Also… I’m sober.

RYAN:

You’re welcome.

URVIDIAN:

This is unacceptable.

RYAN:

Do you have any idea how high your blood-alcohol was?

URVIDIAN:

Is this a game? Would you like me to guess?

RYAN:

Point-six-two.

URVIDIAN (under his breath):

Child’s play

(louder) You dosed me for that?

RYAN:

Okay. Two questions: what were you drinking and how are you alive?

URVIDIAN:

Ceriliac Ale.

RYAN:

The Alliance banned Ceriliac Ale more than 100 rotations ago.

URVIDIAN:

Oh, grow up.

RYAN:

And the being alive part?

URVIDIAN:

Postnatal hepatic mutagenic resequencing.

RYAN:

You… altered your genes? Your liver?

URVIDIAN:

To metabolize more alcohol, try to keep up, Doctor.

RYAN:

Genetic engineering was banned-

URVIDIAN (cutting him off):

Yes, yes, by the Alliance more than 100 rotations ago.

RYAN:

200, actually.

URVIDIAN:

Are you always this prudish? How-

RYAN:

Sensible? Sage

URVIDIAN:

-Joyless, actually, you seem like a joyless person, very sad. And your forehead is much too large for a man of your stature.

RYAN:

Okay. I’ve neutralized the alcohol, you’re fine, so now we-

URVIDIAN (forcefully cutting him off):

No, I’m not! I’m sober, you miscreant.

RYAN (finishing his sentence):

We can finally take care of this.

URVIDIAN:

And this would be what?

RYAN:

My transfer orders commanding me-

URVIDIAN (cutting him off, again):

NOPE. No thank you. You’ve come to cast me out? Well think again.

RYAN:

Wait, Doctor-

URVIDIAN (cutting him off, yet again):

To you, miscreant, I say suck it. I’m not leaving, I don’t care what the orders say.

RYAN (fed up):

Doctor Urvidian, if you would just-

URVIDIAN (literally just will not let Ryan complete a sentence):

NO. Begone. Petulant little fly. You’re nasty, disturbing, and uncomfortable. And you bother me. I will not be undone by the likes of you, especially not while sober.

SOUND: RIPPING OUT IV, HEART MONITOR FLATLINES, FOOTSTEPS

RYAN:

(SIGHS)

Well I think that went well.

TRANSITION TO: SCENE 5 (INFIRMARY)

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS

RYAN (what’s someone doing here?):

Hi…

LEVI:

Hello.

RYAN:

Sorry, I was just walking by, would you like me to close the door so you can have some privacy?

LEVI:

Oh no. Nurse Johns opened it, and she’ll be very angry if you close it.

RYAN:

I see… uh, but… you’re not wearing any pants… and you’re quite obviously from Arian-7…

LEVI:

I am Arule Delatro Levithian the Third, 82nd prince of the high command of Helinsanki, protector of the sacred Asmuthian bones, and heir to the Diamond Throne. And yes, from Arian-7. How could you tell? We look much like humans.

RYAN:

Not with your pants off, you don’t. Prince?

LEVI:

Deposed. I was toppled by insurgents from the southern continent. Ghastly creatures with no sense of decorum or appreciation for the finer things in life. Also… they have spikes on their backs. Unseemly. I’ll return to Arian-7 one day and reclaim my birthright. Until then, I live here, on EOS 10, and work in the kitchen.

RYAN:

You’re a cook.

LEVI:

Dishwasher. For now.

RYAN (slightly concerned):

How… wonderful… Ar-Arul-

LEVI (cutting him off):

Everyone calls me Levi.

RYAN:

Levi. About your pants-

LEVI:

Yes, I’m waiting for an exam from Nurse Johns.

RYAN:

...I see… until then, why don’t we close this door?

SOUND: DOOR CLOSING

CUT TO: SCENE 6 (INFIRMARY)

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, BACKGROUND CHATTER

RYAN:

Lieutenant-

JANE:

Jane is good.

RYAN:

Jane. Uh, you have a patient in exam 3.

JANE:

I do?

RYAN:

A ‘Levi?’ ...From Arian-7.

JANE:

(GROANS)

He’s still here?

RYAN:

And he’s not wearing any pants.

JANE:

That’s typical.

RYAN:

Is he really a prince?

JANE:

Deposed.

RYAN:

How’d he end up in the kitchen?

JANE:

He arrived on a transport full of refugees one day, and the next thing we knew, he ousted the plongeur in a coup d'etat and installed himself as his own marmiton.

RYAN:

He… took over for the guy who cleans the plates and forks and made him wash pots and pans instead?

JANE:

Exactly. You know French?

RYAN:

I grew up in Paris, actually.

JANE:

The French was Levi’s doing too. Once he secured his position on the dish line he was able to use his influence to institute a strict brigade de cuisine system with the help of a newly formed coalition of bussers from food court delta.

RYAN:

The bussers are on his side?

JANE:

Just the food court delta ones. I think he promised them a place in his new kingdom…

RYAN:

In the kitchen.

JANE:

Or maybe just longer bathroom breaks. Both seem plausible.

RYAN:

What’s wrong with him?

JANE:

He’s absolutely, completely, and totally insane.

RYAN:

I meant physically.

JANE:

Nothing. He’s a hypochondriac.

RYAN:

Good to know. Can we, uh, talk about Dr. Urvidian?

JANE:

Not a hypochondriac.

RYAN:

Not what I meant.

JANE:

But also absolutely, completely, and totally insane.

RYAN:

Also good to know, how often is he drunk?

(SILENCE)

...Hello?

JANE:

Sorry, you threw me, most people just ask when he’ll be sober next.

RYAN:

I didn’t know it was this bad.

JANE:

Well…

SOUND: EXPLOSION, JANE AND RYAN GASP, ALARMS (CONTINUED)

RYAN:

What was that?

JANE:

I don’t know, hold on.

SOUND: COMPUTER BEEPING

JANE (CONT’D):

Some kind of explosion, lower plane ring.

RYAN:

Are there any people in that section?

SOUND: COMPUTER BEEPING

JANE:

Three.

RYAN:

Let’s go.

SOUND: DRAMATIC MUSIC (CONTINUED)

CUT TO: SCENE 7 (LOWER PLANE RING)

SOUND: COMPUTER BEEPING AND SHORTING OUT

RYAN:

What happened?

JANE:

Power conduit he was working on blew.

RYAN:

The computer doesn’t have his bio info, what is he?

FEMALE VOICE:

No idea, he just started.

RYAN:

He’s not wearing an ID!

FEMALE VOICE:

He just started today!

RYAN:

He’s got four arms, no one could slap an ID bracelet around one of them?

SOUND: COMPUTER BEEPING AND SHORTING OUT

RYAN (CONT’D):

Do you recognize this species?

JANE:

No. Is he… is he conscious?

SOUND (as Ryan talks): DOOR OPENING

RYAN:

(groans) I- I can’t- I can’t tell, these vitals, he- he has no vitals, so either he’s dead or… taking a nap?

URVIDIAN:

He’s not dead

RYAN (startled):

Ah! Jesus!

(confused) Where did you come from?

URVIDIAN (ignoring him):

He’s not dead, and he’s definitely not asleep.

RYAN:

You recognize this species?

URVIDIAN:

He’s a native of Sigma-Upsilon in the Perseus Arc. SQ-3 if I’m not mistaken.

RYAN:

It- it must’ve taken him forever just to get here.

FEMALE VOICE:

He said he left 3 rotations ago, hoping to start a new life in the Alliance.

RYAN (sarcastic):

Oh, well good thing we put him in a furnace and blew him up, then.

FEMALE VOICE:

(scoffs) This is a fourth generation 0-point reactor-

URVIDIAN (cutting her off):

Yes, wonderful. Now, do we actually plan to treat this man sometime soon?

RYAN:

I’d love to, if I could tell exactly how to do that. I can’t even find his heart…

URVIDIAN:

That’s because he doesn’t have one.

RYAN:

Oh. Well that explains it.

URVIDIAN:

His species enters a protective neurogenic stasis when confronted with severe injury, you’ll need to revive him to diagnose his injuries. 55 CCs of neuropeneferin.

RYAN (in disbelief):

55 CCs?

URVIDIAN:

Into the upper-right thoracic quadrant. Quick now!

RYAN:

Okay… here goes.

SOUND: INJECTION, HEARTBEAT MONITOR (CONTINUED), DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES

JANE:

I’m getting some neuro-electrical activity in the- well, we’ll just call it a brain? You can have a brain down there, right?

URVIDIAN:

He’s coming out of stasis

RYAN:

I think I’m seeing a sinus rhythm... it’s a rhythm, so that’s generally better than… no rhythm. I think.

JANE:

Looking at general percussive trauma, no real internal damage that I can tell.

RYAN:

Alright, let’s uh, let’s get him back to the infirmary and prep for a full diagnostic scan, keep him sedated until we get a full idea of what’s going on. Dr. Urvidian… where’d he go?

TRANSITION TO: SCENE 8 (DR. URVIDIAN’S OFFICE)

SOUND: DOOR OPENING, DOOR CLOSING

RYAN:

Anything interesting out that window?

URVIDIAN:

Stars. Lots and lots of stars.

RYAN:

So… no.

URVIDIAN: Can I help you?

RYAN:

You were good today.

URVIDIAN:

I’m good everyday.

RYAN (sarcastic):

Really? Yeah I thought so too, especially when you were passed out on the floor earlier? Genius.

URVIDIAN:

For your information-

RYAN (cutting him off):

When your head hit the exam table-

URVIDIAN (cutting him off):

I had- shut up- everything under complete control. No one asked you to intervene.

RYAN:

Are you, uh, familiar with alcohol poisioning?

URVIDIAN: Clinically? Yes.

RYAN:

Also personally.

URVIDIAN: Would you just get this over with?

RYAN:

What?

URVIDIAN:

Dammit man, stop… stop driving the dagger in slowly, stab me in the heart and get it over with!

RYAN:

Okay, first of all, ew. Second, will you just read the transfer orders?

URVIDIAN:

(indecipherable mumbling)

...This says you’re to become my new… chief of surgery?

RYAN:

That’s right.

URVIDIAN:

That would make you…

RYAN:

Technically, your second in command.

URVIDIAN:

I’ve… never had a chief of surgery before…

RYAN:

Well, now you do.

URVIDIAN:

You’re not here to replace me?

RYAN:

Not as far as I know.

URVIDIAN:

Why not?

RYAN:

I’m sorry?

URVIDIAN:

Why would they not replace me? I deserve to be replaced, I am a derelict, I am an alcoholic, and I have no bedside manner to speak of.

RYAN:

Well now that we’ve gone over your CV-

URVIDIAN:

I’ve also been seriously thinking of diverting prescription narcotics for my own use, would you think toridali or sicilia would have a higher street value?

RYAN:

Why would you-?

URVIDIAN (cutting him off):

It seems fun! And don’t be stupid Dr. Dalias, toridali, I think.

RYAN:

First, sicilia, obviously, and second, I wasn’t trying to… I’m not stupid.

URVIDIAN:

If they’re sending you here but they’re not replacing me with you… there must be something wrong with you.

RYAN:

What?

URVIDIAN:

It’s simple logic. I’m awful, anyone would be better than me, that leaves us with the question of what, then, is so wrong with you, Dr. Dalias?

RYAN:

There’s nothing wrong with me.

URVIDIAN:

Must be.

RYAN:

There isn’t.

URVIDIAN:

Has to be, obviously.

RYAN:

I assure you-

URVIDIAN (cutting him off):

Do you have a mental instability? Tulsian cowing syndrome, perhaps? Yes, yes, now I see it.

(whispering) The signs are… everywhere.

RYAN:

Wha- what signs?

URVIDIAN:

Like you’ve never noticed that sloping forehead in the mirror.

RYAN:

My forehead does not slope, and- and besides-

URVIDIAN (as Ryan continues):

A little bit.

RYAN:

That is not even a symptom of Tulsian-

URVIDIAN (snapping):

Then what is wrong with you!?

RYAN:

Nothing!

URVIDIAN:

Then why aren’t you replacing me?

RYAN:

Because that is not the plan!

URVIDIAN:

Aha!

RYAN:

(groans) Aha what?

URVIDIAN:

So there’s a plan.

(PAUSE)

Was I to be let in on this plan?

RYAN:

Yes… eventually. Probably…

(PAUSE)

(SIGHS)

Okay, fine.

(looking for the right words) Look I was sent here to watch you mostly, and, if absolutely necessary, yes, to take over.

URVIDIAN:

So… I was right.

RYAN:

No, no, you were not right. Central command has a lot of respect for you, and- and honestly a lot invested, your failure here would be an em- an embarrassment.

URVIDIAN:

Oh please.

RYAN:

Come on. The great Dr. Urvidian, pioneer of frontier medicine, brilliant xenomorphologist, curer of the baraat-a-athian plague, savior to millions?

URVIDIAN: That sounds like my CV.

RYAN:

Uh-huh. Special skills: egotism, egocentricity, narcissism-

URVIDIAN:

Those all mean the same thing.

RYAN:

Caught that, did you?

URVIDIAN:

... I dislike you.

RYAN: So you’ve said, look, the truth is… I think you’re scaring them. The Council. A little.

URVIDIAN:

Rubbish.

RYAN:

How quickly we forget the Pharmaceutical Micro-Xenobiology Conference on Arioka-3.

URVIDIAN:

I’ve not forgotten, it was simply… blown way out of proportion.

RYAN: Really?

URVIDIAN:

Of course.

RYAN:

Then, they didn’t find you behind a poster on the effects of simprosin on late state cybernosis unconscious and naked?

URVIDIAN:

Half-naked

RYAN:

Which half?

URVIDIAN:

Shut up. And none of your business.

RYAN:

Should I move on to the Pediatric Xenomorphologist Section Meeting on Starbase Delta?

URVIDIAN:

Now that was… not entirely my fault.

RYAN:

Did you see the video?

URVIDIAN: ...There’s a video?

RYAN:

Should I keep going, how many conferences did you go to last rotation?

URVIDIAN:

You’re not as humorous as you seem to think you are.

RYAN:

Well then why don’t I pull up the video and we can both have a laugh?

URVIDIAN:

Alright! Enough! What is it you want from me?

RYAN:

Just your cooperation.

URVIDIAN:

...What’s in it for me?

RYAN:

If all goes well, you get to keep your post and retire into bourjois senility without anyone ever being the wiser.

URVIDIAN:

That’s it? I’m nice to you and you don’t run home and tell mommy and daddy?

RYAN:

This has nothing to do with me. My job is to help you get your practice back on track so you can keep your command and not embarrass yourself and the dozens of now senior officers you’ve stood on to get here.

URVIDIAN:

And how do you intend to do that?

RYAN:

Sobriety would be a good place to start.

URVIDIAN (laughing):

No, nope, no. Are you out of your tiny monkey brain?

RYAN:

...My brain is not tiny.

URVIDIAN:

We can test that.

RYAN:

Look, in a few months, I either tell central command you’re fit for duty and I’m out of your hair, or we haul you back to earth on a shuttle, possibly in a straightjacket.

URVIDIAN:

Would there be beverage service on this shuttle?

RYAN:

...Seriously?

URVIDIAN:

...Fine.

RYAN:

Fine?

URVIDIAN:

Yes, fine. I will cooperate with you, you barbarian.

RYAN:

Good. We can start with no more Cyrillic Ale.

URVIDIAN:

Gods, man, what kind of demon are you?

RYAN:

It’s for the best.

URVIDIAN (quietly):

I suppose. Maybe it is. Bloody expensive anyway, doesn’t… doesn’t even taste that good.

RYAN:

Great, then, that’s settled, where is it?

(SILENCE)

...Doctor?

URVIDIAN:

Fine! It’s… in the drawer

SOUND: DRAWER OPENING, GLASS CLINKING, DRAWER CLOSING

RYAN:

Wow. Nice vintage.

URVIDIAN (sarcastic):

Anything else for today? Perhaps you can demonstrate your catheter insertion skills on me, that’s always fun. Seems like something you’d be into. Oh! I have a picture of my mother in my quarters, she’s drinking a glass of wine, perhaps you’d like to throw that away as well? Could be a source of temptation.

RYAN:

One step at a time, right?

URVIDIAN:

Did you happen to pick up a book of platitudes in the station gift shop or are you just that simple?

RYAN:

...There’s a gift shop?

URVIDIAN:

So what does this exactly make you? My sponsor? Gallenteur? Underwriter?

RYAN:

Why don’t… why don’t we just start with “colleague?”

URVIDIAN:

I prefer “subordinate.” I’m still your commanding officer.

RYAN:

Of course, absolutely. One who just has to… defer to my medical judgment when it comes to his own well being.

URVIDIAN:

So it’s come to this, being brow-beaten into sobriety by a central-command psychophant with a neanderthal forehead.

RYAN:

There is nothing wrong with my forehead!

URVIDIAN:

Of course not. Just be careful where you point it, we don’t want you blinding pilots heading for the docking pylons, that would be a disaster.

RYAN:

You know, it might not seem like it, but… I’m actually happy to be here. Do you know how many doctors would, like, seriously kill to have the opportunity to learn from you? I- I had to kill a few myself.

URVIDIAN (mocking):

Seriously, like, for real?

RYAN:

Okay, I’m just saying that I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a… very long time.

URVIDIAN:

...Really. You’re not just playing to my over-inflated ego? That’s how you put it, correct?

RYAN:

My dad used to read Dr. Urvidian: Medicine Man to me when I was little. I loved the illustration of you coming down Mt. Ceberon with bushels of colenian root under your arms. The loincloth was probably over the top, but…

URVIDIAN:

It cures Hysax fever.

RYAN:

Your loincloth?

URVIDIAN:

The cole-

RYAN (cutting him off):

I know.

URVIDIAN:

That mountain-

RYAN:

Is exceptionally dangerous. You risked your life to save the colony.

URVIDIAN:

It wasn’t all so dramatic as that.

RYAN:

Uh, seemed pretty dramatic to a 6-year-old. Still does to a… well, to me.

URVIDIAN:

You’re 34.

RYAN:

...How did you know that?

URVIDIAN:

I counted the circles around your eyes.

Your father… that would be Admiral Dalias, would it not?

RYAN:

...Yes.

URVIDIAN:

Figures.

RYAN:

I know you don’t believe me, but I want you to succeed, Dr. Urvidian, I really do, so does my father.

URVIDIAN:

Well… that’s very thoughtful. Thank you.

(PAUSE)

(sarcastic) Are we going to kiss now?

RYAN:

What?

URVIDIAN:

Or do you like to snuggle first? Shall I make some room on my sofa?

RYAN (sighing):

Okay-

URVIDIAN:

You have a very nice ass, Dr. Dalias, has anyone ever told you?

RYAN:

I’m going now. I’ll see you tomorrow.

URVIDIAN:

I’m sorry, should we… share more feelings first, is that the appropriate thing, I am-

RYAN:

A horrible person?

URVIDIAN:

-New at this.

RYAN:

Have a good evening, Dr. Urvidian.

URVIDIAN:

I believe I’m likely a top, but I’m willing to experiment just so you know.

SOUND: DOOR OPENING

RYAN:

Thanks for sharing.

URVIDIAN:

Anytime.

CUT TO: END THEME