#men will fall for the first competent adult who shares even a few of their interests and is even the slightest bit proactive

[labcoatfucker]

anyone expresses any interest ever and i do multivariable calculus to figure out how exactly i could be misreading. i have to contain the unfathomable "OH MY GOD, YOU ACTUALLY WANT ME?" energy that will otherwise spill out and kill us all demon core style

[nevermindirah]

part 3, "Kid": How every character in The Old Guard (2020) dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood relates to the main character, Nile Freeman

Stop writing people calling Nile "kid" 2k4ever

Andy calls Nile a baby one time, minutes after first dreaming of her. Andy then calls Nile "kid" three times, all to her face, all in the first few hours of their acquaintance. Booker calls Nile "kid" once, on the porch outside the bar. That's it. The context for these lines is super interesting, and calling Nile "kid" in fic doesn’t make any sense without the original context.

When Andy, Joe, Nicky, and Booker wake up from first dreaming of Nile, Joe and Nicky immediately start sharing facts they noticed, and Joe starts sketching. Booker is in his feelings but he contributes a few things to the saying-facts-out-loud rally.

Andy is 100% in her feelings. She starts the conversation with "No, not another one." Then once the boys have gathered a bunch of facts and Booker says "I felt her die" Andy comes in with this:

Andy: [stares at nothing straight ahead, voice is remote, detached.] She’s a Marine. [Joe and Nicky look up together.] Combat. Or near combat duty. Afghanistan. [Shakes her head slowly, wearily.] It’s been over two hundred years. [Whispers, anguished, buries head in hands.] Why now?

Got it. Joe and Nicky are the competent soldiers, Booker is the semi-competent drunk, Andy is the boss. Andy is the fucking depressed boss. It's in this context that Andy, having analyzed the information her direct reports just gave her, made the determination that Nile is a Marine in Afghanistan, and let her team have a brief back-and-forth about whether to change their plan to go retrieve the new one before announcing the decision that is ultimately hers to make, refers to Nile as a baby.

Andy: Get to France. Use the Charlie safe house. I’ll meet you there. [Joe examines his sketch, blows pencil-dust off it. She stares at Booker.] Find Copley. [Joe tears out the page and hands her the sketch. Andy stares at it.] Jesus. She’s just a baby.

Andy's metric fuckton of I AM BEYOND DONE just leaps off the page/screen. Keep that existential exhaustion in mind as we see her early interactions with Nile.

Nile: [stands, panting, regards Andy suspiciously.] Who are you? Andy: I lead a group of immortals. An army, I guess. Soldiers. Fighters like you. [softer tone.] Look... [Andy steps toward her; Nile steps back.] You’ve got questions, kid. I get it. [tiny smile, small nod.] You want answers? Get back in the car.

Andy: [lightly] And I was the one who cut your throat. Right? [stares at Nile, who stares back, then looks away; she has no answer for that.] Listen, kid. You already believe in... [points upward, follows it with her eyes.] You should just keep following that illogic. [Pulls her jacket over her shoulders as a blanket, turns on her right side, back to Nile, lies on the pile of duffel-bags like a reclining chair.] You’re already on board with the supernatural. [Speaks with eyes already closed; it makes no difference to her.] If I were you, I’d get some sleep.

[Nile stands slowly, glaring at Andy, sets her body as she prepares to continue the fight.] Andy: You really want to do this, kid? [Andy’s eyes are bright, her expression relaxed but anticipating; she looks like she thinks this will be fun.]

Andy is looking at this retrieval mission as something that must be done, but quickly and with as little disruption as possible to her team's ongoing mission to find Copley and protect themselves from exposure. And then here comes Nile Freeman, competent as hell, taking no shit, questioning everything, stabbing her and escaping a moving vehicle and just fucking fighting her at every turn.

"Jfc kid will you just get in the goddamn car" feels pretty reasonable in that context, yeah? At least from Andy's perspective. From Nile's, you're fucking right you're gonna ask some goddamn questions before getting on a drug-smuggling plane with someone who just shot you in the head.

It's worth noting that Andy doesn't precisely say "jfc kid will you just get in the goddamn car" — she says "I need you to get back in the car please." She says "can you please not do that again" when Nile fucking stabs her. She's exhausted and frustrated and just trying to get through this and back to her main mission, and from what we see of her so far she's generally gruff as a person, but she's not an asshole, and she’s really showing Nile some respect here, all things considered. I mean, imagine being this polite when someone stabs you. This is a tired adult trying to get another tired adult on board with a sensible plan.

Andy: Argh! [Andy grabs Nile’s knife hand.] Fuck! [throws it violently aside, forcing Nile back a step. With the knife still in her, Andy sighs deeply and looks at Nile. Nile recovers her balance and stares that Andy is hardly reacting to having a knife in her.] Can you please [grabs the knife with left hand, yanks it out] not do that again? [throws the knife on the ground.]

Once they fight on the plane, Andy never calls her kid again. Andy is already starting to regain some of the energy her long life has worn away from her after just 10 minutes on screen with Nile. Andy went into this retrieval determined to be someone Nile can rely on, and that still stands, but by the time they’re in France she’s realizing she’ll come to be able to rely on Nile too. She introduces her to the boys as Nile and that's that.

The only other time we hear the word "kid" in the entire movie is near the end, outside the bar with Booker.

Nile: Yeah. [takes a breath.] Talked to Copley. Said he could fix it. Make it look like I was killed in action. [nods gently to herself] My family will mourn, but, uh... [tiny shrug, head-shake.] ...they’ll be able to move on. It’s just like what we did with my dad. [sighs. Turns to look out over the water. Voice wavers.] I just really want to hear my mom’s voice one more time. Booker: [looks down, pauses, turns to lean next to Nile.] You’re a good kid, Nile. [looks at her, speaks earnestly.] You’re gonna be great for the team.

Sébastien le Livre, whose greatest tragedy is that his children disbelieved and rejected his love for them, would be very moved by Nile's concern and love for her mother. "You're a good kid, Nile," in the sense that she's honoring her parent in a way he, a bereaved parent, appreciates.

There's also the fun shippy reading that he's preemptively friend-zoning her because there's about to be several lifetimes between him and spending any more time with this woman he was having an obvious "oh no she's hot" reaction to over dinner in Goussainville, but I, a feral BoN shipper, like the first reading even better.

But the point is, calling Nile "kid" is an element of the movie that says a lot about the characters using that word. When it gets repeated in fanfiction, it says something about the author.

If you're reading this and reflecting "oh shit I wrote the team calling Nile kid without thinking about it at all beneath the surface" I have a really cool suggestion for you: just edit it. Or at least consider not doing it again. We all make mistakes. We all run with things that we pick up in canon or see in other people's fic that seem funny and harmless, and once we think about those things more deeply we might find that actually it's kinda fucked up, or not what canon was trying to say, or fine on the surface but not fine if it becomes The One True Fanon. Having characters who are either white, men, or both call the adult protagonist who's a young Black woman "kid" all the time carries a weight to it. Please let's let that weight fall off Nile's fully-grown shoulders.

Next up, orders, suggestions, assistance, and other flavors of mentoring Nile and/or telling her what to do. Credit and appreciation to StarWatcher for transcribing the movie here on AO3, all my line quotes are pulled from there.

[minimoxha]

Batfam Valentines Day Special

 The batfamily takes Valentine’s Day very...very seriously.

Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wyane, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wyane, Y/n L/n(Batmom), Alfred Pennyworty

Warning(s): None

1,579 Words

Not edited.

(A/N I know Valentine’s Day passed but I got this idea after it so...deal with it.)

All throughout Wayne manor, everyone was preparing for the day known as Valentine’s Day. They were moving so fast it made it seem like they were competing. Probably because...they were. Why? Because today was Valentine’s Day and they all wanted to give you the best day but every one of them wanted to do different things. So when Jason first joined the family, it became a competition to see which one could give you the best time with them.

You woke up to the sweet smell of French toast, a smile Turing on your face. You knew what day it was, possibly one of your favorite days other than Christmas or your birthday of course. Damian was the first to come in your room, Laing down and cuddling with you. No matter how people saw him on the outside, he was a soft and cuddly bear on the inside. “Good morning Mother. You’ll spend time with me first, right? I am your favorite so it’s only natural I go first.” Damien Gloated, making you emit a small giggle. “Dami, I told you that it was dickies turn this year.” You said making the young boy groan in response and get ready to lift up but relaxed his body again once you started to run your hands through his hair. “Who’s cooking for me Dami?” Damien answered your question by counting to five on his fingers. Once he got to five, Jason came through the door holding a tray of food, Bruce with a card and flowers, dick holding cups and apppe juice, (Apple juice is better than orange.), and Tim holding coffee cups.

All four of the men walked into the room, Joining you and Damian on the bed, not before saying good morning to you. “Flowers? For me?” You teased, smelling the roses. “They were from me” Bruce admitted, a smirk crossing his face making Jason roll his eyes. “So who gets you first, ma?”  Jason asked. “Hm...Dickie.” You smiled at your oldest, making him mirror his expression and everyone else groan. It was sweet really, instead of spending time with their friends or significant other they wanted to give the day to you. All of you had busy schedules so these were one of the days they could spend a lot of fun time with their mommy. After everyone finished eating, dick gave you an outfit and waited outside your door for you to change. “So you know that musical you wanted to see? Well I Got tickets, the best seats!” He cheered. You squeezed from inside the room, quickly opening your door. “My outfit looks great on you.” He smiled. You were wearing High waisted black pants and a gray hoodie with no hood that was a little too big for you. 

Dick was right, they were amazing seats. The both of you were in Love with the musical and tried to keep yourselves from singing but failed, earn dirty looks from the people around you. (I didn’t make more because idk but if you want short tories on how the details went during everyones time with Y/n tell me))After you left the theater, the both of you got slushies and cinnamon rolls (Even though it was 11Am, your dentist is pissed rn) and then he returned you home and went to his brothers ti gloat and tell him how the defenitly won and had the best time with you. Next was Jason, right when you walked in he got you and took you back out. “What do you have planned fir me today, JayJay?” You asked following him after he grabbed a bag onto his motorcycle . “You can choose between a Monster Truck Rally and Paint balling Ma.” He said. “Paint-balling” Nodding, he drove off to a paint ball arena with you holding onto his back. He arrived at the place and signed in. The both of you were taken into the back where you got a run down and gear. “Dickies going to be pissed that his outfit is covered in paint.” You giggled, putting on your gear along with Jason and listening to the rules. You didn’t follow them though. The both of you DEMOLISHED every kid, adult, and teen, only getting a few paintballs on yourself. Then it came down to you and Jason. He stalked around you, trying to be be intimidating but failing with a smile. “Theres only room for one paintballer in this town” He said, faking a country accent.  

“Well then, It’ll have to be me!” You yelled, shooting three at him then ducking under a rock. He successfully dodged your attacks making the game go on for what felt like forever for the bystanders but just a couple minutes for you. It seemed like it was going to go on forever until Jason tripped on a rock and fell, giving you the chance to shoot him right in his butt. “Suck it, Jay!” You yelled, doing your victory dance in front of him. Jason smiled, he loved seeing you in this mood. With work, and watching from the batcomptr, you were either on edge or stressed out of your mind, And once you got competitive, you stayed competitive until you won. Constantly, challenging your family to games. “Ill beat you next Time, Ma’” Jason laughed, fist bumping you and standing up to sling his arm around your shoulder and walk to the changing rooms with you. (Not the same one) “Guess what we got the Replacement and Demon Spawn to do for ya.” “Hm I Don't know Jay, What.” 

“I got them to share your time and have a picnic with you.” You sighed then answered, “Jay, I’ll be surprised if there still is a picnic by the time we get there.” Jason laughed at your Joke, getting the both of you on his bike and driving to a beautiful forest. The sun was cutting through the trees who's leaves were falling off. There was an opening, where Damian had lanterns all around while the picnic blanket was in the middle of a flower bed. You got off of Jasons bike and saw through the trees, Damian and Tim arguing, on the verge of turning it into a full blown fist fight. Before things escalated, you stepped in and let Jason leave the three of you alone. “Boys, please don't fight today” With one last glare, they settled down. Damian opened the light brown basket and took your favorite dishes out. “We helped Alfred make all of your favorites, Mother. I hope you enjoy them” Tim opened the Saran Wrap. “Yeah Mom, I hope you like it.” Damian put a couple heart-shaped sandwiches on your plate and poured the drinks while Tim showed you this cool coding project he had been walking on. “So mother, isn’t this the best out of both of the trips they took you on?” Damian asked, smiling slightly after biting into a cupcake and clearly enjoying it.  “I had an Amazing Day with all of you, I won't pick favorites.” You smiled and ruffled both of the boys’ hair. They were amazing children no matter they're faults. The rest of the picnic was amazing, the both of you eating until you couldn’t eat anymore and Joking around. For the first time in a while, you saw a Huge smile on both of the boys’ face. After, Tim called Alfred and he picked the both of you and took you to get your hair done, nails done and a nice dress that they (surprisingly) agreed on. They showed up at the manor and rushed Batmom to the backyard where bruce was standing in a candlelit circle. Inside it , was a couple speakers and Bruce right in the middle. His hair was slicked back and he was wearing a nice suit that matched your dress. He raised his hand out toward you and you excitedly took it.

“May I have this dance?” He smiled, pulling you into his chest. His cologne, being all that you could smell. “you may” The both of you danced like nobody was watching, because nobody was. It wasn’t like the dances you would have at formal events, where you had to dance like professionals. No, it was your own little dance party with only the two of you. You didn’t have to worry about people watching or taking pictures. After about 5 songs, the dancing stopped and Bruce slid a ring on your finger. It was a crown with the tips and middles having diamonds inside of them. “Bruce...this is beautiful” you smiled as you looked at it. Bruce snuck his hands around your waist and put his chin on top of your head. Him being the tall man that he was, he had no problems with hugging or cuddling with you while standing. “Let’s be honest My love, I gave you the best day , yes?” He smirked. Bruce was always very cocky but you found yourself more attracted to him after each word he uttered to you. “You’ll never know, Dear” You teased making him playfully sigh. “I’m the worlds greatest detective, I already know.”

“God, I love all of you so Much” Like every year, Each one of your boys always found a way to surprise you or just make your life better. They meant the world to you and if you could keep life like this you would. This was perfect. Absolute perfection

[strawberrycupsforever]

Reira or the art of creating an unorthodox antagonist.

I thought I’d make a post about Reira because she really is an interesting character to read and analyze.

Firstly, I would like to clarify that an antagonist doesn’t always have to be a villain. Reira is an antagonist not because her main motivations are to harm other characters, she is one because her actions cause pain regardless of this.

Now in complete honesty, Reira is a character that really frustrates me, I’m never going get over her relationship with Shin (so wrong, so, so wrong) but that doesn’t mean I can’t see how much she has suffered and how that suffering has affected her.

Reira has everything: the looks, the talent, the magnetism that draws other people towards her… it would’ve been so easy for Ai Yazawa to fall into the clichés these types of characters ususally get. She could’ve gone with a conniving femme fatale, a schemer who goes out of her way to compete against the main protagonists. It honestly says a lot about the type of media we consume, when these are the common traits in female antagonists, especially if they share a love interest with the protagonist, but I digress.

Instead of this type of character, we get Reira: a young woman in her early 20’s with a very sweet demeanor (almost childish) and a bright personality. The first time she meets Nana O. there’s nothing but genuine excitement, she simply doesn’t come across as an antagonist at all. Here lies Ai Yazawa’s talent for characterization. Reira is confusing to the reader, she is the main singer of the rival band our main protagonists are up against. She’s incredibly talented, Nana O. is left feeling very insecure after hearing her sing live. The first few times she appears in the manga is as a beautiful and cool figure. That’s why the first introduction to her actual personality after the last concert of their tour was so surprising and comical: the contrast between the image of Reira the singer and Reira the person was just beginning. 

Throughout the manga, her fears and insecurities start to unfold, (usually through conversations with Shin, which I think is interesting, and not a coincidence) and we start seeing how many layers Reira has. We can see how much her father’s loss affected her, how she can’t even disclose her identity as half American (she states her label thinks it’s beneficial if fans think she’s fully Japanese), the fact that she had to move from everything she considered home at a very young age to move to a country she didn’t know… It’s clear Reira has been through a lot, and through most of it she’s had Takumi as a constant. It’s only natural that she’d feel so strongly towards him, but what these two have is an incredibly toxic relationship.

Reira centers her existence and worth in her voice, and this is because she thinks her talent is the only reason why Takumi stays by her side. She feels like she has nothing more to offer to the world, and that’s sad because when it comes to Takumi, Reira really has no power over her feelings.

All this being said, Reira’s biggest flaw is her selfishness. She’s incredibly self-absorbed without the arrogance, which makes for a very interesting character. In fact, most of the harm she causes comes from her simply not taking into account other people. The main victim of this has been Shin. Although one could argue he lied to her about his age, she did eventually find out that he was a minor, and no amount of mental gymnastics is going to make the relationship okay. She doesn’t register the possible pain she can cause Shin, who is clearly taken by her or how her attitude towards Ren can make Nana O. uncomfortable (even though Ren mentions  Nana’s jealousy more than once). The biggest offence being during Ren’s wake. She doesn’t think about Hachi when she sleeps with Takumi, or even Shin, who she admits to have some feelings towards. She truly doesn’t look past herself at first, only to realize later the harm she has caused and feeling guilty about it, but not actively changing her ways.

She isn’t the only one to blame though, when it comes to her selfish ways, Reira is always enabled by the people around her. From Takumi to Ren to even Yasu. All these men, have a weird fixation with saving Reira, delegating this task to each other and even Shin (a teenager), when the thing Reira needs the most is independence. Shin seems to be the only one who sometimes calls her out on her selfishness, only to be demonized for it and then feel guilty about it, like what happened during Ren’s wake.

We can’t forget that Reira is an adult, regardless of how much people around her baby her, she should know better and take responsibility for her actions, trauma doesn’t justify any of them.

[nightswithkookmin]

Goldy I never thought I would reach out to any Jikook blog but after your last post I have to. I am an east asian american and trans. I have never spoken on this issue, commented or posted about this. I am a Jikook supporter but sometimes Jikook supporting blogs don't feel like the friendliest place. I want to thank you for changing my opinion on that. It is an insult to BTS to say Jikook don't know they seem gay or that they don't know what gay looks like. It is an insult to fans like me to say it would be OK to do the things they do if they were cisgendered straight men. I personally saw a few people say or dance around this and they got intimidated by big blogs for it. I would never name names because I beleive in free speech and the right of people to express themselves, as long as it isn't hate speech. Supporting lgbt people and making sure they don't feel endangered is MORE IMPORTANT THAN STANNING A KPOP BAND and I say this as a 4 year long bts and Jikook stan. So many people don't want to touch this issue and I understand why.

But thank you for supporting ACTUAL lgbt people as well as bts and showing stubborn people that BTS mean gay rights when they say gay rights.

I don't know why but this Ask made me cry...

I've been reading it over and over for the past two days and each time I feel humbled by it. Thanks so much for sharing this with me.

I think the era of the obsessed 'kids' and '13 year old shippers' in this space is coming to an end. I think it's time for a more nuanced mature conversation on what it means to ship and stan our faves in today's sociopolitical climate.

Let's intellectualize shipping and use it as a vehicle for social change not just pleasure. Sabotaging political hashtags is a start. Trending and donating to BLM is equally important. Fighting for gay rights and recognition is the next step and a natural progression from here- and about damn time!

Gone are the days where celebrities and idols were immune to accountability and personal responsibility. We live in a world where everyone is required to be converstant in and sensitive to social issues. Awareness is woven into our collective consciousness and for some of us we cannot divorce that from our pleasure receptors.

Hate to quote my pastor but, 'As a kid, I spoke, thought and reasoned like a kid. As I grew up, chilee darling, I put my ghetto ways aside. You feel me?' Lol. Yea, my pastor hood like that. Lol.

The fact of the matter is, BTS has a higher mature demographics now. Majority of us grew with them, if not past them. They are not seventeen anymore, Jin is almost thirty, the youngest in the group is past twenty three and majority of their fanbase are breaching Young Adult well into Adulthood and beyond.

We simply cannot view them with the same lens anymore. If we did, we would be infantilizing them if not enabling them.

We ought to be able to have certain conversations that reflect our age, hearts, backgrounds, experience, values and beliefs.

We can't sit behind our television sets and smart phone screens in this day and age and assume BTS sat through a performance like this and did not for a second think about what it meant, why the crowd cheered at certain moments or even understand the impact, message and intent behind it- especially not when Halsey, an openly bisexual woman and advocate for LGBTG rights is an acquaintance of thiers.

I don't know how a fraction of this fandom can assume BTS would have a collaboration of this nature and not know anything about the gay rights discourse or what queer baiting is or not consider how their actions may or may not be contributing to the marginalization of persons as these- to not have agency and personal responsibility or empathy.

JK cannot stan a gay artist such as Troye Sivan and divorce his music from his sexuality because it flows from it. Not when Troye has openly spoken about the struggles he went through as a closeted gay man, coming out and how that affected his mental health.

JK knows what gay is, he is aware of the struggles queer people face on a daily. His decision to cover, license and recommend songs by this artist is a deliberate act coming from a place of being informed on the matter.

Jimin knows. RM knows. Suga knows.

BTS cannot prepare a speech like this while oblivious to the plight of the LGBTQ plus community. I refuse to believe that simply because it's not true. Anyone who says otherwise is a scammer. Lol.

And I think they are intelligent enough to have cognisance of the fact majority of the world view certain aspects of their home culture as problematic and non-progressive and that this same world is watching them and what they do in this space matters.

They are part of the conversation. And it's in their interest to present themselves as queer a queer friendly band and company by distinctifying themselves from these 'traditional' Kpop bands.

I believe they know that being woke gives them a competitive advantage as MCs and advocates for the youth in today's world.

I believe they are aware certain things in their 'fan service culture' doesn't fly in the space they compete in and want to compete in. They are competing and rubbing shoulders with top LGBTQ plus advocates, sharing seats with them at awards, standing next to them- they best to look sharp.

It's obtuse for anyone to fall on the 'culture' rhetoric to excuse certain behaviors of their idols when actual queer people from and within that same culture fight against it.

Most S. koreans I know and have come across complain about their 'culture' and some even harbor strong resentments against this whole fanservice culture.

Holland, an openly gay Idol from South Korea, has equally spoken out against the 'fan service' culture prevalent within Kpop on several occasions and laments how it depoliticizes queerness and affects actual queer people within S.K.

And isn't it funny that the same conservative Christian population who strongly oppose homosexuality in S.K often lead online campaigns against Jikook for 'promoting homosexuality' because of certain fanservice and skinship they do?

If skinship is normal and fanservice is culture, why does conservative S.K keep pushing back against it? It's their culture uno?! Lmho.

Queer south Koreans and conservative Christians hate fanservice culture and yet here we are using their culture to defend it as if it's all black and white. Lmho.

Did they or did they not see South Korean's reactions to this performance by Jikook? The mixed feelings most had about it?

Men can nibble on men's ear but God forbid they toss them in the air and catch em💀

South Koreans are not a monolith. Their culture is nuanced like any culture. It's not static and not clear cut black and white either.

It's one thing to respect other's culture, it's another to perpetuate it in ignorance. Perpetuating their culture and being religious about it does not allow for the dynamism inherent in their culture.

Troye Sivan talked about how he'd stop in the middle of his concerts and performances upon seeing the hyper fangirls in the front row and then think to himself, 'I know they know I'm gay, so why are they still here...'

And this was before he came out.

Jikook know we know they are queer or that we think of them as queer. When Jimin talks about 'those that love me for me' he knows exactly what he is talking about or rather who he is talking to- it's not these hets I'm afraid.

Troye also talked about being privileged because he lived in a rather queer friendly neighborhood where everyone is gay and so he'd always felt safe coming out.

Isn't that what JK is doing?

Now this is a person who's without a doubt had a lot of influence on JK in his early formative years as an Idol right down to his decision to move into a much queer friendly neighborhood of Itaewon.

They know we know. Jikook is gay.

Thankfully, there are reports of a rising number of LGBTQ plus in South Korea, a lot of allies, a lot of queer folks coming out and a lot of companies opening up to working with gay idols and aspiring idols.

It's such a relief but a lot of work still needs to be done and I stand with them on behalf of Jikook and any queer folk in SK.

My sister is helping me reach out to an LGBTQ plus advocate from Seoul for an interview for my blog. If everything goes well, I'd love for her to share her thoughts on queer passing, queer baiting and fan service within Kpop and how that affects LGBTQ youth in South K.

It's a conversation I'm really passionate about and interested in.

I love me some ships, but I also love me some queer advocacy and human rights uno? Lol.

Thing is, I may quit BTS one day, but I can never quit being me. Being human. Always put the human first is my motto.

Oh and I hear people are plotting to cancel me? Chilee. Y'all do that but:

Let it echo.

Signed,

GOLDY

[thadelightfulone]

All I Want... 25 Days of Christmas Challenge, Day 19

December 19th - Part 1

Saturday morning, DeeDee got up early to prepare for a long day outside in the cool winter air. She stood in front of the mirror smoothing down her gray knitted tunic top over her dark wash jeans. Her loose curls were pulled back into a low ponytail and she had on her favorite fluffy gray beanie. To finish the look, she picked up her gray knee-high boots and walked to the living room. 

Last night was interesting. DeeDee sat down and reflected on what happened.     

One moment, she was being congratulated for earning her Ph.D. and then she was in the arms of the man she had been dreaming about for the last few weeks. Ditched her girls for a date with said man and spent a wonderful evening with him. He went from just being an idea, to a real person and now - 

“I think I’m falling for him.” She pulled up her socks and slipped on the boots. “Lies. I fell for him the moment he called me Miss DeeDee.” She laughed, “And he is really that way in person, too. Wow.” 

She took a deep breath, looked at her watch and groaned. It was time to go, if she wanted to be at Dr. O’s place on time. DeeDee jumped up and gathered her bag. She made sure to put her camera in it. DeeDee took one last look around and locked up. 

---

Erik made it to Marquis’ place early. He couldn’t wait to see his fam again. The two people who made being away from home for school bearable and made him a part of both of their families back then. 

He looked at the big house as he drove up. The last time he was here was for Jasmine’s birth and that was almost 5 years ago. His Jazzie Bear, his favorite girl. 

Erik laughed, “Ok so, she’s not the only one anymore.” 

He parked and pulled out his bag. He had brought everyone’s gift with him instead of sending them out. 

“Well, well, well. I always knew Santa was black.” A voice called out. 

Erik shut the door and looked over to see Marquis and his two godsons approach him.

“Who are these two guys, Quis?”

“Uncle E, don’t do that. You know who we are.” One of them spoke up.

“Q? Did that big voice come out of you?”

“Yeah. It’s me.” 

Erik looked at the two of them. Two sets of dark brown eyes, light brown fades, freckles and the Oubre smile stared back at him. It looked like Marquis spit them out. He shook his head and smiled. Nearly five years and they looked like they could take him down now.

“Uncle E, think fast.” Malcolm yelled. 

Erik lowered the bag to the ground right as something flew towards him. He caught the football that Malcolm tossed and tucked it under his arm. He started running around the yard and had both boys on his heels. 

“E, over here. I’m open.” Marquis called out. 

Erik tossed the ball to him, and kept moving so Malcolm wouldn’t catch him. Q ran down his father after he caught the ball. The older men kept throwing the ball back and forth, while the younger men tried to intercept the passes.

---

DeeDee arrived to a flurry of activity in the front yard of the Oubre house. She looked out from her front window, and laughed. She watched as the football flew over the twins’ heads between Dr. O and Erik. She grinned, of course, he’s already here. 

She looked past them to the doorway, they had an audience as Serena and Jasmine watched them. She parked next to Erik’s rental and grabbed her bag.

“Godmommy!!!”

Jasmine hopped down the stairs and ran towards DeeDee. 

“Hey Lovebug!” DeeDee caught Jasmine as she launched herself into her arms. 

They shared a huge hug before DeeDee moved her onto her hip and walked towards Serena.

“Hi Hun.” Serena gave DeeDee a kiss on her cheek. “As you can see, we’re not ready to leave yet.”  

“No problem, I thought I would be late.”

“Nah, the boys saw Erik and didn’t even let him in the house.”

“I see that.” 

“Have you met Uncle E, DeeDee?” Jasmine asked her. 

“I just met him yesterday, sweetie.”

“That’s not what I heard.” Serena lifted her eyebrow at DeeDee. 

“And what have you heard Mrs. O?”

“Oh, you may have met him in-person yesterday, but that is not the first time you have uh,” Serena tapped her chin, “encountered him.”

“Oh.” DeeDee hid her face behind Jasmine’s hair.

“Yeah, and that smile tells me all I need to know.”

“Leave me alone, Serena.”

“Over Peppermint Hot Chocolate?”

“Next to the Ferris Wheel?”

“Oh, I meant right now and you talking about at the Festival.” Serena waved her off, “Girl, fine. I’ll give you time to get your story together.”

DeeDee nodded at her, “Thank you.”

“Besides, I think we’re being summoned.” 

They all looked over to the guys who finally stopped running around the yard. 

Serena walked down the front steps towards the yard. DeeDee followed after her with Jasmine still on her hip.

Marquis was holding the ball and the boys were giving Erik side hugs. DeeDee watched as he gave them both dap.

“Ya’ll ready to go?” Serena asked. 

“Go get our coats fellas. And take Uncle E’s gift bag with you.” Marquis told Q and Malcolm. 

The boys walked over to the car and grabbed the bag. “Hey DeeDee.” They waved to her on their way inside.

Jasmine squirmed in DeeDee’s arms so she put her down. 

“Uncle E!!!” Jasmine ran towards Erik.

He crouched down and when she jumped at him, he picked her up and twirled her around. 

“Hey Princess!” 

Jasmine giggled as he swung her around. DeeDee smiled as she watched the two together. Jasmine’s pink dress flared out while she kept her white stocking covered legs together. And Erik in his Hunter green pullover sweater with black jeans and boots had a permanent smile on his face as he continued to spin around with Jasmine.   

“I can’t stand those two together.” Marquis said as he walked up to DeeDee and Serena.

“Really, why?” DeeDee asked while Serena just laughed.

“Yeah, because Jazzie forgets who her real father is whenever he is here.”

“Dr. O.”

“Oh, and no more of that. You and I are here as family, no more formalities.”

“I can’t help it.”

---

“Can’t help what?” Erik walked over with Jasmine on his back.

“Uncle E, have you met my godmommy, DeeDee?”

“Your godmommy, huh?” He looked over at DeeDee and winked at her. He watched her look away bashfully. “I have not, please introduce us.” He set Jasmine down.

Jasmine walked over to DeeDee, grabbed her hand and brought her to Erik, “DeeDee, this is my goddaddy, Erik. But we all call him, Uncle E.” She turned to him, “Uncle E, this is my godmommy, DeeDee.”

Erik took DeeDee’s hand from Jasmine’s, “It’s nice to meet you, Miss DeeDee.” 

She smiled at him, “It’s nice to meet you, too, Uncle E.” She tried to keep it together, but the look on his face made her sputter with laughter. 

He pulled her in for a hug, “You know that’s not what I want you to call me.”

She pushed at his chest and bit her lip when he held her hands to his chest. “Maybe, I will. One day.”

“Glad you know it’s coming.” He pulled her hands down and continued to hold one of them. 

“You two are making me sick.” Marquis started to make gagging sounds.

“Shut up, Quis. Because that was us once upon a time.” Serena leaned into him, “Now, we have the luxury of watching Erik go through it.”

“Hey! You have to get your own DeeDee.” Jasmine jumped between them and tried to pry their hands apart, “He’s mine.”

All the adults laughed as Jasmine claimed Erik. 

“Sorry, Uncle E. Sounds like you are spoken for.” DeeDee slowly pulled her hand away from his. “And I cannot compete with her.” 

DeeDee put her hands up and stepped back towards Marquis and Serena. 

Everyone suddenly turned towards the front door where they saw Q and Malcolm bound down the steps. 

“Alright, time to go.” Marquis said, “Who’s riding with who?”

“I’ll ride with you.” DeeDee pointed to Marquis and Serena.

“Like he-,” Erik stopped himself and shook his head at DeeDee, who covered her mouth.

“DeeDee, you can ride with us.” Jasmine said, “You can have the front seat since Daddy says I’m still too small to sit there.”

“You heard her. I got the girls.” Erik guided them both to his car, “Reena, I got room if you want to get away from the overload of testosterone for a moment.”

“Nah, I can handle them, but thank you for the offer.” She waved at them as she walked over to the family SUV. “Just make sure to take care of them. They were my girls first.”

“Yes ma’am.” 

Taglist: @teakturn​ @ghostfacekill-monger​ @shaekingshitup​ @nahimjustfeelingit-writes​ @woahitslucyylu​ @ladymac82​ @bugngiz​ @eyeknowmywrites​ @ajspencer1892​ @arafatih​ @issimplyaamazinggg​ @tchallasbabymama​ @killmonger-fics​ @beautifullmelodyxx​ @raysunshine78​ @fd-writes​ @ljstraightnochaser​ @just-peachee​ @kaleidoscopeofsoul​ @sincerelykas​

[freddiesaysalright]

The Most Dramatic Season Ever - After the Final Rose

Summary: It’s your time now! You are ABC’s new Bachelorette and this is your journey! All these men (including our fav BoRhap boys and then some) are competing for your heart! Will you find love? Will you get engaged at the end? Or will you end up heartbroken? Find out, on the most dramatic season ever!

Word Count: 3.1K

Tag List:  @psychosupernatural, @someone-get-a-medic, @bensrhapsody, @deakyclicks, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession, @minigranger, @crazyweirdocalledfriday, @the-moving-finger-writes, @assembledherethevolunteers, @rose-writes-prose, @queenlover05, @moon-stars-soul, @danadeacon, @deacyblues, @thesundrop, @cupidben, @lostlittlenerd, @delilahmay39, @timmvrphy, @queenmylovely, @loveandbeloved29, @free-pool-trash, @fairestkillerqueenofall, @local-troubled-writer, @babyalienfairy, @littlecarowrites, @allthethingsicant, @im-an-adult-ish, @mirkwoodshewolf, @squishy-gay-astronaut, @sherlollydramoine, @butlegendsneverdie, @dogmom2014, @rocketrhap917, @26-7-49, @lelifesaver, @frozenhuntress67, @drowsebaby​, @mrhoemazzello​, @lookuptotheskiesandsee​, @seasidecrowbar​

A/N: The final chapter! This serves as the epilogue for this story. We catch up with Ben, Y/N, and Joe, and find out who will be the next Bachelor!

Warning(s): None :)

Night 1  Week 1  Week 2  Week 3  Week 4  Week 5  Week 6  Week 7  The Men Tell All  Week 8/Finale

After the final rose here we go!!!

Chris: Hi. Welcome to After the Final Rose. I’m Chris Harrison, and I’m here to catch you up on everything that’s happened since Y/N’s dramatic season as The Bachelorette. Last night, we watched her and Joe become happily engaged in New Zealand. But, are they still together? What has become of Ben since his breakup with Y/N? And which of Y/N’s men will be the next Bachelor? Find out tonight, right here.

The studio audience went wild with cheers.

“Thank you!” Chris called. “Thank you, Bachelor Nation! Tonight we wrap up Y/N’s crazy and romantic season. We had everything this season. From night one, Y/N was having to deal with problems among the men. No one was perhaps a bigger problem than Luke, who took issue with Y/N’s sexual liberation and independence. We had two men leave abruptly in Ireland because they just weren’t falling in love. Then, the first man to say ��I love you,’ Taron, was sent home from there as well. Y/N told the top three men from her season that she loved them, which ended up making things all the harder. And finally, after her final two dates, she realized Joe was the man for her, and had a devastating breakup with Ben, before a beautiful proposal with Joe.”

He paused.

“Now, before we get Y/N out here to talk about her life since New Zealand, there is one man that everyone is curious about,” Chris said. “And that’s Ben. Have Ben and Y/N spoken since that heartbreaking night? Is he still in love with her? How has he been coping with her newfound happiness? Well, you’re about to find out. Everyone, please welcome, Ben Hardy!”

The audience applauded and screamed as Ben emerged from backstage, looking dashing in a navy suit. He smiled and waved as people called out to him. When he made it to the stage, he shook hands with Chris before sitting down on the couch.

“Ben, welcome,” Chris said. “Thanks for coming.”

“Thanks for having me,” Ben returned.

“There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to you and Y/N, but before we get into it, let’s take a look back at your journey together.”

Everyone turned to the screen to watch. The first clip was Ben’s first introduction to you. He smiled as he watched himself step out of the limo and meet you. The video highlighted everything, from Ben admitting that he had never been in love before, his feud with Luke and beating him out for the rose on the two-on-one, his hometown, the magic of fantasy suite, the final date, and then the crushing blow. His mouth turned down as he watched you tell him again, “It’s not you.” His eyes watered at the soft, teary goodbyes. Then the screen went dark.

“So, tell me what it’s like watching that back,” Chris said.

“Uncomfortable,” Ben said, sniffling. “It still hurts to think about. Even the good times we had...it’s painful because it feels like none of it mattered.”

“None of it mattered?” Chris questioned.

“Yeah,” Ben said. “I felt like we went through all of this only for there to be nothing in the end. For me, at least.”

“Are you angry at Y/N?” Chris asked.

“I was for a little while,” Ben answered. “First, I was really sad, just heartbroken. Then I went through a phase of being a bit angry at her, even though I knew someone had to leave. But I’m not angry anymore. I’ve gotten so much support online and stuff, just a real outpouring of love, and it has definitely made me feel better. Although - I do want to say - Tweeting at me and calling Y/N a bitch is not a way to make me feel better, so if everyone could knock it off with that, I’d appreciate it. That’s not how I feel about her.”

“How do you feel about her?” Chris pressed. “Are you still in love with her?”

Ben hesitated, biting his lip. “Yeah, I am, a little bit.”

Chris paused while the audience let out soft gasps and whispered to each other.

“Well, you know she’s here,” Chris said. “Just backstage. Are you ready to see her? Do you even want to?”

“I do, actually,” Ben said. “I think emotions were high when we last saw each other, and I’d definitely like some closure.”

“Well, then,” Chris said. “Let’s bring her out. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Y/N!”

You walked out, waving to the crowd as they cheered for you. You saw Ben and felt such joy at seeing him again, you could have burst. But, the joy was different than it once was. You had missed his company and the time you shared together, but you had not missed him as a boyfriend. And that was okay.

“Hi,” you said with a smile as you stepped up on the stage.

He crossed over to you and hugged you. It was warm and familiar. And nice.

“Hey, Y/N,” he said sweetly.

“Well, you two have a seat, and we’ll talk,” Chris said.

You and Ben moved to the couch and sat beside each other. It was a bit odd to be sitting there and not holding his hand as you’d grown accustomed to during filming.

“How are you?” Ben asked you.

“I’m doing really well,” you told him. “Really well.”

“Happy?” he wondered.

“So happy,” you replied. “How are you?”

“I’m alright,” he said. “Back home in London. I’ve missed you and I had a rough time of it for a little while, but I’m doing better now.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” you said. 

“Ben, is there anything you want to ask Y/N?” Chris wondered.

“Yeah, um,” Ben began, looking at you. “The biggest thing on my mind has been...is there anything I could have done differently that might have swayed your opinion?”

“No,” you said, shaking your head. “Ben, you...you were perfect. From night one, you were perfect. We didn’t take off right away, but I knew there was going to be something really special between us. As for the end of it, there was nothing you had done wrong, and we weren’t necessarily lacking anything in the relationship. Just, things were stronger with Joe and - like I told you that night - I couldn’t picture my life without him in it.”

“You could picture life without me, though?” he asked.

“It made me ache, but yeah,” you said. “I’m sorry if that’s hurtful to hear.”

“Not as bad as I thought,” he replied with a small smile. “But I’m sure you understand, I was going over everything in my mind, and watching it back every week, so naturally, I wondered.”

“Of course,” you said. “I did the same thing after Peter’s season.”

“So, you don’t question your decision at all?” he asked.

“I don’t, no,” you said. “I think it was absolutely the right choice. For both of us.”

“That’s fair,” he said. “I’m glad things are going alright with you, and I hope your life is happy.”

“I wish you the same,” you returned. “You’re a great guy, Ben. You deserve love and happiness.”

“Thank you.”

You smiled at each other. There was still some hurt you could see in his eyes, but it was not as much as that night back in New Zealand. He was healing. You had faith that he would find that person to be his partner.

“Alright, Y/N,” Chris said. “I’m gonna let you head back and we’ll see you again in a little bit.”

You reached out and gave Ben’s hand a squeeze before getting up and exiting backstage, amongst more cheers from the crowd.

When you were gone, Chris looked at Ben.

“Feel better?” Chris asked.

“A bit, yeah,” Ben said. “It’s still painful, but I’ll move on. She’s a wonderful woman, and I’m happy for her.”

“If you are ready to move on,” Chris said. “I’d like to extend an invitation for you to come to Mexico and join our cast of Bachelor in Paradise.”

The crowd went wild at the notion. Ben laughed and flushed under the excitement.

“Well?” Chris pressed.

“I’m afraid I’m not quite ready for that,” Ben chuckled. “I don’t think I could go there with my heart still belonging to Y/N a little bit, it wouldn’t be fair to the women there.”

The audience released a collective, disappointed, “Awwwww,” but Chris waved them off.

“I appreciate your honesty and your vulnerability, Ben,” he said. “I wish you all the best, and hopefully one day we will see you on that beach.”

Ben laughed.

“We’ll be back in a little bit with Y/N and Joe,” Chris said to the camera. “How has life been since their engagement in New Zealand? Are they still together? Find out, right after this.”

The show went to commercial. Ben shook Chris’s hand and then exited the stage.

After a few minutes Chris welcomed everyone back.

“Everyone, please welcome, Y/N and Joe!”

You and Joe headed out toward the platform, smiling and waving at everyone as you passed. Hand in hand, you made it to the couch. Finally, you could be seen together in public and proud. It felt like such a weight lifted.

“Hey there, you two,” Chris said as you all took seats on the couches. “So, it looks like things are good,” he said, indicating your intertwined hands.

“Things are great!” you chirped. “We’re still engaged and going strong.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Chris said. “Especially after the last couple seasons we’ve had.”

Everyone laughed a little.

“So, tell me what it’s been like for you two since filming ended,” he said. “You had your trip together after the engagement, and what’s the plan going forward?”

“Well, Y/N is moving to New York,” Joe said. “We’ve almost got all her stuff there, but now we’re living together like ninety percent of the time.”

“How are you liking New York?” Chris asked you.

“I love New York,” you told him. Then you looked at Joe. “But mostly the people in it.”

You beamed at each other.

“That’s sweet,” Chris said. “Are you moving into Joe’s place or have you picked somewhere new?”

“We bought a house,” Joe said. “Y/N and I picked it together so it feels like ours.”

“It’s really close to the restaurant,” you went on. “And in a really good school district.”

“Oh, this is something you plan on making a permanent home?” Chris said.

“Yeah,” you said. “We want our family to have something stable. And that starts with the home we make together.”

“Any wedding plans?” he wondered.

“We have actually set a date!” you said excitedly.

“April 3rd, next year,” Joe said. “We can’t wait to get married, and we don’t want to waste any time.”

“Congratulations to you!” Chris said. “Now, Joe, I wanna talk to you for a minute and ask, what was it like watching the season back, and then seeing that finale and what it was like for you to watch Y/N end things with Ben?”

“Honestly, I cried watching their breakup,” Joe said with a light chuckle. “I mean, it’s not easy watching her with the other men - it wasn’t during filming - but, seeing her choose me, out of all the great relationships she had - especially the one she had with Ben - makes me feel more confident than ever.”

“Did she tell you that she had broken things off with Ben the night before the proposal?” Chris asked.

“She did,” Joe answered. “While we were on our little vacation, she explained that she sent Ben home and the reasons that she had for doing it. It made sense to me and I respected what she did. The last thing I’d want is for her to be recovering from that while saying yes to me. It was a good way to give each relationship the proper treatment.”

“So, you two have watched the whole season back,” Chris said. “How does it feel to be where you are now?”

“It feels amazing,” you said. “I mean, Joe was so funny as the season was airing, he would like, text me about the episode and say something like, ‘Can’t believe you broke Taron’s heart like this’ and all that, so we tried not to get too emotional about it. But looking back, I feel like all of it was so worth it because it brought us together.”

“Now, throughout the season, it appeared that Joe was a front runner,” Chris said. “Did you know from the beginning maybe that it would be him?”

“I thought it was a strong possibility,” you said. “But I honestly didn’t know until that night after our last date. I always knew that Joe and I were solid and strong. I had a feeling he would be one of the final men, but toward the end, as feelings developed in other relationships, I wasn’t totally sure it was him. I am now, but at the time, I had a really tough choice to make.”

“Joe, did you think it would be you?” Chris asked.

“I felt good about our relationship the whole time,” Joe said. “But there’s always that worry, it's not what you think. Because during filming, we don’t see the other relationships progressing and how she feels about them. I didn’t even know she had told other men she loved them. And on the day of the proposal, I didn’t know that she had already sent Ben home. So, yeah, as good as I felt about us, I could never be totally sure.”

“Well, it certainly does seem to have worked out,” Chris said. “Anything else going on with you two?”

You and Joe exchanged a look and then both shrugged.

“Nothing really, except moving in together and wedding stuff,” you said. “The excitement of the show is over, and we’re ready to settle down.”

“Yeah, getting our own routine down and settling into regular life has been great,” Joe said. “We’re looking forward to what the future holds.”

“Hopefully, it’s all happiness and love,” Chris said. He turned to the camera. “We’ll be back in just a few minutes with the announcement of your new Bachelor! Stay tuned.”

The show went to commercial. Chris shook both your hands and the three of you chatted for a bit while the audience took time to use the restroom and things like that. When the show came back, the three of you still sat on the stage.

“Welcome back to After the Final Rose,” Chris said. “I’m here with Y/N and Joe and we’ve been talking about their very promising future. But what about the future of Bachelor Nation? Well, we’re gonna get right to that.”

“Oh, Chris,” you interjected. “Can I?”

He chuckled. “Sure. Just look right there,” he indicated the teleprompter. “And read it with all the excitement I know you have.”

You beamed and looked into the camera.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” you said, trying to contain yourself because you were so thrilled about the choice. “Please welcome your new Bachelor, Gwilym Lee!”

The studio erupted into applause and cheers, you and Joe included, as Gwilym emerged from backstage. He grinned a bit bashfully at the support he was getting. He finally reached the platform where he was engulfed by you and Joe’s arms around him. You both greeted him warmly as the noise began to die down.

“Hey, congratulations, you two,” Gwilym said. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks, man,” Joe said, and they clapped hands.

“Thank you,” you added, and Gwil kissed your cheek.

“Well, Joe and Y/N, you’re old news now,” Chris joked, and all of you laughed. “Why don’t guys head backstage, so I can talk to our new Bachelor?”

“Sure,” you agreed. “Congrats, Gwil!”

“You’ll be great!” Joe said, and you both began to walk away, waving to Gwil and the audience as you did.

Gwilym chuckled as he watched you and Joe disappear, then returned his attention to Chris.

“So, Gwilym, how does it feel?” Chris asked. “You’re the new Bachelor!”

“I’m still in shock a bit, actually,” Gwilym replied. “I can hardly believe it.”

“What lessons are you going to take from Y/N’s season into your own?” Chris wondered.

“I’m definitely going to be conscious of what it’s like being on the other side,” Gwilym answered. “Y/N certainly was, and I really admired that. I’ll definitely want the women to know that I understand being in their shoes. That, and giving every relationship a chance to thrive, but acting quickly if I know it’s not right. I don’t want to waste any time, since we have so little of it.”

“Now, are you concerned at all that the issue of being ready to propose or saying I love you will come up again?” Chris asked.

“Well, not so much now that I’m the one in control,” Gwilym said. “I know that I’ll want to save that I love you for the proposal - should I get there - because I won’t be concerned about the women having feelings for someone else.”

“Have you sought any advice from previous Bachelors?” Chris continued.

“A few of them have reached out to me, since the news has been known among us for a while,” Gwilym said. “Arie reached out, as did Colton, Sean Lowe, and even Ben Higgins. So, I’m getting a lot of tips, and I’m sure I’ll get even more.”

“Are you nervous at all?” Chris pressed.

“Oh, incredibly,” Gwilym said. “I’m dreading rose ceremonies and things like that. But, ultimately the goal is to find love. Seeing how it worked out for Y/N and Joe makes me really hopeful.”

“So there’s an element of excitement too?” Chris asked.

“Naturally,” Gwilym returned. “I just hope I’m capable and that I find what I’m looking for.”

“How does your family feel about you taking this on?”

“They were apprehensive initially,” Gwilym explained. “But I assured them that the feelings are real and that I’m prepared to give my heart to this journey.”

You and Joe watched the interview from backstage. You recalled your own interview when you were first named the Bachelorette, and the storm of emotions that came with that, and felt a twinge of sadness that it was all over. Then you looked over at Joe. The man this show had brought you to. The man you would spend forever with, and you were filled with gratitude. 

Your journey was not quite over, after all. You had a whole new one to look forward to.

[itach-i]

“We’ll See” (Manorian) (Chapter 2)

_____________________________________________________________

After the war at Orynth, Manon Blackbeak and Dorian Havilliard decided that rebuilding their kingdoms would be the best course of action, leaving whatever they felt for each other up in the air. What happens when they finally make time to see each other again? (Link on ff.net)

________________________________________________________________

Spring - Chapter 1 ________________________________________________________________

Broken Glass - Chapter 2

Dorian

Dorian cringed as he realized that his constant pacing might very well cause a hole in the guest room at the Westfall Fortress. Calming himself, Dorian looked out and was disappointed to see the sun just begin to rise lazily over the mountains. Although he had been very nervous and anxious about his meeting with Manon after months apart and leaving things so up in the air, he did not expect sleep to evade him as it had.

There had been a lot of thinking done since the Witch-Queen accepted the offer to meet up in Anielle, and most of it had nothing to do with business or politics and all to do with him wanting to share meals, stories…a bed.

He even stupidly wondered if she had met someone. He knew a good number of Fae had moved to the Wastes, knew there were plenty of males and females who whispered about her beauty, even while in the middle of battle back in Orynth. There was no way she hadn't received come-ons since then, especially when she was so venerated.

His letter had been titled 'Princeling' however, and Dorian was a little ashamed to admit that he kept the thing on his nightstand, if only because his budding and confusing feelings for her had only intensified.

His magic made him turn toward the window and through the dark he could've sworn-

The boom of wings, familiar even after all these months apart made his heart skip a beat and Dorian didn't care that it was barely dawn and he looked like he had not slept since getting there, the king sped out of there like he was being chased, going out into the emptied courtyard that had been prepped for this very reason and watching, entranced, as a small adult wyvern landed on the dirt ground a few feet in front of him.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her white hair was unbound and wind-kissed, falling alluringly over her shoulders in a way that made him want to run his hands through it. The face was what really blew him away though, especially with that small smile that made his chest feel tight.

Manon Blackbeak-Crochan dropped down from her wyvern in one swift motion and watched him carefully, the smile still in place as she said, "hello, princeling."

There were a million questions he wanted to ask, a million things he wanted to tell her, but he only grinned back. "Hello, witchling," he breathed out before walking forward.

The fresh spring sunrise, even in Anielle, made her absolutely shimmer and Dorian hesitated for only a moment before he asked, "can-may we hug?"

Manon seemed to need a few seconds before she focused on what he was saying, as if she had been drinking him in too. He didn't have to wait for an answer as she went forward herself and oh, he could have melted at the hug, at the feeling of her pressed against him, the scent of winter winds and cool night air enveloping him, filling in an emptiness he hadn't even realized existed before.

Home.

That's what she felt like.

Dorian hadn't noticed how tightly he was hugging her until he felt a wiggle, and he moved away, apologies on his lips before he caught the expression on her face.

"Sorry, someone doesn't like being squished."

Confusion overtook him as Manon unbuttoned the top part of her leathers. Dorian's jaw dropped as the cutest kitten he had ever seen popped it's little white and gray head out, meowing loudly. "Oh, my Wyrd," he exclaimed as the witch took the little creature out and cradled it delicately in her hands.

"This is Nieve," she muttered.

Regaining his manhood, Dorian held back a squeal. "You got a kitten?" He asked and the face she made had him chuckling.

"I suppose I did," Manon said as the king patted the little one's head and the kitten blinked large green eyes at him. From her tone, he wondered who among Glennis, Petrah, and Brownen had managed to convince her to keep it. Maybe a mix of all three.

When Nieve meowed again, Dorian spoke. "We should go inside, just in case she gets too cold."

Manon turned to Abraxos just as a guard bowed low to both of them. "We have accommodations for your wyvern, Your Majesty."

The witch seemed surprised, and after a look of confirmation from Dorian who knew that the stable had been outfitted to fit a wyvern comfortably, she nodded to the guard. A quick goodbye to Abraxos, who sniffed at the kitten once before giving a slight nuzzle to Manon and they were inside the fortress walking along the hallway Dorian had been sprinting through only minutes before.

"Would you like to hold her?" Manon asked after a moment and Dorian tried to keep his excitement in as he nodded.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring any guards with you," he said as the kitten took one look at who was holding her and attempted to climb the new obstacle. The obstacle being Dorian's chest.

"They'll be here in a couple of hours, once they notice I'm gone."

Dorian laughed. "And I thought I was being sneaky when I left my tower two weeks ago through the window. Took my guards about an hour to notice I was gone, and the panic that spread was so intense, I haven't tried it again."

Manon huffed in amusement as she took in the barren walls and old sconces doting the hallway. "I wanted to get here first." She looked at him then, and despite having a kitten trying to climb up his head using surprisingly sharp claws, he was struck by her expression. Gods, she was beautiful.

"I'm glad you got here first," he answered sincerely. Before he got too distracted and tried to kiss her, he added, "Lord Westfall has a room prepped for you on the other side of the fortress. I can take you there if you want or…"

Unsure of where they stood, he met those burnt gold eyes and wondered how he was going to stop his heart from breaking if she decided to stay away from him, even if they were still in the same building.

"Or?" She asked.

He smiled, red tinting his cheeks. "Or you could stay with me."

They stared at each other for a moment, Dorian wondering if he had been too forward. Manon opened her mouth-

"I thought I heard a wyvern land," someone else interrupted, and it took a second for the King of Adarlan to turn his gaze.

Yrene stood before them, in a lovely spring dress that complemented her eyes and left space for her large belly. Her smile was wide as she took in Manon. "Your Majesty," she said happily as she gave a short bow in the witch's direction.

Manon raised an eyebrow as she nodded back. "Hello Yrene, you know you don't have to call me that."

Yrene just waved her off before those hazel eyes bulged. "Is that a kitten?!"

By the time they had made it to the common room, Yrene had been hissed and pawed at twice before Manon could convince the tiny cat that she wasn't an enemy wanting to take her away.

Chaol's father, Lord Westfall sat at the front of a large fireplace his son speaking to him in a low voice next to him. Dorian didn't need to use his magic to know the King's Hand was trying desperately to have his father behave in front of foreign royalty. He couldn't wait to see how the Lord of Anielle and the Witch-Queen would interact.

Chaol noticed them first and cleared his throat before lowering his head as far as his spine would allow. With Yrene's progressing pregnancy, he had less help from her magic and would need his chair more often, not that it concerned him. "Your Majesty," he greeted sternly, "welcome to Anielle. Thank you for joining us."

Dorian smiled at his friend, who gave his father a quick look as the old man spoke. "So, you're the Witch-Queen?" He paused and observed Manon closely. "I hope the title was gained through your competence and not your looks."

Chaol appeared absolutely mortified, while Yrene and Dorian shared a wide look. Manon, however, was calm as could be as she simply said, "your home is lovely."

Lord Westfall seemed unconvinced. "Yes, well, please do not interrupt the work being done here." If the old man meant the work Dorian and Chaol had been doing with the ruhkin or the fact that the man had gotten into his head that he somehow had influence over any sort of decision made by Adarlan, Dorian couldn't begin to guess.

His witchling only gave the lord a smile that would send lesser men running. "I'm sure with a king like the one you have; nothing will hinder any work you have going." Dorian could have kissed her as he held back a grin.

A sneer was her answer, but then Lord Westfall seemed to notice something, especially as it meowed several times and made Yrene scramble to keep the little one in her arms. He outright glared at Manon, and Dorian knew for a fact that the man had never encountered a witch before, or he would have been extensively more careful with what he said and did around someone who could literally skin him alive without much effort.

"Animals of any kind are not allowed within these walls. They carry and propagate diseases. I'm sure the stablemen can find a spot for the beast outside this keep."

As amusing as it was watching Chaol's father face off against Manon, there was a line being drawn here that Dorian was not a fan of letting it be crossed. "With how good the witch healers are, I'm sure Nieve carries no diseases," he informed charmingly, "and you are speaking to royalty here, Lord Westfall, I'm sure Her Majesty will keep the kitten secure."

The man only scowled before asking to be dismissed as his breakfast would be served soon and he preferred eating alone.

"Good riddance," Yrene muttered, low enough for only Manon and Dorian to hear and causing both of them to smile. When they were finally out of earshot and able to breathe better Chaol, who had followed after them, let out a breath in relief.

"Now that that's over with…breakfast?"

Even though she nodded along with Dorian and Yrene, Manon went for Nieve. "I should set her up in a room first, it's been a long trip and she's very hungry." Considering how the kitten was meowing like it truly was near starvation, Manon was wise to want to feed her.

"I think I'd be screaming just as loudly if I wasn't a human," Yrene cut in, "come love, I need chocolate."

As Chaol was dragged away in his chair, both Manon and Dorian chuckled as they overheard him say "chocolate for breakfast? I think not" followed by a low growl that made Dorian glad he wasn't at the receiving end of.

Left alone with a loud kitten, the king swallowed nervously as he faced Manon. "So-"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"What?"

"I'd like to share a room with you," Manon clarified and as he smiled, she added, "just as long as you don't mind some extra company." She lifted the kitten, who mewled like she knew they were talking about her.

Dorian bowed low, "I'd be honored." ________________________________________________________________

Manon

Her witches arrived a little earlier than she expected, and Manon wondered what Dorian was thinking when one of her two guards, a young Yellowlegs witch named Ash snarled at her for leaving without them. That spitfire attitude and her intense loyalty were the main reasons Manon herself had selected the witch from among many volunteers.

"You do know she is our queen, right? Regardless of how thoughtless some of her decisions are you should show respect."

Manon narrowed her eyes at her other guard, a Crochan witch who appeared and acted more like a Blackbeak with dark hair and eyes called Skye. Where Ash was all recklessness and fire, Skye was the calm before the storm, intelligent and logical. Brownen had introduced her to Manon not two days after their arrival at the Wastes, and she had proven herself enough that she stood here now, a soot-black wyvern in tow.

"I expected you both an hour from now," was the only thing Manon replied as the wyverns were led to the stables where Abraxos was currently staying in. "Nice job."

"A test?!" Ash demanded, enraged.

Manon only shrugged, uncaring as she faced Dorian, who was eyeing the two witches with an expression the Witch-Queen didn't want to identify. He caught himself as Skye remembered her manners. "Your Majesty," she said, bowing at Dorian. "I am Skye Crochan and this fool is Ash Yellowlegs."

The Yellowlegs scoffed, but joined in on the bow, her wild tangle of blond hair barely contained within her war braids. Dorian smiled at them both, the expression from before now gone. "It's nice to meet you both."

He met eyes with Manon, "ready for the ruhkin?"

The witch nodded, going over what he had told her as she had prepared a small pen for Nieve to stay in back in their room and after a shared breakfast of eggs, meats, and toast. The ruhkin and the wyvern eggs had been camping out near Anielle for the past few months on a nearby mountain that had a road which connected to the town below. Ideally, they would be moving to the Ferian Gap, if not to live there permanently, then to use it as a place to train both wyverns and riders until they were ready to return to Rifthold. Ruhks were also brought in, to Manon's surprise, and new hatchlings would be raised and trained next to wyverns, both to get them used to each other and form bonds.

During her time in the Wastes, Manon had taken up lessons and read books on history and culture. It had been slow to start at first, especially when her thoughts would constantly drift, but it had been worth it and when Dorian introduced her to Iaras and Nebur, a pair of sibling riders that had been chosen to lead the host in Adarlan she was at least partially acquainted with their culture and hierarchy.

The duo, who didn't particularly look like siblings apart from being of the same territory, had bowed and offered a greeting in Halha to which she responded in kind. The silence afterward had made her blink, wondering if her pronunciation had been wrong and she had said something offensive in its place.

"You speak Halha?" Iaras had asked, her voice deep and fitting for her stature, as tall or taller than Dorian even when she was a woman.

Manon had understood the question but reverted back to the common tongue. "I've only learned some of the basics. A family that had been based in Antica and fought in the war decided to make the Wastes their home with us. One of the older siblings had been a scholar and offered to tutor me every so often." For some reason, Dorian had stared at her like she was a different person, the admiration being mirrored in the siblings' faces. It made Manon fall quiet.

Nebur grinned, his ruggedly handsome face crinkling. "You honor us, Your Majesty, you seem to be as lovely as you look."

The clear suggestive tone made Manon raise an amused eyebrow as Dorian cleared his throat and Iaras shook her head. "Ignore him, Your Majesties, he is shameless. Please, let us show you how we keep the hatchlings before you decide to end this whole thing altogether."

Manon had been impressed by the resourcefulness of the ruhkin. Not only did their camp appear more like a town than a temporary garrison, the little information they got from the witches before the leave in Orynth was used to the fullest. They utilized greenhouses to simulate a warm nesting ground and positioned the few grown wyverns they had in strategic places where makeshift aeries had been made of wood and lightweight brick.

The camp itself had the tents and small buildings where hearths and living spaces were kept. A small market and school were even present in the center plaza, which consisted of a recently built stone well that served as the village center. At this altitude even the warmth of spring couldn't reach, and snow still covered most of the open areas. The cold reminded Manon of the Wastes and she wondered how exactly Dorian noticed her distraction when he had asked about her thoughts whilst in the middle of their tour.

They ended up staying for a good number of hours planning, meeting, and looking over the grown wyverns, the handful of hatchlings, and the eggs. Although Manon had very little experience with young wyverns, an Overseer back in Morath had spent a week showing her the pens within the mountains and taught her about how they figured out when and where to separate wyverns and if a hatchling was even viable to begin with.

The rukhin siblings had listened to her closely, even with Nebur's charming compliments whenever she had something to say. After sharing a lunch with a group of potential wyvern riders, Manon and Dorian finally made their way back to the forest directly next to the Westfall fortress. They had chatted excitedly the entire way, and Manon felt herself smiling more than she ever had, especially when the king seemed to be as interested in the development of the aerial legion as she had.

There was a moment, however, where Dorian stopped, and Manon felt a hint of nerves as he waited for her to stand next to him. His smile was still present, which kept her worries at bay, but the way he was looking at her made the witch reconsider their day together. She supposed there was still much to talk about, and although they were sharing a room, neither had made a move for intimacy, not that it had been easy to do with the schedule they carried.

"I know there are a lot of things right now that need our attention," he began and the way the sun reflected on his dark hair, a bit longer than she last saw him, made him look all the more beautiful. "And I also know that despite all the good news going on with our kingdoms, there is still a lot of work to be done."

Manon nodded, because he seemed to need it. Slowly, tantalizingly, Dorian lifted a hand and when he placed it on her cheek, she couldn't help but get closer, her eyes dropping to his lips. Yes, there were many things to talk about, many questions unanswered, but there had been a need building within her from the moment she saw him. She could see it in his eyes too, the want to be alone.

"I'm surprised it took you this long, princeling," she teased, her voice dropping into a purr that made his eyes flash.

Warmth began to pool in her belly as he leaned down. His hand dropped from her neck to her waist, the blatant possession breaking the fog she had been living with and replacing it with sapphire-colored starlight. He smirked as his lips brushed hers. "It's worth it, the wait for you."

Manon couldn't help herself as she initiated the kiss, closing the distance and tasting home as he responded readily, as hungry as she was. Her hands traveled up from his hips to his neck and the groan he gave her only made her want him closer. She might have said it into the kiss, because Dorian was suddenly picking her up, her legs hooking around his waist as he placed her against a tree.

Manon would have allowed him to take her right there if he wanted to, even with the cold or potentially prying eyes, but he broke the kiss and when she growled in protest he chuckled.

"As much as I would like to have you against this tree," he told her as he pressed his body against hers causing Manon to breath out. "I want to take all the time I need while I worship you."

She went for his face and kissed him again, but it was softer this time, more a promise than anything else. "We do share a room," Manon muttered and the smile he gave her made her consider just stripping off everything right there and then instead of waiting until they got to the room. ________________________________________________________________

Dorian

It was almost painful to extricate himself from her, to place the witch down and settle for holding her hand as they both hurried to the fortress. Dorian took her through the servant quarters, avoiding anyone that came close and stealing kisses as they went as if they were in one of the many romance novels he enjoyed reading.

They had time to themselves until dinner, and Dorian would make sure he spent that time wisely. As they passed the last corner that lead into their room, his mind already coming up with ways to enjoy themselves, Manon suddenly froze. So intense was her change, that Dorian's magic surged as it searched for the source of her fear. Because it was fear that was going through her as she said, "the door is open."

Thinking she could sense someone in there, Dorian used his magic to check ahead, but when he found nothing, he just looked back at her. The witch went for the door and when he followed her in, he finally understood. Although everything in the room was untouched and their things were exactly where they left them, just as the door, the small balcony screen was wide open, the chill air making the curtains rustle.

Manon dropped in front of the small pen she had so carefully prepared that morning, the blankets and toys were tossed around, but the small box filled with hay so that the kitten had a place to relieve itself in the corner was untouched. Only the food was gone, which the kitten had eaten while he and Manon had still been in the room. He remembered they had left the little one cuddled up to a stuffed toy under a blanket, warm and safe.

"We'll find her, alright?" Dorian said as he went to the balcony and prayed the kitten wasn't splattered on the cobblestone below. He rushed back into the room when he saw nothing of the sort or any evidence that the kitten had been out in the balcony at all. "She must be somewhere close."

But Manon wasn't listening and as the king stopped his searching for long enough to notice he knew Chaol had been right. She was on her knees, head tilted down, shoulders in, looking as broken and sad as she had that first night he found her in the aerie next to Abraxos back in Orynth.

His heart broke at the sight, at the thoughts that had filled his mind all day when he saw her smile and joke and wanting him. He shouldn't have let what he saw on the surface fool him. Manon wasn't fine, she was thinner, had gone ahead of her sentinels because she couldn't sleep, and although interested in what ruhkin were doing with the wyverns he had caught her losing focus and being distracted. And although she ate that morning and during lunch the portions had been meager, as if she couldn't bring herself to eat more.

Stupid of him, to ignore it all because he had been living in his own little perfect fantasy. Selfish of him too, especially because what he saw now was a witch who had been walking on glass since she left Orynth and a single wrong step would send her crashing. The kitten going missing was the breaking point.

Determination filled him as Dorian focused. He would help his witchling, and make sure he wouldn't make the same mistake again. Manon's sentinels had been left back at the camp to help with some of the grown wyverns and there had been no guards in front of their room because there had been no one in there to guard. Except for a tiny, very important, kitten. Whatever had happened, there probably hadn't been any witnesses.

So the king reached out with his magic and searched for Yrene with it, letting her know that he needed help with a brush against her own healing magic. He wouldn't leave Manon's side, even when he knew every second counted when it came to retrieving Nieve.

Both Chaol and Yrene came soon after, along with a half dozen guards, and while the healer immediately went to Manon, Dorian quickly explained to Chaol what had happened. The man nodded along with what his king said and Dorian had never loved his brother as much as he did that moment when Chaol only said, "I'll handle it, stay with her." ________________________________________________________________

Chaol

Chaol Westfall did not spend much time observing the witch or the fact that his wife was quietly trying to get Manon to lower her hands from her ears, as if the broken Witch-Queen had wanted to shut all sound out.

He turned to Dorian. "I'll handle it, stay with her."

The king thanked him, relieved, and the Hand didn't think too long on how terrified Dorian was, the concern so deeply etched in his face that Chaol feared the man was already too far down in his love for the witch to get back up.

So, he did what any friend would do. What any brother would do.

He took care of it.

With a quick motion, he ordered all the guards out of the room. Once in the hallway he sent five of the six away in search of the cat. To the last one he asked, "where's my father?"

Because nothing went on in the fortress without his father knowing and the fact that both the door and the balcony screen had been open while nothing had been taken was a clear indication that this entire thing could be internally orchestrated. Despite the letters Chaol, his mother, and brother now shared and even when his father seemed at least pleased that Chaol was about to become a father himself, the man still had plenty of problems that they still had to work on.

Hardly relying on his cane with the surge of Yrene's healing magic coursing through him, the King's Hand practically barreled through the double doors that led to his father's study on the western edge of the complex.

Lord Westfall glared daggers at him as Chaol made his way to the desk. "You may be my son, but barging in like this is-"

"Where's the cat?" Chaol cut in, his voice as sharp as the look he was receiving from his father.

Lord Westfall didn't even bother to look surprised as he asked, bitterly, "what cat?"

Knowing nightfall was approaching and also aware of how this was affecting not just Manon, but her entire kingdom, Chaol cut all corners. "You're going to listen to what I'm about to tell you and you will not, under any circumstances, interrupt me. Am I clear?"

There was pure distaste in his father's eyes, but the man said nothing as he sat back in his expensive leather chair. At least he was willing to listen.

"Manon Blackbeak not only defied and fought against her own people for the good of Erilea and the world, she aided Terassen in its call for help, saved your King on two separate occasions, risked her life multiple times, and was a key player in keeping all of us safe and alive. And because I know your memory seems to fail you in your old age, she also lost her entire family that day and she is still grieving heavily because of it."

He paused to take breath and to also allow the words to settle and permeate.

"So not only is she a new queen of a new kingdom, she also has to deal with uniting a people who had been at war for centuries, protecting her new vulnerable borders, and actively form alliances. She's here to help us, help Adarlan, when she could have refused. And she is doing all this while having lost all twelve of her sisters mere months ago. I know you heard Yrene when she spoke to me this morning on how pets can help tremendously in the grieving process. So, not only do you insult her presence here by telling her animals are not allowed but after knowing how deep her grief is you decide to be the villain and take her cat too?"

Fury danced freely in Chaol's eyes, his hand shaking as he gripped his cane so hard his knuckles were beginning to hurt. Because he knew what pain was, had watched Dorian go through it, Aelin, had experienced it himself while in the southern continent. He was done with it and he was not about to let his own father continue to propagate it.

Lord Westfall's jaw shifted, his teeth gritted, as he took his time arranging the papers on his large mahogany desk and cleared his throat.

When Chaol was about to tell him that he would do nothing to protect him if Dorian came down for a talk later, the man spoke. "I had a servant take the cat to the stables with Her Majesty's wyvern. I'm sure the two beasts are fine."

The King's Hand wasted no time, slamming the door to the study behind him as he practically ran to the stables, ignoring the stinging in his back as he did so. The wyverns all had large open wooden stables built to the north side of the fortress, on the highest elevated part of the structure, and remained free to hunt and roam in the nearby forest for game and, in Abraxos' case, to lay in the new spring flowers that bloomed even in Anielle. The issue with these stables was how cold it could get. While the wyverns enjoyed it, Chaol worried the tiny cat wouldn't be able to survive the temperature for very long.

The man had no need to worry as he spotted Abraxos curled up in the middle of the five stables, the two other wyverns that had come with the witches were busy snoozing closer to the tree line. Unused to being so close to Abraxos, and mindful that his rider wasn't here, Chaol kept his distance as the scarred head turned to him.

"Um, hello Abraxos."

Did wyverns understand? What kind of commands did this ancient animal even know?

"Is the kitten-is Nieve with you?" Please just let the kitten be alive, please.

Impossibly, Abraxos perked at the sound of the cat's name and the wyvern carefully lifted its spread wing to reveal a tiny little bundle curled up against the scale-less stomach. Alive, breathing, and meowing loudly as it spotted Chaol watching even from the relative distance.

"Okay, don't eat me, I just want to take the cat back to Manon, okay?" He told Abraxos, feeling dumb the entire time. "I'm taking Nieve to Manon," he repeated slowly.

That large tail started moving, and Chaol swore the wyvern was watching him in amusement as the man inched forward until he was practically within the stable. Heart beating fast, Chaol muttered about the many ways Dorian would repay him as he took the kitten and backed away like Abraxos might reconsider and take a chunk out of him. ________________________________________________________________

Dorian

It felt like an eternity since Chaol had left with the guards and when he came back. Dorian had felt utterly powerless as Manon had succumbed further into a spiral, looking for all intents and purposes utterly defeated. Not even Yrene's whispers of comfort got through her, and although Dorian wanted to help, he had no idea of what to say, because he recognized the look in her glazed eyes. He had experienced something similar when he lost Sorscha, when he had been trapped by the Wyrdstone collar, a Valg prince inside him.

He had been softly stroking her hair when Chaol rushed in, breathing heavily and leaning into his cane while in his free hand-

Yrene stood up with an 'oh!,' before taking the kitten, tears already forming in her eyes as she went back to Manon and Dorian. The latter spoke. "Nieve's right here, Manon. She's fine and safe. Chaol found her."

Recognizing the witch, the kitten positively screamed, fighting against Yrene and dropping into Manon's waiting hands. As if a veil had been lifted, that beautiful face regained motion and Dorian felt emotion rise within him as he watched her lift the purring kitten and take her close to her chest.

She looked behind them, to Chaol, who was still catching his breath. "Thank you."

Even Dorian smiled at the redness in his Hand's cheeks as the man bowed. "Anytime, Your Majesty." ________________________________________________________________

*'Nieve' is Spanish for 'snow' and is pronounced knee-eh-veh. Within tog the cat isn't a specific breed, but for the sake of how I imagine her, Nieve is a white and gray Siberian Cat, so she's going to grow quite big and fluffy.

Tags: @rufousnmacska (my lovely beta), @awesomelena555, @bookishwitchling  If you’d like to be included in the tags, please let me know!

Thank you! My other Manorian fics.

[broadmoored]

sickness and health | chris&colton

Though it was impossible to ignore, Chris wouldn’t admit that his palms were damp as he walked down the empty hallway. Behind him, the din of a wedding reception in full swing reached every corner of the venue, but he rounded the corner further away from it all, excusing himself with a pressed smile as someone exited the men’s room past him. 

The gesture dropped off his lips the moment he stepped through the doorway, eyes scanning with an apprehension that had tugged at him since he first started noticing his brother’s periodic absence from the crowds of guests. Though Chris was swept up into conversations and congratulations constantly throughout the afternoon, he didn’t fail to store away the memory of his brother’s speech early in the reception. Though touching, it was delivered with a step more sway than others in attendance, with a slipperier tongue than the adults.

Chris could still almost taste the kiss he’d left his now wife with as he whispered he’d return shortly after taking care of something. And it was with care that he stepped around the large bathroom, closing in on the tall man hunched over a sink. 

Chris’s, “Hey,” was met with quiet and from the shallow breathing alone, he could tell what was holding Colton back from a conversation. When the younger Broadmoor did speak, it was a slurred, “You shouldn’t be here,” paired with a half-turn in his brother’s direction. 

And whatever answer Chris could’ve mustered was cut off by a knee-jerk reaction, one so swift that his muscles tensed achingly the instant Colton swayed too far and almost took himself off his own feet. Chris’s arm was around his brother’s lower back in an instant regardless of how reluctant the younger was to it. His grip made it clear he wasn’t going to let go no matter the muffled protests of, “I’m fine.”

“I know you are,” Chris groaned as he shifted Colton’s weight against himself, lamenting that there was nowhere to seat his unsteady little brother but on a toilet. “I know you are.”

It was a sloppy process, the attempt to keep their similarly long limbs from tangling as Chris supported Colton’s body into a stall that was not built with two men over six feet in mind. Chris’s elbows and knees knocked in places he knew would hurt in the morning but he was singularly focused on setting his brother down. It was only when Colton was securely sitting, though slumped over on himself, that Chris drew to his full height, loosening the bow tie around his neck to ease his restless fingers and dry throat. 

If there was any doubt in his mind about staying crammed inside that stall until his brother could stand again, it was diminished by the sight of Colton looking smaller then than he had even as a child. Chris leaned back against the very wall that had assaulted his hip bone a moment earlier and ran both hands through his groomed-to-perfection blonde locks.

“I thought you were having a good day today, kid,” he sighed, his own voice sounding too disruptive of the delicate peace between them. “You looked like you were having a good time seeing some of your old friends again.” Perhaps he thought Colton would pick up the conversation without any prompting and elaborate on his own. But Colton’s head remained heavy in his hands and Chris asked in a desperate bid to understand, “What happened?”

If disappointment had a sound it would be the silence between them just before, “I don’t know, Chris. I don’t know.”

A deep exhale passed Chris’s nose and at once his mind was working on a different angle to push, to gain the answers he wanted- no- needed. “Listen, if you didn’t wanna come today that would’ve been fine. I know there’s a ridiculous amount of people here. It’s a lot. If it was too much you could’ve taken ten or come to find me or-”

Once more, Chris was interrupted by a swift movement. He shifted out of the way to the sound of a grown man throwing himself to his knees in order to make the inside of a toilet bowl in time and recoiled slightly at the velocity of his brother’s heaves. There was only a beat of grimace in him before Chris crouched down, a cautious and light-handed touch finding his brother’s back. All his life Chris had been a verbal processer, drowning in moments where he couldn’t persuade his way through situations. It took him apart from the core to be unable to say a single thing to make this better, to simply be there. He rubbed his brother’s back gingerly but felt useless anyway, staring up at the ceiling to avoid fixating too much on the sound of the younger man making himself utterly sick. 

It was only after a few settled beats in which the only sound between them was that of Colton’s heavy breathing, that he spoke. “Today was supposed to be the happiest day of your life.” 

And though Chris was taken aback by the statement, he responded seamlessly, “It still is.” He licked his lips in a moment of buffer for his courage to catch up with his thoughts before he resigned to lowering himself completely on the bathroom floor. There was only so far he could stretch his legs but the bend of his knees hovered over Colton’s, unable to be semi-comfortable in the closed space without being somewhat tangled together. 

“I lied earlier,” Chris breathed. “It wouldn’t have been fine if you didn’t come to my wedding. I would’ve missed you. I missed you those handfuls of minutes at a time that you were gone to get yourself refills at the bar. Every time I was on the dance floor and I looked out I wanted to see your face somewhere in there, make sure you were having fun too. Fuck everything else, everyone else. I really want you here today. You’re my baby brother, I want to share the happiest day of my life with you.”

Chris smiled, even if it was at the back of Colton’s head before the younger unceremoniously canted off to the side, falling onto his own ass to sit back against the stall wall opposing his brother. Chris’s lips didn’t falter, rather they fell into a low chuckle at the state of them both. 

He watched Colton open his mouth to level something coherent, but the noise he heard instead of a voice was that of the bathroom door opening, followed by the sharp clicking of heels. Chris peered up, knowing who he would see swing out the stall door before they even arrived. And sure enough, when Jae Young blocked the room’s golden light above them, still in the very dress he married her in just over an hour ago, Chris beamed. 

He could not sound any more like an enchanted child, expressing to her a simple, “Hi honey,” just before he took the hand she offered down to pull him to his feet. Chris stepped out of the stall for a second to stretch his legs, intending on doubling back to pick his slightly smaller body double off the ground, but when he turned, his wife had already taken his place, crouching at Colton’s side to pull his arm over her shoulders. “You too now,” she told him as she began to lift. 

A tension Chris wasn’t aware of eased from his features at the sight, his gaze softening as Jae guided Colton out of the stall and back towards the sinks, telling him it was high time to get cleaned up. “Dinner will be served in a little while and Chris was specifically allowed to put sliders on the appetizer menu because you two apparently used to compete when you were young over who could eat more.”

Chris listened to the sound of his wife’s voice, strong and impenetrably firm, but smooth nonetheless, protective like the arms wrapped around Colton to help him stand. A fondness grew in his chest for this side of her that he’d have to set aside to think deeper on another time. For now, he opted to catch up with the two members of his family, clapping a hand to Colton’s back as he approached. 

“You heard the woman, don’t let my sentimentality go to waste,” he gave a laugh, dedicated only to being proactive now that he felt the wind had returned beneath his wings. Rolling his sleeves up, Chris turned on the cold water and swung Colton’s tie over his shoulder out of his way. “Here, let me get that for ya…” 

Chris maintained the warmth in his smile. It wasn’t much, but even the first of many steps on a long road ahead was something.

[bentacles-hargreeves]

Remus’ List of Fanfic Favorites - @tuafeedbackfest​ Thank you to all the writers in this amazing fandom who worked hard on making and sharing their stories with us, without you the fandom wouldn’t be the same!

Pre-Series:

Revolving, Evolving, by aye_of_newt (Teen and Up) “For fourteen years, the only constant (living) person in Klaus' life was a staff member at his rehab facility. This is an account of Klaus' story from his eyes.” Complete, 2 Chapters & 3,772 Words.

purge your thoughts, by myeyesarenotblue (Teen and Up) “Klaus is lying unconscious, unmoving, covered in bubbles, his skin a deadly white color, his head lolled back against the rim of the tub, his eyes open but unseeing, his lips oddly discolored. He looks dead.” Oneshot, 10,356 Words.

with the beast inside, there’s nowhere we can hide, by MildeAmasoj (Gen) “Little Number Six is afraid of the Horror. One day he gets sick, which makes the monsters inside him stop wriggling under his skin. He won’t tell anyone because he doesn’t want to get better if it means that the monsters will get better too. His family has something to say about that.” Oneshot, 8,054 Words 🖤

We Only See Each Other at Arrests and Bails, by Icestorm238 (Gen) “Aka the five times Diego picked up Klaus from the police station, and the one time Klaus picked up Diego.” Eudora’s POV, Complete, 6 Chapters & 15,712 Words.

All is Well, by VeteranKlaus (Teen and Up) “It's been one year, and Five still can't get back home.“ Oneshot, 1,459 Words.

Fixing the Apocalypse:

The Moon Laughs (from The Sky Weeps series), by Lady_Origami (Teen and Up) “After attempting to transport all of his siblings back in time, Five wakes up to a familiar scene. Again. And again. And again. He doesn't know why he keeps being transported back to the day of his father's funeral, but he is determined to not waste it now that he has the foresight to prevent the apocalypse. He just wished he didn't feel so alone doing it all over again.” Time-loop, In-Progress, 24/? Chapters & 89,302 Words.

I'm Not Okay (I'm Getting There), by kittykatthetacodemon (Gen) “Between seven adults, even ones as severely damaged as they are, there's got to be at least enough common sense to mimic one semi-functional, competent human. Post-season one, Klaus and his siblings travel around in their own pasts, sort out some of their shit, and relive the week of the apocalypse one last time. This time, they get it right.” Complete, 2 Chapters & 49,739 Words.

I am done with my graceless heart (so tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart), by ughbutidontwantto (Teen and Up) “Five's jump only takes them five days before the apocalypse. With the countdown restarted, the Hargreeves have to come together and actually talk about the week that wasn't and figure out what fixing Vanya even means. It turns out she already has a few ideas. They'll figure out this recovery thing in the end.” In-Progress, 3/5 Chapters & 50,494 Words.

you'll be tearing me apart (sooner or later), by SheOfWrittings (Not Rated) “The world ends again. It took longer this time around. This time it's because a junkie was sober and the Hargreeves can only unfuck one sibling per time. (This time they are six vs one and still lose. This time, when they fail, they don't time travel with the bomb.)” In-Progress, 10/30 Chapters & 32,407 Words.

new year, new me (things always turn out how they’re meant to be), by Astronomical_Aphrodite (Explicit) “When they travelled back through time, Klaus wasn’t expecting to be the only one who remembered.“ In-Progress, 18/20 Chapters & 80,770 Words.

Post not-Apocalypse:

Everyone Gets Here Eventually, by anielle (Mature) “At first he thinks it’s a dream, but it’s not long before he realizes that’s not right. If Dave were dreaming, Klaus would be here. It’s okay, though. Everything’s okay here. It’s weird, though, about Klaus. Well, what isn’t weird about Klaus? But. You know. Dave just wants to know. What happened?” Complete, 3 Chapters & 47,855 Words.

Eave of Destruction, by siriuspiggyback (Teen and Up) “After two months post the almost apocalypse, Klaus was feeling pretty proud of how carefully he had maintained his mask of normality around his siblings. He was still fidgety and annoying, sure, but none of them had glimpsed at his fun new brand of fucked.” Oneshot, 5,418 Words.

If You Can't Hear Me, Just Walk Away, by queenbaskerville (Teen and Up) “Klaus's eyes zero in on the Veterans Crisis Line phone number. "Assists Veterans in crisis, even if not registered with the US Department of Veteran Affairs. 24/7. Call/text/chat. 1-800-273-8255 (press 1)." Klaus needs to make a phone call or two. Or four. Or every time he has a flashback, every time he's on the edge and doesn't want Ben to feel like he has to talk him down. The only problem is that he doesn't have a phone. Allison does.” Oneshot, 3,660 Words.

shadowboxing, by Karturtle (karturtle) (Teen and Up) “Klaus is a little distracted during a family meeting. The living room is oddly muggy.” Oneshot, 2,043 Words.

Dear Klaus, by siriuspiggyback (Teen and Up) ““Oh, Klaus, a letter came for you." Klaus reached for the letter, curious, and took a look at the address. His heart skipped a beat. He knew that handwriting. Or, Klaus receives a letter from 1969.” Oneshot, 2,087 Words.

Vietnam:

WIld Eyed Boy, by intheflowers (Not Rated) “Klaus dropped into Dave's life with a flash of blue light. It was the first time Klaus suprised him, but it was far from the last, and while at first he’d wondered if Klaus was maybe a little mad, it wasn’t long before he was certain that he really, definitely was. Not that it mattered much. Klaus had stolen his heart long before then.“ Dave’s POV, Complete, 18 Chapters & 64,414 Words.

Ten Months, by Majure (Mature) “It makes him sad, sometimes, that in order to find acceptance, Klaus has to travel back fifty years into one of the bloodiest wars of American history. Most of the time, he doesn't care. His family probably doesn't even notice he's missing anyway.“ In-Progress, 10/14 Chapters & 122,461 Words. 

Neon Groves, by LiviJoyann (Mature) “Klaus Hargreeves travels back to the Vietnam War and falls in love with Dave... and we've seen almost none of it so far. Enjoy a full following of Klaus's time in 1968 from the first kiss to the first "I love you", and ultimately, to the end (with just about everything in between).” Complete, 30 Chapters &  200,000 Words.

There's a Reason They Don't Make Punching Bags Out of Wood, by anielle (Mature) “It can’t be real. That briefcase, maybe it was like something from a 60s spy caper. Wouldn’t be the craziest thing to happen to him. Maybe it sprayed him with something and has him locked in the most vivid and horrifying hallucination in his drugged out life.“ Oneshot, 4,701 Words.

A Taste of a Poison Paradise, by ObliqueOptimism (Not Rated) “Peter isn’t sure if he can get his men out of the mess they’re in, but Klaus is sure he can help and so Peter is going to have to put his faith in a man who claims he can see the dead.” POV Outsider, Oneshot, 3,716 Words.

[segenassefa]

2: On Consumerism, Fighting Demons, and Societies Inevitable Collapse

Quarantine has been lowkey surreal. My constant complaint of never having enough time to do all the things I want/should be doing has now left me bored in the house, bored in the house, bored with nothing but time to get said things done. However, it is a dual edged sword - with the collapse and subsequent reformation of civil society outside my doors, it leaves me wondering – as well as a lot of other people – in the words of Miss Juicy…what the hell we gone do now?

Nearing the end of the first leg of my university career, I should be thinking about getting ready to transition to the next logical stages of adulthood - saving for an apartment, applying for permanent residency, as well as graduate schools and part time jobs. Yet, I’m worried about if these things will even be a possibility within the next month, six months, or even the next year.

On top of ALL of that, the recent BLM protests and the way that people (read: white people, Latinxs, Black men, homo/transphobes, etc.) have shown their asses the past few months is beyond mortifying - especially regarding the treatment of black women and how our value as individuals as well as a collective to society is really perceived.* This is not to downplay the murder of numerous black men in society, BUT who the fuck is riding for black women aside from other black women? And not just the ones who find attractive, or are racially ambiguous, or the ones you feel as if you get “guilted” into supporting and demanding justice for, I mean each and every black woman. I’m just saying, it gets pretty disheartening to feel like the legwork of the revolution is on the back of one category of people, and that your value to society is measured by the amount of emotional labour you’re ready to do for others, or how fat your ass is (but I digress…).

I feel like most people have used material things as coping mechanisms instead of actually facing their feelings and dealing with the things that bother them. Just think of the number of packages that have arrived on your doorstep the past few months. Breaking the glossy seal of packing tape is similar to therapy, until all the boxes are open, and you start feeling like shit again. And now, more than ever, there’s a lot to be bothered about. Western society has dedicated phrases based on the phenomenon of substituting true self-work with figurative emotional bandages (Phrases like comfort eating and retail therapy come to mind).

It’s nice to think that we – the people entering their adolescent and young adult years – will be the one to change these things, but suddenly it’s 2 am, you have twenty different things in your Amazon cart, (who the fuck needs a metal straw cleaning kit?) and you’re trying to see how far you can stretch and grab your debit card before falling off of the bed.

The conflicting messages pushed by society don’t help all that much either. If you look up “Kondo method” or “decluttering my closet” on YouTube, the numbers of videos that come up is astounding. Pages and pages of sweaty-faced, smiling YouTubers monetizing from this kind of faux “minimalism” only to post haul videos a few days later because “I threw everything out and now I have to rebuild from scratch sksksk!”. Does this not just perpetuate a cycle of buying and throwing and buying? I am....confusion, to say the least. Still I watch them, because I’m a hypocrite, and am also easily amused.

I will be the first to admit I have always had a very unhealthy relationship with money, with self-image, and with measuring my self-worth in proximity with “stuff that stems from a complicated relationship with physical self. Follow along:

Growing up, I was a fat kid. We don’t even have to sugar coat it. Think Terrio, but better eyebrows and more hair. Except I was not killin’ em, just myself. I always envied my friends who were able to go shopping at regular stores – read: Hollister, Abercrombie, Urban Outfitters (yes my friends were white), meanwhile I was condemned to shopping in the women’s department.

So, to compensate, I would buy trinkets – things like nail polish, lip gloss, journals, you get the point. My proximity to worthiness was measured not by the things that I bought, but within the act of buying. Growing up with parents who were also financially frugal also altered my relationship with money and blessed me with crippling buyers’ remorse after every purchase, even on things that are important (read: groceries).  

But as a kid, buying “stuff” was fun for me – it gave me some sort of purpose, and the acquisition of things (even if they weren’t the same things my peers had) made me feel like, to some extent, I could compete on the same playing field. As I got older, and I started to have real expenses, I moved towards second-hand shopping. I would religiously find myself at Goodwill on weekend, after school, or with friends. I could literally feel an endorphin rush when I would find something that I would consider a “good deal”, and it made me feel (again) purposeful, to be spending money, even if I didn’t need whatever I was buying.

I should also add that the people in my immediate family does not believe in thrift stores (“Why am I working for you to wear other people’s clothing?”, I remember my dad asking me one day), so the act of second-hand shopping was also my form of rebellion.

I began to amass a collection of clothing that would put Kylie’s closet to shame. I began buying things for events and situations that were yet to happen, for other people, for when I lose ten pounds. It was a madness.

In freshman year of university, I had an unhealthy relationship with clubbing clothes. Did I have the figure for clubbing clothes? Absolutely not. The funnier part is, I couldn’t even go clubbing because I wasn’t 19 at the time. And yet I had drawers and drawers full of the stuff. Not to mention that clubbing clothes is incredibly similar to summer clothing and living between Minnesota and Canada meant that these things were barely seeing the light of day.

The moral of this was – I could never figure out my relationship with stuff, This quarantine has forced me to try and break down the compulsion behind my behaviour.  I felt like I was spiralling the six weeks that they closed thrift stores, and I knew myself well enough to not try and online shop with the same kind of frequency as that. But the crazy part was, I didn’t die. I didn’t go into withdrawal (ok, I did a little bit, but whatever), and I was able to take the time to go through the things I already owned and find some hidden gems that were routinely buried in the cracks and crevices of my closet. It was like the episode of Family Guy when Peter realizes he has a vestigial twin – alarming and cool at first, but then it’s just alarming and annoying.

Its more embarrassing to realize that some semblance of myself image is tied to the frequency with which I am able to spend money. I would never say that participating in capitalist society gives me some kind of purpose as a black woman because God forbid. Also, considering that a lot of big names companies are actually racist and fatphobic as hell creates a whole new dimension for analyzing the power of my black dollar, sometimes creating another spiral of guilt leading to you guessed it – more spending.

As much as it seems like it, however, this self-reflection was not in vain. In the past month, I’ve cut down my closet from +200 pieces of clothing and shoes to about 40. If you ever want a fun, humbling activity this quarantine, just clean out your closet and be honest with yourself about how often you wear certain things. It was revolting to see the number of shirts, dresses, pants, skirts that I had bought and convinced myself wholeheartedly I was going to wear, only to pull them out of my closet months later with the tags attached *insert Marge Simpson covering her face meme*.

But at the end of the whole ordeal, it felt really good to look at my space and not feel burden or guilt. It was somewhat philanthropic realizing that not only will these clothes make someone else happier (I donated pretty much everything because it’s not always about money), but that my quality of life was not dramatically impacted in owning (or not owning) certain things. The past few weeks, I’ve spent more money on going out and sharing experiences with friends, but still nowhere near the same amount of money I would have spent buying clothes and other material possession.

Youtuber Kelly Stamps has a video on how minimalism “cured” her depression**, and the whole thesis boils down to the idea that owning less things gives you less to compare yourself too, thus making you happier (in a sense) and allowing you to focus the energy and time that would have been centered around maintaining and building your collection of possessions other things.

This still doesn’t break down the root of the issue, but it’s a start. I think when you have traits or patterns that you’ve participated in for so long, it becomes hard to step back and be objective enough to realize that you – yes, you – are part of the problem. I can blame my habits on a lot of things but at the end of the day, it’s important to realize that certain cycles seem never-ending because I actively choose to participate in these kinds of behaviours (accountability is sexy, huh?). While I’m not ready to face all my demons quite yet, it’s easier to do it with a nice wardrobe and a streamlined sense of mind.

Notes

*When I say black women, I mean ALL black women. Not some limited, cis-gendered, heteronormative view of what a woman is. Over here we ride for all those who identify as women.

**She emphasizes that she doesn’t actually means that it cured anything, but rather helped with her anxiety, and in turn, helped with her depression.

Links

That Family Guy Episode

The Kelly Stamps video

[tonystarkbingo]

Tony Stark Bingo Prompt Meme

So, we did another Prompt Meme game, and came up with these summaries based on a three-tag prompt. This is an open prompt, if any of these summaries look like fun to you, please feel free to write them!! Tag us or the writer of the prompt when you do so we can all see how cool you are and what you’ve given us for the promot

@summerpipedream - Winteriron - All Tony wanted to do after finishing up at MIT was to pack up his desk at Stark Industries and quietly fade into obscurity. Sure money was tight, but he never expected Jan to actually sign him up for one of those social media reality shows. Now, he was stuck in a house, with no phone, no internet, or access to the outside world, trying to avoid the sexy Bucky Barnes, who's mission in life seemed to be to never wear a shirt around him.

@darthbloodorange - The world is ending, an alien race has all but taken over the world, it is an apocalypse of devastating proportions, most of the world is dead. The Avengers, those who are left, have retreated to a bunker built a fourth of the way down into the Earth’s core. Tony and Steve have been growing closer, when they are not working together to find a way to fight back against the aliens, they are fuck buddies. Tony’s a genius, he knows the odd of surviving this are not in their favour. Odds were that they were going to die… and well, Tony doesn’t want to die without letting Steve know how he feels. Before the battle Tony corners Steve in the armoury and confesses that he loves him. Steve is aromatic, has been since project rebirth.  They are both so very sorry. 

@newnewyorker93 - After a series of strange killings where the victims are found set up kneeling like they're praying, Tony Stark (a private detective) is on the case. An initial (false) suspect is the local priest, Matt Murdoch, who ends up being a helpful ally in solving the case (and possibly more)

@27dragons - Winteriron: You'd think that Tony Stark would have learned to ski when he was growing up. You'd think wrong; Howard never saw the point in it. So here he is, almost done with his PhD, and his friends have decided on a spring break trip to go skiing. He doesn't want to admit to them that he doesn't know how, so their first night at the lodge, he offers one of the ski instructors a large sum of money to sneak him up onto the slopes for a few lessons that night. Against his better judgment -- but desperately needing the cash -- Ski instructor Bucky Barnes takes Tony up on the slopes. Unfortunately, just as Tony's starting to get the hang of things, it starts snowing. Hard. Even more unfortunately, the newfallen snow disguises a patch of ice and Tony tumbles out of control. By the time Bucky catches up to him and verifies that he's not badly hurt, the snow is coming down too hard to see the lodge -- so what else are they to do but seek shelter in a caretaker's cabin conveniently (TM) nearby and wait for morning...?

@gavilansblog - Tony is kidnapped as part of an Evil Plot (TM). He's handling things just fine, tyvm, until his would-be rescuer (who he's been pining for, obviously), gets dragged in and handcuffed back to back with him. Seriously, dude? If you insist on breaking the kidnapping procedure at least actually rescue me! The taxes come in when the Evil Plot Master does his monologue and reveals that the kidnapping is part of a Villain Logic scheme to get Stark Industries to throw money behind the campaign to get a new law requiring actually taxing billionaires to fail. Evil Plot Master is, naturally, a billionaire. Tony would facepalm if he weren't handcuffed to his idiot rescuer, seriously. And then the kidnapping protocol kicks in and Jarvis shuts the whole facility down only instead of being handcuffed by himself Tony is now handcuffed to his rescuer so they have to do the whole escaping part of the plan while handcuffed together, resulting is the standard Tension (TM) moments and possibly an almost-kiss.

Fey Relay - Bruce, Tony, and Peter, resident science geeks, get de-aged and really want to play in the lab. You know, the one that has lots of things that can kill them in it? But they're still sort of mentally in there, just cranky and smol. So they get assigned their own Non-Science Adults who they hand-hold and point to do their sciency bidding. Thor, Steve, and Natasha oblige them and have great fun!

@rise-up-ting-ting-like-glitter Dragons were real. Okay they were actually just souped-up dinosaurs, but that didn’t mean Tony wasn’t being hunted—with intent—by lizards. He hadn’t wanted to come to this stupid Island in the first place. SI funding had explicitly been removed from the crackpot idea to return dinosaurs to the food chain. He could have told everyone that this was going to happen. Instead he was climbing through a jungle with a one-armed man who refused to give his name and if they didn’t get to the raptor enclave, retrieve the anti-venom, and return in time, people Tony loved were going to die.

His guide had better live up to his scruffy wild-man appearance or Tony was going to lose everything.

@somesortofitalianroast - Nurse Bucky Barnes wasn’t sure what exactly was going on. The vigilante known as Nomad had just crashed through the (luckily) open fire escape window. While he was lucky not to have any broken bones, he was unlucky enough to have a bad concussion. A really bad one. One that meant he couldn’t fall asleep. Also unfortunately, he only had the one bed and the enormous Nomad wouldn’t fit on his couch, so they’d have to share. It was only after he helped Nomad into his bed that he noticed the blood, and, unthinking, he pulled the cowl off to check for another, serious injury. And gasped. Nomad was Steve Rogers, his best friend in school, who’d died in an IED attack in Iraq 5 years earlier.

@polizwrites Natasha Romanov and Virginia Potts are the proprietors  of  Chaykus -  a Russian tea room on the seedy side of town.  Its new mission  is to be a sanctuary for women  who have been smuggled into the country for sex trafficking purposes.  As for the men who engage in such practices? Well, they are quickly discovering that their days are numbered.

@dixiehellcat - Pepper is the manager of the heavy metal band War Machine. James Rhodes, lead guitarist and founder of the band, is looking for a new lead singer. He did not expect the woo-loving Virginia to get horoscopes cast for the applicants and decide based on that. He just wants somebody who can sing, dammit. This Stark kid is uncomfortably attractive, yeah, but he's been thrown out of two bands already. what? the shower sex? it was only that one time after a show, and they were both wasted...

@dracusfyre Tony was born without a soul mark. Bucky's was lost forever when Hydra took his arm.  Without the universe to give you a hint that this person is The One, falling in love is gambling with your heart. But soulmates don't have to be born, they can be made - and Bucky and Tony decide that the same should be true of soul marks, as well

@ceealaina Tony was like nerd prime growing up. Normally he doesn’t let it bother him too much — he’s got inventions to invent, after all. But all of a sudden he realizes that he’s almost 20, he’s got two degrees under his belt, and has no idea how to do much more than kiss. He’s not entirely sure how he manages to convince Rhodey to sleep with him to “get it out of the way,” or how he manages to convince him to keep sleeping with him to “help improve my technique,” but it’s the best sex of his life (not that he has much to compare it to) and he never wants it to end. But it’s the night when they’re watching movies, and Tony’s ends up dozing against Rhodey’s shoulder only to wake up to a feather light kiss against his forehead that he realizes he might be in trouble. 

@thudworm - King Anthony considers it part of his royal duties to protect his people by going out and taking care of any monsters harassing them. Of course, no one can know that the knight Iron Man is really the king, which leads to some fun assumptions about Iron Man’s identity.

@jacarandabanyan Tony’s mom forbid him to purposefully drive out his roommates so that he can have a room all to himself where he can tinker until morning light. She had to hear about it from friends, acquaintances, and other well-known socialites often enough when Tony went to boarding school and ran his roommates off there. Now that he’s in college, that behavior must stop. Luckily for Tony, he doesn’t even have to try to get the first two roommates at MIT to request a room switch. But then he meets his third roommate- a tall, handsome, funny man named James Rhodes. At first it was just natural joy at having a fellow competent engineer to hang out with, and perhaps the occasional dirty thought. But his crush on the man quickly grows. Before he knows it, Tony’s pining hard for his best friend. Every once in a while he thinks Rhodey might be interested too- but then he hears Rhodey lecturing a computer science senior for plying Tony with :beer: alcohol at a party because “come on, man, kid’s only 16. Have a little class and try chasing skirts a little closer to your age.” After that, he’s convinced Rhodey will only ever see him as a friend and a kid.

psychiccatpanda - Tony works hard and puts in long hours.  So what if some of his long nights turn into very early mornings at CHew 2 OH.  The only drawback is his business partner and head baker, Steve, with his disappointed looks and his continual arguing.  When Steve's friend Bucky starts hanging around the shop, though, Tony notices.  Oh lord, he notices. A month or so later, one night when he and Steve are working after hours at Steve's place to plan their seasonal menu, Steve tells him that he's noticed him checking out Bucky.  Tony hits him with a decorative pillow and things kind of get out of hand.  Surveying the damage (let's face it - Steve's coffee table was never going to be quite right again), Steve turns to him, "I was just going to suggest you get some practice kissing before asking him out."  Oh.  Oh...

@tisfan So... the problem with being a necromancer is being able to practice one's skill. The local cemeteries won't even let you look at a dead body if you're not a relative. Tony Stark, budding necromancer, forges a marriage certificate for the John Doe so that he can practice his craft. Only to find that it works perfectly. Bucky is No Longer Dead, and 100% interested in staying married...

@abrighterdarkness He didn’t mean to snoop.  He knew that wasn’t what he was being paid for here--the loud laughter of the party echoing from down the hall where he was actually supposed to be, was clear enough reminder of that fact. All Tony wanted was two short minutes to breathe without being pawed at--yes, yes, that might be his job but breathing room was much appreciated just the same--and now he was stuck in this closet sized bathroom with what sounded like a mob-hit being discuss right outside the door.  He knew he should’ve turned this job down.

magica - Howard Stark had an idea. Some people - alright, most people, stop hitting me, Maria! - would say it was a terrible idea. But it was only a little injection of stuff based on that strange glowing blue cube they'd found in the Arctic. And Tony was absolutely willing, let's get that straight, Maria! How was Howard supposed to know that it'd enable Tony to open up his own portals? And if some mystical green energy happened to swamp Tony just as he was opening a portal to Egypt? Well, that wasn't his fault. The dark-haired, well-built Priest of Anubis that Tony manages to bring back with him? That is not his fault either, damn it, Maria!

@festiveferret - Tony could say with absolute confidence - at least, if he could say anything at all in his current predicament - that this was not the way his PR rep, Pepper, would have wanted him to come out. There were, he figured, several hundred ways that the day could have gone better, but if asked to rank the top three, he'd put them thusly: 

1) That he decided to come out by having a wild, unabashed make out session with none other than Captain America, in the middle of a busy New York street.

2) That it was, in fact, the morning after their first "date" - a term he was applying loosely here - and not a tasteful reveal of a long-standing, safe, secure, adult relationship.

And 3) That at some point between the first floor lobby of his apartment building and the front door off his penthouse suite he'd suddenly, unexpectedly, and so-far permanently been turned into a ferret and no one knew.

It would also probably concern her to discover that of all these rather bewildering turns in his life, the one at the forefront of his mind was that ferrets couldn't send morning-after texts, and he didn't want Steve to think their little dalliance had been nothing more than an - albeit unfortunately public - one night stand.

Of one thing he was sure, however: Pepper was going to need a raise.

[blightfics]

POKÉMON AUTUMN VERSION: RISE FROM FALL CHAPTER 8: SURF’S UP!

Previous Chapter: A Test of Strength

Next Chapter: More Coming Soon!

Disclaimer:  Pokémon is a property of Game Freak and Nintendo, while Endless  Summer is a property of Pixelberry. I do not claim any rights here.

Author’s Note: If the “Keep reading” doesn’t work, go here for the full post. Special thanks to @princessstellaris for helping me pick the perfect music recommended for this chapter and @mechaspirit for some scenes. You guys rock!

@xo-endlessmayhem-xo, @zekei-sentry, @mysteli, @choicesyouplayandmore, @brightpinkpeppercorn, @sceptilemasterr, @scgdoeswhat, @endlessly-searching-for-you

Recommended Music: Road Trip! (Choices)

It’s the second annual La Huerta River Race event and Quinn, the first place winner last year is speaking at the stage, alongside Meg, last year’s second place winner. Jake and Taylor spot their daughter, Kaitlyn, and the other kids.

Taylor: Hey, look who it is!

Jake: Li’l marshmallow!

The family run into each other, exchanging loving embraces. The others walk towards them with smiles.

Blight: Lookin’ slick, Flyboy.

Jake looks up and grins at Blight’s compliment.

Jake: Could say the same for you, Goggles.

The two men approach each other and high five. Jake whispers to Blight’s ear.

Jake: So, how is he?

Blight: He’s doing great. Just a few more getting used to his prosthetic limbs and--

Taylor: What are you guys whispering about?

Jake and Blight suddenly jump and look at Taylor with a nervous grin.

Jake: Nothing!

Blight: Yeah! We were just... talking about... umm...

Jake: Psyducks!

Blight: That’s right, Psyducks!

The two men quickly laugh to cut the tension and suspicion. 

Everyone looks at them with unamused looks. Taylor lightly smacks Jake’s head.

Taylor: Geez, even without Tyler here, you always have someone to joke around with.

Jake: Ow!

Meanwhile, Vishakha and Elesis mock Blight.

Elesis: I rarely see you like this, Blight.

Vishakha: You’re so lame, Jester.

Blight: Hey!

After a few laughs and reconnecting, everyone walks to the crowd. Suddenly, a woman calls out to Mika.

Woman: Mika, my dear!

Mika turns to see her mother, holding a Pokémon egg.

Mika: Mom!

Mika rushes to hug her mother while Kaitlyn follows behind her. 

Kaitlyn: Hello, Mrs. Dinh.

Mika’s Mother: Hello, Kaitlyn.

After they pull apart, Mika’s mother hands her daughter the Pokémon egg.

Mika’s Mother: Here you go, dear. Make sure you take care of it like it’s your own child.

Mika: Thanks, Mom.

The two share an embrace again and Mika’s mother plants a kiss on the girl’s forehead. They exchange “I love you’s” and “goodbyes” before parting ways. Kaitlyn's family approach Mika.

Kaitlyn: Soo, whatchu got there, Mika?

Mika: Oh, it’s a Pokémon egg.

Jake: I think Mikadzuki’s got a Togepi egg there.

(Note: Jake calls Mika, “Mikadzuki” because it is the Japanese word for “Crescent Moon”. Mika wears a crescent moon choker and she has a strand of hair that’s shaped like a crescent moon.)

Taylor: Oh, so you’re planning on using a Togepi evolution line for the Grand Festival.

Mika: Mhm!

Kaitlyn: That’s awesome!

After the four share smiles, they reunite with the others and listen to the rules of the River Race event.

Quinn: Now, the rules of the race are simple; reach the finish line first before your opponents do. The finish line is located at the riverside of Mansingh Town.

Taari: Oh! That’s where our next gym battle is!

Reginald: Then I guess we should participate in this race. Not only is it fun, but it’s also a way for us to reach my mother’s town fast.

Kaitlyn: Yep!

Meg continues the explanation of the rules.

Meg: However, you must NOT knock your opponent out of their surfboards. Only the obstacles are allowed to do that. Speaking of which, the race’s obstacles include, rock formations, small and harmless whirpools, and Carvanhas that only get hostile if you get too close.

Taari: Welp... shi--

Reginald: Language.

Quinn: The first three to reach the finish line will each receive a Pokémon egg.

Kaitlyn: Sweet!

Quinn: First place winner gets a Dratini Egg. Second place winner gets a Chikorita Egg. And Third place winner gets a Tynamo Egg.

Meg: Alright, racers. Please decide on which Pokémon to use and sign up on that booth over there.

Those who are interested in joining the race make their way to the sign up booth. Taari, Reginald, Kaitlyn and Mika do the same. Vishakha, Elesis and Meg are at the stage, exchanging hugs.

Meg: Miss ya, Sistas!

Elesis: Miss ya too!

Vishakha: Yeet!

Recommended Music: Legends of the Past

Meanwhile, Taylor and the other adults gather around to discuss something important.

Taylor: So, Blight... Jake says that you’ve been helping him find my brother, Tyler?

Blight: That’s right. According to my scans so far, he’s been last seen up in the mountains, near Prisma City.

Jake: That’s where Michelle lives.

Quinn: What do you think has he been doing these past months?

Blight: I don’t know but based on his the places he’s been going to... I think he’s...

Taylor: He’s what?

Blight: ...Looking for Vaanu’s other fragments, Palkia and Dialga.

There is a sudden silence between the group. Quinn clutches her chest after hearing what her husband has been doing ever since she lost him.

Quinn: ....Tyler....

Jake: So, Boy Scout’s been looking for answers to the questions we’ve been asking since he and Princess got back her five years ago?

Blight: I guess so...

Taylor scoffs.

Taylor: Well, that still doesn’t excuse him from leaving us! He should’ve told us about his plan. We could’ve covered more ground together! Instead, he did it alone because he’s so hung up on the loss of--

Taylor notices Quinn starting to break into tears.

Taylor: Oh no, Quinn. I’m sorry. I... didn’t mean to...

Taylor gives Quinn a gentle hug while Blight looks at Jake.

Blight: Loss?

Jake: Yup...

Jake clears his throat.

Jake: You see, Goggles... seven and a half months ago... Tyler and Quinn lost their son, Brandon Kelly.

A weight is pulled in Blight’s heart as he hears the sad news. He is also struck by the idea that he might lose his niece, his daughter-figure, Vishakha. He quickly turns to Quinn.

Blight: Quinn, I... I’m sorry...

Quinn shakes her head and wipes her tears.

Quinn: It’s... okay, guys... Just...

She looks at Blight.

Quinn: Promise me that you’ll find him...

Blight gives a reluctant look before nodding.

Blight: I will. I promise.

Jake shared the same expression Blight has. 

Recommended Music: Mantine Surf (Pokémon)

Soon after, the tension is cut by the kids and the Aryndelle sisters approaching the adults.

Meg: Yo! Everything’s all set and everyone is signed up.

Jake gets between the adults and the kids to hide Quinn’s sadness.

Jake: Nice! Now, let’s get this show on the road, Megatron!

Meg: “Megatron”?

Jake: What?! It’s the best I can come up with your name!

Meg and the kids chuckle while Jake groans and leads them to the Grand La Huerta River. Blight and Taylor lead a slowly recovering Quinn to the stage as they watch the racers get ready. Taari, Reginald, Kaitlyn, Mika and the other racers change into their swimwear and call out their ride partners.

Kaitlyn: I’m counting on you, Empoleon!

Reginald: Come out, Croconaw!

Taari: Let’s go, Wartortle!

Mika: I choose you, Blastoise!

The three kids look at Mika’s Blastoise.

Mika: ....What?

Taari: Cool! Your Wartortle evolved! I can’t wait for mine to evolve too!

Reginald: I guess the girls have the evolutionary advantage here.

Kaitlyn: Yeet!

Jake stands on the stage and announces the beginning of the race.

Jake: Alright, racers. Get ready!!

The racers properly leash their Pokémon and mount their surfboards.

Jake: On your mark!... Get set!...

The kids squint their eyes while their Pokémon prepare themselves.

Jake: SURF’S UP!!

All the racers’s Pokémon dash past the starting line as they surf on the river. At the start of the race, Mika and Kaitlyn are competing in first place, while Taari and Reginald are right behind them.

Kaitlyn: Heh! Just like contest, eh?

Mika: You know it!

Taari: We need to catch up, Reggie!

Reginald: Agreed!

Taari and Reginald grin as they give their commands to their partners.

Taari: Use Aqua Jet!

Reginald: Use Aqua Jet!

Wartortle hides inside his shell and fires jets of water behind him from out of his shell holes to give Taari a boost. Croconaw surround himself with water as he does the same for Reginald. The two then pass Kaitlyn and Mika, accidentally splashing them with water.

Kailtyn: Hey!

Mika: Rude!

The boys snicker and high five. 

Kaitlyn: Empoleon, use Bubble Beam!

Mika: Use Water Gun, Blastoise!

Empoleon fires a barrage bullet-like bubbles towards Taari while Blastoise fires a stream of water towards Reginald. The boys end up getting splashed with water but they remain on their boards.

Taari: Hey! No hitting the racers!

Reginald: Yeah! That’s against the rules!

Kaitlyn: It said that there’s no KNOCKING OUT!

Mika: Yeah! You started it!

The kids’ aggressive playstyle backfires as surrounding Carvanhas are agitated by their actions. The Savage Pokémon jump up from the river and ambush their agitators.

Taari: AAAHH!!

Kaitlyn: AAAHH!!

Reginald: AAAHH!!

Mika: AAAHH!!

The other slow-and-steady racers pass the kids.

Kaitlyn: Damn it! We gotta take back our lead.

Taari: Yeah!

Reginald: Truce for now?!

Mika: Yep!

The four compose themselves and work together to catch up to the other racers. Meanwhile, on the stage, Blight, Vishakha and Elesis say their goodbyes to the others.

Elesis: Right, we should probably head to Prisma City to prepare the Masquerade Ball.

Vishakha: Yep. Take care, Sis!

Meg: You too, Sista!

Blight looks at Jake, Taylor and Quinn.

Blight: You take care too, you guys.

Jake: No prob, Goggles.

They all exchange hugs before parting ways. Jake, Taylor, Quinn and Meg focus on the river race while Blight, Vishakha and Elesis make their way to Prisma City. 

Recommended Music: Brink

A few minutes pass and Blight looks up and sees a familiar object.

Blight: Hey, isn’t that..?

His two nieces follow his gaze.

Vishakha: The orange and blue comet!

Elesis: What is that supposed to be anyway?

Blight: I dunno, but... I think this is the first time it’s passing by Earth since it’s never been seen before until now.

The three shrug off the comet and continue on their way. Meanwhile back at the river race, a loud boom is suddenly heard.

Jake: What was that?!

Two large figures pass by the stage. Jake and the others recognize them.

Taylor: Is that...?!

Jake: No way!

Quinn: It’s.... Tyler!

Meg: And Palkia?!

The three spot Tyler flying over the river, on his Charizard, while chasing Palkia.

Tyler and Palkia eventually fly over the racers. The kids notice them.

Taari: Woah! Is that...?!

Kaitlyn: Uncle Tyler?!

Reginald: And the legendary Palkia?!

Mika: What’s going on?!

Due to Palkia’s presence and it being cornered by Tyler, spacial disturbances start to appear around the area.

Recommended Music: Fight or Flight (It Lives)

Dangerous waves start to form on the river and the whirlpools start to get bigger.

Racer 1: Oh no!

Racer 2: Everyone get clear!

But it’s not yet over. Dark purple eyes start to gleam from beneath the river.

Reginald: The Carvanhas! Don’t tell me...

Taari: They’re being corrupted!

Kaitlyn: Hell no! I don’t want this to end up like It Lives Beneath!

Mika: Too late for that!

Taylor, Jake, Quinn and Meg take notice of the situation.

Quinn: The racers! 

Meg: They’re in danger!

Jake: We gotta go help them.

Taylor: Come on!

The four rush towards the endangered racers. Meanwhile, Tyler is still chasing Palkia.

Tyler: Charizard, use Fire Blast!

Charizard attempts to breathe a  大-shaped flame towards Palkia. But before he could do it, another Fire Blast is fired towards them. Tyler and Charizard notices this and avoid it just in time.

Tyler: What the?!

Suddenly, two silhouettes leap from the forest. It’s revealed to be the Flame Vigilante and his Mega Blaziken.

Flame Vigilante: I found you, Tyler! YOU BASTARD!!

Tyler: Tch! You again!

Palkia turns to the two trainers with its eyes gleaming. It’s prepared to fight this time. Tyler and the Flame Vigilante prepare for a three-way battle.

The River Race was going great but suddenly the once-missing Tyler appears, along with Palkia. Then he clashes against it and the Flame Vigilante. But the racers are also in danger! What will be the outcome of the battle and the race? FIND OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF POKÉMON AUTUMN VERSION: RISE FROM FALL!

[winglesscrows]

Young and Beautiful

Yuri on Ice I T I Yuuri/Victor I 3k 

Yuuri and Viktor goes on a date, but people keep mistaking Yuuri for a teenager, which then makes Viktor look like a... not so good person.

Written for @its-the-tear-in-my-heart

Read on AO3 or under cut

It happens on a number of occasions, and in the beginning, Viktor finds it hilarious.

It’s summer, practice is over and with no competition looming in the near future, Viktor and Yuuri decide to go on a date. They’ve been doing that a lot lately, trying to catch up on all the date nights the missed out on when they were competing. Viktor has a whole evening planned, while Yuuri is in the dark. They will enjoy a classy dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Saint Petersburg, a ballet which they will watch from the best seats in the house, and then, lastly, Viktor has booked a night at a five-star hotel. Their room is the honeymoon suite, the view is facing the ocean and, if the staff has followed Viktor’s instructions, there should be rose petals on the bed, two flutes of champagne on the nightstand and scented candles would be the only source of light in the suite. Truly, Viktor has something great planned.

Of course, Yuuri is not entirely aware of any of this, so his attire is quite casual - Viktor’s is too, but only to not spoil the surprise. Yuuri is wearing a pair of black jeans, rolled up at the ankles, with the same shoes he wears anytime he’s not going for a run (or a romantic date with Viktor). Since even the summer nights in Saint Petersburg can get a little chilly, he’s wearing a fluffy jumper - it’s one Viktor gave him so it still looks great, although it does look more like he’s expecting Viktor to take him to the movies. His hair is somewhat of a mess, and since it’s been awhile since his last haircut, the bangs are just reaching his eyes. The glasses keep it at bay though, and while Yuuri isn’t exactly dressed for the ballet, he looks comfy and cute, which is really all that matters.

“You look good,” Viktor says as he puts away a stray hair falling over Yuuri’s right eye, “Very cute.”

Yuuri smiles, which makes him look three years younger and Viktor can’t believe how absolutely adorable Yuuri is. Especially because when he simply slicks his hair back, he turns into some sort of mature sex-god, who should not be allowed near children. But maybe Yuuri seducing everyone in sight would not be ideal for a romantic evening, so Viktor thinks the cute look really is the way to go.

“Shall we,” Viktor asks and offers his hand.

“Lead the way,” Yuuri smiles and places his hand in Viktor’s.

“Wow,” Yuuri exclaims as their cab stops outside of their restaurant, “Do you think this place will even let us in, if we’re not wearing suits?”

“I told them that it was a surprise, so they better,” Viktor smiles and, as the gentleman he is, opens the door for Yuuri. They walk in together and is met by a somewhat angry looking receptionist.

“Reservation,?” she asks in Russian and Viktor smiles at her.

“Table for two. Nikiforov.”

She looks through some papers, then looks at Viktor, and then at Yuuri over the edge of her glasses. Viktor would say she looked like she disapproved of something, but since she’s been angry the whole time, well, maybe she just greets everyone that way.

“I was under the impression that you were coming with your fiancé,” she says and Viktor thinks he misheard her.

“I am.”

Yuuri, who’s grasp on Russian is not great, looks to Viktor, “Is there a problem?”

“I think she just got some information mixed up,” Viktor assures him.

“I’m afraid it’s against our policy to serve you,” she says and shuts her folder closed.

Viktor is taken aback, “Why?”

“We will not allow grown men to use our facilities to lure and deceive minors. I will advise you to leave or I will call the police.”

“Did she say the police? What’s happening? Viktor?” Yuuri starts rambling, and Viktor is just standing there, shocked, and then… he breaks into laughter. Yuuri’s adorably confused puppy face is certainly not helping the situation.

“Ma’am, I am so sorry,” Viktor laughs, and she might actually be ready to call the police at this point, “My fiancé just looks very young. He’s actually twenty four.”

“Do not lie to me. I’ve been working here long enough to know a minor when I see one. That kid is no older than eighteen.”

Viktor almost falls over from laughter and poor Yuuri has no idea what’s happening.

“We have ID,” Viktor says, once the laughter dwells, and he pulls out his wallet. He had taken Yuuri’s driver’s license (which he could only use in America anyway), when Yuuri had first moved in because twenty year old Yuuri looked adorable in the photo.

“An American driver’s license?” She scolds, “Anything from America can’t be trusted.”

Viktor giggles, “Right. Cause we’re Russian.” He pulls up Yuuri’s wikipedia instead. “Look, he’s a professional athlete. I promise. He just looks really young when he doesn’t do his hair.”

She looks back and forth between Viktor and Yuuri, who, god bless him, is still clueless.

“Very well then,” she says, “I’ll show you to your table.”

As they get seated, Yuuri finally gets to ask Viktor what happened.

“She thought I was some old predator taking advantage of a minor,” Viktor laughs, “Said you couldn’t be older than eighteen.”

While Viktor is laughing, Yuuri does not seem to share the fun.

“Are you kidding me?” He responds, clearly trying to keep his voice down to avoid creating a scene, “I’m halfway through my twenties! I don’t look like a teenager!”

“Dressed like that, you kind of do.”

Yuuri looks down on himself, and shakes his head, “Well, at least that’s over with. Should we order?”

The go through the rest of the meal without any further mention of Yuuri’s babyface, although, Viktor does spot their waiter take an extra glance at Yuuri. He is cute though, so he lets it pass.

“Oh my God,” Yuuri exclaims as they reach their next stop. His eyes are sparkling as he turns to Viktor, “Please tell me you have tickets for Swan Lake and we’re not just here to admire the building.”

Viktor holds up the VIP tickets and Yuuri’s eyes begin to shimmer. Viktor is such a good fiancé. Yuuri has been talking about wanting to see Swan Lake since… well, since Viktor showed up in Hasetsu and they could have a conversation without Yuuri shying away from it. It was apparently the first proper piece of music Yuuri danced to under Minako, and he had always wanted to see the ballet. Viktor had known he would take Yuuri to this show for over a year now, and to see that Yuuri was so excited for it, was the best thing he could get in return.

“And we’ll be in total privacy as well, so if you ever feel like saying thank you with a makeout session during the intermission, don’t hold back.”

Yuuri doesn’t hesitate and kisses Viktor right then and there. “This is better than winning Worlds,” he says brightly, and Viktor can’t even think up a good comeback.

They walk into the ballet theatre and Yuuri looks around, clearly enjoying himself. He kind of gives off the vibe of a child going to the zoo for the first time. They arrived a little early, just in case, and Yuuri is having a lot of fun taking pictures of everything. He even posts a bit on his usually dead instagram, and Viktor is having a lot of fun taking pictures of Yuuri posing in front of various art sculptures and paintings. That is until their fun is interrupted by a security guard.

“I’m sorry,” Viktor says as the guard comes up to him. He’s taller than Viktor, which is intimidating, “I thought it was allowed to take pictures.”

“It is,” the guard says, “If you have tickets for the next show.”

“Oh,” Viktor smiles, maybe they just looked like confused tourists, “We have tickets, see?” He holds up the two tickets and expects the guard to leave. He doesn’t.

“You have to be twenty to attend the Swan Lake show. I’m afraid we’ll have to ask you to return your tickets.”

“Twenty?” Viktor questions, “I’m twenty-eight.”

“Even if you are allowed to attend, your nephew or whatever he is, is not allowed to go, even with adult supervision.”

“Nephew? Adult supervision?” Viktor blinks a few times, and then points to Yuuri, “That’s my fiancé.”

The bodyguard looks at Yuuri, who is standing a little away from them. He has stopped taking pictures ever since the security guard came up to Viktor.

The bodyguard looks between them and then his gaze finally stops at Viktor. He suddenly looks even more intimidating. “I can’t say I approve, but as long as you’re not forcing him into anything, I’ll let it go. But a policy is a policy. I will have to ask you and your… finacé to leave.”

“Wait, sir, mister,” Viktor tries, “My fiancé is twenty-four. I know he looks a little younger, especially when dresses cutely like tonight,” Viktor gets a little sidetracked, “But I promise you he’s certainly of age.”

“Do you have ID?”

“Do you accept an American driver’s license?” Viktor smiles, still slightly scared that the man will just pick him up and throw him out of the door.

“No.”

Viktor sighs and finds his phone. It’s still open on Yuuri’s wikipedia page. The man scrolls up and down the page, looks to Yuuri and then gives Viktor back his phone. As the guard leaves, Viktor puts his phone back in his pocket, but in the two seconds he looked away, the guard has walked over to Yuuri. And it looks like he’s reaching for something. Did he have a gun? What was going on? Viktor hurries over to Yuuri only to see the bodyguard holding out some paper and a pen for Yuuri.

“My daughter is a big fan. Could you give her an autograph?”

Viktor stops abruptly as Yuuri, smiling brightly and innocently, just takes the paper and gives an autograph and a message. He even takes a couple of pictures with the bodyguard, as well as a picture with him holding up the message addressed to the guard’s daughter. Viktor is speechless.

As they take their seat a couple of minutes before the show starts, Yuuri brings up the guard.

“That guard was so nice,” he says, slowly getting excited for the ballet, “When he started talking to you, I thought he said taking pictures wasn’t allowed and I got really scared because I had already posted so many things online. But I guess he just wanted an autograph,” Yuuri laughs.

Viktor considers telling Yuuri what really happened, but with Yuuri in such a good mood, Viktor thinks that it can wait. It will be a fun story for tomorrow.

At the intermission, Yuuri gives Viktor the makeout he most definitely deserved, but as fate would have it, the privacy gets interrupted by two women, who accidently walked in through the wrong door.

“Viktor Nikiforov?” One of the ladies exclaim, and Yuuri and Viktor quickly pull apart, “It is you!”

Viktor recognizes the two of them as former ballerinas. They used to dance for different groups, who were constantly in competition with each other, but somehow, the two of them ended up married. Lilia had told Viktor the story approximately a thousand times too many, because she claimed that it was like marrying the enemy. Viktor thinks she was just jealous. From all the stories, it was clear that she just had a crush.

Her wife comes up behind her, and, she too, seems very excited about meeting Viktor, “And who is your cute companion? A junior from the rink perhaps?”

Viktor lets go of the word ‘junior’, because your could be nineteen as a junior and, at least, that wasn’t as bad as thinking Yuuri was a minor. Or maybe she just meant ‘a skater younger than Viktor’ when she said junior. They did that in Japan. In which case, she would be right.

“This is my fiancé Yuuri,” Viktor says in English, “His Russian isn’t very good yet, so I’d appreciate it if we could converse in English.” Had it been anyone else interrupting them, Viktor would have tried to make them leave, but he knew these two would stay even if he tried to push them off the balcony, so he gives up before he even tries.

“Oh,” they say in unison, clearly disapproving, “That’s your type?”

“What? Handsome? Cute? Beautiful?” Viktor answers a little harshly, “What’s there not to like?”

“The child part of it,” one of them says, and Viktor is about to scream ‘He’s twenty-four!’, when Yuuri starts giggling. Viktor almost tells him to stop, because that’s really not helping his image of a young teen being tricked by this old man who has taken him to see a ballet. But he keeps silent. Yuuri has a wonderful laugh.

One of the women walk up to Yuuri and starts talking to him. And by talking to him, Viktor means bending down and speaking softly like one would treat a five year old.

“I know Viktor is famous and handsome and all that, but you shouldn’t date men who are that much older than you,” she says, “If you’re scared of rejecting him, we wouldn’t mind taking you home.”

And Yuuri just loses it, and Viktor supposes he would find it funny as well, if it wasn’t the third time in the last four hours that someone thought he was dating a minor.

“That’s your wife, right?” Yuuri asks between fits of laughing.

“Yeah?” She answers slowly, probably not sure why Yuuri is laughing.

“And what’s the age difference between you two?”

“Just about five years,” she sighs, “But five years is a lot less in our age. And well. Ten years is just a bit too much, don’t you think?”

Yuuri laughs again, “You are very kind,” he says, and Viktor picks up on the slight sarcasm. Yuuri is trying to make them leave, “But Viktor is only four years older than me.” And then Yuuri takes off his glasses and runs a hand through his hair to slick it back. The woman looks like she has a heart attack.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize… But now that I look at you. Yes, if you will excuse us, we have to… uh, go to our seats, yes. Have a good night.”

As they leave, Yuuri shakes his hair back into place and puts his glasses back on.

“Wow,” Viktor breathes, “A real life Clark Kent… But I thought you didn’t like when people mistook you for a teenager?”

Yuuri laughs again, “I don’t, but you looked so distressed, I couldn’t help but laugh.”

“Oh,” Viktor responds, “Well, I’m glad you’re having fun.”

Yuuri takes mercy on him and brings him back in to finish their kiss.

“So, what now?” Yuuri asks after the ballet. He looks happy, and he had spent the first ten minutes after it had ended, raving about how much he had enjoyed it.

“We have one more thing planned for tonight,” Viktor smiles and before Yuuri gets to ask any more questions, he finds them a cab.

“A hotel?” Yuuri questions as they arrive at their final destination, “We live ten minutes away though?”

“You’ll understand when you see it,” Viktor smiles and takes Yuuri’s hand to lead him inside.

A young man stands at the reception, and Viktor goes up to him, “I have a reservation for Nikiforov.”

He looks at Viktor and Yuuri, and Viktor is already reaching for his phone, still open on Yuuri’s wikipedia.

“Don’t you two have school tomorrow?” The receptionist asks and Viktor halts in his movements.

“Two?”

“Ah, you must be a college student,” the man says knowingly, “A second-year perhaps?” Viktor doesn’t know how to respond, “I suppose college students can afford to skip a few classes, but maybe not your boyfriend. Last year in high school?” The question is directed at Yuuri who just tilts his head.

“Did he say school, or am I getting Russian words mixed up again?”

“No, he said school,” Viktor responds, and the receptionist just looks on, clearly not speaking English himself, as he busies himself with looking up Viktor’s reservation.

“Ah, the honeymoon suite,” the man says, “Trying to live out some of those American romance movies?” He wiggles his eyebrows, “The hotel provides condoms and whatever else you will need. There even is pamphlet that you might want to read. You’d want your first time to be memorable, right?”

“Yes....” Viktor says slowly, “First time...”

“And don’t be alarmed if you run out of condoms. If you don’t put it on right the first time, just take a new one, and we will happily provide you with more.” The man smiles brightly, and Viktor just nods. This conversation has taken a weird turn.

The man then bids Viktor and Yuuri to follow him as he shows them to their room. He even grabs some sort of pamphlet, and sticks it into Yuuri’s hands.

Yuuri walks up to Viktor and whispers to him: “Why did he give me a guide on ‘how to experience the best orgasm’?”

“Apparently he thinks I’m a young college student, taking by high school boyfriend on a date inspired by American movies so that we can ‘do it’ for the first time. I was not expecting to get a lecture on how to use condoms today.”

Yuuri makes a face, “That was what he was talking about? Suddenly the gestures make sense.”

They reach the room and the receptionist hands them they keys. “Don’t hesitate to ask about anything, and don’t worry too much about getting the bed dirty. We clean the sheets every day. Enjoy your stay.” And off he goes.

“I heard dirty,” Yuuri says.

“Let’s not talk about it.” Viktor shakes off the experience, “After you, my dear.”

“‘My dear’?” Yuuri says dramatically, “Don’t you think it’s too early for that? People would think us too young for such intimacy.”

“Yuuri!”

[the-cryptographer]

I’m actually replaying Tales of the Abyss now instead of just thinking about replaying it as I become randomly taken over by Dist-related feelings. So under the cut is my experience with the first third of the game (everything up to the haircut).

- Imma just start with the character stuff and then move onto the gameplay stuff bc nobody cares about gameplay.

- Yeah, I started playing this like - “I wonder if I’ll still like the same shitty ships I liked when I was playing this ten years ago.” And the answer is FUCKING YES - they are apparently permanently ingrained in my psyche.

- On the subject of Luke... I didn’t actually remember how much of a douche he is for the first third of the game, since it’s been a while and I’m more accustomed to seeing portrayals of the better rounded and kinder character he eventually became. I’m going to say, I’m really glad he grew out of it on both a narrative and personal level, but I also really did enjoy and love long-hair douchey Luke. He’s insufferable and I adore him.

- That being said, I think this kind of puts an interesting spin on Luke/Tear. I do genuinely like this ship and am happy with where it ended up, but a lot of what seems to keep their early interactions from going even more poorly than they do is that Luke is... very used to bossing people around. And Tear is very used to being bossed around. Like, she’ll obviously talk back to him, but even so- Tear kind of falling into this servile protective bodyguard role is kind of what ends up endearing her to Luke and it’s kind of bad and good at the same time. Especially combined with things like her thinking the Baticul maid outfit his servants wear is cute... This idea could be taken places... I’m glad the relationship didn’t stay like this in the larger context of things, but I’m also kind of enjoying where it’s at so~

- That being said I feel like the party starts making lovebird jokes way too early. Like, I like this ship a lot, but I also have bad taste, and this isn’t the kind of thing I feel should be encouraged irl/in-universe. Not as their relationship exists during this part of the game, at least. ubb.

- More generally I do like Tear a lot tho. I think having her be a bit more serious and stoic and emotionally withdrawn are things that speak a lot to me, with regards to female characters and heroines especially. I also like that she is genuinely competent as a fighter and protector. And that the more traditional damsel role is occupied by a man, Ion.

- I’m also surprised that Tear’s boobs are as modestly proportioned as they are. Maybe it’s because of doujin content, or a couple of tactless jokes later on in the game(?) but I always thought they were HUGE instead of, well, buxom and hourglassy in the vein that you might find on a real woman. This game in general isn’t super fanservice-y in its character designs (although there’s something to be said about a few of the scenarios). There’s some Zettai Ryouki on the girls, but that’s about it. I guess the fact that this game's age is showing.

- The different iterations of ships involving Anise, Arietta, and the Ions are also something that are still appealing to me a lot. Part of me feels bad for being okay with Anise/Florian, since Florian’s a kind of an obvious replacement character. But then I start thinking about how conflicting and upsetting it would be for Anise and then - whoops - I’m interested again.

- Luke and Ion crush on each other so hard though. This was not a ship from when I first played but, god, it’s so cute how much Ion seems to genuinely like Luke, and how Luke gets so tsun and blushy about protecting him. Excuse me while I try and figure out a way to write this that isn’t heartbreaking, and fail.

- me: I wonder if I’ll like Jade as much as I did the first time. Since I seem to have come to a realisation that he’s an emotionally manipulative asshole with a very limited capacity for empathy on any non-abstract level. Jade’s disembodied voice *hasn’t even shown up on screen yet* : Move out of the way or it’s not my problem if you get run over by this tank I’m driving. me: I was a complete fool. He’s a total asshole and I love him so much.

- Naw, yeah, for real tho: one of the first things Jade does upon meeting Natalia is try and establish that she’ll be easy to emotionally manipulate and control. He rather easily brushes over watching the suffering of others in favour of more goal oriented behavior. That, in addition to what happens when he extracts information from Dist at the Keterburg Hotel... I don’t really think I was off the mark about Jade potentially negging his boyfriend or exacting physical torture on his ex, especially insofar as his ex is a criminal anyhow. Like, obviously Jade has some kind of moral code by the time the game begins. And overall I think it’s admirable that he’s concerned about things like minimising the world’s death toll and human suffering. But he’s certainly not above breaking a few eggs to make and omelette, even if those eggs include visiting long-term physical and psychological damage on others. I would... hope that he could restrain himself from taking that kind of route with things. But I don’t think I’m exactly wrong in thinking he’s not a person I would trust not to, and thus not someone I’d want to invite within a mile of my personal life. Although he’s probably going to continue being a character I really cherish. He might still be my favourite playable character in the game - although Tear and Anise come close.

- Actual favourite character is Dist, of course. I mean, he’s hammy and awful and terribly written, but I love him so much. ‘Everyone is jealous of my intelligence and beauty.’ (Which is even funnier considering the post-battle dialogue where Anise and Jade tell Luke to write about their beauty and intelligence respectively in his diary. Birds of a feather.) idk, it’s just really strange, because I don’t really like when fanon iterations of characters are made more femme and flamboyant than they are in canon. But you have actual femme and flamboyant men in canon (Dist, Wallace from pkmn, etc) and somehow I love them so much, omg. (Dist also has a lot of grief stuff I like tho - v relatable with regards to Nebilim.) idk, I just count my lucky stars every day. Because five of the six God Generals die in this game, so the odds were definitely not in my favour, but somehow my favourite is the one that makes it out alive?! I’m dying at how blessed I am. Dist is basically the opposite of the Bury Your Gays trope, and I love it.

- On that note, when Jade and Dist are snarking and Luke and Guy share the look(tm) and are like ‘they’re off in their own little world’ asdfghjkl;

- me: I wonder if I’ll like Natalia more this time. Since I’m more aware now of the baggage and misogyny that goes into female character creation, and am more likely to blame authors than the characters themselves. Natalia: *to Luke, after taking one look at Tear* Are you fucking the servant girl? me: YIKES(tm)

- Naw, she’s okay. I mean... she’s not less okay than Anise or Tear, really, in terms of poor (stereotypical) writing and poor (catty) behaviour. I certainly think her commitment to being a kind ruler and acting towards the public good with her own hands and own feet is quite touching. But she appeals to me the least out of the three girls on a personal level. And, also, I think there are several issues with her introduction-

- Well... first off, that we hear about Natalia from Luke and Guy earlier in the game - and we’re told she’s high maintenance and clingy before we’ve even met her. And then we meet her and her introduction ends up immediately corroborating what Luke says about her. So... it’s a very bad first impression in a way. In general it’s kind of interesting seeing how the narrative feeds out information, now that I know all the characters and all the twists. Some of it is info-dumpy, and some of it is unintuitive, but it’s interesting to watch how it drops out hints and evidence for you to try and piece together before the reveals come.

- But I digress, the other thing is Natalia is, after her disastrous first impression, set up as a foil for Luke. Her kindness and selfless concern for others, and how seriously she takes her responsibility as a state leader, are both immediately cast against Luke’s self-absorption. Which... is in some ways ineffective for me tbh.

- Idk, just, like- An adult man spends seven years building up trust with a child that’s been isolated and emotionally neglected by design, and then manipulates and uses him as part of a murderous rampage. (two children, if we’re including Ion) And somehow this is Luke’s fault? Yeah, I don’t... buy that.

- I mean, Luke is obviously rude, callous, selfish, and arrogant. And I think all of those things are problems. All of those things are Luke’s fault and responsibility. I do think it’s upsetting that Luke is more concerned with dodging blame regarding Akzeriuth than he is concerned about... everyone who just died. And I’m certainly glad that Luke makes a decision to change. But... none of those things are really related to him feeling he can trust Van, and it’s pretty monstrously unfair to blame him for being manipulated by the only adult he really felt took his interests and concerns seriously as a kid. (I mean, obviously his parents love him, and he them. But there’s also a definite feeling that his concerns are not being prioritised by them. And that he can’t even advocate his concerns with regards to his mother, whose emotional and physical health could be endanger if Luke burdened her with his upsets.) As the player, we don’t really have a reason to trust Luke, and Luke’s loyalty to Van, more than Tear’s (and the rest of the party’s) distrust of her brother. We’ve known Luke and Tear approximately the same amount of time. But... Luke has known Van for seven years. And Luke has known Tear and Jade and Anise for a couple of weeks and has little reason to trust them. Tear spirited him away from the safety of his manor and into a dangerous world. Jade and Anise had him restrained and arrested and made no secret they were using his status for their political goals (good goals, but still...) They’re all openly disparaging of Luke. It seems pretty natural that Luke would trust Van over them, and the fact that Van was counting on that when he betrayed Luke and everyone... I mean... I also don’t blame the rest of the party for blaming Luke in the heat of the moment, but I think the game and narrative itself takes the ‘it’s your fault’ stuff a bit too seriously and uncritically. It’s also super obvious that they ramped up Luke’s unlikable qualities in preparation for what happens at Akzeriuth - pride cometh before the fall. And, even if it’s emotionally effective, it still don’t really go from point A to point B that being selfish and rude and arrogant makes you at fault for being susceptible to emotional manipulation. Which is kind of frustrating.

- Also, yeah, zol was right. You could’ve saved that kid with stalagmite or smthn, Jade.

- There’s a lot of weird bullshit along the lines of gameplay vs plot dissonance. Like trying to light barrels of oil on fire in the Abandoned Factory. I’m surprised none of them blew up in Luke’s face. Did nobody think to bring a candle? Or just have Mieu light up the dark with fire near the switch? That would have been a lot more expedient and a lot less dangerous.

- Ion: The seventh fonon was recently discovered. Jade: And thirty years ago, when I was a young lad, I was upset I couldn’t use the seventh fonon and blew up my teacher by mistake (whoopsie). me: what the flippity fuck, Ion? that’s not recent. I thought you were supposed to be better than Luke about this shit. What could possibly be responsible for this mistake - OH!

- In general, since Ion’s four years old and somehow knows a shitton about the world, it kind of takes some of the wind out of Luke’s sails when he’s had a three year lead on Ion ‘but i had more important stuff to learn, like my parent’s faces’. Luke’s amnesia and subsequent isolation are pretty well integrated into the story for the most part, but parts of it are obviously exaggerated for the sake of having a character that needs the relevant info about the game world infodumped on them.

- Mieu... is a thing. I don’t really like mascot characters as a concept in general. But I think some authors, like CLAMP, have done a good job integrating them into their stories. I can’t really say the same for Mieu though. That he kind of is Luke’s chew toy for the beginning part of the story is interesting. And that he fucked things over for his people and the Ligers due to this random accident (much like Luke) is kind of interesting. But... overall he’s just a very annoying cute thing that’s following you around for no reason. I wonder if his voice is less grating in Japanese, but the PS2 version of this game at least didn’t come with JP audio, which was kind of a bummer. I like the dub for the most part (Anise especially is really good) but I would have liked to hear the JP version this time.

- I think I still prefer platonic Guy/Luke to romantic Guy/Luke. (Although I don’t dislike it, the way I dislike Asch/Luke) but I am super charmed by the drama with Guy having all this resentment towards Asch that then becomes easier to move past once Asch gets switched out for Luke. Like, I think in some ways it’s more about Guy being in a different place looking after this helpless newly replicated Luke at age 14 compared to looking after the better-realised Asch when he was younger, rather than because of a stark difference between Luke and Asch themselves. But I can’t help but love Guy a little for seeing them so differently and feeling certain that Luke is the one that’s his friend. It’s really sweet and cute x’)

- And last thing - the hyperresonance stuff was super poorly explained. Particularly the first one between Luke and Tear. We’re told that this is something that can randomly happen when two seventh fonists interact, and Tear’s like ‘i should have been more careful’ like this is something that happens periodically that you can predict and avoid. but... how? What are the conditions that lead to this? Is this scientifically replicatable at all? Or is it something that can happen completely at random whenever Luke and Tear touch each other? Whenever Natalia and Asch touch each other? they’re just going to be having sex one day and randomly teleport out into an open field or smthn. This is so dumb. Except I know that the teleportation thing was actually 100% convenient plot bullshit, so I shouldn’t even pretend it can be made sense of in any real way, smh.

- New Game Plus! I debated quite a bit, but in the end EXP x10 was the only thing I purchased from the grade shop. I wanted to have the experience of gathering all the items and bonuses myself, since I forgot what happened the first playthrough. But I’m regretting the decision a bit now since I did all the sidequests and ultimate weapons and stuff the first time around and had a very full inventory, and I’ve already missed at least one thing on my current playthrough when a combination of not saving and forgetting how to walk lost me Barrelow X’s Capacity Core. (Not saving also made me not have a save to go back to to win against Asch at Yulia City- boo) But, regardless, even without all the other perks, I figured EXP x10 would basically mean breezing through the story, which was what in theory I wanted. But then I decided to combine this with the Unknown Difficulty Mode (enemy stats x3.5) which effectively made the game even more slow than the first runthrough, EXP x10 be damned. I spent a lot of the first part of the game crowding around Engeve, frantically trying not to die before I gathered 100 gald to stay at the Inn. I was completely outmatched on the Tartarus when it gets overrun with Griffins and Ligers. And I made about a dozen trips between the Fubras River and Engeve before I finally made it to Arietta without my characters dying. After getting my party to level 40, spamming Mystic Cage, and still getting absolutely crushed by Arietta at Coral Castle, I finally gave up. I lowered it down to Very Hard mode instead and defeated her in two minutes. After a quick search, I learned that this is considered one of the hardest battles with the hard mode stat multipliers, and it gets easier from there. So I technically could have kept going to level 50 or smthn but... it also seemed like a lot of these people were doing this challenge with the capacity cores and equipment rollover, and without them I’d most certainly have to grind more (and grind without good capacity core stat bonuses). And the simple truth of the matter is I wasn’t having fun anymore. So... if I do a third playthrough in another ten years, I’ll rollover everything properly to do Unknown properly, but in the meantime I’ll stick to whatever mode lets me farm grade the most easily.

- On that note, it became very clear that the defense stat in this game is very broken. All the characters (including your own characters, pretty much regardless of level) have /lots of HP/ and are meant to take /a lot/ of small hits - this is just the play style. So, as long as you have full TP and a way to heal, taking on characters with multiple times their usual attack and HP stats is doable. On the other hand, characters with high defense, like Arietta, Golems, etc... Even small differences between your attack stats and the opponent’s defense stats can result in your own attacks doing half/quarter/tenth of their usual damage, which means a battle taking two/four/ten times longer than usual (and you’re way more likely to run out of TP and healing items this way). I think this essentially means that high fonic/phys attack (respective of whether the character has a mage vs melee move set) are the most important stats for the player character. It would be cool if you could replicate Arietta’s defense effect with your own characters but... the truth is the bosses in these types of games are built very differently than the player characters (unlike something like pkmn)... so I’m not sure you can(?)

- Pet peeves currently include the Tales Of series’s multi-part cutscenes. It’s started already and I know it will get worse (i distinctly recall latter parts of this game where I had to fly between characters in different cities collecting cutscenes before I could move onto the next dungeon) But, yeah- I’m at a bit of a loss here because, while I like open exploration game worlds where you walk between different locations and vastly prefer this to games that teleport you between battle stages (ie Sonic Adventure 2, Disgaea) there is a lot of retreading old pathways in Abyss (as there was in Legendia) trying to negotiate between different talking heads. Like... I saved my game going up the tower at Coral Castle, intending to walk into a boss fight. And then a cutscene happened, during which I was teleported three loadscreens back in the direction I came from for another cutscene. And then I had to manually walk back the same exact route and save again, before another cutscene and finally the battle. What’s the rationale behind not just making that one big pre-battle cutscene with the travel included/implied? Maybe the fact that they DON’T HAVE A CUTSCENE/SKIT SKIP BUTTON which is another pet peeve, mind you. Another example is when you get to Luke’s home in Baticul and have to run back down to the port to retrieve the scrolls that the maids threw out, and then climb back up to his house again. It’s not like anything exciting happened on the three different elevators I took between those two points. It’s not like I don’t know what the trip between those points looked like - I just came from the port. There’s no reason not to just have it be automatic. Even attempts to reduce this - the wing bottle - are frustrating in their setup. By requiring me to spend money and keep inventory in order to use the teleport function, they are incentivising me to /not/ use the teleport function. They’re requiring me to spend money to /avoid/ doing something boring. And that’s, idk, kind of unnecessary and shitty? Like, usually in a game I want to be spending money in order to unlock new features and content and have more fun. Not to, like, avoid playing parts that I’ve played already. idk, because i do realise that streamlining some of these moments would require alterations to cut down some of the movement in the plot - and ultimately I think flying between cities to talk with different people before acting isn’t bad or unrealistic plot wise. buuuut, even if some of the multi-part cutscenes need to stay for this effect, even if not all of them could have been streamlined into a more direct line of action and travel, even if not any specific moment of this travel is unbearably awful, it still frustrates me that this clearly wasn’t even a priority for the devs.

[ao3porcelainstorm]

poison ivy & stinging nettles 2

On Ao3

Pairing: Sherlock/OFC

Rated: M

Warnings: eventual violence, torture, swears, adult themes (no explicit smut)

Chapter 1 - Chapter 3

Chapter 2- Eavesdrop

~~~

There were a few reasons why Sherlock decided to take Amelia's case. Though personally, I don't ever recall her asking us for help. She'd managed to negotiate a shower in exchange for information, and when she showed up to our flat covered in soot and dirt, I immediately admonished Sherlock's careless behavior. 

I lent her some spare clothes, and Mrs. Hudson brought up some tea, thanking her for the artful touch she'd put into the flowers. After things had settled down and night began to fall, Amelia Brenner told us her story.

~~~

Amelia Brenner was a far cry from the bright saleswoman she'd been just hours before. The auburn curls that bounced with her step, had been tied back into a tight bun at the back of her head. Her green eyes were muted, her smile was forced and weak. John was almost positive the freckles that dotted her cheeks and nose, lost luster over the course of the day.

“My mother inherited Chemco Pharmaceuticals from my grandfather about fifteen years ago,” Amelia took a long sip of the chamomile tea Mrs. Hudson had insisted upon and took a breath. “I started working for research and development after I'd finished my PhD in botany. I ended up duel enrolling for a Pharmacology doctorate that was paid for by the company in exchange for a five year non-competing contract after graduation.”

“My mother's company exploded in size in the last decade. They had their hands on the best scientists, the strongest research, and the most innovative methods. Recruiting me was logical on my mother's part. I'd already dabbled in replicating certain botanical molecules into lab generated copies that boosted the effectiveness of certain medications with fewer side effects. It was perfect. She covered my expensive school bills, and I got to research whatever I wanted, so long as it benefited the company.

“I'm guessing things didn't stay that way for long?” John asked sympathetically. Amelia shook her head, her shoulders hanging forward. She looked tired, broken down from all of the stress she'd clearly been burdening for some time.

“I heard a rumor,” she explained. “There had been a new hire, a doctor from Stanford who was working on an exclusive project. Classified, and only carefully vetted research assistants were allowed access to the data. I was recruited, and on the first day, I was astonished at what I found.”

There was a horror that danced behind her eyes in the sad look she shared with the men before continuing her tale.

“They were killing people,” she stated, taking another sip of her tea. “Not directly though, subtly, through tainted medications. It'd apparently started small, with rival investors, or pharmacy executives who didn't carry Chemco products in their stores. But then there was a legitimate interest by an outside investor who wanted to take some of our research and apply it to a sample of drugs that were sold publicly.”

“Why?” John was sitting on the edge of his seat, quite literally, his stomach turning at the thought of these so called medical professionals carelessly violating their oaths to the public.

“Cures don't bolster stocks,” her mother had hissed when Amelia approached her. “This will be good for business.”

“Keeping cancer patients dependent on your therapies?”

“I'm helping them,” Lydia Brenner slammed her hands on her desk, the normally composed business woman's demeanor shifting violently. “We're providing relief for side effects of their therapies.”

“That you created,” Amelia screamed back, her fingers digging into the leather material of one of the office chairs that separated the women. “You're taking my research and turning it into something... you're a monster. You can't do this.”

“It's my research, dear,” her mother reminded her, her voice lowering sharply. “It's my data, and my company, and I think you'd be smart to keep that in mind.”

“Or what?” Amelia stepped out from behind the chair. “I'm your daughter, or have you forgotten?”

“Tell that to your uncle,” Lydia merely hummed, before calling security to escort Amelia out of the building. “Do remember to leave your badge at reception, love.”

Amelia had found herself fired, and thrown onto the sidewalk outside of the Midtown, New York, New York, headquarters of Chemco.

What her mother didn't know, was that Amelia had replicated the database onto multiple hard-drives, and saved the damning information to an encrypted cloud, days before she'd approached the CEO.

“My first phone call was to my uncle Max,” she shook her head. “We'd cut contact after my mom convinced me that he was basically the devil incarnate. Turns out, it was the opposite. He'd been the true heir to the company, and she'd manipulated the board, hired a crew of attorneys and ripped him out of the position. He ended up coming back home, to Essex, to try and move past all of it.”

She'd purchased a burner phone for that conversation, unsure of what level of control her mother truly exercised in her life. Max advised her to pull any money, and secure her trust before her mother got her hands into the small fortune Amelia had garnered. She worked quickly, pretending to be job hunting, while packing her belongings, and making small shipments to her uncle's storage in London.

It'd been a little over a month when she got her first unannounced visitor at her Brooklyn apartment. A private investigator who was asking about her knowledge regarding a data breach.

Someone had taken unauthorized information from Chemco, and someone was going to face serious circumstances if someone didn't give it back immediately.

Amelia played dumb, offered him a cup of coffee and wished him the best in his investigation.

She sent the first hard-drive to her cousin Ruthie, Max's oldest daughter, in Kent.

With the confirmation that she was being watched, Amelia was more calculated in her actions moving forward.

She spent the week finalizing travel plans, emptying her apartment of everything aside from large furniture, and quietly purchased a one-way ticket to London, where her uncle promised to help her decipher the data, and get her in contact with the proper authorities.

The drugs in question were supposed to hit the market soon, and aside from the lab, there was no way that Amelia could properly vet which specific chemicals were being added.

Not to mention, it was being added randomly to vials. Some would have the component, others wouldn’t. She would have to raid a pharmacy to confirm the data, and there was no telling what decisions had been made after she’d stolen the data.

“My uncle Max lent me one of his old retail spaces here in London,” she looked especially sad at this part of the story. “There was a hope that maybe my mother had come to her senses after all of the trouble. We hadn’t heard any announcements about the drugs or anything for over two months. I started a life here, at least as best a life someone could start in these circumstances.”

From there, it was pretty easy to piece together what happened next. Her mother still wanted that data secured. She wanted to secure the market without any intervention or trouble.

“Where is the data now?” Sherlock questioned, tapping his fingers in a steeple.

“Ruthie has one,” she explained. “There’s another copy in a security box across town, and I stored a third under the register at the shop.”

“So, two functional hard drives are out there?” he clarified and Amelia nodded. He stood up, moving toward the coat hanger, looking to John and Amelia expectantly. “We should secure it as quickly as possible.”

John scoffed. Typical Sherlock. Amelia looked about a step away from a full breakdown, and he was focused solely on the case.

“Now probably isn’t the best time,” John asserted quickly, sending an apologetic smile in Amelia’s direction. She watched the exchange passively, her gaze bouncing between the two men as they bickered.

“We can’t wait for the company to secure all of the data, then we’d have no evidence, John,” Sherlock’s tone sounded more like a parent scolding a child, rather than two friends discussing a potential international disaster.

“And what if you were followed? We just lead them right to the hard drive and let them ambush us?” John shot back.

Sherlock rolled his eyes pulling a pistol from his jacket pocket and passing it to John.

“Don’t be ridiculous, that’s why we’re all going,” he sighed, clearly itching to get a move on.

“Amelia has clearly been through a lot tonight,” John scowled at his friend, setting the gun on the table. “And the bank probably isn’t even open right now.”

He knew he had a point there, and Sherlock considered it briefly. If John knew his friend, and he knew Sherlock, the detective was probably weighing the pros and cons of breaking into the vault that evening.

“Fine,” he huffed, throwing the coat aside, and grabbing John’s new cup of tea before disappearing through the kitchen to his room. “First thing in the morning!”

Amelia watched the exchanged quietly, waiting until she was left alone with John in the living room before speaking up.

“He’s loads of fun at parties, isn’t he?” she asked with a small grin.

John laughed, knowing already he was going to enjoy her presence immensely.

~~~

While John and Amelia figured out their sleeping areas for the night, Sherlock paced his room, thinking through what the florist had told them.

The data could be outdated, but it could contain the chemical equations necessary for testing any of the tainted samples. The problem was the randomization. He could get John to sign off on a number of prescriptions, but that would potentially raise red flags with the NHS.

Mycroft could get his hands on a shipment, but there was a chance that if Chemco was already acting so bold, they had a person on the inside who could raise the alarm if the government intervened too prematurely.

There was also the consideration of Amelia Brenner being killed before the data could be accurately deciphered, not that this was a huge concern for him. He was more than capable of interpreting and applying chemical equations, he just lacked the specific research she would have been able to supply.

He paused, eyes darting toward his laptop.

That was where he could start that night, reading through her doctoral research and any relevant publication under her name.

He started with a basic background check. Everything lined up with what she’d told them, graduated from a high ranking American university pursing both a PhD in botany and PharmD concurrently. She took a little longer than the average researcher to graduate with her degrees, but it was obvious she was trying to use what resources she could to fund her research. And there was a lot of it.

She’d obtained samples of nearly extinct plants and flowers from around the world, extensively cultivated them, took their chemical properties and studied their medicinal values based off of local lore and cultural studies.

There had been a significant bit of truth to the stories, as she had detailed a number of sedatives, pain relievers, and immune boosting properties within her samples.

She published to three journals, before there was an abrupt stop in her research, immediately after her graduation. It must have been the stranglehold her mother held on the information. He frowned in irritation at the dead end, why didn’t anyone fund science for the sake of science?

It did explain the shift in careers. This was a woman interested in flowers, thrown into a laboratory setting. There was a clear distinction about the way she’d held herself when speaking about haughtiness and friendship and their corresponding blooms, compared to the way she’d detailed her research.

She seemed ashamed.

Still, it opened a potentially fascinating case for him. It’d been some time since he’d been able to put his chemical prowess to the test, and being able to take down an exploitive organization like Chemco? Double the fun.

He just wanted to get his hands on that data set.

Glancing at the clock; 4:04 am; he groaned out loud.

A pounding on the floor above him and John's muffled yelling confirmed that there was still a bit of time until morning.

Chapter 3