#maybe if I keep drawing them they’ll become canon

[dezmouse]

Spider-Buck and his beautiful wonderful princess boyfriend Eddie

[liquorwrist]

if i was a shapeshifter i would be giving myself diff facial piercing combos every week. what is ur take (as in do u think it fits their character/would u be able to expand on this hc) on morph doing the same. either way i will probably be drawing it

Omg Hai …

Well same 100% and if I was a shapeshifter I wouldn’t just stop at piercings.

I see a lot of art where morph has ear piercings and theres one popular one where they even have eyebrow and nose piercings… I’ve drawn them with the belly, eyebrow and ear piercings since those are my favourite on them. I’d like to see them with a nasallang — the chain versions are just great.

My knowledge of piercing terminology is bad so bare with me…

Just on an aesthetic level I think they’d do what you would, cycle through piercings occasionally. I don’t think they’d go for any outlandish ones, as standing out physically isn’t really their game. (See, entering club with a disguised human face but happily transforming into jean in front of the crowd) i think this is more a desire to not cause a commotion rather than insecurity.

They’d go for a few subtle ones i think, but i’d really like to see them with tons of helix piercings, and those pointy angular ones. Any time they wear a crop top, the belly piercing is a must, but they don’t have A belly button, so they have to make one too lol.

Morph would Probably not keep piercings too often though.* They’ll mostly keep their base form as it requires focus to shift (they shift into their human form while processing the idea of Jeanscott leaving the team… subconscious?)

For physical piercings: Also, since they have no facial features, a stud or two might accentuate their real form’s expressions. Though I don’t think Morph would like that as a Serial Represser. Nor would they really appreciate a stranger inserting objects into their face (Thanks Nathaniel.)

I’m not entirely sure it’d be possible for them to get genuine physical piercings, since every time they shift, their literal molecules change. Since they’re naked all the time (exiles logic?) and they manage to never flash anyone, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to put piercings on their base form.

(*I do like to think that shapeshifting is an exhaustive process for Morph, hence why they’re never seen out of their grey appearance for long. Canon is finicky on this considering they went through torture while maintaining human form. However the mindcontrol scene where Madelyne seizes them, as well as the sentinel scene suggests that their body’s natural state now defaults to the grey version, whereas in the past, the human version was their natural state. So… secondary mutation>changeling (born mutated) is my current theory. Obviously this is just a complication stemming from the sudden Exiles synergy imposed upon 97, so I doubt we’ll ever get a logical explanation. Oh man. Piercings. Let me refocus…)

Context wise: Morph would like to have seen fall in with a bit of alt culture especially since it was the 90s. back then, it was a subtle way of showing you were queer… (other than picking up playgirl or xy maybe lol? I know very little about American queer culture in the 90s, unfortunately.)

i feel like the writers hinted at this with the x-men attending a rave, being one of the first scenes where Logan & Morph are explicitly paired up (alongside two other couples in the show) Raves are obviously not explicitly a gay space, but in the 90s, (and even today,) it was largely an open scene… I’m MEANDERING. But yk. (Btw that club was definitely underground… no id check, random building, roberto’s trustfund ass there….)

ALL IN ALL: I think they’d tack on a few piercings occasionally, but Morph isn’t that concerned with fashion. They don’t even bother changing out of their X-Suit most of the time when they can literally do that whenever. I suppose it’s more fun to Become someone else than alter yourself.

It’s either , “I’m already unimpressive, there’s no point in trying to decorate mediocrity,” or “Piercings? That’s boring when I could literally turn into Sauron or something.” It depends on if you think Morph is insecure about being one of the very visible mutants in X-Men alongside Kurt/Beast. (I don’t think they are, so I HC the latter.)

Sorry i got really offtopic here. Also, I’m excited to see the drawing 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹👆

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

I don’t think the harassment is acceptable. I think people are really out of pocket doing that, but I do think him establishing what is and isn’t part of his job is fine. And maybe did need to be said, because clearly people didn’t know.

As for using Buddie as promo… idk. The marketing team is gonna do whatever ABC feels will garner the most viewers, and right now it’s Buck being bi and the long held desire to see him and Eddie become canon. They’re gonna milk it however they can, which falls back on Tim, thus him feelings like he needed to explain himself, presumably.

I do agree it could be toned down though, because Buck is now canonically dating someone else, and I don’t recall them teasing Buddie for real when he was with women. So doing it now the way they are is purely because they’re banking on Buddie fans, while also currently not committing.

Plus, everything Buddie related from before has to now be assumed not canon, so it’s putting everyone in a messy spot. Because we have canon, fanon, show runner confirmed but not on screen, and canon jokes that are now floating in the in between because no one knows if the they’ll be acknowledged in canon or get scrapped.

I think people should just calm down and wait to see what the season brings, anyway. Once it’s over and we get an idea of where all the characters are at, then start asking bigger questions or letting out the more angry frustrations.

Hi! Sorry for the late reply. The sheer amount of work that goes into television hasn't often been well realized in fan spaces. The writing, how it translates to screen, the process of acting, all the work by the crew, the pressures from moneymen, managing the expectations of the audience, the long hours and repetition of scenes. How multiple people working on a creative project means multiple interpretations— all of which bleed through. The showrunner has every right to protect himself and the people who work for him. I was mainly trying to draw on my own experiences in how these harassment campaigns happen, how they continue, and how they can be mitigated.

US TV production has a long and rocky history when it comes to queer narratives. That doesn't really end now that there are canonically queer characters on screen and this fallout is part of the response to that tension.

For example, if I engage in the whole Buddie vs. Bucktommy thing (sorry), I'd say both perspectives have a point they don't realize they're making about queerness in television storytelling.

The thesis I feel like Buddie fans are making is there are two queer coded main characters who love each other, who have seasons of build up in their individual characters and in their relationship. Why can't they be together? Because they're two male main characters on network television? Be bold, be brave. Wouldn't it be amazing if they did commit to that story? Wouldn't it be game changing? Sexuality and friendship and love is not set in stone, it's okay to be flexible. M/F relationships are allowed that space to develop within a story and you know if one of them were a woman they probably would be together already.

The thesis I feel like BuckTommy fans are making is that Buddie was never going to happen, realistically, and it's amazing enough that they committed to Buck being canonically bisexual. Why do you want to rock the boat? Don't you see that if you can't embrace this development it could be snatched away at any moment. The show is its own thing within its own context and not the blinkered interpretation you have of two characters. This queerness is canon.

Those two thesis's (thesi?) are rubbing up against each other and building straw men of the other to attack and tear down. A showrunner wading in was only ever going to combust that tension further and that's what happened. What keeps happening.

[oldfangirl81]

Brightside, Chapter 2

Fandom: Teen Wolf, 9-1-1: Lone Star

Rating: Mature but don't go beyond canon violence

Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Summary: The night continues with a trip to ER and a few surprise visitors.

(This is now a fix it for S4 finale.)

I had a nice comment this week on Ch1 so I wanted to update sooner rather than later.

Notes: This fic will now become a fix-it for the S4 finale. While I actually thought the finale was fantastic I still am happy this fic has an easy built in fix. I’m leaning towards just a magical fix instead of making him a wolf but we’ll see. Also, I decided to now to go evil Deaton, so instead Jennifer Blake will get the blame for some issues with Derek’s wolf. Hope you still enjoy this.

Song Inspiration:

Shut Me Up by Nicky Youre

Maybe you love me, but maybe not enough

Maybe you need me, or maybe I'm too much

I'm overcomplicated, I can't explain it, I tell myself that

You might not feel the same and that's killin' me, so spell it out

'Cause I-I-I-I, I'm overthinkin'

I-I-I-I, so help me out

Just kiss my lips and shut mе up

Just pull me in, it's obvious

I need some therapy

'Causе knowin' me, I think too much

Jumpstart my heart and make it stay

I'm runnin' out of ways to say

I'm sick of overthinkin'

Kiss my lips and shut me up

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stiles really didn’t want to have to worry about why Derek and whoever were coming to Austin. But now that things calmed down a little he couldn’t help but worry what happened on the hellmouth now. The last Stiles knew Derek was in agreement with Scott and his dad on keeping Stiles at the fringes of everything. It didn’t seem to matter that at this point Stiles had more training then Scott. None of them where the same inexperienced teenagers but it was only Stiles that seemed to be unable to shake that label.

“You okay, kid?” asked Gabriel. He could tell the younger man was disturbed and wondered if he contributed to it. “I’m sorry I didn’t know there was an Argent in town.”

“Not your fault but I am surprised nobody made note of her married name in her file.”

“They may have but I’ve had no reason to go looking. She hadn’t done anything until today to even put her on my radar.” Gabriel was frustrated and disgusted.

Not a single Argent clan member should be working in law enforcement in his opinion. He had zero faith that they would actually follow the rules when they hold the loosest to the hunter’s code. Even the Calveras were better if he had to pick a hunting clan to work with. But even then the trust was very limited. He would want them to know if something happened and Carlos had to be bitten. Gabriel really hoped that never needs to happen because with their bloodline odds would be high of Carlos becoming a spontaneous Alpha. Gabriel didn’t believe in the lore around “true alpha” but his family did still have a rise of a beta rising to Alpha without taking a spark from someone else. He just wasn’t sure his son has what it takes to lead a pack. But that is borrowing trouble from something that will hopefully never happen.

“Whatever, I don’t blame you.” Stiles said drawing the other man out of his head again. “Sorry you have to do the big reveal with Carlos and TK.” Stiles was still trying hard to ignore the growing panic of Derek Hale being in the same town as an Argent again. Well an Argent that wasn’t Chris, who last Stiles knew was still in Europe. He check with Danny later when talking about everything else.

“Ranger Reyes, your son is about to be discharged. He said to give you the exam report for the case.” She handed the paperwork to Stiles who was still in uniform. “They’ll be out momentarily for you to take home.”

“Thank you, Sally.”

“Do you want me to pick up donuts on the way to your house? It is almost 7am.” Stiles couldn’t believe how the night both flew by and seemed to never end. So many questions. So much paperwork still to be done. At least he didn’t have to lie on most of the reports that it was a magical alert system that told him about Carlos. They were still figuring out the mundane explanation but most of the just came from Ranger Reyes using his special division powers.

“No need. Andrea has already started cooking a large brunch since I wasn’t sure if anyone ate dinner last night either. She stress cooks like you so hope your hungry.”

“Well I won’t ever turn down any of your better half’s cooking.”

TK pushed a wheelchair containing a grumbling Carlos over to the two men.

“He is off work for at least two weeks according to the doctor. He was a little puzzled by the way the injury was showing signs of being a couple days into the healing process.”

All three men turned to look at a blushing Stiles with suspicion. Stiles was hoping they got out of the hospital quicker because he could tell TK and Carlos were getting impatient wanting answer. Or a distraction to put it off even longer.

“STILINSKI! Why did we track you down to a hospital after the panicked use of pack bonds earlier?”

Maybe Stiles should have been a little more specific on what distraction would have been okay.

“Jackass? What are you doing in Austin?” Stiles stared feeling like this was the start of a train wreck that he could do nothing to stop. He could feel a panic attack starting to build.

“Derek, Ethan, Eli and I are here to talk to you. Some stuff has been discovered that you really need to know. But now how bad are you injured?” Jackson did give Carlos, TK and Gabriel a glance but was more focused on Stiles.

“Officer Stilinski was not injured when rescued my son from a serial killer. I’m Ranger Reyes, the father of the man he saved. Now I’d appreciate it if you could take a step back from Officer Stilinski.” Gabriel made sure his badge was clearly visible.

“SERIAL KILLER!” Jackson inhaled trying to see if he could scent any blood on Stiles. Or even the killers scent to hunt down in the future. Nobody hurt his pack’s...well whatever Stiles was to the pack. “No injury? Derek is going to loose his shit. We might want to wait to tell him.”

“Why would he care that much?” asked Stiles. He remembered the last few conversations with the Alpha clearly.

“Who is Derek?” asked Carlos feeling loopy from the meds and head injury. But he still didn’t remember Stiles even hinting that he was in a relationship. But again the other man kept his cards close to his chest.

“The Alpha and UST buddy for almost a decade now.”

TK mouthed the words ‘UST buddy’ to Carlos in amusement.

“Jackson! I told you to wait for us.”

There in the hospital doorway was the one very attractive papa wolf holding his sleepy adorable pup. Ethan was right behind rolling his eyes at his impatient husband who had gone ahead.

“Oh.” TK and Carlos couldn’t help but appreciate the man before them. It did help make things a little clearer about Officer Stilinski while opening up even more questions.

Before Stiles could find his words Derek carefully handed off Eli to Jackson. Then wrapped an arm around Stiles waist pulling him into an embrace. Stiles let out a very manly squeak. With his other hand Derek stroked Stiles cheek as he leaned forward pressing their lips together. The kiss was deepened quickly by both men. A whimper was heard when they broke apart but nobody knew which made the sound.

Stiles tried pushing Derek away in worry. “Jackson, did you let your alpha come to Austin while under a spell?”

Derek took Stiles chin in his hand so they were making eye contact. “It is the opposite. When they tore down part of the school recently it included the classroom that the Darach used. It broke a spell she had anchored there. Her goal was to make me focus on her. Blake knew there was a mating bond in the early stages between the two of us. While her death ended most of the magic this one was physical anchored so it lasted longer.” Derek could see the disbelief and hope in Stiles eyes. “I am so sorry that I told you no before you came to Austin. The spell muted or blocked any feeling I had towards you.”

Stiles felt like his brain was blue screening. He desperately wanted to believe Derek but he also remember how painful it was before he came to Austin.

“I swear I came with my pack as soon as I could.” Derek hoped he wasn’t too late to have a chance with his mate.

“Uh, so I might not understand all that is happening right now but I think it would probably be better to move this to the Reyes house instead of a hospital lobby?” TK interrupted because he could tell this would go on for a while if he didn’t. They clearly had some issues to work out.

“Oh. Right. Other people exist.” Stiles fought the urge to hide his face in Derek’s shoulder. His very strong and shapely shoulders. What was he doing again.

“I would be honored for Alpha Hale and his pack to join us for a meal and explanations. Just follow us or text Stiles for the address.” Gabriel started herding everyone out of the hospital.

“The Hale pack is honored for the offer and will take you up on it.”

Jackson made a face at Eli over the ridiculousness, the younger boy giggled.

“I’ll ride with Gabriel so yeah just follow us.” Stiles reluctantly stepped back from Derek as they made their ways to the three cars. “See you soon.”

Gabriel patted Stiles shoulder unsure what this all meant. He weirdly felt this tied to the Argent in the territory but wasn’t sure how yet. Hopefully talking it all out would bring answers but first they needed food.

[leadingrebel]

I posted 403 times in 2022

13 posts created (3%)

390 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@skloomdumpster

@rivusa

@riven-musa

@lilshitwayne

@septemberrie

I tagged 399 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#fate: the winx saga - 238 posts

#riven - 116 posts

#musa - 95 posts

#(otp) i can hear you among the mess - 92 posts

#ftws s2 - 68 posts

#the 100 - 38 posts

#sky of eraklyon - 31 posts

#bellamy blake - 29 posts

#saul silva - 26 posts

#the rings of power - 25 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#this used to happen to me because writing in a foreing language is actual torture when you know you could do it so much absolutelly better

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

by sb edits

13 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

#4

You can’t get married on your own

Word count: 1549

A/N: This post with Jo’s tags is at fault. Much fluff, very silly.

Summary: 

“But we need to find the very important people,” he said, ignoring Sky was still running after the last wagon. “Like, not Blackbridge mayor level. Higher. Much higher. Solarian elite only. Billionaires of the Otherworld.”

Riven was typing furiously on his phone, when a hand pushed his head down.

“Stop.” Sky said, tapping his neck. “You can’t get married on your own, Riv. That’s not how it works.”

[The one where they send fake wedding invitations to billionaires so they get the expensive things they can't buy as gifts.]

[Read on AO3]

20 notes - Posted September 23, 2022

#3

A Blade’s Glint

Word count: 6882

A/N: Wrote this for a FTWS Challenge with the prompt “And, as I love you piercingly, I’ll stain your stainless skin”. 

Summary:

She didn’t want him to see her like this. She didn’t want to scare him and she couldn’t explain to him what she needed because she couldn’t even breathe.

Her hands trembled in the space between their bodies, unsure.

Her chest was compressing, her sternum pulsing with every attempt at drawing a breath.

She was drowning.

Desperately, her eyes hung on the glint of the knife’s handle at Riven’s back as if it were a lighthouse.  

Before her hands reached for it.

[A series of glimpses into the relationship between Musa and Riven's knife]

[Read on AO3]

23 notes - Posted August 9, 2022

#2

The Names of Power

It is said that there’s power in a name. Maybe because it carries context, maybe because it can be used as a leash to drag one around. Once a name is created, there’s no easy way of changing what comes with it. Nor cleaning it, if necessary.

Thinking about The Rings of Power dancing around Sauron’s identity, the characters spit his name with hatred or mutter it with fear and it is tossed around so much across all Middle-Earth.

But I find there’s a special treatment when it comes to Sauron’s character himself and his own name. And I like to think about it as my argument of how Sauron didn’t want to be Sauron again.

So based on the words of canon, I’m choosing to believe S1 happens in the era in which Sauron thought of redemption. And I think the name Sauron was a dead weight for him at that time.

I don't think he had planned any future for that name. I don't think he ever wanted to put back on the cape of Sauron, the one who failed even after Morgoth was gone, the one who was betrayed and killed by a creature beneath.

In the series, he repeatedly states his name as Halbrand: to Galadriel and to everyone in Númenor. But then he has that fight with the guild’s men and he becomes violent and vicious. And even in this state of overpowering four on one, of superiority, of his power being displayed, he says:

“Call me Halbrand.”

As if the name Halbrand should mean anything to them. He’s building another name the same way he has done with all the previous ones. So the next time those men hear the name Halbrand they’ll remember the taste of blood in their mouths.

You only build a name you intent to keep.

I don’t think Sauron can live without a name. With this, I mean I don’t think he can tolerate being spoken to as someone without respectable naming. Which is exactly what we see in all his interactions with the guild’s men. He can be a nobody, as he is arriving at Númenor, and play along under the crowns of other people (at least for a while), just as long as you respect his name.

If people won’t have respect for his name, they’ll learn to fear it. Which is what he’s crafting with his actions in this scene.

As opposed to this, when Adar asks him, he remains silent.

See the full post

64 notes - Posted November 23, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

HE 👏 IS 👏 A 👏 PUPPY

129 notes - Posted September 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[becomewings]

BTS Universe Timeline

« previous  |

TIMELINE GUIDE

Content warning: contains references to death, suicide, suicidal ideation, child abuse, domestic violence, blood, homicide, depression, trauma, PTSD

This guide contains major spoilers from all BU media

Revisions and additions will be made as necessary, so please visit the original post for the most up-to-date version (update log is included at bottom of post)

All names are provided as fully as known

Bracketed dates are inferred or calculated from references in the text

While the timeline is presented here as objectively as possible, I acknowledge that there is a level of subjectivity in choosing which information is significant enough for inclusion and in certain connections drawn between entries

Please inform me of any suspected errors; I will investigate and correct them

Do not repost, copy, or quote without permission

School Years: Together & Apart

    - March Year 19 through 10 April Year 22 -

2 March Year 19 Notes 1 (SJ)

Ten days after returning from the U.S., SeokJin and his father visit the principal’s office at his new school. SeokJin learns that he will start one grade lower due to the different education systems. SeokJin’s father grips his shoulder while the principal explains that school is a “dangerous place” that needs to be “tightly controlled.” He asks: “You know you have to keep me informed, right? You’ll be a good student, right?” SeokJin squeezes out a “yes” and his father lets go. Both ChangJun and the principal laugh. SeokJin looks down at their shining shoes, wondering from where the light is coming.

Note: SeokJin’s 25 June Year 19 entry in Notes 1 specifies that his father attended the same high school. JiMin’s 23 July Year 22 entry in Notes 2 reveals that, according to a comment he finds on an online news article, ChangJun and the principal were in school at the same time and fought with each other “as if it would only end when one of them dropped dead,” but they appeared to get along later due to politics.

3 March Year 19 BTS Universe Story: The Boy on the Threshold, ep.1

On the first day of school at Songju Jeil High School, the Dean of Students berates the six latecomers lined up outside: SeokJin, NamJoon, HoSeok, JiMin, TaeHyung, and JungKook. YoonGi arrives even later. The Dean assigns them one month of community service as punishment. When he notices SeokJin, he clears his throat and says he is letting them off because it’s the first day: they must all assemble after classes to clean the annex, a classroom turned into a storage room. This room becomes their meeting place and hideout even after their punishment is finished.

Note: Their punishment for being late is referenced in JiMin’s 12 March Year 19 entry in Notes 1, when he escapes to the old classroom again and finds the others already there. He observes that it feels as though they’ve been “hanging out together forever.” The punishment scene is also similar to a moment in the BTS Begins Middle Scene VCR. Although it includes a few extra students and cannot be confirmed as BU content, it does mirror the canonical detail of YoonGi arriving last.

28 May Year 19 Notes: Answer

In the classroom hideout, JungKook asks everyone what their dreams are because he has to write a paper about future hopes. SeokJin wants to become a good person, and YoonGi says it’s okay to have no dream. TaeHyung poses on a chair and says he’s going to be a superhero. HoSeok scolds him and adds that he wants to find his mom and live happily. JiMin asks him if he is unhappy now, and HoSeok pulls an exaggeratedly worried expression. “Is that how it works?” JiMin is flustered when HoSeok asks what his dream is and remembers that when he was in preschool he wanted to be president, but didn’t know what he wanted after that. Everyone looks at NamJoon, who shrugs and confesses that while he wants to say something nice, he doesn’t have a dream either and just wishes that his part-time job pays more. JungKook looks down at his assignment, divided into sections for “student” and “parent,” and wonders what he hopes to become. He can’t think of anything to write.

12 June Year 19 — The Sea Notes 1

YoonGi’s entry:

All seven boys cut school and decide to go to the sea. They have little money between them, so they must walk to the train station. As they leave, YoonGi almost bumps into JiMin and realizes that he is standing frozen with a trembling face. JiMin stares at a sign that reads “2.1km to Grass Flower Arboretum.” YoonGi flatly tells him that it’s too hot to go to the arboretum. He has an “instinctive feeling” that they should avoid it. He observes that JiMin walks away like a little kid, head bent and shoulders hunched.

JungKook’s entry:

The boys arrive at the beach. They hang around under a torn parasol until HoSeok holds up a discovery on his phone: a large rock that is supposed to grant your dream if you stand atop it and shout your dream out to the sea. TaeHyung encourages them to go. While they grumble in the heat on the long trek, JungKook reflects on how he had recently asked the others what their dreams were. (See 28 May Year 19.) None of them really have a dream to pursue.

YoonGi tells JungKook to stop biting his nails or else they’ll become like his. Then he asks JungKook what his dream is. Having never thought about it, JungKook doesn’t know. He hesitates and then asks what a dream is. HoSeok rattles off a few definitions from his phone. YoonGi questions, “How can something that you want to achieve most in your life and something that is unlikely to come true both be called a dream? … Don’t ever try to have a dream.” JungKook asks why. At his glance, YoonGi stops biting his nails and puts his hands in his pockets. “Because it’s tough having one.” JungKook is curious about why YoonGi bites his nails but doesn’t ask. He recalls that it has been a habit since his childhood to hurt himself. He remembers cutting his finger on a knife badly enough that his mom took him to the hospital, but she didn’t take care of him after they went home. His wound healed slowly because he kept pressing it; the pain helped him feel awake. Even now, he sometimes feels hollow.

TaeHyung asks how much longer they have to walk. HoSeok is puzzled, saying they should be close. They gaze around the empty, pebbled beach. JiMin sighs and reads aloud from an article on his phone. A resort will be built on this beach, and the construction company blew up the rock. They notice the cordoned off construction zone. They try to reassure each other to remain positive, but they all feel the disappointment of walking all that way for nothing. JungKook notices YoonGi biting his nails again and tries to stop him, but he is interrupted by a loud drilling noise. JungKook looks past him at the sea and all that remains of the dream-granting rock, the pebbles under their feet. “Is the world tough for you, too?” he asks, but YoonGi can’t hear him. JungKook screams again. “Do you want to give up on this world, too?” HoSeok and TaeHyung laugh at their mimed conversation. They all look out to the sea and shout their dreams. The drilling is so loud that they can’t hear each other. JungKook cannot even hear his own dream. When the noise stops, they cut off abruptly and laugh. SeokJin suggests that they take a photo. He sets the timer and runs to join their row, the sea behind them. They walk back to the train station. JungKook asks if he can keep the photo. SeokJin writes “June 12” on the back and gives it to him, telling him that his dream will come true. JungKook asks if SeokJin knows what he shouted to the sea, and SeokJin merely taps his shoulder and strides ahead.

BTS Universe Story : The Boy on the Threshold, ep.3

JungKook’s memory of the beach trip follows a similar structure to the scene in Notes 1, plus a notable addition. After they fail to find the dream-granting boulder, JungKook climbs up on the pier railing. He thinks: “I’ve always liked walking on the edge of walls or on top of lines. Focusing on centering my gravity means that I don’t really think of anything else, and the boundary—not quite a part of either place—always felt like where I should be.” Someone grabs his arm while he precariously balances. YoonGi tells him not to do that, and JungKook assures him that he won’t fall.

“YoonGi would often grab my arm when I walked on railings. The others would look after me, too, after seeing him do that. I liked their helping hands. It felt like they were telling me that I should go to them. That this wasn’t my place. Maybe their hands were why I walked on the railings.”

25 June Year 19 Notes 1 (SJ)

Alone in the classroom hideout, SeokJin finds a plant by the window. He takes pictures with his phone but doesn’t think they capture what the human eye sees. He notices that “HoSeok’s plant” is scribbled on the floor beneath the pot and then realizes that the window sills, walls, and ceiling are covered with graffiti and drawings, messages left behind by the students who once passed through that room. He wonders if there were past teachers who used violence and endless tests or students like him who ratted out their friends to the principal. Since his father also attended that high school, SeokJin looks for his name on the walls and finds it with a phrase written underneath: “Everything started from here.”

Note: TaeHyung, JiMin, NamJoon, and YoonGi discover several other familiar names near Kim ChangJun (SeokJin’s father) on the classroom wall in TaeHyung’s 23 July Year 22 entry from 7’s album Notes and the extended version in Notes 2.

30 August Year 19 Notes: Her

JiMin plays in HoSeok’s shadow while he is on the phone, reflecting on how HoSeok has accompanied him on the two-hour walk home since the beginning of the school semester. JiMin eventually realized that HoSeok didn’t live in the same direction but never questioned him, simply hoping that their time walking together would stretch the day out a little longer. HoSeok finishes on the phone and chases after him while the cicadas sing and their ice creams melt. Suddenly, JiMin is afraid, wondering how many of these days are left.

20 March Year 20 Notes 1 (TH)

TaeHyung sneaks up on NamJoon in the hallway by their classroom hideout. He stops when he hears SeokJin’s voice inside, apparently informing the principal about how TaeHyung and YoonGi had ditched school and got in a fight over the past few days. SeokJin throws open the door, phone in hand, and looks flustered to see NamJoon standing there. TaeHyung hides in a corner and is shocked to hear NamJoon assure him, “It’s OK. There must’ve been a good reason.” HoSeok and JiMin find TaeHyung in the hallway, and HoSeok pulls him into the classroom. NamJoon beams at TaeHyung as though nothing strange has happened. Believing that NamJoon “must have his reasons” because he is more intelligent and mature, TaeHyung decides not to tell anyone about the conversation he overheard.

15 May Year 20 Notes 1 (NJ)

NamJoon visits the classroom hideout on his last day of school. Two weeks prior, his family decided that they needed to move due to complications with his father’s health and their overdue rent. NamJoon tries to write a message on a piece of paper. He scribbles “I must survive” before the pencil lead snaps. He crumples the paper and writes in the dust on the window instead.

“No farewell message would be enough to let the others know how I felt. At the same time, no farewell message was needed to make myself understood. ‘See you again.’ It was a wish, rather than a promise.”

Note: “I must survive” is a recurring message tied to NamJoon in the BU MVs. See also 17 December Year 21.

7 June Year 20 Notes: Persona

TaeHyung’s two month old puppy Dubu slips out of the leash and disappears while he is distracted on his phone. TaeHyung runs around the neighborhood looking for him, first angry at the puppy and then blaming himself. When Dubu returns on his own, TaeHyung is filled with the unfamiliar feeling that he is someone who can be relied on.

11 June Year 20 BTS Universe Story: The Boy on the Threshold, ep.5 Everyone’s Place

In the classroom hideout, JungKook listens to YoonGi playing the piano. The sound of the music makes him feel as if YoonGi understands how he feels and is trying to console him. The Dean of Students forces the door open, demanding why they are there. He berates and slaps JungKook, knocking him to the floor. YoonGi steps between them and shoves the teacher’s shoulder. The dean warns him that he had better be prepared for the consequences of putting his hands on a teacher and then leaves. Despite his throbbing cheek, JungKook smiles because it is the first time someone has protected him, and the feeling of getting closer to YoonGi makes him giddy. For the next two weeks, YoonGi does not come to school.

25 June Year 20 Notes 1

JungKook’s entry:

JungKook tries to play the piano in the classroom hideout, unable to make it sound like YoonGi did. He reflects on the rumor that YoonGi was expelled after the events of 11 June and wonders if YoonGi would still be here playing the piano if JungKook had not been there that day when the teacher appeared.

YoonGi’s entry:

Breathing hard, YoonGi arrives at his bedroom, removes a half-burned piano key from an envelope in his desk drawer, and throws it into the trash can. He remembers a day four years ago when he returned to their burned down home and found a skeleton of the piano where his mother’s room used to stand. He noticed several piano keys on the ground and took one of them, wondering what note it was and how many times her fingers touched it. In the present, YoonGi thinks how unbearable living under his father’s rule is and recalls what happened that day: he is officially expelled from school. He picks up the piano key again and hurls it out the window.

“I couldn’t hear the piano key hit the ground. Now I’d never know what note it made. It’d never make a sound again. I’d never play the piano again.”

17 July Year 20 Notes 1 (SJ)

At the end of the last school day before summer vacation, SeokJin tries to leave quickly but is hailed by HoSeok and JiMin. No one knows that he was pressured by the principal and revealed their hideout, which led to JungKook and YoonGi being discovered (11 June) and the latter’s expulsion (25 June). HoSeok wishes SeokJin a good vacation and to keep in touch, but he can’t reply.

“My first day at this school crossed my mind as I passed through the school gate. We were all late and got punished. But we were together, so we could laugh together. I had ruined all those memories we shared.”

Note: Variations of the sentiment “we can laugh when we’re together” recur throughout BU.

15 September Year 20 Notes 1 (HS)

In the hospital emergency room, HoSeok wants to explain how JiMin had a seizure at the bus stop to his mother, Sim SeonMi. When the doctors wheel JiMin’s bed out, HoSeok begins to follow until SeonMi thanks him and touches his shoulder. He feels like she has drawn a line between them that he cannot cross. He falls to the floor, and when he looks up, JiMin’s bed is gone.

Note: The name of JiMin’s mother is specified in his BTS Universe Story arc, Stopped Time. JiMin’s 11 May Year 22 entry in Notes 1 reflects that he blacked out at the bus stop after seeing the window of the Grass Flower Arboretum shuttle bus open. His 12 August Year 22 entry in Notes 2 reveals the real cause of JiMin’s seizure at the bus stop: he sees the boy that he left behind at the arboretum warehouse on 6 April Year 11. Though the boy’s empty eyes no longer speak to JiMin, this chance encounter awakens his memories of that day.

28 September Year 20 Notes: Her and Smeraldo Books Twitter

JiMin, heavily medicated, has lost track of how long he has been back in the hospital. But he considers this a special day because he lies to the doctor for the first time about not remembering anything.

Note: He is lying about not remembering what triggered his seizure at the bus stop on 15 September and/or what happened at the Grass Flower Arboretum when he was a kid (see Notes 2 comments above). This lie is also referenced in his 11 May Year 22 entry in Notes 1.

30 September Year 20 Notes 1 (JK)

A teacher hits JungKook with an attendance book when he refuses to admit that he still visits the classroom hideout, reminding him of when YoonGi was beaten. Later, JungKook stands outside the room and imagines that the others are waiting for him on the other side. He opens the door to only find HoSeok, clearing out what remains of their belongings. HoSeok walks him out, and JungKook realizes that those days are gone and will never come again.

25 February Year 21 Notes: Her (HS)

HoSeok watches himself dance in the mirror. He has danced since he was around twelve and discovered an ecstasy that came from inside himself. Outside of the mirror, HoSeok is a person who collapses everywhere and takes medicine he doesn’t need, who smiles even when he hates it and isn’t happy. But when he dances, he truly becomes himself, casting away all that weighs him down and feeling that he can become happy.

2 May Year 21 Notes: Persona (JK)

Biking along the Yangjicheon riverbank, JungKook thinks about how his friends left him one by one and that no one at home or in the world smiles at him anymore. He stops in the shadows under a bridge. Nobody comes to this kind of ruined place, and maybe that is the reason no one comes to him either. He feels most comfortable alone in the complete darkness where no one will look for him and wants the moment to never end.

9 August Year 21 Notes: Persona (SJ)

SeokJin walks along a Los Angeles beach and photographs the ocean. It has been a year since he fled Songju and moved to his mother’s family’s home, where he grew up as a child. He doesn’t photograph people anymore and didn’t bring any photos from high school with him, afraid to remember who he was at that time or to wonder about how his friends are doing and whether they still think of him.

17 December Year 21 Notes 1 (NJ)

This lengthy entry details events that transpired since the autumn of Year 20 when NamJoon’s family moved to the village, framed by moments on 17 December itself as NamJoon leaves on his own. His family chooses this village because it has a nearby hospital for his ailing father and employers who will hire someone without a high school diploma. NamJoon serves as a delivery boy for an eatery, competing for work with the other local boys. They grow a strange sense of solidarity, and he privately dubs one of them “TaeHyung,” even though the boy’s discontent, outward behavior is more akin to YoonGi’s. (Quotation marks added to the name here for clarity.) Competition slackens when snow falls in winter. NamJoon and “TaeHyung” are the only ones poor enough to risk the road up to the mountain town’s rest area when orders are phoned to the village below. On an afternoon forecast to have heavy snowfall, the restaurant owner dismisses “TaeHyung” due to his bruised face and gives the deliveries to NamJoon. The old delivery scooter fishtails on NamJoon’s third trip down the mountain, throwing him off. More anxious about the scratched scooter than his cut ankle and aching body, NamJoon finally gets it to restart and returns to the eatery. “TaeHyung,” who has been hanging around this whole time, approaches and asks for a favor. Before he can answer, NamJoon receives a call from his mother relaying that his father went outside alone and fell, requiring a trip to the hospital. NamJoon understands that his father was only trying to keep his dignity but is still frustrated because he can’t earn any more much-needed money this day. He hands “TaeHyung” the keys and leaves to take his father to the hospital.

The next day, NamJoon learns that “TaeHyung” was in a fatal accident during one of the deliveries up the mountain. The police officer blames him for being a poor driver and not wearing a helmet. NamJoon does not speak up that he has never seen the helmet the owner now has placed out on the counter. He visits the scene of the accident, thinking that the white outline on the road could be his if he was the one to make the next delivery—just as it could be his family mourning in the village instead of “TaeHyung’s” mother. On a later trip carrying his father home from the bus stop, NamJoon pretends not to hear his father’s frail voice over the noise of barking dogs. A week after that, NamJoon is making steady deliveries up the mountain. During what is ultimately his last delivery, he speaks with a stranger at the rest area, who cautions him to take care. “Do you know what’s really dangerous? Calcium chloride and wet leaves, not the snow itself,” the stranger blurts as NamJoon departs. NamJoon drives carefully back, not looking at the scene of the accident. This is not out of safety, as he tries to convince himself, but guilt: guilt for surviving, for his relief of being the one alive, for not defending “TaeHyung’s” driving skills. He also wonders if he is “a hypocrite pretending to have a guilty conscience.” Because he scattered wet leaves and sprinkled calcium chloride to prevent the road from icing over where he fell that afternoon, believing that he would be making the next delivery. If he did not do both those things, would “TaeHyung” be alive?

Mind and body numb, NamJoon makes it home from the delivery detached from the world around him. The barking dogs snap him out of the daze, and he remembers his father’s words that he pretended not to hear and dwelled on daily despite trying not to think about them: “Go, NamJoon. You must survive.” The next morning (17 December), NamJoon sneaks away to the bus stop. He is running away from his family’s misfortunes, from his own resignation to his fate, from poverty. The bus is scheduled to arrive in Songju in a few hours—the city he left with no notice and is returning to once more with the same. NamJoon wonders if his old friends still live there and how they are doing. On the frosted window, he writes with his finger: “I must survive.”

Note: The village boy’s real name is JongHun according to NamJoon’s 12 June Year 22 entry in Notes 2, which also reveals that he visited JongHun’s home to give his condolences before he left town.

1 February Year 22 Notes: 7 (SJ)

Summoned by his father without explanation, SeokJin flies back to Korea from Los Angeles. Although he has addresses in both LA and Songju, neither place feels like his home.

———————————————————

Update Log

Posted May 5, 2021

Do not repost.

[batmayne]

𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 “𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐘” 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐒 - fluff alphabet by @snk-warriors

featured song: Hide by Juice Wrld and Seezyn

warnings: small mentions of angst

authors note: this was written before tfatws (aka before I knew bucky’s personality) so I apologize for any inconsistencies and or if he’s ooc.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 - what do they like to do with their significant other? how do they spend their free time with them?

Since Bucky’s only available time to spend with you would most likely just be time he had off in between missions (unless you were an avenger yourself), most of your time spent together would be spent relaxing. If you do happen to not be an Avenger or maybe live out of New York (kind of like Laura Barton) he would more inclined to spend time at your house instead of his own. You are his solace away from all of the peril and endangerment that comes with his everyday occupation from saving the world from various threats - anytime spent with you is enough to make him happy. Activities wise I believe that he would enjoy simple things like taking your dog for a walk in the park, visiting a local museum or even just going to a family owned diner to grab milkshakes. Time not spent out would most likely be spent indoors reading or watching movies.

𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐘 - what do they admire about their significant other? what do they think is beautiful about them?

I can’t imagine that things like appearance, weight and height mean a whole lot to him, your personality is what really drew him in. He was initially attracted to your kindness and patience, because just befriending someone with the amount of baggage that his past holds is no easy feat. Unlike others, you didn’t treat him like a monster because of what HYDRA had forced him to do for the past 70 years of brainwashing. He admires you for taking the time to understand him when no one else did, especially after Steve went back in time to be with Peggy. He and Sam had become close of course but it couldn’t compare to what he had with you.

𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓 - how would they help their significant other when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

He knows all to well what it means it be “feeling down” or having troubles mentally so he would be very understanding about it. If you a working or have some sort of occupation he would encourage you to probably take some time off to recover and if he was able he would take a break as well so you wouldn’t be alone. If it was more serious he would want you to go get help, because that is what you have done for him in the past.

𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 - how do they picture their future with their significant other?

As mentioned earlier, I think that seeing what happened to Steve after he decided to spend his life with Peggy and have children of his own really would have struck a chord with him. Once he came out of HYDRA’s possession I think he may have thought that a chance at having a different life with a significant other and even children would be near impossible - but after he met you he was willing to give that fantasy a second try. I think he would be over the moon with eventually marrying you when things calm down some (he wouldn’t want to put you in danger if some enemy was targeting him) and having a child or two (if you wanted). Overall I think he just just craves for a simple and peaceful life with you, without having to worry about the dangers of his job or the outside world.

𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐋 - are they the dominant one in the relationship or rather passive?

The both of you are definitely equals in this relationship, in every aspect. I have to mention though, some of that 40’s gentleman may come out at times where he likes to hold the door open for you or help you out of the car. But he would only do this if you were comfortable with it of course, if it bothered you or got on your nerves in any way he would definitely stop - no questions asked.

𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 - would they be easy to forgive their significant other? how are they fighting?

There may be more arguments in the beginning of the relationship because he hasn’t been in one in so long, and the majority of them center around either him not wanting to hurt you on accident (I imagine that he is still uncomfortable with his arm) or pushing you away. Eventually after he gets more comfortable around you the fights will lessen, but when they do occur you just give eachother plenty of space before reconciling and trying to work things out. One thing he will not do is leave for a mission without making up with you - if something happened and your relationship was left on a bad note he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄 - how grateful are they in general? are they aware of what their significant other is doing for them?

Bucky is beyond grateful that you are with him and he would reassure you about it constantly. Befriending him alone is a huge task in itself, not everyone has the patience to even do something as simple as that. Taking the time to get to know and understand why he is the way he is without judging him for it is something that he will be forever greatfull for.

𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐘 - do they hide secrets from their significant other? or do they share everything?

As much as he would want to shelter his ominous and dark past from you he knew that wouldn’t be possible with him being a wanted criminal several years ago - he wasn’t exactly famous be he was definitely well known (unfortunately not for the better parts of his life). It would take him some time for him to open up about everything he has gone through, but after some time he will open up about it. It’s nothing against you personally, he just fears that once you know everything you’ll run away from him (which wou wouldn’t of course). He just needs some time.

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - did their significant other change them somehow or the other way around? like trying out new things or helped them overcome problems?

Your relationship has had quite the positive effect on him since the start, and it’s something that his friends would immediately take notice of. Of course you couldn’t solve and help with everything that HYDRA has put him through, but just having you around has done tremendous things for his mood. When Sam notices that he hasn’t said “I hate you” to him in the past week, he knew that something was up.

𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐘 - do they get jealous easily? how do they deal with it?

I think Bucky would be more protective than jealous, but not in a creepy or possessive sense if you get what I am saying? He wouldn’t mind if you spent a lot of time hanging out with friends or anything like that, but if he feels like someone is making you uncomfortable he wouldn’t hesitate to place a reassuring hand around your waist so they’ll back off.

𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒 - are they a good kisser? how was their first kiss? and 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 - how did they confess to their significant other?

He isn’t particular with his kisses in my opinion, as long as they aren’t too sloppy and there aren’t many people around (I’ll discuss this more in the PDA section). I head canon that he really likes giving and receiving cheek and forehead kisses - but he will repeatedly deny it if you mention it to anyone else. (Your first kiss and love confession happened at the same time so I wrote a little Drabble about it below eugh)

Your first kiss took place when you were bordering the fine line between friends and something more. Bucky was taking some time off after a particularly rough mission and you gave him a place to stay away from all of the action. Finding him outside relaxing on a bench not too far from your house/apartment, you joined him and sat in a peaceful silence for a few minutes.

“Hey [Your Name]?” He spoke tentatively, distracting you from picking at the fraying end of your shorts.

“What’s up?” You questioned in turn, raising an eyebrow. Your breath hitched when you felt the coolness of his metal hand gently grab one of yours, and his human one placed itself on top.

“I just want to say thank you.”

“Bucky, you know you’re welcome to stay here anytime you need to-“

“That’s not what I meant.” He cut you off immediately, his voice wavering slightly. “I mean thank you, for accepting me, and not judging me for my past.”

“Of course.” You chirped back, maybe a little too fast.

It sounds cheesy but it did feel as if something was drawing your faces closer, and you eventually placed your free hand on his cheek as if saying a silent “yes”. When his lips finally pressed upon your own you felt an eruption of butterflies fly around your stomach, especially after you felt his arm glide around to your back. Once he pulled away it was hard to keep the smiles plastered off of both of your faces.

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄 - do they want to get married? how would they propose to their significant other?

Marriage wasn’t one of the things he thought that he would be able to enjoy when he was rescued from HYDRA, but I believe after he began his relationship with you he would most likely change his mind. Within the first few months of dating he already knows that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you so why not go ahead and tie the knot? He’d probably wait around a year to ensure that you felt the same before popping the question. I don’t get the “proposing in front of a large crowd of people vibe” from him so I’d probably say he would propose at an at home dinner where it was just the two of you. Most likely on a holiday such as Valentine’s Day or someday that was meaningful for the both of you (like the day you met or when you officially started dating).

𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 - what do they call their significant other?

Other than your name, Dollface or Doll.

𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄 - what are they like in love? is it obvious to others? How do they express their feelings?

Now, I wouldn’t necessarily call him a simp - because that would be disrespectful, but. Other than being reunited with his childhood best friend Steve, you are the best thing that has happened to him. Of course you couldn’t possibly solve all of his problems and erase everything horrible that has happened to him but you sure do help a lot. Sam notices that he is in noticeably brighter spirits and he is also experiencing less nightmares. When a particular mission gets rough or difficult the only thing keeping him going is knowing that you are at home waiting for him.

𝐏𝐃𝐀 - are they upfront about their relationship? do they brag with their significant other in front of others? or are they shy to kiss etc. with other people around?

Similar to Steve, I reckon that he wouldn’t be comfortable with public displays of affection because of the era he was raised in, where it was more frowned upon. Another thing to remember is that even though his name has been cleared he was a wanted criminal for quite some time, so I imagine he is already somewhat self conscious about being in public already. Additionally, the nature of his job caused him to already be a wanted target for many dangerous people, and he wants to keep you away from that by keeping you a secret from the public. This isn’t to say that he would be opposed to hand holding or subtle things such as that, just nothing that what be too attention grabbing from other people.

𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐊 - what random ability do they have that’s beneficial in the relationship?

As kind as he is once you get to know him personally - there is no denying that he can be quite intimidating, even without the vibranium arm. Though not intentional. Being with him is like having your own personal bodyguard around you at all times. Normally, you wouldn’t even have to worry about the potential unwanted admirer because his presence would scare them off before they even attempted to say anything.

𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 - how romantic are they? What would they do to make their significant other happy?

I cannot emphasize this enough, he is the perfect gentleman. Since he is unfortunately gone so often (saving the world and all), I theorize that his love language might be Recieving Gifts. They may not be extravagant or expensive but they’re things he thought you would like from the various locations that he’s visitied for missions. As far as making you happy he’ll do just about anything (within reason of course). Take watching movies for example, there may be a particular genre or type of film he isn’t interested in, but if you want to watch it he’ll oblige because he knows you would do the same for him. Another thing is when he is at home and not busy with missions, he ensures that all of his free time is spent with you.

𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 - are they helping their significant other achieve their goals? do they believe in them?

He may not right off understand everything you want to achieve and why, but he would certainly do everything he can to help you achieve in them. Like I said, he might not actually understand entirely all of your goals, but he will be supportive regardless.

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐋 - do they need to try out new things to spice out their relationship? or do they prefer a specific routine?

Having been basically shut out from the world for the past 70 years, there is a plethora of things that Bucky has not seen yet or tried. Each date you have could mean trying something new, so things rarely ever get boring for with of you. While he doesn’t mind keeping a routine like getting dinner every Friday, its nearly impossible with what he does for a living.

𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 - how much do they know their partner? are they empathetic?

As you do with him, he knows you like the back of his hand. Even though he may not have known you throughout your entire life, I would say knows you on a closer level than most of your friends and relatives (which the exception of your parents and closest friends depending on your on your relationship with them). As stated earlier, he might not understand everything that you might go through but he will surely be empathetic to all of your struggles - as you are with his own.

𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐄 - how important is the relationship to them? what is it’s in it’s comparison to their things in their life?

Your relationship is by far the best thing that has ever happened to him so if something were to happen to it he would certainly be broken up over it, as would you. A lot of your relationship was founded on helping eachother through difficult times going on in both of your lives so the relationship ending would be quite problematic for the both of you. In comparison to other things that are in his life you are most definitely at the very top of that list.

𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃 - a random fluff head canon.

He refuses to let you tie your own shoes when they come loose. It was a subtle thing you noticed even at the beginning of your friendship. One of your laces would come untied and he’d keep insisting that you tie them so you wouldn’t fall and get hurt - until he eventually would just do it himself. It was a subtle gesture but still enough to make you swoon a bit at the kindness of it.

𝐗𝐎𝐗𝐎 - are they affectionate? do they love to kiss and cuddle?

He is indeed affectionate, as long as you are alone and no other people are around. Having said this I feel like having a significant other who is constantly cuddling him might make him uncomfortable, so someone more low key and less touchy would be his vibe. Bucky has spent a lot of his life alone and in isolation, so it would definitely be something that he would get used to at the beginning of your relationship. This doesn’t mean he wont cuddle at all though, he just may not be into it as much as others.

𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 - how will they cope when they are missing their partner?

An unfortunate side effect of dating a superhero is that they’ll be away on missions quite often - you and Bucky’s relationship was no stranger to that. I’d imagine that he would attempt to call and text as much as he could, but of course the majority of the time he would be unavailable. To cope with missing you, he would probably end up talking about it to Sam after a lot of coaxing. While it would indeed help some, what actually kept him going was as I said earlier: knowing that you were at home safe and waiting for him to get back.

𝐙𝐄𝐀𝐋 - what lengths are they will to go for the relationship? if so what kind of lengths?

As I have stated numerous times your relationship is what keeps him going everyday, it’s what wakes him up in the morning. You are the single most important person in his life and always will be. He would do anything within his power to ensure your safety (within the parameters of reason of course). But in general he would do about anything for your relationship.

[ladylynse]

So I was reading your lucifer stuff when idea popped in my mind. What if lucifer and chloe are going on new case, The dead body is 14-15 years old black haired boy.

While they're trying to understand what heppend, Ella (after taking pictures ) walking around the place, searching for clues when suddenly the same dead boy ( but in opposite colors, white hair, green eyes...) showing up in front of her, floating, point at the body and says: "hey! You found my body! Now, can you move so I can please climb back inside?"

(she's the only one who can see him ofc. And lucifer, but he's busy with Chloe)

Honestly, this is a fun idea whether you take the weird episode as canon (ie Ella can see ghosts) or just canon-adjacent (ie the story she's writing with that plot is not drawing on personal experience).

If this is an Ella who regularly sees ghosts, then she'd probably try to shush him and explain--through his protests--that even if she had the power to clear the scene of all personnel, he couldn't just climb back into his body and expect to come back to life. It doesn't work like that. She's sorry, he's dead, and she'll try to help him cope with that somewhere that's not here, but there's no going back, so could he please just wait for her quietly until she can get away from all these people and talk to him in private?

Danny, who is absolutely Done with the whole situation, doesn't think this is terribly different from what happened with the Fenton Ghost Catcher in the past, even if his other half is lying on the ground instead of talking to him. Being dead has never been a big deal to him because he's always been able to go back. It doesn't click for him that maybe Ella's right, that maybe this time, he can't. So what if he has a weird memory gap about what happened? This has Vlad written all over it. He can figure this out.

If this isn't an Ella who is used to seeing things no one else can (since presumably she wouldn't have twigged to Lucifer's reaction if he hasn't actively disengaged from the conversation with Chloe to follow up yet, and perhaps he hasn't even noticed that she can see the ghost, because he'd know Danny was a ghost, and therefore didn't think there was any rush), it would take her longer to realize that no one else is reacting to this, and she wouldn't be able to hide her own reaction. Thankfully, no one else is really paying attention, too focused on the work at hand. But there's this.... Spirit. Ghost. Lost soul. Who hasn't moved on, gone on to what's next.

I mean. Yes. She's heard stories about ghosts. Everyone's heard stories about ghosts. And being the subject of a crime scene isn't exactly the definition of someone being able to rest peacefully. But this would freak her out, be enough to have her clutching her necklace and whispering a few prayers. She knows the biblical stories of people being raised from the dead, knows exactly that that is what this ghost thinks will happen if he just settles back into his body--because it's definitely the same boy, even if death has somehow shifted his colour scheme--and knows that this is a golden opportunity to get some insight as to what happened because she could ask the victim if she could just make her mouth form the words, but this is just....

This isn't supposed to happen to her.

And there's definitely no one here with what she'd call saintly power, no one who could help the boy in a way she can't. (Ella's ignorance as to Lucifer and family would continue for a while longer if I were writing this fic. After all, why should she question it even when she finds out he can see the boy, too? Lucifer made a vague comment about it being a family trait, and honestly, for all she knows, it does. She's not about to introduce a ghost to her family to find out if that's the case with her, too.) But he doesn't look like someone who wants to listen to her say encouraging words about having faith that whatever is coming next for him will be better than what he faced here on earth. He looks like he's five seconds away from flying through her and trying to go back into his body and is only not doing that because there are too many people around, too many questions that would be asked if that same body got up and started walking and talking like he clearly thought it would.

How can she convince him he'll just pass through it now, like he is everything else, without letting him try and face that disappointment? How can she prepare him for that disappointment, to cushion that blow? How are you supposed to tell someone they're dead?

Danny wouldn't be amused, arms crossed, waiting for her to start listening to him because she's the only one he's been able to get a reaction out of so far, even if he's pretty sure he caught someone else's eye earlier, too. That guy is definitely next if she doesn't help, but she looks like she has the certification to be here and Fancy Suit Guy doesn't even if they aren't ushering him away from the scene like they are everyone else, so she'd have more power than him. If only he can convince her to listen.

Sure, it's weird that no one else can see or hear him--he's not invisible, and even if he were invisible, he's not inaudible--but he can figure this out. It's probably not some weird new power; it's gotta be because of how he was split from his body. He doesn't know how that happened, exactly; he wouldn't have spent the last however long searching for his body if he did, and frankly he'd have expected to find himself searching for his other half instead of lying in the middle of a crime scene, but whatever, he'll figure this out and fix it.

(He'd become a little more worried once he realizes that he's apparently intangible even when he wants to be intangible. Which means he can't even contact Jazz to let her know she doesn't have to freak out, let alone put Sam and Tucker on the case to see if any ghosts know what's going on. And, oh, crud, what is he going to have to do to convince Ella to keep them from contacting his parents once they find out his identity? If he shows up at home after being declared dead, they'll try to kill him all over again--probably even if Jazz breaks down and tells them his secret, if only because they might not believe her without some sort of proof.)

Cue Ella working on this case as much unofficially as officially, with Danny's snarky comments and death glares at Lucifer because they somehow got off on the wrong foot. (It is entirely possible that Danny may be under the impression that Lucifer is not an angel but is very much possessed; red eyes are a sign of being overshadowed, after all, and Vlad would find a way to try to control this situation once he realized it had spiralled sideways on him, because of course it's Vlad even if he's not reacting to what should be some very pointed jabs. Who else would pick the guy in the expensive suit and not, y'know, the detective in charge of the case, solely because he's convinced he can manipulate her just as easily without having to overshadow her?)

(more like this | the other DP/Lucifer stuff)

[littledead-ridinghood]

Fanfic ask: "Steph!"

Okay. Okay. So. I don’t currently have anything written for Steph but—

I have this whole, elaborate AU in my head that I always circle back to but don't have enough accumulative knowledge and grasp on characters without feeling bad for writing them.

(side: I love comics, but I'm terrible at reading them. I don't finish arcs, I read three arcs in a day then don't read anything for 2 weeks, I have terrible focus on things I, both, like and dislike to do, and I have a crippling fear of writing characters wrong and filling up their tags with OOC work. So this will not be in actual writing form for a Good While)

Anyway y'all are gonna get this choppy series of images that are constantly getting knocked around my head. there's like four stories going on at once

So the first input focuses on the arrows. I don't know how, but it'll probably be a hurt/comfort Case Fic. I constantly rotate who's at the forefront of the story. Currently, I fixating on Mia which would be so fun cause I could do so much with her. Probably dig into childhood traumas.

But like this ask is specifically about Steph sooooo:

In the background of the first story, Stephanie, having recently faked her death, rather than going to Africa goes off to the west coast to work through life with a healthier support system (looking at you, Bruce) in her growing friendship with Mia that started to blossom before Bruce isolated her. She gives up vigilantism for a while to recuperate and focus on pre-med where she starts rooming with Jason, who ditched Gotham after seeing multiple timelines in the all-caste, rather than holding a huge confrontation, decides it isn't worth it, kills the joker in secret, and relocates his problems to the other side of the country where he's also in pre-med. Jason accidentally becomes the arrows' nurse who stitches them up as the vigilantes keep falling through his window. He builds up a relationship with the arrows therefore the family offers him as a roommate option for Stephanie because I thrive on roomies steph and Jason. Mia pulls Steph back into vigilantism as she needs her help with a case. I think I want an end goal StephMia? Mia got ripped from canon for a good chunk of time and I don't think those two ever interacted but I feel like they'd get on like a house of fire.

So that’s background happening the first story. The second input would focus on Steph healing. She’d have to find a new vigilante name as to not draw attention from prior connects. And this would be the aftermath of the arrow focus fic where we shift to Steph who’s finding confidence in being a vigilante again as well as general self esteem and trust within her new home. Don’t know what the climax will be yet

Third input would focus on jason and him rebuilding his life. As a child, he said he was fine just being Bruce’s son and didn’t need to be a vigilante and I want to build off of that. See how knowing the main timeline effects his trajectory in life, that being a vigilante may bring him more pain. But! climax: Bruce finds out Steph is alive and comes collecting. Jason tries to hide who he is from the man but Bruce needs to dig up everything on every vigilante. All accumulating in Bruce finding out this stranger killed the clown and slitting Jason's throat because even if he knows different timelines Jason's my Final Destination baby and I need Bruce to kill him (he comes back but still :/)

I have so many other little branches off of this story. Both Steph and Jason are trans because why wouldn't they be? During this time period, in canon, lian dies but screw that…..most likely 😬 I want to squeeze in lanterns as well as cosmic mistakes in here. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Maybe I squeeze that before Jason’s focus so he’s stays “hidden” awhile longer? Steph and Jason have two stray cats and a dog. Really want to squeeze in my “odd job” AU but they’ll probably be emts

Again, said this in a different post: I need to read like 50 more arcs before I even Beginning thinking of writing it but i can dream

[5bi5]

Sometimes it pains me to see people being so confident that their gay ships will become canon and being like “Anyone who denies that this is going to be canon is either blind or homophobic!”

Like, people really thought Johnlock was going to be canon back in the day, too, or Destiel – and not in the wishy washy way that it was “made canon” by Cas saying “I love you” because that’s not the same as them being in a relationship, it’s not even technically explicitly romantic. Trobed, MacDennis, Turk/JD, Spangel, Sterek, Stucky, Poe/Finn – there are gay ships for every show, and how much people actually believed they were going to be canon varied, but writers and creators have certainly been aware of this for at least a decade or two.

And it’s not like any of this was completely random or unfounded. There’s this list of points for any gay ship: A) If this were a man and a women instead of two men or two women, everyone would read their story as romantic, and it would definitely be canon. B) The show acknowledges the ship by having other characters, or even the shipped characters themselves, joke about how they’re “basically gay” or “basically dating”. C) The show will often even explicitly compare them to a couple by pairing them with another couple, having them be mistaken for a couple, or having them play out couple-specific tropes, and all of these things, when done with a m/f pairing, are usually used to set them up as the obvious couple of the show. D) The experiences that these characters go through on screen directly mirror the experiences and struggles of many queer people, and if the relationship was canonized, it would help tell an important story.

And people would analyze things, of course, and try and come up with evidence. It’s easy enough to say, “Oh, well Troy being in the closer about dancing is an allegory for him being in the closet about liking men,” or “Mac is the only one who gave Dennis a real Valentine’s Day present because they’re the only pairing with any real romantic chemistry” or “John and Sherlock basically operate as a couple to the point where everyone around them thinks they’re a couple, why would they do that if they didn’t have some feelings for each other?”, and often this will be bolstered by the actors going “Oh yeah, this character absolutely could be gay, I was actually playing them like they were in love”, and then people would believe that their ships had a chance of being real.

But here’s the thing that’s tough to stomach: Cishet people don’t necessarily think about queerness the way that queer people think about queerness. Even if they’re not consciously homophobic, even if they’re actively trying to be allies, queerness will always be an inherent “other” to them, and because of the way that most people were brought up to talk about it, it will most likely always be a joke, even if it’s unintentional. Where you, as a queer person, look at a character and go “Oh, they’re facing the exact same things I did, I relate to them so much, this is a common experience of queer people, this character should be queer,”, a cishet person doesn’t have that experience to draw from. Where you look at a moment between two male characters that’s a pastiche of a romance and go “Well, this is set up like a romance, so therefore it’s probably romantic,”, the creators of that scene might not interpret it that way because to them queer romance isn’t automatically an option. It’s a joke; it’s set up like a romance, but it’s two straight guys, so it’s obviously not a romance. For a queer person, queerness is an inherent part of how they view the world; for a cishet person, it may be something they actively have to think about or be clued into before they can see it.

So when people say things like “Oh, x ship probably isn’t going to become canon,” it’s not because they don’t see the chemistry, or they’re homophobic, or they’re trying to knock you for having ships, or there’s some piece of evidence you haven’t provided them. It’s just that once you’ve seen three or five or ten gay ships get teased for years but only ever as a joke, you stop believing that new characters on new shows are going to have the ending you think they should have. It gets tiring, watching your identity be constantly thrown aside. It’s hard to keep investing yourself in things and being hopeful that, oh, maybe this time, they’ll get it right.

[wolf-and-bard]

Jotastic?! Who suggested Eskel got the spikes on his shoulder? Was it a monster inspiring him? Or did someone suggest? Or did he see this really canon-age-punk kid and got inspired?

Pandawesome! 💕 Because the last one turned out soft, this had to turn out sad, I'm sorry!!! I hope you like it anyway...

cw: angst, mentions of trial-related trauma, (possibly) unrequited feelings

---

Nights You Don't Remember (M, ~1.6k)

Eskel sits alone at breakfast, the other trainees around him merry and joyous as they chat about the upcoming day. He doesn’t have much to add, doesn’t want to do anything else than quietly eat his porridge. He knows the masters worry about him, think he’s behind in his development, but Eskel still needs time to process all this.

Kaer Morhen.

The witchers.

His newfound future.

At six, those concepts seem rather insurmountable.

Eskel sits alone at breakfast until someone slides into the seat opposite him and catches his attention with a wave so that Eskel looks up from his spoon, wary.

"You like crafts, don't you?" the boy says, cocking his head. His hair falls in long strands of orange-red so bright Eskel has a hard time looking at him for long. He doesn’t know the boy’s name even though they are so similar everyone in the keep remarked on it the day Eskel arrived.

"How," Eskel asks, then breaks off and shakes his head. The boy exposes a gap-toothed smile, and presses a lump of rock into Eskel's free hand. It's cool and smooth and Eskel is almost certain there is some metallic component to it. That much he remembers from his father's workshop, how to distinguish ore from plain rock. "How did you figure?" he finally manages.

"I saw you whittle a toy knight from wood and give it to one of the younger pups," the boy says, a little sheepish.

Eskel must know his name. They are in the same cohort, they have been attending the same classes. He's only been at Kaer Morhen for a month or so, but his memory is usually so sharp. Why can’t he remember?

"... I also overheard Master Vesemir ask you about the quality of your practice sword and you seemed to know a lot about that, so I thought... well it might be stupid anyway." Red creeps into the boy's impossibly freckle-speckled cheeks as he looks away, and Eskel's lip twitches.

"What's your name again?"

"Geralt."

"Thank you for this, Geralt, I know just the thing to make with it."

Geralt's head whips back around and his grin bursts anew. He gives the rock in Eskel's hand a pat, then skips away to where Master Rennes is collecting their class for their early history lessons. Eskel lets Geralt's unexpected gift slip into his pocket and gets up to follow him.

---

That night, Geralt and Eskel sneak out of the dormitories to search the sky for shooting stars. They find none, but in the way only young children can form attachments, they have become the best of friends by the next morning. Nothing will ever come between them, Eskel thinks once he's back in bed, the rock cradled close to his chest.

---

Eskel is afraid. He is so fucking afraid of the Trials, for his own life, for Geralt's, for everyone in their cohort. He is also afraid of what will come after, what life will be like. He knows the theory of it, he will make a good witcher his masters say, but reality looms greater than any beast or monster could and Eskel is afraid.

"I have something for you," Geralt says when he approaches Eskel out on the training grounds where he's been sparring with the dummy. It's the evening before.

"Hm?" Eskel puts down his sword and wipes the sweat from his brow. His stomach gapes with hunger, his body burns from all the effort he's been putting it through, just to get his mind off things, his heart is beating way too fast. Something the Trials will remedy, no doubt.

"Here." Geralt holds out his cupped hands which hold a great, grey ball of... rock. The very same rock Eskel still has on his nightstand. Eskel blinks, then bursts into laughter. "Hey, don't laugh at me. It's to help..."

"How is this going to help me survive the Grasses?" Eskel asks, but he takes the rock and he also takes Geralt's hand because he can.

"Well, I just thought... you might need some more. For whenever you decide what to do with it. It could be your activity while you... recover."

"Oh," is all Eskel says and Geralt squeezes his hand.

"Wanna spar?"

"Sure." The rock disappears into Eskel's pocket and they fight until day's first light.

----

Eskel holds the rock clutched tightly to his chest all throughout the Grasses and none of the masters have the heart to take it away from him, not when he starts screaming for Geralt the second they do.

He holds it throughout his recovery and throughout Geralt’s second set of Trials. He holds it until he muscles in his fingers give out and all he can do is lay there and wait.

---

"We made it," Geralt says as he slips into Eskel's bed. His hair is starkly white now, and his eyes burn a fierce yellow. His freckles have faded to invisibility. Eskel can't stand to look at him, can't stand to look at reflective surfaces either. They took away his Geralt, he is sure of it, burned him out of his body and left a bleached shell.

"You made it twice," Eskel murmurs and jumps when something cool is pressed into his palm. He glances down to find that Geralt has placed yet another rock there. The collection is growing. "Why?"

"Because they make you happy."

"Where do you get these anyway?"

They're not like anything Eskel has found in and around Kaer Morhen, nor even near it. He would recognize a proper ore, he is sure of it, even after all this time.

"A secret," Geralt says on a smile and snuggles into Eskel's side. He needs the comfort, the warmth, the affection. Geralt puts on a strong front, but Eskel can see right through it. Two Grasses should have reduced anyone to a lifeless husk and here Geralt is, still bringing Eskel those stones.

Maybe they didn't kill his Geralt after all. Maybe Eskel is the one that got lost.

---

The fourth rock appears magically in Eskel's backpack after his first successful hunt. Not immediately after, but within the week. Eskel treasures that one the most, but he also resents it. If Geralt could drop by to give him the gift, couldn't he have also said hello? Given Eskel a hug?

Eskel's been aware of his budding feelings for his brother-in-arms for a while now. He feels every day spent apart as keenly as a Nekker bite, though these dull with time.

Geralt... doesn't seem to mind so much.

---

Their thirtieth birthday is the last one they celebrate. It's an arbitrary date they picked, way back when, and they always do it together. Always did, anyway. They promise each other - drunk on ale and swaying arm in arm to whatever shanty Lambert and his friends are hollering through the keep's main hall - that they won't need such a stupid thing as birthdays to be grateful for each other's existence. That they'll stop counting the years behind them.

Eskel doesn't want to disregard the past, but he nods along.

"To the next thirty years and whatever lies beyond," Geralt says and slips his hand into Eskel's pocket. When he withdraws, the fabric of his breeches pull down, heavy with whatever Geralt placed in there. "Happy birthday, Eskel." Geralt briefly bumps their foreheads together, then withdraws to chase Lambert away from the ale barrel.

Eskel squeezes his eyes shut and his hands clench into fists, one as it is, one around the object in his pocket.

It's not just the last birthday they celebrate, it is also the last bit of ore Geralt will ever give him.

---

"What are those," Geralt laughs when they part after their mandatory welcome-hug, and points at the spikes that adorn Eskel's jacket. They weren't there last winter, and Eskel wasted an entire month on crafting them, perfecting them. Each one shaped out of the dozen or so rocks Geralt gave him over the years, that last one now half a century past, and Eskel finally decided what to make with them.

Eskel opens his mouth to speak, but Geralt cuts him off before he can.

"These look like something Dandelion would put on his doublet and call it fashion."

Eskel's heart plummets. There are a million things he could say, he could explain, could confess, could... well. It would only make Geralt feel bad, wouldn't it?

"I, uh," he starts, then swallows hard, and Geralt's brow rises. "I did a job for a blacksmith who fancied himself a designer. He... insisted."

"They seem pretty useless to me," Geralt replies, then runs his fingers across them. "But I suppose that is beside the point."

I hate you, Eskel thinks then. I hate you for ever bringing me this damned material, I hate you.

I love you, Eskel thinks also. I love you for the way you used to think of me, I love you.

"At least not as useless as whatever Lambert's got going on," he says and that makes Geralt chuckle. He draws an arm around Eskel's shoulder, carefully avoiding the spikes, and together they make for the keep.

---

Eskel doesn't have the heart to pluck them off again. Not when he spent so much effort making them. He wears them as a reminder, and sheds them only on the day he leaves Kaer Morhen behind for the last time.

[kenrik]

My ships. Eheh. (among several, severalll more)

If you want to read my loonggg crazy shipper rant, keep reading below. XD

While my friends fell in love with the guy anime characters, I fell in love with shipping!! (I can never tell them I’m a crazy shipper! They’ll understand crushing over a character, but not obsessing over getting two fictional characters together!!! HAHAHA) 

I’ve been shipping since I was a kid. The will they, won’t they aspect is just arrhhgghh!!!! Watching FMA 1 - with EdWin, I know they’re canon now. BUT the pain. THE PAIN. Of that first FMA series. You. Don’t. KNOW. HAHAHAH. Then, to see that they’re actually canon in manga; then in FMA Bro. The betrayal! I was in pain for so many years!!! HAHAHA. 

Shipping made me want to learn how to draw. Made me want to learn Japanese. Made me creative. I’m ancient now, doing boring adult things. But I still ship, it’s just become something I do to pass the time HAHAHA!

And still, for over a decade now, it’s the same headache with shipping. So much unnecessary vitriol from people with too much free time on their hands. 

Firstly, who the fuck cares if you ship a gay or straight pairing? Good if canon shows us what their preference is. But, come on! Who are we kidding? You think a Japanese shounen manga will ever make their characters gay??? If you think your enemy is some innocent shipper riding on their own delusions on the internet during their free time, maybe while drinking  their morning coffee before getting stressed with work, omg you may just be the dumbest person alive. HAHAHA. 

Secondly, these poor fem characters!!! The first ship I was ever invested in was 1 x R. And holy cow! The hate on Relena back then. I couldn’t understand it at all. She was annoying sometimes. But, come on! She’s a kid. I thought she was cool honestly. She wasn’t afraid of Heero’s threats. She stood her ground. She fought for peace, for her kingdom. She was so OG. 

Then, I realized that the hate was just really from simps of these bishounens. My brain went haywire then. Like - wtf. 

It never occurred to me that people could go batshit crazy over a fictional male character. >.<”

Shipping is a fun pastime! It’s a bias! Specific to your tastes! You’ll never be wrong or right, because of the million headcanons that could fill up someone’s imagination. So, just ship and let ship. Haha~! 

Do you think I like the thought that in some universe, my ship is actually destined for another??!!!! I. DON’T!!! But, I won’t go bitching about it on your tag and stay in my deluded world hahahah. Unless it’s the Naruto shipping wars. That’s just - it’s just too late for that mess. HAHAHA!

I can’t believe how I would just draw sketches on the back of my scratch papers, as a poor kid. Now, look at me, I bought a tablet with my own money. I’m so proud of myself for not giving up on my dreams. HAHAHA. *pats myself in, you still have a long way ahead of you*

*ends rant in, I just really ranted* 

HAHHAA 

[kim-ruzek]

Something's gone terribly wrong

Summary: Adam's gone missing, and looking at his phone records makes intelligence discover something very interesting. An alternative way for Kim and Adam's relationship could've been found out.

Or; Kim and Adam learn the true meaning of family.

Warnings: alludes to (canon-typical) violence, alludes to sex/talks about sex, Bob Ruzek's A+ parenting, blood mentions, Adam whump.

Word Count: 17.2k words

Read on AO3

Notes: SO. This all started because I got drunk and made drunken notes on fic ideas, and then when I was sober, Cíara convinced me that I Needed to write it. Originally, this was only meant to be a silly, short little thing but it's become so much more. This is basically a love letter to Adam and Kim, and how much they're respected and loved by intelligence.

I hope y'all like it!!! I'm so, so proud of this so I really hope you get some enjoyment out of it! I've only put the first 4k words on here, the rest you'll have to read on AO3. I've linked it here and at the bottom of this post!!!

Alvin Olinsky had known Hank Voight for all of their respective careers, most of their peers knowing that they often come as a package deal. Even IAB, if the fact that when Voight got out of prison with his shiny new promotion he was put in charge of intelligence, a unit that Al had been involved in for two years previous after leaving the gang unit, is anything to go by.

And yet, like so many of their co-workers, Al’s uncanny ability to blend into the walls and make everyone forget about his presence still affects Voight. It shouldn’t, not when they’ve known each other for years, but at least it explains why Al is known as one of the best undercover operatives, if his nature can even trick one of his oldest friends.

“Once Al gets here--,” Voight’s dolling out the day’s instructions, which is no doubt just to keep on working on their long term drug investigation.

“I’m here,” Al interrupts, rolling his chair out to show. Voight looks at him and the two nod at each other, and then Voight goes to continue.

“But,” Al interrupts again. “My partner isn’t.”

Al indicates at the empty chair opposite to him, as if to show evidence. He had noticed that Adam hadn’t arrived yet. It’s unusual, the young, enthusiastic puppy-like man often making his presence known as soon as he gets through the doors. It’s both an insufferable and endearing quality, and makes it painfully obvious when Adam isn’t here.

Before Voight had came out his office, when the unit was just doing their early morning paperwork, Al had double checked the schedule, to make sure that it isn’t Adam’s day off. It isn’t, and so Al shot off a text to the man. Adam doesn’t have the best time management, although he’s never late, but he can drag his feet a bit. Especially since he got with his new girl he thinks Al doesn’t know about—like Al doesn’t notice the boy’s constant texting, his ever-present good mood and, of course, the clear markings of a lover’s meeting when he’s getting changed.

But Adam had neither replied to his message, nor came barrelling into the bullpen with some quick excuse about traffic, as if he thinks Al can’t see the slight stain of lip-gloss on his lips.

Voight frowns at the empty seat, clearly off put by it as well.

“Has he given a reason?” After Al shakes his head in reply, Voight looks to the others in the unit, specifically at Kevin. If someone is going to know, it would be him.

But Kevin didn’t know, and Adam didn’t respond to his texts either.

It’s been a few hours now, and Adam hasn’t stumbled in with any reason or excuse. They started off only a little concerned, with Jay, Erin and Antonio dismissing that there’s any worry, to the unit being in alert mode, deeply concerned. In their jobs, you don’t just go missing, with no word.

They had checked his desk for his UC phone, to see if he had an impromptu meeting or information, but it still sat in his desk draw. They had then pinged his phone, to see his location, but it was either off or destroyed.

They had done everything. They had checked everything, gone to his apartment to see if he’s home, gone to the last location his phone noted and... nothing. Al was getting increasingly worried by the second, as was the unit.

There is a tenseness in the bullpen, a palatable worry between them all. They’re all thinking the same thing, even if no one’s saying it. That they’ve been investigating some dangerous people, that Adam may be an overgrown child sometimes but he’d always call, that the longer it takes to work this out, the more chance of something bad happening.

“We’re looking at this all wrong.” Erin suddenly says. Everyone turns to face her. “We should approach this like we do a criminal. Get his phone records, try to make a timeline of his movements, talk to whoever he’s been in contact with.”

There’s an instant agreement in the room, and they immediately get on that. It feels wrong getting the records of one of their own, to even consider to look at who Adam’s been calling, texting. But it’s necessary, necessary to invade his privacy if they’re to work out where he’s gone.

Unfortunately, the calls don’t reveal much. Apart from the standard calls and messages to the unit, a couple to his dad, most of his calls and texts were to one Kayla, the girl who from context of the texts is the girl he’s seeing.

“This is useless, it tells us nothing,” Al grumbles, not even bothering to keep the frustration out of his voice. Adam is missing, potentially hurt, in danger, and they’re wasting time looking at Adam’s lovey-dovey sickening messages to this girl. It does nothing but make him even more frustrated (and maybe a little hurt that this girl and Adam seem serious, and yet Adam hasn’t mentioned her to him and maybe they’re not as tight as Al thought and if they don’t find him quick, he’ll never get to ask).

“Except that Ruzek’s got a girl he’s been keeping from us.” Jay jokes, and Al fixes him a glare. This is not the time for jokes, even if Al knows Jay is just as worried. The rest of the team seem to appreciate Jay’s attempt at easing the tenseness in the room, Al notes, as he looks around at everyone—even Voight, because the fact that the team still feels like cracking a joke to ease tension means they have hope and in situations like this, hope is good.

All except Kevin, that is. The officer is too engrossed in looking at the messages to hear. He’s frowning, some confusion or questioning look upon his face. Al wonders what’s got his focus, if there’s something about the messages that he’s noticed that every one else has missed. Kevin and Adam are good friends, Al supposes if anyone is going to notice something off, it’s him.

But Kevin doesn’t say anything, merely shaking his head and looking away from the messages and back at the team, awaiting someone to suggest their next move. They’re not waiting long, as almost right after, Antonio speaks.

“Let’s call this Kayla. If something is up with the boyfriend, the girlfriend usually knows.” Antonio suggests. It’s a good idea, and Al kicks himself, thinking that he really should’ve thought of it first. Maybe because the thought of talking to this girl hurts something inside him, because she’s someone Adam didn’t want Al to meet. But he needs to stop thinking like that, stop getting caught up in respect and care, because that’s wasting potentially precious moments of Adam’s life.

“Good idea. We’ll put it on loudspeaker, but Atwater, you talk to this girl. We don’t want to alarm her too much,” Voight commands.

The few seconds it takes to ring feels like the longest seconds of Al’s life. This could be a lead, something that tells them where in the world Adam is, confirming that he hasn’t just dropped off the face of the earth. Al’s feeling some hope, some optimism that maybe they’ll know where Adam is before lunch but then the phone goes to voicemail.

“Please leave a message, I’ll call you back when I can!”

Al feels defeated, as does everyone else by the looks of his unit’s face. It’s just the girl’s voicemail, they can try again, it’s not the end of the world. But it feels like it. Voight’s rubbing his forehead, seeming as frustrated as Al is. It’s silent in the bullpen—but only for a second because then someone, Kevin, is talking.

“There’s our lead, that’s Burgess.”

Kim can’t count how many times she’s seen Platt and immediately wanted to hide, to run, to let the floor swallow her whole. Her Sargent rides you hard, and it’s worth it, but by gods is she terrifying. And if you’ve crossed her, hell would be a safer place. But as Roman and her enter the 21st and Kim sees the formidable desk Sargent, all she feels is relief—because finally, finally, she can get some reprieve from Roman bitching about intelligence.

It has been non-stop since they got the call over the radio to come back to the district, that they’re needed by intelligence. Roman has very clearly made his feelings known about being at the call to the unit, many, many times. Kim’s not sure what’s his problem, if it’s because he has an inferiority complex or superiority complex, or that he has no aim to get into an elite unit such as that but can’t help but resent those who do. But what she is sure of is that if she has to hear his repetitive grumbling thoughts about it again, she might just shoot him. It’s beginning to get to the point that Kim dreads Intelligence deciding to use them, no matter how fun, because it means she’ll have to endure the rant.

Although having to suffer through it might just be worth it if it means her name is being mentioned up there, and to get to see Adam before their evening plans. To get to exchange a subtle look at him, telling him silently just how much she misses him, wants to be with him. To get to have him give her a look, a look of comfort that her being there means she’s had to endure the rant.

Of course, that’s not a reason she’s in any hurry to tell Voight as a reason she likes when he uses them. After all, the reason she’s not up there is because of his archaic rule about in-house dating.

“We’re needed?” Kim gets to Platt’s desk in record time. She thinks she sees a slight smile appear on the desk Sargent’s face at Kim practically rushing to the desk, leaving Roman behind so he had to catch up quickly, but it’s gone before it’s there, and Kim dismisses it, thinking she must be imagining it.

“Yeah. Well you are, but you can take up your partner. You might need it, moral support or whatever.” Platt tells her. Kim opens her mouth, about to protest against the assumption that she’s weak and needs support—especially from an ass like Roman—but Platt silences her before she can, her expression softening ever so slightly as she does so.

“Zip it, Burgess, it’s not a comment on you as a cop. They need you because...Ruzek didn’t sign into work today and they think you might be able to shine some light on the situation.” Platt says, but Kim barely hears the words. How did Adam not sign in, when this morning they were very much headed into work together? He was talking about his paperwork, for god’s sake!

“What more can she tell them that one of them doesn��t know?” Roman chimes in then, complaining. Kim near punches him, having even less patience for him now her mind is reeling with concern for Adam. Platt fixes him a look before looking back at Kim. She leans forward slightly, looking at Kim with concern.

“I believe they looked at his texts. And came to the conclusion that you will know.” Platt softly tells her, before fixing her a very pointed look. It takes Kim a second to realise what she’s on about, but once she does, realising that oh god Voight knows they’re dating, Kim turns a shade of red. Then frowns, because Platt doesn’t seem at all phased. And then she’s blushing even darker because oh god has Platt known all this time?

“Now, go.” Kim has barely any time to process this before Platt is shooing them away, reminding them that upstairs needs them.

Kim walks up the stairs in a daze, barely hearing Roman’s complaining and questions, and the door buzzing as Platt buzzes them in. So much has been put on her, she’s unsure what she should be more shocked at. That Adam’s missing, possibly in danger, or that apparently they haven’t been as careful as she thought, or that Voight knows, everyone knows. And that they know that they’ve been texting under false names.

There’s always a feeling of awkwardness Kim gets when she walks up the stairs and arrives at the bullpen. The unit is elite, and so close and tight, their cases usually having a need to know status, and coming up to that, interrupting that, it can feel very much like you’ve stumbled into a forbidden place, somewhere you don’t belong. And it’s only amplified by Kim really, really wanting to belong.

But nothing has ever felt as awkward as this.

Everyone turns to look at her as soon as she gets up the stairs. The slight mumblings between them falling silent and it feels like one of those dreams where you’re naked, feeling as if everyone can see right through her. Because they all know now, they all know that Adam are her are seeing each other, that they’re being secretive about it, and they’ve read their messages and Kim doesn’t know how much but she knows one of their last messages was their thinly veiled sexting and oh god, what if they’ve read her messages about what she wanted to do to Adam last night—the thing she did do.

Voight’s expression is unreadable, as usual, but Kim doesn’t need to be able to read it to know what he’s thinking. Probably right now there’s just concern for his MIA officer, but after they locate Adam, it’s going to be thoughts about how now Kim will never make it into intelligence. That he might be feeling disappointed in her, because instead of proving she’s serious, she’s just gone and dated Adam on the down low. Never mind that his rule shouldn’t exist or have any impact on his decisions about his officers, but it’s his right to make whatever rule and now Kim’s proven she’s not intelligence material according to those rules.

Halstead is giving her an almost pitying look, with some interest, like he’s wondering how and why it started. Lindsay’s also giving her a sympathetic look, likewise Antonio and not for the first time, Kim feels glad for their presences, it making her feel more at ease.

Kim doesn’t even want to dissect the look that Olinsky’s giving her. And Kevin, oh Kevin. Kim knows exactly what Kevin is thinking just with one glance at his expression. They were partners and they’re best friends; Kim can read him like an open book.

There’s the same worry for Adam as the rest, and he’s also looking at her differently with this new piece of information. But not like the others, because Kevin isn’t just another member of intelligence, he’s he best friend, Adam’s best friend, and they kept this from him. There’s curiosity, questions, a look that tells Kim with no uncertainty that after this is done, after Adam is found, they’re going to have a talk.

“Platt briefed you?” Voight asks. He’s a man of little words, but Kim can’t help but feel like he’s choosing as little words as possible because he, too, is feeling awkward. After all, how do you tell your teammate’s girlfriend her boyfriend is missing, when she’s your colleague and you didn’t know they were together.

Kim manages to nod in answer, wishing so desperately that Adam was here, so she could catch his eye, so she could have him give her a slight, reassuring nod that would immediately put her ease and fill her with confidence. If course, if Adam was here, then this wouldn’t be happening.

“Did Ruzek say anything to you? Tell you where he’d be going?” Voight then asks, and Kim has to take a deep breathe to calm herself before answering. Because the answer isn’t an optimistic one, because the answer makes her worried, because Adam should be here.

“All he was talking about was work. He was going here, we were headed to work together.” Kim tells him, trying to not let her mind spiral with what could’ve happened. From beside her, Roman looks at her, as if piecing together exactly why Kim might know more.

“So you saw him this morning?” Al interjects and Kim blushes as she realises the implications of her words. There’s nothing wrong about it, but Kim isn’t prepared to have to talk about the domesticities of Adam and her lives yet. Kim has barely nodded before Al is speaking again.

“You said you were headed in to work together? So he was here, at the district.” At Al’s question, Kim cringes slightly, that she has to explain their routine.

“I don’t know. We take our own cars most of the time. But... Uh, sometimes we park before getting here to, uh, just say goodbye one more time, and he usually gets here first, but he wasn’t there today. So I just assumed that you got a case so he couldn’t hang around.” If the floor could just open up, that would be great, Kim thinks as she speaks. Never did she think that she’d be having to tell them about Adam and her’s sneaky secret kisses.

Kim thinks Al is about to ask her something else, but Voight steps forward, interrupting him before he can.

“Come on, let’s take this to the interrogation room, for privacy. This is a conversation to be done sat down.” Voight tells her, indicating for her to go down the hall. It’s a nice gesture, and Kim appreciates it, but there’s a part of her that feels like because he’s treating her with care that definitely means this is the final nail in the coffin, that this means she’ll never make intelligence.

Although if that’s the price to pay for Adam to be okay, Kim thinks that’d make it easier to swallow. Adam is the man she loves, a word they told each other a couple months ago, and she couldn’t bare it if he’s not okay.

“If you can, take us through the morning. It’ll be helpful, to establish Ruzek’s mind-set.” Voight asks once they’re sat in the interrogation room. Kim would rather do literally anything else, but she understands that she needs to.

“It was pretty normal. We woke up, got ready for work, had breakfast. We talked about our plans over breakfast—that’s when he was talking about doing his paperwork—and then we were leaving. Nothing was off or wrong, it was just normal.” She wishes something was wrong, so that she could be more help. So they could find him.

“There must be something. Look deeper, go through the morning stage by stage. Break it down. What was his mood like? Was he distracted?” Al asks—or demanded might be a better description. Kim can see the worry, plain and unconcealed on his face. Adam is like a son to him, and she knows how much Adam looks up to him like a father as well, and Kim thinks that he might just be the only other person who gets the spine-chilling fear of Adam being AWOL. The others are worried, of course, but the thought of even a hair of Adam’s being messed in some way is a stomach churning thought.

“His mood was fine. Normal. He wasn’t distracted or anything. If he was, I would’ve asked but he was fine. We were making evening plans and everything!” Kim feels almost as if the room is closing in on her, feeling useless. What kind of girlfriend is she?

“I’m sorry I’m no help,” Kim apologizes, feeling bad. And feeling worse when Voight gives her one of his rare sympathetic and soft looks.

“There’s got to be something. Break down the morning into the times. What time did you get up, leave. Burgess, think.” Al persists. Kim would feel annoyed that he’s doubting her, but she can hear how worried he is, see it. Al has taken off his beanie, looking so drawn and concerned.

“Our alarm went off at six. At around seven, maybe quarter to, we were getting ready. Breakfast was at like, half past. And we were leaving before eight. He was fine throughout the morning, happy. His normal self?” Kim explains. To say Adam was happy would be an understatement, he was full of energy, barely unable to keep his hands off her all morning. Not that she’s going to say that to them.

“How could it go from that to him not turning up to work?” Al vents, and Voight rests a hand on his shoulder. Al turns back to look at her.

“It took you nearly an hour to get out of bed. Why?” He asks, and Kim blushes instinctively, as she remembers the passionate love-making Adam and her had this morning. Subconsciously, her hand goes to rest on her collarbone where, under the fabric of her uniform, is the deep mark Adam left on her.

“We were, uh, having a lazy morning.” Kim answers, wishing ever so much that Adam would just turn up so that this conversation could end. She doesn’t blame Al for not realising why two young lovers might take so long to get out of bed, he’s stressed, but she wishes she didn’t have to expand on it. She watches his face, waiting for the awkward realisation of why occurring to him, but it doesn’t come.

“Lazy? That boy has never been immobile a day in his life. Was he okay? You said he was fine, but why was he being lazy. Was he tired, distracted, upset? Could he have been lethargic, maybe he was drugged?” Al demands and Kim thinks that she must be the colour of a tomato because oh god she’s going to have to spell this out.

“He wasn’t drugged, I’m sure of that.” She says, emphasising her words, hoping to get through Al’s stress. Please, please don’t let her have to tell Adam’s surrogate father that they were having sex.

“How do you know? Burgess, if there’s any chance—” Apparently, this is happening.

“Al, I know because we were having sex, and trust me, he could not do what he did if he was drugged.” Kim’s voice is firm, as she spells it out explicitly, and she’s amazed that it is, that she sounds so strong and sure instead of like a nervous teenager being caught in the act, like she was so certain age would be.

“Oh.” She watches him process her words, everything she was getting at finally dawning onto him. If she’s not mistaken, Al looks as if he’s turning slightly red himself, and he shifts awkwardly. Kim can’t help but feel slight satisfaction in making him feel as awkward as she does—even if, preferably, none of them would’ve had to endure this.

“I think.. I’m going.” Al uncharacteristically stumbles over his words, not wasting any time getting out of the room. Kim wonders if he’ll be ever able to look at her ever again.

“Thank you, I know that wasn’t easy. But now we know something must’ve happened on Ruzek’s way to work.” Voight stands up himself, signalling that this conversation is over. Kim feels relief, briefly, as it’s then quickly overtaken by her worry for Adam.

And before she knows it, she’s blurting out words. “I want to help you. Find him. Please, he’s... I need to help.”

She has no right asking this. But she couldn’t stop herself, knowing that she can’t just go back to patrol and act as if everything is okay. Because it’s not okay, because Adam’s not okay, which means her world isn’t okay. Voight looks thoughtfully at her.

“Okay.” He says simply, and Kim blinks, shocked.

“Really?” She can barely believe it.

“I was going to offer. You should be involved—and I think you might add a needed and different perspective. You know how he thinks.” Voight says, before he exits the room, leaving her kind reeling. What does that mean exactly, and does this mean...does this mean she’s still got a chance?

Kim leaves the room shortly after Voight. The rest of the unit was walking out the observation room and Kim realises that they all followed them, and listened on to the conversation. It makes sense, because what if Kim had said something of use, but she cringes at the thought of them all hearing what she said.

She catches Roman’s eye first, seeing how his expression is stony, that he clearly has some strong opinions on this, like he does with everything. He looks almost disappointed in her, like he respects her less, and it infuriates her because how dare he judge her, when he didn’t want a woman partner? But she’s too worried to focus on her petty anger, so she looks away from him, not having the energy or mental capacity to give him any time of day right now.

As Kim shifts her eyes away from Roman, she locks onto Kevin. There’s a feeling of comfort for a second. Kevin is one of the only people in the world that she trusts with her whole heart, and he makes her feel safe and she feels so unsure right now. But then her mind catches up, and age realises that he’s exiting the observation room which means he was listening in which means that oh god he heard her talk about having sex with Adam.

And from the look of the way he seems very uncomfortable, he most definitely did hear that. Their eye contact only lasts for a second until they’re both very quickly looking away, unable to look at each other straight. Kevin is like her brother, and she his sister, and no one wants to hear about their siblings’ sex life—especially with their best friend.

continue on ao3

[noladyme]

La Cuervo - Chapter 11

She is used to the biker-life, having grown into a woman in the familiar embrace of SAMCRO. A bad decision and a gun-shot later, she gets whisked off to Santo Padre, and put under the protection of another club. What is supposed to be a short stint in the Mayan headquarters just north of the border to Mexico, turns into something more; when la quervo begins to develop feelings for el angel - and he seems to return them in kind...

TW: violence, blood, drug use, alcohol, smut, fluff, angst

In the spirit of "The Crown Princess of Charming", this is a story about O.C. Nina and Angel Reyes. It is obviously non-canon, as characters who have passed on on Mayans M.C. are present in it, and others have been excluded completely. Nina is written as a cis-female, but I have tried to keep her race and looks as ambigous as possible. Should you find any of this story offensive, please let me know.

Nina was seated at the table in Felipe’s small kitchen, having been brought there by EZ a few hours earlier. The sun was setting outside, and she was looking at the orange sky, becoming red, and then dark blue.

“You haven’t touched your food…”.

“Huh?”. She was deep in thought, and almost knocked her glass of lemonade over, when Felipe spoke. Managing to stop it from falling, she took a sip. “Sorry”.

Felipe got up, and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a can of beer. He opened it, and set it down in front of her.

“Looks like you need this”, he smiled. Nina took a welcome sip of the beer, and smiled at Felipe.

“Thanks…”.

She went back to poking at her food. It smelled delicious, and she forced herself to take a bite.

“EZ wouldn’t tell me what’s going on, but I’m guessing it’s not good”, Felipe said. Nina tentatively met his eyes. “Are you in trouble?”.

“I’m… I don’t know”, she replied.

“Pregnant?”.

Nina’s eyes widened.

“What? Fuck no!”. She took a big gulp of the beer. “Sorry…”, she added, embarrassed at using profanities in front of the man.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked”, Felipe said, looking down at his hands.

There was a long moment of silence.

“You seem almost disappointed at my answer”, Nina muttered. Felipe blew out a short laugh.

“Maybe it would get my son to settle down… And you’re not the worst choice of nuera…”.

“I don’t think we’re quite there yet”, Nina replied. Felipe shrugged.

“I don’t know… I saw how Angel looked at you yesterday. He cares about you”.

“Yeah…”, Nina breathed. She knew Angel cared; but she knew how the life was. His club came first, and she was quite sure that same club was getting ready to ship her back home to Charming.

EZ stepped into the kitchen with his phone in hand.

“They finished at the table. Angel’s on his way”. Felipe got up to get a plate from one of the cabinets; obviously aware of the state of the fridge in his eldest son’s house. EZ placed a gentle hand on Nina’s shoulder. “Are you ok?”.

“I guess I don’t know yet”, she said. “Do you think they’ll make me leave?”, she added, almost in a whisper.

EZ didn’t reply, seemingly unsure what to answer. He sighed, and went to grab a beer for himself.

Unable to stomach even a bite more of the food, Nina pushed away her plate.

“Do you mind if I smoke?”, she asked Felipe.

“Yeah, he doesn’t…”, EZ began, but stopped when Felipe placed an ashtray in front of her.

“Go ahead”, the elder Reyes said with a soft smile. EZ looked confusedly between the two, but ultimately shook his head, and settled in a chair.

Nina took deep draws of her cigarette, and stared straight ahead of her. If the Mayans wanted her gone, she still had a home in Charming; but as it was, the thought of leaving was extremely painful. Whatever Angel and she had, was something real and beyond what she’d felt for any other person. She didn’t want to go, but at the same time the thought of Angel backing the MC in the decision made her think it might be for the best.

She wiped away a stray tear, and Felipe handed her a napkin.

“Like I said, I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I think it requires something stronger than beer”, he said, and moved into the living room.

“Oh no. Pap is bringing out the mezcal”, EZ said.

“Why oh no?”, Nina asked.

“If you thought the Ferris wheel story was bad…”. EZ looked terrified. Nina finally let a smile reach her lips.

“Can’t wait”, she said.

A short while later, they were on their third shot of mezcal and laughing, when Angel walked into the kitchen. He took one look at Nina’s cigarette and the liquor, and frowned in confusion.

“Is this a party?”, he asked. Felipe got up and gave his son a half hug.

“Let me get your plate”, he said.

“Sorry, pap. We gotta go”, Angel replied. The mezcal had gone a bit to Nina’s head, and she scowled at the biker.

“Sit your ass down and eat your father’s cooking. Taking me back to Charming can wait 20 minutes”, she grumbled.

Angel looked at her confusedly, and took the plate Felipe handed him, before pulling up a chair to the small table. EZ poured him a shot.

Felipe sat down again.

“Where was I…? Oh, right. So, we’d let Angel be in charge of filling the piñata for EZ’s birthday, but he’d gone into the wrong section of the drug-store…”. Angel groaned.

“Nah… Not this, pap. Please…”, he pleaded.

“You think I want to hear this story again?”, EZ said. Felipe waved their objections away with a dismissive gesture, and continued.

“He picked the most colorfully wrapped things he could find, and filled it before Marisol and I could see what he’d gotten. I got this, pap; he insisted… Come the party, Ezekiel is banging away at the poor piñata, and breaks it open…”. He halted to laugh to himself for a moment. “And a shower of condoms rains over him”. Nina had to hold her belly from laughing.

“I thought it was candy!”, Angel exclaimed.

“Sure you did”, EZ said disbelievingly.

“I was 12…”, Angel said. Felipe chuckled at his sons bantering.

Angel downed his shot, and began shoveling food into his mouth, while Felipe and EZ went to do the dishes. Felipe resolutely declined Nina’s help, and poured her another drink to keep her seated.

While the eldest and the youngest Reyes got on with getting the kitchen back in order, Angel finished his meal; his eyes on Nina the whole time. She did her best to avoid meeting his gaze, once again feeling the pain of their impending goodbye. He handed his plate to EZ, and got up; reaching out his hand to her.

“Let’s go…”, he said. She took it, and sighed deeply.

Felipe wiped his hands, and came over to her, pulling her in to a tight hug.

“Take care, mija”, he said, and kissed her cheek. He patted Angel’s shoulder, and Angel nodded at EZ, before he led Nina out of the house, towards his bike in the driveway.

“I just need my stuff at your place”, she rasped.

“Why?”, Angel asked.

“Because I’m not going back north without my shit”, she hissed.

Angel frowned at her, once again sporting the deep furrow between his eyebrows.

“Nina…”.

She let out a flustered groan and stomped over to the bike.

“Let’s go!”, she said. When Angel didn’t move, she walked back towards him, and pulled at his cut. “Take me the fuck back to SAMCRO. Let’s get this over with!”.

“You’re drunk, cuervo”, he sighed.

“Yeah… So?”, Nina said.

“Ma’, the only place you’re going is home to sleep it off”, Angel said calmly.

“Yeah, like I said. Take me back to Charming”.

“No. Back home to mine”. Nina tilted her head confusedly. He grabbed her arm and led her over to the bike. “Can you ride?”.

“Yeah…?”, she muttered. “But…”.

“Not here”. He grabbed her helmet from EZ’s bike, and put it on her head, snapping it shut under her chin, before getting on the bike. Nina simply stood, open mouthed and wide-eyed. “Come on! Jesus… Look, I’m not taking you back north; but we do have something we need to talk about. When you’re sober”.

Nina clambered on behind him, and Angel drove them off into the night.

---

The smell of coffee woke her up. She opened her eyes and saw Angel setting down a mug on the bedside table, next to a glass of water and a bottle of Advil. He was topless and sweating, and it looked like he’d been working out. Turning her head, she found she was right in thinking so, when she saw that his barbells had been moved around.

“How’s the head, cuervo?”, he muttered, and sat down on the edge of the bed. He pushed a lock of hair out of her face, and stroked her cheek.

“Fine…”, she lied. Angel took two pills from the bottle, and held them out to her.

“Here…”. Nina frowned and shook her head. Angel scowled at her, and straddled her waist; sitting over her hips. He picked up the glass, and held the pills to her lips. “Open… Don’t make me hold your nose, little miss lightweight”. Nina sighed, and held out her tongue to accept the pills, before taking the glass, and chugging it.

“Happy?”, she grunted.

Angel took the glass, set it back on the table, and kissed her forehead.

“Good girl. Now are you gonna tell me what that was about last night?”.

Nina shifted underneath him.

“Are you going to get off me? Maybe put on a shirt?”.

“Nah. It’s easier to talk to you like this. It makes you less smart”, Angel grinned, and flexed his pectorals.

“Yeah. Your sexy body makes me stupid…”, Nina scoffed, and pushed at his chest; trying her best not to show how stupid she was in fact feeling. “I gotta pee”.

Angel got off her, and let her get out of the bed. She walked into the bathroom without looking at him.

While she was washing her hands, she noticed Angel had set up her toothbrush next to his own. An overwhelming sensation of warm joy and ice-cold embarrassment washed over her. She picked up the toothbrush, and stormed out of the bathroom; straight into the arms of Angel, who’d been waiting for her by the door. She threw her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his chest.

“I’m sorry”, she whispered.

“For what?”, he chuckled.

“For being an idiot… and drunk… and throwing up in the bushes before we made it inside last night”.

Angel laughed, his chest rumbling against her ear.

“Yeah, that was a different kind of fertilizer than I usually use”.

Nina tilted her face to look at him.

“I thought you were… that the club would vote to send me away”. Angel grinned and stroked her temple.

“You think I’d let them do that? Fuck no. You’re mine, and you belong here”. Nina smiled, and went to kiss him, when Angel pulled back, grabbed the hand she was holding the toothbrush in, and held it in front of her. “Your breath stinks, ma’. Use this, and then I’ll kiss you all you want”.

She almost ran into the bathroom, and thoroughly brushed her teeth, before putting the toothbrush back next to Angel’s. Once back in the bedroom, Angel smilingly pulled her into his arms, and kissed her greedily. They were all tongues and groping hands, when suddenly he pulled back, and looked somber.

“We need to talk”, he said. Nina sighed.

“I have a feeling I‘m gonna need that coffee now”.

Angel put on a beater, grabbed her mug for her, and led her into the living room to sit on the couch.

“There’s a snitch in the clubhouse…”, he began.

In spite of not being surprised, Nina let out an exasperated sigh.

“Do you know who it is?”, she asked. Angel nodded.

“We think it’s Daniella. You saw how she was all over Sala at the party. She was there when they were talking about the inhaler, and EZ told Bish that she saw you use it in the trailer. Then Creeper had Camille in there…”.

“So it was my fault…”, Nina croaked. Angel grabbed her hand.

“No, Nina. That’s not on you”. He kissed her knuckles. “But we need to find out how deep in with them she is. What she’s been telling them. You know I can't tell you too much about club business; but... this isn't the first time Palo has made moves on our territory”.

“She only just met them that night…”, Nina began.

“Did she though? What about that stuff in the alley? That’s what brought the Vatos to San Pad”.

“She wasn’t there, Angel…”.

“No, but someone might have told her. This isn’t a big town, word travels…”, he said. “And why are you defending her? That bitch is…”.

“Someone you used to sleep with”, Nina said. Angel looked down and didn’t reply. “You did, and you don’t have to pretend you didn’t… Look, I don’t like her, but…”.

“You’re gonna like her even less in a minute”, Angel cut her off.

Nina took a deep sip of her coffee, and lit a cigarette.

“Tell me”.

Angel got on his feet, and began pacing the floor.

“This wasn’t my idea, you gotta know that, querida”.

Nina was growing more and more anxious.

“Just… talk”, she demanded.

Angel sighed.

“We gotta split up…”.

Nina shook her head, and blinked in confusion.

“We… what?”, she snarled. “One second you’re telling me you’re not letting me go. The next…”.

“It’s not for real, though. Just like an act”, Angel said. “I need to let Daniella think we’re done”.

Nina scoffed, and stubbed her cigarette angrily.

“With your dick”, she growled, and got up to stand. Angel looked almost desperate, trying to explain himself.

“No, I just gotta let her think I want to hang with her again. Spend some time with her; get her to talk. We need to know how much she’s been sharing with the Vatos…”.

“Fuck that! I’m not gonna sit in this house, while you let her rub her infected cunt all over the back of your bike!”.

Angel cleared his throat, and looked away; seemingly very uncomfortable at meeting her eyes.

“You won’t be here… You gotta go back to the trailer”. It felt like a, explosion in Nina’s head, and white, hot rage spread through her body. “You need to go back on lockdown, so the club can protect you. And, so it looks like we’re really over”.

Nina stormed into the bedroom, trying to get away from him.

“Shove it up your ass, Angel!”, she roared. She picked up a pillow from the bed and threw it at him as he stood in the doorway. “You want me to stay at that clubhouse and watch you two… hang? Fuck you!”.

Not thinking, she kicked at a barbell. A burning, blunt pain spread through her toes, and she instantly fell to the floor; holding her foot. Angel rushed over to look at the damage.

“Querida…”.

“Don’t!”, Nina hissed, tears streaming from her eyes. “Don’t fucking queridame… Fuck that hurt…”.

Angel sighed, and scooped her into his arms, to place her on the bed; before leaving the room. He came back a moment later, with a bag of frozen peas covered in a dishtowel. She tried to push it away, but he manhandled her hands away, and put the pack on her foot. He checked her toes.

“You didn’t break anything…”, he muttered.

Nina watched him gently put the pillow she’d thrown at him under her foot, to elevate it.

“I hate you right now”, she croaked. He met her eyes with a sad expression.

“I know… I might even deserve it”, he said. “Maybe I could have said or done something; come up with a better plan… But I’m not that smart. This was the only plan that made sense when we were at the table. I don’t know how else to get Daniella to talk”.

“Whose idea was it?”, Nina sniveled. He frowned slightly.

“I don’t think…”.

“Was it Bishop?”. Angel’s silence confirmed her suspicion. “Shit… Of course, it was. And here I thought he was beginning to like me”.

Angel gently began moving her toes back and forth. It tickled a bit, but Nina didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her smile.

“He does… This is for you as well”, he said. Nina scoffed and shook her head. “We need to find out if the Vatos are coming for you, and maybe…”. He didn’t finish his sentence.

“Maybe, what?”, Nina said. He looked at her reluctantly.

“Maybe, if I keep her happy, she’ll lose interest in hurting you, and she won’t tell them who you are”.

Nina scoffed, and drew her lips back in a sneer.

“Maybe you should just take me back to Charming. Keep me out of sight”, she said.

“We have to make her think we don’t know we’ve been made, by hiding you away”, Angel said.

He scooted closer to her, and lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles.

“I hate this as much as you do. I don’t want you sleeping anywhere else than next to me… This…”. He pointed between them. “This is right. I don’t want no one else”.

Nina let him put his forehead against hers.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this, Angel…”, she said.

Angel pulled back and stared deep into her eyes; and seemed to make a decision.

“Te amo, cuervo… I know it’s still early, but I fucking do”. Nina gasped, and parted her lips to speak, but couldn’t find the words. “You don’t gotta say anything. But I needed you to know that”.

She wanted to reply, but couldn’t find the words to describe what she felt about him in that moment. She was hurt, and so very angry; but her heart also fluttered at his words.

In the end she sighed, and closed her eyes.

“When are you gonna…”. She couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Tonight…”, Angel said. “I just gotta make a call. Get her to the clubhouse”. Nina nodded.

“Do it… Just, please go into the kitchen. I don’t wanna hear it”. He nodded shortly, and left the room.

She went to pack her bag. The house wasn’t so big that she couldn’t hear Angel on the phone; and she clenched her fists as she listened to him speak.

“Hey, baby… Yeah, I know… Look, I was thinking you could come by the clubhouse tonight. We could catch up… Nah, that’s over… I’m telling her tonight…”. He laughed a little. The sound made Nina want to break something, but she stayed quiet. “You looked hot yesterday… Yes, really. Fuck, Dani; you got me all worked up, when you… Yeah, ok. See you then”.

He moved back through the living room, and Nina pretended to ignore him as he entered the bedroom. She had to wipe away a tear, when Angel handed her her toothbrush.

“I’m sorry”, he muttered. Without another word, he pressed his lips against hers. Knowing she would probably regret it, she didn’t reciprocate the kiss; she simply didn’t have it in her.

They drove back to the clubhouse, Nina holding on to him harder than necessary. Angel didn’t once complain.

---

As plans went, Nina knew that Bishop’s was probably the best for their situation. That didn’t change the fact that she felt the urge to slap him across his face when she saw him on the porch of the clubhouse. He looked grave, but didn’t speak.

Angel squeezed her hand after she got off his bike, but she avoided being pulled into his arms; just turned her back to him, and walked back to the trailer.

She picked the .38 out of her bag, and sat for a long time on the cot; just holding it in her hand and looking at it. She was drained emotionally and physically, and so very tired. After a while, she put it down on the table, put her inhaler next to it, and laid down; falling into an almost comatose sleep.

It was dark outside, when a gentle hand shook her awake. EZ was standing over her with a solemn expression.

“Bishop told me to… Daniella is arriving in a few”.

Nina nodded, and sat up. She rubbed her eyes, and blew out a deep breath.

“Do you know what we have to do?”, she asked. EZ nodded.

“Angel filled me in. He’s not happy about it… There’s a dent in the table at his seat in templo, from where he stuck his knife in it”. A smile ghosted his face. Nina shrugged, and got up to stand. “This is going to suck, but if you need to talk to someone…”, EZ said.

“I know… Thank you”. She tried, and failed, to smile at him; then left the trailer, to get dumped by the man who claimed her loved her.

Angel was seated by the bar, drinking a beer with Gilly. He met her eyes for a short moment, but looked down at his drink quickly. The rest of the charter was spread throughout the room, chatting to hangarounds and each other; and doing their best to avoid eye-contact with her. Only Bishop came up to her as she entered.

“Nina, I know this is…”.

“Don’t… talk to me right now”, Nina said, trying to keep her voice even. “I can’t promise I won’t attack you with a broken beer bottle if you do”.

“That fair”, Bishop said. “But when you’re ready, I’ll be here to let you slap me around… I’d prefer without the broken beer bottle”.

Nina nodded shortly, and went behind the bar. She picked up a rag, and began wiping down the counter.

A few moments later, Coco came through the back door, and nodded at Angel. Nina watched as his face fell, and he met her eyes. His were pained, probably reflecting her own; and it was all she could do to keep from throwing herself into his arms.

Nina blew out a deep breath, as the door opened, and Daniella walked in. Angel’s face immediately grew indifferent.

“Sorry, I got other plans, ma’”, he said to Nina. He turned around and looked at Daniella. “And here they are now. How are you doing, baby?”. He smirked, and went over to hug the blonde tightly. Daniella gave Nina a smug smile over Angel’s shoulder.

Nina couldn’t help but gasp at the sight.

“Angel…”, she croaked. Angel led Daniella over to the bar, and looked at Nina like she was a complete stranger.

“Yeah, we’re gonna need a… screwdriver, right?”, he said.

“With ice”, Daniella gloated. Angel chuckled, and brushed his lips against her ear.

“You’re bad…”.

Bile rose in Nina’s throat, and she couldn’t contain it anymore. She dropped the rag, and ran out the door; only making it down from the porch and over to a trashcan, before she threw up. Even when she had nothing left in her stomach, she gagged, and it felt like the muscles in her belly tried to push out her very intestines.

EZ came running out after her, and held back her hair. He rubbed circles on her back to try to get her to calm down.

“It’s ok… It’s just an act, Nina… You’ll be ok”, he whispered. The sound of laughter from inside made Nina retch one last time, before she fell to her knees. EZ crouched down next to her, and pulled her into his arms. “I’m so sorry…”.

Nina was heaving for breath, and was finding it hard to get any oxygen into her lungs.

“Inhaler… trailer”, she rasped.

EZ got her to her feet, and dragged her with him to the trailer. Once inside, she took a hit from her inhaler, and collapsed on the cot.

“Can I get you anything?”, EZ asked.

Nina looked up at him, and began sobbing. He sat down next to her, and pulled her into his arms; just holding her close and stroking her hair.

The last few months, years even – everything that had brought her up to this point – rushed through her head, as if what she’d just witnessed turned on a faucet of memories that had shaped her. It was overwhelming.

… Throwing up behind a dumpster, when a pair of white sneakers comes in to view. “Are you ok, darlin’?”…

… Picked up at school by the coolest guy in town, and speeding down bumpy roads; laughing and squealing in glee…

… Crying in a smelly cell, before being let out, and enveloped in Jackson’s arms. The scent of leather, cigarettes and mint chewing-gum. “You’re better than this, Nina"…

… Walking in to the clubhouse with his hands covering her eyes. “Surprise!”. Filip kissing her cheek, and handing her a lit cigarette. “Congrats on not being knocked up, luv’”. Tig nabbing the smoke from her lips. “She’s got asthma, you idiot. Get her a pack of condoms instead”…

… “You’re not my fucking dad, Jax!”. “No, but I am your brother. Dropping out is a shit idea”…

… “Hi. I’m Juice". He’s almost too cute to handle. Jackson grabs the collar of his cut, and starts dragging him away. “No". “But Jax…”. “Just no"…

… Holding Jackson tightly, as he crumbles in her arms. “He's so tiny, Nina… I don’t think he’s gonna make it”. She strokes his hair, and forces him to look at her. “Abel is your kid, Jax. If anyone can survive something like this, it's him”…

… Holding Thomas for the first time, hours after his birth. “Your daddy loves you. He’s gonna be out real soon”…

… “Thank you for being there for Tara, while I was inside”. “It’s what family does. You taught me that”…

… “This is how it has to be… I have to give my boys a shot at a life away from this”. “You can’t do this to them. To me!”. He kisses her forehead, and holds her close as she sobs, before pressing a leatherbound journal into her hands. “Give this to them when they’re old enough. I love you, little sister. So much. You gotta live for me; be happy”…

… His cut on the casket. No more tears to cry. Filip’s arm around her, unable to tell who is supporting who…

… Too much alcohol. Too many cigarettes. Too many makeout-sessions in dark corners of parties, before a strong hand belonging to Happy, Tig, Filip, or someone else pulls the guy away; and makes her get on the back of a bike. “We promised we’d take care of you, ‘luv”…

… Wendy’s excited voice over the phone. “Abel got an A on his book-report”…

… Stumbling out of the car, Gael at her heels. “You gotta follow through now”. “I don’t want to”. His ice-cold smile, as he presses her against the wall, and lets his hands wander up and down her body. It’s too much. She can’t push him away; he’s too strong. “What would Teller say, if he knew I was about to fuck his little sister?”. Her shaking hand as she manages to pull out the gun, and he takes a step back. “You’re not gonna shot me”. He rushes forward, and she pulls the trigger. It’s like a red cloud behind his head, and she gasps, dropping the gun on the ground…

… “Nina?”. Footsteps running down the alley. Filip looks down at her disheveled state, and then at the dead body on the ground; and his face drops. “She’s here”. “Shit, muffin. What happened?”. “Chibs, do you know who that is?”. “Not now, Hap’. Let’s just get her out of here. Get the gun”. One of them scoops her into their arms, she’s to rattled to notice who…

… A long ass ride south. A pair of dark and intense eyes. Butterflies in her stomach as he removes his hands from the handlebars. His warm and devouring kiss. “I want you to trust me”. Wanting and needing him. Him wanting and needing her. This is real. “Te amo, cuervo”…

Her breathing calmed, and she managed to pull out of EZ’s grasp.

“I need to be alone right now”, she croaked. The prospect nodded.

“Bishop said you need to stay on the lot”, he said.

“I know. I won’t go anywhere. I just need… quiet”.

EZ got up and went for the door.

“Breakfast tomorrow?”. She wiped her eyes, and nodded. He smiled sadly, and left the trailer; closing the door behind him.

Nina dug through her bag, and pulled out the journal. She hadn’t opened it since the night of her fight with Angel in the cage. Opening the page of her favorite and at the same time most hated paragraph, she sat back with her legs folded under her.

“I know you’ll face pain, suffering, hard choices; but you can’t let the weight of it choke the joy out of your life. No matter what, you have to find the things that love you. Run to them…

There’s an old saying. That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I don’t believe that. I think the things that try to kill you make you angry and sad. Strength comes from the good things… your family, your friends, the satisfaction of hard work. Those are the things that will keep you whole. Those are the things to hold on to when you’re broken…”.

He’d been in such pain, and at the same time so optimistic. He’d trusted her with these words; maybe even meant them as much for her, as he had for his boys. It felt like everything she’d done since the moment of his death, had been like a big fuck you to his legacy. She felt ashamed and heartbroken.

“I’m sorry, Jax…”, she whispered.

Laying back on the cot, clutching the journal in her arms, she made a decision. She had to follow through with this plan Bishop had laid out.

They were going to get the truth about Palo’s plans. Both her families would be safe. Angel loved her.

Those were the things she was going to hold on to.

---

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

MORE

@anastasian-dreamer mentioned to me they didn’t think I had ever thought about how the vigilante/villian and hero system worked. I went: Actually I have a rough idea… and here we go.

Vigilantes

First, let’s do the differences between villains and vigilantes… intent.

 That’s like actually it. Intent is the only thing actually separating villains and vigilantes. They break the law just like villains and they are hunted by the police and often heroes like villains…

 Like sure there’s vigilante laws but at the end of the day it’s just intent separating them.

 Even then there’s a fine line for how the police classify them. If someone is simply helping out using their Quirk, not like actively looking to fight anyone and just does stuff like help rescue people or help during a villain attack, then it’s minor vigilantism and not that big a deal. Honestly a police or a hero would go: Don’t do that, finger wag and move on their way. 

 If you actively look for fights, but do not engage until the first punch is thrown at you, then it’s more moderate vigilantism and you will be arrested but let go as you rely on the self defense laws which do actually allow you to use your Quirk. If they can prove you went looking for a fight, then you’ll get a fine or community service.

Now if you go looking and act like a hero by interfering before they throw the first punch then it’s actually vigilantism. Now this is where it gets tricky and the fine line appears.

If you do not do harm that is more then a few bruises, or knocking someone out or tying them up then you are still a viglante. 

If you break bones or wound them badly enough to bleed TECHNICALLY you are a villain. But this is actually a technicality and you probably won’t be tagged that unless they die. 

As for how ranking goes- honestly it’s just who the police are actually worried about. Most don’t care really. Unless you’re going out and actively hurting people on purpose, they’re more worried about other criminals.

 It’s the heroes who fret the most because technically vigilantes are threats to their jobs. If George from accounting can use his Quirk to stop a robbery, they’re out of a job. So it’s heroes who go after vigilantes more often.

 There is a program for vigilantes to become heroes as well, but that’s a hush-hush no one talks about it and they only become underground heroes so like no one cares. 

 If a vigilante does attract media attention, that’s when the police actually get involved more and try to get them. And if the media attention is overwhelmingly positive then the vigilante might get publicly offered a hero position… which yes I have another OC for this.

Blank Spot- a vigilante who evaded police and heroes for three years and not only routed out two villain organizations, but managed to change a slum into a booming neighbourhood. 

 Now, lets go into Quirkless vigilantes.

 Technically they aren’t. I think this is fanon- and it is- but there isn’t actually a canon law saying you have to use a Quirk to be a vigilante… and I like it so:

Vigilante: Defined as ‘using their Quirk in a matter restricted to those who hold a Heroic Licesnse or a Job Specific Permit given to police personal or emergency responders.’

So technically, a Quirkless person isn’t a vigilante which is what then the Quirkless people call the golden rule because it enables them to be able to go around and help their neighbourhoods if needed.

 They can though be charged with assault so most let the villains hit them first.

 Most stick to low level stuff and just keep to themselves, so heroes don’t care.

 The only one who managed to get fame? Blank Spot and even then NO ONE knows who she is. Blank Spot got an Underground License and while she is ranked at 300 in the hero ranking, she mostly sticks to infiltration missions.

Villains

We now get into villains. Villains are those who use their Quirk with an intent to cause harm to others or property.

 That’s like it. 

 The bag snatcher in episode one isn’t actually a villain though, he’s a criminal. 

 Yes there’s a difference.

 The difference is in fact how much damage is cause as well as intent. Large-scale damage will term you a villain. Bad snatcher technically is on the edge but his intent wasn’t to do that, it was just to snatch a bag. 

 Someone breaking into a store to steal things? Criminal because the intent to be a villain isn’t there and the damage isn’t widespread.

 Breaking into multiple stores? Still not a villain.

 Purposely doing so to then fund a criminal organization? Villain.

 So there is a bit of a fine line.

 Funnily enough- Gentle Criminal and La Brava technically are more criminal than villain because their goals are more for fame than actual villainy. It’s a big grey area though and they got marked as villains because ‘hey. They’re calling themselves that, let’s just do it and call it a day.’- as per the very annoyed analyst who had to deal with Nezu and the yearly argument over his Class 1 Quirk designation which gets shuffled around the various agencies because it is so annoying.

Now, villain ranking… it actually isn’t a thing. Sure, they have people they are more interested in catching but the idea of a ‘ranking’ is more of a media term because it’s dramatic.

 You ask a police officer, an analyst, an intelligence hero or any like government official? They’ll sigh.

 “We don’t have a villain ranking. We have villains we are interested in catching more than others.” 

 Some limelight heroes call it a ranking but that’s more to play to the media and often have their staff chucking things at them in annoyance.

 At most, the top ten villains have ranked only to demonstrate how interested they are in catching them. AFO for example is ranked one because he is without a doubt the one who needed to be caught. Shigaraki then moves up.

 Then we get to villain organizations.

 I refuse to believe that villain organizations are rare. It’s just usually it’s only like five people working together and the idea of a huge organization is less common. These organizations also operate more like yakuza or gangs and will claim parts of a city to be able to rule.

 Meaning that really, underground heroes are the ones dealing with them rather then limelight. 

 The LOV is uncommon enough that it draws attention from the entire public. And it is actually now drawing attention from people wondering if they should rank villains as well.

So like any: oh this villain is ranked whatever is actually Media or heroes just pulling it out of their ass or an analyst making shit up because they’re BUSY Karen.

However- I want everyone to look at what I said. Using a Quirk.

 THUS! Quirkless people can ONLY be criminals and not villains legally, a loophole that is used by Quirkless people to get much lighter sentences as villains are the ones who have the heavier punishments compared to criminals!

Hero Ranking

Okay so using some research stuff: in 2017 there were 296,700 police personal in Japan. This however isn’t JUST officers (as in foot police which I equate heroes with). 

 Now I don’t think there would be more heroes then police, actually I think that there would be two-thirds of the amount of police. So two-thirds of 296,700 is 197,899 (numbers rounded). 

 Note, I legit just pulled that out of my ass myself but it makes sense that there WOULDN’T be the same amount of heroes compared to police and two-thirds sounds reasonable! 

Alright, so there are 197,899 people involved in the heroics career. This doesn’t just mean heroes. It also means people like PR managers, official analysts who work with the heroes, support people who work with heroes, business managers… so, let’s shorten this amount some more.

Now as there are at least 411 hero rankings (Wild-Wild Pussycats are there) I think it’s reasonable that there are a lot of heroes. So… thinking about this a bit more… I’m just gonna say there are 100,000 heroes in Japan because like there are independent ones who probably don’t have an entire agency with them. I also doubt said agencies are actually that big. At most a couple hundred people maybe are part of the agencies. It’s not like Microsoft or McDonalds or anything where they have multiple franchises and employment stuff around the world. No, agencies just have one building and that’s like it. So… yeah. 

 There, done. I’m happy. 

 Now then… how many are actually heroes with licenses though? 

 As I mentioned before many people who have sidekick licenses remain sidekicks for the rest of their lives and never advance past that. So… this has me halfing the amount because fuck it I can. (Also, because sidekicks can act as a hero, they just cannot act independently so… fuck it.)

So 50,000 people are actually heroes with licenses. Of that 50,000- 10,000 of them are underground heroes. Like actual underground heroes and not like Blank Spot, All Might or Nighteye who have underground licenses but act as limelight heroes.

 That gives us 40,000 limelight heroes who can be ranked.

I highly doubt the ranking system goes that far. As mentioned, there are at least 411 hero rankings. I have come to the decision that it makes sense there would be 1000 rankings. Most only care about the top 500 though.

 When a hero goes limelight their names are put in the system and then they can be added to the ranking list depending on: how many missions they have logged, how much patrols they do, amount of arrests they have accomplished and their popularity.

As such…. IT DOES NOT MAKE FUCKING SENSE THAT MT LADY IS RANKED 23 AND KAMUI WOODS IS 7 WHEN THEY FUCKING ARE TO NEW. MT LADY ONLY HAD HER DEBUT BARELY A YEAR AGO AND KAMUI WOODS IS REGARDED AS A ROOKIE. MAYBE THEIR EFFORTS DURING KAMINO WARD HELPED BUT FUCK THIS SHIT THIS IS FUCKING STUPID. I REFUSE TO FUCKING BELIEVE KAMUI IS HIGHER THEN RYUKU. THAT IS FUCKING BULLSHIT.

 AS SUCH: I respect canon has made a decision, but as it is a STUPID ASS DECISION I have elected to ignore it!

So fuck that shit. Kamui Wood is in the top hundred along with Mt Lady for their actions but that’s it. 

The top ten are the best of the best with the top three being actually… 100000% rigged. 

The top three aren’t just titles either but actually come with jobs. Number One is responsible for checking the HPSC records and making sure things are above board and legal. Number Two is supposed to be a police watch dog, and Number 3 is supposed to be the… honestly they’re supposed to be the watch dog of the top two. 

 Of course, as it is right now, how it is set up before was good for the HPSC which is why they partly wanted Best Jeanist killed by Hawks because he would have noticed if they weren’t doing their jobs properly. Endeavour is bribed by HPSC hiding the abuse he gave his family, and Hawks is owned by the Commission so they can’t do anything. 

 They then would have called for a new ranking and oooh, sorry Edgeshot, but we found some stuff so instead Crust is number 3. 

 But stuff happened! 

 So… there. That’s how I see things going!

[vidalinav]

More House of Wind Headcanons: Rooms/Floors Edition

These actually help me a lot writing Queen of Queens, sort of like jotting down notes for your fic. So here goes!

There are four levels; the main (top), the first floor of bedrooms, where Cassian and Azriel stay, the second floor of bedrooms where Nesta stays and where there’s a private library, the third level that has the kitchen, and then the levels that start being the library. (This is canon-taken straight from the beginning of ACOSF) 

But there starts being more levels and rooms in between the actual house and the library, and NO ONE knows where they came from. Nesta very much thinks it’s the House; however, EVERYONE else thinks that it’s Nesta who did it unknowingly. Because if she’s not in the house, the rooms do not exist. They start thinking that maybe the House is siphoning magic from Nesta, but it is really just Nesta. Whatever she imagines in the house, exists. 

First Floor: 

Is just the main floor. Honestly not much of it changes, because of the formality of it being the floor that business is held. The House could change it and change it back, but Nesta thinks that’s a hassle, because then every time someone comes over she’s like do you need this room? And so she doesn’t bother with it. They really stop eating in that dining room anyways, so it becomes a stage house that is sort of the beware all who come here type of entrance. The only time it actually changes is during holidays, but they end up having a terrarium of sorts to the side of the house on the mountain outside so.... starfall eventually gets mostly held in there, because it’s also controlled by the House’s heart, but the only way you access that is through the third floor, so the top floor is again just for show. 

Second Floor: 

Ends up being Azriel’s floor and the floor for guests. The House/Nesta redecorate and it’s a lot more apartment-ish. One side of the floor is a large apartment for azriel and the other half is a hallway that leads to more rooms for guests. Each room is made up for specific people, just in case they stay over. All of them are soundproof. Nesta made sure of it. There’s like maybe six rooms. Emerie and Gwyn stay quite often, and Gwyn starts staying their way more often when she starts the process of actually leaving the library, but since she technically still lives there, Clotho is like well... if you just want to keep working here you can, which she does. Emerie stays there more often, because her winning the Rite starts making it harder for her to live in Illyria. Also winnowing back and forth for training is like more steps than necessary and she doesn’t like having to rely on anyone... except that Mor happens to winnow her often, which she appreciates. She still does live of course in Illyria, but her friends are in Velaris, so she struggles with if she wants to live there or not. Because that’s her livelihood, but Nesta is like do what you want and let the house know. Eventually she gives her a key, but that will be explained later in this long ass thread. 

Third Floor: 

This is Nesta and Cassian’s home which is so pretty and Nesta’s whole aesthetic. Again it’s more apartment-ish. Of course, there’s one hallway that you know has the stairs and leads to the terrarium/sunroom place and the small private library, but otherwise most of the rooms get combined to be just Nesta’s and Cassian’s. It really looks like a large house. Besides their room which has the biggest bed you’ve ever seen, there’s of course so many windows on this floor. Some are the balcony's carved out, some are just giant windows. There’s one window in the living room/ private library that opens, but is technically not a balcony, and there’s flowers along the window sill, which Nesta loves and of course she can see all of the city. The whole floor is very bright, cream and blue is the theme. A mixture of seaside and hygge. I feel which I have pictures of on pinterest lol. But there are maybe three empty rooms for when Nesta and Cassian decide to have kids. Nesta caps it at three. But actually one of these rooms gets filled in my fic, but not because of a baby that they have themselves. But I’ll let y’all unpack that one. The private library gets decorated on a regular basis with holidays and when they’re having small family gatherings or have a war meeting, they use this place. It has a large table in the middle for studying, so it’s a good place, and it’s just a way more comfortable, happier setting. There’s also cat fixtures that climb up the walls and cat doors that lead to the most obscure places for Bryaxis when he’s a cat, for those of you who’ve read that fic idea post. Maybe you haven’t. 

The Terrarium/sunroom place: 

This place has a literal pond in the middle. It is so large, and there are wild plants all to the side of it, even in the middle of winter, because it’s like a greenhouse. All of it is windows. It is tucked away, on the side of the mountain, you can only reach it from Nesta and Cassian’s floor and it is a gift from the House to Nesta and Cassian as a mating present... sort of. It’s mostly to Nesta. It has A LOT of poisonous, carnivorous plants. Which Nesta learns are useful... because she starts dabbling in her witchy magic and she learns how to make poisons. This place starts being like a lab almost. If she learns magic, she does it here, away from the House with actual people in it. But on Starfall, they do start having the celebration here, because it is the perfect view of the stars. It is the closest you can get without being splattered by star guts and the windows of course clean themselves. You can access outside through here, so sometimes they’ll just open up the doors and go outside to the porches that surround it. Elain will come here often, mostly because she does want to hang out with Nesta and Nesta is not keen on going anywhere, so at first she goes because she’s like well I can take care of your plants, and Nesta is like the House takes care of it, but if you want I guess... and she does take care of them, and actually while Nesta excels at all things magic, it’s really Elain who starts exceling at poisons. They kind of bond over it lol. 

What floor am I on? Fourth Floor: 

Is where the kitchen is. Nesta never goes here. Elain goes here every once in a while, especially when she tries to make Nesta things, but Nesta is very adamant that the House will do it for her, but at some point the House is like let your sister do something for you! So it withholds her desserts. Elain is very happy to oblige and most of the time, it is just Nesta sitting on a stool by the work table, warmed by the heat of the oven, her music playing from the symphonia, and Elain smiling softly as she works, perfectly content, while Nesta reads a book or talks about what she learned in the library this week or that. It is very hard to get Nesta to talk sometimes, so Cassian is actually immensely  grateful that Elain gets more pushy about communicating with Nesta and having her talk with her more. Not on a super deep level, but a companionship to have, because Nesta is mostly introverted, except for occasional instances, and if she can, she will avoid personal connection at all costs. It’s just a habit. There are certainly days where Nesta is more subdued that most, and usually he’ll give it a couple days, but if she’s still sort of off by the end of the week, that’s when Elain comes. She actually shows up by herself and Cassian’s always like how did you know and how did you even get here? And she’s like it’s a sister thing. Nesta and her get closer this way. 

So, on the Fifth floor: 

These are the floors that start being based off of whatever Nesta wants to see, because that’s how she unknowingly does magic. 

On this floor, there is a massive ballroom. I’m telling you there are fountains on the walls with cherubs, paintings on the ceilings that both look angelic and looks like clouds are in the sky and they’re moving. It’s bedecked in white and gold and there are crystal chandeliers hanging from the domed ceiling and it is so tall. It’s like a cathedral, and every time music plays which it does as soon as Nesta walks in, it echoes in there. Like loud, moaning sounds. Cassian thinks its creepy af, but Nesta loves that haunting sort of extravagances, and she swears she can see shadows dancing along with her. She starts taking private dance lessons in my fic, and this is where she practices. It has a lot of giant bouquets. 

But not only that there are two rolling staircases and when you go up them, that level is a theatre. Reds and velvet, and dim faelights that float in the air as if they’re floating on water. Think Phantom of the Opera. This “room” most of the time goes unused, but Nesta specifically starts being like well... I’m a big fan of the arts and music, so let’s start hosting things here. And it starts becoming a really big thing to be invited to these things. However, it’s mostly because Nesta still doesn’t really want to go out into the city, but she does want to hear a symphony. So it’s actually Cassian’s idea at first, to invite the orchestra to play at their home theatre for a surprise, and it just becomes a thing and citizens are invited, because it’s just a huge theatre to just be 2 people. However the stairs are a big problem, but we get passed that, but I’ll go into detail about that later.

Sixth floor: 

Is just one narrow hallway that leads to one door. But that door can lead you anywhere. And Nesta has a really hard time figuring out how to use it. Because one of the powers Nesta has, instead of winnowing, in my fic, is that she can open any door and go anywhere she wants, provided that there is a door, even one she draws. But she doesn’t figure that out until she figures out this door. So, for a while, she keeps opening the door and it leads to the riverfront estate, and Rhys is so freaked out that she just pops out of the closet, and she’s so freaked out too. But she closes the door and when Rhys tries to open it, it’s just a closet, and he’s like all looking through it like wth, knocking on the wood. But when Nesta opens it, it’s not even the house, it’s like a large dark abyss and some monster starts trying to claw it’s way out, so she shuts it really quick and the door keeps pounding and she’s like never again. And she gets very wary about opening anything, except many times the IC will ask her to use this door, so that they can find things. Similarly to scrying, where she knows the locations of things, she can open the door thinking of that specific object and she’ll end up being in that location. Nesta does not like this door, because she thinks it has a mind of its own, even though a lot of it is just her controlling where it goes. But because of this door, she learns that she can make any door a portal, so she ends up “drawing” a door at the base of the mountain outside which becomes an actual door which leads to the theatre. Also, she learns that there are a specific set of keys that the House gifts her, which unlocks and locks these portals she makes attached to the house specifically. Cassian and Emerie of course have one, but she gifts two also to Feyre and Elain on the premise that if they should ever need her and for some reason cannot fly up and obviously don’t want to climb the stairs or if they’re somewhere else entirely, they can visit her and be lead back by just unlocking any door they’re by and it will make a door to the House. Eventually she learns to have the door open to the seaside. And let me tell you, think Japan’s Hitachi Seaside park, with all the nemophilia (blue flowers), but all of it eventually coming to end at a beach or water striking the cliffside, still haven’t decided on that. 

I think that’s all the floors, but tbh, there might be more. I’m just super tired and I can’t think anymore or describe things. So for now, that concludes the House of Wind, Rooms and Floors Edition. Let me know if y’all have any headcanons or suggestions that you might want to see! Bye.