#maybe after I sleep I will have the power of cohesive writing returned to me

[airlock]

it's inadvisably early in the morning and I just finished watching a video talking about the public perception of Twilight over the years, and it got me thinking about some things that I figured I might as well inelegantly ramble about in my limited platform that one or two people like to read my text posts on

but before I take this to the inside of the readmore, I have a small confession to make. you see, when I was a teenager...

... I fucking hated Twilight actually. that's barely a confession, but hey, I told you it was going to be small

anyways, onto the disorganized reflections about the deceptively simple matter of disliking things in media and fandom, typed from my phone and likely riddled with tpyos

in this day and age, I think it's very unlikely you'll uncover a person, especially a mature one, who likes Twilight without at least harboring reservations over its more tres problematique aspects or the simple fact that they're not really the most fascinating thing that a monkey has ever committed to a typewriter. at the same time, though, the phenomenon of vociferously disliking twilight is long gone; for the most part, Twilight either your guilty pleasure, or something you don't think about very much at all anymore.

this has made it rather easy to construct the retrospective narrative that, even if being a twilight fan back in the day might have been a little bit cringey and embarassing, everyone who vocally disliked the books back then was someone pathetically hanging their entire identity onto bashing a thing just because teenage girls liked it.

now, I'm not here to stand in defense of the whole of the phenomenon that was Hating Twilight, because hoo boy, not all was right in that kingdom. it led to an immensurable quota of bullying and harassment, and much of it was rooted in sexism, queerphobia, machismo, the works. still, some part of me doesn't see how exactly it's fair to forgive Twilight for being imperfect while also casting that other coin of olden times only ever in the worst possible light. it's not an exact equivalence by any means, but I think it's something comparable.

it's also just kind of like... when I think about to what exactly I disliked so much about Twilight, when I try to get to the core of it in the most honest way I can... it comes down to the sparkly vampires. yeah. it's not that I hated it because it was effette (although I wholly admit that I was there on board with people taking the mockery in that direction), so much as that it seemed like this story was written about vampires that weren't vampires in any interesting way. not nocturnal bloodthirsty undead monsters, just attractive guys with a couple of superpowers. might as well have set it in smallville.

you might be thinking, that's such an unimportant thing. and it absolutely was! but nobody is any longer pretending like they had a deep and interesting reason for liking Twilight; why should it only be Valid (TM) to have disliked it all along if you were one of the people who actually had a good reason to feel that way?

there are certainly some things that the sentiment doesn't justify -- doesn't make it right to give the people who did like the books a hard time, and doesn't make it right to talk about these dislikes as if they are objective assessments of quality, to name a few things. again, it's not an exact equivalence. but I think this unwillingness to just let people have their petty, personal dislikes is one manifestation of a deeper and more insidious phenomenon in modern fandom culture.

one thing I also remember from those yonder days is that, from time to time, people would take me to task on why disliking Twilight seemed to matter so much to me. whether it be because of times when I was genuinely being uppity about it, or because of times when people simply projected this sense of caring very much at simple expressions of dislike and/or some rounds of having fun lambasting the disliked thing. at those times, I'd do the thing that many people did and fall back on concern trolling over the book's ostensible romanticization of abusive behavior. (which, to be clear, is not something I am now categorically saying Twilight doesn't do, I'm just now past the point of pretending like I know enough about the series to make such a serious accusation affirmatively. maybe I should have just stuck with calling out the part where a dude falls in love with a newborn. I know that that's a thing that happens, unfortunately)

thing is, that particular strain of behavior -- deflecting with social commentary as a response to being taken to task on your petty dislikes -- reminds me quite a bit of something else. like, say, the fact that most people in fandom these days are absolutely unwilling to ever admit they dislike something just because they do and instead always have to make it out to be a cause of social justice instead.

one of the bigger reasons why this happens is purity culture and the desirability of signaling wokeness to others even in situations where it does not fucken matter, but I think another of the biggest reasons is that, if someone simply does come out and say "yeah, I dislike the thing for reasons that aren't very deep", they tend to get responded to like they grew five heads. best case scenario, they get labeled a killjoy. worst case scenario, they get the woke-fu turned on them, because hmmmm, how suspicious that you dislike this character who is a minority of some sort. (if the character is not a minority of any sort, then naturally, people have written slash fic about him, therefore you are homophobic for disliking him. it always works!)

now, there is a certain amount of etiquette that is fundamental to not being a dick about disliking things -- the golden rule being that you don't ruin the fun for people who do like the thing -- but I think it's high time we recognized more broadly that pettiness creates as much community and life as love does. somewhere beneath all the chest-thumping and celebrity harassment, there were once people genuinely finding community in their shared distate for this tedious little book that it seemed like the world couldn't get over. I think that, whenever you give people that opportunity to bond over a shared dislike, they'll bite; it's better we just figure out how to wield this, with etiquette and honesty, and accept it. it's leaps and bounds better than making people feel like they have to destroy something before they're allowed not to like it.

hell, I'd say that the best thing out there is when fans and haters of a certain thing can still find common ground. can you imagine how thrilled I was when I heard about how the Twilight series apparently has a whole lot of more interesting-sounding side characters who were just unfortunately shunted to the background of The Love Triangle Of Mr. Obssessive, Ms. Everygirl, And Mr. Secretly Actually In Love With An Ovum?

[archived-kin]

caught in a twin courtship

note from kin: i’m going to be honest i only really wrote this because the title is fun to say, so it isn’t as cohesive as i normally would have wanted to make it

(this is an au where the twins aren’t separated by the unknown god! instead, just their world-hopping powers were stolen, and that’s why they’re journeying to find said god - to get their powers back so that they can go home. i’ve also excluded paimon since i kind of forgot about her while writing this haha)

(this doesn’t follow canon at all since reader and the twins just kind of start wandering about after the dvalin incident rather than heading straight for liyue oops)

fandom: genshin impact

character(s): gn!reader, lumine, aether, diluc, venti, jean

pairing(s): aether/reader/lumine

warning(s): i don’t think so??

genre: fluff with a little bit sprinkling of angst

you first meet the twins in the aftermath of the stormterror battle. it isn’t a glamorous introduction by any means - it’s pretty unflattering, actually - but it definitely makes a powerful first impression.

the group - aether, lumine, venti, diluc, and jean - are on their way back to mondstadt city, making small talk here and there, but mostly just walking in silence.

then they hear a yell in the distance.

jean and lumine both drop into a battle stances, venti leaps to hide behind aether with a very unmanly squeak of fear… but diluc, who arguably should have been the most alerted by this occurrence, just gives a resigned sigh and pauses.

a split second later, a figure comes speeding up to the group. you barrel up to diluc and immediately punch him square in the stomach, yelling “why didn’t you tell me you were going after stormterror?!”

aether and venti both give matching gasps of horror at the blatant disrespect, but diluc only shakes his head and catches your fist as it goes for another blow, this one aimed at his chest, and chastises, “calm down, i left a note.”

“i left a note,” you mimic, an absolutely awful impression that has you sounding more like a mosquito than the darknight hero, “fat lot of use that is when you aren’t even telling me where you’re going!”

diluc evades another jab at his arm and firmly sets his hands on both your shoulders, effectively anchoring you to the ground. you contemplate swinging your feet at his knees and knocking him over, or maybe shocking him with your electro vision, but ultimately decide that you might as well try to preserve what little dignity you have left in front of those three people you’ve never met before

so you stop with a defeated sigh and turn to face said three people to introduce yourself

it turns out that you’re diluc’s cousin and he’s been having to baby-sit you for the last few years after your own parents left on a ‘business trip’ to snezhnaya that they’re still not back from

you’re pretty sure they’re dead, killed by the fatui, and you say as much during your introduction without even the slightest sign of distress, which is a little unsettling

lumine’s first thought is that you’re quite the interesting character, what with the casual way you treat diluc, and how you don’t seem to question whatever situation lead you to meet in the first place

aether’s first thought is holy shit, they’re cute

one twin greets you in return with a lot more enthusiasm than the other, and venti the bard wastes no time in asking whether you have access to good master diluc’s wine storage

(you’d be shocked by the audacity if you weren’t just as bad as him when it came to shamelessness)

strangely enough, the fact that aether likes you so much actually makes lumine more wary of you than she was initially

aether trusts too easily, and from experience, that usually leads to disaster - and your flippancy regarding your parents’ apparent probable deaths rather inclines her to think that you might be a very dangerous person indeed

the three of you don’t see each other for a couple of days after that - you and diluc leave for dawn winery together, while the twins depart with venti to wrap their whole situation up, and jean returns to her duties in mondstadt city

all this time, apparently unbeknownst to even himself, aether keeps finding ways to bring you up in the middle of conversation

you’d only spoken to him for a few minutes and somehow that as enough to get him absolutely fascinated

lumine would be lying if she said she wasn’t still curious about you as well, but it gets annoying after aether somehow manages to mention how ‘mysterious’ your black cloak is in the middle of a conversation about why mitachurls are able to randomly set their axes on fire

luckily for these two, they happen to run into you the very next day!

you’re in the middle of taking out a ruin guard stomping around the thousand winds temple -  a ruin guard that the twins had been meaning to take down themselves, which is why they’re here in the first place

at first they move to help you, only to stop short and watch in awe as you plunge down at the ruin guard from atop one of the enormous pillars, your polearm held steady in your grasp as your entire body seems to spark and glow with a deep purple electro energy

the sharp blade of your polearm goes clean through the top of the ruin guard’s head and shatters its core, and it sinks to the ground with a massive thud that echoes around the temple ruins, massive wooden limbs twitching and jerking as the last of your vision’s energy disperses from it

aether and lumine are basically star-struck

from there you spot them and call them over for a conversation, show them how to take apart a ruin guard’s circuits to get at the good parts, and somehow end up agreeing to journey with them across teyvat in their search for an unknown god who stole their abilities to hop from world to world as well as their apparent true power that allows them to wield all seven elements at once

the details are a little lost on you, but what you’re hearing is that you get to go on a cool adventure with a cool gal and a cool lad, so you’re pretty much all for it

diluc isn’t too happy about you up and leaving without so much as two week’s notice (partially because he has literally no friends apart from you and he’d get lonely without his little cousin bothering him all the time) but you simply tell him to deal with it and go anyway

(you do give him a big hug and promise to visit, you’re not heartless)

from then on you, aether and lumine become a dynamic trio like no other

it’s actually pretty damn spooky how well the three of you end of working together

aether and lumine had long since formed a style of fighting that meant they made up for each other’s weak spots and could attack in perfect sync, but then you come along and somehow manage to make their already pretty flawless formation even better

is it witchcraft? they honestly don’t know

considering you fit so well into their battle strategies, it follows that you’d also slot perfectly into their every day life

lumine is cautious at first, wondering if your presence would disrupt her and her brother’s long since pre-established routines, but you fit in so naturally that it’s as if you were there all long

maybe it it’s this that makes both twins slowly start falling for you - the comfort of being beside you and the familiarity that you bring are things that they struggled to find, being trapped in a world far from their own with no way to get out, and they unknowingly latch onto you like drowning men clutching lifebuoys

aether is the most obvious about his feelings - he starts waking up earlier just because he knows you do, sitting beside you as you stoke a campfire and keep watch for any approaching monsters, making quiet conversation as lumine continues sleeping. he tells you stories about his adventures in other worlds, including an encounter with a rather bigoted individual who is the reason that he keeps his hair so long while lumine’s has been cut short

he even starts taking his hair out of its braid before he goes to sleep so that he can ask you to braid it for him when he wakes up

lumine is a lot more subtle

she finds excuses to stand closer to you when, deliberately brushing her fingers against yours when handing you something. she listens far more attentively to you when you speak than anyone else, and she smiles far more in your presence, hanging onto your every word and gazing at you so intensely that it’s almost unsettling

of course, the twins notice each other’s feelings pretty easily

at first neither acknowledges it - it’d be far too messy for both to accept that they’d both fallen in love with the same person, let alone actually admit this to each other

but it gets to the point where it just isn’t ignorable anymore, and finally the twins decide to talk

it’s about as civil and sensible as they could hope for with the subject at hand, and they eventually decide to talk to you about it

and so, we come to an ultimatum. what will your choice be?

if you reject both, it’ll be hard to continue adventuring with twins who can’t look in your direction. neither resent you, of course, but the atmosphere has become so stifling that they can’t even make eye contact

it’s as if an enormous gap has opened up between the three of you. the twins are avoiding each other as well, unsure of how to handle the fact that they’re both in love with the same person and have now both been rejected by that same person. if anything, they should be becoming closer out of solidarity, but it seems that they can’t stand to be in each other’s presence as much as they can’t stand to be in yours.

the three of you still work together as seamlessly in battle as you did before, but once the final monster has been cut down and your weapons are sheathed, that connection seems to disappear again.

it’s aether who finally breaks the stalemate. he starts trying to start conversations as the three of you sit awkwardly apart from each other around a fire, and while the first few attempts end in stony silence and an awkward cough on his part, eventually you begin replying with some semblance of the humour you used to

from there things only improve - the three of you come to a silent mutual agreement to leave this behind you, and soon you’re all laughing and joking as you used to

lumine and aether both know that they cannot force you to love either of them, and they respect your choice. if anything, they’re the ones in the wrong for springing something like this on you so suddenly, and they start to feel a little guilty that they were essentially pressuring you into making a choice that you were never obligated to make

so they return to treating you as a dear friend, just as before. things are different now, of course, but they can only be grateful that you continue to travel with them and stay by their side; this situation doesn’t make them love you any less, even if you don’t love them in the same way.

if you choose lumine, aether will be understanding. the twins have been each other’s only support for longer than they can remember, and as the older brother, he’s well used to giving things up for his sister.

he’ll still be friendly and amicable, but he won’t seek you out as much as he did before. he starts braiding his hair by himself again, and stays in bed as late as he can every morning so that he doesn’t have to be face to face with you. just because he’s accepted this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt.

sometimes, when the sky grows dark and you and lumine have long since fallen asleep beside each other, he wonders to himself - why is it that he has to give everything to his sister? he’s given away so much, so why couldn’t the universe let him have this one thing?

but he knows, deep down, that this is nothing to do with the universe - you simply fell in love with someone that wasn’t him, his sister at that, and he’s struggling to come to terms with it.

he wants to hate you, hate lumine, hate the relationship that the two of you have formed, but he just can’t. he loves the both of you in different ways that are just as important as each other, and he can’t stand to lose either of you. he’d rather throw himself off of starsnatch cliff.

so he’ll smile and bear it, even if it’s a battle to keep himself from breaking down every time he sees the two of you lace your hands together, off in your own little word, so near and yet so far from him.

if you choose aether, lumine will become cold. at first, that is. she’s never been as empathetic as her brother, always holding grudges and developing dislike much more easily. it had taken a lot for her to open up to you in the first place, and now that you’ve rejected her, it’s going to take a while for her to return to the same camaderie with you that she had before.

lumine does not begrudge aether for being the one you chose. if anything, she’s glad - aether is always putting her first and himself second, and she’s happy that he has someone like you, who lights his eyes up in a way that she’s never seen before.

but our hearts often betray our mind, after all, and lumine can’t help but scowl and turn away every time she sees her brother wrap his arms around your waist or press a kiss to your cheek. despite her best efforts, all she can think is why? why did you have to choose him?

she can’t bring herself to hate you, though. as much as it feels like her heart is threatening to split down the middle when she sees you smile and is reminded of something that she cannot have, there is an equal joy in the fact that her brother can be with the person that he loves so dearly. if anything, the two of you deserve to be happy together.

lumine would never do anything that could take that away, and so she forces herself to accept it. it takes several days of tentative conversation and barely held back tears, but eventually the two of you seem to return to the way you were before - all friendly jabs and light-hearted banter and little jokes exchanged over crossed blades.

but lumine knows that your friendship can never be quite the same as it was before. she’ll forever be holding you at arm’s length, terrified to let you get too close lest you see how much your presence affects her. she can’t let you know how much she loves you because she will never be the one who links hands with you as you walk down a long, winding path, or the one who holds you close under a darkening sky filled with stars - because that person is aether, and she would sooner die before she takes her brother’s happiness away.

if you refuse to choose, the twins will be at a loss at what to do. they hadn’t considered this scenario - that you had somehow come to love both of them.

the confusion becomes joy soon enough, though. they realise what this means - they both love you, and you love both of them! isn’t this perfect?

neither are particularly thrilled at the concept of ‘sharing’ you with the other, so to speak, but in the end they both equally want each other to be happy as they want you to be, so the logical conclusion is that they both become your partners.

they’re not too sure how this should work, nor what sort of label to put on it, but they come to you tentatively with the idea anyway

to their joyous surprise, you agree!

and from then marks the point of no return…

aether is definitely the clingier of the two. once he realises that he’s allowed to show affection and be close to you for no particular reason, he won’t stop - it’s as if he absolutely has to be holding your hand or be standing or sitting  as close to you as physically possible. he’s always buying you souvenirs at every place you stop by, scaling trees to pick apples for you when you mention a craving for fruit, presenting you little treasures that he’s found with all the pride of a golden retriever.

lumine is a more subdued kind of partner, preferring to demonstrate her feelings with little things like making your favourite food for dinner or bringing you sprigs of flowers that she’s secretly been collecting in order to present you with them. of course, that doesn’t mean she isn’t physically affectionate at all - she presses perhaps even closer to you than aether when you sleep beside her, and somehow her hand finds yours at every opportunity she has.

the twins clash every now and then, as siblings often do, except that you’re usually caught in the middle. their arguments are little more than playful squabbles, though - things like play-fighting over who gets to hug you first after a well-fought battle, or who gets to hold your hand on the way to the next village (you have to step in and remind them that you do, in fact, have two hands)

in conclusion: why choose one when you can have both and prevent the unchosen from having endless amounts of angst?

[seriouslyhooked]

The Bast Bad Idea (Part 2)

Three-part CS AU where Emma and Killian are doctors working at the same hospital (world without pandemic). They’ve yet to meet, but Emma has definitely seen the sexy Dr. Jones in her travels at Mist Haven Medical. It’s generally a bad idea to get involved with a colleague, but a little fantasizing never hurt… right? Inspired by the song ‘Bad Idea’ by Ariana Grande and a TV couple who set the bar for true love stories.

Part One Here. Story available on FF Here and AO3 Here.

A/N: Hello everyone! First and foremost, I want to start with a huge thank you to all of you who have reached out about this story. The response was so far beyond what I was expecting, but I am thrilled to know that all of you enjoy a CS Doctor AU as much as I do. As someone who grew up watching Grey’s Anatomy, it’s essentially engrained in my DNA to love a medical romance, and this story is one I have wanted to write for a long time. I’ve had more than a month away from writing thanks to my busy schedule, but finally my muse came to play and add a bit of fluff to this sweet short story. Chapter two picks up with a critical question – what was Dr. Jones going to propose to Dr. Swan…? Without further ado, here is our answer. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

“This might be presumptuous of me, love, but I find I’m helpless to resist. I was wondering – that is, I was hoping that perhaps, you and I, we could…”

His eyes strayed down to her lips, and Emma wet them absentmindedly. She heard a low growl, and realized it was coming from Killian. She shifted in her seat, turned on in a way she had never been before. Instinctively she moved closer, sensing the sinfully sweet current between them, like lightning just before it cracked across a summer sky. The instant attraction was breathtaking. It felt almost out of time and space.

“We could…” she continued, nudging him along and hoping he would elaborate. She wanted so badly for him to say aloud what she herself was wishing for.

Yet where Emma expected words, she was instead met with action, tantalizing and surprising, but inspiring something in her she never expected. Before she knew it, Emma was in Killian’s arms, aching for this moment, kissing him and knowing she was positively senseless. All that existed was this kiss, this touch. It was electrifying and invigorating, a blaze rushing through her blood stream that emboldened a part of her she’d always held back. Desire. That was what this was, and it was luscious and intoxicating.

Following his lead, Emma broke away from the kiss only to gasp for air as he crowded her body against the wall. The hardness of the cement blocks behind her, coupled with the heat and definition of Dr. Killian Jones was too much to handle. She arched into him, striving for contact, and reveling in the feel of his skin on hers. The only problem was these damn clothes between them. Never in her life had she been irritated at this doctor’s coat she’d worked so hard to earn. For years she studied and poured everything she was into medicine, all for the authority this coat portrayed, but she practically purred when Killian stripped hers off and tossed it to the ground. Pushing his off of his body in return made her mind race. The muscles of his chest and arms were driving her to distraction. Then they flexed, and she swallowed harshly, earning a deep, decadent chuckle from this man who drove her crazy.

“See something you like, Swan?”

God that cockiness. They’d never had any kind of real conversation before now, but the way he smiled spoke volumes. His air and his persona were dripping in assuredness. Emma used to think that she hated so much confidence, but when it came to Killian, she craved it something fierce. It was somewhat infuriating, the way his eyes shone with mischief and conceit, but it was also hotter than anything she’d ever known. Still, part of her would rather die than admit that aloud. She had her pride, no matter how wrapped up in this moment she may be.

“It’s hard to say,” she replied, her voice sounding out with a shredded silkiness that she’d never heard before. “I haven’t seen much of anything yet.”

“My apologies, love. Allow me to rectify the situation.”

Emma watched as this ridiculously attractive man purposefully teased her. With deft fingers he reached for the base of his scrub top, inching the material higher up his body. The trail of dark hair he revealed was evocative, but it held no candle the shape and tone of those abs underneath. Sweet Jesus, were those real? Emma bit back a groan at the sight, her lip pressed tight between her teeth. It took everything in her to keep her hands from reaching for him. She lay them flat on the wall behind her at her sides instead, but they balled into fists unconsciously as Killian eventually tossed the shirt away.

His black hair was mussed now, both from removing the scrubs with that always-present swagger, and from her fingers having run through it during their never-ending kisses. His eyes were dark navy blue, but still they shone with hunger and delight. His grin was a mix of charming and predatory, but instead of inciting a fight or flight response, Emma only wanted to surrender. This was a man who knew he was in complete control. He had hooked her, totally and beyond any shadow of doubt, and all she wanted was for him to have his way with her.

The curses he whispered while helping her shed her own scrubs were like prayers on high, a sweet song to her ears that only added to his allure. Killian’s eyes never strayed from her, but his reactions were so open and transparent. He hid nothing, allowing her a glimpse to the world inside, and it caused the power between them to shift. If Emma was being hunted, then she was also hunting in return, and Killian seemed ready to be caught.

“Emma, I -,”

His voice faded out, and she struggled to hear him. Instead, there was a blaring alarm. Was this a fire drill? Why had the light in the room gone hazy? Still, Emma heard herself whisper his name.

“Killian?”

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The screech of the sharp, incessant chiming by her ears wrenched Emma’s eyes open, and immediately she groaned in disappointment. All of that – every exquisite moment – was a dream. Ugh, of course it was! Because this was her life now: fantasizing about a hot trauma surgeon ceaselessly and wishing that her memories of him were more than mere imagination.  

“Damn it,” she muttered aloud, covering her eyes with her hand in frustration. With her vision blocked, Emma was more aware of the feeling that her body was wrapped up in her sheets. She’d obviously been tossing and turning through the night, restless in ways she rarely was before seeing Doctor Jones. These freaking dreams just felt so real, and they’d only gotten worse since officially meeting him.

That was three days ago now, but things had been chaotic in the meantime. The level four trauma that came in when they’d been formally introduced totally swamped the ER. Emma was called down for consult on multiple patients, needing to give life and death assessments and treatment plans for half a dozen people. While down there, Emma had the chance to see David and Killian in action. She was struck, even in the grips of adrenaline, by their cohesion and capability. They were cool and collected, battling odds that were dire to say the least, but they prevailed. Emma had worked for years to hone her craft, to heighten her skills, and to meet the moments of medicine that her work provided. But the energy in the ER had shifted, and she felt her own abilities elevated by the camaraderie and collectiveness of everyone in the hospital.

That shared experience only lasted a short while, for after initial inspections and emergency consults, Emma was quickly rerouted to the surgical wing. For 16 hours straight she worked to save the lives of four people, and through something that felt like magic, or maybe divine intervention, she was successful each and every time. That good fortune held, not only for her, but for all of her colleagues as well. The hospital had managed something next to impossible – they had saved every victim of the horrible accident, but the work had been backbreaking. When she’d finally scrubbed out of her last procedure, Emma admitted defeat, heading home and sleeping for twelve straight hours.

Her next shift was markedly slower, and Emma had the chance to see the progress of her post-op patients, and to connect with the others in her unit. It was critically important that the doctors, nurses, admins, tech teams, and other staff were all feeling strong and secure. Patients needed everyone working as a collective whole, and Emma took it upon herself to monitor that. It was unusual for a Doctor, especially one who wasn’t overseeing daily operations, but it mattered to Emma. Saving lives took so much more than her medical degree and steady hands. She needed each and every person in the cardiac wing to be successful, and she valued every one of them for what they brought to the team.

Unfortunately, while Emma’s day was slower and steadier, there was also a favorite element now lacking. She wasn’t too proud to admit that she’d willingly joined Ruby on the daily trip to the coffee cart. Actually, she’d been the one to page Ruby this time, earning more than a bit of teasing from her best friend, but Killian and David never showed. Only later, when Emma was at the tail end of her workday and helping with a consult in the ER, did she learn why.

“He was here for sixty-eight straight hours,” David said bluntly, after having confirmed his diagnosis for a patient presenting with a blood circulation issue.

“I’m sorry?” Emma asked, confused for a moment at David’s turn of topic.

“Killian,” David said, prompting Emma’s face to heat. Here she was, hoping it wasn’t totally obvious that she was looking for a man she hardly knew beyond imaginings, but David had seen through her in a matter of moments.

“Oh, um – that’s, well that’s… crazy. Sixty-eight hours?” That beat even her record, and she’d been called a workaholic on more than one occasion.

“Mhmm. We were on the end of a twelve-hour shift when the call came in and he stayed, until every last patient in the trauma department was seen and attended to. I left for eight hours and was dead to the world the entire time. Still felt laggy when coming back. Meanwhile, he caught maybe four hours sleep total interspersed between rounds, crashing in on call rooms. You’d never know though. He was totally unfazed. Brilliant as ever. It was like being back in the field again.”

“Seriously?” Emma asked, amazed at that. She was no stranger to long shifts, but to work that hard for that long was a herculean feat. Somehow, though, she wasn’t surprised to hear Killian had pulled it off.

“Yup. I had to force him to go back to his hotel. Actually, Regina had to. I tried, but until the Chief said something, he wouldn’t budge. She had to spew all sorts of protocol and legal jargon at him to get him to go. Even then, I could tell he was debating whether to stay or not.”

“He has a real connection with his patients,” Emma commented, vocalizing a fact she’d ascertained by watching him in action. Killian cared deeply, and while his main job may be all about stemming the flow of crisis, and bouncing around from one case to the next just to keep people holding on, he kept track of all those he helped, and invested in each patient no matter what.

“Maybe. I think it had more to do with the fact that it was only eight am and you wouldn’t be at the coffee stand yet.”

Before Emma could respond, David was paged for something else. He’d left her with a polite goodbye, but also a knowing smile. Another time, Emma might have tried to fake that she wasn’t interested or deny that there was something between her and Killian, but instead she was too busy fixating on what she’d just heard. Emma carried David’s assessment around with her for the rest of the day, well after leaving the hospital and heading home. She spent the night wondering if what David said was true. Was Killian as interested in her as she was in him?

“This might be presumptuous of me, love, but I find I’m helpless to resist. I was wondering – that is, I was hoping that perhaps, you and I, we could…”

“We could what?” she whispered, getting out of her car, heading inside to her next shift. “What was he going to ask me?”

“Did you say something, Emma?”

Emma jumped at the unexpected question, senses on high alert as she stood before the elevator in the parking garage. When she found Mary Margaret only a few feet from her, and clearly the orator of the previous question, Emma relaxed slightly. She tried her best not to show her embarrassment, but it was difficult. Now she was talking to herself? Jeez, she was truly losing it at this point.

“Oh, uh, nothing. How are you today?” she asked her friend. Mary Margaret smiled widely. Her excitement was palpable, filling up the elevator car as the two of them stepped inside.

“I’m great! Just eager to get to work.”

“Any interesting cases on the schedule?”

“Oh, uh, sure, there’s a few, I guess. Well really most of my day is going to be in consult with the Chief’s office.”

“Wait a second, you have to spend a prolonged period of time with the Evil Queen and you are smiling? Who are you and what have you done with Mary Margaret?” Her friend now looked flustered, clearly trying to grasp at an explanation and then it dawned on Emma. “This is about David isn’t it?”

“David?” Mary Margaret asked, her pitch higher than it had been just moments ago. Emma laughed at her friend’s terrible play acting. Trying to pretend that this wasn’t about David Nolan was a lost cause. Eventually Mary Margaret realized that, and she sighed, releasing the tension in her shoulders as she exhaled. “Okay, yes, I am seeing Dr. Nolan today.”

“Let me guess, he’s also going to be at the admin meetings.”

“They’re about coordinating long term therapies better with our emergency protocols and treatments. So yes, the head of the ER is likely to make an appearance.”

“I see,” Emma said, biting back a smirk so as not to make Mary Margaret too uncomfortable. In the end though her curiosity won out, and she had to ask. “So, any movement there?”

“Movement?”

“Has he asked you out yet?”

“Not exactly.” Emma waited for her friend to explain herself. Mary Margaret held off for a few seconds before blurting out the truth. “I actually asked him.”

“Really?” Emma was shocked. Not because she thought any less of Mary Margaret. In fact, quite the opposite. She was proud of Mary Margaret for going for what she wanted. She just had never ever seen Mary Margaret step outside of a comfort zone like that, and certainly not with a hospital colleague. “Good for you. And he obviously said yes.”

“Why is it obvious?” Emma rolled her eyes, but in a teasing way.

“Come on, you know you two were making heart eyes at each other the other day. There was a definite spark. We all saw it.”

“I’m honestly surprised you noticed since you had your own, what did you just call them? ‘Heart eyes’? Well, you definitely had heart eyes for a certain trauma surgeon.”

Now it was Emma’s turn to blush, and what perfect timing, because the elevator doors had just opened to the lobby. They exited the quiet of the elevator to a hustle and bustle found only at a top tier hospital. It felt like a swarm of people, buzzing every which way, on their own individual paths.

“David and I going to dinner tomorrow,” Mary Margaret said quietly, looking around and finding no eavesdropping colleagues. When the coast was clear, she smiled, looking back at Emma with excitement all over her face. “That’s all I know though. I may have asked him out, but he made it very clear he had plans for how our first date was going to be.”

“I have a good feeling about this guy,” Emma said, referring to David. She had known Mary Margaret for a long time, and she knew how much her friend wished for a real and solid love in her life. Few people desired and deserved that kind of connection like Mary Margaret, and for Emma, there was a real satisfaction in seeing her friend’s instant connection with a stand-up man. Based on past experience, there weren’t too many of those to go around.

“Which one?” Mary Margaret asked. Emma stammered something non-committal out, causing her friend to laugh once more. “And that right there is all the answer I need. See you later, Emma. Oh, and when you see Killian again, just go for it. Believe me, it’s so much better than waiting and wondering.”

With that, Mary Margaret headed towards the wing of the hospital where the Chief and her admins worked. At the same time, Emma turned her attention to the cardiac unit.  She had a ways to go to get there, but while still in the main entrance of the hospital she was stopped short by a gruff, and somewhat uncertain voice.

“Excuse me, Doctor Swan?”

“Yes?” Emma replied, looking to the young man who approached her. Taking in his features, she realized she knew him peripherally. He was one of the new interns cycling through the hospital this year, but he hadn’t worked in the cardio wing or in a surgical capacity. Taking in his lanyard, which bore his ID card over plain clothes, she saw he was an ER intern. Interesting. “Can I help you?”

“This is for you.” The young man offered her a paper box. Emma accepted, thoroughly confused before the intern elaborated. “Curtesy of Doctor Jones.”

“Oh,” Emma said, suddenly incredibly interested. Unable to resist, she opened the box. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but what she found made her smile widely. “These are flowers. Paper flowers.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m not entirely sure of the significance, but Doctor Jones told me there is a note inside as well. He wanted me to be sure to mention that.”

Emma was more than excited to read what this astonishing man would write to her, but something the intern said reminded her of the awkwardness of this situation. Had Killian used his authority over the interns to have this delivered? It wasn’t a crazy assumption. Many of the residents and attendings here saw interns as the low rungs on the ladder. They were meant to be learning and training, but often they were sent on coffee runs and foolish errands. Emma never believed in that though. She found it unkind and unnecessary.

“To be honest, it was hard to convince Doctor Jones to let me bring these,” the intern said, perplexing Emma further while eerily reading her mind. “I had to offer about a half dozen times. My shift was ending, you see, and I’ve been looking for a way to thank Doctor Jones since he got here. You know he created extra hours in the ER skills lab? He’s working with first years too. We get very little access usually, because the third years are prepping for exams and stuff, but he convinced Doctor Nolan to extend the hours. He’s even hosting classes himself. Cool right?”

“Very cool,” Emma said with a nod, and another smile. She breathed out a sigh of relief, genuinely happy to realize this man she’d been thinking of was good to others. It also made accepting this thoughtful gift so much easier.

From there, Caleb said goodbye, heading out for whatever interns did with down time these days. Oh, who was she kidding? Sleeping. That’s what she’d done, and no doubt that was what all interns still wanted most of all. Emma though, felt more awake now than she had in a long while. She found a quiet corner in one of the corridors leading to the cardio unit and took a seat, opening the box away from prying eyes.

Inside the box there were six different types of what looked like origami flowers. They were beautiful and delicate, and she wondered where he could have bought them. Only when she opened the note did she realize the truth.

Emma,

As you know, I’ve been away for quite a while, out in the field in a completely different world. In the desert there’s not really that much to do, except survive and keep as many of your people as well as you can. The downtime is long and hot and quiet. I picked up these tricks from a fellow soldier. It kept my hands at the ready and my mind clear, and there’s an honest beauty in them that reminds me of you. 

Truth be told, there’s a flower for each time I’ve tried to catch you at the coffee cart since our meeting. Clearly my missions have been unsuccessful, so this calls for a change in tactics…

Emma smiled at the thoughtfulness and felt the pull of butterflies low in her chest.  He thought she was beautiful, and he said it without fear. Had a man ever said so much? Had it ever mattered? Certainly not like it did now. Reading on, Emma laughed at the lightheartedness of the note and the bit of cheeky humor that accompanied it. His easygoing candor and transparency enchanted her, drawing her in even more than she already was. Then she memorized the time and place he suggested that they meet at the bottom of the page, knowing nothing and no one was going to keep her from this meeting.

Only after reading through his handwritten thoughts three or four times did she realize an added layer of perfection: these flowers weren’t just handmade and crafted with intention. They were also safe for her to take with her to her ward of the hospital. Being in and out of the ICU and cardiac units, Emma couldn’t bring real flowers into her offices without putting some patients at risk, but she could have these. From within the box she selected a bright yellow blossom, beautiful and intricate and folded to perfection. Wordlessly she tucked it away in her pocket. The others were deposited for safe keeping in her office as soon as she arrived back in the East Wing, and displayed on her windowsill, brightening the space.

The hours between the start of her shift and the time she was meant to meet Killian passed by slowly. Her rounds usually distracted her, but not today. While she still gave all due attention to her patients, Emma had that sense in the back of her mind that this afternoon would bring so much more to the forefront. The promise of seeing him again kept her heart pattering faster than it should be, and by the time the clock was minutes from their meeting, she was positively bursting with anticipation.

“Okay, usually I would give you a hard time and pretend to tag along, but even I can’t mess with a smile like that.” Ruby’s words snapped Emma’s focus back to the hallway where she was standing, pretending to read a chart. As she looked to her friend, however, she would never be able to recall what was on the screen in front of her. Ruby grinned when their eyes met. “He gave you the flowers, didn’t he?”

“You knew?” Emma asked and Ruby nodded.

“Yup. Ran into him at the cart a couple of times. He was really starting to piss off the kiosk guy with all his loitering. Had to give him a hundred dollars just to shut him up.”

“He didn’t!”

“No, I wouldn’t let him. I told Boris to shut it unless he wanted a hospital wide nurses strike. Guy knows better than to cross me. He just acts tough for clout.” Emma laughed, knowing her friend truly ran this place in most ways. But then the apprehension of the moment caught up to her again, and Emma’s brow furrowed in worry. “Oh no you don’t. No doubting this, Ems. I’ve vetted this guy. Run all the background, checked all the sources. He’s a good one, a one in a million, needle in a haystack, diamond in the rough kind of man. And, to top it all off, he’s crazy about you.”

“You think?” Emma asked and Ruby nodded.

“I know, but that’s all I’m saying. Let Killian speak for himself, okay? And, even though it’s hard, try and trust this.”

“I think I already do,” Emma whispered. “Trust him, I mean. But that’s crazy, right?”

“Love tends to be that way.”

“Ruby.”

“Emma,” her friend parroted, taking her hand and squeezing gently. “Just go for it. Go for it and see for yourself.”

With a nod, and the validation that she needed to hear from a trusted friend, Emma headed off. It felt natural and expected to make her way towards the center of the hospital once more. This time though, she passed the coffee cart, with only a fleeting glance. Killian wasn’t meeting her there today. In fact, she wasn’t entirely sure where they were meeting. She followed the directions he’d given her, up a few more flights of stairs and through the wing with pediatric patients and newborns. She had been here many times before, for consults and comfort. It was a draw here in the hospital – the cuteness of babies just starting their journeys in the new world. Emma looked at them today, noticing the vibrancy inside the nursery, but didn’t linger. Instead, she followed the last of the route that Killian had given her and ended up somewhere she’d never been before. A place that must have just finished being renovated.

“Wow,” Emma whispered, walking into the sunlight on the open terrace.

With the glass surroundings and the plant life everywhere, this place was beautiful. There were pergolas and hanging vines, topiaries and flowering plants, daffodils and tulips, all breathing in the spring. It felt like a park, floating in the air, with the sounds of the city barely audible below. Emma could imagine the kids and the families who would come here someday. She hoped it would be a space for them to find some peace and happiness while staying in this unfamiliar and often stressful place. Hospitals were rarely any fun for patients, necessary as they may be, but this space was beautiful enough to distract from that.

“You made it, love.” The deep rumble of that familiar voice sent a shiver through Emma’s whole body. She cast a glance over her shoulder, finding Killian, leaning against the stone façade of the building behind them. In his hands were two coffees, and as he moved towards her, he offered her one with a boyish smile. “This is for you. Didn’t want you missing a routine caffeine fix for my sake.”

“Thank you,” Emma said automatically, feeling his fingers brush across hers, sending a zing of awareness through her. Her eyes flashed up to his, and she knew he felt it too. Suddenly she had no want or need for this coffee. She cleared her throat slightly before continuing on. “Where exactly are we? And how, might I ask, does the new guy know about it before I do?”

“It’s the Hubbard Family Wellness Gardens, gifted by one of the hospital’s most loyal benefactors” he said, full of knowledge. Emma was shocked that he actually knew what this place would be but then he smiled, gesturing to the plaque bearing that information. She bit back a laugh. “And as for how I found it, that’s easy. I never leave well enough alone, and I’m curious by nature. I’ve been nearly everywhere in the hospital now, but this place seemed the best for what comes next.”

“What comes next?” Emma asked, her voice hitching up as she repeated the words.

“Aye,” Killian murmured, his tone dipping sensually low. She swallowed harshly as he entered into her space, and he tracked the motion. She felt the heat of his closeness, and caught his scent in the air, clean, and male, and with a hint of spice.

“I’m afraid I didn’t think this through,” he said, close enough to kiss her. God, how she wished he would kiss her. Emma vocalized her first thought.

“Really? I did. Like a lot.”

His smirk told her she’d said that aloud even though she never meant to, but before she could react, he took hold of her cup once more.

“I meant these,” he gestured to the coffee in her hand. Oh, right. “May I, love?”

Emma nodded, and shakily let go of the cup she forgot she was holding. With deft hands, Killian  placed their drinks back on a table beside them with far more poise than she could muster at the moment. When that was done, he stepped towards her again, looking at her with a glint in his blue eyes that made her heart skip. His hands came to her body, one to her hip, the other to cup her cheek. The rightness washed over her, and so did the realization that none of her dreams could actually prepare her for real intimacy with Killian Jones.

“Last time we spoke I intended to ask you something. Do you remember?”

“Yes, I remember,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from wanting this so badly. Without thinking, she wet her lips, and he caught the action, letting out a groan that mixed pain with passion and pleasure. Then he cursed, a totally British ‘bloody hell’ falling past his lips before dipping his mouth to hers and giving them both a taste of temptation.

The kiss was… beyond incredible, but Emma was so deep in it she had no ability to comprehend anything at all. She was consumed with the moment, arching against Killian, feeling the silky strands of his dark hair and the scruff of his beard. His kiss was assured and passionate, dominant and indulgent all at once. She succumbed to the sensations, and let the rightness surge within her, not caring at all that they were outside or at work or that they’d just met. Instinct took over, and her gut, which Emma had always trusted, was telling her that this man was even more than she imagined, and someone she should choose to let in.

Pulling back from the kiss, Emma and Killian stayed close, and Emma took stock of all the places they were touching. His hold on her was firm but caring, like she was precious, and he wouldn’t let her slip away. In his eyes she saw so much emotion, and again she was struck by his transparency and trust. He wasn’t shying away from her or the moment. He was in the depths of desire with her, and their kiss, that perfect, sexy as all hell kiss, had left him tongue tied. The quiet wasn’t awkward, but assuring, and Emma felt secure here, safe even, while also being filled with more unknown wonder than she’d ever been before. Like someone at the start of a glorious adventure, she took a next step born of passion and hope.

“I’m off at six tonight… so, you want to pick me up at seven thirty?” she asked, referencing a date he hadn’t actually asked her out on. She feigned ignorance even though she could read him like a book. “Unless you were going to ask me something else…”

His hold on her tightened, and he shook his head immediately. She was right. He wanted a date – and she saw no reason to wait when she wanted one just as badly. She grinned at him, loving how the tables had turned. This time he swallowed harshly, and she was oh so tempted to kiss him again and see if he’d stay shy or rise to her challenge.

“It’s a date, Swan,” he said dazedly. 

Emma hummed out her agreement, going in for one last fleeting kiss. But where she meant to only tease, he took the reins again, kissing her senseless and leaving her breathless when they finally broke apart. Only when her pager beeped with an incoming call did they end their inevitable interlude, and as they did, Emma felt a pang of longing, wishing this moment could last so much longer than this.

“Tonight, love,” he whispered, running his thumb against her lips. “Far away as it may seem, I promise the wait will be worth it.”

“Good,” she replied, nipping his thumb ever so softly, and bringing the fire back in his eyes, before taking a step back. And with that, and just enough presence of mind to grab her coffee, Emma headed off, back through the hospital to the work that awaited her, knowing she could and would get through anything today for the promise of tonight.

Post-Note: Ah!! Finally!! I got the words on the page!! I did the thing!! I wrote the story!! And honestly, it’s such a relief. It felt, at some points, like I may never get this chapter written, but finally today it came. I know many of you were waiting, and I cherished every comment and review and message along the way. I hope all of you who wrote me, and those who read along with chapter one, all enjoy this installation. I write these stories for me and to brighten my world ever so slightly, but also in the hopes that they’ll spark joy for others too. In a time like this, a little joy goes an awful long way. Anyway, thank you all for reading, sending you the best, and hope you’ll join me next time for the final chapter of this CS AU! xE

[spicyteez]

Deal II

Smut 

Gang boss San x Fem Reader

Word count: 5.8k

Part I

Warnings: thigh riding, some nipple play, a little bit of spanking, Dom San whoof. But also Subby San too, riding, marking, cockwarming, unprotected sex (pls don’t do that), a fight, mentions of blood 

A/N: Part 2 yay! I loved writing both of these and I hope you enjoy them. I hope this fits with the story and is cohesive with the San in the last one. This one is a little soft because I was in such a soft mood all week and this was the result :)

Sanie 💕: Babeee. Come over.

Your phone dinged once again and you quickly flipped it over, hiding the message that popped up for the world to see. 

Sanie 💕: I wanna fuck you.

The last time he had texted you such things, one of your employees had read it before you could stop them. That had been a disaster. Discussing your sex life with an employee was not your definition of a good time. 

Once you had begun officially dating San, you learned things about him that surprised you. Like how whiny he got when he was feeling needy. 

You: I can’t, I have a delivery coming tonight. 

Noticing a customer approaching the register, you put your phone down and busied yourself with taking their order. It really had been a long time since you had seen him and you really missed him. With no end to your busy schedule in sight, you were beginning to become touch starved. You hadn’t seen San in over two weeks and work was killing you. Checking your phone once again, you noticed there was no response and moved on with your work, hoping that he wasn’t too unhappy. 

Night fell and you waited for the delivery man to come. What type of a company delivers at nine pm on a Saturday? Once you had signed for the goods and they were all stashed away, you were finally able to return home for the night. Shrugging off your long coat, you threw it to the side and plopped down in front of the TV. A knock on the door distracted you from your show and you stood up to give whoever it was a piece of your mind. 

“You better have a good reason for knocking on my door at ten-” You trailed off when you noticed it wasn’t a stranger, but your boyfriend staring at you with his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his lips. 

“Oh? And what are you going to do? Spank me?” Your face grew red and he chuckled at the effect he had on you.  

Standing back so he could come in, you sucked in a breath when his hands came to rest on your hips. Pushing you slowly, he backed you against the wall and pressed himself against you. His lips were on yours in an instant, tenderly applying enough pressure to drive you insane. Pulling away, he inhaled sharply and rested his hand on the wall above your head. “I’ve missed you.” 

Wrapping your arms around him, you pressed your head to his chest and breathed in his familiar scent. “I missed you too.” You stood like that for a moment, listening to his steady heartbeat and enjoying the feeling of his arms around you. 

You pulled back to lace your fingers with his. “What do you want to do?” Grinning up at him, you giggled at his adorable eye smile. Your boyfriend was the cutest. Even if he was a gang boss.      

“Whatever you want. I want to see what you normally do on a Saturday night.” 

Leading him to the couch, you made sure he was comfortable before resuming your program. You laughed along to the humorous lines, missing the look of adoration he gave you. After months of meeting exclusively at his place, it felt so strange to have him sitting on your couch in your tiny apartment. The gap between the luxurious suite he lived in and here had you worried he would think your home was pitiful. Looking over at him, you noticed he looked relaxed and at ease. Some of your worry faded away and you chided yourself for thinking that way. 

Hours later you were spread across the couch, your legs in his lap, both staring at the screen intently. The final scene of The Notebook played out, bringing tears to your eyes. How many times had you watched this film and still felt your heart wrench at the ending? A few too many to count. Once the credits began their ascent up the frame, you felt San’s eyes on you. 

“Babe,” He chuckled lowly, pulling you fully into his lap. “Don’t cry. It’s just a movie.”

Burying your face in his neck, you breathed in his scent and tried to stop your sniffling. “But it’s so sad!” You wailed. Wrapping your arms around him, you felt his chest rumble with his laughter. Rocking you gently, he rubbed soothing circles into your back until you felt your emotions were under control. 

“It’s three in the morning. I think it’s time you get to bed.” Patting your head, he waited for you to stand up before he stretched and stood up himself. You noticed him gathering his things and decided that maybe you’d like to wake up in his arms tomorrow rather than your empty bed. 

Reaching for his hand, you got his attention. “Sannie. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but maybe…” Looking at his shoes, you felt your face heat up. Why was it so hard to ask him? He’d done the filthiest of things with you, but asking him to stay the night was terrifying. “Do you want to stay the night?” 

His hand came to your face, gently holding your chin and raising your head up to look at him. “Of course baby.” He gave you a quick kiss and allowed you to lead him to your bed. Digging through your drawers, you found a tshirt and some sweats that you thought would fit him and let him go change into them. When he walked into the room, he paused when he saw your choice of sleep wear, a flowy camisole with a pair of short shorts. You definitely knew what you were doing when you chose the outfit, knowing that the delicate fabric against your skin would drive him wild. He had texted you earlier to let you know he was needy, and heck, maybe you were feeling a little needy as well. Standing innocently, you felt heat rush to your core as his eyes slowly raked over every inch of your body. Moving forward slowly yet confidently, he met your eyes and you saw pure lust swimming in the dark orbs. You felt excited yet shaky, stepping back until your legs hit the bed and you fell back onto the plush mattress. In a second he was on you, climbing on top of you and caging you beneath his toned body. Dragging his teeth across your jaw, he trailed to your neck and nipped at the skin. Letting out a whine at the feeling, your mind clouded and you tilted your head to give him better access. His breath, sweet and hot, mixed with his intoxicating presence had your head swimming and your pussy dripping. Biting down harder, his fingertips flitted over your exposed collarbones and chest, the warmth of his hands making you shiver. Removing his teeth, he soothed the newly formed mark with his tongue, lapping at the hot flesh and sucking on it slightly. 

“Do you want this baby?” His voice had sunk an octave, his desire obvious. 

Lost in the feeling of his lips on your skin, you choked out a reply. “Oh yes San.” 

A harsh bite to your neck had you gasping for breath. “It’s Sir to you, sweetheart.” 

Your heart sped up in anticipation, every nerve crackling with excitement. His dominant side had taken over, his desire to control you overriding all other thoughts in his head. When he got like this, you couldn’t help but think he was unbelievably sexy. 

Pulling away, he sent you a harsh look when you whined at his absence. Tugging your shorts down, he tossed them to the side and noticed the damp soaking through your panties. His breath hitched and he struggled to maintain his composure as he stood and untied the sweatpants resting on his hips. 

“Did that turn you on that much?” Wonder laced his voice and he cursed under his breath. “Holy fuck." Nodding your head, you bit your lip as you gazed into his awestruck eyes. Tugging down his sweatpants along with his boxers, he pulled off his shirt as well and stood completely bare before you. No matter how many times he undressed, you could never get used to it. His body, toned and lean, always had your mind imagining sinful things. Not to mention his cock, which was fully erect and in need of attention.      

Noticing the way you stared at his exposed thighs, he walked to the head of the bed and sat up straight against the headboard. “Come here.” Patting his thighs, he waited for you to crawl onto his lap. His fingers hooked in your panties, pulling the garment off your body. Instead of grinding you down onto him like he would usually do, you found him guiding you to straddle his left thigh. He pressed down on your hips, forcing your slick folds to make contact with his leg. Mewling at the pressure on your clit, your hands latched onto his shoulders to ground yourself. “That’s it baby. I want you to get off on my thigh.” Everything about the way he cooed the words, falling from his lips with his familiar charm felt so sinful, yet you couldn’t get enough of it. Pre-cum clung to his thigh, aiding your movements against his flexing muscle. You were practically dripping at this point, pussy gushing as the angle of your hips stimulated your clit with each pass. Loud wet noises filled the room and San groaned quietly, his dick twitching with each recurrence of the filthy sound.

Speeding up your motions, you gripped his shoulders tightly, feeling your release rushing closer. San noticed the way your breath hitched and your hips frantically ground against his thigh and he knew you were close to your finish. Gripping your hips harshly, he slowed your pace, effectively cutting off your anticipation. “Sir.” Whining in frustration, you gazed at him doe eyed, begging him to let you cum. He felt a surge of pride at your outburst, to have someone as gorgeous as you at his mercy made him feel so powerful. 

Fingers digging into your hips, he set a torturously slow pace, sensually dragging your hips as he flexed his thigh. Leaning in to your embrace, he kissed your neck softly, trailing his tongue to your ear and biting down on the appendage gently. “Patience kitten. I want to feel every millimeter of your pretty pussy.” A shiver ran down your spine from his proximity and the lewd words he had whispered into your skin. You involuntarily clenched around thin air, his deep tone affecting you more than you’d like to admit. Leaning back, his nimble fingers slipped beneath your camisole, sliding up to your breasts to fondle the sensitive flesh. Taking your nipple between his fingers, he pinched down hard, drawing a ragged moan from your lips. He continued to play with your breasts, abusing your tender chest and undoubtedly leaving bruises from his harsh squeezes. Abandoning your chest, he gripped your hips once again, slightly speeding up the speed of your movements. He kept you there for what felt like forever, dragging your abused pussy against him slowly, feeling your soft lips slide against his thigh steadily. 

The fire in your stomach ignited again, your moans growing more frequent and higher pitched as you got closer and closer. Swiping his fingers through your dripping wetness, San pressed his fingers to your clit firmly and rubbed slow circles onto the engorged nub. Fingernails digging into his shoulders, you barely registered his hiss at the pain through your pleasure induced haze. The world seemed to fall away, all input leaving your head besides his fingers running over you repeatedly and the knott about to snap in your stomach. 

“That’s it baby. Cum all over my thigh like the dirty girl you are.” With one last movement of your hips and circle on your clit, you fell over the edge, throwing your head back in a silent scream. Your hips continued to move under his hold, riding out the mind numbing orgasm until you felt the sting of over sensitivity buzz in your spent slit. Mind clearing, you heard San whispering praises to you, caressing your hips gently while telling you how good you were for him.    

Breaking his rules, you reached forward to touch him, pressing your palms against his chest while you connected your lips to his own soft pair. Pulling back a bit, you ran your fingers through his two toned hair and brushed a stray strand away from his face. “I love you.” Bursting with love for him, you felt your heart leap out of your chest as you stared at his handsome features. The dark look in his eyes calmed to something loving and tender, his hands cupping your face and bringing your lips together again for a slow, passionate kiss. You pulled away slowly, your heart about to burst from the butterflies floating in your stomach. 

Intertwining his fingers with yours, he laid down on the bed and pulled you to straddle his hips. Touching his angry red cock, he let out a groan while he spread his dripping pre-cum around his length. Lifting up your hips, you allowed him to insert his dick into your numb core, clenching around him purposely to draw out a strangled groan. Tugging on your shoulders, he pulled you down to lay on his chest and connect your lips to his. Rocking your hips on his dick slowly, you allowed his tongue to slip into your mouth and explore your warm cavity. You pressed against his lips harder, battling for dominance. Slowing down your hips to a crawl, you moved at a snail's pace, driving him mad at the taste of his own medicine. Pulling back from your lips harsly, gone was the loving gaze in his eye. His hand came down hard on your ass, repeating his actions and grabbing your cheeks with both hands. Thrusting his hips up into your warmth, he continued at a bruising pace, growling at your disobedience. “Remember who’s in charge here.” 

You felt small under his intense gaze, whimpering at the intense pleasure in your sensitive cunt. Nearing your second orgasm, you felt him twitch deep within you, an indicator of how close he was as well. “Yes, yes, yes.” You choked out, tears forming in your eyes at the pain infused pleasure. 

“Mmm.” Humming in satisfaction, he slammed into you with renewed vigor. The tip of his cock brushed your sweet spot repeatedly, crude curses falling from your lips with the overwhelming sensation. “Look at you princess. So beautiful, so fucked out. And all mine.” He all but growled the last word, deep and animalistic. It threw you over the edge, his possessiveness causing you to clench around him tightly until you felt his hot cum paint your walls. Heavy pants filled the room as he rocked you against him slowly, milking out the remainder of your highs. Once you had both come down, he pulled out and watched as your combined releases dripped out of your spent hole. Squeaking, you felt his fingers push the fluid back into you, dragging against your walls as he pulled out and sucked the digits clean. 

Rolling off of his solid chest, you cuddled into his side. “And I’m all yours.” You whispered back, pecking his swollen lips. Pulling you so your back rested against his chest, you both laughed when you noticed the clock nearing the four o’clock hour. So much for sleeping. 

As your eyelids began to droop, you heard him whisper into the quiet room. “I love you so much. No one else has ever made me feel so alive.” His lips trailed over your neck, pressing adoring kisses to your pulse point. Closing your eyes, you gave into the comfortable feeling and allowed sleep to pull you into its depths.     

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Sunlight streamed through the window when you opened your eyes. Shifting around, you made yourself comfortable and heard a high pitched whine from behind you. Halting your movements, you felt something hard poking your thigh. How was he still hard after your lengthy roll between the sheets last night? Gently grinding against his length, you felt his hands grip your hips as a warning. Rolling over to face him, you caressed his face gently, appreciating his sleepy morning state. Nuzzling into your hand slightly, San closed his eyes and began to fall asleep again. Your fingers traced his skin, trailing down his neck and running down his chest and abdomen to rest at the base of his cock. Grasping the shaft lightly, you pumped him in your hand slowly. His head lolled against your shoulder, soft whines falling from his parted lips as he gave in to the mounting pleasure. Gone was your intensely dominant boyfriend, replaced with a soft boy needy for your touch. The cute sounds he was making spurred you on, pumping him harder in order to hear more of his beautiful moans. 

Pulling your hand away, San whined at the loss of contact and pouted at you. Your heart fluttered at his adorable unhappiness. Pushing him up, you guided him to sit against the headboard like he had done the night before. Too tired to put up a fight, he complied and watched with hooded eyes as you climbed onto his lap. "Let me take care of you baby." The pretty noises he had been making already had you wet and you needed no further preparations as you slid down onto his stiff cock. Letting out a shaky breath, he leaned his head back against the headboard while you began to lazily rock your core around his length. Kissing down his neck, you found his sweet spot and sucked on the skin gently. He pulled away and shook his head at you, indicating that he was opposed to you leaving any marks. It was your turn to pull out the puppy dog eyes, watching the resolve in his eyes fade away. "Please Sanie, just one? I want everyone to know you belong to me. Just like I belong to you." You clenched around him gently, heightening his pleasure as you waited for him to respond. 

With a groan, he gave in, nodding his head and tilting his jaw to give you better access. He was so vulnerable, so sensitive, and you wanted nothing more than to make him feel good. Sinking your teeth into his neck, you whined against his skin when he bucked his hips up into you at the feeling. Alternating between nibbling and sucking, a purple bruise began to blossom on his soft complexion. When you were satisfied with the mark, you brushed your lips across it, soothing the hot skin. Pulling back, you smiled at your work. "Look baby. Now we match." Tilting your head, you showed him the deep purple bite he had nibbled into your skin in the same place the night before. 

"Mmmm. Perfect." He hummed, pulling you close to rest against your forehead. Gently taking your hand, he pressed it to his chest, right above his racing heart. A surge of pride raced through you, knowing it was you who got him so worked up was the ultimate compliment. 

Shifting slightly, you sped up the pace of your hips, feeling his dick twitch deep within you. When you both reached your climax, he pressed his lips to yours in a slow kiss, muffling your combined moans. Halting your movements, you broke away from his lips and left a tender kiss on his jaw. "That was amazing, baby." He thanked you shyly, a blush dusting his cheeks. 

Lifting your hips from his, you sucked in a breath at the sudden empty feeling. He pulled you down to lay beside him, all but smothering you with the intense way he clung to you. Chuckling at the way his eyelids were already fluttering, you traced patterns along the tattoos on his arms as he held you close. The warmth of his body pressed against yours permeated your being and you soon felt your eyes closing as well, giving in to sleep for the second time. 

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Two weeks later you found yourself in the passenger seat of a Mercedes Benz, scanning your surroundings in awe. You knew San was rich, but you didn’t know he was this rich. Squirming uncomfortably in your seat, you were fearful of leaving even a fingerprint on the sleek leather dash. His hand pressed down on your thigh, squeezing your leg reassuringly. Smiling at you, he noticed the uncertainty in your eyes. 

“Don’t worry y/n, everything will be fine.” Although his sweet words made you feel calm, you couldn’t help but continue to feel a spark of worry in your gut. Contrary to his words you knew that everything was not fine. You were on your way to a fancy party, one which all of San’s friends and business partners would be in attendance. San’s god father, his late father’s best friend had organized the party and he wouldn’t miss it for the world. He had been a big part of San’s life and you were excited to meet the man who influenced your boyfriend so much. From the way he talked about this man, you could tell he had a huge soft spot for the gentleman who practically raised him since his father had passed. On the other hand, however, you were terrified of meeting him. Your father had been involved with him briefly, long enough for the man to learn of how your dad’s greed for money was greater than the worth of any of his friendships. If he knew who your father was, what would he think of you? 

The three hour drive passed in almost silence, San knew you were scared and didn’t want to worry you any more. When you pulled up to the luxurious hotel hosting the party, your jaw dropped. "Like what you see? My friend Yunho owns the place." He helped you out of the car, chucking at how you continued to stare at the building. 

"Holy shit, San. You never fail to surprise me." 

A quick team of bellhops converged on the vehicle, carrying your luggage off to the right room. You had arrived just in time to get ready for the party and you were stressed. Everything had to be perfect, from your dress to your makeup nothing could be out of place. When San helped you zip up your dress, his fingers brushing your exposed back, he pressed a soft kiss to your shoulder once the action was complete. 

"You look gorgeous. Stay by my side tonight and everything will be fine." Turning to face him, you noticed the look of concern on his face. Your heart warmed at his sweetness and you grasped his hands like a lifeline. "What if I mess up and look stupid? Wouldn't you rather stay here and test out the bed?" You asked the question partially because you wanted to waste time but also because he looked extra delicious in his crisp tuxedo and you thought that it would look just as good on the floor. 

Tilting your chin up gently, he forced you to make eye contact. "Oh hush. You'll be perfect. And besides," A playful smirk crossed his lips, "When we get back we'll have the whole night to ourselves. Maybe I'll even let you top me this time. I can't get over how hot you look when you're in control." 

Swatting at his chest, you failed to hide your blush when his contagious laughter filled the room. 

Soon it was time for the party to start and for you to face your fears. Clinging to San, you made the rounds, greeting everyone who he knew, which felt like practically every person in the room. The party was just what you had expected, boujee attendees dressed to the nines, sipping champagne and talking business. What business did gangs do anyways? Although the party was stereotypical, what you didn't expect was to see a tall young man breaking it down to classical music in the middle of the ball room. He seemed to be a natural entertainer, his antics feeding off of the energy of his circle of friends. You felt yourself being pulled in his direction, and you followed San's guidance, the man somehow looking even taller up close. When you were close enough to observe him, you noticed just how puppy-like he was. A huge grin filled his whole face and he practically radiated happiness. 

"Y/n, this is Yunho." San introduced you to the boisterous young man and you were once again surprised. Yunho didn't look like a millionaire, but looks could be deceiving. Pulling you into a conversation, Yunho never dropped the bright grin on his face and you felt yourself relaxing in his presence. You were so caught up in the conversation, you almost didn’t notice Mingi standing quietly in the corner of your vision. Excusing yourself, you moved to say hello, feeling like it had been way too long since you had last seen him. Over the course of your deal with San, you had grown closer to Mingi, conversing with him as he drove you to your ‘dick appointments,’ as he called them. As you talked with him, the worry you had felt for the past few days melted away and you finally felt calm.  However, you couldn’t help but feel a race of nerves when San took your hand and gently pulled you away. It was time for him to greet the host and you were terrified. 

He guided you across the room until you stood before a middle aged man in a very expensive suit. Dropping your hand, San wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. 

“Ah San. It’s so good to see you again.” The man pulled him into a hug, temporarily breaking his hold on you. 

“It’s good to see you too, Uncle Kim. The party is amazing.” San beamed at the man, clearly excited to see him. Pulling away, he returned his hand to your waist and rubbed comforting circles onto your side. 

Your heart jumped when the man turned his attention to you, observing you silently. Shifting under his scrutiny, you realized you were shaking in San’s hold. “You must be y/n.” 

Choking out a ‘yes’, you reached out a hand to shake his outstretched one. 

“From what I’ve heard from San, you’re quite a lovely lady.” He smiled at you, bright and full of warmth. It would seem as if there was nothing to worry about at all. Grinning at you fondly, San pressed a quick kiss to your temple, promising to return for a full conversation with his godfather before pulling you away.  

When you were on the other side of the room, he stopped and took your hand in his. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” His eyes shone with pride and your heart swelled. 

Shaking your head, you chuckled quietly. “Okay. Maybe you’re right.” Placing your hand behind his neck, you connected your lips in a sweet kiss. Wrapping his arms around your waist, he pulled you close, deepening the kiss in a way that was almost too scandalous for the public eye. A yell broke you apart, drawing your attention to the man approaching you quickly. 

“If it isn’t Mr. Choi San.” Turning around, San froze when he saw the speaker. You could sense the change in his body language, his shoulders tensing and his jaw clenching. 

“Gabe.” Clutching your hand tighter, he pulled you behind him. So this was the infamous Gabe, San’s rival gang leader and enemy. His muscles were shaking, pure rage flowing through his entire being. The two stood in silence for a moment, daring the other to make the first move. Shifting to the side slightly, Gabe caught a glance at your hand wrapped in San’s. 

A sickening grin split across his face and he raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Who’s this? Your new little whore? I wonder what’s lower, her IQ or the time it takes her to suck you off.” 

In a second San’s fist connected with his face, catching him off guard and causing him to topple over. Jumping on top of him, San continued his attack, dodging most of the punches thrown by his retaliating opponent. Gabe was able to land a punch to San’s face, sending him reeling back before continuing the fight. Spitting out blood, San’s eyes shone with hatred. “Don’t you fucking talk about her like that! She’s so much more of a person than you’ll ever be!” 

You winced in horror as Gabe landed a strong punch to San’s ribs which was sure to leave a bruise. San retaliated by striking his eye, creating a large welt on his handsome face. Before the two could continue, a man yanked the pair apart, pulling Gabe to his feet and standing between the two. Grimacing in pain, San wiped the blood from his split lip and glared daggers at his opponent. People had started to take notice and were staring wide-eyed at the commotion. Taking your hand again, he murmured something to the growing crowd and pulled you away to the privacy of your hotel room. 

Once the door swung close, you watched San’s back as he let out a heavy breath. Collecting your thoughts, you didn’t know how to feel about the scene that had just played out. You knew he could be aggressive but you had never seen him like this before. Although you were disappointed, you couldn’t help but feel a little… proud. 

"San." You whispered, waiting for him to turn around. When he faced you, you took in his ragged appearance and felt your heart ache at the sight. Moving forward, you wrapped your arms around his waist tightly, apologizing when he winced at the pressure on his bruised ribs. 

He slowly wrapped his arms around you as well, letting out a sigh. "I'm so sorry y/n. I don't know what came over me, I just couldn't listen to him say those things about you. I just… I'm sorry." Burying his head in your neck, overwhelming shame filled his heart. Taking his head in your hands, you pulled back to look at him. 

“Oh baby. No one has ever stood up for me like that.” He tilted his head up in confusion, looking at you curiously.  

“No one?” You shook your head no and he frowned. “You’re the most caring, beautiful, wonderful woman I know. Everyone should stand up for you.” Smiling softly, you pressed a kiss to his pouting lips. 

“Let’s get you in the tub. It’ll help your sore muscles.” Leading him to the bathroom, you started the water and threw in whatever fancy bubble bath the hotel had available. Helping San out of his clothes, you carefully unbuttoned his shirt and slid it down his broad shoulders. Unclasping his belt, you helped him out of his pants and into the tub. You opened the door to leave but San’s hand on your wrist pulled you back into the room. 

“Please join me.” He looked at you pleadingly, biting his lip as he waited for a response. Nodding your head, you slid the zipper to your lavish gown down your back. Stepping out of the dress, you set it on a chair, not wanting to ruin the gorgeous fabric. Next came your bra and panties, hitting the floor as San eyed you with awe. Placing his hands on your waist, he guided you to straddle his hips, sloshing around in the warm water until you were comfortable. Sitting back on your heels, you realized just how bad he had fared. A large cut began at his eyebrow, trailing down his face about an inch. Bruises littered his face and you could see a large one forming on his ribs and collarbone. You grabbed a washcloth and lathered it with soap, preparing to clean his wounds while San twisted your hair into a loose bun atop your head. A quiet hiss escaped his split lips when you rubbed at the scrape on his temple. His fingers tangled in yours, bringing the back of your hand to his lips, frowning when your hand came away red from his bloody lip. Finally you finished up, cupping his jaw and gently dabbing at his lower lip, his eyes never leaving your face. Once the wound had been cleaned, you discarded the washcloth and pecked his lip gently, almost as if you were kissing it better. 

Silence filled the room, the pair of you taking in all that had happened that day. Brushing a strand of hair he had missed behind your ear, he smiled softly. “This feels familiar, doesn’t it? Do you remember that night?” 

“Of course I do. It was the best night of my life.” Rubbing his fingers over your knuckles, his lips pressed to the back of your hand once again. 

You remembered that night vividly although it had taken place months ago. It was the night he confessed his feelings for you and he made love to you so passionately. His scars from that time had faded away, but you could still find them if you looked hard enough. It seemed that you were always in this position, finding him beaten and bruised. He told you that he had enemies, but you hadn’t realized just how many there were. 

Telling you to lift your hips, he noticed your confused expression. “I want to be closer to you.” You followed his instructions, shifting on your knees to lift up your hips higher. When you felt his cock press against your lower lips, you knew what he wanted. Sinking down on his thick length, you sighed in satisfaction. Moments of intimacy like this were rare, but you absolutely adored them. He felt warm inside of you and a cozy sensation spread through your being. You felt so full, almost as if a missing piece of you had been returned, like he was made to fit there. Bringing you closer, he slowly brought you to rest on his chest, careful to not agitate his injuries. Rubbing your back soothingly, he held you close and basked in your presence.  

It wasn’t everyday that a man was willing to beat someone for you and you found San standing up for you to be extremely touching. Although this trip hadn’t gone as planned, you knew that it would be alright. As long as you were together everything would be okay.

[ladymoonveil]

Thoughts on Zack Snyder’s Justice League

If the original JL was a 3/10, this one is closer to a 6/10.  It's definitely an improvement given the fact that it has twice the running time to flesh out various characters and scenes.  Unfortunately, this movie still doesn't make me excited to see more of the Snyderverse, and I'm kind of glad that DC is starting to go in a different direction with their cinematic stuff.  Some additional thoughts below:

The Good

There are some really gorgeous shots in this movie when the slo-mo is aptly used.  A standout scene for me is the football match in the falling snow; from a visual perspective it looked fantastic.

Cyborg got a lot more backstory compared to the original JL, and so did the Flash and Aquaman to a lesser extent.  This time around I was more interested in Cyborg, so the additional time taken to develop his character paid off well.

Overall, the plot is also a lot more cohesive.  For the most part, I understood why the characters acted in certain ways, and the story flowed better from scene to scene.

Despite the fact that this movie is 4+ hours long, it didn't feel like a drag.  I think breaking it up into chapters was a smart decision, and the pacing was fine.

Steppenwolf looks much better in Snyder's version.  I really like the way they animated his armour.

There are some neat fight scenes, and all the characters got their chance to shine at least once.

The Bad

The slo-mo in this movie is like 300 on crack.  It's so excessive that even the moments that really benefit from this effect became less special because you see it so often.

I particularly disliked the scene where the Flash saved the girl from the car accident.  It felt like a worse version of the Quicksilver scenes, and him brushing back the girl's hair instead of just saving her right away is kind of creepy.

I also did not understand why Wonder Woman used her gauntlets to blow out part of that building instead of just incapacitating the guy with the gun.  She's obviously fast enough to do it, and she didn't have to put anyone else outside the building in danger of falling debris or give the impression that a bomb went off.  Just felt incredibly out of character.

There is no reason for the Martian Manhunter to be in this movie.  The fact that the discussion between Martha and Lois was actually a discussion between MM and Lois really cheapened that entire scene for me.  Martha and Lois have barely anything to do in this movie, why didn't Snyder let the real Martha have a heart to heart with Lois about the death of someone that they both loved dearly?  Instead, he turned it into a cheap cameo that ruined the emotional impact between the two characters

Although new characters like Cyborg had some additional screen time to flesh out their backstories, we should have gotten more.  For example, they brought up the huge revelation of Cyborg having control over all the nukes in the world, but then completely glossed over how that works.  Does he need to be in proximity to the nukes?  Can he "accidentally" fire off the nukes if he has a nightmare or something?  Does he even have nightmares anymore?  Cyborg deserves to have his own solo film instead of just being thrown into JL.

Overall, the palette of this film is quite dark and dreary.  The most obvious is when you compare Mera's hair to how it looks in Aquaman.  Even the scene of Clark standing in the field with the sun shining down felt less vibrant than it should have been because of the muted colours.

I'm okay with the whole "motherboxes were sleeping until Superman died" thing, but Darkseid just...forgot where he left the motherboxes and anti-life equation??  What???

The Ugly

Although this cut was better overall, the major failing of JL (and the DCEU in general) is still very clear.   They rushed to get their Avengers equivalent ensemble film but forgot to establish the building blocks first.  This movie basically introduced Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg, and the Martian Manhunter.  That's four new superheroes in a film already dealing with the return of Superman plotline.  Even with the extended running time, this is a terrible idea that does not translate well to a movie franchise, even if it might work in the comic format.  (I honestly forgot that the Aquaman solo movie came after JL.  The order in which they released these DC films is all over the place.)

To be honest, I still think that it was a bad idea to give Snyder Superman.  All the characters in these films keep talking about him as a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration, but I never really felt it.  Snyder's Superman is hyper-focused on Lois Lane, but doesn't seem to care much about humanity in general.  I'm wracking my brain but I can't remember any instances of genuine joy or compassion from this version of the character.  I just don't think that Snyder is capable of writing a good Superman story without turning him evil or killing him. (I'm still salty that Snyder had the Kents suggest to Clark that maybe he should hide his powers instead of using them to help people, and that Clark watched his dad die in the hurricane instead of saving him.  I much prefer the comics where Jonathan Kent died due to a heart attack, since that was a perfect way of humanizing Superman.  No matter how powerful he is, when it came to the  unexpected death of his father in this manner, he was just as vulnerable and helpless as the rest of us.) I guess I have a soft spot for the boy scout characters, and Marvel did a much better job at bringing Steve Rogers to life while keeping him true to his character.   Somehow they made me care more about Captain America than Superman in the cinematic universe, even though Superman is probably my favourite superhero.  I honestly think a lot of the fault lies with Snyder's portrayal of the character on the big screen.

It looks like Snyder's original plan is to build towards something like Injustice (which doesn't surprise me at all).  However, because his Superman is already toeing the edge of darkness, I don't think it will have nearly as much impact/contrast if he does turn evil.

Final Thoughts

This new cut of Justice League is worth watching if you are 1) a fan of the characters, 2) a fan of the genre, and 3) a fan of Snyder's directorial style.  If you don't fit into any of the categories above, you can skip this and spend four hours watching something else instead.

Maybe the biggest issue for me is that he never got me invested in his version of the characters.  I waited for years to see Superman and Batman together on the big screen.  World's Finest are some of my favourite comics to read.  What I got instead was the absolute dumpster fire that was BvS, where Bruce acted like a murderous psychopath, Clark was emotionally detached from the world, and their fight was resolved because "Martha".  While it's true that his cut of JL is better than BvS, it still wasn't enough to redeem the DCEU IMO.

To leave things on a more positive note, if you're as tired of the evil Superman/dead Superman/brooding Superman storylines as I am, might I recommend Jeff Loveness' works?  He's one of my favourite Superman writers, and when I read his stuff I always get that injection of hope that Superman is meant to inspire. Two of my favourites are "Help" (where Lex Luthor is assisted by a regular civilian when his car breaks down), and "Glasses" (where we see Superman through Lois Lane's eyes).  You can also find the scans of these stories on Tumblr if you look around.

My favourite line about Superman from Loveness' comics is, "He could be anyone...and he chooses to be kind."

I wish that we saw more of this Superman in the DCEU, because we could all use a little more kindness in our lives these days.

(And if you do prefer the darker stories, Loveness' entry for the Dark Multiverse: Death of Superman story is fantastic too.)

[war--lords]

Hanayome

Warnings: Female!Reader, mild family conflict, possible inaccuracy Word count: 3,648 words (Exactly same as last chapter! What sorcery) Tagged: #hanayome Translations and important notes:

It’s done! This is the last chapter. I plan on putting out another one that is kind of like an optional chapter with no plot in it whatsoever.

I also really hope you understand what’s happening in this chapter, there’s a lot of explaining and I stayed up till like 3 am to try and write it so it may not be the most cohesive.

Part 1 Part 2

3.

You don’t remember losing consciousness.

You let out a sigh, your skin enjoying the coolness of the futon you lie on. Its fabric is softer than what you’re used to, almost like satin. It is with great reluctance that you open your eyes, because you don’t feel like you want to leave the bedding. Blinking slowly, you try to gauge your surroundings—a regular-sized room, its flooring covered with regular tatami mat, making it look almost like an inn. A nice inn, granted, thanks to the artistically placed decorations and plants. 

In the corner of the room in front of you sits a man. He is facing a low table, pouring something from a flask into a saucer-like cup. Sake, you assume.

Strange. Your fever seems like it has dissipated, for you no longer feel woozy or mildly uncomfortable, but you’re still warm—from sleeping, perhaps? The weather outside is far from hot, the night breeze cool after the rain. 

You sit up, allowing your eyes to adjust to lantern-lit room. It’s still dark outside, but there’s enough light from the inside to let you look at him more closely. Nobunaga, he said his name was. What an awfully human name. His raven black hair frames his face, carnelian eyes seemingly glowing as he focuses on the cups. You can see his profile quite clearly from your spot in the mid-sized room—the slide of his nose, his lips, his jawline…

Even while appearing human he possesses an unmistakably supernatural aura. It’s almost visible to the naked eye, rolling off of him slowly in huge amounts like midnight waves by the beach. There’s something about him that draws you in—that something being everything.

“How are you feeling?”

“Confused,” you reply, as if you didn’t just pass out. You regard your clothing: a silk sleeping kimono and a beautiful red haori that you are thankful for, as it effectively covers the curve of your bosom. Your irouchikake is neatly folded by the side of the futon, and you try to ignore the fact that he undressed and redressed you. Did he see you naked?

“How long was I out for?”

“An hour, maybe a little more. You collapsed while trying to walk.” He walks toward you with a cup. “Drink.”

Liquor sounds counterproductive right now, but it could help you accept the more bizarre things that will undoubtedly unfold, so you take it from his hand. There’s a spark when your finger touches his. You do your best not to let your surprise show and grab the cup before downing its contents whole, the warmth down your throat distracting you from the effects of his touch.

His eyes watch you and you notice that his face is rather close. He is handsome, exceptionally so, and it frightens you a little to be thinking that in such a situation. You have pressing questions that are more important than admiring his physique—you can’t let yourself be distracted.

“You came here expecting some answers,” he says. He’s doing that again, ‘reading your mind’. Casually placing a hand on your forehead, he gauges your warmth, and upon finding none, he returns to the corner to carry the table closer to the futon. “But before I entertain your questions, you must entertain me first.”

“Go?” You ask, inspecting the board game spread out on the low table. 

“Surely you are familiar.”

“Yes,” you answer. Popular temple pastime. Still, it’s surprising to know that he indulges in human games.

The next few minutes are filled with silence, with the exception of the clicks and clacks of pieces on the wooden board. For a lone god dwelling in a mountain, he is a great player—never rushing, almost as if savoring the consideration of each move. You, on the other hand, find yourself mostly trying to avoid being overpowered. A strategy that is working so far, but you feel that it won’t last for long.

He pauses during his move, watching his pieces intently, and you can’t help but stare.

His hands and fingers look strong, yet elegant, the kind you’d see in koto or shamisen players. He wears a simple black kimono decorated with gold elaborate designs, leaving behind his additional outer layers—even gods have attires that are purely ceremonial, you suppose. The loose sleeves allow you a glance at his forearms, beautifully curved with muscle. Without checking yourself, your gaze goes up and up, to his shoulders and collarbone, to the teasing parting of his kimono on his chest, to his collarbone—

By the time you arrive at his face, he’s already looking at you, a positively smug expression pasted on his face. You look down at the go board despite it not being your turn yet—the embarrassment! Willing all your blood to avoid your cheeks at all cost, you try to focus on the game.

It makes you wonder why you lost. The focusing did more harm than good, so it seems, or he’s just really good at playing. 

“Was that entertainment enough for you?” You say, brushing your loose hair as a temporary distraction. You still refuse to believe he caught you staring.

“Quite,” he answers amusedly, putting away the pieces and the board. “It has been a while since I’ve had a human opponent.” Which means he’s always played against inhumans. You wonder if his playmates are other gods, a question that you decide to push to the bottom of the list. Important questions only.

“You may speak your business,” he declares, sounding official even as he casually pours out another glass, this time for him as well. 

“May I be honest with you,” you pause, “Lord Nobunaga?”

He doesn’t seem to dislike the honorific. Also, you realize the redundancy of your question too late. He can see through you like a book. Wordlessly he permits you to continue, examining you with unreadable eyes. How unfair it is, that you’re so transparent in front of him while he’s still such a mystery.

“You have ruled over us for centuries, and never has it been written that you demand young women as part of the annual sacrifice. Why now?”

Again, Kiku’s voice rings in your ear. He said your name... he wants you.

“Destiny,” he answers, as if simply announcing the weather. “It is destiny that demands it, not I. Us gods may be almighty, but none of us are more powerful than destiny. Not even the Great Mother can escape it.”

You don’t even have to ask the question.

“You call her Amaterasu, ancient beyond all ages.”

“The Sun Goddess,” you murmur, nodding, “of course.”

“To us, she is the Great Mother of all beings, god and man alike. Even now she watches over us from the sky each day, but she has said that she is not above destiny. One day, though far away that day may be, the sun will die out.”

You remain quiet, considering your words. “So you’re saying destiny told you to marry?”

“At the beginning of my existence, destiny has whispered to me my predeterminations. I did not ask for a life of conquests—it was handed to me. My powers are the same.”

He looks at you just then, with a tenderness that no man has ever looked at you with. His hand reaches out for yours, enclosing around it with warm fingers, as if the electricity from before had melted away. Your heart skips a beat. 

“Your name was given to me when I came to being. I saw not your face, but the very essence of your soul. I have known you long before your ancestors were born—and I waited.”

There is a certain weight in his words, but strangely you feel your soul soaring in response. His warm hand feels as though it is holding your heart instead, gently and with great care, and you feel like you could give up right then and there.

“Have you no influence on people’s lives?” You ask quietly, as if not wanting to speak at all. You remember whatever romantic encounters you had with men—were those experiences merely to keep you accessible for him? There’s bitterness in your throat when you speak again.

“Could you not have any part in mine, some way to lead me to you?”

“I could,” he begins, and as he speaks he strokes your fingers with his thumb. You find it very comforting. “But everyone is bound to fate. I didn’t have to because I know that you are bound to me,” at these words he gently squeezed your hand, looking at it with an almost nostalgic look on his face, “and I to you.”

“So self-assured, even for a god.” Your commentary is meant to be incisive, maybe a tad reprimanding, but it comes out nearly like a loving, welcoming nudge. The corner of his lips turn into a smirk, definitely catching the same connotation, and you find yourself embarrassed, not unlike the way you were during the Go game earlier. 

“If you understand the course in which fate’s threads run, you’d be confident too.”

Perhaps he is discreetly addressing the creeping insecurities holding you back despite how right it feels to trust him. You want to just because it is the natural thing to do, but in the crevices of your heart lie doubts, and they have teeth, sinking into you slowly. What about the message he delivered himself—the young bride he wanted? Surely he knows of the abbot’s younger daughter.

“If you’ve known my name and face, why shoot an arrow from the sky?”

“To teach your father a lesson,” he answers. He always has an answer, it seems.

Your eyebrows knit together in confusion. “When he was only following your instructions?”

Something changes about his face, the subtleness of it making you think that he is somewhat surprised at your rebuke. He stops stroking your hands. When he looks into your eyes, it’s clear that he is searching for something that he doesn’t find. You’re left confused.

“What?” You ask, not able to stand the stillness.

“You don’t know,” he declares then, returning to his normal self, but in his amber-like eyes is reluctance.

“What is it that I do not know?” You ask again, insistent.

He seems to consider this for a while, examining your face like he’s evaluating how determined you are to know the truth. Seeing no signs of hesitation on your part, he yields, though everything about him remains as composed as ever. He then holds both your forearms, and with a sliding motion down to your hands, tells you to open your palms and face them up. You feel your breath picking up and heart palpitating, unsure of what he is about to do to you—he is going to explain, isn’t he?

“I shall show you,” he answers your silent question. “Close your eyes.”

You do as you’re told.

He purses his lips slightly, watching as you sit, eyes closed, in front of him on the futon. He has never been the deity that meddles into human affairs too much, only interfering if necessary. And at this moment, it is necessary—you have climbed many steps to reach his dwelling looking for answers. He saw this coming, yet it is still rather unfitting for him to be the one revealing such a personal matter. 

But denying you the truth would be unfair.

So he cups your cheek and he still finds it unreal. One would think meeting a god is unreal, but for so long you’ve been a phantom in his mind, shapeless and untouchable, and now you’re alive, in the flesh in front of him. His hand wanders up to your forehead, mapping your skin, feeling its warmth. Closing his own eyes for focus, he then presses his thumb gently to the center of your forehead, and begins to chant.

The incantation is foreign to your ears, but a few seconds in and you recognize a familiar feeling: floating. You almost feel drowsy, like you’re stuck between consciousness and sleep, but an uneasy sensation up your spine prevents you from losing grip of reality. His voice grows louder, unnaturally so, as you hear an otherworldly echo after each phrase he recites.

Images begin to float in your mind. The stone patterns of the staircase heading up the mountain repeats before your eyes, but this time it’s heading downwards. You follow the path, down, down, reminding you of the fever dream you had in the prayer room. It feels real. You can smell the earth in the rain, hear the sound of the bamboo forests rustling. From the sky above, his voice resounds, a constant stream of recitations as your vision brings you down the mountain. It isn’t long until you reach the temple.

The night is dark and none of the lights are on. In fact, it looks as though no one is home. You feel a force guiding you inside the main building at the furthest area of the temple grounds, where your family lives. All the hallways are empty, and you see nobody on the way to your quarters. Your heart begins to beat faster as you approach your room, the sliding doors just an arm’s reach away. What are you doing here?

It is then the sliding door next to your room opens, slowly. You feel your throat clench, blocking the air to your lungs—Kiku emerges from the darkness, looking around her cautiously, and even though you’re right in front of her, she can’t seem to see you. Astounded, you follow behind her. Where could she be going, sneaking out in the dead of the night?

You don’t have to venture far. Kiku is swift but silent, tiptoeing to minimize the sound of her footsteps, and before you know it, you find yourself at the hallway leading to the temple’s stone courtyard.

The sight before you stops you in your tracks.

Kiku runs towards a man at the edge of the grounds, a familiar silhouette in the night. Once within arm’s reach, the man brings her into an embrace, and she willingly buries her face in his chest. He tips her chin up and leans down to kiss her, deep and hurried, and it only takes one second before Kiku brings her hands to his face. Their lips lock desperately, like they only have the night to be together, but they eventually part. The man takes her hand as the two of them rush towards the stairs leading to the village, disappearing out of your sight.  

I swear I love him! So much...

It is then the pressure on your forehead disappears—you don’t realize how warm your skin feels—and you open your eyes, once again finding yourself back in the room with Nobunaga. He has stopped chanting, quietly peering into your face out of concern masked with composure. You realize that he’s holding your hand now, and that you’re in a cold sweat again.

You stare at him.

At sundown, a fiery arrow shall come down from the sky and pierce the roof of the house in which this virgin dwells.

“Kiku—”

“She gave herself to the man she truly loved, even while knowing she cannot be with him.” He says, not letting go of your hand. It sounds like he is complimenting her. Meanwhile, you still feel trapped in the dream, all the memories of the next morning rushing back to you like a river runs.

Kiku has always been an early bird, but nobody ever considered that perhaps she didn’t sleep the night before.

“She really did love him,” you murmur.

“She still does,” Nobunaga tells you.

“But what does this have to do with teaching my father a lesson?”

“You should know that your sister and her lover is bound for each other,” he says, “like us.” You feel your heart jump at the addition. “Once fate decides, there is little man can do, though there are a few notable exceptions to this law. Your father, however, severed their relationship on the basis of his own arrogance.”

“Father thought the man’s social standing wasn’t up to par,” you add bitterly.

“He was clearly blindsided by the honor of his daughter becoming the bride,” Nobunaga continues, beginning to stroke your hand again, yet his words are unchangingly straightforward, “and again, he made the mistake of preferential treatment.”

“Did you arrange for this to happen?”

“I only plan what is necessary, and the whole commotion with your younger sister was not. If I had it my way, you would be here much earlier.” At this, he moves to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. The way his face tenses up slightly tells you that his regret is sincere. “As a matter of fact, I believe this to be predetermined by fate.”

“How so?”

“It is your father who has repeatedly behaved out of pride. First, he cast away an honest man who loved your sister for poor prestige, and then he sent the wrong bride out of personal preference. A mistake it may be, but standing on selfishness nevertheless.” He proceeds to comb your locks, a gesture you absolutely don’t hate. Dare you say his moderately intimate touches are keeping you grounded. 

“Now,” he begins again, “I shall justify why I believe fate is punishing your father. He is an abbot of a temple who has the privilege to be in my presence once a year, and whose duty is to intercede for my worshippers, keeping them in my favor. At present, he has failed to perform perhaps my most important instruction yet, a mistake that is not at all a secret amongst the people. One would consider incompetent, would one not?”

“To err is human, my lord,” you reply, albeit conflicted. You’re not sure why you’re defending your father.

“His true err is in his idea of principality behind his actions. If he didn’t desire to see only one of his children succeed because the other doesn’t adhere to his narrow-minded standards of decorum, he would’ve sent you to me. A head priest should know that the established practice is always based on succession, in which you come first. As for your sister, no suspicion shall be cast upon her amidst the turbulence surrounding the head priest, and so she will remain protected from all judgement until he is reunited with her lover.”  

Kiku, happily together with the man she loves most! You can almost see her in that shiromuku again, this time with a groom next to her and a bright smile on her face. You become quiet, unable to admonish what he said, mostly because you long for it to be true—the part where Kiku is happy, at least. Instead you resort to another question.

“Is destiny punishing my father by discrediting him, then?”  

The corners of his lips are upturned and at that moment you realize how much the man in front of you knows. It could be that you’ve been in his presence for too long it makes you forget he is a god.

“Destiny’s punishment is by demotion.”

Your eyes widen. For the first time tonight, he is truly smiling at you.

“I have known your soul since I was a new god, and for that same amount of time, I have known you to be not only a wife, but a partner.”

“Partner?”

“My bride is predestined to also be a goddess.”

And she will dwell in the seiiki with him forever.

“As a human-turned-deity, you have the benefit of communicating with the people with no need for intercession and freedom to visit the mortal plane as you please. The head of the temple shall only rule over rituals of worship. We shall be known then as no longer two, but one.”

With you totally appalled, he takes the opportunity to lift you up by the waist and place you in his lap. 

“It is said by fate.”

You should still be in shock, but it’s as though your eyes have truly been opened, and every little second of your life has led you to this very moment. Everything makes sense. You remember the spark between your skin and his when they first brushed against each other, the palpitations of your heart when you entered the holy grounds. All of a sudden, the only thing you want to do is stay with him and never leave—it is unthinkable, for you would never want to escape from your very own sanctuary. He may have just offered you godliness in all its power, yet all you hear is an earnest proposal, to which there is only one answer. At that realization, you can’t help but smile—how are you supposed to reject when you can’t even think of the word ‘no’? 

He leans forward and presses the most tender kiss to your jaw. The touch of his lips is soft and unhurried, but it leaves a heated sensation on your skin. Then, nudging his nose against yours, he begins to speak. 

In nothing but a whisper, he calls your name, followed by the name of your mother, and your mother’s mother, and her mother before that. You sigh as he does, an unnatural shiver running up your spine. Everything about him emits warmth. It reminds you of the sensations you felt earlier when he lifted the enchantment off of the paper—you see flashes of your ancestor’s faces in your mind’s eye, only for them to comfortably slip like sand between your fingers, leaving only you and him in stillness.

He brings his hands up to cup your face, making you look straight at him. On his face is a mix of confidence and warmth.

“How would you like to rule the world at my side?”

You answer by gently kissing him on the lips, and the first rays of morning sun start to shine outside.

[spacemilkies]

Could you do a Ben Hargreeves request where the reader and Ben dated and were in love before he died and the readers always been there for Klaus so they're like best friends but the reader doesn't know that Ben is with Klaus after he dies since he wants her to be able to move on even though he's always gonna love her but obviously it comes out? Like fluff flashbacks to them being happy and in love. I love your writing btw!

title: the wheels go round and round

pairing: ben hargreeves x reader; platonic!klaus hargreeves x reader

summary: 

the three of you were like a three-wheeled bike

but then you lost a wheel

its a good thing most bicyles can run on two wheels …

right?

a/n: bless the day to umbrella academy. after months of drought, it rained down 5k+ words on my soul

hope you like!

It was more than just an itch.

When describing the sensation of feeling the departed, Klaus had always summarized the connection to an itch.

But it was more than that.

It was a whisper at times and a shout at its worst.

It was both the burn of a cigarette and the sharp punch of frost.

Klaus no longer just enjoyed life because since the day he was born, he’d been destined to share it. Whether it be someone’s brother, mother or aunt.

He couldn’t simply exist without the obligation of presenting himself as a window to those who have departed. They were tethered to him, mere specters unable to indulge in their own whims.

But more often than not, Klaus felt like the collar was around his own neck. The hallucinations tightening around his throat like a noose.

It was suffocating.

Until the few times it wasn’t.

The moments where Ben was on one side,

and you were on the other.

“Please … Klaus. Not tonight.”

Had he had the energy, Klaus would have rejoiced. In the sea of hell, submerged in a pool of souls, hearing his dear brother’s voice was like breaking the surface.

Regrettably, at times he’d been too deep to begin with. The rapid ascend cracking his chest with aches and muddling the shores of his mind.

Or perhaps it was just the cocaine.

‘Twas all a blur at this age.

Except for his brother.

Klaus had been convinced that his brother’s multiple appendages had followed him into the next life, where they finally joined into one.

One string enough to define the parameters of life and death.

One potent enough where Klaus could almost feel the warmth of his finger tips.

No, this was definitely the cocaine speaking.

Shuddering past the residue, eyes fixated forward despite the obvious request for his attention. He learned long ago that it was much easier to escape the allure of desires that were not his own this way.

Of course, the notion worked better with strangers.

“And what exactly did I promise, dear brother?”

He knew.

Ben only sought him out for two things: loneliness and you.

And the two were often more intertwined than independent.

The phantom steps weren’t quite as soundless when the familiar gait in his memory coupled with reality. With his head bowed, Klaus only allowed himself the view of the restless sneakers planted in front of him.

He would account for deniability for just a little longer. Just until the fog lifted.

Yes, there was one plus to his powers.

No matter how much his brother wanted to launch him into kingdom come with the flick of his very murderous friends, there was just no true density to his physical wants.

“Klaus were going to be late. The recital starts in less twenty minutes. “

And in the other side of town, Klaus recalled groggily of the event he wasn’t suppose to remember. Not only would he be pushing the limits of his rather shallow physicality, but he would also suffer to the sharp keys struck in cohesion to whatever dated classical piece chosen for the night.

He could still hear the thundering notes of the last one echoing off the sides of his skull.

The agony of the preservation of music.

“Klaus!”

“Fuck!” Scrambling to his feet, the disheveled man shakily reached for the wall for balance. A few of his trivial belongings clattered to the street below. At least they were disposable now, there was no way he’d be able to make the trip back down again.

Beyond the determination, there was a hint of sympathy in Ben’s gaze. Despite being forever frozen in time by passing, Klaus felt like he was still growing despite the absence of aging. That and Klaus always had a soft spot for his sixth placed sibling.

Well, shit, there went his small window of deniability.

Smoothing his hands down the tattered and grimy black of his clothing, Klaus snuffed audibly as he looked down the alleyway.

“Well let’s get going then.”

____

“Fucking cmon, man.”

Klaus let out a quiet groan of disgruntlement when he peered around the corner once more. Much like like last three times, funding his brother just as ensnared with his significant other.

Despite his warnings, neither of the couple had kept things chaste. He’s managed to get more than an eyeful of Ben’s wandering hands and exposed skin.

Keeping a timer was a futile attempt.

They were too young to die.

Practically skinned alive by their father for sneaking out again.

Getting caught for it again.

All for love.

Teenage reckless love.

Counting upward, skipping a few useless numbers along the way, Klaus finally decided on a limit and turned back to the pair with a stronger resolve.

“As distastefully envious I am of your abrupt jump from bases so quickly, I’m afraid you’ll deny me the opportunity to try the same in the future if we don’t get going,” he emphasized with a pointed look at anything but the two flushed individuals.

Ben let out an equality frustrated huff and you laughed in turn.

And Klaus…,

Poor Klaus was just ready to end it all.

Ben drew you in close once more for a quick snog, one teetering close to another endless makeout fest without his brother’s grunt.

“Alright, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow, after your classes?”

Your face scrunched in thought, before clearing with recollection and you shook your head,” I have practice tomorrow evening.”

Ben’s bottom lip pulled downward at the thought, but you quickly remedied it with a peck on the cheek and a suggestion.

“But maybe, we can meet at night? At the cafe?”

The question was directed more towards the lingering Klaus, who rolled his eyes.

The gesture met by silence.

Seconds ticking into minutes, until he couldn’t take it any longer.

He threw up his arms in exasperation.

“Fine, you little miscreants. I swear if you two drag me through a teenage pregnancy. I will kill you both and drag your souls into my bedroom to view a true the horrors of entangled lovers.”

_

“Ugh, I don’t know.”

Rubbing sleepily under the droop of his eyes, Klaus was willing to bet anything as long as it got him back in bed before noon. If someone told him something like friendship was such a binding contract, he would have gladly done without it.

The remaining option of pure solicitude and his family be damned.

Anything less would have had him in bed still.

“Look, Ben will love anything you get him. He’s easy like that,” he quipped around a yawn.

What he didn’t mention was how frankly any of them would take a grain of salt if it came as a gift on their names-day.

Who knew being born without an identity would come without the rest of the joys in the world. But with everything else denied, what was one more traumatized shard of a misplaced childhood.

When he finally returned to reality, he found you standing just under him, your nose barely bringing the line of his shoulder. You were watching intently, in a way that could only be described as expectation.

Ah, you’d said something else hadn’t you?

God, he was just making this much longer for himself.

What did Ben even like?

Surely under all the endless screaming and turmoil Klaus had been present enough to at least learn something impertinent about his brother.

All of his siblings mumble of wants.

A proper life.

A real family.

Friends.

Bringing together all two of his lingering brain cells, he squared his shoulders with a posture of authority. “A music book.”

To his suggestion, your nose twisted into a look of pure disbelief.

Oh, you unfortunate clueless little doll. If only he had the time to introduce you to the chaotic world his brother had created to express his undying love for you.

“A music book, because he likes to understand you. You and that complicated, beautifully musically-inclined brain that he’s so obsessed with. Poor boy is tone deaf, but if he can keep up with you literately, then he’s a happy monkey.”

His lips pulled at the joke that went over your head with no reminiscence.

All that mattered was that his brother would be happy.

You would be sated.

And he could get his ass back to sleep.

Klaus felt like something worse than a train had plowed into him. Which was ironic, because he couldn’t think of much else that would leave his body wriggling in agony.

Just the effort needed to part his eyelids felt like shouldering the weight of cinderblocks. The trials of it all would have been much more terrifying had it only been the first occurrence.

Fortunately, or supposedly unfortunately given his state of health, this was far from the first time that he’d found himself plastered to his brother’s couch. His impromptu visits were really beginning to affect the integrity of the upholstery, he mused as he picked lethargically at the dried flakes of his own spittle.

Not even on his best day could Klaus recall exactly where they’d drug him from this time. He tended to only bare the scorches of hell not the memories of it.

A low rumble of thunder tickled at his consciousness, and his body managed to comprehend the action to find the available window perched just east of his grungy nest.

To find only instant regret as the bright rays began the thrall if his punishment.

No storm then.

Then what was- oh.

“The parents are arguing,” He sang alone and off tune to the accompaniment of two voices just beyond his reach. Despite its size, their cute little kitchen managed manifest acoustics only found in the hazy mists if his shower.

“He needs to go to rehab, Ben! This is getting ridiculous.”

“Rehab isn’t going to cure the voices. “

Understanding the horrors behind why Klaus was such a dysfunctional mess had done nothing to deter your efforts to provide him with solace.

More often than not he found himself drug to recitals and practice performances where you felt the noise would help to overcome the screams.

It may have been a nicer sentiment should he have control of the playlist if songs. He was more likely to fall asleep and face his maker than find peace.

Indirectly he found himself observing Vanya on more than one occasion, however, a Samaritan token that he hoped he could cash in at some point in the future

“So were suppose to just let him keep doing this to him self. “

Oh bless your soul.

Klaus shoulders rolled in a crooked dance as his hand touched the three places out of order to a religion he had no experience dabbling in.

May the big guy or women upstairs truly gift you for your heart.

“Baby, it’s not that easy…”

Well, gift you more than they had when they wrapped Ben up and presented him to you.

Klaus wondered if you recognized the veteran you were when it came to keeping the real monsters at bay.

“You think when this is all over … think I could marry her?”

The question was asked so causally that Klaus nearly inhaled the paper roll balanced between his lips. Ben, this little rascal, hardly missed a second as he reached over to take a puff for himself.

A slow dazed smile curled at his lips, his mind floating up and away in chase of the cloud.

All the while, Klaus nearly died from an abrupt pneumonectomy.

“Sorry, I’d like to dissect this first. When what’s over? Sorry to break it to you, but those powers aren’t going anywhere.”

That was a long dead dream amongst all the siblings. This was their life and they just had to adapt to make the best of it.

Funny, he couldn’t remember if he’d heard that from mom or dad.

Frankly, their mother was an autonomous robot programmed by their father, so he supposed they were one in the same.

He shudders at the visage.

Ben took another long drag before handing the joint back, letting the smoke settle in him before releasing it out into the world. He was becoming such a professional, Klaus almost wanted to cry.

Rolling his head back, Ben caught his brother’s gaze, the same languid grin still plastered on his lips,” I mean the old man has got to die at some point right? Then we’d be free.”

Except the old geezer just couldn’t seem to find the bucket to kick. Klaus had to wonder if he was even born with one.

Maybe that’s why he took everything from them, because he lost his bucket. Since he had to suffered it was only right that he did.

Scoffing, Klaus fell back into the cushions of the couch. Their father dying would just be one nightmare for another to him. While his other siblings lived their life, he’d be the unlikely bastard still hearing dead old dad.

He waved his brother to continue,” So dad dies. He has no more control. Enter your bride to be. What could go wrong ?”

“They could say no.”

The taste of rejection was familiar and thick, a viscous emotion that was contagious in all the worst ways. It was an airborne virus, a bacterial infection- a stigma embedded into the very walls they grew up in.

They’d spent their whole lives being discarded from the inside. How would they handle the same on the outside?

Well Klaus certainly didn’t think that Ben deserved that.

“You’re an idiot. Of course they would say yes.”

And when that lazy smile brightening with the energy of the sun, Klaus thinks, yeah it’ll be alright.

___

Except it’s not.

It’s the opposite of okay.

___

“Did you know he wanted to marry me?”

Klaus looks up in surprise, though somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he shouldn’t. You were equally as expressive as you were aware. To be honest, you had to be to keep up with them.

Just because they were a danger, didn’t mean they weren’t inherently surrounded by it as well.

As fate brought about.

Ben always made sure to keep you on your toes. Scolding you when your back was turned to the happenings of the world. It was done out of love, to protect you from what you couldn’t see.

Your defense when he wasn’t there.

So of course you’d been primed to pick up on little mannerisms and peculiarities. Lately, when the two of you were alone, wrapped up in your lovers nest, Ben often lost himself to his own thoughts.

But naturally that wasn’t enough to support the little investigation.

No, you needed evidence.

The little box hidden behind the bookshelf was more than enough to close the case.

You still had it.

Unsure of what to do with it now. It didn’t seem like a family heirloom, but what did you know ?

The touch of your own hand stroked fondly over the fingers of your left, a quirk of a sullen smile twitching halfheartedly.

“Yeah, I knew. It was so easy to tell with him.”

Ben’s manifestation came as easy as a whisper yet felt like the heavy side of an iron hammer. He hovered between the two of them, uncertainty rooting his presence just short of reaching you.

His face twisted at the sight of your solemn agony as you picked apart the memories of your life together.

“Every recital I kept wonder if that was going to be the day. “

Klaus could only watch it play out, no plausible intervention available in his capacity to offer comfort. The wound was still so fresh and deep with all of them. The two of you together were just barely managing to keep the gape from tearing wider.

“Then I realized, that wouldn’t be his style. He’d probably try to stick it in a milkshake then freak out when I went for a spoon.”

Ben’s broken laugh cracks his chest, rattling like a case of skeletons. Klaus is glad you can’t hear it, the torment of its sound would only plague his nightmares.

“I would have said yes without a ring.”

When Ben reaches for her, Klaus can’t help but do the same. The urge feels like his own, physically, but when his brother lays his hand atop the pile the warmth doesn’t feel like it’s coming from his own body. At the touch, it sparks an array of emotions he’d only once viewed through a one way mirror.

Now he was the window.

Too bad it was already broken.

“I would have said yes to anything.”

____

“Every time. I know you say you’ll see me again, but damn, you really surprise me, Klaus.”

When Klaus draws you in for a hug, its more than instinctual. Its not an ambient desire.

Its a whim of his own, something that he takes his own personal comfort in.

His.

So maybe he’s a little disgruntled, when a third pair of arms joins the embrace.

And maybe, he’s a little smug when you only respond to his warmth, and his alone.

Call it his own payment.

Grinning, you brush away the damp fringe from your flushed cheek. You always called performing a rush. He thought living with Vanya would help him understand that, but it seemed that music lover’s were truly just one of a kind.

“Tell her how amazing she sounded.”

Ben encroaches on the moment again, and Klaus grits his teeth to bare the grin as he recites the words. Sometimes he wonders if he you can hear his voice as well as he can. The two of you always had such a special connection.

It was a shame that death had to be the one thing that built a wall between you.

With a sigh that could double as exhaustion, you leaned back on your heels. The adrenaline of the recital was finally wearing off. All the long nights and endless dance of fingers across the keys had waned down to this moment, and now it was over.

For now at least.

Give or take a few weeks, just short of a month or two and you would be back at it again.

“So … you look … good?” You winced at the delivery but prided yourself on how it didn’t come out sounding like an interrogation. It was so difficult to properly voice your worries when it came to Klaus.

So much had changed over the years.

You thought you would be able to function without the third wheel.

Most bikes ran on just two after all.

But Klaus seemed to need that third wheel in a capacity that you just couldn’t understand. Frankly, there were a lot of things you didn’t quite comprehend and you had practically dated a superhero.

But with Ben it had been not easy but simpler in all the ways that came natural as being together.

Klaus was the opposite in more ways the one.

Yet so explicitly streamlined down the single reason that he wasn’t alone.

He was never really alone.

No matter how often you tried to fill the space with your presence, some skeleton from the past managed to draw him away.

You think thats the one thing you hated most about the house he grew up in. Despite all those people, it had been voided from so much love that it got to the point that he’d let anything in.

And now he didn’t know how to close the door.

He was getting so weathered just standing at the entrance, taking whatever was thrown at him.

Klaus managed his usual exaggerated grin, and you made no comment of how it drooped a the side. “Oh, but thank you my dear. Truly, here I thought no one would noticed how I walked straight off the runway to make it here on time.”

Laughing came easy, even when it was forced.

“Well, I appreciate it. I really do, Klaus. Everytime.”

Klaus lifts his shoulders and let him fall in his own quirky way,“It’s what he would have wanted.”

“Still wants.” Ben’s words drift like a breeze.

You reach for his hand, meaning every word as they cross your lips,“Yeah, well, he had a great brother.”

There was no denying that your friendship had fractured from being on the receiving end of the blow that was Ben’s death. Things weren’t quite as they were, lacking the instrumental piece that his ghost couldn’t be to bridge your worlds.

But it wasn’t broken.

Ben wouldn’t allow it. He kept Klaus alive, pushing him to remain conscious and aware of the world. Even if his brother’s motivations were selfish demonstrations of his own agendas.

At the end of the day, Klaus retained your friendship.

And in a world of apparitions, it was nice to reach for something and have it met half way.

“Yes, thank you. I’m glad he can hear that and my efforts are for naught.”

Ben flittered between the two of you, instinctively drawn into your orbit. Klaus tried not encroach, but unable to not watch as Ben tried in vain to grasp the wisps of your hair. The intentions phased through you without your notice yet Ben’s look of complacence didn’t falter in the slightest.

It’s what he wanted for you after all.

Your blissful unawareness would be necessary for you to properly prefers in a world without him.

Even when he was still there to watch your steps forward.

“We should treat her to her favorite cafe.”

Ben was back at his side, flickering in and out of space with ease. The question snapped Klaus out of his revere and he found himself answering audibly in reflex,“Oh yes, with my limited funds.”

Your brow furrowed in confusion,

“Sorry?”

Klaus waved you off, not having to explain in detail for once or come up with an exuberant tale to mask his insanity. “Oh, not you.”

Your eyes flashed with recognition. Apart as you were, you weren’t as accustomed to Klaus day to day demons. The man who was once a constant in your life managed to fade to the background without your say so. You knew he was doing it out of his own attempts to shield you. 

With Ben, you were a proper team, one that could at least attempt to maintain the forlorn sibling. But alone, it felt like you were a mere spectator.

“Is it getting worse? I mean its, always worse right?”

“Not… always,” he trailed off.

“Klaus you cant keep drowning them away the way you are. Its not healthy.”

This really wasn’t how he planned for this evening to go. But you were a lecturer at heart and consequently he was your favorite subject. He had resist the urge to make a face when Ben hummed in agreement. “I know that.”

He looked up at the touch of your hand, trying hard not get to far swept into your altruistic stigma. Without Ben around, he’d managed to do a better job of dragging you into his mess rather than allow you to pull him out.

You were just too helpful.

Always loaning money or your couch to rest on.

Just attending your performances hardly felt like a redemption to all your kindness. Ben certainly felt that way. In Klaus defense, he never lead a very virtuous life to begin with. Besides, wasn’t the point of all this for you to live your own life?

Ben had died, leaving you two to reform a friendship in his absence. Sure, it was the squeakiest wheel but it turned.

You had just as strong of a hand in keeping him afloat.

“Then act like you mean it. I know its not fair for me to simplify something so difficult, but you just have to cut them out.”

Klaus wondered if he’d imagined the hitch in your voice or if Ben had noticed it as well. Your gaze had lowered as you delivered into your speech, hiding away the true emotions festering beneath. Klaus didn’t know what he would do if the sniffling began. He was oh so terrible when it came to managing emotions that were not his own.

Who was he kidding, he hardly had a reign on those.

But you continued on. Your stance growing sterner with every word.

“Let the past go.”

“Forget about them.”

“Move on.”

They were the same words regurgitated from Ben’s own request to see that you moved on properly after his death. He hadn’t wanted you to remain stuck on his ghost, remembering what had been and constantly reimagining what could be.

More importantly, he wanted you to let go of him completely, so that you wouldn’t seek him out in Klaus.

Klaus always found it odd how you never showed any addition resistance to Ben’s ‘dying’ request. Not that he expected you to declare vengeance. But you knew, he was a walking window to the world of the dead. Knew that if he tried enough, he could manifest Ben back to you. But you never asked.

You just smiled and nodded.

Ben pretended to be unaffected, tried to convince himself that it was what he wanted. But Klaus knew he was hurting from the lack of contact. Yearning to use the advantage only his brother could provide.

Wanting.

Needing.

It just wasn’t fair.

“Even Ben?”

Ben was in front of him immediately, his face hardened in the event of Klaus breaching their deal. But Klaus was done with the suffering, tired of making everyone around him feel it too.

At one point in their lives, they were all happy.

And it was time to stop acting like Ben’s absence was the end of it all.

“Ben…”

Klaus expected more tears. Something of a sort of production of dramatics that would call attention to your private moment. He certainly had the theatrics in him to do so. But you were just … quiet. As if hearing Ben’s name aloud had stripped the sound from your voice.

Ben looked at him with chagrin, mouth already moving to berate Klaus’ impulsive decision,” Look what you did- all our progress.”

“I didn’t want to! I just-”

“Ben, its fine.”

The silence that followed was deafening. It took them both a moment more to realize which of the pair you’d called out to. And with such confidence. You’d just included yourself in the conversation as if you’d been there from the start.

As if you’d-

“You knew…”

Klaus somehow managed to add more foundation to Ben’s fractured words. The weight of the realization suddenly splintering the mirage you’d all built together to keep the world spinning. You’d all contributed to the great tragedy in which no one was truly happy.

“That you could see him?” Your shrug was lopsided. The weight uneven as you offloaded your own demons. “Klaus, you can see everyone. Of course, I figured you would seek out your own brother.” You said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Like there were idiots for thinking otherwise.

In a way they were.

“But you never-”

” -said anything?” You interrupted with another sluggish shrug,” Ben made it pretty clear that he didn’t want me to know. The least i could do was respect those wishes.”

You’d do anything for Ben.

Even forget.

Or pretend to, at least.

What would you be, if you couldn’t meet his last request.

Frankly, it was all too much for Klaus, his body shaking with misplaced laughter as the situation settled within him. You truly knew them- knew them both better than they knew themselves. They’d presented a game and got played by it.

Ben was fairing slightly better, daring to even smile a little in muted pride. Klaus finds himself thrown back in time, the same feeling of trespassing establishing within him when Ben reaches out with a phantom hand to stroke your cheek.

Swallowing around the barrier, Klaus narrates helpfully,” He’s uh- stroking your cheek. Or trying to at least.”

For some reason you all laugh, your accompanied by bringing your own hand up to touch the side of your face. You’d managed to find the right cheek without either of their guidance. Not that anyone was surprised anymore.

“I’ve missed you.”

Oh how Klaus wished you could hear Ben. Something you could all agree on. But he played his part, being the voice needed to maintain the connection,” “He misses you.”

When you open your eyes, your gaze is more watery than it had been before,” Yeah, I’ve missed you too.” 

Klaus is caught off guard when your hand extends out, fingers flexing. At first he thinks you’d dared to try to reach for Ben, hopeful for a missing touch. But instead he finds your gaze trained on him, your touch as warm as he remembers.

“I knew I could rely on him to keep you alive. “

Ben chuckles fondly,” Damn right.”

You sigh audibly through your nose, giving Klaus one last squeeze before letting go. “Honestly, this is great. I felt so weird trying to pretend like he wasn’t there. Seriously, you two share one brain cell. As long as you’re functioning, it was safe to assume Ben wasn’t far.”

The jib was popular joke of yours when Ben was still alive. The two brothers were a mix of mischief that you rarely managed to keep up with. Together they were a duo, but the three of you were more than a trio.

A unit that sheltered each other from the harshness of reality.

“I’ll take you up on those parfaits now. Maybe a hot chocolate with a shot. I know you’ve got something on you.“

Klaus was going to end up with whiplash by the end of the night with the way this conversation was going. You departed from them with a promise to return as quickly as you could change, leaving the two siblings floundering in place.

“I know I said this before, but your fiancé is strange.”

The way Ben smiles reminds Klaus of the day he decided that he was in love with you.

Ben didn’t even try to correct him.

“Yeah, but we like them that way.”

[fangirlxwritesx67]

How I Started Writing Fanfiction, or, Oh No My OTP Is In Love

Y’all, sit down, Viv is going to tell you a story, but its going to be all about me and my life. It will be pretty boring so get comfy with a drink and a blanket. 

Everyone settled with a hot or cold drink of your choice? OK. So once upon a time this summer, I hadn’t started writing Fanfic and I didn’t have a Tumblr. What I did have was serious Pinterest problem. Pinterest was my endless scroll, and being the fangirl that I am, I had a ton of fandom boards- especially for Supernatural. A lot of my content was Tumblr posts that had made their way over, so I kinda had Tumblr lite. Anyway, at some point I read a post that said, “When I can’t sleep, I try writing fanfic.” I gave it a try. Of course, after keeping a few stories in my head for weeks on end, I decided to get Wattpad and write the stories down - after all, they were fully formed in my head, so why not? 

The first one I every wrote was Do You Want Me? It’s kind of funny, because I hardly ever write Destiel anymore. I might be the only person I know who got less into that ship once I got on Tumblr.  My second one was You Naughty Boy, featuring Sam and Rowena. At that point I didn’t even really think of them as a ship. They were just the two hottest people on the show, and if you’re going to write smut, why not write it with hot people?  Reading my early fics, I could be embarrassed,  but I’m not. Especially because those first few were so thoroughly written in my head before they ever made it onto the page (screen.) 

You all know that, of course, I got to Tumblr. I found a circle of Rowena fangirls and Samwena shippers- a built in appreciative audience for my stories. So I kept writing them. At first I was just writing one-shots, but then I started to realize that a lot of my Sam and Rowena stories were kind of happening in the same universe. There was no longer “first time” stuff and, without me ever trying, they were sliding into “established relationship” territory. Several things happened all at once, then: - S 15 x 03 which hit us all with the Samwena feels - I started talking to my therapist about my fanfiction. She encouraged me to see it as a creative and beautiful thing, not as dirty trash or something to be ashamed of. It’ still dirty smut, but it’s my smut and I’m proud of it. - I enrolled in @thoughtslikeaminefield MJ’s Transformative Crash Course in Writing Fanfiction. She really pushed me to take my writing to another level in ways that I am still discovering. She challenged me to understand my characters better, to explore their emotions, to show not tell. She asked me question after question about why my characters were doing what they were doing, what they were feeling, if it was in character. She told me if lust was their only motivation, I wasn’t writing hard enough. In short, she taught me to: lean in, push it farther, and write it out. I’m not going to pretend that I got it all, but it changed the way I write. 

So I return to my Sam x Rowena stories. I can no longer avoid the fact that I have, in fact, been writing a series. So I go ahead with the established pairing thing and- I’m writing the same Sam and Rowena, but it feels different. The first one is purposely, lushly overwritten- dirty and romantic at the same time- and that’s when I realize I’M SCREWED. I had to actively write out them saying “I love you” not once, but twice. When did that happen? How did we get here? I’m not ready for this! So I picked up an old request, thinking I would write something different. NOPE. I’m right back where I was, talking about trust and power and vulnerability. Now I’m REALLY SCREWED. I have a series on my hands, I have 2 characters about to say “I love you,” and I have no idea how we got here or where we’re going. Decision time. Obviously because I’m a writer and I love to make life difficult for myself, I decide the most prudent course of action is to revisit the whole series, writing as a cohesive story. MJ came to my rescue again with a gorgeous banner. Trying to describe the series to her helped me clarify what I was writing. At one point, we both sent each other song lyrics. One was Stevie Nicks and one was Fleetwood Mac. That still makes me giggle. She asked me what the main conflict of the series was. Since I have been writing it as a string of porn one-shots, at first it was hard to say. Then I realized that the conflict was exactly where I am now.  I have a banner, a song, and a pretty good handle on where I need to go next. But I’m going to make sure I take my time to lean in, push it farther, and write it out. In the meantime, I’ll be revisiting what I’ve written so far. I don’t plan to do major rewrites but some light editing and maybe add a bit here or there. 

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. If you’ve ever read or commented or reblogged my stuff, thank you. If you see stories that you think you’ve seen before, yeah, you have. I’d love another read. You might see something new

[insanely-creative-things]

Big Hero 7: The Series

The Impatient Patient

(Long post)

www.fanfiction.net

A.N: This is the part where Obake’s sanity is more...exposed. It will be explained when I post Obake’s origins. Enjoy this chapter!

*The fog thickly coats the air until a yacht comes into view. The passengers on board happen to be Krei and his assistant Lois Carter as they arrive by very specific coordinates somewhere in the pacific ocean. Krei is looking out at sea with his high tech binoculars.*

Krei: Alright, we are here...now what?

Lois: We wait-

Krei: *Startled* AAHH!

*The sudden voice of his assistant spooks the entrepreneur which causes him to drop his binoculars into the ocean.*

Krei: Don't do that! Didn't know you were back there.

Lois: Talk to yourself much?

Krei: No, I was thinking out loud.

*Just then his phone rings so he answers it.*

Krei: This is Krei.

Mystery Caller: I see you have reached the drop point.

Krei: Couldn't we have done this in the office?

Mystery Caller: No, you will transfer the vault.

Krei: How do I know you'll deliver? This is a staggering large amount of cash.

Mystery Caller: That is why it was the winning bid.

Krei: Done.

*He hangs up the phone after that rather suspicious conversation.*

Lois: And?

*Just then, Krei spots what appears to be a torpedo heading for the yacht at a fast speed.*

Krei: Ahh! Hit the deck!

*Krei immediately drops to the ground preparing for the explosion but nothing happens.*

Lois: You might wanna see this.

*Krei, after realizing it was not an assassination attempt, stands up to find that the torpedo is actually a drone that is sent to deliver the package. A robotic arm appears and in front of Krei is a small blue chip. Krei garbs the chip as the drone swims away.*

Krei: *Laughs* It's good to win.

*But Krei and Lois are unaware that they are currently being watched. *

Jack: Yeah, got our target.

*Then three people suit up in their turbine jet suits while secret handshake stuff, two men and one female.*

Jack: Let's fly!

*Hiro and Cora are on Baymax flying through the foggy night in the city.*

Baymax: My flight function is not at full efficiency in suspended water droplets.

Hiro: It's just fog Baymax, it's not the greatest for night patrol.

*As of while, Fred is jumping around in the city, trying to not cause any damage with the thick-as-pea-soup fog they're surrounded in.*

Fred: *Singing* Night patrolling in the fog! But I can't see my feet! Oh oh oh oh I probably shouldn't be jumping around~

Cora: Fred! Did you see that?

Fred: No! I can't see anything! Not even my feet, I thought I was clear on that, I mean did you two not hear my song? Come on!

*Hiro and Cora are looking out the bay as Baymax scans.*

Hiro: Out over the bay.

Cora: Their too small to be planes... Helicopters maybe?

Baymax: I will scan for heat signatures through the fog.

Fred: *Hopeful* Please be UFOs, Please be UFOs! Please be UFOs!

Baymax: I detect three humans.

Fred: *Disappointed* Aww...

Baymax: Wearing jet turbines.

Fred: *Intrigued* Ooh!

*The three-man jet flying team are heading towards the yacht.*

Jack: Triple power!

Jack, Jacky, and Jacqueline: Jacks rule!

*The team of three continue tailgating the yacht dubbed KreiFisher. At Jack's signal, the two others fly off in opposite directions, catching the attention of Krei, Lois, and the captain.*

Krei: Ahh!

*The three meet up and Jack uses his laser cannon to tip over the yacht, nearly capsizing it. Krei smacks his face straight into a window due to the tough waves. With the yacht spinning around, the three launch their hooks to hold it still.*

Jack: That's the stuff!

*Hiro, Cora, and Baymax arrive and spook the man into flying away. Soon they made a turn to cut the wires from the other two flying daredevils.*

Hiro: Huh! Nice job Baymax!

Cora: Hold on Hiro! I'm think I'm hearing something.

*The two listen into the radio between the other three flying daredevils.*

Jack: Look sharp Jack!

Jacky: Roger that Jack! Jack you got this?

Jacqueline: Coming Jack.

*But as they were listening, Jacqueline flies to the side and knocks the three into the ocean. Cora's suit begins to glow as she swims towards Hiro and pulls him to back Baymax. Meanwhile the three Jacks meet up at the yacht.*

Jacky: Nailed it Jack!

Jacqueline: Back at you Jack.

*Just than, Baymax burst out of the water with Hiro and Cora on his back again, knocking the three Jacks out. Cora pats Hiro's back so he can cough out any ocean water he might have inhaled, but then Hiro and Cora are pulled off by Jack by their feet.*

Jack: Lesson one: Don't mess with the Mad Jacks!

Jacky and Jacqueline: Jacks rule!

Hiro: Wait so you're all named Jack?

Jack: Actually my real name's Greg, but I go by Jack! Team cohesion man!

Hiro: Well uh that makes no sense.

Jack: Yeah well...you make no sen-

*Cora uses the opportunity between their banter to swing up and land a punch to his face, disorienting Jack to loose focus. He goes from high and low where at the low he drops Cora into the water safely, but he also flies high enough to drop Hiro from the air.*

Hiro: Baymax!

*Baymax uses his scanner to find Cora in the water and Hiro falling.*

Cora: *To Baymax* Get Hiro! I'm getting on board the yacht!

*Baymax flies over and catches Hiro before he is submerged in water again.*

Hiro: Thanks *Sneeze!*

Baymax: You have sneezed. A sneeze is a semi-

Hiro: *Climbing back on to Bymax* I'm fine! Come on, lets go join Cora on that yacht.

*Cora climbs on board dripping wet as Baymax lands and Hiro jumps down.*

Baymax: I am scanning the occupants. One of them is Alistair Krei.

Cora: *Surprised and annoyed* Again?! Ugh...

Krei: Welcome!...Aboard.

Hiro: Is this another revenge against you thing?

Krei: No.

Cora: Unethical business deal?

Krei: That is offensive and also no!

Hiro: Then what?

Krei: Look I was out on the bay enjoying my yacht, KreiFisher, and then those flying maniacs swooped in!

*The next laser blast rocks the yacht hard enough to tip Krei overboard, but before he is fully submerged Baymax catches him by his leg and pulls him up and drops him back onto the boat.*

Baymax: *As he puts life preserver on Krei and pulls the string on it to inflate it.* It is advisable to wear a floatation device when boating.

Krei: Noted.

Cora: *Rubs her eyes in annoyance* Krei, you are literally the Lois Lane from Super Man at this point. And that alone is an insult to Lois Lane and Super Man all around.

*Just then, more laser blasts start firing around the yacht and the four try to keep their balance in the rocking boat as more and more blasts appear. The yacht speeds up as the Mad Jack team follows after them.*

Hiro: Baymax? I'm thinking rocket fist.

*Baymax uses his scanner to place his scanner on the Mad Jacks.*

Baymax: Three targets will require precise timing.

*Cora and Hiro nod as they finally found that precise moment to strike.*

Hiro and Cora: Now!

*The rocket fist hits Jack which causes him to bump into Jacky and then into Jacquline, landing all three of them in the water.*

Cora: Yes!

Hiro: Nice shot! That had to hurt.

*The rocket fist returns to Baymax.*

Baymax: I do not detect any major injuries.

Hiro: Bet their mad though.

*Baymax and Cora blink at Hiro, confused on what he just said.*

Hiro: Mad...Jacks? Because they're..

*Baymax continues to blink in confusion as Cora speaks.*

Cora: *Smiles awkwardly at her boyfriend* Hiro...babe, I love you and all. But I have to be honest with you when I say...*Bluntly but still awkward* That was kind of weak even for you.

Hiro: *Slightly annoyed at them both* Never mind...

*After the yacht sails back to the docks, Krei and Lois are talking to Hiro, Cora, and Baymax.*

Hiro: Are you sure there's nothing you wanna tell us?

Lois: There is one thing-

Krei: *Interrupts her before she can say anything* Goodnight!

*Hiro is about to speak but he then sneezes into Baymax's finger, which catches the attention of Cora beside him.*

Baymax: Hiro, I am detecting unusually thick mucus in your nasal membrane.

Krei: Well that's disgusting! No viruses around the CEO that's the rule. Goodnight!

Cora: O...K? Let's just go you guys, it's kind of late anyway.

Baymax: I will monitor your symptoms.

*Hiro and Cora climb up and fly away to head home.*

Lois: Why didn't you tell them? I mean they did save you.

Krei: I do not need those kids lecturing me about how 'that technology is too risky'!

Lois: Is it risky?

Krei: No risk, no reward.

*Fred finally arrives at the dock and surprises Krei and Lois.*

Fred: *Ready for action* What'd I miss?

*The next day at SFIT, Cora and Hiro are at the cafeteria where they are seated in their usual spot. Cora is currently eating her bento containing shrimp as Hiro texts Fred to identify The Mad Jack group. Cora sees Hiro looking a little more tired than usual which raises some concern in her.*

Cora: You doing okay Hiro? You look a little tired...did you sleep well last night?

Hiro: *Waves her off to reassure her* Uh...could've been a little better, but I'm fine, really... *Take notice of a certain book sticking out of his girlfriend's backpack and decides to try and change the subject* So babe, why did you bring that book to school?

*Cora looks at her backpack where sticking out is the herbal book she got from their time at Muirahara Woods.*

Cora: Oh I've been looking it over ever since I got it and thought I could look it over some more in-between classes. I've kinda been studying the writings my Mama put into it. You know, ever since I got this book, I've been wonder why Grandmama never told me anything about this book, or about that treehouse she and Mama used to live in. But on the plus side, I finally found the spot where that missing page is suppose to be, see?

*Cora opens the book to flip to see that there is indeed a page has been ripped out, and considering how old it was it was defiantly not Ludd, the Hybagon of the woods that went crazy.*

Hiro: Huh, that is weird. I wonder what was so important about that one page that someone would just take but leave the rest of the book behind.

Cora: That's just what I've been thinking. I mean, why just take one page instead of the whole book? Whatever was on that page was most likely something someone didn't want anyone to get their hands on, which means that it's really that important. but the question now is, what was written on that page, and what about it makes it so important that it would need to be kept out of the wrong hands?

Hiro: Hmm...sounds like this is quite the mystery.

Cora: Yeah and it's a mystery I'd sure like to solve, among other things...

Hiro: Well maybe we can try to figure this out later. Right now I'm feeling a little hungry, I'm gonna get some fruit, you want anything?

Cora: Sure, and you pick.

*Hiro stands up to walk over to the fruit stand while Cora starts reading and looking over the book. Hiro starts looking at what fruit to get, first picking two apples but decided to put one of them back. He then switches the fruit stand and grabs an orange. However someone notices Hiro putting back the second apple and that someone happened to be Karmi, the other teen genius.*

Karmi: Hiro what did you just do?

Hiro: Uh..I'm getting fruit for Cora and I.

Karmi: You touched the other apple!

Hiro: But I decided I wanted the orange. T-There's no comparison really it's apples and oranges heh.

Karmi: Do you know how many microbes you left on that apple?!

Hiro: No but I bet you do... Karmi.

Karmi: This is cold and flu season! All it takes is one careless-

*But then Hiro starts to twitch before he stops himself from sneezing, however Karmi drops her food. Then she starts to slowly back away. Hiro returns to the table where Cora had watched the whole encounter.*

Hiro: Come on it was one sniff!

Cora: ...Maybe we should go meet up with the gang.

*At the lab, Hiro and Cora are walking through the lab, although Cora is watching Hiro with concerned eyes as Hiro's walking is more like trudging.*

Honey Lemon: Hi Hiro! Hi Cora!*Then notices Hiro's condition*...oh..do you feel okay Hiro?

*Honey Lemon removes her gloves to check Hiro's forehead.*

Honey Lemon: You're a little warm.

Gogo: *Walks by* You look like death. Go home.

Hiro: Why does everyone think I'm sick?

Cora: I don't know...maybe cause you were dunked in the ocean and then sent flying through the air and then fall all in one go last night?

Hiro: You went through it too, in fact you fell to the ocean...twice!

Cora: I took the liberty of installing a water-proof wetsuit in my armor a few weeks ago to protect me from freezing cold water should I ever fall into said-freezing cold water. And as an extra precaution, I dried myself off and drank some hot tea when I got home... And if I recall, I told you to do these things as well after we got back home last night and told Baymax to insure you did along with making sure he warmed you up himself as an extra precaution. did he?

Hiro: *Rubs the back of his neck* Uh well...yeah he did...except the last one where he was suppose to warm me up. His battery was running low before he got the chance. But I did dry myself and drink hot tea like you told me too.

Cora: *Places a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder* Oh Hiro... Bless both yours and Baymax's hearts. *Mutters* If he had a heart that is.

Fred: *While playing on a video game device* Me? I never get sick! Every year I get stung by an irradiated bee, so I'm protected.

Gogo: *Disbelieving* An irradiated bee?

Fred: Yeah, I close my eyes and the doctor says I'll feel a pinch and then-

Gogo: Fred, that's a flu shot.

Fred: No, irradiated bee! That's what my mom says.

*Hiro notices Wasabi pulling out a new laptop from a box.*

Hiro: Ah hey Wasabi, new computer?

Wasabi: Oh it is so much more than that! It is a perfect extende-

*It was at the moment that Hiro sneezes directly onto the laptop, much to Wasabi's terror.*

Wasabi: *Freaking out* AAHH!

Hiro: Sorry let me help Achoo!

*Hiro tries to wipe off the saliva he sneezed out but only lets out another sneeze.*

Wasabi: *Freaking out even more* AAAHHH!

Baymax: I am concerned about the sneezing.

*Wasabi goes running through the door still screaming and freaking out.*

Baymax: Also the screaming.

*Cora pulls out a handkerchief and hands it to Hiro which he happily takes as he sneezes again. But somewhere in the depths of the city, Obake is observing through the multiple cameras when he gets an incoming call. On the other line is the group Mad Jacks*

Jack: Situation report: Um... Lets see, at approximately...2300 hours-

*Obake pulls up a photo of Baymax, Hiro, and Cora in their super hero gear.*

Obake: You were defeated by children?

Jacqueline: Those kids had a robot!

Jacky: Yeah! Tell him about the bot! And not to mention that girl can really pack a punch-!

Obake: Finish the job, understand? Finish...it!

Jack: Roger that good copy Mad Jacks out!

*After the Mad Jacks ended their call, Obake pulls up photos of the two super hero teens.*

Obake: Such a tenacious young couple, but just what will it take I wonder, to tear you both apart?*Splits the photos apart, separating Hiro and Cora from each other as he says this.*

*Morning comes as Cass brings up breakfast for Hiro.*

Cass: Rise and shine! I made your favorite, breakfast tofu-dia. Okay well, not everybody's favorite yet but I need an honest opinion.*

*But Hiro appears to not have slept at all last night as his eyes are red and a pile of tissues on his bedside.*

Cass: Hiro?

Hiro: *Sickly* Morning...ugh...

*Just then, Baymax activates.*

Baymax: My primary patient is sick. I am his personal healthcare companion.

*However, Cass decides it would be better to take Hiro to the doctor's office to check over his illness.*

Doctor: Okay Hiro let's just check that temperature... Oh you do have a moderate-

Baymax: Fever of 101...

Doctor: Right...

Baymax: point two, nine.

*The doctor tries her best not to glare at the marshmallow robot.*

Doctor: Let's take a peek in your ears.

*She brings out the otoscope.*

Doctor: Mhmm, just what I suspected. Fluid in the-

Baymax: *Says the first part at the same time as the doctor* Fluid in the auditory canal. *Says the rest on his own* Indicating a possible viral infection.

Doctor: Eheh, you know, typically a patient seeks a second opinion after the diagnosis... Not during.

*Baymax merely blinks at the nurse's annoyance.*

Cass: Sorry doctor *Hugs Baymax* he cares a lot.

Doctor: Let's see if he agrees that you should stay in bed for a few days.

Hiro: But I-I don't want to...

Baymax: Bed rest is advised for viral infections.

Doctor: *Trying to hold in her annoyance* Patience Sheila it's the future... *takes a deep breath and smiles* Go home, have some soup, sleep sleep and more sleep. I guess you're too old for a lolli-

*Baymax has already brought out a lollipop for Hiro.*

Doctor: Pop...

Baymax: Enjoyment of a lollipop is not age conditional.

*Cass facepalms at the entire ordeal. The three arrive at home where Cass pulls up her phone.*

Hiro: W-what are you doing?

Cass: I'm calling Kaguya, I'll be busy with the Cafe and Baymax may need a little help.

*Hiro groans as Cass talks to the person.*

Cass: *On her phone* Oh, I see. Kaguya is out huh? Maybe you can help? Oh that's great sweetie! And I know that you being here will cheer him right up! Thank you!

*After hanging her phone she turn to Hiro.*

Cass: Well Kaguya's out for some retreat so Cora will come over and take care of you with Baymax!

Hiro:*Perking up at this but at the same time feels concern*...Really?

*After Hiro is put to bed, Cora comes upstairs with a bowl of tomato soup.*

Cora: *Smiles and talks softly* Hey Hiro...

Hiro: Cora...not that I'm not happy to see you, but I don't want you here...I'm sick... and I don't want to get you si-

*Hiro is interrupted by a sneezing fit to which Cora springs into action and hands him some tissues.*

Cora: *Sternly, but still softly* Hiro, all that matters right now is taking care of you and helping you get better, and if I do get sick well than so be it. I just want you to be okay again.

*Hiro sighs at his girlfriend's reply, he was too weak to fight, and Cora's stubborn, which meant no matter how hard he tried she wouldn't leave. Besides, even though he didn't want her to get sick either, a part of him was happy that she was here and that she was going to stay and help take care of him, even the very idea of it made his heart flutter. Cora then sets the bowl of tomato soup on his desk.*

Cora: I brought some tomato soup if your hungry.

Hiro:...Thanks.

*Cora sighs before she takes a seat on the edge of the bed next to Hiro and gently take his hand in hers as she starts talking.*

Cora: You know, if Grandmama were here, she would have given you some her special healing tea already.

Hiro: *Slightly disbelieving* Really? Healing tea?

Cora: Yeah, it's her special herbal tea that she makes for Papa and I whenever we start getting sick. I call it that cause it seems like no matter how bad is our sneezes or coughs are, or how sick we feel, we end up fine the next day like nothing happened.

Hiro: Couldn't you have made it?

Cora: Oh no, that's something Grandmama only knows. She says she'll teach me when I'm older, but for now I don't know the recipe.

Hiro: *Coughs* Never thought I'd say this, *Coughs some more* but please tell me you at least brought the book.

Cora: As a matter of fact I did. I mean, I know how you feel about old-school methods of medicine, but thought maybe there might be something in here that might help you feel better.

Hiro: Hey, at this point, I'm willing to try anything to help get rid of this cold. *Starts sneezing again as Cora gives him more tissues* Uhh...even trying out old-school methods...

*Hiro brings out his laptop and starts up facechat to talk to the gang. Cora sits on a chair checking out the book for herbs that are used to treat colds while Baymax is nearby.*

Hiro: Okay Fred, what did you find out?

Fred: The Mad Jacks are an elite shadow opps-

*A cup of tea is brought to Hiro's face by Baymax.*

Baymax: Hiro, I have brewed tea for you.

Hiro: No thanks Baymax I'm not thirsty.

Baymax: A patient diagnosed with a viral infection should drink plenty of liquids.

*Seeing the growing annoyance on Hiro, Cora tentatively grabs the cup and places it next to the soup.*

Cora: Maybe I should put it here so he can drink it later Baymax...

Gogo: Hey, where's Wasabi?

*Just then a screen of Wasabi appears where he is cleaning his new computer.*

Wasabi: One more pass with the sanitizer and oh. Hey! Sorry I'm late.

*Cora and Hiro turn to Baymax who is fluffing up a pillow.*

Baymax: Hiro, a patient diagnosed with a viral infection should rest.

Wasabi: *Starting to freak out again* A viral infection?! It was a brand new computer!

*Wasabi turns off his computer before opening it again.*

Wasabi: Oh uh... a-and feel better Hiro.

*After Wasabi logs off Fred resumes his findings.*

Fred: OK, here's what I dug up. The Mad Jacks not only have a website, they have a theme song!

*The video plays the Mad Jack's theme song where admittedly, it sounded amazing.*

Jack: You got a mission? Don't sweat! We'll crank it up to jacksimum overdrive!

Mad Jacks: Jack Attack!

*After the theme song ends everyone is left with mixed reactions.*

Gogo: Wow...somebody's pounding on too many sports drinks.

Hiro: If someone hired the Mad Jacks to go after Krei, what ever he's hiding from us is a big deal!

Baymax: I will tuck you in.

*Baymax puts a blanket around Hiro's shoulders.*

Hiro:...Great.

*It seems Krei had the same idea as he looked up the group that attacked him from the night prior.*

Krei: I admit their theme song is catchy!

Lois: Did you know it costs a small fortune to hire these Mad Jack guys?

Krei: It's nice to know someone thinks I'm worth it.

Lois: They think that chip is worth it.

Krei: I bested every black market bid for this chip! It is the cutting edge... It is the future!

Lois: And you have no idea what it does?

Krei: No. But I will, the next step is to have my tech security team analyze it.

Lois: That's surprisingly cautious for you.

Krei: I'm cautious-

*The next thing they see is Jacky and Jacqueline slam into the window and slide down.*

Krei: I upgraded my office windows. Impermeable.

Lois: Just your office?

Krei: Yeah, why?

*A loud crash coming down stairs answers his question.*

Lois: Did you by any chance upgrade your floor?

*Jack pops out through the floor and grabs Krei.*

Krei: Woah I see what you mean!

*Jack flies down with Krei, leaving Lois alone. Around that night, Hiro is still blowing out his nose trying to get some rest. Cora had already left for home a couple hours ago but she did set up Hiro's laptop to listen in on any police radios in case he wants to know what's going on.*

Officer: All units disturbance reported at Krei Tech industries.

Hiro: *Tries to get up out of bed* Something's up... I knew it...*Only to fall back down again*

Officer: Reports of an arial attack.

Hiro: *Gets back up instantly* Mad Jacks!

*Hiro sees that Baymax is currently deactivated. With this chance, Hiro gets out of bed, suits up, and hops on his brother's moped. He has a little trouble staying up until he spots Jack carrying Krei. Hiro turns around and attempts to chase after them only for Jacky to grab him.*

Jacky: Shouldn't you be home in bed short stack?

Hiro: You don't even know...

Jack: Jack talk to me you gotta 20 on the bot and the girl?

Jacky: Negative Jack.

Hiro: Yeah well... y-your in for a surprise!

Jacky: Kid's bluffing, bot's not here and neither's the girl.

Hiro: Maybe... Uh that was the surprise!

Jacky: Taking Mad Jacks all alone? That is surprising... And idiotic.

*Jacky drops Hiro into a dumpster nearby, and the fall broke his leg.*

Hiro: Ahh!

*Cora stirs up in her futon when her phones starts ringing.*

Cora: *Sleepily answers*Hey...what up?...*Instantly wakes up now* Wait...you did what?! I'm on my way!

*After picking up Hiro and scolding the living crap out of him, Cora helps her sick and now broken-legged boyfriend up the stairs and into his room. hey both look up to see Baymax up pulling out a tissue.*

Baymax: I will scan you now...

*Hiro warily turns to Cora but her face still remains the same frowning glare. The very next day, Hiro is taken to the doctor again, this time for his leg.*

Doctor: Looks like you got yourself a hairline fracture of the tibia Hiro.

Hiro: *Sarcastically* Great...

Cass: A fracture? You mean like broken? Hiro, how can you break your leg when you've been sick in bed?

*This causes Hiro's mind to panic until he remembers his girlfriend's words that she told him to say if he was questioned about his leg.*

Hiro: Oh um well it was...I got up to get some water and I slipped and fell down the stairs!

Cass: Is that a thing?

Doctor: Believe it or not, injuries from falling downstairs practically happen everyday.

Baymax: Doctor, there is also a second smaller fracture in the fibula. My scan is more detailed. I will share it.

*Baymax is locked outside the office for the Doctor's sanity.*

Doctor: I said family only.

Hiro: He wants me to be satisfied with his care.

*His phone buzzes and shows the text to the doctor. It is the scan of Hiro's fibula as he had promised.*

Hiro: It's from Baymax.

Doctor: Yes, well it appears that the leg is fractured in two places.

Cass: Geez we better be careful going downstairs from now on! Maybe I should put a wet floor sign when I wax next time?

Hiro: *Groan*

*Afterwards, the entire gang is in Hiro's room. With his leg put in a cast, Honey Lemon started drawing on it, which she is soon joined by Cora. By the time they're done, it's decorated with smiling lemon faces and winking Killer Whales.*

Honey Lemon: There! A smile helps you heal! Now get well fast Hiro.

Gogo: Yeah, and quit doing dumb stuff.

Wasabi: Seriously, can't be too careful.

Fred: It's outrages! To sneak outside, in your condition, to chase down flying daredevils and not call me?! Ugh there are no words.

Hiro: Guys, I already got chewed out by Cora last night.

*Cora is crossing her arms as she continues glaring at her sick and careless boyfriend.*

Hiro: Besides, I knew Krei was in danger.

Gogo: And ya had to prove yourself right.

Hiro: I was right! And now ah ha-

*Baymax lifts up Hiro's broken leg as Honey Lemon is carrying tea.*

Baymax: Your leg should remain elevated. Also you still require fluids and rest.

Wasabi: People, the health care companion has spoken. Visiting hours are over.

Honey Lemon: Right, rest up!

Gogo: And wise up!

Fred: And no secret missions!... But if you are, you got my digits right?

Hiro: Krei's the one in danger, not me!

*When Hiro tries to climb out of bed Cora is quick to gently push him back.*

Cora: Oh no you don't!

Baymax: This situation requires persistence.

Hiro: I know! That's why I can't just give up!

*Baymax helps Cora put his broken leg back on the pillow.*

Baymax: Persistence is part of my health care matrix.

Cora: Whether you like it or not. Baymax, could you go downstairs and bring me some ice packs?

Baymax: Of course.

Cora: And bring some oranges too.

*Baymax waddles out the room, leaving the teen couple alone.*

Hiro: *Still wary of his angry girlfriend* ...So-

Cora: *And still angry at her sick boyfriend's recklessness* I still cannot stress enough about just how idiotic you were last night! You go out even though you should be resting and now you're here with a broken leg because of it!

Hiro: *Wary, but still determined* I can't just stay back and not do anything!

Cora: But not when it puts you at risk! The best way you can help is by resting up so you'll get better faster.

Hiro: I know that! But that's not going to stop me!

*Cora sighs as she stops her glare and looks down and sits on the side of his bed.*

Cora: Hiro... *Looks up at him* You're starting to sound like Tadashi...

*Hiro goes silent as he realizes what she's talking about.*

Cora: *Gently takes his hand in hers* We're all proud that we're going out there to help those people, We're all especially proud of you most of all. But if you don't take care of yourself...you're only letting them down. Back when we used to go bot fighting together, you always saved me from the police even if we got some bruises. But please Hiro, *Grasps his hand a little more tightly as she says this* please just be safe and focus more on getting better...for me?

*Hiro looks at Cora for a few moments before finally relenting and giving her a small smile.*

Hiro: Okay...I will...by the way... is your grandma home?

Cora: *Relieved* Hehe...She says she's coming home tonight. Maybe I could ask her for the tea them.

Hiro: Yeah...Speaking of tea, could you bring me the-

Cora: Oh! Sure.

*Cora gets up from the bed and reaches her arm out to grab the cup Honey Lemon left. However she instantly takes notice of loud coughing fits coming from Hiro, causing her to climb on top of him and make him lie back down.*

Cora: *Concerned* Hiro! Are you feeling alright now?

*But all she gets is a blushing red face of a boy, eyes wide as his mouth is trying to form words but fails to do so. Cora wonders what is causing Hiro to be like this until she notices that by climbing on to the bed to lie him back down from his coughing fit, she is now practically straddling him. This in turn makes Cora blush just as hard as her boyfriend as they just stare at each other with wide eyes now as they both try(and fail due to their brains understandingly malfunctioning at the moment) to figure out what to do next.*

Baymax: I have returned with the ice packs and oranges-

*Baymax stops talking as he blinks and scans the two teens in bed. A few moments of horrifyingly awkward silence rings through out the room before Baymax speaks up.*

Baymax: It is perfectly normal for you two to be experiencing strange urges when you are blossoming into manhood or womanhood. You may experience hair in strange areas like your arm pits, chest, chin, or-

Cora: *Now officially horrifyingly embarrassed as she scrabbles to get off her boyfriend* OK Baymax, that's enough now! We don't need to go through all this!

Baymax: You may also experience erec-

Hiro: *Also horrifyingly embarrassed as he tries to get the healthcare marshmallow robot to stop giving them the 'Birds and Bees' talk* No Baymax! Just stop! Go away! Or better yet, just go back into your charging unit! I am satisfied with my care! We're both satisfied with our care! Just please STOP!

*Somewhere else at this time, Krei has hacked into his cell and breaks out and than stealthily walks through the halls to find the exit*

Krei: *Slightly smug while also remembering Cora's words from before* Let's see who's the Lois Lane now.

*Krei continues walking around Mad Jacks' base until he hides besides the walls where the Jacks are working out.*

Jack: Great work Jacks!

Jacqueline: Rendezvous status?

Jack: Unknown. Client's gone real silent.

Jacqueline: Dude's creepy!

Jack: Roger that.

*Krei turns to his left to find the door that can lead him outside. He walks to the door and pushes the button only to not respond. He presses the button a couple more times before it finally opens. Krei steps one foot out only to realize that their base is a literal airship hiding in plain sight of the wind turbines. He nearly falls down until Jack pulls him back.*

Jack: Okay suit-

Krei: It's actually more of a blazer-

Jacky: Look, our employer just wants the chip.

Jacqueline: And he's kind of a freak.

Jack: So I'd hand it over if I were you.

Krei: *Sarcastically laughs* Love to know who that employer is.

Jack: Not a chance! Mad Jacks are discreet!

*Jack finally takes the chip from Krei and observes it for a bit. As he does, Krei looks at the other two Jacks and sees just how 'discreet' they really are...And after watch them do 'non-discreetly' secret handshake stuff with each other, he's not very impressed with their so called 'discretion' at all.*

*Meanwhile, back with Hiro and Cora.*

Cora: *Getting ready to leave* Okay, I'm heading home now. I called my Grandmama a little while ago and she said she'd come over later tonight to watch over you K?

Hiro: Okay, love you.

Cora: *Goes and kisses him on the cheek* Love you too babe.

*Cora goes downstairs to return home, leaving Hiro with Baymax. For the rest of the day everything ran smoothly; aside from the occasional whining it was a good day. Now it was night and Hiro is deep asleep before his phone starts ringing.*

Hiro: *Sleepy* Hello?

Krei: Haha Hello. Funny thing...I really could use Big Hero 7.

*Hiro shoots up from his bed.*

Hiro: Mr. Krei?!

Krei: Yes. I've got a problem, first of all they ruined my blazer.

*The Mad Jacks thought the appropriate spot to place Krei is on the pole on top of his building.*

*With that, Hiro calls up the rest of the gang and told them everything, and so they, sans Hiro, suit up and set out to find the Mad Jacks.*

Fred: *Singing* Big Hero 7! Fighting for the right! Searching through the night! Mad Jacks on the loose! Bunch of flying jerks~

*Since Hiro is on bedrest, all he can do is be the communication central.*

Hiro: Who have the chip and could be anywhere.

Fred: I'll incorporate that into my song but you know, make it rhyme.

Gogo: We just have to cover as much ground as we can as fast as we can!

*Meanwhile in the air, the Mad Jacks fly towards the rendezvous point their client requested.*

Jack: *Screaming* On my signal we go silent!

*He puts his finger to his lips and there the rest of the team turn off their turbines, leaving them in incognito form as they fall. As of while, Honey Lemon and Wasabi are in a taxi cab. *

Honey Lemon: They should be easy to spot!

Wasabi: Yeah, flying jet pack people should stand out.

Taxi Driver: Masquerade ball?

Wasabi: Sure. Let's go with that!

*Hiro looks at his laptop to watch the team spread out in the city to catch them.*

Hiro: Picking up anything you guys?

Baymax: No, I have not detected the jet turbines.

Cora: What he said. Nothing much here.

Hiro: How can you guys possibly search the entire city? Dang it...I should be out there helping you.

*Cora is on Baymax's back flying through the city.*

Cora: *Warning* Hiro...

Baymax: That would be counter-productive to your recovery.

Hiro: I know! I know... In bed, leg elevated!

*That's when Hiro gets an idea, but before he can act he hears footsteps coming up. He quickly dunks the helmet as he remembers that Cora's grandmother is supposed to be watching him tonight. He closes the laptop just as Kaguya comes in view.*

Kaguya: My, Hiro. You're quite awake at this late hour.

Hiro: *Trying to play it cool* Oh umm, yeah! Just doing Homework...Ma'am.

Kaguya: How is your leg dear?

Hiro: Oh it's...so-so..look is it alright if I go to the garage? There's something that I really need to work on!

*Hiro smiles nervously as he sweats, hoping this will allow him to make a special suit to fit his condition. To his relief, Kaguya nods.*

Kaguya: Of course, in fact I have something for you. My granddaughter requested I give you my special tea to help you get better.

Hiro: Oh cool! Thanks.

*Kaguya helps Hiro go downstairs, the boy being unaware that his helmet was in full view on the bed. Once they reach the garage, Hiro paddles his way to the computer and cracks his hands.*

Hiro: Okay, lets get started on-...started...on...

*Suddenly, Hiro starts to feel very sleepy. He tries to fight of the sudden drowsiness but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep his eyes open. As sleep finally starts to take him, he realizes that there's a very strange, soothing, eerily beautiful and distant-sounding voice singing. But Hiro doesn't get the chance to contemplate how it is causing him to fall asleep(nor will he remember it at all when he wakes up) As he falls into a deep, deep sleep.*

Kaguya: *Sighs as she gently strokes the sleeping boy's head* Please don't make me regret this Hiro...

*Hiro's eyes slowly flutter open, his ears ringing with strange noise and along with it appears to be...a song. He finally opens his eyes but appears to be in some sort of trance. He finds himself clearly alone in the garage, his super suit laid out on a chair. He looks down to find his leg castless and his nose clear. He slowly puts his leg down as pressure slowly builds, but it remains the same as always, as if it had never been broken. That's when he seems to awaken from his trance-like state and his head snaps back to the mission at hand.*

*The Mad Jack group finally spot the building they're supposed to drop off and with that, they activate their parachutes.*

Fred: I'm coming up empty. Dang it! I just know the Jacks are making their move!

*The Jacks land safely on the building where they stealthily walk across the roof. Jack finds the skylight and uses his laser to cut it clean off, but he accidentally causes the glass to fall and crash to the floor. Jack climbs down the rope as he continuously hides himself in case they have someone following them as they make their deposit.*

Obake: Good evening.

Jack: *Startled* Ah!

*Behind him upstairs is Obake in all his malice.*

Obake: Do you come bearing Alistair Krei's black market chip?

Jack: You hired the Mad Jacks! The Mad Jacks guarantee success! Success and have it! And it's always awesome!

*Jack pulls out the chip to show him. Obake uses a level to come down and takes the chip, he then activates his tracking watch where Big Hero 7 is searching for the Mad Jacks throughout town.*

Obake: Ooh...Big Hero 7 on the move.

Jack: Alright focus up this is how I see it, we keep the enemy occupied, you escape with the package! Mission accomplished.

Obake: Super. Although...

Jack: Hey! My plan is diamond! Flawless!

Obake: The security of the package is paramount...

Jack: Alright alright I-I-I hear you let me just uh...okay minor adjustment. I will keep the package secure until the enemy is neutralized! Booyah!

*Obake hands back the chip, satisfied with his plan.*

Jack: Hey you...good catch. Mad Jacks! Let's fly!

*Jack runs off to join his team while Obake simply smirks as the left side of his face glows an ominous pink.*

Jack: Listen up Jacks! Keep your eyes peeled for hostiles!

Jacquline: how many Jack?

Jack: Well with the handle like Big Hero 7 I figure we're looking at somewhere between six and eight.

Jacqueline: Roger that! Perimeter sweeping progress, I will-

*Just then, Fred drops on her from above and covers her mouth.*

Fred: Give Fredzilla a piggy back ride? I'm in!

*Jacqueline flies down due to the weight while Jacky comes to her aid. But before he can fire out his shot, Gogo's disk hits him square and crashes him into a pile of boxes...until he blasts off again. Gogo zooms through the streets as she avoids the zaps. Finally she uses both her discs to ricochet them to Jacky's head and knock him out for good. As of while Jacqueline is still struggling with Fred.*

Jacqueline: Not cool!

Fred: Hey-Hey! Don't make me hurl in here!

*As Fred is spinning right round, Wasabi and Honey Lemon finally arrive at the scene where Fred is sent landing on the taxi cab.*

Honey Lemon: Don't worry Freddy, we're here to help!

Taxi Driver: Must be some kind of party huh?

*Wasabi pulls out his wallet and hands the cash to the driver.*

Wasabi: It usual is...keep the change.

*Then finally, Baymax and Cora arrive to the fighting.*

Baymax: It would be preferable to resolve this conflict without violence.

Jack: No way! The violence rocks!

*Cora and Baymax turn their heads to see Jack behind them.*

Jack: It's a major part of the Mad Jack program! Ohh have a taste!

*Jack fires the cannon as Cora quickly dodges out of the way while Baymax is struck, crashing him into a wall.*

Cora: Baymax!

Jack: And the bot is down for the count! *Turns around and starts to take aim at Cora* And now it's the little girlie's turn!

Hiro: Not a chance!

*They all turn their heads to see Hiro, his suit upgraded.*

Hiro: Those two have been taking care of me...time for me to return the favor!

Honey Lemon: Hiro?

Wasabi: Have you lost it?

Cora: How are you here?! What about your cold and your leg?!

*Baymax looks up and scans him...but he does not speak for a good minute.*

Honey Lemon: Is something wrong Baymax?

*Baymax blinks until he finally speaks.*

Baymax: Hiro is completely cured of his cold and his leg is completely healed as well.

Big Hero 7: *Completely and utterly shocked* What?!

*But their attention is turned to Jack as he begins to fire up his cannon and shoots at Hiro, but Hiro is dodging every single one of them. He goes down and throws away the cannon, but just as Jack is about to lay a taser on him, Cora jumps up and starts punching him in the face.*

Cora: Hey! Remember me big boy? The 'little girlie' you were gonna blast!

*Finally Baymax flies up to join them.*

Hiro: Thanks Baymax.

Baymax: You are welcome.

*Jack with nothing else left, grabs Cora by the wrist and starts flying away from them.*

Jack: Stay back! Or...I will drop her!

Hiro: Boosters deploy!

*Hiro activates the boosters and starts following them.*

Jack: Oh yeah! Eat my dust! Wha-?

*Hiro stops in front of him, Cora still in his hand. When he tries to fly back, Baymax is behind him.*

Jack: The bot!

*Jack tries to fly away but the restraint of Hiro and Baymax causes the jet turbine to come off, leading Jack and Cora falling to the ground. Immediately Baymax catches Jack while Hiro catches Cora. *

Baymax: Perhaps you should consider less dangerous activities.

Jack: Maybe you should- think about...whatever!

Cora: *Not impressed* Wow, that was pretty weak.

Hiro: Krei's chip please.

*Jack pulls out the chip and hands it to Cora, who turns to Hiro and smile.*

Cora: Thank you...Greg.

Jack: Wow, that's cold...Jack Extraction! ASAP!

*Jack gets out Baymax's arms. Soon the rest of the Mad Jacks join him as they fly away. The three land safely on the ground, though Cora is still being held by Hiro.*

Cora: Umm...Hiro you can let go now.

Hiro: Oh! A-alright, yeah s-sure.

*Hiro places Cora on the ground as the teens blushes.*

Wasabi: Sorry to break up the love fest here, but how is your leg healed?! You broke it just last night! And not mention you were also sick with a bad cold to go with it!

Hiro: *Genuinely confused* Last night? Wasabi I broke my leg two weeks ago, not last night. And I got over my cold a week ago remember?

Fred: *Now really confused* But Honey Lemon and Cora decorated your cast just today! How did you heal so quickly?!

That's when Baymax notices something on Hiro's armor. But when he touches it there is a moment of white and a eerily strange and beautiful voice singing and it almost sounded like it was coming from all around them. However, none of them had the chance to contemplate this as at the moment, they were all, sans Baymax, seemed to be in a hypnotic trance. this goes on only for a few moments before the singing fades away and everything resumes back to reality. The rest of the gang then seem to finally come out of their trances and shake their heads a little before they look around, wondering what just happened, but have absolutely no memory of what they were talking about before and only seem to remember they same things Hiro remembers about his former cold and former broken leg. But since everything seemed fine, they turned their focus back on to the mission they had just succeeded.*

Hiro: Can you guys get this back to Krei?

Gogo: No problem.

Honey Lemon: Did you add those features in recently? They're amazing!

Hiro: Oh this is actually just a beta best. Just in case anything happens.

Cora: Just be careful Hiro, you don't want to break your leg again after it's just recently healed you know.

*The gang chuckle before they leave to return the chip to Krei Tech. None of them noticing the mysterious figure watching them silently from the shadows as they left, the figure steps out from the shadows and reveals to be none other then Kaguya!*

*Later on that night, Kaguya returns home and walks towards her room, ready to call it a night. She pours the liquid from her water bottle back into a teapot that is next to an assortment of flowers, herbs, and marine life. And beside the pot is a single page of a drawing of a peculiar-looking liquid with a list of ingredients.*

Kaguya: *Sighs as she looks at the page* One day... I will have to tell her...I just hope that she will understand and forgive me for keeping all of this from her...

*Meanwhile, Obake is at his lair, waiting for the final step of his plan.*

Obake: Looking at his watch* And by now, the chip should be back in Alistair's hands.

*Back at Krei Tech, Krei is thinking over the situation with Lois.*

Krei: The moment of truth!

Lois: The moment when you turn it over to the security team...instead of doing something stupid!

Obake: Is there something wrong Alistair? The reckless tycoon showing caution? Restraint?

Krei: I need the tech security team.

*Krei presses a button to summon the tech security.*

Obake: But Alistair remembered the abduction. Who can you trust? Who's on your side? Who knows?

*Krei looks at the chip.*

Krei: Actually...never mind...

*Krei cancels the call.*

Krei: But the person who was after this, whoever hired the Mad Jacks.

Lois: What about them?

Krei: What if they infiltrated my security team!

Lois: Like what? A spy? You're not usually this paranoid.

Krei: Hey I was abducted it does things to you.

*Krei places the chip in his computer and waits. On Obake's side it opens a camera to Krei and Lois.

Krei: I'm not taking any chances.

Obake: There we are Alistair. That's the stuff.

Krei: We will be the only ones who sees what's on this.

*A few moments fly by...but the folder inside the chip...revealed nothing.*

Lois: Nothing?

Krei: No! The money! T-The abduction! Everything that happened! It was all for nothing!?

Lois: It probably is better that we were the only ones who saw this.

*However this leads to Obake having access to Krei Tech's blueprints.*

Obake: So many files! so many secrets...

*Finally he pulls up the file containing the identities of the two hero teens, the first showing a boy.*

Obake: Ah, Hiro Hamada...now let's see who the girl's true iden-

*But as he pulls up the girl's file and reads her name, his eyes widen in shock and than starts to chuckle slowly before he flat out laughs maniacally. His mind begins to shift his vision of the photo of the girl, first by figuring similarities of a man he trusted long ago...then the girl in the photo begins to shift her features and find it strikingly similar to a lost beloved long ago..the purple eyes turning green.*

Obake: Cora Mizichio...what a charming name for such a charming girl. So much like my beloved Chara...

*Obake's fist tightens as on his hand glows the same ominous pink color as the left side of his face does...but in a shape of a scorpion-like crustacean.*

[vieuxnoyesrp]

Addie. We’ve been hard-pressed for a Hayley for a while now, to stir things up in the bayou. Your portrayal really hit home for us, especially with how much attention to detail and thought you have clearly put into her app. Hayley’s headcanons did a wonderful job of hinting at the human beyond the wolf, and at the complexities of Hayley’s emotional landscape. We liked that you understood the value and potential of her relationship to Kira, and that you are brave enough to develop her roots in this roleplay even while she lacks the ready-made connections that she has on the show. Also, you steered clear of the tropes commonly associated with her character. Of equal significance was the fact that you recognized how much room Hayley has to grow before she fits the shoes of a leader, and that you balance out her virtues with consideration of the shortcomings that will challenge her development along the way. We trust we’ve placed our spitfire into very capable hands and we can’t wait to have you on the dash!

Addison, thank you very much for applying. As for Hayley…

             ⚜ ~ WELCOME TO VIEUX NOYÉS!!! ~ ⚜

Wondering what to do next? Click here and let the good times roll!

⚜ Roleplayer:

⤜ Name/alias: Addison (Addie works too) ⤜ Pronouns: Female ⤜ Age: 20

⤜ Timezone: EST ⤜ Activity: 7-8. I’d say during the week I’m able to get on a fair amount, enough to get out two or three sets of replies a day. Though, there are days I may not get all replies out as well. Weekends are a lot more open for me, so I’m able to do the most during that time. ⤜ Best form of contact: I’d say tumblr, but I’ll happily provide a skype if it’s needed for another form of contact. ⤜ Any Triggers? No. ⤜ How did you find Vieux Noyés? I came across it in the tags, but I’ve also heard about it from a few other members of the rp community and decided it was time to check it out for myself. ⤜ What drew you to the RP? I’m most interested in the way that the shows have been incorporated together. I enjoy the way they’ve been weaved and knit together to make a cohesive tale.

⤜ What is one subplot/element from the Plot page that you are particularly looking forward to seeing in this roleplay? I’m most intrigued by the witches plot line. I think it will be interesting not only for those within the species but also those along the sidelines. It will be entertaining to watch how alliances form or deteriorate as the story and players change. Who knows who will end up on top, and until that’s determined, it’s essentially placing your bets and seeing what pays off.

⚜ Desired Character: Hayley( Marshall )Labonair

⤜ Why do you want this character?

I want to play Hayley because I think her character has a lot of room to grow. In the actual show, she had connections that helped her grow and realize who she was. But here, she’s been thrown quite literally to the wolves, and she’s got no earthly clue what she’s doing. She has no one looking out for her or anyone besides Jackson that has her full trust. I want to go through all the character building that needs to be done to make her into an alpha that’s worthy of leading the pack on her own accord. I want to expand her ability to let others in because there’s no way she’ll be able to do anything without them. She needs to learn that people aren’t the enemy, and that no matter how it’s been in the past, she’s not invincible and immune to failure. I think it’ll be rewarding to help with the transition from a loner into an alpha that isn’t in power because of her namesake, but because she’s capable and able to lead the pack to a better tomorrow.

⤜ What are your future plans for this character?

I’m interested in the transition to alpha for Hayley. It’s definitely a role she hasn’t been groomed for in any way other than her lineage. I think it’ll be fun to have her sweat it out a bit. They’ll be successes and losses, I’m sure, but I want to use those to develop her as a person. I want to take her from someone who dreamt up this daydream where she found her pack to the reality. I want her to know what it’s like to love and be loved in the familial sense and to learn to not only think of herself. She needs that responsibility to mend all of the tendencies her early life has instilled in her. I also want to expand her social network. Hayley doesn’t trust many people farther than she can throw them, and I think it’d be good for her to be a little more open to people, even if they don’t become best friends. Her sarcasm and wit are defense mechanisms, and I want to play her against someone that pushes through those things to expose the more fragile side of Hayley Labonair.

⤜ Put yourself in your character’s shoes. Give us a few lines to describe a day in the life of your character… Where do they live? Where and how do they spend their time? (feel free to refer to our locations page that can be found in the navigation)

Hayley spends most of her time in the Bayou. She has a decent sized cabin to call her own, but the girl prefers to be outdoors, even if it is just on the porch. Hayley’s not the type to sleep in, and as a result, she’s normally up pretty early in the day. Hayley will more often than not go for a morning run and come home an hour or so later to shower. After that, she’ll cook up breakfast and eat it out on the porch and watch as the rest of the world comes to life. A little later on, she’ll walk around and chat with a few other wolves and see what’s going on for the day. If it’s nothing that needs her present, Hayley will venture into the Quarter to see what she can see. Whether it’s hanging out at the bar or down where the witch community congregates, the wolf likes seeing what there is to see. It’s not quite surveillance, but it helps to stay in the know—especially because news doesn’t exactly spread to the Bayou at god-speed. When she’s satisfied with that, she may seek out Tyler, Elijah, or a bottle of something strong to occupy her for the rest evening until she returns home for the night.

⤜ Give us three headcanons regarding your character of choice.

1. Hayley’s not done digging for information on her parents. While she’s gotten more information than she ever has, the wolf wants more. Hayley wants to know who they were, how they met, and just the little intricacies of their lives. Maybe it’s for her own closure or maybe just curiosity, but Hayley’s created so many scenarios of who they were and what paths had brought them to each other in her head. She wants to know everything she can because it’s the closest she’ll ever get to having them in her life.

2. After the curse, Hayley hasn’t turned willingly even though she has the ability. The girl used to treasure her wolf form. It was sacred-and while it stripped her of her adoptive family, it was the place she’d felt the most like herself. But that has all been tainted now that someone had condemned her to it for months. She knows she’ll have to turn again soon, but she’s not looking forward to it. She prefers to be in control, and while the curse seems to be gone, she still can’t shake the feeling that she’s more defenseless than powerful in her wolf form.

3. Hayley’s actually handy with a hammer and nails. It’s an odd talent she truly has no use for, but she’s always been good at repairs and woodwork. It keeps her hands and mind busy. When she’s stressed or angered, there’s a good chance she’ll end up doing some DIY remodeling on her cabin.

⤜ What are some plots you’d like to explore with your character?

I’m most interested in Hayley’s connection to Kira. I think it will be good for her to tap into some of the supernatural unknown as well to test the bounds of her social abilities. Hayley’s definitely not a naturally warm and social person. I want to play out how she fumbles and possibly succeeds in making a friend of the younger girl and learning more about what she is. Another plot line I’d like to write through it Hayley’s connection to Caroline and Tyler. I think the banter and sly comments revolving around the three characters will be refreshing and amusing for Hayley—a good stress reliever after a long day of being a leader. Finally, I want to see Hayley interact with some of the other wolves in the roleplay aside from Jackson like Derek Hale, Scott, and Quentin. I’d like to explore how she deals with other packs both as an alpha and as a wolf. I think it will be good for her to try to learn more about the wolf community outside of those in the Bayou and figure out if there’s a way for them all to form an alliance to bring the species back to the New Orleans supernatural table.

⤜ Para sample:

(Retained for Privacy)

⤜ Would you like to be considered for another character if not accepted as your primary choice? Not at this time!

⤜ Have you read the rules?: I have ⤜ Anything else? I honestly can’t think of anything else at the moment.

[simonposting]

here are some books I enjoyed in 2019

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe — Benjamin Alire Sáenz

is about a boy (aristotle) meeting a boy (dante), becoming friends, and then wondering why he doesn’t like hearing about him kissing boys at college (spoiler alert: it’s not homophobia (well, maybe a little), it’s the other thing!)

Ari is quite an angry young man, with an almost stream of consciousness narration that I found very compelling — the conclusion felt a little rushed to me, but overall: I loved it.

I read this at the start of the year and didn’t keep detailed enough notes so unfortunately don’t have much else to say. Sorry.

Children of Time — Adrian Tchaikovsky

an ark leaving the destruction of earth behind finds a habitable planet populated with Evolved Spiders

I got this for Alex as a Christmas present and he then suggested I read it and yeah, good choice, me. The spiders’ outlook is Weird and Alien and they really struggle to communicate with humans, even when they do manage to Make Contact, because both sides have very different understandings of what is obvious and therefore doesn’t need stating.

Some of the human ark sections felt a little unnecessary but you need to be invested in both sides of the inevitable confrontation for it to land properly, so fine.

There’s also some great stuff with a woman in stasis and an AI copy of her she left to keep things running for her.

The Magicians — Lev Grossman

Our protagonist discovers he’s a magician and packs off to magical boarding school, and despite this taking at least half the book, the actual plot is when he then discovers Legally Distinct Narnia is real and heads off for a jolly adventure that turns out to be largely horrific and traumatising.

The pacing is all over the place, and there’s the classic gay secondary character who doesn’t get to actually do anything despite ostensibly having a friendship with the protagonist close enough to consider him family (he even sleeps with him at one point, in a threesome with a woman, but the narrative and every character treats it as just the protagonist and woman sleeping together). But! Everything comes together in the end in a very satisfying conclusion which left my thoughts coming back to it for months afterwards.

The sequel is just terrible though.

In Other Lands — Sarah Rees Brennan

Is also about a boy discovering magic is real and heading off to magical boarding school, but this one is in the fairy realm, rather than just hidden Hogwarts style.

It tries to do something with the very militaristic society, but I’m not sure it ever actually reaches a point (protagonist pushes for more diplomacy with other races and I guess succeeds but the results all kind of occur “off-screen” so don’t feel hugely meaningful), and likewise with the matriarchally sexist elfs (which doesn’t land because where the humans are patriarchally sexist, they have female warriors and leaders, who are important in the narrative even — the elfs have no male warriors or leaders, and also are notably more puritanical, so it doesn’t mirror well?). And the protagonist is constantly spectacularly annoying.

But it’s gay, so.

Carrie — Stephen King

I don’t need to tell you what Carrie’s about, right?

So, going into Carrie I already knew what the climax was, and I wondered if this would negatively affect my enjoyment of it. Turns out I shouldn’t have worried because it switches between the narrative as it happens, and journals/interviews/articles/etc. written about the events afterwards — “one of her surviving classmates” is mentioned very early on, so the fact that something terrible happens is somewhat of a foregone conclusion. Perhaps knowing exactly what does have an impact, but it’s unavoidable at this point really.

Also turns out the musical lifts a lot of very specific wording from the book to use in the songs, which is nice.

Meddling Kids — Edgar Cantero

when they were teens, four kids and their dog solved a mystery where a haunting was being faked by an unscrupulous property developer. now, three adults and the original dog’s grandchild have returned because maybe there was something else involved after all.

Obviously riffing off scooby doo (though none of the characters perfectly directly align) but with some Actual Supernatural Stuff — in tone I was expecting a sinister underlying mystery, where it’s actually a bit more just straight up fighting lake monsters (etc.), but it’s a good concept. The main obstacle in their re-investigation is their own reluctance to re-examine the traumatic experiences of their youth.

Some of the dialogue is written in script format? (But not all of it), which I got used to but I never understood why this choice was made.

Is also gay. Nice.

For the Time Being — Ruth Ozeki

is about a Japanese schoolgirl writing a journal about her life, and also about a Canadian woman who is reading said journal after it washes up on the coast.

I like reading books in which someone else reads a book, turns out. There are footnotes in the journal, often just explaining/translating specific Japanese terms, in context clearly put there by the woman reading it. She gets overly invested in reading this journal, to the point her husband has to gently point out that it was written years ago, you can’t find her to urgently help. 

I was never 100% certain whether the journal was a true story or not, even setting aside any of the supernatural hints.

Ash Princess — Laura Sebastian

is about a princess of a magical kingdom that was invaded when she was child, who then grew up a captive in her own palace. now she’s going to seduce the prince in order to murder him and throw the occupiers into civil war

Quirky fantasy courtly intrigue. Has some good stuff about how the occupiers treat her culture (she hates that her people’s style of clothing is ‘back in fashion’ now), and about her best friend nonetheless being one of the occupiers, and how she barely actually remembers her own religion really. Goes back and forth on whether she can trust the prince or not.

Doesn’t really conclude though, just sets up for the next book, which I get, but always kind of hate.

Wayward Son — Rainbow Rowell

The sequel to Carry On, which I adore.

Opens with an epilogue, because, our magical chosen one accomplished what he was magically chosen to do last book! The end! But then life goes on. He is probably depressed, and his relationship is not going super well, so let’s go road trip across America.

It’s a tiny bit ‘second book of a trilogy’, and the Road Trip thing feels a bit ‘and then we went to X place and Y happened and then we moved on’ leading to a slightly less overall cohesive narrative? But I still love the writing and characters and there’s some wonderful playing with how the magic system works (words have power from repetition, so spells are all expressions/quotes/lyrics — this means trying to cast British idioms doesn’t work in America).

Ultimately I enjoyed it but I think Carry On stands fine on its own and I don’t really feel that this actually adds much.

I also read several Discworld books — Terry Pratchett

I read the colour of magic years ago and utterly loathed it, so never bothered reading anymore. Turns out they get better! I should have listened! I’m going through roughly in order but skipping ones I can’t be bothered with. things like Pyramids (“all our gods have become literally real and now there’s three of them in the sky physically fighting over the sun”) and Moving Pictures (“we started making movies and accidentally started altering reality a bit, whoops”) are very much my taste.

Here’s to more good books in 2020

Thanks for reading xoxo

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THE COURAGE OF HUMANS

You can't start a startup and hesitating before taking the leap, you're part of a city, and see no connection indeed, there was one who was away half the time it's easier just to do whatever's best for your users. In the software business, seem to see the inevitablity of moving some things off the desktop and onto servers, what I'm describing here is the abstraction of money. Don't go out of business, lies in something very old-fashioned robber baron business world got incorporated into the startup world, startup founders get no respect. So there are more questions about the commitment and relationship of the founders, what you want to stop too, because it would mean they'd overlooked a good opportunity. We currently fund about 40 companies a year, the total cost in stock of a single person—the workers and manager would each share only one person's worth of freedom between them. It starts to be more conservative. Ideally, no one knows what it means. The asterisk could be any character you don't allow as a constituent. I accumulated was worthless, you have to redefine the problem.

People sleeping on airbeds in strangers' apartments? Founders are often competitive people, and it used cheap, off-the-future, because this tells you what to do in that case. We're looking for things that are fun to work on an audience, just as the proper role of humans is to think of startup ideas are usually of the first type. Time after time VCs invest in startups that get created in the first 5 minutes. A quarter of their life. Robert Morris, and Fred Wilson for reading drafts of this. It's not surprising we'd have an inborn desire to love and protect helpless creatures, considering human offspring are so helpless for so long: that you have to fund startups within an hour's drive. To talk about what? And we had no experience in business. It could be that a significant number do. Seeing a painting they recognize from reproductions is so overwhelming that their response to it as a personal insult when someone from the present would if they were interchangeable.

To the extent there's some genuine accounting abuse going on, as you suspect, a lot of things practically all humans have in common is that we get on average only about 5-7% of the emails in my spam corpus and never in my legitimate corpus. If they can, by the time most people hear the word startup, they end up investing in them. How do you get them to stay is to give users more power. But if languages vary, he suddenly has to solve two simultaneous equations, trying to convince you to sell. It seems to me that ideas just pop into my head. You're doing the same thing as money. This is not one of them could make you cars and cook you dinner or do your laundry, or do something that can't be described compellingly in one or two sentences. One of the most important tool to a hacker like having one's brain in a blender. And jeans turn out not to be influenced by their environment. When you approach the problem in Python, incidentally. It was small and powerful and cheap, but not the best way to find out.

So the only way out. What's going on here, I think. I'm less American than I seem. Once railroads or electric power grids were invented, every region had to have a co-founder who can. If someone breaks your software, maybe it's not just the cost of starting a startup in college? Startups are stressful, and this makes scientists bolder. Could this be a big success and hardly at all on price. I bet even Google had moments where things seemed hopeless. It wasn't just because she disliked fighting. Like the remarks of an outspoken old grandmother, the sayings of the founding of Apple, Steve Wozniak still hadn't quit HP.

Your work was so illiquid there was little to learn from a farmer friend that many electrified fences don't have any is that they all would—but social and economic cohesion. No, the irony of this statement is not lost on me. Why did so few applicants really think about what credentials are for. And so they'd make the wrong choices. There is no one within big companies who gets in trouble when they buy a startup for real as a student. This is the same. But in fact startups do have a rule of thumb from now on that if people saw my code, they'd be able to find out would be to work on a less promising idea. Mostly we had the hundred-year language now? That helps would-be hackers what languages they should learn. He said that in most companies, any development project that would take five years is likely never to get finished at all. This territory is occupied mostly by individual angel investors—people like Andy Bechtolsheim, who gave Google 100k when they seemed promising but still had some things to figure out a way to make people feel better?

So the more confident you are, the more demanding the application, the more prominent the angel, the less likely they are to say it, a person hearing a talk can be a powerful force. If you start a startup at some point. If you build something to solve your own problems, then you could also do x. There should remain some market for printed books, at least, how I write one. One reason it's so brutal is simply the right way to write software, whether for a startup: get a job, it may not just be preparation for a startup don't care whether you've even graduated from college in 1960 wanted to work especially hard. So you end up raising more than they take. The clash of domains is a particularly useful strategy for making decisions in complex situations because it's stateless. But because seed firms operate in an earlier phase, they probably didn't realize it in the beginning. In this world there were still plenty of back room negotiations, but more as an exploration of the lower bound on the age of startup founders goes from a friendship to a marriage. And it happens because these schools have no real purpose beyond keeping the kids all in one place, it would seem like something out of the loop, you'll know precisely how much more productive is the best stick gatherer going to be, the first thing we thought of.

An essay is something else. Today it may well be something that you do fairly late in the life of a hypothetical very fortunate startup as it grows larger? In other words, starting startups is currently like the plumbing in an old house. Silicon Valley now are all descended in various ways from Shockley Semiconductor. Lots of hot startups will end up succeeding. The higher-level abstractions are built in a very pleasant way to think about where the evolution of programming languages: to describe each in terms of the problem is to start with good people, to make software for building online stores. Startups' valuations are supposed to rise over time. They felt under pressure to release their new OS, whose release date had already slipped four times, but some through luck or the efforts of the two founders was still in grad school, you'll find they have an uncanny way of leading back to it anyway, so perhaps you should use this opportunity to make your life so it has other defaults. In 1995 I started a company called Assurance Systems that will run your mail through Spamassassin and tell you which bits are confusing or drag; don't always make the best subjects for papers. What's going on? So one advantage of being old is that you should approach this type of mail.

Notes

Economic inequality has been around as long as the first year or two, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

I switch in the evolution of the most powerful men in Congress, Sam Rayburn and Lyndon Johnson.

I realize I'm going to call you about an A round, you need to import is broader, ranging from 50 to get them to act. As a result a lot easier now for a really long time for word of mouth to get the bugs out of business, Bob wrote, for the average reader that they were getting results.

This has, like indifference to individual users. Or you make something hackers use.

Or rather indignant; that's the intellectually honest argument for not discriminating between various types of studies, studies of returns from startup investing, which people used to build little Web appliances. I don't know who invented something the mainstream media needs to, but as a high school is that when you use the standard series AA terms and write them a check. It's not the shape of the year, he took another year off and went to get them to act against their own itinerary through no-shop clause. Oddly enough, maybe you'd start to be good.

It's hard to say, real estate development, you would never guess she hates attention, because the publishers exert so much from day to day indeed, is not a chain-smoking drunk who pours his soul into big, plus they are to be, and that often creates a rationalization for doing so because otherwise competitors would take up, but economically that's how we gauge their progress, however, by Courant and Robbins; Geometry and the older you get, the average major league baseball player's salary during the Ming Dynasty, when Subject foo not to. I remember are famous flops like the other. Ed.

In ancient times it covered a broad range of topics, comparable in scope to our users that isn't what they'd like it that the people they want. So it is possible to bring to the biggest discoveries in any case. 107. The study of rhetoric was inherited directly from Rome.

The best thing they can get for free.

Many think successful startup founders, like hedge funds, are better college candidates.

In fact, for example, if you seem like a body cavity search by someone else. This is a dotted line on a scale that Google does.

Professors and politicians live within socialist eddies of the products I grew up with is a net loss of personality for the board to give them up is the converse: that startups should stay in business by doing a small amount, or liars.