#plus the guy who I’ve been working on an engineering project with stopped at open of the people giving out fliers and was talking to him

[the-starlight-papers]

The conservative student org at my school is having a very well known politician from my home state (which recently banned gender affirming healthcare for minors) come and give a talk about wokeness.

So you know I might just so happen to have been tearing down any of their fliers that I could find over the past few weeks. They have started adding more staples and pushpins but I cannot be deterred.

Now the hard part is going to be figuring out how to snag as many fliers from the people passing them out in order to make them run out faster.

[sunghox99]

hjremi​:

”i don’t know how to respond to that in a way that doesn’t hurt my chances of seeing you again, so i’m just gonna take the l and shut my mouth.“ better to be honest about that, at least. they’re both guys in their 20’s, which is… literally marvel’s target audience, but he doesn’t have to be all that bright to realise it’s not a label sungho wants. plus, for as pretty as sungho is, he kinda reads more like a weeb, if remi’s honest. like if they’d gone over to sungho’s instead, remi might unearth a waifu pillow or spot some wrapped manga. maybe a figurine or twelve, if he was deep into it.

try not to go extreme and try to take down the government. well…

remington clifford, wanted by the fbi for questioning in regards to an eco-terrorism group based out of cambridge. the dandelion tattooed on his hip has never felt more like a brand.

he laughs, hoping it doesn’t sound too fake. ”right, yeah. i mean, the computers are for work. place like this doesn’t pay for itself.“ his parents send him money sometimes, sure, but it’s kind of sporadiac, as they don’t want to clue the literal fucking fbi into where remi’s staying. for all they treated him like a show pony and a social experiment sometimes, they’re at least good for that. ”i won’t bore you with the details or anything, because like… it really is boring, even to computer guys. but yeah, ah, no hacking here, no worries!“

fuck, dude, could you be anymore awkward? he blames the brownie, honestly. maybe sungho was right about him losing it.

”okay, first of all, her ballerina friend was way hotter, make no fuckin’ mistake about that one. and second, didn’t they like, shun him down into the basement in the first place for being all fucked-up looking?“ he’d only seen the movie like once, at least that he can recall. not his favourite musical, always more of a rent person, which he supposes should be obvious, considering his whole… him. gesturing vaguely towards his own face, which there is no way on god’s green earth that sungho hasn’t noticed, but he’s sweet to pretend. it’s pretty short-lived, however, as remi abruptly decides he doesn’t want to hear whatever it is sungho might have to say about it, if he stops pretending. ”actually, nevermind.“

sitting up, remi glances over at the tv, watching as nana and hachi go shopping for those damn strawberry glasses. ”not in a bit, no. i’ve been before, to like check it out, or whatever, but engineering exams fucking suck, dude. i’ve been holed up in here for weeks working on my stupid final project.“ he puffs out his cheeks in annoyance, hugging his knees to his chest. ”you should be grateful, you know. you’re the first person i’ve had over since i started really working on it.“ there’s a light teasing tone to his voice, greasy on purpose.

they’d been here almost the same amount of time. that’s fun. no wonder their paths didn’t really cross, with sungho trying to keep a low profile, and remi having to take a solid year and a half after his arrival to figure out how the fuck to speak korean enough to survive. ”mm, maybe. maybe i’m bored with my small-town life, and i need some beautiful, mysterious city boy to whisk me off my feet, make me feel alive.“ he pushes at sungho with a laugh whenever the other teases him right back, giving as good as he gets. ”shut up, i told you they’re for work! don’t be a brat.“

leaning over to where he had left his own soda, remi pops it open, leaning back on one hand to face sungho. ”we can go out somewhere if you really want, y'know. i’m not like, some hermit who shrivels up under the light of day. i just… i don’t know, man.“ he shrugs a little bit. ”every time i see you, there’s always a fuckton of other people around, y'know? like the library, the caf, whatever…“ not to mention, sungho wasn’t exactly a social butterfly. part being selfish and wanting sungho’s undivided attention, part not wanting to give the man a chance to run away before remi can make his move, even if it’s only friendship that he moves towards. ”it’s stupid, nevermind. i’m high, don’t listen to me.“ he shakes his head, taking another sip before setting his drink aside. ”did you wanna go out somewhere, then? i can drive, we don’t have to walk.“

Sungho had noticed Remi's scars but had enough sense to not say anything about them. He may have tried to hide it, but his self-esteem wasn't the highest, so why even bring attention to a sensitive topic? Life was difficult already, but add pretty privilege, insane expectations, and classism to the mix, and even already attractive people were going to struggle with such a beauty standard. Sungho may have fared better, but his attitude was such a turn-off. An example of deceiving looks because his smartass mouth, better than you aura, variety of mental health issues, and general indifference were masked by his celebrity-like face. Remi was the exact opposite of everything he knew, and yet there they were together in a room. without trying to kill each other.

"What's your plan after college? You're giving up a lot for a grade. Life is more than that." Was there bias like that? Sungho did come for the upper middle class, so even with high expectations, there was a sense of leisure and pleasure that was the real foundation of life. "Me? mysterious?" He was surprised that the word was used to describe him. "Anyway, the east side can be lively if you want that kind of life." Hearing the word brat was closer to the truth than mysterious, which was causing him to laugh. "I'm around people out of necessity, not because I enjoy it. My major, unofficially, is networking and making connections. That can be the difference between making a deal or not." He was being honest but managed to tact some other information on so he wasn't too vulnerable.

"You're high, so there was something in the brownies. Glad I said no," his glare was serious, hinting for Remi to not make such an offer again, "The best place to go is the capital, far away from the culture war here." Hell, he'd be open to spending a whole day there just for some normalcy, like real normal. No mermaids, sirens, flower people, nymphs, or whatever else might be walking around. It was ironic that after the treaty festival, the mayor died or was killed. The details weren't clear, and the tension was thick. Sungho's boss was getting almost paranoid about something, almost to the point of making HIM quit. It's not like he really needed the money, but financial independence was needed for certain reasons. He did not bore Remi with these thoughts, finishing off his coke.

[johannstutt413]

(requested by mathmaticalknight)

Blemishine was in the Engineering Department, hiding from Zofia with her fellow tech-heads as she often did, the day she first encountered the Nian. She’d heard rumors about the meandering meddling metallurgist and her amorphous armaments, but it was only when the Doctor finally gave in and let her work with the Department that the Kuranta came into contact with her.

“Workshop #3 just sent up the results from their latest alloy test,” Passenger reported matter-of-factly. “No progress.”

“I’m definitely starting to see why we haven’t figured this thing out. It’s like the metal is...alive.” Blemishine was watching VODs of Nian’s combat performance to try and get some new data-

-which meant she was the perfect target when the real Nian arrived and glanced over her shoulder. “Well, you look like you’re having fun.”

“She’s incredible, isn’t she?” The knight looked over her shoulder, realized it was THE Nian standing over her, and with a blush said, “You’re incredible.”

“A lot of people don’t trust me, that’s true. I’m gonna borrow her, alright, Elliot?”

The Liberi waved an arm. “Bring her back in one piece.”

“Oh, you know I’d never hurt a hair on her head.” She hooked one of her arms under one of the Kuranta’s and pulled her out of her chair. “Let’s go.”

“Ehh? O-okay! I’ll be back, Passenger!” And without any resistance, Maria was off on an adventure.

At least, she thought that’s what was happening, though the Nian didn’t exactly explain as they walked through the corridors of Rhodes Island in the direction of the shuttle bay. “What’s your name, kid? I haven’t seen you around much.”

“Blemishine’s my codename, but you can call me Maria.” Honestly, she’d prefer the latter. “Is it true you’re not a Rhodes Island employee? I know you spend a lot of time in Engineering, and I mean, you’d have to be a smith to have a weapon as cool as yours, but I’ve never seen you in person before.”

“Closure offered me a job, but that’s not why I’m here. You like shopping? We’re heading into town.” Now wasn’t the time for worrying about the future; she did that plenty on her own, especially with Dusk around now.

The knight shrugged. “Auntie and I go every now and again, and when I needed new parts for my projects I’d go out to get them, but since I started helping out at the Department I don’t have as much time for that.”

“Projects?” Nian smiled to herself. “Like trying to recreate my weapon? I hope y’all figure it out.”

“Oh, that’s for the Workshop, it’s fun but not really the kind of thing I’d do in my free time, you know? I’m a mechanic at heart, and now that I’m working for the Department, maybe they’ll let me supe up one of the shuttles. I used to have a car that could get some real speed going before I became a competition knight...”

Thinking about the past was just as bad, but fortunately they’d reached the shuttles. “So you wanna mess around with one of these?”

“We’re here already? And yeah, that’d be really fun! They don’t run on quite the same intake system I’m used to, and I’d have to make some openings in the hood to fit everything on I’d need to, and then there’s the nitrous canisters- oh, there I go again.” Blemishine didn’t know many people who actually wanted to listen to her talk about this kind of stuff. “Sorry about that!”

“What do you mean? Keep going! I hate when people try to tamp down on their enthusiasm just to make other people happy, and you were really building up steam there.” Plus, she was super cute when she got excited.

Maria blushed again. “Alright, but only because you asked. So obviously we’d have to start with taking one of these babies apart - I think I could get Broca to help out with that, it really takes two people to get a car onto a maintenance lift when you’re trying to keep the engine cool - because they won’t let me look at the schematics yet even though I asked Closure specifically if I could...”

The entire drive into town was essentially like that; the knight went into the blow-by-blow description of what she wanted the shuttle to look like under the hood when she was done, and Nian only occasionally interrupted with an insight or a question to help her along. She was impressed with how much the Kuranta actually knew despite not having much opportunity to act on that knowledge back in Kazimierz (Nearl’s sister, no question about where she was from), but more than that, she was reminded of some of her old acquaintances who used to get the same gleams in their eyes when talking about sword-smithing or armor-forging. This girl wasn’t like her usual kidnappees for sure.

“-Hey, Nian?” Blemishine looked out the window. “I think we drove past town.”

“Did we? Shit, I guess we did.”

They weren’t turning around. “Are we gonna keep going?”

“Just a little bit.” The Nian smiled to herself. “I was going to take you shopping, but since we’ve been talking about cars, there’s a place I wanna show you. Might help out with this plan you’ve got.”

“Oh, it’s not really a plan, just some ide- is that a junkyard? Out here?!”A sign poked out from behind a dune. Looks like her birthday’d come around early this year.

The smith laughed. “You sound like a kid going to the candy store.”

“Candy can’t take you a hundred kilometers away in an hour, though, and that’s much more exciting than some sugar!” Maria giggled. “Not that I’m against sugar.”

“I can take it or leave it. There was one place I visited that had these cinnamon-pepper candies; those were more my style. Speaking of style...” They pulled into the lot, broken-down vehicles already visible from the entrance, and the tour began.

Well, less of a tour and more of a scavenging run; this wasn’t a museum, after all, and Nian never left home without a few tools. The Kuranta popped the hood on the first ground-level car within eyesight, putting on a pair of goggles and pulling a tool roll seemingly out of thin air. “This one’s in great condition; how’d you end up, little guy? Don’t worry, we’ll be gentle. Hey, Nian, could you help me roll this one forward a bit?”

“I’ve gotcha.” She popped open the door on one side, Blemishine did the same on the other, and the two pushed the car to where there was plenty of room on all sides. “Looking for something specific?”

“Just want to double-check a few things. How’d one of RI’s shuttles end up out here, do you think? I mean, if we had the keys, I’m sure we could get this one to run again, no problem...Do you hear that?”

The Nian sighed. “The rustling from over there? I heard.”

“Hands up!” A gruff voice barked as a small gang of bandits mobilized from behind other junk piles, crossbows trained on the pair. “Thanks for the fresh wheels, ladies. Toss us the keys and leave, and we won’t have to get nasty.”

“What kind of gang sets up shop in a junkyard? You can’t possibly make enough stops to survive,” Maria observed, hands still below her head.

The presumed leader, a Sankta with a black halo, spat on the ground. “Don’t change the subject. Hands, up, or your pretty little friend gets it.”

“Which one of us is little?” The other Defender asked casually, a pool of silver forming around her feet. “We’re about the same height, after all.”

“...Well, boys, can’t say I tried.” The Sankta fired at the Kuranta-

-and missed, partially because his target rolled out of the way, and partially because there was now a lump of metal where his Adam’s apple had been. Nian’s malleable murder-metal formed a curtain around her as she started walking forward with a smile. “Well, boys, you picked the wrong couple to rob.”

“Couple?” Blemishine asked as she reemerged from cover, sword and shield at the ready. “A couple of what?”

“A couple of-” At that moment, a bolt detonated against her tectonic armor, blasting shrapnel through and into her shoulder, and the Beast awoke.

A few minutes later, after the junkyard had had a proper bloodbath, the Nian was sitting on the hood of the car they’d rolled out while Maria patched her up. “Exploding bolts? That’s higher grade gear than your average bandit, isn’t it?” The knight asked

“Probably. Not that we’ve got to worry about it now.” She felt the debris-free gashes knitting back together in the Kuranta’s light. “I need a snack after that. Mind if we head back to town?”

“Nah, I don’t mind; there’s an ice cream shop that Surtr recommended I’ve been meaning to try. We can get a milkshake with two straws, like in the movies.”

Nian would have rolled her eyes if that didn’t sound like something she wanted to try. “You’re the first person I’ve dragged out with me who wanted to make a date out of it.”

“You’re the one who called us a couple,” Maria replied with a momentary smirk. Momentary because she wanted her next words to have the proper gravitas. “But I meant what I said earlier. You really are an incredible person, Nian, and now that we’ve gotten a chance to talk, I know it’s not your weapon we should be trying to emulate at the shop, but your spirit.”

“...I haven’t heard praise like that in a long time.” The Nian slid off the car.

Blemishine stepped off to walk back to their shuttle as the other Defender took her hand. “I don’t know if I’d call it ‘praise-’”

“What else do you call complimenting a goddess?” That stopped the knight in her tracks as Nian walked around her. “And praise of that calibre deserves a blessing.”

“You’re seri-” Whatever thought Maria had loaded up crashed to desktop as the ‘blessing’ in question turned out to be a kiss.

It was a good thing the smith’s eyes had closed before their lips connected; she might’ve gone blind from the Kuranta’s flash of light otherwise.

[unforth]

So keeping in mind that I’ve literally already written a 40k Destiel fic inspired by Selena Gomez’s “Back to You,” today it came up on my play list and I started to think about ficcing it again, but this time Wangxian. It’s just such a ficcable song, I can’t even.

Like, a modern AU (set in the US) where Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were once dating, and Wei Wuxian started making friends with “the wrong sorts,” and so Lan Qiren forced Lan Wangji to dump him. They part ways for a few years.

Lan Wangji never really recovers, and he perfunctorily dates the people his uncle sets him up with, and his life kinda stalls...not that there’s anything wrong with it, just...it’s always the same, the same places, the same people, the same work, the same wake up time, the same daily routine, the same bedtime. Sometimes he’s not sure which he misses more - Wei Wuxian, or the disruption to his life that Wei Wuxian represents. He almost wishes that Wei Wuxian has gone as “bad” as Lan Qiren was so, so sure he would, because then it would be proof - that stepping outside the box is not the way to a good life, that Lan Wangji made the right choices even if he’s not happy with them, that kind of thing.

Wei Wuxian also never really recovers, but instead of letting it get him down, he’s even more determined to prove that he’s so much more than what snobs like Lan Qiren thought of him - and so are the friends he made, who are of course Wen Qing and Wen Ning. They also have really had a tough time, with a lot of people assuming the worst about them because of their family connections. The three make a pact together - to succeed, no matter what it takes, and to help each other whenever one of them starts to struggle. And it works. Though they’re a little behind their peers - they all go to college, and they all finish their degrees, they all get advanced ones. Wen Qing becomes a doctor. Wei Wuxian becomes an engineer. Wen Ning becomes a vet. They get respectable jobs, if poorly paid because that’s the economy in 2020s USA, and they’re slowly building lives for themselves. No one from the circles his adopted family move in will associate with him anyway - he got kicked out for some of his youthful shenanigans, and though he’s in touch with his siblings, his “parents” won’t acknowledge him - but he doesn’t care. He knows he’s succeeding, no matter what they say about him.

(read more)

Though Lan Wangji never stops thinking about Wei Wuxian, he refuses to Google him or look him up. Fantasize about him? Yes. Wish his current SO was them? Yes. Occasionally scroll through Jiang Yanli’s friends list just to make sure Wei Wuxian is still there? Yes. But he doesn’t look him up, doesn’t friend him, doesn’t outreach. Why should he? Some regrets are normal, but he’s over it - he’s definitely over it.

Not that Wei Wuxian expected him to. Lan Wangji broke his heart, and it hurt - oh, it hurt so much, but Wei Wuxian is definitely over him. Who needs that asshole anyway? Wei Wuxian knows his worth, and he doesn’t need the affection of someone who cast him aside at the say so of his uncle. If he occasionally comes moaning Lan Wangji’s name...that’s a perfectly normal thing to do as regards someone Wei Wuxian hasn’t dated in a decade, right? Lan Wangji was, and presumably still is, hot as fuck, and Wei Wuxian has a healthy labido

Which is to say, neither of them is over it at all.

Still, their mutual pining might have never come to a head if not for Lan Wangji’s best friend - Jin Zixuan - getting engaged to Wei Wuxian’s sister Jiang Yanli.

And then, suddenly, after so many years, they’re in frequent contact again - helping with planning the wedding - and, well...

For Wei Wuxian, it’s infuriating. There’s Lan Wangji, still quiet, still distant, and sometimes when Wei Wuxian glances his way, he can swear that he caught Lan Wangji looking at him with resentment and regret, which - that’s some fucking bullshit right there, cause it’s not Wei Wuxian who ditched Lan Wangji, not Wei Wuxian who caved to family pressure. That’s all Lan Wangji - what’s Lan Wangji got to resent?

For Lan Wangji, it’s awful. Wei Wuxian is at least 8 times more gorgeous than Lan Wangji remembers him being, tall and lithe, his hair long, his affect casual. Despite the same air of nonchalance he always projected, though, now he’s like that but ALSO educated, successful, and self-made. Every bad thing Lan Qiren said would come to pass for Wei Wuxian is now proven a lie, and Lan Wangji feels wretched about it. Even worse, Wei Wuxian is clearly single - and “ready to mingle,” as Lan Wangji believes the phrase goes. Literally anyone who breaths, of any gender, is apparently fair game, and Wei Wuxian flirts constantly, especially with members of Lan Wangji’s friends circle. Mo Xuanyu? The poor guy never knew what hit him. Lan Jingyi? Is like eight years to young for Wei Wuxian, but that doesn’t stop him. Ouyang Zizhen? Lan Wangji is pretty sure Wei Wuxian doesn’t even know Zizhen’s name - or his age - but again, when did any reasonable objection ever stop Wei Wuxian? Luo Qingyang? She’s a lesbian for fucks sake, but she apparently doesn’t mind, and even flirts back, and Wei Wuxian is incorrigible.

Maybe Lan Qiren was right after all.

Wei Wuxian is determined to flaunt what Lan Wangji missed out on, loudly and publicly. Mo Xuanyu does make for a fun fling, and Lan Jingyi is a good kisser but they never get farther than that. Ouyang Zizhen is definitely too young - and he’s straight - but he laughs along when Wei Wuxian is outrageous, and they understand each other. And Luo Qingyang...Wei Wuxian suspects she knows exactly what the score is, and is maybe even helping him.

Helping him make Lan Wangji miserable, that is.

Wei Wuxian is definitely not looking to accomplish anything else.

Unless he can secure a Plus One to the wedding, ideally one who can join the wedding party and stand beside Wei Wuxian when he and Jiang Cheng give Jiang Yanli away.

Cause, oh, the look on Lan Wangji’s face, if he’s forced to spend the entire wedding facing Wei Wuxian and his date? Priceless, definitely.

Lan Wangji is determined to give Wei Wuxian the space to do...whatever it is Wei Wuxian is doing. Wei Wuxian always was a whirlwind, and Lan Wangji has never wanted to control him, never known how to keep up. Still, it galls to see Wei Wuxian flirting, and it hurts to see Wei Wuxian act indifferently towards him, and it aches to remember that, had things been different, Lan Wangji could have been on the receiving end of all those lovely, carefree smiles.

Rather than deal with the difficulty he has breathing whenever he’s in the same room as Wei Wuxian is in the room, Lan Wangji throws himself into the logistic planning of the final weeks leading up to the wedding. He coordinates vendors. He soothes ruffled feathers. He makes sure the caterers know literally everyone’s dietary preferences and restrictions. He works, and he works, and he works, and he tries to do nothing but work, but sometimes...

...Wen Qing will wander by, take over his spreadsheet, and tell him to go socialize...

...or Wen Ning will intercept the decoration Lan Wangji was moving, lift it surprisingly effortlessly, and tell Lan Wangji to join the main gathering...

...or Luo Qingyang will come and lecture him about how hiding is dumb and maybe he’d actually meet someone new if he tried.

As if Lan Wangji will get to meet someone new.

As if Lan Qiren will let Lan Wangji be with them, even if Lan Wangji did.

They’re trying to help, but he can’t figure out why. Wen Qing and Wen Ning especially are barely even his friends - but they’re closer to Wei Wuxian than anyone else in the world...Lan Wangji can’t fathom what they’re up to. If he didn’t know better, he’d almost think they were trying to get him back together with Wei Wuxian? Which makes him think they don’t know Wei Wuxian half as well as they think they do, cause there’s no way that Wei Wuxian wants that - no way that Wei Wuxian wants him. Lan Wangji had his chance. He gets that.

(But, oh, it’d be nice to believe, even for a minute, even for a single dinner party, that maybe that would be something Wei Wuxian would want.)

But that’s impossible.

So Wei Wuxian flirts shamelessly.

And Lan Wangji hides behind duty and a stoic facade.

And the day of the wedding approaches - they get through the rehearsal dinner, the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the hangovers the next morning, all of it...and then it’s time.

Lan Wangji knows he should be watching Jin Zixuan, dressed in full Chinese traditional garb for an utterly Western style wedding, but instead he can’t keep his eyes off the opposite wedding party. Luo Qingyang is maid of honor, in a chongseom that makes no sense as either traditional Chinese or modern Western - and Jiang Yanli insisted on her brothers standing at her side, and so Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are both there.

In tuxedos.

A sharp contrast to the robes in muted colors that Jin Zixuan picked out for his wedding party.

And Jiang Cheng still has a look on his face like he stepped in something gross and is too dignified to wipe it off on the carpeting, but Wei Wuxian...oh, Wei Wuxian is so perfect, absolutely flawless, and his pleasure is so obviious and uninhibited. From the moment the tent flaps open and Jiang Fengmian walks his daughter, in full Phoenix robes and an elaborate golden head dress (a family heirloom, no less), Wei Wuxian only has eyes for his sister, and his joy for her is spectacular and makes Lan Wangji’s chest ache.

As the ceremony commences - Western secular, seriously, what, not that it’s a surprise, Lan Wangji helped plan it, but it’s still weird - Lan Wangji looses himself in the rhythm of non-religious liturgy and imagining that, had his life gone differently, how Wei Wuxian looks now might have been how he’d have looked on their wedding day.

He wants that so badly.

He so, so desperately wishes that could have been.

For once, Lan Wangji isn’t wrong about Wei Wuxian’s train of thought. He’s got eyes for no one but Jiang Yanli - well, and a small aside of imagining all the ways he’ll make Jin Zixuan regret ever being born, should he ever hurt her. The ceremony passes so quickly he’s amazed - usually he’s super impatient and antsy during events like this - but no, he’s fine, he’s fine, he’s fine, he’s...and then it’s over, and he glances to the groom’s party, and he realizes...Lan Wangji is staring at him.

Reflecting back over the ceremony...Lan Wangji has been staring at him the whole time?

And seriously - what the fuck is up with that? What had Wei Wuxian done wrong this time? Was it the tux? Lan Wangji coordinated the rental, if he’d objected to the Western attire, he had plenty of time to say something. Was it the way Wei Wuxian was rocking back on his heels? As if Jiang Yanli didn’t know Wei Wuxian couldn’t stand still - as if she’d ever hold that against him! His mind scrambles through explanations, each more ridiculous and rude than the last...no matter what the reason is, he’s sure that his existence offends Lan Wangji, as it also offended Lan Qiren. If it didn’t, why would Lan Wangji have treated him so indifferently since they re-met?

(It definitely isn’t because Wei Wuxian has intentionally kept him at arms length, oh no, this - whatever this is - is absolutely entirely Lan Wangji’s fault.)

Still, now that he’s aware of Lan Wangji’s condemnation, Wei Wuxian can’t stop thinking about it. It preoccupies him all through agonizingly dull hour of taking group photographs in various places in the picturesque garden, and all through the brief period he actually gets to spend during the passed platter part of the reception - hors d’ouevres to tide the guests over while the family and wedding parties do the pictures - and all through the achingly dull meal. The food is good, Wei Wuxian supposes. The wedding has been nice, Wei Wuxian supposes. Jiang Yanli is elated, Wei Wuxian knows, and he’s delighted for her, but...somehow, the joy has drained out of the evening.

Fucking Lan Wangji - can’t behave himself for one fucking evening, he’s even going to ruin this for Wei Wuxian.

Fuck it - as soon as the meal is over, and the first dances done, and the reception switches from staid social affair to open bar dance party, Wei Wuxian resolves to get sloshed as fast as humanly possible. Anything to stop him from thinking so damn much.

Lan Wangji is one of a handful of designated drivers amongst the people in his generation - he’s expecting to do at least three runs back to the hotel, starting with the bride and groom, then all the Jin half-siblings, then probably the Jiangs, judging by how they’re behaving so far, and then...he doesn’t know, but he suspects there’ll be others. Looking around as the evening grows later, the music louder, and the dancing more raucous, he tries to do a mental tally, and realizes...something is wrong.

No, nothing is wrong...someone is missing.

Where’s Wei Wuxian?

Confused, Lan Wangji looks around again. Wei Wuxian had been dancing - with his sister, with his brother in law, with Luo Qingyang, with Mo Xuanyu, with the folks a half-generation younger like Lan Jingyi, with anyone or anyone, by himself...but no...Luo Qingyang is dancing with Wen Qing, if “intense dance floor frottage” can be considered dancing...and Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli are dancing together, and Mo Xuanyu is flirting with some guy Lan Wangji doesn’t recognize, and the half-generation younger folks are teasing some poor Jiang junior, and Wei Wuxian has been exuberantly present for much of the evening, and now he’s just...gone.

As drunk as Wei Wuxian appeared to be, that can’t be good.

So, concerned - just that Wei Wuxian is drunk and might have tried something dumb, like driving home himself, or gotten lost on the way to the bathroom, or needed to throw up, not about anything else, Lan Wangji is definitely not concerned about Wei Wuxian in any other respect - Lan Wangji goes in search of Wei Wuxian.

He checks around the outside of the tent - nothing.

He checks inside the venue’s main building - nothing.

He checks the bathrooms - nothing.

He checks the parking lots - nothing, and of course Wei Wuxian didn’t take a vehicle, he didn’t drive himself.

He checks everywhere he can think, as the night grows later and darker and the party proceeds and the oldest, most staid guests start to say their goodbyes.

Finally, tired, out of ideas, and disinterested in returning to the loud bright heat of the tent, Lan Wangji goes for a walk through the manicured grounds. Even in the dark of night, the place the Jin-Jiang’s chose is lovely. Scattered decorative lights cast barely enough light to navigate the lanes and paths, aided by a full moon and the occasional flicker of a firefly. There’s a koi pond in the center - they took a lot of pictures there - and a few stone benches around it, so Lan Wangji meanders in that direction. He can still hear the party. He’ll know when they need him. He really needs some time to himself - it’s all been too much.

He tries not to think too hard about what “it” actually refers to in that thought.

Nothing Wei Wuxian does diffuses the empty feeling in his chest; every drink, he feels worse. Every dance, he feels more like he’s putting on an act. His friends were starting to notice - Luo Qingyang and Wen Qing had exchanged a look and then rounded on him like they were going to pin him down and force him to...or try to force him to...talk about his ~feelings~, and so Wei Wuxian fled into the gardens, found a bench where he could listen to the soft sussuration of flowing water somehow audible over the thump of the bass, and breathe.

It’s been a long time since Wei Wuxian felt like he could breathe.

He still doesn’t feel like he can breathe.

Which is ridiculous, he knows, and he’s in the process of going into extensive internal detail of why it’s ridiculous when a damn ghost steps into the clearing around the koi pond...

...no, not a ghost...it’s Lan Wangji, cheeks pale from how much time he spends in doors, robes nearly white when their pale blue is washed out by the moonlight, hair raven falling about his shoulders. His headband frames his noble brow, and his corsage rains a trail of vining flowers over one shoulder like some strange epaulette, and oh, he’s gorgeous, and Wei Wuxian recognizes, to his horror, in that instant...

...he’s never, ever, ever been over Lan Wangji, and he never will be...

...and he’ll never, ever, ever get to be with Lan Wangji. Like, ever.

Lan Wangji is staring at him.

Fuck Wei Wuxian’s life.

“I’ll just...go...” Wei Wuxian mumbles.

The statement hangs heavy in the night air as Wei Wuxian rises, straightens his tux, heads toward the pathway that Lan Wangji just entered from...and then stops.

Because Lan Wangji has grabbed his forearm.

“Oh come on, man - what the fuck?” Wei Wuxian demands, yanking his arm away. “Look, I get it, I’m your least favorite person - well, the wedding’s done, you’ll never have to see me again if you don’t want. Is that what you want? Would that finally make you happy?”

He’s breathing hard by the time he stops talking, and Lan Wangji is still staring at him, and Wei Wuxian wants to flee - not to the tent, but to...literally anywhere...anywhere that Lan Wangji isn’t...except he can’t make his legs work, and he can’t seem to move, and Lan Wangji won’t. stop. staring. and then Lan Wangji opens his mouth, and it seems to be in slow motion, and is he actually going to speak, holy shit, Lan Wangji hasn’t said a word to Wei Wuxian since he said, “good bye” ten years ago, and then of all the fucking things to come out of Lan Wangji’s mouth, all he says is,

“No.”

“Wha...why...ho...WHAT?”

“You asked, ‘is that what I want? Would that make me happy?’ The answer is no, Wei Ying. That is not what I want. That would not make me happy.”

“Oh. Well. Fucking good for you.” Wei Wuxian doesn’t even know what the fuck he’s saying. He doesn’t know what the fuck Lan Wangji is saying. All he knows is that being there hurts, and he’s so damn tired of hurting, and Lan Wangji already destroyed him once...

...and I’d give anything for five minutes with him, even if I know he’ll likely destroy me again...

“What do you want?” asks Lan Wangji, like he actually cares about the answer, and Wei Wuxian can only goggle at him, because he was so so incredibly clear about what he wanted ten years ago - he even fucking asked Lan Wangji to marry him, said, “I’ll do anything, conquer any challenge - we can make this life together, Lan Zhan,” and Lan Wangji had just said, “Good bye,” and now, now, Lan Wangji wants to know what Wei Wuxian wants? What gives him the right? What gives him the entitlement? What gives him the audacity?

What makes him think anything Wei Wuxian wants has changed?

But Wei Wuxian can’t say that, can he...?

The silence stretches out between them.

Neither moves.

Neither speaks.

Fireflies flit around them.

Lan Wangji dreads Wei Wuxian answering, dreads him walking away, dreads losing this last precious moment they share, even though the tension of this moment is so awful that Lan Wangji fears it will break him.

“What would you say if...if I said that all I want...is all I’ve ever wanted?” whispers Wei Wuxian, like he’s terrified.

Lan Wangji has no idea why he’s terrified.

Lan Wangji has no idea what he means.

He asks with a raised brow, and Wei Wuxian laughs awkwardly. “Naw, I can’t do the ‘silent Lan act’ right now. Use your words, I’m fucking right out of here, okay?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll try.” It’s ludicrously hard, but...for Wei Wuxain, Lan Wangji will always try, always regret that he didn’t try harder when he should have. “I...don’t understand. You say...what you always wanted. A degree. A found family. Your siblings at your side. A pet rabbit. An apartment with a bidet. A signed copy of ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.’ There were many things you said you wanted. I’m afraid I’m unclear which you mean.”

“You...you remember all that dumb shit I said back then?” Wei Wuxian sounds astonished. How can Wei Wuxian sound astonished? How can Wei Wuxian believe Lan Wangji would have forgotten a minute of those wonderful days - the best of his life?

“Mn.”

“Well, none of that shit’s what I mean. Got most of it anyway. Bidets are awesome. But Lan Wangj...Lan Zhan...”

His name, said in that sweet voice, causes a tingle to go down Lan Wangji’s spine.

“...all I’ve ever wanted was you.”

Lan Wangji’s jaw drops.

“And you told me to fuck right out of your life when I asked for that, so...fuck, what am I even still doing here?”

“Kissing me.”

“Wha--”

Lan Wangji interrupts Wei Wuxian’s confused exclamation with action - grapping Wei Wuxian’s shoulders and pulling him into a kiss. It’s rude, and inappropriate, and consent - what consent? - and Wei Wuxian doesn’t reciprocate but...oh well. Lan Wangji has already ruined his love life. At least he can have one kiss to remember fondly, to cherish, to--

--and then Wei Wuxian has an arm around Lan Wangji’s shoulder, their bodies pressed together, their lips moving as one, and oh, it’s good - glorious - Lan Wangji could weep he’s so happy. They kiss, and kiss, and kiss, shifting in the moonlight, lost in their embrace. Lan Wangji is breathless and growing dizzy, but he’s terrified to put space between them - what if this is goodbye? What if it’s just Wei Wuxian flirting, like he flirts with everyone? What if...what if...what if...

But finally, they do part, and scantly, bodies still close, embrace still maintained, faces inches apart.

“What’s going on, Lan Zhan?” asks Wei Wuxian weakly.

“I kissed you.”

“Yeah...got that part...but why...?”

“I know I’ve no right to ask this...but would you try again? With me? With us? Would you--?”

Wei Wuxian is kissing him again before Lan Wangji can finish the question.

Wei Wuxian can’t believe that’s a real question Lan Wangji has to ask - as if Wei Wuxian wouldn’t have taken Lan Wangji back anytime, at the drop of a hat, over the past decade.

(Okay, that’s unfair...Wei Wuxian’s actually been a huge dick about it...he knows Lan Wangji had no independent living, and relied on his family, and Wei Wuxian was just some aimless jackass, and, and, and...but it still stung that Lan Wangji wouldn’t throw all cares to the wind to be with Wei Wuxian, as Wei Wuxian would have done - had done - to be with Lan Wangji.)

But it feels dumb to dwell on that when Lan Wangji is in his arms, kissing him so eagerly, asking if he’ll try again.

Because of fucking course Wei Wuxian will try again.

“I don’t know what that means, Wei Ying,” says Lan Wangji with obvious frustration.

Kiss.

“It means yes,” Wei Wuxian replies.

Kiss.

“Yes?”

Kiss.

“Yes.”

Kiss.

“Always?”

Kiss.

“If you’ll have me back...”

Kiss.

“As if I’d ever turn you down!”

Kiss.

“Already did once...”

Kiss.

“And regretted it endlessly.”

Kiss.

“Good. You deserved at least that much suffering.”

Kiss.

“Deserved it, and more.”

Kiss.

“I suppose I’ll forgive you, if...”

Kiss.

“Anything. Just tell me.”

Kiss.

Oh, Wei Wuxian has so many ideas, and he delights in teasing Lan Wangji with each and every one, whispered between husky breaths in to the cooling air, interrupting himself constantly to kiss, and kiss, and kiss.

They’re still making out by the koi pond when Wen Qing and Luo Qingyang come looking for the promised designated driver.

They don’t even consult - or consider interrupting - when they do find the two idiots locked in an embrace. As one, the ladies turn, exchange a silent, smug high-five, and pull out their phones to order Ubers.

They can pay for rides for the Bride and Groom and family members and other drunken party goers.

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have a lot of catching up to do.

(and done)

(oops, this got long)

(and yes, this is absolutely a mash up of a modern AU with the lyrics to “Go Back to You” with a healthy dose of the plot of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion.”)

[chronicbatfictioner]

Exchanges and Compromises - Chapter 17

Jason was having the time of his life.

Dick was sure of it. He might grump and sulk a lot more than before, but Dick was sure that he was having fun. Sure, guarding Damian might be a little more than tasking, after a while - especially since Damian was so certain that he could face Bane alone if it comes down to it, conveniently ignoring the fact that: a. he's ten and practically one-tenth of Bane's size; b. the Waynes most likely would detest having to clear intestines off the marble floor if Damian were to be let near a katana and/or Bane, and c. Alfred definitely would detest cleaning intestines or parts of Damian off the floor or walls.

And d. Bruce Wayne seemed to actually enjoy having Damian around and has no qualm in talking to Damian as if he was twice his age. Bruce's age, that is. Not Damian's. Dick suspected that Bruce has spent a lot of time talking to 60-year-olds.

But there were numerous forms of excitement that were offered by the Wayne Manor. First and foremost were the cars. Dick has never learned to drive - being a Talon kind of impeded the learning process of 'common human things'. Jason, however, was an excellent driver. He had mentioned something about being a getaway driver in warzones, and Dick couldn't be sure if he was telling the truth or joking. Either way, he rather enjoyed it whenever he and Jason had to take Damian somewhere in town.

Except for today, as somebody seemed to have tampered with the car.

It wouldn't brake, and they were cruising really, really fast.

Hence Dick's belief that Jason was having fun. He did not look perturbed at the slightest as he controlled the car, swerving crazily over the backroads, making sharp u-turns instead of going into the city roads and went back where they came from. Within a mile from the Drake House's gate, Jason finally managed to cut down the speed to the point where the car's engines died and it rolled to a stop. On the Drake House's gate.

"Seriously, people," Tim remarked dryly as they walked in - leaving the car at the gate and settling their respective adrenaline back down. "I've heard of visiting the neighbors, but must you be like, dying and/or damaging people's property before you come here to say hi?"

"The car was tampered with," Damian reported. "Must be the brute. And I shall replace your gate, Drake."

"I think I'm down to like, eight lives. No-- seven." Dick admitted, "my heart's still beating a hundred miles per minute. Good thing, though, at least that way I know I'm quite alive."

"Dick, you're a bird. Not a cat." Tim deadpanned. His eyes never leaving Jason, who had lit up a cigarette as he walked through the house. "Since when do you smoke?"

"Since I was eleven," Jason replied. "And since I walked into a house that has laser triggers that were set up by a lunatic. Smoke worked to reveal them all."

"I'm... partially scowling because smoking kills. But I suppose laser triggers would kill faster..." Tim replied.

"The lasers are used to trigger booby traps just about Damian's height. If he were to be a common kid and run around the house, he'd be decapitated within the first few days." Jason continued bitterly. "What the fuck is wrong with that giant lump of steroids, anyway? He was ready to kill a child!"

"The nutshell version is that the child would prevent his usurping the Waynes' wealth." Tim pointed out. "The long version is that I don't think he's really the child of Dr Wayne, the Waynes know of it, and they're literally being held hostage in their own home. Also, you people are being watched, too, by drones. I've asked Harper to kill those drones for entering my property."

Tim then explained Bruce's visit and the USB. "Oracle has contacted him and told him we... the Birds, that is - are investigating the evidence."

"How long until we can punch the asshole out of the house for good?" Jason demanded, accepting a bottle of water Tim handed him. Slowly and gently. Making sure his fingers brushed Tim's. And Dick had to swallow a grin.

"That, unfortunately, would be up to the GCPD. Did you guys saw the news? Vicky Vale's article on Damian?" Tim... preened a little, waving his hair as he walked away from Jason. Dick's lips itched, he wondered if Barbara or the other girls -- if Selina or Dinah have noticed this. The two were definitely flirting.

"I have seen it. It had good pictures of my mother and grandfather, and quite... adequate descriptions of both of them." Damian replied. "Evidently father has made a comment to the writer about me looking like him when he was my age."

"Well, you kind of do look like him, except for the green eyes." Dick pointed out. Bruce's eyes were blue - like both his parents. But from the photos of little Brucie around the house, Dick could see a little of Martha Wayne in Damian's still-round face. "When did Bruce make the comment?"

"Oh, Vale called him." Tim snickered. "She still has his personal number, and she commented something about hearing a - quote: 'constipated buffalo sounds in the background' - unquote. She was also wondering if Bruce was in a bullfighting ring somewhere."

"Seriously?" Dick laughed.

"Seriously. Even Barbara couldn't stop laughing hearing that." Tim assured him. Jason rolled his eyes but looking amused, anyway.

"Sooo... a possible off-road accident for the apparent heir is in the books?" Jason suggested.

"I won't put it past Bane. Damian...?" Tim started. But Damian already nodded in acknowledgment.

"I shan't eat anything that is not presented by Todd or Grayson, nor will I frolic the manor on my own. This shall be more to bear witness to your insinuation of my 'child-like' behavior than to take care of me, Drake, as I am quite capable of sustaining my own life." Damian scoffed.

Tim paused visibly for a good two seconds, before nodding, "of course. Furthermore, I can assure you that Alfred is safe, mainly because as a butler, his focal interest would be the actual Waynes. That's in his training - unless an offspring is publicly announced, they are not to be cared for by the Butler. In Wayne Manor, the proverbial child would solely be Bruce - for obvious reasons, and Damian, whom Bruce has publicly acknowledged." Tim explained.

"He was in MI6," Jason remarked. "Alfred, that is. Not Bane. It would be safe to say he's loyal. He told me of the booby traps and that Bane has a daily dose of injection of the steroid-like substance. But I-- we shall prepare you emergency rations - just in case, anyway."

"You guys can always drop by here. And don't think that Damian would be Bane's only target." Tim reminded. "If I was him, I'd take out the big guns - that is you two - first; and then Bruce, because he'll want to be protective of his son; and then Dr and Mrs Wayne last."

"Then I'm afraid you are forgetting one of the members of the household that is most dangerous, Master Tim," a voice spoke; Jason pulled out his gun, Damian automatically hid behind him while pulling out a small dagger.

Dick wanted to lunge right toward the source of the voice until he realized that it was Alfred Pennyworth, both hands raised up to show that he was unarmed.

"How...?" Jason growled, "I didn't hear the front door open."

"Apologies, gentlemen. I should have informed you that there is an underground passageway between the two houses that were once used frequently, but now has all been forgotten." Alfred explained. "You were right that I was in MI6, Jason; as you were right that my focus will and forever shall remain the true Wayne blood, Master Tim. Not ones who claimed as such and refused to provide irrefutable evidence."

"Does Bane know of this passageway?" Tim asked.

"It is located in the staff's wing, and as he is not permitted to be there, I sincerely doubt it," Alfred replied. "I have my own... booby traps and surveillance that should tell me if anyone has been there." he smiled. "I am aware that both of you have prowled the entire house at one point or the other in the past few weeks." he nodded toward Jason and Dick. "You were stealthy, indeed."

"But not stealthy enough?" Dick quipped. "I gotta go back to training... Anyway, why are you here?"

"I saw your vehicle's mishap and its stop here. If anything, Bane is not... stealthy enough." Alfred pulled out a small memory card. "To get to the garage, one must pass the servants' hall. And the garage is my province."

Tim accepted the memory card, plugged it into his cellphone; and then projected its content to a wall. "Huh... this should be enough evidence of tampering..." Tim commented. The memory card showed a clear date stamp - that morning, a few hours before Bane and the Waynes left the house. It also showed Bane himself, jacking the car that was now resting with a dented bumper at Tim's gate, while holding a plier.

"Anyone watching our car now?" Dick commented. "Won't be cool to have it suddenly fixed, will it?"

"Harper should be. Plus, y'all are on my property. If he trespasses, I'll have his ass arrested." Tim huffed. "So... if anyone has ideas--" Jason and Damian's eyes lit up; Tim glared at them and continued "--that do not include sharp and/or exploding objects of how to remove Bane from the Manor..."

"I'm fresh out," Jason replied mournfully. "No sharp objects, no exploding objects... what do you expect me to do? Poison him?"

"But Todd, did my mother not teach you the arts of food as medicine?" Damian piped up.

The sudden silence as all eyes landed on Alfred was quite ominous.

"I will not conduct a crime, young masters," Alfred remarked dryly.

"Oh nooo... not a crime," Jason grinned mischievously. "It's just... you know that Damian was born in the Middle East, yeah?"

"I may have quite a culinary skill, but I fear that my Middle Eastern cuisine knowledge is rather limited," Alfred said demurely.

"Well, mine isn't." Jason grinned. "Besides, what else should one do to celebrate one's entrance into such a distinguished family; but hold a family dinner?"

"You're going to poison him." Dick groaned.

"Not to death!" Jason protested. Dick gave him an unimpressed glare. "Just... to the point where he would realize that he and I have opposing objectives."

"Do let me know of the ingredients you require, Jason." Alfred intoned. "Or perhaps you prefer to shop on your own? I shall fetch a new, un-tampered-with vehicle."

"Oh, please do, Alfred. I doubt we can make a single trip. But they will be fun." Jason replied, grinning.

Dick knew that the sense of foreboding was not in him only. Tim looked like he was contemplating moving away to Alaska.

"For the records, I don't know anything about cooking," Dick said defensively.

"I'm... truly and fully reconsidering my life choices," Tim admitted.

"Oh, don't worry, Drake. Todd was trained by the best," Damian grinned mischievously. "I pity the fools who think him as a brute. I pity the brute who think that small equals weak."

[queenrose730]

Reckless

The Winter Solider 

Master List

2014

It had been a while since you had been back to the Avengers tower. Once SHIELD got all official after the Battle of New York, they got a big fancy building in DC. You decided to keep an apartment at the tower but honestly spent most of your time now in DC. Now though, you had been forced back by Steve. All because of a broken leg. It didn’t even happen on a mission, although that might have been better. You were sparing with another agent when a mistake happened and your left leg was broken. Steve nearly took the guys head off when he heard you scream. Somehow between the pain you got Steve to focus on you. After all it wasn’t the others guy’s fault.

The doctors put you in a cast and told you to use the crutches for at least 3 months. Then they would reevaluate the leg. Steve caught you once without your crutches and set you back to New York. It forced you to take your job slower and you couldn’t do as much. Plus, Tony and Bruce kept an eye on you. After a week there, Tony broke down and figured out how to make an exoskeleton cast. This way you could get around more easily and hopefully complain less. After some trial and error, and the ok from the doctor, you had a brace. It came up around your thigh and had a plate that slid under your foot. The knee joint move freely but the ankle was locked, but could be loosened as you healed.

“Well it looks like your leg is pretty well healed agent.” It was almost three months to the day.

“Thank god.”

“I would still recommend the brace for another month but the ankle can be set to move freely.”

“Awesome. I’ll get Tony to do that.” The doctor at the tower was so much nicer than at SHIELD. Probably because they were ex-military docs. They somehow always were dicks.

“I’ll want to see you again in a month. But other than that you are free to go.” You hopped of the bed and shook the doctors hand.

“Thanks again. I appreciate you working with me.”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice.” He raised an eyebrow. To which you just shrugged your shoulders and headed out. The doctor just laughed as you walked out the door.

“Hey Jarvis. Let Tony know I’m on my way down!” It took all you had not to skip down the hall.

“Certainly Miss yln.”

As you reached the elevator you grabbed your phone to let Steve know how your leg was and maybe drop the hint about getting back to your regular work. Before you could type your message, number came up on your screen.

“Speak of the devil! I was just about to text you. I got the all clear from the doc.”

“That’s good yn.” His voices sounded off.

“What’s wrong Steve? How’d the mission go?”

“It was complicated.” He let out a sigh over the phone.

“How complicated?” Suddenly the conversation was serious. You changed the floor you were headed to, now going to your apartment.

“What do you know about something call Project Insight?”

“I’ve never heard of it.” The door to the elevator opened and you walked down the hall.

“Fury showed it to me. I need you to see if you can find anything out about it. Something doesn’t feel right.”

“Sure. Hang on a sec while I get my computer up and running.” You sat down at your desk. Setting the phone down and putting Steve on speaker. If something did sit right with him, it was trouble. You learned quick to trust Steve gut.

“Alright let’s see what I can find.” A quick search of shield records didn’t provide much.

“All I can see is that there is a file under that name but it pretty high clearance. Like Fury and a few others. What is it?” You kept click through files that you could open while listening to Steve.

“He’s got three helicarriers. At armed to the nines. He said it’s a way to neutralize threats before they happen.”

“What? So shield is building their own nuclear deterrent? How is Fury ok with that?”

“I don’t know. Can you see anything else?”

“No Steve. Not without hacking in and they would know it was me. I doubt even the people working on it know what they are building.”

“Ok. Well I’m going to have to do some more digging around here.”

“I can come down there Steve. My leg is fine.”

“No yn. Just stay there. Keep digging though files and see what you can find.”

“Ok. Be careful Steve.”

“You too sweetheart.”

You spent the rest of the night combing through any file you could get your hands on. Tony came up sometime after dinner. He was going to yell at you for not eating or coming down to have him loosen your brace. But changed his mind when he saw the mess around you on the desk. Instead he went back and grabbed you a plate. Pulling you away for only a moment so you could eat and he could take care of the brace.

“So how bad is it kiddo?”

“I don’t know Tony. The more I dig the more inaccuracies I find in all kinds of files.” You stared at the computer twirling your fork. “I think I might head down to DC.”

“Well I’ll get a jet ready for you. It’ll be on standby.” He stood from his seat and walked to the door. “And what is it the Rogers always tell you? He gave another pause and you turned to him. That’s right! Don’t do anything stupid of reckless yn.” With that he was out the door.

You took one more look at the computer before standing up and heading to the bed. If shit was about to hit the fan you at least need to get some rest.

Apparently you needed more than you thought. It was almost 8am when you finally woke up. You decided against breakfast for the moment. You checked for phone for any messages then hit the shower. After your shower, you started to pack your bag. A change of regular clothes along with your tac suit. Some toiletries and a few extras. Lastly was the fun stuff. In the hall Closet was your own mini armory. You pack your usual two pistols and a few blades. You also grabbed a couple auto injectors. Can never be to safe. While you were packing though you missed the alert on your computer. Something big was happening.

“Miss yn. You jet is ready for takeoff.”

“Thank you Jarvis.” You walked to the door and laced up your boots.

“There was also an alert that came up on your computer miss.”

“What?” You stood up and headed to your desk. Leaving your bag by the door.

Sure enough there was an alert. Nick Fury was dead and Steve was wanted by Shield.

“What the fuck!” You nearly topped your chair when you stood. Instantly grabbing for your phone to call Steve. There was no answer. Shit. Shit. Shit. You grabbed you bag and ran to the jet. Shit was hitting the fan. A lot of shit.

“Jarvis let Tony know I’m leaving.”

“Certainly.”

You flicked through your takeoff procedures and grabbed the controls.

“Jarvis try Steve again.” You shot up into the sky heading to DC.

“I’m sorry miss. He did not answer.”

“Fuck. Try Maria.” She was always close to fury. Hopefully she would know what the hell was going on.

“Hill.”

“Maria. What the fuck is going on?”

“Yn.” She paused. It sounded like she was taking to someone.

“I’m on my way to DC. Tell me what the fuck is going on.”

“Yn. I’m sending you Coordinates to land at. Do not enter DC air space.” Fuck. This was bad.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you when. You get here. Just get here.” She hung up. You pushed the engines to max speed.

You made it to the coordinates Maria gave you in almost record time. 20 minutes from her hanging up to when you touched down outside an old dam. Maria was out waiting for you.

“Tell me what the fuck is going on!” By the time you landed you were fuming. Not at anyone particularly but at the whole situation. “What happened to Fury? Where is Steve?”

“Come on in yn.” She turned to lead you into the damn. All you wanted to do was cuss and scream at her nonchalant attitude towards everything. You followed her down the damp hallways of the dam until it opened up into a small room.

“I could hear you cursing from in here yn.”

“Fury! What the fuck” He held back a laugh. “SHIELD said you were dead. How?”

“They needed to think he was actually dead but we got him out of the hospital and here for treatment.” Maria moved around the bed and started talking to one of the doctors. You took a seat next to fury.

“What is going on?”

“Shield has been compromised.”

“By who?”

“HYDRA.”

“Project insight is them.” You sat back in your seat. That would explain all the odd bits of info you had been picking up while digging through files. Fury nodded at your response. “How long?”

“I’m not sure. At this point we don’t know who to trust.”

“So why I am here? Why did you let me know you’re alive?”

“Because other than Captain Rogers, you would be the second person in line to kill anyone that might be affiliated with HYDRA.” He wasn’t wrong.

“So where is Steve now? What’s are next play?”

“Hill is working on how to get Steve. Then we stop Insight.”

Sitting around was not your style, but Fury told you to wait. Maria was on trying to track down Steve. Doctors where still working on patching up fury. All you could do was sit and wait. You knew that if Steve was running he would have ditched his cell. At this point it really wasn’t safe to call anyone else. Fury didn’t even want you call Nat. You only slipped a call to Tony to let him know you landed. He tried to press for more info but you shut him down quickly. You could hear the news playing in the background about Fury and Steve.

It was well into the night when Maria finally found something. A STRIKE team had been sent to a mall then Camp Lehigh was bombed. There was still no indication where Steve was at.

Then around mid-morning the next day more alerts started going off. Sitwell was kidnapped.

“That has to be Steve right?” You had taken up a post with Maria going through any SHIELD alerts.

“It’s a good chance. Keep digging.”

“God I should have come down here when he called me the other night.”

“There’s nothing you could have done. You would just be on the run with him.” Maria looked up at you over her computer. “And do you think Steve would want you out there or here?” You caught the smirk on her face.

“Yea yea.” You waved her off. Steve did just about anything to keep you safe. He learned quickly that your self-preservation was about as good as his.

“This is it!” She stood up quickly and spun her computer around. A STRIKE team orders to grab them on the freeway. They were helping out “the asset”.  “If I can get into one of those prisoner transports, I can get them out.” Before you could respond she was off to Fury.

“Take the team and get him.”

“Yes, sir.” She turned and started ordering the men around.

“I’m coming with you Maria.”

“No you’re not yn. I need you here.” It was an order from Fury.

“Fine.” You just watched as Maria and her team suited up.  

“I don’t what you doing anything stupid out there yn.”

“I know Fury. I know.” He was right. The likelihood you would do something stupid was pretty high. All you could do now is wait.

  The plan was easy enough. Steve, Sam and you each had a chip to place into the helicarriers. Linking them and taking them out of the air. Nat and Fury would take down SHIELD. Exposing everything to the world. Steve was on edge even though he didn’t show it.

“I want you to get on and off that helicarrier quick. Don’t mess around.”

“Steve I’m fine. If it’s about the leg, it’s ok.”

“Yn. It won’t take much for you to rebreak it.”

“Yep. And it doesn’t take much to break my other bones either.” You teased and jogged off to your starting point.

“Yn I’m serious.” He said over comms. You just laughed to yourself and continued on.

The guys gave you a head start. You listened to Steve talk over the intercom. People that you passed looking nervously between each other. Once you reached you carrier, it was mostly unguarded for the moment. Steve drawing the attention away from it for the moment. Just a few bad guys to take down. Suddenly the door above the carrier began to open.

“Uh, guys they are getting ready to launch.”

“Get that chip in place and get back to Maria yn.” You rolled your eyes at Steve even though he couldn’t see you.

You pushed harder to get to the control center to get your chip in place. Thankfully it seemed most people hadn’t quite realized you were already on the ship. Outside you could see that Sam and Steve were drawing the most attention.

“I got my chip in place. How are you guys doing?” Getting out was going to be a bit more difficult.

“I’m locked.” Sam shouted.

“Two down. Captain how are you looking?” Maria was running the ground.

“Working on it.”

“Steve where are you? I’m coming to you.” You started working your way to the flight deck.

“Yn get back to Maria. I got this.”

“Oh fuck you Steve.”  You heard Sam laugh.

“I like her.” That earned a groan from Steve.

“Since you like me so much want to give a lift Sam?” You kept working your way to the deck. First plan was to grab a jet and head to Steve. You just had to get up there.

“6 minutes until it reached altitude.”

“Sam! Where is that ride!”

“I’m grounded. Steve’s on the carrier.”

“What happened!”

“Winter Solider.”

“Shit.” You pushed off from where you were hiding. Steve told you that somehow that was Bucky. That whatever happened to him when he was captured during the war must have helped him survive the fall. You knew Steve would be blinded by his friend. Even if he didn’t recognize him.

“Steve you copy? I’m on my way.” No response.

“Falcon. I got Rumlow.” Maria broke in.

“I’m on it.”

“Maria can you get into one of these jets and get it started for me?” You kept clearing a path.

“Space five. Staring engines now.” The jet just ahead of you roared to life and the hatch opened.

“I could kiss you girl!” You climbed in and headed to the last carrier.

By the time you reached the control center Steve and the Solider were already locked. You took aim and started firing at the Solider. It caused just enough distraction for him that Steve was able to lock him in a hold.

“Yn.” He hissed over the comms.

“Just get me that chip Steve!” Steve shoved the Solider off of him and started toward you. Climbing up the structure.

“Steve!” The Solider was back up an aiming at Steve. He tossed the chip at you. You barely got your fingers on it, leaning every part of your body over the railing. A shot rang out.

“Go yn!” Steve kept climbing as you rushed to the computer. More shots were fired. This time they hit you. First in your leg.

“Yn!”

“I got it Steve!”

“One minute!” Maria shouted over comms. This was it you just had to reach- Another shot. It hits you in the shoulder propelling you forward. You slam into the control center. Pressing the keys as fast as you could the door slid open. Just as you reached to put your chip in another shot hit your stomach. You fell before you could get the chip placed.

“Damnit.” Steve had reached you. He grabbed the chip from you and slammed it home. “We’re locked.”

“Get out of there guys.”

Steve reached down to scoop you up when he was shot in the shoulder.

“Maria. Fire.”

“Yn.” Maria questioned you.

“I said fire!” You shouted. Steve didn’t have words to say. Suddenly there was an explosion.

“Why?”

“Steve.” You gave him a sad look. He dug in you suit to find an injector. Quickly stabbing it into your arm.

“That was stupid.”

“So is this.” You pushed him off of you. “Where is the Solider?” Steve looked around. When he stopped you followed his eye line. The Solider was trapped under a large piece of metal from the carrier. “Go.”

Steve looked back to you.

“Go Steve.” You reached into your pocket and grabbed another injector. Slamming that one into your thigh. Steve nodded.

“Here.” He handed you the shield. The carrier started to tip. A quick glance saw that it was colliding with the building.

“Stupid and reckless.” You gave him a grin then stood the best you could. At the railing you gave a look down. There was a break in the glass directly below you and water beyond that.

“Get your friend Steve.” Before he could question you, you heaved yourself over the railing and out the bottom of the ship.

You used the shield to help break the water as you hit it. It still nearly took all the air out of you. Once you bobbed back to the surface you looked back up. The building seemed to have caught the carrier and it just sat there. The extra injector gave you enough strength to slowly swim to the edge of the water.

“Where’s Steve and yn!” Your comms still worked!

“I’m in the water under the ship! I’m trying to get to shore. Steve’s still on the carrier.”

“I’ll get a vehicle and get her Fury.”

“Copy that Hill.”

You just have to get to the edge before that carrier comes down. Pushing your muscles as they ached. The pain meds quickly wearing off even with the extra dose. You glanced back. Shit. The carrier was coming down. You didn’t know if you were clear but you hoped you were. Maybe the wave it caused would give you the extra push to the shore.

Tags- @ginger-swag-rapunzel

[jewish-space-laser]

Miles & Black Coffee - Part One

“When you’re on a golden sea, You don’t need no memory, Just a place to call your own, As we drift into the zone...” 

-Island in the Sun by Weezer

Hello, and welcome to part one of M&BC! She’s split up into parts, a day late, and a bit rusty... but she’s here! It’ll be my first new piece of writing since I rejoined tumblr, so it’s a bit nerve-wracking. Thank you to Kate @andwhenshesays, Anne @oh-honey-styles, and Anna @for-fucks-sake-h for organizing this entire challenge, you’ve brought so much joy to our little tumblr community. We love you all dearly ♥️ (4.5k words)

xoxoxox Tile

Warnings: mild drinking, mild drug use (just weed)

You and Harry would never be friends. You were up and down, night and day, oil and water. You just didn’t mesh. He was your roommate’s insufferable older brother, and that is all he would ever be. Well, at least that’s what you thought before….

or

the one with campfire conversations, cabin getaways, and enemies that were never really enemies after all.

MONDAY

Pine trees and cornfields flew by in a blur as you stared out the window of your roommate’s minivan. Every once in a while, there’d be a pasture of cows or a horse ranch. It had been exciting at first, but now you were just bored. 

“How much longer?” You called over the music, trying to keep the whine from your voice. It had been hours since you left your apartment this morning, and you’d only stopped once to stretch your legs and take a bathroom break. 

“The GPS says we still have an hour and a half to go,” Callie groaned, stepping a bit harder on the gas pedal.

Normally, you loved road trips, but this particular drive was more cramped than you’d bargained for. There were seven girls packed into the van, and you’d been unfortunate enough to get squished into the backseat with your twin sister and her girlfriend, who hadn’t stopped with the obnoxious PDA since the car got on the freeway. 

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, trying to will away your nauseating carsickness. This week had been marked into your calendar for months, and you’d be damned if you let this god-awful car ride ruin it for you. 

Callie, your college roommate, had a cabin in northern Wisconsin that she’d been raving about for years. She’d been going there with her family for decades, every summer since pre-school, she’d said. According to her, it was a beautiful property, equipped with a private lakeside beach, fire pit, and a full bar. 

It was going to be the perfect getaway. You and Callie had rounded up all of your girlfriends, packed all of the essentials for a spa night, junk food, board games, movies. You’d packed four swimsuits just in case; the weather forecast looked fantastic, high seventies and low eighties all week long. 

It was going to be the perfect vacation. Well, almost perfect. 

Harry was going to be there.

Harry, the constant thorn in your side. Harry, Callie’s older brother. Harry, the one who eats all of your food whenever he visits. Harry, the one who constantly picked fights with you. You and him had never gotten along, not even for a second. 

There wasn’t a single person alive who got on your nerves more than he did. Generally, you got along with most people, but Harry was the exception to the rule. You couldn’t seem to shake him off. 

You weren’t about to let him ruin this trip, though. There were going to be fourteen people staying at the cabin, so it should be a piece of cake to avoid him for a week; there were plenty of other people to interact with. And even if you couldn’t avoid him, you were going to let his inevitable snarky comments roll off of your back. Well, you’d try to, at least.

Perhaps that’s what annoyed you most about him, the reaction you’d have from the smallest fight. With anyone else, it was water under the bridge… with Harry, you thought about it for days afterwards, thinking of better comebacks you should’ve said or ways you could have changed your schedule to steer clear of him altogether. He made your skin prickle with irritation, and turned you into somebody you didn’t like very much. 

It had been months since you’d seen him, not that you’d been keeping track. He typically visits Callie a few times a semester, but his senior year was more intense than he had anticipated, according to his sister. He just couldn’t spare the two hour drive from his university to yours.

But now it was summertime. Gone were the papers, projects, and responsibilities… it was finally time to relax and have fun. You only had one year of college left before graduation, so you and your friends wanted to make the most of it. Harry and his friends had just graduated, so they were at the cabin for their last hurrah before real life kicked in. 

If you were being honest with yourself, you were excited that Harry was bringing some of his frat brothers along. You and your ex had just ended things recently, and you were finally feeling ready to get back into the dating game. Being trapped in a cabin with a handful of cute guys felt like a dream. 

Finally, after what felt like centuries, Callie slowed the car down and turned onto a dirt road. The other girls in the car started desperately peering out the window to get a glimpse of the lake and surrounding forest. 

The moment the cabin came into view, your jaw dropped. You knew Callie’s parents were loaded, but this hardly looked like the rustic getaway you were expecting. There were three buildings, each labelled with a birch bark sign. Two speedboats and a pontoon were docked at the beach, inflatable tubes and paddleboards littered around the sand nearby. 

It wasn’t until Callie parked and shut off the engine that you heard a heavy bass thrum coming from the building marked MAIN CABIN. The other two buildings were labelled GUEST CABIN and SHOWER HOUSE. You were snapped out of it when Olivia and Jane, who had been sitting in the middle bucket seats, swung their sliding doors open and practically fell onto the ground. 

“I don’t think I remember how to walk normally,” Charlie, a girl from your art history class, groaned, “like, we were sitting in that car for so long….”

“Oh, shush,” your sister, Morgan, scoffed, “at least you got to sit up front. I was crammed into the back between these two.”

Both you and her girlfriend, Isobel, huffed in protest, but it wasn’t worth picking a fight over. You’d have plenty of time to bicker later. For now, the fresh air and cool breeze were like heaven after a long road trip.

“The boys beat us here,” Callie remarked.

Sure enough, there were two other cars already parked in the driveway. Back behind the main cabin, a plume of smoke rose into the air. You could hear loud laughter, loud enough to drown out the trap music they had playing. 

“They’ve started a bonfire!” Olivia squealed, clasping her hands in front of her chest. “I’m ready to get partying… it’s four in the afternoon and I’ve spent all day in a car. I need a drink.”

A few others were laughing and nodding in agreement, already making their way towards the boys, but you hung back. You’d party later, but after spending an entire day stuck with six other people, you just wanted to be alone. Plus, you wanted to drink tonight, and you’d never get around to unpacking your bag if you were wasted. 

You managed to dig your duffel bag out from the pile of luggage in the trunk, letting it fall to the ground with a thump. Callie had just been finishing up with a phone call when you looked up. 

“Hey, you’re not joining the others?” She asked. “I was about to head over, they’ve got a fire going. Just had to call my mum to let her know we made it.”

“I’ll join in a bit,” you promised “but I want to unpack my things first… where are we all staying?”

“You’re in the main cabin, I have you sharing a room with Charlie, is that okay?” She questioned. You nodded quickly, relief flooding over you. You liked all of the girls who came on the trip, but Charlie was by far the easiest to get along with. “Harry and I each have our own room in the main cabin, too, so you won’t be alone. Everyone else is in the guest cabin, though.”

“The guest cabin,” you giggled, slinging your bag over your shoulder as Callie lead you into the main building, “this place is swanky, Cal.”

“We host all of our family reunions here,” she shrugged, “we need lots of space. Plus it’s fun for occasions like this… we’re just lucky my dad is letting us use the boats. He treats those things like they’re his own children, only Harry is allowed to drive them this week.”

You made a face at the mention of her brother. “I’ll be staying far away from the boats, then.”

“Oh god,” Callie groaned, “I know you two don’t get along very well, but please try to be civil… we’re here for a whole week, after all.”

“I’m always civil,” you protested innocently, “it’s him you need to worry about.”

“Always civil,” she scoffed, “we both know that’s not true, but I’ll let it slide.”

Okay, so maybe you had a slight temper when it came to Harry, but nine times out of ten, he was the one who started the argument. You were never the type to actively seek out conflict, but Harry seemed to thrive off of it. Whether it was eating all the food from your half of the fridge, throwing his dark blue t-shirt in with your load of whites, or playing his guitar in your living room until three in the morning when you had a test the next day… it felt like he was out to get you. 

And he was never apologetic. Of course not. He probably got off on watching steam blow from your ears. 

You took a deep breath as Callie led you up a wooden staircase, trying not to let yourself get worked up. The cabin was gorgeous from what you’d seen on the main floor. Though you hadn’t lingered, you’d noticed that there was a bookshelf that took up an entire wall, packed to the brim with books with faded spines, vinyl records with worn edges, and an assortment of candles and bookends sprinkled throughout randomly. You couldn’t wait to explore the entire property. 

Photographs lined the walls of every hallway, snapshots of Harry and Callie running around as kids. There was a hilarious picture of a young Harry crying as he held a fishing pole, a bare hook dangling from the line. The Styles family clearly had a great sense of humor. You made a mental note to take a photo of it on your phone later; it would be perfect ammo for the next fight that Harry would inevitably start. 

“This is the bathroom…” she drawled, “no shower though. We all just use the shower house, which isn’t really as bad as it sounds. Just make sure you bring clothes with you, otherwise you’ll have to walk across the lawn in just your towel.”

You grimaced at the thought. As she continued to lead you down the hall, you saw two doors, one with CALLIE’S ROOM written in bright pink bubble letters, and the second with a wooden plaque, the word HARRY written in what was clearly a child’s handwriting. 

“This is technically my parents’ room, but we use it as a guest room if it’s just us kids,” Callie explained, stopping at the last door in the hallway, “they have a king bed, so I figured you and Charlie could just share.”

“That’s fine,” you assured her, not hesitating to drop your heavy duffel onto the side of the bed closest to the window, “this place is awesome, Callie.”

“Right?” She grinned. “I’m stoked for the week, it’s gonna be so fun.”

“You should go down to the bonfire,” you told her, placing a hand on your bag, “I’ll come join as soon as I’m done.”

Luckily, your roommate of two years understood that you needed alone time sometimes, so she left you without protest. 

This was exactly the recharge time that you needed. You were the kind of person who loved being around friends, but there was only so much socializing you could handle before you needed a break to be on your own. Even though you hadn’t spoken much on the ride to the cabin, being squished into a mini-van with six other girls drained your social battery. Giving yourself a moment to breathe and relax was necessary if you were going to rejoin the group.

Pressing the shuffle play button on your spotify, you smiled when the soft melody of your favorite folk song thrummed through your headphones. You swayed from side-to-side as you unzipped your bag, which had been packed to perfection. 

Four swimsuits, a different outfit for each day (plus a few extra items… overpacking is better than underpacking), sunscreen, bug spray, all of your toiletries. It was fun to organize everything into the empty wardrobe by the window; looking at all of your stuff just made you more excited to be here.

Time flew by as you danced around the room. Most of your things were put away, and you’d stashed your empty bag under the bed. The one thing you hadn’t put away yet was your assortment of swimsuits. It had been difficult picking out which ones you wanted to bring, but you’d settled on three bikinis and a one-piece with the sides cut out. You were itching to change out of your leggings and t-shirt; they felt gross against your skin after sitting in the van all day. 

Just as you went to pick up your navy blue sequined bikini top, a hand abruptly clamped down on your shoulder. 

“Holy shit!” You spun around on your heels, hand flying to cover your beating heart. You were less than pleased to find Harry standing there, wide-eyed and trying to mask his amusement by biting down on his lip. 

“Didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” he chuckled, “forgot how jumpy you are.”

“I’m not jumpy,” you frowned, pulling your headphones out of your ears and crossing your arms over your stomach, “what are you doing in here?”

“Nice to see you too,” he scoffed, dimple indenting into his cheek, “I was just using the loo, then I was gonna go back to the party, where we’re having fun. Foreign concept to you, I’m sure.”

You rolled your eyes, turning around so he couldn’t see how hard you were scowling. He always knew just what to say to get your blood boiling.

“Are you implying that I don’t know how to have fun, Harry?” You asked sarcastically. 

“Ah, I knew you were smarter than you looked,” he grinned. “Cute swim top.”

It was only then that you noticed his attire. Well, lack of attire. He was wearing the smallest swimming shorts you’d ever seen, his chest tanned from the sun and completely bare apart from a single cross necklace that hung over his sternum. His hair had grown out since the last time you saw him, and it looked a bit ridiculous with his sunglasses on top of his head. 

He looked good, not that you’d ever admit it. Luckily, you were fantastic at masking your wandering eyes; he had a tendency of walking around your apartment in his boxers during visits, so you’d had plenty of practice.

“Shut up,” you groaned, throwing the bikini top back onto the bed. You’d been planning on wearing that one, but Harry ruined it with his gross comment, just like he ruins most things for you. 

“I’m quite incapable of shutting up,” he mused, throwing himself down onto your side of the bed, “you should know this by now.”

“Trust me,” you were completely unamused, still standing with your arms crossed over your stomach, “I’m well aware.”

“You should come join the party,” he continued speaking as if you hadn’t said anything, seemingly unfazed by how visibly irritated you were, “it’s the first day and you’re already being a buzzkill. Maybe you should try like… try stepping out of your comfort zone, just for the week.”

“Thank you so much for that lovely unsolicited advice,” you said sarcastically, “now if we’re talking about comfort zones, you laying on my bed is definitely out of mine.”

“Please, you love me on your bed,” he smirked, closing his eyes, “this is a dream come true for you.”

“Are you delusional?” You were running out of patience. “Did you hit your head?”

“Why?” He said innocently. “Are you thinking about playing nurse? Because I hate to break your heart, but I’m not into wet blankets. Maybe if you loosened up a bit.”

If he wasn’t gone in thirty seconds, you were going to scream. He seemed to be enjoying himself, arms crossed behind his head with a twinkle in his eye as you stared daggers at him. 

“Are you quite done?” You spit. “I can feel my IQ dropping every time you speak. Plus, I need to change before I come down.”

“Ooh, can I watch?” He waggled his eyebrows. 

That was it. “Harry, get out, okay?”

“Jeez, okay, fine,” he grumbled, rolling clumsily off of the bed, “so bossy, you are.”

You pointed a finger towards the door, leveling him with the steeliest glare you could muster. “Out,” you repeated.

“You should come down sooner rather than later,” he said, completely unbothered, “I’m sure you’ll be much nicer once you’ve had a drink or two.”

He was gone before you could think of a response. The annoyance bubbling inside you was so intense, you felt like you wanted to break something. Instead, you punched your pillow a few times to release some tension, taking a deep breath to compose yourself after.

You wrinkled your nose at the blue bikini top, choosing to wear an orange floral patterned one instead. You’d never give Harry the satisfaction.

~~~

The fire was absolutely roaring. 

It was perfect. The fire pit was lined with wooden logs, the tops shaved off to make benches. There was hardly enough space for all fourteen of you, but you managed to squeeze in as you all roasted corn and hot dogs over the fire. It wasn’t too windy, so you didn’t have to worry about smoke blowing into your eyes, but the bugs were relentless. 

The air around you smelled of smoke, bug spray, and good food. There were a few different conversations happening, and every once in a while, a few people would break out into loud, contagious laughter. 

Harry had tried to talk to you when you came down, but you’d avoided him like the plague. You had absolutely nothing nice to say to him after his snarky comments in your room, and any further interaction with him at this point would just end in disaster. Thankfully, he was quickly distracted by some of his frat brothers, and he hadn’t tried to approach you again all night. 

Now, you were chatting with Olivia and one of the boys, Luke. By the time you’d gone down to the bonfire, everyone was several drinks in. You’d been forced to play catch-up by way of tequila shots, so you had a pleasant buzz running through your veins.

“This is a perfect summer night,” you sighed happily, pulling your skewer from the flames to keep your corn from burning. 

“Almost perfect,” a boy named Archie corrected, “we haven’t been out on the lake yet.”

Harry and three of the other boys had arrived a night early to get the boats ready, and now that Archie mentioned it, the pontoon was looking mighty tempting. The sun hadn’t fully set, but dusk was beginning to settle in, blanketing the forest with pink and orange hues, a gorgeous reflection of the sunset above you. It was the perfect time to go out on the water.

“How do we feel about the pontoon?” You wondered out loud. There was no way you’d all fit, but you could go in groups. 

“It’s too buggy to be on the water,” Callie wrinkled her nose, “I’m getting eaten alive as it is.”

“I’m down, as long as I can smoke a spliff while we’re out there,” James, one of the other boys, shrugged, “obviously I’ll share, I brought tons.”

A few others around the circle chimed in with their interest, and before you knew it, people were standing up to make their way over to the docks. You weren’t the best with names, but much to your relief, you’d introduced yourself to everyone going on the boat. Obviously, you already knew Morgan and Isobel, and were somewhat friendly with Jane, Archie, and James. 

“I’ll come along, too,” a voice behind you yawned. When you turned around, you immediately felt yourself melt. Ryan, a boy you’d had a single class with freshman year, was stretching his arms out as he stood up, and he was looking directly at you with a flirtatious smile. 

You’d had a major crush on him for the entirety of your class together, but you’d been too shy to say anything to him. He was a whole year older, after all, and that had been intimidating when you were eighteen. 

You returned his smile, biting down on your bottom lip shyly. 

“I guess I’m going too, then,” Harry sighed, shoving the last of his hot dog into his mouth before dusting his hands off. 

Immediately, your face dropped. Harry snorted when he saw your expression, digging around the pocket in his swimsuit to retrieve a key. 

“I’m the only one allowed to drive the boats, remember? Dad made me promise.” 

Your shoulders slumped. You’d completely forgotten that Callie had mentioned it to you earlier. You weren’t about to turn down a sunset boat ride though, especially now that Ryan was coming along as well. 

Everyone scarfed down the rest of their food in a rush as Harry went over to untie the boat and make sure it was good to go. You watched as he leaned far over the edge of the dock, so far that nearly fell face-first into the water before righting himself and trying again.. 

“Hey,” Ryan had walked next to you, following your line of sight, “he’s gonna fall in, isn’t he?”

“I hope so,” you giggled.

“You were in my History 204 class, weren’t you? Sophomore year?” He asked.

Your entire body flushed. You didn’t think he’d noticed you at all, let alone enough to remember you years later. Having Ryan up at the cabin, talking to you, felt like a dream come true.

“I was a freshman, but yeah, I think so,” you nodded nonchalantly, “I hated that professor.”

“Oh god, same!” He laughed, shaking his head, “such a drag, just constant pop quizzes!”

“Ugh, yes!” You turned your body towards him fully. “And that midterm assignment….”

“Don’t even get me started,” Ryan pretended to shiver in fear. 

You laughed loudly, and from the corner of your eye you saw Harry turn to glance in your direction. Upon a closer look, he’d managed to wrangle the boat so it was right up against the dock. 

“All aboard!” He shouted.

You rolled your eyes at his ridiculous antics. He always thought he was so funny, especially when you were the butt of his jokes. You hoped he’d be too busy driving to bother you. 

Luckily, Ryan seemed keen to stay by your side, even helping you step into the boat by taking your hand to keep you balanced, so Harry didn’t have much of a chance to say anything. By the time the boat was moving, everyone was sitting in a circle on the floor, clipping in the life jackets that Callie had forced us all to wear. 

As soon as the wind blew through your hair, you tilted your head up and closed your eyes. Lakes didn’t smell great, but you’d always loved it. It was classic, nostalgic. You’d spent every summer of your life swimming in Midwest lakes, so it felt just like summer.

James was true to his word, and pulled out four fatly rolled joints, passing them around with a lighter. You didn’t do this often, but it felt like the perfect moment. The sun was disappearing fast, and soon enough you’d be able to see the stars.

At some point, Harry slowed the engine down to a gentle hum when the boat reached the middle of the lake, getting a couple of the others to help him throw the anchor over the edge. Afterwards, he moved back over to the driving console and fiddled with a few buttons until quiet, staticky music sounded out. He then sat down across the circle from you, immediately accepting one of the joints from Archie. 

You stood up on your knees, and looked around. Water lapped lightly against the sides of the boat, so it took you a moment to find your equilibrium. The silhouette of the tall pines surrounding the lake were awe-striking. 

Nobody wanted to break the silence, so you didn’t. The weed was starting to take effect, making your body feel heavy and your head feel light. You started to lay down, unclipping your life jacket to use as a pillow. Slowly, your friends followed your lead, the sounds of shuffling and buckles popping open momentarily interrupting the tranquil silence. 

You watched the sky change from pink to a deep blue, only turning your head away when the first stars became visible. Morgan was laying next to you, staring straight up at the sky. To anyone else, she looked like she was lost in thought, but you knew her better than that. There was a slight frown, watery eyes, a little crinkle across her forehead... she was worried about something. 

“What are you thinking about?” You asked, trailing a hand down her arm. She let out a long exhale. 

“This is gonna sound so soppy,” Morgan sighed, “but I can’t stop thinking about like… how different I would be if I could just, change things about myself.”

“I like you the way you are,” Isobel frowned, sitting up slightly to look at her, “plus, you can change things about yourself. People do it all the time. New hairstyles, piercings, clothes. You could completely rebrand yourself anytime you want.”

“She’s not talking about her appearance,” you said softly, squeezing Morgan’s hand, “she means… like, changing who you are, at your very core. Things you can’t help.”

“I get that,” Ryan chimed in, “I think about that, too. If I could change one thing about myself, I would make myself more motivated. My life would be so different if I could just… alter one tiny thing.”

“Exactly!” Morgan nodded. “I would… make myself less impulsive, I think. I have so many regrets, and it’s all because I never properly think before I act. I’d be so much better off if I could just learn to be more careful.”

“I like how spontaneous you are,” Isobel hummed, “but I think I know what you mean. If I could change anything about myself, I’d make myself less anxious. Anxiety has always held me back so much… I mean, fuck… I haven’t even come out to my family yet, even though I know they’d support me. I’d be so much happier if I could appreciate the good things in life, rather than stress about how to keep them.”

“I’m with Isobel,” Harry spoke. He’d just taken a rather large pull from the joint, so his voice came out rougher than gravel. “Anxiety is such a bitch, and it’s like, out of our control. It’s kept me from talking about my feelings so many times, and I feel like I’ve missed out on some really good friendships because of it.”

Despite the heaviness of the conversation, you felt happier than you had in a long time. You’d smoked just enough to feel numb, and the waves were rocking against the boat so gently that it felt like you were floating. You took a deep breath in through your nose, feeling the crisp forest air fill your lungs before exhaling. The stars were shining in the cloudless sky, crickets were chirping along the shore, and soft music was filtering through the cheap boat stereo. It was peaceful, listening to your friends pour their hearts out. 

Each person took a turn sharing what they would change about themselves. Archie would get rid of his bad temper, James would become a better listener, and Jane would be less self-conscious. 

“What would you change?” Morgan turned to look at you. 

You and your twin sister were very different people. So different, in fact, that you sometimes forgot that you were identical. In moments like this, when her eyes were watery and hooded, voice thick with sadness and hope, that you were reminded of how similar you could be. 

“If I could change anything about myself….” you mused, closing your eyes. “I think I would… let things go.”

“Let things go?” Archie echoed.

“Yeah,” you nodded, “like, let go of the past. Whenever something bad happens to me, I let it really get to me. Negative memories and feelings just… constantly eat away at me. I wish I could just wake up in the morning and think about the future… because thinking about the past is exhausting.”

Nobody spoke after your confession. Nobody tried to assure anyone that they would be okay, or convince anyone that they didn’t need to change. There was something comforting about lying in a circle with your friends, your sister… even Harry, because you were all flawed, and none of you knew what the future would bring. You all found solace in the fact that you were here, right now, laying in a circle on a boat, with an old jazz song ringing through the air.

And who knows… maybe someday, you’ll all find a way to change the parts of yourselves that bother you. Maybe you’ll learn to appreciate them. Maybe your flaws will end up helping you in the long run. 

But for now, none of you were alone. And that was enough.

~~~

Thank you for reading! I love getting feedback, so let me know what you thought! xoxoxoxoxoooooxxxxxxooooooxxxoooo Tile

[baekhypnotized]

☆— [six]

summary: Baekhyun is just a man who doesn’t believe in romance as much as Byul, who is trying to give herself to him. But day by day, he will soon realize that her fleeting actions are breaking down his cold-hearted brick wall, no matter if it takes her a million years.

warning(s): -

word count: 5.1k+

author’s note: please let me know what you guys think about this chapter!! if you would want to be tagged for next update, do tell me!! enjoy reading :)

tag list: @iloveagain​ @catboyseni​ @versaexact​ @xlxbaekhyuneex​ @nastybbh92​

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“Come on, Baekhyun. Stop playing around so we can finish this assignment.” I request, sighing softly after seeing him procrastinate. Baekhyun plays around with his laptop for 10 minutes already because we’ve been trying to complete this project by tonight. Baekhyun and I have been at Starbucks for hours since at 8 pm. Now? It almost strikes at 12 am and our work hasn’t completed yet. And, I love how this place is open 24 hours so we can do our work conveniently.

“Chill, Hanbyul. We still have a week,” Baekhyun scoffs as he grabs his iced caramel macchiato and drinks it. I glare at him before rolling my eyes to the back of my head. My eyes start to feel sleepy, losing my focus on the screen of my laptop. I quickly slap my cheeks slightly to at leash freshen me up. 

Baekhyun giggles silently once I start banging my head in the air with my eyes almost tightly close. A few seconds later, I place my head on the table and decide to get a short nap to reenergize back before continuing the project. I doze for around 5 minutes and get back to work. But within a few minutes, my legs and hands start to feel numb so I decide to lay my back by the chair and continue my dozing. 

The moment I wake up from the short nap, I realised that my head was on Baekhyun’s shoulder. I glance at his face, he places his head on mine and also has his eyes closed. Suddenly, I feel so comfortable with this position, knowing that most probably Baekhyun just felt pity looking at me so tired. That’s maybe the reason why he offers his shoulder for my head to rest comfortably. 

I scan his face slowly this time. From his forehead, his eyes, cute nose and to his pink pair of lips. I even realised he has a few numbers of moles on his face and I find them cute too. I’ve never seen him this close. Baekhyun’s face looks so serene when he is sleeping. Like, his masculine side has turned off and become a whole baby right now. Even though he's already 28 years old, he doesn’t look like that age at all. Still young, handsome and sometimes have that baby face. 

My fingers trying so hard to caress his face right now but obviously, it would wake him up. I check the current time as it’s already past midnight. We’ve been dozing off for quite a long time and I think it’s better for both of us continue this later. Because I don’t think we’re able to finish this overnight at this state. 

“Baekhyun…” I softly call him. But, he doesn’t budge. 

I pat his thigh gently while keep on calling him, “Baekhyun, wake up. Let’s go home, hmm?” I suggest to him. Baekhyun wakes up, pulls away from me with a stretch. His eyes are barely open that makes me chuckle seeing him in this way. 

I shut down his and my laptop, helping to clear the stuff because he’s still spacing out. He must be so tired nowadays. It makes me wonder what does he do besides attending classes because I realised, our schedules are not packed at all. Maybe, he just normally tired. Baekhyun continues his nap at this moment as I offer to prepare ourselves to get home. I don’t need to feel worried about my transportation since Baekhyun always offers to send me back home. 

Once everything is pack, I try to wake him up again. Baekhyun literally whines a bit before he rubs his eyes and looks at me with his sleepy face. “What time is it already?” He asks. His legs were spread as he stares on the floor blankly. I chuckle and take out my phone to show him the current time. “12.15 am, mister. So, let’s get back home, shall we?”

He nods slowly and grabs his stuff together with him. We leave the place and head to his car. As both of us get into the car, Baekhyun turns on the engine and spacing out. Again. He’s spacing out, staring at his steering wheel without moving even an inch. Then, he sighs. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask him with concern. Baekhyun makes me get to worry about him because he looks so blank. He turns to look at me, admiring me for a few minutes. Okay, double worry. 

I slowly slide my hand to place on his lap, looking at him anxiously. “Baekhyun, tell me, please? I’m so worried right now.” I demand him to tell me. He brings his hand to hold with mine that causes me to shock a bit. Baekhyun caresses it gently, trying to calm me down. 

“I’m so lazy to drive. Can you drive?” He asks.

“Nope! Plus, I wouldn’t dare to drive this hella expensive car.” I answer him but he only replies to me is a chuckle. Baekhyun still holding my hand as my cheeks flush but I’m grateful that it’s dark in the car. So, he can’t see me blush right now. 

Suddenly, he turns on the light. Shit. 

I bite my lower lip anxiously, trying to avoid his eye contact so that I would not blush chronically. Baekhyun tucks a strand of my hair around my ear and leans closer to me. I shift myself backwards slowly until my back bumps with the door. He looks at me, his lips curve upwards into a sweet smile. 

“Nah, I’m more alive after seeing your beautiful face. Your home, shall we, Hanbyul?” He says as I pull my hand away from his lap, buckling myself with the seatbelt. Baekhyun still has that smile on his face before he starts to drive us back to my apartment first. Throughout the whole journey, my heart couldn’t stop beating and thank God he turns on the radio. He hums to all the songs that he knows while I am sitting quietly, stealing a few glances on him when he’s driving. 

Baekhyun stops by at the petrol station to fuel up his car. He leaves me behind in the car as he’s gone to fuel up the car. I’m staring at the car’s interior design even though I already ride his car a lot of time. His phone suddenly rings. I peek at Baekhyun outside that he is still waiting to fill the tank. I don’t want to pick up the call because it would be called as invading his privacy. But, the name appears as ‘Sohyunnie’. And now I’m wondering who she is.

As soon as the rings end, Baekhyun just finishes off his business and gets back into the driver's seat. He turns on his engine but before he continues to drive, he checks his phone. I keep myself together and peek at him. Baekhyun probably calls back that Sohyunnie back because he wears his right Airpod plug into his ear. 

“Hey, why are you calling me in the middle of the night?” Baekhyun asks the caller as he continues to drive to my apartment. I listen quietly to his words even though I try hard to ignore him calling that person. He talks to the caller for a few minutes later and he laughs, chuckles plus smiles a lot too. This is another side of Baekhyun being so happy because I’ve never seen him this way before. 

“I’ll be back soon, okay? Sleep tight and I miss you too.” He ends the call and drifts the car on the empty road. 

Who is it? I let the question lingers around my mind because I will never have the answer. 

After Baekhyun sends me home, I head to my apartment and straight to my bedroom. Since I already informed Soomin that I will come back home late, she already asleep in her room. I just don’t want her to worry about me because I told her that I’ll be doing my project together with Baekhyun. She told me that even though it’s him, I still need to be careful since we don’t exactly know his background in deep. But, I assure her that Baekhyun is a good guy and he wouldn’t hurt me or even kidnap me. 

My routines are the same; shower, skincare and sleep. As I hop on the comfy bed, covering myself with the duvet and have my phone in my hands. And Baekhyun gives me a text as usual. 

[Baekhyun]: I arrive home safely but I’m too lazy to take my shower.

[Byul]: Go and get a shower, you stinky.

[Baekhyun]: Can I just go to bed without getting one?

[Byul]: Eww! We’ve been staying outside for hours and you insist to go to bed at that state? You’re crazy, Baekhyun.

[Baekhyun]: I am, huh?

[Byul]: Yes! People tend to hate someone who doesn’t take care of themselves. 

[Baekhyun]: So, if I get one, you will like me?

[Byul]: Stupid question. Of course, I will. I hate people who stink so much

[Baekhyun]: Teehee! I promise I’ll get one before I go to bed. 

I chuckle reading to his replies. He’s acting like a child right now for sure. 

[Baekhyun]: Wanna go out tomorrow?

[Byul]: Where? And when should we continue the assignment?

[Baekhyun]: I’m trying to ask you for a date and you’re here asking me back about the assignment? :(

[Byul]: Oh come on, Baekhyun. Okay fine. Where do you want to bring me out tomorrow?

[Baekhyun]: Looks like someone anticipates going out on a date with me *grin emoji*

[Byul]: I did not, okay. Say it or I’ll go to bed. Goodnight, Baekhyun.

I  lock my phone and place it on the bedside table. My phone rings a few times and I assume he keeps on calling me so I wait for a little longer, answering his call. “What is it?”

“Are you mad at me?” Baekhyun asks me with his low voice.

“I’m not. I’m just tired and want to have my sleep now.” I answer him sternly.

“Hanbyul, I’m just playing around with you. Don’t be mad at me,” He tries to coax me as I only reply to him with a few hums. 

“I’ll treat you tomorrow. How’s that sounds?” 

“Be my credit card for the whole day and also my chauffeur throughout our hangout.” I request.

Baekhyun chuckles. “I can do anything for you. You name it sweetheart and I will.” He continues saying with low voices. 

My whole body starts to heat up until I need to uncover myself from the duvet. I place my palm on my chest, feeling my heart beats rapidly. This is the first time ever, Baekhyun calls me ‘sweetheart’. I know it’s pretty normal but the way he says it, it’s really different. I’m like spacing out for a moment because that pet name effecting me. 

“Hanbyul, you still there?” Baekhyun asks. I cough a bit to make it less obvious that I’m feeling so hot by only hearing to that name.

“Yeah, I’m here… So, tomorrow is it?”

“Yup. I’ll confirm it back later the time but be prepared, okay?” He tells me and I only answer him with a hum. A sudden long yawn escape from my mouth and Baekhyun obviously can hear it at the other side. 

“You’re cute when you’re yawning.” He chuckles again. 

“Nope. That’s a lie.”

“I’m not lying. It’s the truth.” Baekhyun denies my judgment. 

“Whatever, Byun Baekhyun. Goodbye.” I bid goodbye. 

“Goodnight, Hanbyul. Can’t wait to see you again, sweetheart.” Baekhyun bids his goodbye after wishing me goodnight. We end the call right away and I prepare myself to bed. I didn’t realise that during the whole conversation, I was smiling so wide just because of Baekhyun. 

Sleep tight too, Baekhyun.

I wake up the next morning feeling so alive and happy. Baekhyun gave me a good impact on my sleep last night. I was having difficulties to get to sleep nowadays but last night was different. After weeks of knowing him, I already consider him as my close friend. The way he treats me as a friend, as a woman is unbelievable. I know it’s kinda weird but I really anticipate our next meeting because I just want to meet and hang out with him. He’s a crazy guy with weird personalities despite being a mysterious guy. But no matter what, he is Byun Baekhyun that I met at the cafe in a good appearance that caught my eyes. 

When I leave my bedroom, I see Soomin doing business at the kitchen. “Woah, you woke up quite early today, Soomin.” I mock her before having a seat at the dining table. Seems like she’s cooking us breakfast and it’s a rare view seeing her cooking. She has a bit of talent in cooking but she’s too lazy to even steps to the kitchen. 

“Can you stay still and appreciate this beautiful view of Soomin’s cooking?” Soomin turns to look at me as she rolls her eyes annoyingly before continue to prepare the food. I laugh hard, holding my tummy because I love to make her mad. Since both of us are too busy with the project, we rarely spend time together even though during the weekends. Because I prefer to just stay home and rest when I don’t have any work shifts. While Soomin on the other hand, Sehun loves to bring her to his house and spend their lovey-dovey time. 

“Fine. Do you need any help?” I offer but she shakes her head. I walk and check on her. Soomin’s trying to cook kimchi fried rice and looks like she’s kinda struggling to read the recipe. The ingredients are all prepared on the island but she seems confused. As for now, Soomin wants to chop the kimchi but she couldn’t figure out how much she needs. I chuckle softly after seeing her doing the work diligently. 

“1⁄4 kimchi from the container would be enough for the two of us. Have you cook the rice?” I ask her as she answers ‘no’. I offer myself to help her by cooking the rice first. At least, they would already when Soomin wants to fry it. Then, I help her to prepare the basic ingredients such as onions and chillies while she cuts the raw chicken into small sizes. Both of us work together to cook the kimchi fried rice because working together, it would make the food extra delicious. This is our masterpiece. We finish it up within the range of 45 minutes and I end it up with giving a high five to her. 

“Good job!! Have you taken your morning shower already?” I ask her when she’s busy transferring the fried rice onto the plates. Soomin nods her head a few times.

“Okay, gimme 10 minutes for a quick shower please?” 

“5 minutes,” Soomin says.

“10 minutes and I’ll treat you ice cream,” I beg her with my puppy eyes. She rolls her eyes before nodding her head. I jump excitedly on the same spot, ruffling her hair and run back quickly to my bedroom. Because I make her pretty annoyed with me in the morning. I rush myself to have a quick shower and wear a plain pink t-shirt with short pants. When I go back to the dining table, Soomin already set up everything including the hot tea. I sit across her and both of us start to eat kimchi fried rice. We make a unison satisfied hum, indicating that the fried rice that we both made is delicious. 

“Are you planning to go anywhere today?” Soomin pauses for a moment and turns to look at me while questioning me. Now, I’m agitating. Would it be weird if I say Baekhyun wants to bring me out? Or is it not? 

“Kinda? Baekhyun wanna bring me out somewhere,” I answer. Her pupils dilate after hearing his name. I start to play with the rice using my spoon because I’m nervous about what will she say next. 

“Byul, do you have anything with him though? I’ve seen that you’re so close to him now,” Soomin lets out a statement. I start to fluster because she thinks I have a relationship with Baekhyun. 

“Obviously no! We’re just friends plus why would he date me though? I’m just a normal girl with nothing,” I explain, sounding a bit of disappointment. It’s kinda hurt that my whole life doesn’t have anything special with it. I used to grow up with loving parents but it ended up with no happy ending. Even though mom already happily married to father, I’m just grateful to have the people who I can call a family.

“Gosh, Byul. Can you stop saying that you’re nothing? Come on, you’re beautiful and a smart ass person. Always look at the bright side and please,” Soomin stops for a second, grabbing my hand and caresses it. “-go and find someone that can make you happy. Inside and outside. Someone’s that worth to you and treats you like a real woman. I swear love can change everything in this life. You just need to try and take a risk for it.” 

I swear, we’ve never talked about guys and I’ve never heard Soomin saying about a relationship this serious. Now the realisation hits me when both of us already turned 26 years old and within a few months before the new year, we’re turning 27. How time flies so fast that shows the way I’m growing out my youth and adult age with Soomin. No one can replace her spot as my best friend. I’m so grateful to have her but kinda sad knowing that she will leave me anytime by getting married with Sehun. It’s a relief that both of them are seriously in love with each other and I’m just hoping happiness for both of my best friends. 

“Let’s finish this food first before I tear up,” I say to her and continue eating my food. Soomin just smiles and nods her head as she continues too. We both savour the kimchi fried rice and right after we’re done eating, I offer myself to do the dishes while Soomin can clear up the dining table. At least, we can finish this fast and continue our girls talk at the living room comfortably. 

After we’re done having our breakfast, Soomin settles down on the couch while I run swiftly to my room, grabbing my phone in case there are any important notifications. Then, I plop myself right besides her and get ready to proceed with our previous conversation. Soomin suddenly becomes so quiet and that makes me worry about her. 

I bring my hands to hold with hers, caressing them. “Hey… Is there anything that disturbing you right now?” I ask her softly, didn’t want to sound like I’m forcing her to answer it. Soomin lets out an audible sigh and shakes her head. 

“It’s not that important but- Nevermind,” She resists to answer. I look at her with the softest smile that I can with a worried face. She sees me and giggles as Soomin shoves my face away to stop me making that kind of face. Finally both of us easing the tense situation. 

She releases a final sigh before continuing, “Sehun proposed me to marry him…” 

“WHAT?!! You’re not joking, right?” I shout loudly that cause her to cover both of her ears. 

“I’m so happy for both of you!!” I say but she’s only plastering me with a smile. “Anything wrong with that?” I ask her this time, trying to dig deeper into this conversation.

“Byul, you know I love him so much right?” She asks me as I nod my head. “-but marriage is going to be a big responsibility to me, to Sehun. We’re going to commit a risk and I don’t think I’m ready despite me and Sehun to have been together for 5 years.”

“Then, what if he finds me boring after we get married and just leave me alone behind?... I’m just… scared to lose him.” Soomin explains more about it as she sounds like she’s going to tear up. I lift her head to look into my eyes, wiping the tears that escape. 

“Soomin, Sehun is an incredible man and we both know that he never loved anyone else except you. Being scared in a relationship is normal but the most important thing is the trust in each other. Sehun would never leave you behind because he’s crazy in love with you, Soomin. It’s obvious! But, if you’re not ready to commit a new responsibility, talk to him. He will listen and understand. Trust me. Sehun is the same guy that we knew back in previous years. He’ll never change. Believe in each other and you guys will be forever to eternity.” I try to put everything in words, hoping she will understand everything and accept it. Soomin pauses for a moment without blinking her eyes then suddenly she pulls me for a big hug, tearing up. I caress her back up and down to calm her down. It feels good to know that she finally bursts out all her worries to me because at least we could share different opinions. 

“Oh come on, don’t cry. You’re being a baby. Pfft.” I snigger but she still hugging me. When she starts to calm down, she breaks the hug and wipes her tears as her lips curve upwards. Suddenly, my phone rings at the wrong timing. I try to decline the call but Soomin insists for me to answer it. So I did. I look at the caller name and it’s finally Baekhyun.

“Hello! What are you doing? Did I disturb your sleep?” Baekhyun greets as he asks me. 

“Baekhyun it’s like 10:30 am and you think I’m still sleeping?” I say and I can hear him chuckling. 

“I’m going to pick you up at 1 pm so we can have our lunch together.”

“Alright. See you later then?” I say and he hums. Before I get to end the call, Baekhyun gets to continue, “See you, beautiful.” 

I end the call with my heart’s fluttering but I put away my phone on the coffee table. Soomin has calmed down completely and waiting for me to say anything regarding the call. “Byun Baekhyun, is it?” She questions me and I can only nod my head. 

“He’s going to pick you up?”

“At 1,” I say shortly. 

“Take care then. Don’t let me kill him if he ever breaks your heart,” Soomin finally speaks the most important part and I can only laugh at it. 

“We’re just friends, Soomin. Nothing more than that.” I confess to her the truth but she only glares fiercely that makes me throw a pillow on her. Within a few seconds later, we start a pillow fight in the living room. It’s good to have this quality time with her because I don’t even know when’s the next time.

I get myself to wear a beige turtleneck shirt in long sleeve and a long brown skirt to pair with it. Since it’s getting cold outside, at least I have the initiative to keep myself warm throughout the hang out with Baekhyun. After I bid goodbye with Soomin, I head straight to the lobby using the lift and wait for Baekhyun to arrive. Then, the same familiar black Audi car stops in front of me so I get into the passenger seat and greet him with a wide smile. Once I buckle up myself, I realise that the car doesn’t move at all and Baekhyun is busy admiring me. 

He smirks silently and starts to drive the car with his one hand on the steering wheel. Baekhyun being extra annoying yet attractive nowadays. I think my heart needs to be stronger whenever he tries to make it beating like crazy. 

“Where are we going?” I curiously ask as I turn to look at him. 

Baekhyun stealing a few glances from the road, “COEX Mall. We’ll get our lunch first and we can roam around the mall. You can shop too if you want,” He suggests to me.

“Have you been to any cinema recently?”I ask him. Baekhyun shakes his head a few times. 

“Then, can we watch any movies after we have lunch? It’s been months since the last I step on the cinema though. Pretty please?” It’s my turn to suggest but I didn’t realise that I sound like a begging child. Baekhyun lets out low chuckles before he nods his head. I squeal softly in excitement because he allows me to watch a movie. And I couldn’t wait to watch the movie with Byun Baekhyun for our first time. Together. 

“What are you going to do during our first-semester break, Baekhyun?” I question him and savour a spoonful of spaghetti. I ordered spaghetti carbonara while he, on the other hand, ordered lamb chop. He forces me to eat at the western restaurant so here we are right now. It’s quite fancy but Baekhyun offers to treat me but I opted the less pricey food for my lunch meal. 

“I don’t know? Probably staying and chilling at my house. And, playing video games I guess?” He answers while looking at me eating. 

“Only playing video games? Sounds so boring. Boo~” I mock him as I giggle that makes him chuckle. 

“Okay. At least, my holiday will become so hectic with my work shifts and might only get home only to sleep.” I finish my last bite and wipe off my mouth with a clean cloth. Baekhyun nods his head, hearing me diligently while trying to finish his food up. 

“I’ll visit you often. No worries because I think I’m going to miss your coffee if I don’t get any during the break.” He confesses that he loves the coffee drinks that I make so much. After hearing his confession, I only able to chuckle softly. 

I’m about to ask further about where he lives now and is he staying alone or with his family. But, Baekhyun makes me cancel my plan because he calls the waiter to ask for the bill. Once the waiter comes with the bill, Baekhyun doesn’t check on it but instead, he straightly gives his credit card. Now, he makes me more curious about his background. Maybe, he was born in a rich family so I don’t doubt that from the way of his living. 

“The cinema, shall we?” He asks and I say ‘yes’ straight away. 

We head straight to the cinema as we stare at the current movies showing on the monitor screen. “What are we going to watch?” I move to stand in front of him as I ask. Baekhyun is obviously taller than me because my chin is approximately at his shoulders but our height differences are perfect. He looks down to face me, staring into my eyes differently. 

“You can choose anything that you want to watch, Hanbyul. Because I’m going to look at you during the whole movie,” He answers. I hit his chest lightly because he’s trying to be cheesy and it’s not good for my heart’s health. Baekhyun breaks into laughter and pushes me to the counter. “Go and choose anything. I don’t mind.” He says.

I roll my eyes and finally choose a movie; Five Feet Apart. It’s a melancholic romance movie and I’ve been anticipating to watch it. So, this is my chance. He is willing to pay the tickets because he keeps repeating that he already promised me to pay everything for today. And I couldn’t stop him. Once we’ve got our tickets, I excused myself to go to the ladies’ room while waiting for our movie hall. 

When I leave the ladies’ room and head back to Baekhyun, I’m seeing him talking with a woman. She has her hand on his shoulder as she was kinda close to Baekhyun. But, he doesn’t budge at all. I walk towards them as when Baekhyun realises I’m back, he calls my name. 

“I’ll see you later. Goodbye, Baekhyun oppa and enjoy your movie!” She bids goodbye and Baekhyun just plasters a smile. 

“Who is it? Your friend?” I curiously ask him. 

“Yeah,” He simple answers. Suddenly, our hall has been called. “Let’s go in already.” 

I follow him from behind and walk to our hall. There are only a few people in the hall as I sit comfortably besides Baekhyun. We wait for the advertisements to play before the movie starts so I already open the popcorn and start munching. As I tilt my head to offer the popcorn, Baekhyun stares at me. 

“Popcorn?” I offer and he suddenly opens up his mouth. Is he expecting me to feed him? What should I do? 

I give the whole popcorn to him, “Feed yourself, big boy.” I giggle when I can see him pouting even though the hall is currently dark. He scoffs softly and digs into the popcorn, munching them. The movie starts as I have my full attention on the big widescreen. While busy eating and drinking, I feel kinda uncomfortable. I slowly turn to face him, Baekhyun’s currently looking at me. 

“Why are you staring at me?” I go closer to him and whisper because I don’t want to get scolded by the others from talking loudly. 

“I already told you that I’m only looking at you.” He says. My heart stops for a second. 

“Come on, Baekhyun. It’s a great movie!” I partially beg and force him to watch the movie as Baekhyun chuckles softly before averting his gaze to the screen. I continue to watch the movie when I confirm that he will not stare at me because he will make me go all flush. And I couldn’t focus on the movie afterwards. 

 After the movie ended, I have my eyes swollen with tears because the movie got me wailing hard and Baekhyun can only offer his napkin to me. We leave the hall and I still have my red eyes. He has his hands keep in the pocket as he chuckles. 

“Are you laughing at me, Mr Baekhyun?” I stop in my tracks and glare at him. Baekhyun changes his expression from a happy to normal face. I ignore him, leaving him behind as an act of revenge. He chases me from behind. 

“Where do you want to go next? Shopping?” Baekhyun walks right beside me while waiting for my answer. 

When I was about to do so, someone calls my name. “Hanbyul!” 

“Oh my god! Kim Jongin!” I jog to the person and hug him into my arms. Baekhyun was left clueless at behind, witnessing me hugging a guy right in front of him.

[nighttimepixels]

Alright, this is possibly the biggest bummer of a thing I’ve had to admit to myself, but...

You Might Have a Type, the dating sim, is no longer in development. As in, further development is cancelled.

For those of you new here, a while back (almost two years, yikes!) I started playing around with developing a Dating Sim- in the end (via polls) it was decided the dateable options would be UT Sans, UF Sans, US Sans, and SF Sans.

tl;dr: I have to stop working on YMHaT due to technical, revision, and time struggles. BUT, there’s a browser-playable build of the intro up on Gamejolt! You can’t progress the game, but once the interactive intro is done, you can explore the game area (Grillby’s), talk to at least a few NPCs, and observe the back areas for multiple observation texts.

There’s no ending set, however, so just stop playing when you’re done looking around, and have a bit of patience as occasionally new talksprites take a moment to load.

More info about why I’ve had to let this project go below the cut:

I reworked the project from the ground up no less than three times (even switched entire game engines once) - and finished what should have been 95% of the art. However, I hit more and more problems in development - which I was doing alone. From realizing the ‘story’ wasn’t working, to needing to create much more art to ‘fix’ it (a year after I’d finished the majority of the art, creating style problems to say the least), to realizing the game was lagging upon export no matter what I tried to do to fix it... well, that is what I get for trying to manhandle RPGMaker MV into a different shape. The elements (used a bunch of plugins, along with other tactics) worked independently, and even running in my own environment, but they suffered as soon as I took that away.

In the end, I’ve been doing a lot of introspection and have to admit that having this unfinished project hanging over my head has been severely messing with my creative output. Guilt and worry, personal pressure (the longer I let it sit, the harder it’ll be to fix/copy the previous art style/etc), and just the mental real estate even a semi active project takes had a huge toll. This was supposed to be a fun, free fanproject, but my income is solely commission/art/freelance based- time spent desperately rehashing and working on a free fanproject is a worrying amount of time spent not making money to help make ends meet.

So, though it’s hard to accept I failed on this... I’ve got to throw in the towel. If I want to move forward and make new, cooler things, things that I’ve now got a lot more experience through the struggle of this game to make even better, I have to let this go. It’s obscenely sad, and don’t mind me I’m crying a bit, but! I want to continue having some time for other fanworks - fanart, fanfiction... and YMHaT was just the ball and chain I was only adding more weight onto this whole time.

That said, though I obviously was unable to release a finished version of the game- I have a workable intro, and have put up a browser-playable build! Like I mentioned above, there are those caveats - and seriously, once you’re done exploring, just exit out of the game tab. Nothing more will happen :C

I put a lot of work into this game (hundreds of hours...) so, upon the encouragement of the few friends I opened up to about this, I’m sharing at least this much. That way at the very least, some of the assets can be enjoyed, however briefly, and won’t go to absolute waste. TvT

I’ve certainly learned my lesson, and any future gamework I’ll probably stop trying to bend RPG Maker MV (a perfectly good game engine!) so out of shape to make it do things I should just suck it up and learn how to program in Unity, for example. But yeah, time is unfortunately money, especially for a freelancer, and we’ve all got to hustle, sigh. I just can’t justify sinking another hundred - or likely, two hundred plus - hours into a fanproject that’s already struggling and I can’t make any money off of. I know it sounds cynical, but y’know, thanks capitalism TvT

So, onwards, to new and better projects - I hope to still make a dating sim someday, but I’m afraid that unless I can find some crazy loopholes (or someone wants to drop several, several, several thousands of dollars on me) it probably won’t be a Sans-centric dating sim.

Hope you enjoy the unfinished demo - if you like anything, a comment left there or here would mean the world, so I’m not just chucking all that work completely down the drain ╥﹏╥ cheers to you all (esp those who read all this, wow!) and thanks for the support and interest you had in the project at all. I’m so sorry to let you guys down, but I thank you for the opportunity and damn if I didn’t learn a lot that’ll make me a better creator for the future.

[mattmurdocksscars]

I Can Help

So, I’ve had this posted on my Ao3 but I forgot to transfer it over here, so here’s a random Avengers fic!  Reader is an engineer that works with Stark and the Avengers but when the newest member joins, they notice some things about him. Not Canon Compliant!

Warnings: Swearing? 

No real pairing. If I ever write more, it’ll be Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 2052

Working with Tony Stark meant that every day was interesting. You were convinced that the man didn’t know what ordinary was but that was alright because he paid well, and you got to do what you loved. Plus, free housing! Who can say no to free room and board? Though you were not super like the others who lived in the tower, you were very smart. Graduating high school at 14 and going on to get your degree in electrical engineering at MIT. Stark was a speaker at your graduation and afterwards had offered you a job working with him on his suits.

Now 24, you had worked with him for 7 years and had been with him through the attack on New York and the Ultron incident. Boy, had you been pissed when he showed you what Ultron had done to JARVIS and had ripped him and Bruce a new one over the murderous AI. Usually a quiet and timid individual, Stark had been surprised and thoroughly chastised by you. The rest of the Avengers had watched on in amusement and Clint had high-fived you afterwards.

When the Avengers had returned from the battle of Sokovia with three new members in tow (because FUCK canon, my boy lives), you had merely shaken your head and welcomed them in. The Avengers were basically your family at this point, so the addition of the Maximoff twins and Vision was no problem to you. You did your best to help them adjust to life in New York and in the tower. You even helped create shoes that Pietro couldn’t destroy with his running and you were very proud of that.

So, when Steve and Sam approached you to let you know that another person would be coming to live in the tower, you had smiled and told them you were looking forward to it. The more the merrier, right? Except this new person was the fucking Winter Soldier. Or was. Now, you had no problem with his past. The man had been a POW for 70 fucking years. What bothered you was the way everyone else acted around him and how he reacted to them. James “Bucky” Barnes was doing his best to fit in at the tower and while some were welcoming, others were not. You hadn’t even really spoke to the man except to introduce yourself. But the thing with being a quiet person is that you observed others a lot and there were a few things you noticed about Bucky.

1- He carried an enormous amount of guilt.

2- He did not like his metal arm being touched

3- You were pretty sure his metal arm hurt him every time he used it.

So, for the first few weeks that Bucky was in the tower, you watched him both interact and avoid the others. Tony was the main one who didn’t like him and had no problem letting Bucky know it. This usually led to Steve standing up for Bucky and the two would wind up bickering while everyone else watched on. Bucky seemed to fold in on himself in these moments and it made you want to yell at the other two to get theirs heads out of their asses. Until one day, you finally had enough. You all were sitting in the common room and getting ready to order some take out for dinner. Everyone was chiming in on what they did and did not want except Bucky. He usually just got whatever Steve did, but tonight Tony seemed intent on getting him to order something for himself.

“I’m just saying, if he can’t even order for himself-“

“Shut up, Stark. He’s still working on figuring everything out. Why does it even matter to you?” There was Steve, coming to the rescue again. Bucky seemed to be slowly sliding down into his seat in an effort to make himself smaller again and your heart ached at the sight.

“Come on Manchurian Candidate, pick something out. It’s not that hard. We’ve got like every menu possible and they even have descriptions-“

“Enough!” Everyone turned to you at your shout and you swallowed down the nerves that rose in response. “You’re being an absolute dick, Tony. Knock it off. If he wants to order what Steve gets, let him do it. It’s not hurting you in any way but you pushing him is making him uncomfortable. Just fuck off, alright?” Starks mouth dropped at your mini tirade, but he rolled his eyes and walked off to place the order. The others were still staring at you in shock, especially the newest members of the team because even the Maximoffs and Vision had yet to see you lose your temper. The attention began to become to much and you suddenly stood.

“Tell Tony I’m not hungry.” Was all you muttered before you bolted from the room.

“Y/N wait!” You heard Steve call, but you were out the door before he could even think of stopping you. You had made it to the elevator when a gust of wind signaled the approach of Pietro.

“Pietro, please. I just want to go to my room. I’ve made a complete fool of myself and I just want to be alone.” You told him as you waited on the elevator, but he simply shook his head at you.

“Standing up for Barnes doesn’t make you a fool. Stark is being dick, like you said.” You couldn’t stop the small laugh that escaped you at his agreement. “I know you don’t like being the center of attention, so I just wanted to make sure you were okay before you go to your room.” You looked over at him to see the concern in his eyes and gave him a small smile. Pietro and Wanda had treated you like an older sister since their arrival and it was a comfort, especially in times like these. He returned your smile and left you as the doors to the elevator opened and you headed down to your room.

Once there, you immediately went to your desk and pulled out one of your notebooks. Ever since you realized how much Bucky’s arm had bothered him, you had been secretly toying with the idea to offer to build him a new one. The notebook you currently had was filled with different ideas and sketches. The only problem was that you didn’t have the courage to offer your ideas to the man. The two of you had barely spoken and the last thing you wanted to do was freak him out. How would you even start that conversation anyway?

“Hi, I know we’ve only spoken like twice, but I watch you, a lot, and noticed that your arm was bothering you! So, I obsessively designed and sketched some ideas for a new one. Here you go!” Yeah, not happening. The problem was that once you had an idea for something, it wouldn’t leave you alone. This meant that you spent more time than you cared to admit working on ways to create a new arm for a guy you barely knew.

Settling in for what you assumed would be another long night working on your secret project, you were startled as a knock sounded from the door. With a sigh, you looked at the ceiling and debated if you even wanted to open it.

“FRIDAY, who’s at my door?”

“Mr. Barnes was at your door but is currently heading back towards the elevator.” You scrambled out of your chair and whipped your door open to look down the hall. Hearing your door, Bucky froze and stood in the hallway with his back to you.

“Did you, uh, need something James?” You asked as you stepped into the hallway. He slowly turned around but didn’t step closer to you as he eyed you. He seemed to be debating something and you quietly let him think whatever it was over. Seeming to reach a decision, he nodded and took a few steps closer to you.

“I just wanted to say thanks for earlier? You didn’t have to stand up for me, you know.” He was looking just passed you, not willing to make eye contact so you shook your head and took a step closer to him. He tensed for a moment, but relaxed when you didn’t move any closer.

“I absolutely did. Stark may be my boss, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll let him do whatever he wants. He needs to realize that the Winter Soldier and James Barnes are not one in the same. You had no control over what you did, and you beat yourself up enough. He doesn’t need to add to that burden.” Your voice had started off soft but had become strong and bold by then end. You were pleasantly surprised when his eyes locked with yours part way through and you held his gaze as if daring him to disagree. A timid smile graced his lips and you couldn’t help but to return it.

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem. Anytime Stark starts in on you, let me know and I’ll put him in his place. Hell, I’ll call Pepper if I have to.” He laughed at this and butterflies seemed to erupt in your stomach at the sound. You found your smile widening even more in response to the sudden giddiness, but you stepped back towards your room.

“Did you need anything else, James?”

“Bucky.”

“What?”

“My friends call me Bucky.” You had thought it impossible for your smile to get any bigger, but it did and you nodded. “And, no. Just wanted to give you my thanks. I’ll leave you to your room.” He turned and headed back to the elevator and you watched him go. Worrying your lip, you wondered if now would be a good time to ask him about his arm. He was pressing the button on the elevator when you called out for him. You held up a finger to signal for him to wait and ran back into your room to grab your notebook. When you stepped back into the hallway, he had walked over so he was standing outside your door. You hesitated, before handing him the notebook. He looked down at it confused but didn’t open it.

“I’m sure you noticed that I’m usually pretty quiet and because of that, I like to observe. I’ve, uh, noticed that your arm bothers you, so I came up with some ideas for a new one or even some ways to tweak the one you have.” You told him. His eyes widened and he looked at you in complete shock. The minutes seemed to tick by as he just stood there and stared. Beginning to get nervous, you began to shift your weight from foot to foot. “I’m sorry, I probably totally overstepped your boundaries. I just figured you might not want to keep another reminder of what they did to you. And I’m sure they didn’t do the best job attaching it, so I figured it hurt you. It was just an idea; you can totally ignore it. I’m really sorry.”

You began to back track into your room and were just about to close the door when he spoke up.

“Can I think about it?” He looked so confused but hopeful in that moment and you immediately nodded.

“Of course. I just wanted to offer my designs and input. If you change your arm, it should completely be your choice. I just wanted to let you know I could help you if you wanted to.” The look on his face made you want to cry but you pushed your feelings aside. You wanted him to know how sincere you were and as he stared at you in awe, you had a feeling he did. After another moment, he nodded and stepped away from your door, notebook clutched in his hands.

“I’ll let you know. Thanks, and goodnight Y/N.” He said softly before turning and heading back down the hall for the third time.

“Goodnight Bucky,” you called after him before shutting your door. You leaned against the back of it and let out a shaky breath before grinning. Maybe you would be able to help him after all.

[queensdivas]

Hidden Blade Chap 4

(I know it’s not good. Like I wanted to do a few things but I’m working on group projects, papers, a temino, For God's Sake, trying to bring a certain Fic back to life. As you can tell I’m on the struggle bus at the moment. I promise the next chapter will be better because it’s the big heist! JUST KEEP THE FAITH MY FRIENDS KEEP THE FAITH!!!)

Next chapter

Previous Chapter 

For starters I did take Anya to a big cat sanctuary which since I brought her back, I might have persuaded them to let me come visit her every once in a while for some play time. They’re keeping her name which makes me even more happy and hopefully she’ll be absolutely okay there. 

But today we’re heading for Hong Kong! I’ve yet to make it over to China or that far east so I’m a little excited. Plus I’ve been working on a little something that should help four and I when we’re being monkeys across the tower. If I can get it done about the time we make it to Hong Kong. If not I get to be my own guinea pig for the experiment. 

I swung my bag over my shoulder along with my small duffle bag that had all my equipment for this long flight. The other bag is clothing, personal weapons, and some snacks for the flight. Four and I stocked up on some snacks from seven eleven when we left the hotel so we’re set on chips, a bag of sunflower seeds, and a bunch of Palmer Iced Tea and Lemonade cans. 

“Aye. You got my cheez-its?” Four asked as I stepped out of the trailer then reaching over on the desk to grab the box. 

“Yes! It’s about a 13 hour flight and I know they don’t have anything like this.” He told me as I scratched the top of Wallys head for a few seconds till he laid down in the doorway. 

“You’ve been to Hong Kong?” I asked him as we began walking towards the parked jet. 

“Oh yeah. You know their food is already good. Except the cat, I find it way too thin.” I nodded as we joined the rest of the group. One was ahead of everyone as seven was yelling out to him or something. 

“Hey one! You ever plan on calling me six?” Seven yelled as everyone just kind of chuckled. 

“No!” He yelled back as seven shrugged. 

“Okay.” We continued to walk as Seven kept looking around at us expecting like us to do something. Like I know I’m new to the fucked up A-Team, but I get the feeling that we just don’t speak about identities or anything dealing with One's depressing boo hoo past. 

“Hey look I know we don’t get to ask..?” Why the hell is he so damn nosy? 

“Then don’t.” Three told him but I could tell he still wanted to pester about one. 

“But uh...who is one?” He’s so damn nosy! Like oh my god he just won’t stop pushing buttons for answers. 

“A rich guy who snapped. That’s all I got.” Five told him as I slightly nodded. The man has a fucking Chopard. Y’all have any idea how expensive their stuff is cause I sure don’t! Just imagine having that option to buy whatever the hell you want because you did something with magnets or something sciency. 

“Yeah but how did you meet him?” Seven knows how I met him so I’m assuming he’s waiting for the rest of them. 

“We didn’t. He met us. In really weird ways.” After hearing Fours story of how they met. I will say I am kind of curious on how everyone else met him. Sounds like mine and sevens we’re the only normal interactions. 

“Oh yeah. Very very weird. Like basically perfect timing kind of weird.” When you kind of look at it, yes in very weird ways. Not as weird as what Four told me on how they met. Four began telling his story again as three began walking along side me.

“So being an assassin. Do you have any cool gadgets you keep on you? Like a pen that turns into some type of dart?” He asked as I raised my eyebrow at him. 

“Do I look like James Bond or some sort of cheap spy?” We continued to walk as I showed him a piece of paper that had my project. 

“Working on a mini zipline for short distance kind sort of thing. It would be wrapped around my right arm. Just something experimental.” He was ecstatic as he kept looking at it. 

“So you’d turn into like batman.” Batman has money and Fox to build his things. I have online links and How to Do anything for dummies.

“If that makes sense to you then yes.” Four finished his story as Seven was chuckling. 

“Ooh. I never thought I’d meet a family more screwed up than mine.” Seven shook his head along with three. 

“Hey, no. Don’t say that. He hates the word “family”. I don’t know.” I’m really hoping that I win my money and some back on this bet. 

“And if you’re ever left behind in a mission, he’s not coming back for you.” Hold the fuck up what? Wait what? I’m technically dead to the internet? What am I supposed to do if for some reason I get left behind? Eh. Do what I did before but not care as much if anything. 

“What?” Seven was just having a field day with all this new information oh my god. Just gonna let this roll. 

“We Deltas don’t operate like that. Things are gonna have to change I promise you that.” Okay. That’s what happens when you bring a military man into any form of combat I guess. Let’s all gather around the campfire and sing our Girl Scout songs while talking about our feelings. Genius seven! 

One opened the plane door as seven caught up with them since apparently they’re flying the plane. Definitely going to say a quick prayer so that we don’t die! I climbed in after three to see there was a table for my work. I tossed my bags into the empty set next to me as I climbed over to the window seat. Four sat directly across from me as I put on my seatbelt.  

“Can you pass me a Palmer?” I pulled it out of the bag then slid it across the table. 

“Thank you.” He opened it as the plane engine turned on. I think a few hours of crossword puzzle should hopefully kill sometime. I don’t feel like working on my project and watching some sort of movie would just make the ride longer. I reached into my bag for one of my books and pen to get started. Four raised his eyebrow as I looked up from my book. 

“What?” I asked as he took a drink of his palmer. 

“You have any extra ones by chance?” Is that even a question! Of course I have extra ones! I reached into my bag to slide one of my books across the table along with an extra pen. 

Alright alright! I began skimming through then finding the one I was working on before. A four letter word for short smokes? Hmmmm. Cigs! C-I-G-S AHA! Alright so that covers the first letters for 54, 55, 56! 

“Is that a crossword puzzle?” Two looked over me as I looked straight up to her. 

“Would you like one?” I asked as she looked over to my bag as I reached for a spare pen and book. Then I grabbed one for three and five. Guess we’re all doing crossword puzzles for thirteen hours. I’m down. 

About three hours into the flight and we’ve all been asking each other for help on our own puzzles. Four and I were sitting next to each other because he is stuck on a three letter work for Peace, to Putin. I’m still trying to figure out what on earth it even means. I wasn’t alive during Putin so I have absolutely no idea. 

“What does that mean?” We had our online dictionaries out trying to skim through three letter words that started with the letter M. 

“What’s the phrase?” Two’s head popped up again from behind the seat. 

“Peace, to Putin.” Four told her as she thought for a moment. 

“Mir.” She sat back down in her seat as it fit perfectly. 

“Thanks Two!” We said at the same time as I went back to my puzzle. 

“What the hell are you guys doing?” One’s head popped out of the cockpit as all five of us stared him down.

“Crossword puzzle. Want one?” I held up a puzzle and a pen up to him. He grabbed two books and two pens then back into the cockpit. Knew he couldn’t resist a great time of crossword puzzles. 

I finished one and I’m about halfway done with this one. Next one. Blood letters? What’s a three letter word for Blood letters? I began tapping my pen on my forehead trying to figure out what on earth that means. Blood Letters? 

“Blood letters.” I said it out loud as he looked over to see that it was only three letters. 

“ABO.” ABO? OOOHHH! BLOOD TYPES! A! B! O! Oh my gosh I’m an idiot! 

“Who knows geography well?” Three asked as we all turned our heads towards his seat. 

“What is it?” Five asked as he read the question. 

“Loch on the border of the Highlands?” I’ve only been to the UK once and I partied very hard in Southampton in all honesty. 

“Four. You’re from England right?” Three asked as Four was trying to remember his geography. 

“Is it Guillemot?” He asked as I shrugged my shoulders. 

“LOMOND!” Four yelled as three wrote it down. We high fived each other 

“Thanks Four.” Three thanked as I took a sip of my palmer. A very big yawn came out of me as I put my book down. Maybe a quick nap should hopefully make my brain starts working again. I tucked my head into the corner of the seat as I began to fall asleep. 

“OW!” I snapped awake as Three was yelling from his seat. That was two minutes of a nap that I thought would last till we landed. I looked over my seat to see him patching up his finger. I slid back down into my seat trying to get comfy again with my head resting against the left of the head rest.  

JUST LET ME SLEEP!

“Hey guys.” Seven’s voice appeared on the com. 

“What’s an eight letter word for unlaces?” Seven asked as everyone stopped working on their puzzles. 

“Unbuckle?” Five told him as he was silent for a minute. 

“Thank you.” The com turned off as I shut the blind for the window then tried to fall asleep again. 

*Fours P.O.V.* 

Her head slid down and onto the edge of my shoulder as I finished one of the words. Her mouth was slightly opened as she was adjusting herself on my shoulder. A nap does sound nice I’ll admit. Not sure on what the rules are for napping with a teammate but I’m just gonna take the heat from it. 

I rested my head on top of hers as the plane went silent because I’m assuming everyone else was beginning to take their naps. She wrapped her thin jacket around her a little tighter trying to get a little warmer. Guess it is a little chilly in here for us in here. I’d give her my coat but I don’t wanna wake her up. Body heat is a thing right?

The only sound being heard on the entire plane was the sound of the engine since everyone was dead asleep. Her hair smelled like fresh mint which was a little different then what I expected her hair to smell like. Not to mention her hair was actually really pretty, it’s like a red chestnut color and definitely smells nice like I said before. 

“PST Four!” Five asked across the seat as I looked over. 

“Yes?” She leaned over to point at her puzzle.

“Dr. Seuss’ yertle, for one.” She told me as I counted the six letter word. Never had Dr. Seuss growing up so I’ve got no idea. Two has basically been our dictionary throughout this entire thing. 

“Ask Two. I’ve got no idea.” She nodded as she got up from her seat as I noticed Eight was leaning on the other side, with her head resting on the window. Oh well. Probably for the best anyhow. 

I got up from her side of the table to slide back into mine as I took another sip of my palmer then made my jacket into a pillow. We’ve got about ten more hours to hopefully I can just sleep right through this. 

~~

“Hey team were below the radar. So buckle up cause it’s about to get bumpy.” Seven announced as I began waking up a little bit. Five more minutes please! 

“You know, I usually look at the stewardess to see if I should be scared.” Does he realize that a plane being brought down by turbulence is super rare? 

“Flight attendant. You can look at me.” Two told him as I tried to get myself to fall back asleep. Did they hook up in Vegas? 

“Oh darling, you could be on fire, and you would still have that same creepy, blank expression on your face. No offense.” Oh they so hooked up in Vegas, the sexual tension between them is so thick that a warm butter knife could cut it. Wait I’m trying to sleep! Ah screw it three’s gonna run his mouth till we land so what’s the point of trying to sleep. 

My left eye opened just a tiny bit to see her still working on her zipline thingy and looked really cute. Like I mean really cute. She looked up for a second then her cheeks began blushing a little bit for her to start trying to get back to her work.

“Morning sleeping beauty.” She smiled as she looked up at me again. I noticed she had a box of cheez-its out and on her second can of Palmer. Didn’t realize I slept that long holy shit. 

“Where are we?” I rubbed my eyes as I looked out the window. 

“We’re about to land.” She told me as I the bumpy ride began happening. I was now fully awake as I put my jacket back into my bag as she began shoving everything back into one of hers. 

“Did you finish it?” I asked her as she nodded with a mouthful of cheez-its. 

“Should be ready for tonight hopefully. Or I fall to my death.” She swallowed as I grabbed the box for a couple of cheez-its.

We landed at the private airfield as we began getting off the plane. I was the last off the plane as everyone else was making sure they had all their things for tonight, since it’s technically 8 am here if I did the math right. 

“Anyone else like super hungry?” Three asked as we finished double checking our bags. 

“I heard there’s a really good noodle shop that’s a few blocks away.” Five told us as we loaded ourselves up with everything. 

“Some noodles sound absolutely delicious.” Eight commented as we started walking towards the big moving truck that One had bought for us that would let us sneak in and out of Hong Kong. 

Please don’t let tonight be an absolute shit show! I enjoy working with Eight because I get the feeling she won’t leave me behind. Just loves pushing me into situations, yet stay’s with me. It’s better than my old group of thieves were in Kiev. 

Just let tonight go somewhat smoothly! 

Taglist: @filmslutt​ @bonafiderocketqueen​ @leah-halliwell92​ @soy-guey​ @lazykittenstudent​ @radiob-l-a-hblah​ @itsmeaudrieee​ @intoanothermind​ @imjustboredso​ @4lendow-norris​ @wickedholland​ @takemetoneverlandbabe​ @raylan-c​ @johndeaconshands​ 

[memoirsofamessybitch]

In My Mind Part 6

Joe x Fem Reader

Warning; strong language.

Thanks to all for the warm-ish welcome back to this space. I’m sorry if anyone has been waiting far too long for this update. But it’s here now!

Enjoy!

Prologue  Part One  Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five

I finished Joe's face in silence as my boss hung around the trailer, making sure we didn't run off again. There were at least 2 things that I was certain of after that moment. Things were never gonna be the same again between Joe and I; and that I was dreading the follow up conversation.

“Right he's done” I stepped back and watched as she examined him intently.

“Perfect, right grab your shit you're coming on set” I frowned at her in confusion.

“Really”

“Touch ups, plus you owe me for fucking around earlier”

“That was my fault, in all honesty I was having some kind of crisis we needed a private area...” Joe jumped in for me, but it made no difference.

“Don't give a fuck, when the director is breathing down my neck, I'm breathing down hers” I shrugged and started to pack up some things in a bag to bring to set. I didn't even look at him, I couldn't. I let him slink away to his trailer as they prepared the scene. I was left to the mercy of my boss.

“You're good at this job, I've never seen you behave the way you have lately and because of him? You can do way better than that guy....he's a little ass” Nicola Kyle always had a way with words. A woman well into her 40's who clearly had never experienced any kind of love or happiness in her life. She was not the person I wanted to be speaking to at that particular moment. Never the less I continued.

“Don't talk about him like that he's a nice guy....I think he's cute” I paused for a moment and thought about him. “No! you don't get to think their cute, you don't hook up with talent okay, that's not how I run shit here and you know that”

“I don't wanna just hook up....I really like him” I went to chew the end of one of my make up brushes.

“Well he's clearly INFATUATED with you....it's been obvious since the day he sat in that chair.....the only person who doesn't see it is that dopey engineer who he's been using to get rid of his feelings for you”

“Don't say it like that, he's not using her...I don't think so anyway” Nicola put her hand on my shoulder and shook her head. She was pitying me.

“Men are all the same Y/N....I thought you were wise to that by now....if you wanna pursue this then be my guest....if you think he could be...”the one””

She removed her hand then ushered me to follow her onto set.

“You think I should tell him to cancel his date with her....I mean I told him to go on it but now....” The flood gates had been opened and I was spilling. However Nicola had had her share of this and put her hand over my mouth.

“No more...I don't wanna know, I just want you to be professional for at least the rest of the day” I nodded and continued to follow her in a much more docile manor than previous.

I wasn't needed much on set, I ran on a couple times but nothing intense. I couldn't believe we hadn't even got to location filming and I had already fucked things up between Joe and I. We both glanced at each other as he walked off set. God I wanted to run up to that beautiful bastard and just kiss him, but I contained myself.

“Can I go now” I touched Nicola on her shoulder and pulled her away from her concentration.

“You know what please do, you've done my fucking head in all day. But you're staying for night shoots next week”

“Okay whatever” I turned quickly on my heel and rushed out of set. Swinging my brush kit almost childish like.

When I got home and I shut the door slowly. I lent on it and took a few deep breaths and tried to numb the sinking pain in my stomach. I'd fallen so fucking hard for this BOY that I was risking my professional career, something I'd worked REALLY fucking hard for. What I needed was a bath, some booze and a book. But not any book, insert favourite book.

This book got me through the hardest times, it saw me through beauty school, the loss of anyone I had loved. It was a crutch in times like these. I smirked softly to myself as I pulled it from the bookshelf in my bedroom. I had tied my hair up in a scarf and had got into my bath robe. I just hoped this would get rid of that sinking feeling, that feeling that I may never find anyone that makes me feel the way Joe does again.

The water filled up the tub steadily as I poured my self a glass of goodness, watching the steam rise from the water I glanced at my reflection. They'll be another, there has to be.

BANG BANG BANG.

It sounded as if someone was trying to knock my door down. Instantly fear washed over me as I hurried to grab my baseball bat from under my couch. Completely disregarding the fact I was in a bathrobe and only a bathrobe I opened the door slightly; clutching my bat for dear life.

“Joe?” I just blurted out his name. As if it was the only thing I could say in the instance I saw him on the other side of my door. I pulled the door open the rest of the way still holding onto my bat. He looked me up and down.

“I feel like I had a dream like this once” He pointed at my bat, I threw it to one side as it crashed onto the carpet. I laughed nervously and pulled the robe around me tighter.

How did you find out where I lived?” Was genuinely my first question.

“I asked someone in your department; and they told me, like it was that easy, you should be cautious of who you tell that information to” I grimaced at the thought and moved on.

“Why aren't you out with Becky?” my next question. Only this time it was a little pointed.

“Who are you my Mother, I’m here aren’t I, not with her” He was so direct and blunt. I loved it. I invited him in and immediately remembered the bath I was running.

“FUCK” I screamed rushing to my bathroom. I turned the taps off just in time. The fucking thing was brimming with scolding water. I exhaled in relief and pulled the plug.

“I am so sorry, looks like you had some major plans” Joe had followed me into the bathroom, I sighed heavily then turned to face him.

“I needed a little reset. So one of these tends to do the trick...especially after I've been dicked around”  I pursed my lips in a cheeky manor. I wasn't sure if I was being conceited or flirting. At this point with Joe I just didn't fucking know any more! “I have to do night shoots with extras because of today, I'm still trying to figure out if it was worth it” I stormed past Joe and walked through to my living room. I felt him follow closely behind and I found myself standing next to my couch watching the man of my dreams lean on my bedroom door.

Joe just looked at me, or was it through me. I couldn't tell, I was still trying to process him even being in my apartment.

“Sorry...I....you just look so beautiful” his voice sounded like a wave of calm and warmth. SO naturally I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

“Really? With my stained robe and lack of make up. Wow you really are a good actor” I joked; but after taking another good look at Joe, I could finally read the room. I was frozen as I watched him walk closer to me and pull the scarf off my head, letting my hair free. There was no way I could disguise myself trembling as he played with my locks. He took a deep breath in and smirked.

“You done talking now?” His voice had softened to a low whisper. I nodded. No matter how hard I should have tried to fight it, I just wanted nothing more than for him to plant one on me. And you better believe a fucking church choir sang to the heavens in my head as soon as Joe Mazzello pressed his lips against mine. It wasn't an overly long or explicit kiss. But it was enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up on end. He pulled away, much to my dismay.

“Oh wow” I exhaled with my eyes still closed.

“I heard what you said today To Nic...and I know you don't think much of me right now but I think the WORLD of you. You're the first decent person I've met in months, who has obviously been hurt in the past and I can't change that, and a few nights with me wont erase them from your memory. But I just want the chance to show you how good it can be” I couldn't stop the tears, they rolled down my flushed cheeks and dripped from my jaw onto my robe.

“I'm scared” I whispered; unable to hold back my emotions. He had stripped me down to this with just a few sentences, I felt foolish.

“I know, and I respect that, I respect you” Joe's hands cradled my face now. His thumbs clearing my falling tears. I let him continue, lost in his words.

“I...you know every time I take on a new project I always call my Mom, and I tell her about my first day, who I'm working with etc.  She told me I had mentioned Y/N 20 times....in one phone call. I'm super fucking professional and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise; but you got me running off set, day dreaming. Forgetting my lines. Y/N I am out of this fucking world into you” I guffawed in response. I sniffed unattractively and grabbed Joe's wrists pulling his hands away from my face. I just stared at him, wondering what to do with all of this...

[herocentral]

Possible Hero 6

Evening folks Chapter 4 is here, sorry for the unfortunate delay I’ve been a little occupied with uni work. Plus I’ve been to see the Sonic the Hedgehog film, loved it loved the references and the action scenes, it defiantly deserves a sequel heck the games could learn from some aspects of it. Now without further delay heres chapter 4 of Possible Hero 6

I don't own the characters in this story this is just for fun! 

Kim Possible & Big Hero 6 (c) Disney, 2020

Chapter 4: Train up Hero style!

Things couldn’t be any worse for Big Hero 6 not only did their mystery villain thief AKA Shego escaped from them, twice and Momokase escaping as well with her intentions unknown. Now they return to Hiro’s garage to find Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable waiting for them, this could only mean one thing. 

“Hiro?” Hiro said but then coughed and straightened up. “Sorry Miss, uh Possible but I have no idea what your talking about.” He then acted. 

“Yeah, Ki.. uh, complete stranger who we have only met once at the…”

“Okay drop the poor acting Fred.” Kim said interrupting Fredzilla. 

“You, mean you…” Wasabi guessed. 

“Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Gogo, Fred Frederickson, Hiro Hamada and of course Baymax.” Kim pointed to each member of the team in a Batman like style which confirmed that she knew their secret identities. 

Everyone looked at each other in worry wondering what this could mean for the teams future. 

“Oh guys it’s so not the drama, your secrets safe with me.” Kim then assured. 

So one by one each member of BH6 removed their helmets/masks revealing their true identities and Honey Lemon put her glasses back on her face. 

“So how’d you know it was us?” Hiro asked. 

“Well for starters when I first saw Big Hero 6 and the tech they were using I could see that it looked a lot similar to each of your friends majors.” Kim began to explain. “Chemistry, mag lev suspension, laser induced plasma and of course Freds super hero theme all applied with the use of robotics, which with Hiro being a super genius could engineer.”

The team listened with interest and Ron as always was impressed by Kim’s deductive skills. 

“Plus when you told me that robot gauntlet was a souvenir from Alister Krei I could tell by your micro expressions that you were lying.” Hiro could only rub his neck in embarrassment as Gogo glared.

“And the final thing being, Tadashi’s death, his connection to the fire at SFIT and Professor Callaghan AKA Yokai. The fact being that Big Hero 6 appeared during his attack on Krei tech that day. Plus the coloured visors they’re terrible identity concealers.” Kim finished.

Everyone’s jaws dropped with amazement how could she have put together all the dots in such a way to find out their identities.

“Wow very impressive.” Gogo said with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah told you she could do anything.” Ron added.

“Yeah that and being the daughter of a rocket scientist and brain surgeon doesn’t hurt.” Kim then added. 

“But I’m surprised that you were obviously followed all the way here and didn’t even notice, you’ve got to work on your security training.” 

“Wow, we do need to keep our eyes open or we’ll be blind.” Said a drunk Baymax. 

“Uh is he okay?” Ron asked. “Uh yeah he’s just low on batteries.” Hiro explained. 

Soon Baymax was out of his armour and on his charging station recharging his batteries. He begins to reinflate as he recharges. Meanwhile the rest of the team talk things over with Team Possible. 

 “So, now that you know are you going to tell my aunt Cass about this?” Hiro asked with worry. 

“No I’m....” “it’s just if she ever found out about this she’d literally put me under house arrest she worries a lot like a lot and.” Hiro said interrupting Kim. 

“Hiro!” Kim said getting his attention. “I’m not going to tell anyone about your identities.” 

“Oh.” Hiro said. “Actually when I first heard about Big Hero 6 I started doing some research I’ve seen the work you’ve done to help people and I’m pretty impressed how you’ve handled supervillains and kept the city safe.” Kim explained.

“But I do want to know why you decided to become super heroes in the first place?” She then asked. “Yeah I mean every super hero has a cool origin story.” Ron added as Rufus nodded his head.

Hiro took his time to answer but knew that since Kim and Ron now knew who they were that it was time to share why they do what they do. 

“Tadashi.” Hiro said then turned his attention to Baymax. “Show them Baymax.” 

Baymax’s chest monitor then lit up and began showing his video logs of Hiro’s brother building Baymax. 

“This is Tadashi Hamada.” He said introducing himself. Kim and Ron looked at the screen as did the rest of the team. 

“And this is the first test of my robotics project.” Tadashi then said holding up a black board with the words test 1 on it and he began testing his invention. 

“Hello, I am Baymax.....” Suddenly Baymax’s voice generated feedback which nearly deafens Tadashi. 

“Stop, stop stop stop!” Tadashi said as he quickly shut Baymax off. 

Kim saw who exactly this was whilst Ron was all but puzzled. However he saw the looks on the faces of everyone watching the video and could see some of them were happy and nearly brought to tears by the sight of this. 

“So is that...” “Yeah that’s Tadashi.” Hiro answered Rons question. 

The footage then moved onto the next entry log of the tests. 

“The seventh test of my robotics project.” Tadashi announced. He then activated Baymax to test him again. 

“Hello, I am Baymax.” Baymax said but suddenly began punching Tadashi with his inflated hands his left hand then flew off like a balloon quite literally. 

Tadashi held onto Baymax to try and get him to stop. 

“Wait wait stop scan stop!” Tadashi exclaimed. 

The next log showed Tadashi was completely exhausted, with bags under his eyes completely sleep deprived. 

“Tadashi Hamada again, and this is the thirty third test of my robotics project. He then said tired out.

Suddenly there was a spark and it completely took out the lights in his lab rendering leaving him in complete darkness. 

Tadashi then shines a torch  and looks over his creation though he was looking doubtful of making it work he wasn’t one to quit. 

“I’m not giving up on you.” Tadashi sighed. “You don’t understand this yet but people need you, so let’s get back to work.” Tadashi said shutting down Baymax to begin testing again. 

Kim just looked at the video in awe, she knew that Hiro’s brother built Baymax but didn’t know he saw difficulties doing it he persisted not giving up. She had to admit she was starting to admire him. 

The footage then moved to the next log it was the afternoon and Tadashi was looking a little tired after working hard through the night. 

“This is Tadashi Hamada, and this is the 84th” Tadashi sighed before continuing. “Test, what do you say big guy?” 

Tadashi activates Baymax and waits for another fault. 

“Hello, I am Baymax your personal healthcare companion.” Baymax said. 

Tadashi could only look in complete shock and surprise to see that his creation was operational and working. 

“It works.” He breathed. “IT WORKS!” Tadashi then shouted. ‘This is amazing! You, you work!” He said kissing Baymax in joy dancing with delight and excitement. 

“I knew it I knew it I knew iiiit!” He squealed. “You work I can’t believe it!” 

Ron nudged Kim’s shoulder and saw that there was a lone tear running down Hiro’s face and they could tell that he missed his brother. 

“Alright, alright big moment here.” Tadashi said as he stepped back ready for the biggest test of all. 

“Scan me.” Tadashi said and Baymax did as he was asked. 

“Your Nero transmitter levels are elevated, this indicates that you are happy.” Baymax diagnosed. 

“I am I really am.” Tadashi said in joy. “Oh man, wait till my brother sees you, your going to help so many people buddy.” 

Honey Lemon hugged Gogo slightly whilst Wasabi put a hand on Fred’s shoulder. 

“So.. many, that’s all for now, I’m satisfied with my care.” Tadashi said with a smile. The recording then ended and there was a minute of silence before Hiro broke it. 

“He wanted to help a lot of people, he cared, that’s why he worked so hard to create Baymax.” Hiro said gesturing you his robot friend. 

“So you became superheroes to, honour his memory?” Ron asked. 

“Well it didn’t really start that way at first, we did this to just catch the guy responsible for his death.” Hiro explained as the rest of his friends came over. 

“But after we saved everyone at Krei tech then after I enrolled at SFIT and stopping an army of rouge Baymaxes.” Hiro said. Kim could see where this was going. 

“The last thing that Tadashi ever said to me was, someone has to help.” Hiro explained. “So, that’s what we decided to do.” 

“Yeah Tadashi was our best friend, in a way his dream lives in all of us.” Honey Lemon added. 

Kim couldn’t help but smile at what she’d just heard, she knew they had the best of intentions and couldn’t help but relate to that sure when she first started out she didn’t ask to be a hero but after saving a billionaire collector and many other things after that, she knew this was her path.

“I see, well I know you guys have the best of intentions but Shego isn’t like most villains you’ve faced.” Kim then said. 

“I thinks that’s pretty obvious.” Wasabi said with a raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah even with our tech we have no way to fight her.” Honey Lemon said. “Come on guys we can’t just give up!” Gogo argued. 

“Yeah didn’t stop us before won’t now!” Fred said standing dramatically. 

“With our current skills I calculate our chances 0.000” Baymax explained. “Baymax no need for the number crunching.” Hiro said.

The team could see they would need to do something to be able to handle the likes of Shego but Kim seemed confident about what to do in this situation. 

“No big guys we can handle Shego and Drakken just leave this to us.” Kim said. “Ron, Rufus let’s go.” 

“Right behind you KP.” Ron said Hiro was all but shocked to see they were going to stop Shego by themselves however they had been following the case too and they couldn’t just let this go after tonight. 

“Hold on!” Hiro said getting the duos attention. 

“We’re coming too.” Hiro said standing forward. 

“It’s okay guys we got this.” Ron assured. “No.” Hiro said with confidence. “We have to help, my brother would have.” 

“Besides San Fransokyo is our turf, we’re not going to stand by and let this green lady or her boss wreck it.” Gogo said. “So you’ll need our help, like it or not.” 

“Yeah.” Said the rest of the team. In response to that the teen hero could only smile in response. 

“Good, that was actually a test, to see how committed you were to what you do, and I’m happy to say you’ve passed.” Kim said. “We could use help navigating this city.” 

Hiro could only smile in pride and relief. “Oh yeah I’m sensing a super hero team up!” Fred said practically jumping up and down in excitement. 

“Okay geek cool your jets.” Gogo said. “Yeah we still need a plan to take on this Shego.” Wasabi agreed. 

“Well maybe it’s best if we first get our facts straight.” Hiro said gesturing to his board of all the locations that Shego has robbed over the past week. 

“Hiro, you are due to wake up in 2 hours, sleep is recommended.” Baymax said 

“I guess your right Baymax we’ll talk more in the morning.” Hiro agreed to which Kim nodded because even heroes need their sleep. 

Drakken’s lair

Meanwhile as San Fransokyo slept Drakken’s evil mind was at work using the equipment stolen he began assembling something in his lair. All the while his henchmen were moving the components into place. 

“Now thanks to those plans we stole from the Krei tech servers our plans are now moving into place.” Drakken said as he worked. “Soon the world shall know my name and tremble before my genius! MUHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“So you’ve said the last 23 times Dr.D.” Shego said filing her nails. “Quiet Shego your harshing my mellow!” Drakken said harshly.

“Yeah yeah whatever.” Shego said when she continued to do her nails. Suddenly an alert sounded from her phone and she looked to see she had received an email, from an anonymous sender. She opened it only to reveal a strange monster symbol in purple on her phone and then. 

“Greetings, I have a proposition I’d like to discuss with you  Miss Shego, I’ve attached directions come alone.” Said a voice from the phone. The message then disappeared. 

Shego was very much surprised, how could someone know her contact details only Drakken knew that, but at the same time she wanted to know how someone could find her. There was only one way to find out.

The Water front San Fransokyo bay:

In the dark of the night fog surrounded San Fransokyo harbour all was quiet in the air soon a figure arrived at the waterfront she was wearing a dark green jacket brand new Club Banana. It was Shego, she had to admit she was a little skeptic about this meeting but was never the less curious. 

It wasn’t clear but she could make out a faint light in the dark it was neon purple and it looked like a thin one sided skull face. 

The fog cleared to reveal Obake standing in the fog. 

“I see you decided to come.” Obake said smirking. 

“Okay, you got my attention what do you want.” Shego demanded. 

“Oh I have been watching you for a while my dear, and I merely wanted to meet someone of great potential.” Obake said simply. 

“Watching me?” Shego asked. “Yes, ever since you and your employer Dr.Drakken arrived in the city.” Obake said. “And I must say the power you have has a lot of potential, potential such as that shouldn’t be wasted on an amateur like him, for you see there is no limit to the potential you have, I learned that from an old friend of mine long ago” Shego listened you what this stranger had to say and a small part of her couldn’t wonder if he was right. 

“ That is why when the opportunity arose I decided to test you’re potential against another with similar ambitions.” Obake then said.

“Wait you sent that ninja lady!” Shego said in surprise. “Yes you see in truth I had no interest with that hard drive, I merely sent her to test your abilities against her. However the arrival of Miss Possible and Big Hero 6 did complicate things it did prove how much potential you have.” Obake said. 

“You said you had a preposition for me, what’s that supposed to mean?” Shego asked. 

“Why to merely have you consider what I’ve said, and to provide you with the means to expand your potential.” Obake said as he stood aside to reveal a small black crate. Shego was all but curious at this point. 

“Consider this a gift.” Obake said as he walked away. 

“Oh and if and when this scheme of your employers goes awry, you’ll know how to find me.” Obake said as the left side of his face glowed and disappeared into the mist. 

Shego used her powers to give a light in the mist to look for the stranger but couldn’t find him all that was left was the small black crate that he left for her. Being curious she opened the crate and found something inside, something that intrigued her. 

The following morning

As the sun shon on a new morning in San Fransokyo Kim and Ron were making their way to the Lucky Cat Cafe. They entered the cafe to see Cass seeing to her customers. 

“Morning Cass.” Kim called. “Oh morning Kimmie” Cass greeted. “Please Cass call me Kim.” Kim insisted. “Oh sorry your mother still washes off on me, even after high school.” Cass said. 

“Right so is Hiro around?” Ron asked. ‘“Oh of course Ron he’s in his garage with Baymax Gogo and the others just recently got here.” Cass said. 

“Right thanks” Kim thanked as she walked through to the back. “So how do you handle being...” Kim quickly pulled Ron away before he could blurt out anything. 

In the garage, the team was gathered, Hiro was working at his computer whilst Baymax scanned Gogo. 

“Gogo, you appear to have fully recovered from your minor concussion.” Baymax said. 

“Thanks Baymax but I’ve taken worse falls than that.” Gogo thanked. 

“So guys is anyone but me excited for this super team up with Kim Possible!” Fred said bouncing round in excitement. 

“Fred calm down.” Wasabi said. “Yeah besides this is a collaboration.” Gogo said. “Yeah to take down a common enemy.” Fred said “classic super hero team up, just like the time Captain Fancy teamed up with another super hero to take down their arch foes who teamed up!” 

“You read Captain Fancy?” Called a voice and they turned to see Kim and Ron standing in the garage doorway. 

“Oh hey guys.” Honey Lemon greeted. “Glad you could make it.” Hiro said. 

“Now, let’s have the sitch about what Shego’s been doing in the city.” Kim said. 

Soon Hiro pulled out his large board from the back of his garage showing all the Krei tech facilities that Shego has hit over the past week. 

“Okay, over the last week Krei tech has had several break ins at their warehouses in the city and we’ve been tracking them.” Hiro explained. 

“Yeah and at each one different things were stolen tech pieces both cybernetic and mechatronics.” Gogo then explained. 

“At first we thought it might have been one of our enemies like maybe Momakaske or Yama.” Wasabi added. 

“But it was actually Shego, who’s been taking these items for Drakken.” Kim eventually surmised. 

“Yeah so what’s the deal with that blue skinned guy?” Fred asked. 

“Right best you guys know what your dealing with, but it’s best to late Wade snow you.” Kim said. 

“Who’s Wade?” Asked Honey Lemon. Then all of a sudden the holo computer near the front of the garage lit up showing Wade in his room at the computers. 

“That’s me” Wade said startling everyone. 

“Guys, this is Wade our resident super genius and our secret weapon.” Ron introduced. “Wade meet Big Hero 6” Ron then gestured to the team in the garage. 

“Dude!” Hiro panicked. “Guys relax Wade can keep a secret.” Kim assured chuckling. “Yeah plus Hiro, he’s a super genius like you and graduated college at 13.” Ron added. 

“All are true.” Wade said. “Well okay, I’m Hiro.” Hiro introduced. 

“Hello I am Baymax.” Baymax introduced with a wave. 

“That’s Gogo.” Hiro gestured and she just blew a bubble gum ball. “He’s Wasabi” “How you doing” Wasabi greeted. “That’s Honey Lemon.” “Hello there.” Honey Lemon greeted. 

“And I’m Fred” Fred said introducing himself. 

“Pleasure guys been reading up on you guys pretty impressive.” Wade complimented. 

“Okay Wade show them everything we have on Drakken and Shego.” Kim said. 

“Right showing files now.” Wade typed in some commands on his keyboard and showed files on Drakken and Shego. 

“Well as you guys have probably guessed Shego is an ex superhero gone rouge, and she works with Dr. Drakken.” Kim explained. “Drakken is your typical mad scientist who wants to conquer the world, he never does though. His real name is Drew Lipsky he was once a friend of my Dad in college.”

“Wait he was a friend of your dads!” Hiro said in surprise. 

“Oh.. a twist I’m liking this origin story more and more.” Fred said sitting down on a chair. Gogo just nudged him. 

“Yeah but he dropped out when he couldn’t build a good robot and his friends laughed at him.” Kim added. 

“Classic!” Fred said. “But what’s with the blue skin?” Wasabi asked. “Maybe he turned blue with sadness.” Honey Lemon guessed. 

“Blue skin is often what happens when someone holds their breath for a long period of time.” Baymax diagnoses with a diagram on his chest monitor. 

“I have a theory.” Fred said with a knowing finger pointing up. “When he was laughed out he must’ve accidentally fallen into a vat of chemicals which turned his skin blue and made him a little insane.” 

Everyone looked in surprise, to what Fred just said Baymax just blinked. 

“Wow that’s actually a good theory.” Wade said in surprise. 

“Yep never underestimate the power of comic books” Fred said proudly. 

“Okay, so back to the matter of Shego, what could she want with these components?” Hiro said. 

“Knowing Drakken it could be another one of his take over the world schemes.” Kim said. “Now they know you guys are onto them we’ll need to work together to stop them and figure out what they’re up to.”

“Great, but don’t we need a plan we haven’t fought someone like Shego before.” Wasabi asked. 

“Well you guys are good and judging by the security footage you stood your ground against Shego, but you need to learn how to fight better to stand a chance against foes like her.” Kim explained. 

“So I’m going to train you guys how to fight and how to better use your tech in team work.” 

“Oh yeah! IT’S SHUGYO TIME!” Fred exclaimed taking a kung fu training pose. “To the mansion!” 

Fred’s Mansion the gardens

Soon everyone was gathered in Fred’s back garden which was rather large with very Greek like architecture structures and statues. Everyone was now dressed in training attire; Hiro wore a white shirt with his normal pants and sneakers, Wasabi was in his yoga gear which was a green shirtless vest with black pants and shoes. Gogo just wore her white shirt with her black pants and leggings. Honey Lemon was in her yoga gear and both were bare foot. Fred meanwhile was in a training suit. 

“Dude this back yard is huge!” Ron said in amazement with Rufus looking wide eyes.  

“Yeah we train here with our suits sometimes.” Fred explained “You see that statue over there.” Fred then gestured to what was left of a statue that was destroyed by something. 

“Baymax wrecked it with his rocket fist when we first got our suits.” Fred then explained. 

“Whoa!” Rufus squeaked. “But weren’t your parents tweaked about that?” Ron said concerned. 

“Nah my dad didn’t like that anyway it was imported from someplace called the Southern Isles they didn’t want it for some reason so my mom bought it.”Fred then added. 

“Alright guys gather up.” Kim called who was now dressed in training gear of her own which was comprised of a pink short sleeved crop top, dark pink yoga pants and sneakers with a grey shirt underneath. Everyone soon gathered as she placed down some training gear such as punching pads. 

“Okay guys in order to stop your opponent you first need to know more about how they fight.” Kim explained. “So when you first fought Shego what did you see?” 

“Shes fast.” Hiro said “Mean!” Fred said “Fights dirty” Gogo then added. “Loves the colour green” Honey added. “And uses plasma blasts!” Wasabi then said. 

“All good answers.” Kim said with a thumbs up. “Shego’s style is all about attack and going on the offensive, and yes she uses energy blasts which trust me sting if you get hit.” 

“Got that notion.” Gogo said remembering her fight with her last night.

“So, how do we fight someone like that?” Honey Lemon asked. “By learning how to fight better and use teamwork.” Kim said “Now lets get you guys in fighting shape.” 

(Music Starts: Call me Beep me Sadie Stanley)

Kim holds up some punching pads in her hands and Gogo begins punching them followed by some kicks and Kim manages to block them all. Soon she and Wasabi are facing each other on the grass. Kim motioned for Wasabi to come at her, though he was a little hesitant at first he knew this was training so he charged forwards and threw a few punches which Kim dodged and then grabbed Wasabi’s arm and flipped him onto his back. 

Hiro was lasting a little longer when training against Kim she threw a few punches and kicks whilst Hiro avoided some of them and Hiro threw a few punches of his own. However Kim did a leg swipe and tripped Hiro up. 

He looked up and saw Kim offering a hand smiling which he took. 

Ron meanwhile sat on the sidelines with Rufus, Mini max and Baymax. Those who weren’t training namely Hiro, Wasabi and Fred were sat resting and with towels. 

Meanwhile Kim was doing a two on one with Honey Lemon and Gogo, they came at Kim with punches and kicks which Kim was able to block, and gave advice whilst doing so. 

“Remember coordinate like a team.” Kim said between kicks and punches. So the two responded by working as a team Gogo slipped past Kim whilst Honey Lemon threw a roundhouse kick and Gogo came up from behind and performed a leg swipe tripping Kim up who was quick to recover. She looked to the two impressed knowing they were learning. She then came in with back flips and then performed several round house kicks. 

From his viewing point Hiro was amazed by Kims fighting skills but given she said she was a cheerleader it did help a little, however when he looked to Baymax an idea soon sparked in his head. 

Later at the garage, Hiro was typing at his holo computer keyboard and was looking at recordings of their training session and Kims fighting skills. He knew exactly what to do with this. However, he then noticed Rufus was in the lab and looking at Baymax’s armour lying around and he saw the little mole rat was pretending he was firing rocket fists from his hands. Hiro could only chuckle a little but he then got an idea and so slid his chair over to the rear desk and picked up a small scanning device. 

“Hey Rufus.” Hiro called getting his attention. “Arms up and hold still.” He then said and Rufus a little confused held his arms up and Hiro scanned him creating a 3D render in his computer. 

Back at the mansion Kim had set up an obstacle course for a training exercise the course consisted of several benches hoops and even a balancing beam.Fred was suited up in his Fredzilla suit. Kim then ran forward and performed some of her cheer leading moves back flips on the benches, swinging on the hoops and then bouncing on the beam to back flip and land on two feet. She then gestured for Fred to try.

“Oh yeah!” Fred said putting on the top half of his suit on then charged in. “SUPER JUMP!” He exclaimed. He performed a super back flip with the enhanced springs in his suit and then jumped and then swung round the hoops and launched forwards jumps on the board and finally span in a circle breathing fire from his suit and landed on the ground in a dynamic super hero pose!

Kim nodded in approval of Freds success. Soon she was facing Wasabi again and this time he was more confident in his hand to hand combat skills and was able to avoid Kims leg swipe and then performs a round house kick knocking her to the ground. She saw him offering a hand which she took. Hiro too was improving not only with his own knowledge of self defense compliments of his brother, but with Kims help. 

He was able to avoid water blasts from water guns that Ron was firing at him from behind a cardboard cut out of Shego. Gogo who was now wearing her mag lev skates slide past all the water blasts grabbed Hiro’s hand and then swung him towards the target and gave it a round house kick. 

Hiro and Gogo gave each other high fives. Back in the garage Hiro was transferring data to something and out of a disk burner came a small data chip coloured in green. He then placed Kims signature logo on the chip compliments of Wade. He then went over to Baymax and opened his access port revealing his health care and superhero chip. 

“Okay buddy ready to take it to the next level.” Hiro asked. “Doing shugyo makes me a better health care companion.” Baymax replied and so Hiro placed the chip into Baymax which then retracted into his chest. 

Soon everyone was taking a break from their training and soon Hiro arrived with Baymax armoured up. Hiro then laid out some small devices in the garden and then opened his laptop typed in several commands and then Wade appeared on his desktop. 

“Okay Wade let it rip!” Hiro said “Right initiating training exercise.” Wade said as he typed in several commands and then activated devices which then projected holograms of several villains including Baron Von Steamer, Shego, High Voltage and Duff Killigan. 

“Baymax Go!” Hiro said and Baymax responded by rocketing forward and the holograms became aware. Holo Steamer fired a huge blast of steam which Baymax then formed his wings flew up into the air then came slamming down to the ground fist first, knocking the hologram to the ground. 

Holo High Voltage then attacked, and Baymax was quick to avoid it and rocket forwards performing a round house kick then saw Shego coming and backflipped over her back and in slow-motion fired his rocket fist from his left hand and knocked down the two holograms in one shot.

Kim was all but amazed by Baymax’s abilities and noticed how his fighting style was similar to hers, she then remembered how Hiro told her he’d made a chip full of combat programs for the original Baymax (the one Tadashi built) when they were starting out. So it was clear he had programmed him with her skills. 

Holo Duff then fired some explosive golfballs and Baymax quickly reacted by deflecting two with his left hand then jumped into the air rolled into a ball then kicked away the next three that holo Duff fired which didn’t hit him but Baymax then landed in front of him and then just looked down on him. 

“Aye I surrender!” Said Holo Duff and with that Wade and Hiro ended the exercise and the hologram disappeared.

(Music ends)

“Whooo!” Fred said in excitement. “That was amazing Baymax!” Honey Lemon said. “Not bad.” Gogo said. “Boyah Baymax!” Ron said excitedly. 

“Spankin job big guy.” Kim congratulated. Baymax then turned round to Kim and lifted up his right fist. 

“Uh..” Kim said confused. “Now we fist bump.” Baymax then said blinking. 

“Wait you know how to fist bump?” Kim said with a raised eyebrow. “Yes Hiro taught it to me.” Baymax replied. 

“Yeah I kinda did.” Hiro said rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Come on KP just go with it.” Ron suggested. “Don’t leave him hanging” 

Kim decided to just listen to Ron and the others and so. 

“Okay.” Kim then fist bumped with Baymax. “Bah-la-la-la-la-la-la” Baymax then said wiggling his fingers in the air after the bump leaving Kim with an even more confused look than before. 

Just then Kim’s Kimmunicator beeped and she answered it. “Go Wade.” She said. 

“Kim you guys may want to check the latest news casts.” Wade advised then bringing up a news report from San Fransokyo and their reporter Duff Blunder was on the scene. 

“This is Duff Blunder reporting live from San Fransokyo bridge where citizens are being attacked by what appears to be three individuals with jet packs.” Duff said through his microphone as he was on the bridge with panicking citizens. Suddenly dropping from the air came three armoured individuals two men and a woman each wore matching black armoured suits with grey underneath and red visors on their faces.

The first was a caucasian male with blonde hair and a muscular build, with a darker beard than his hair colour. The second was a dark skinned male who is bald and has a dark beard on his face and is more muscular than his compatriots. The woman was tanned skinned has long brown hair but a shaved off part on the right side of her head and wears red lipstick. 

“I’ll take that thanks!” Jack said snatching the microphone off Duff blunder and looking into the camera. 

“Hi there the names Jack, these are my compatriots Jaq and Jack” He said introducing his compatriots who took up action poses. 

“Together we are the Mad Jacks, normally we’re mercenaries for hire but today we’re making an acceptation several months ago we were humiliated and defeated and so I hereby announce a challenge to Big Hero 6, unless they agree to face us at the bridge my associates and I shall detonate bombs at key points under the bridge.” Greg Jack announced 

“So what’ll it be Heroes? you have two hours don’t keep us waiting.” Greg Jack said. 

The team looked at the footage in shock especially Hiro and his friends. 

“Old friends of yours?” Ron asked “Not exactly.” Hiro said. 

“Yeah the Mad Jacks are villains we’ve faced before their an elite special ops unit who work for the highest bidder.” Fred explained. 

“I’ve heard about them professional mercenaries for hire, and I thought Team Impossible gloated a lot.” Kim said. 

“Well Hiro was able to help us stop them despite being sick and with a broken leg.” Wasabi then explained. 

“Whoa talk about being a stubborn patient.” Kim pointed out. “Well if you think about it KP you went on a mission when we were full of a cold.” Ron pointed out remembering their Sick Day episode. 

“So it looks like their back for a rematch.” Gogo said. “Then it’s time we put our training to the test.” Hiro suggested. “Hey guys care to give us a hand?” 

“No need to ask we’re in.” Kim said confidently. “Okay guys suit up!” Hiro then announced. 

The team each suited up in their armours and bore their gadgets, whilst Kim and Ron dressed in their normal mission clothes Kim span her hair dryer grappling hook round her finger then placed it into her belt pouch. Then Rufus appeared and Ron noticed he was wearing armour identical to Baymax’s except it was in the same colour scheme as Kims mission suit and he wore the armour on his chest and hands. 

“Whoa Rufus sweet armour!” Ron said “Yep” Rufus squeaked. “Yeah saw him taking an interest in Baymax’s suit so I made him one of his own.” Hiro said and soon everyone was riding Baymax’s back as he rocketed across the city with his jet boosters. 

Hiro rode on Baymax using his magnetic gloves and pads while Gogo, Honey Lemon and Kim held onto the wings while on Baymax. Rufus held onto Kim as well. 

“Okay I’ll admit this is a killer view.” Kim said impressed. “Maybe if you were on his back!” Ron called as he and Wasabi were holding onto Baymax’s arms while he held onto Fred via his suit collar and he was posing like super man as Fred pretended to fly.

Ron wasn’t enjoying a single moment of this. “This is not cool man!” He said practically yelling. 

“How’d you think I feel I’m terrified of heights!” Wasabi exclaimed to Ron. 

Soon they were approaching their destination and the police were doing the best they could to barricade people off the bridge until the crisis was over.

“Look!” Called a woman and they saw Big Hero 6 and Team Possible arrive on the scene and the crowd cheered knowing the heroes had arrived. 

Baymax landed on the bridge and the rest of the team disembarked, however there was no sign of the Mad Jacks anywhere. 

“Where are they?” Honey Lemon said the rest of the team looked around but were a little cautious, Kim didn’t like the looks of this one little bit. 

Baymax scanned the area for any sign of trouble and when he looked up he saw something alarming. 

“Oh no” Baymax said and Kim looked up to see what he was alerting them about and her eyes widened in shock.

“LOOK OUT!” Kim shouted and everyone jumped out of the way of an incoming laser blast and were quick to avoid the impact. Everyone quickly recovered and got back up on their feet just as the Mad Jacks floated down using their jet packs.

“Well look who decided to show.” Said Jaq with a smirk. 

“So you guys still sore about us beating you last time?!” Hiro said “Oh you mean how you outsmarted and humiliated us!” Greg Jack said with a smirk.

“Well now it’s payback time!” Jack grunted. “Oh and I see you have help, your going to need it.” Greg Jack said noticing the presence of Kim and Ron. 

“Mad Jacks lets take em” Greg Jack yells and they fly in and attack, the team then scatter Hiro climbs aboard Baymax who takes to the sky after the three villains. 

“Jack, Jaq, take care of the six on the ground I’ll take care of the big bot and their leader.” Greg Jack ordered. “Copy that!” Said the two Jacks. Baymax and Hiro began chasing Greg Jack in the sky whilst the rest of the team take on the other two. 

The two Mad Jacks pull out their laser blasters and try to blast the team. Gogo and Honey Lemon jump to the left whilst Kim, Ron, Fred and Wasabi jumped to the right. 

“We need to find those bombs if they go off everyone still on this bridge will be toast.” Gogo said. 

Kim then reached for her Kimmunicator. “Wade scan for the bombs!” Kim said “Way ahead of you.” Wade said and after a few typing commands on his keyboard he soon heard a beep sounding that he found what he was looking for. 

“Got it! They’re under the bridge on the centre support!” Wade relayed as he showed a diagram of the bridge. 

“Wade put me through to Hiro!” Kim ordered. Meanwhile Hiro and Baymax were in a dog fight with Greg Jack who was trying to shoot them down with his laser bazooka. 

“Eat laser bot!” Greg Jack exclaimed. Baymax was able to doge the blasts and Hiro held on to his back. 

“Hiro you there!?” Kim said on the coms. “Yeah kinda busy!” Hiro replied. “We’ve located the bombs there under the bridge, near the centre support.” Kim relayed. 

Hiro looked down to the bridge and with the scanner in his helmet scanned the bridge and zoomed in to see several bomb like devices attached to the bridge. 

“I see them.” Hiro relayed. 

Back on the bridge the rest of the team were contending with Jack and Jaq. Gogo used her mag lev skates to skate and avoid the blasts then jumps and throws her mag lev disks at Jack which he then deflects. 

“That all you got speedy!” Jack exclaimed. “Okay time to use our training.” Gogo said 

“Honey let’s ground these chumps.” Gogo said “ Thought you’d never ask.” Honey Lemon said as she typed in a formula on her chem-purse and made two chem balls and threw the, both at the bridge supports, they explode and expand into a splat wall of elastic goop. 

(Music starts playing- Immortals Fallout boy)

Gogo then kneels down on all fours and revs up on her discs and launched herself forward into the ‘sling shot’ and pulled back all the way to the other end of the support until she was catapulted forwards into the air, heading straight for jack pulled back a fist then POW right in the face which sent him flying into the pillar at the far side of the bridge. 

Gogo then skated as she landed on the ground and Honey Lemon rushed to her. 

“Oh yeah Speed punch!” Gogo said “way to go Gogo!” Honey Lemon said giving her a high five. However they didn’t notice that Jaq was flying towards them.��

“Guys heads up!” Ron called to them they turned and saw Jaq arming her arm cannons. “Your Jacked!” Jaq yelled but suddenly. 

“SUPER JUMP!” Called a voice and she saw Fredzilla jumping in the air above her. 

“FLYING DROP KICK!” Fred yelled and performed a drop kick mid air knocking Jaq to the ground. Honey Lemon peeped a Chem ball and tossed it to Ron. “Throw it Ron.” Homey said and so he threw it to the spot where Jaq landed and it created a pink goo ball trapping her inside. 

“Grr!” Jaq growled as she couldn’t get out of the ball no matter what she tried. 

“You just got gooped” Ron cracked. “Boo yah!” Rufus squeaked. He then noticed Kim was not with them. Kim was below the bridge using some magnetic discs. She held the Kimmunicator up to the bombs so that Wade could properly scan them. 

“Kim I’ve got bad news!” Wade said. “Okay let’s hear it.” Kim asked. 

“Well, the bad news is the bombs can’t be disarmed manually there’s about five different triggers.” Wade explained. “Is there a way to disable it?” Kim asked with worry. 

“Yes disable the master detonator and that’ll disarm the bombs.” Wade surmised. 

“Well where is the trigger?” Kim asked. “I’ll scan for it” Wade began scanning for the bomb trigger and soon found it.

“Oh boy.” Wade said 

Baymax and Hiro were still in the air fighting Greg Jack who is chasing them with his laser bazooka Baymax was able to avoid the blast Hiro looks back and sees the Mad Jack behind them. 

“Hiro there’s a way to disarm the bombs!” Kim relayed on the coms. “Okay what is it?” Hiro asked. 

“The guy chasing you he has it, it’s located in his gauntlet on the left wrist.” Kim relayed. “Right that’s going to be a problem.” Hiro said seeing how Greg Jack was dead set on shooting the, down. 

From the bridge Kim could see the issue and from her back pack forms her jet pack and rockets into the sky. 

Back on the bridge the Police try to keep the crowd back within that crowd was Karmi who was trying to record what was happening. However she looked up to see Baymax and Hiro or as she knew them Captain Cutie and Red Panda fighting Greg Jack whilst the rest of the team deal with Jack who had regained consciousness. Then all of a sudden she saw a figure emerge fro, the bridge she zoomed in on it using her phones camera. 

“No way is that!” Karmi gasped her phone camera showed her it was Kim Possible fighting alongside Big Hero 6 she couldn’t believe it.

Meanwhile Baymax launches his rocket fist at Greg Jack, who used his jet pack to avoid it then fires his blaster at them which Baymax quickly avoids it as his fist returns to him. 

Then suddenly Greg Jack received a kick in the back delivered by Kim Possible he manages to stabilise himself and looked to see Kim just as Baymax flew next to her with Hiro. 

“You got the drop on me impressive miss...” “The names Kim Possible, ring a bell.” Kim said answering Greg Jacks question. 

“Oh yeah now I remember your the hero with a lame website it doesn’t even have a cool theme song.” Greg Jack cracked. 

“Says the guys all called the same name, Greg” Hiro then cracked. “Wait your names Greg but your all called the Mad Jacks?” Kim asked “yeah it’s really a code name found that out when we first fought and won.” Hiro then added. 

Greg Jack just growled with frustration. “Enough talk time to blast stuff!” He yelled as he blasted the two of them but they quickly avoided the blast. 

He kept blasting the three heroes with his bazooka until finally he clipped the wing of Kim’s jet pack causing her to spin out of control.

“Kim!” Hiro yelled, Kim quickly managed to get her jet pack off but was still falling to the ground Baymax quickly rockets down after her and reaches out with his hand. Reacting quickly Kim pulls out her grappling hair dryer and fires it towards Baymax who grabs it and swings it round lifting her into the air for her to land on Baymax’s back. 

Her grappling hook retracts leaving Hiro completely amazed. 

“You always carry a hair dryer with you?” Hiro said in amazement. 

“Never leave home without one, it’s saved me on multiple occasions not just life and death but also hair crisis.” Kim breathed. 

Suddenly Baymax avoided another blast from Greg Jack and flew away as he chased him. 

“He is still shooting at us.” Baymax said “no kidding, we’ve got to get that detenator!” Kim said to Hiro, “Then we’ll need to ground him.” Hiro suggested. 

(Music ends)

Back on the ground Wasabi was using his plasma blades to deflect blasts from Jack who was recovered and blasting them with his wrist blasters. Ron was running quickly to avoid them. 

“Yow, yikes!” Ron said avoiding the blasts. Fred then charged forwards and using his suits enhanced jumping skills he performed a triple back flip.

 “Homey chem ball me!” Fredzilla said and she fired a pink chemball from her purse and on the third flip Fredzilla kicked the ball into Jack and the chemball exploded and stuck him to the ground. 

“Boyah Fred!” Ron cheered. However their celebration was interrupted by the sound of laser fire they looked up to see Baymax, Hiro and Kim struggling against Greg Jack and getting the detonator from him. 

“We’ve gotta help them!” Honey Lemon said. “They’re too high up and none of us can fly.” Gogo said knowing that Baymax was the only one on the team who could fly. Or was he? 

Rufus pulled on Rons shirt and he saw that his mole rat friend was wearing armour similar to Baymax including its ability to fly. 

“Wait, Rufus! You can help them!” Ron said and Rufus nodded and almost on cue wings emerged from his armour and he posed like superman and rocketed into the sky. 

“Go get um!” Ron called which left the rest of the team skeptical looks as to how a small mole rat can help their friends. 

Greg Jack is going all out trying to shoot Baymax down he was beaten by these heroes before there’s no way he was going to let this happen again it would be an insult to his profession. 

However he felt a tap on his head and he turned to see a small pink rodent dressed up in armour with a jet pack. 

“Whuh?” Greg Jack said in surprise. “Hello” Rufus squeaked he then kicks Greg Jack in the face who cries in. Pain as he got hit in the mouth Rufus quickly flies away and Greg tries to grab him but misses. 

“Hold still you little..” Greg jack growled and Rufus just spits his tongue like a child which winds up the Mad Jack even more. 

However he’s so focused on the armoured naked mole rat he neglected a certain someone coming right at him. 

“Hey!” Called a voice and Greg Jack turns to see Baymax heading right for him with Hiro and Kim riding him. However strangely as Greg braces for impact he sees the flying red robot missed him as he flew right by. 

“Ha! You missed!” He shouted. Suddenly Hiro lands on his back and then hits a button on Greg’s jet pack which releases it from his armour. 

“Oh no...” Greg Jack gulped. “JACK DOWN AGAAAAIIIIIN!” He yelled as he fell to the ground and Hiro was falling right behind him but then Baymax swings in and Kim manages to grab him as they fly down and grab Greg Jack and lower him to the ground safely. 

“Nice one guys!” Honey Lemon cheered just then Rufus hovers down and lands on Baymax’s shoulder who turns to see him. 

“Flying makes you a better companion Rufus.” Baymax said and Rufus smiles and offers his tiny fist for a. “Fist bump” he squeaked. 

Baymax raises his fist and they bump them. 

“ “Bah-la-la-la-la-la-la” The two said. “So” said Greg Jack getting their attention. “You think this is over?” 

“Uh yeah.” Kim said taking the detonator from the compartment in his gauntlet and presses a red button that said disabled. Below the bridge the bombs then deactivate. 

“Your bombs are disabled, your revenge done.” Kim listed. ‘“Oh and look.” Kim then pointed and they saw a fleet of helicopters but they didn’t belong to the SFPD. 

“There’s Global Justice already here to Cart you guys away to prison.” Kim then pointed out. “Seems you guys have worked for a number of people on their most wanted list and you’ve committed a number of offences on their radar.” She then explained. 

“Yeah sounds like someone tipped them off.” Ron then added with a smirk. 

“Grr how did you guys get so good!” Greg Jack then asked Big Hero 6. 

“Easy ‘Greg’ we’ve been training.” Hiro smirked “with the best.” He said looking to Kim who could only smile. 

Soon Global Justice took the three Mad Jacks away to be incarcerated at their jail facility, whilst an officer of GJ explained everything to the police officer at the scene. 

“Okay guys seriously, were we awesome? Or were we totally AWSOME!” Fredzilla said in excitement. 

“I’ll admit, that was cool we’ve never taken down an enemy of ours that easily before.” Gogo admitted. 

“Yeah, did you see that sling shot move we did!” Honey Lemon bounced excitedly. 

“Yeah I hereby dub that move the Slingshot Punch!” Fred said. 

“Yeah not to mention I was totally alive out there!” Wasabi said. “What about me I was helping too I drew his fire!” Ron pointed out feeling left out. 

“We acted very efficiently in neutralising the target.” Baymax diagnosed. 

“We stopped the bombs, thanks to Rufus.” Hiro said thanking the Molerat. 

“But Kim I have to know how did you know that the Mad Jacks were wanted by those GJ guys?” Hiro then asked. 

“Oh that’s easy during the fight I had Wade do some research into them hacking their website..” “Cool theme some by the way.” Ron then interrupts Kim. 

“...yeah anyway Wade found the list of a number of clients they’ve worked for in the past including a number of war lords, crime bosses and of course a few super villains.” Kim listed 

“To cut a long story short forward the info to some fiends of ours in GJ and off to jail they go.” Kim finished. 

“Wow, you really can do anything.” Hiro said impressed. Kim could only smile humbly by this compliment. Just then.

“Oh my, that was AWESOME!” Shrieks a voice and they turned to see Karmi standing behind them. 

“An actually team up between Kim Possible and Big Hero 6!” Karmi said excitedly. 

“Oh I’ve got to get a picture of this.” She then said holding up her camera phone to take a photo. 

The nine heroes just stood bemused but decided to pose for a photo while Hiro just kept a natural expression. Karmi takes a photo showing her a photo of Big Hero 6 and Team Possible together. 

“Oh I’m so writing a fan fic about this Captain Cutie teams up with teen hero Kim Possible!” Karmi said practically bouncing away in excitement and could already picture her fan fiction taking place featuring chibi versions of the team and Kim. 

Hiro just grimaced at the thought of what she just said. 

“Captain Cutie?” Kim smirked with a raised eyebrow “Don’t ask” Hiro groaned. 

Meanwhile

Whilst events transpired at the bridge, far away in a old derelict warehouse on the dark side of town a lone figure stands alone in the darkness. 

It was really Shego except something was different on her wrists she now wore metal gauntlet like devices with glowing green lines on them. Ever since her little meeting with Obake he left them for her as a ‘gift’. Though a little skeptical she decided to test his present somewhere away from prying eyes and she knew Drakken would just ask questions. 

She looked at the gauntlets and they did seem to fit perfectly and surprisingly they didn’t clash with her outfit. However she was still unclear to their function. 

“Alright let’s see what glow face’s toy can do.” She said to herself. 

She infighter her powers as normal this then caused the gauntlets to activate which then caused her energy to glow brighter even her eyes started to glow a little. 

She threw an energy blast at a crate in the warehouse and it immediately blew it into a million pieces. She was completely shocked.

“Whoa! My blasts were never that powerful?” She said in amazement. She looked to her gauntlets and when she touched one of the lines it took her energy and formed it into a blade comprised of her energy. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

She then smirked and swung her arm blade like a samurai and then with one swipe let loose a huge energy wave that completely incinerated two of the rear pillars. 

She then bore a sadistic smile as her eyes glowed green and her hands burned with enhanced energy. 

“Oh ho ho ho! Me likie.” She said “whoever that guy is he’s right it’s time to see what potential I have!” Shego said and let loose a huge blast of energy from her hands. 

End of chapter 4

Whoa looks like Shego got an upgrade, looks like BH6 is gonna need that training Kim’s given them. Yes Obake has started to get involved in this story but still not the main villain (yet) The gauntlets were actually inspired by the KP 2019 live action film whilst they did make it look like the source of Shegos powers it didn't work for me so I’ve repurposed them as energy enhancers in this story.In terms of the Mad Jacks I always thought of them as the Team Impossible of the BH6 Universe except with more showmanship and cooler toys. So I was a bit gutted not seeing them in season 2 of the series lets hope they return for season 3 , but this did give me an idea revolving around their absence namely caught by higher authority. Chapter 5 coming soon. 

[queen-of-deans-booty]

Good God, Y’All: Part Two

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 1,944

Warnings: typical supernatural violence, language, angst, blood, you know the usual

Author’s Note: so sorry this wasn’t out on thursday! my sister just went back to college so i got caught up in spending time with her.

I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. Any and all comments on these are appreciated. I really want to hear what you guys think about this one!

Feedback is the glue that holds my writing together.

Tags at the bottom

The sun was hot as it shone down on you. There were no clouds in sight to protect you from the rays, but you kept a high head as you searched for anything in this desolate town. The near side of the street has a sporting goods store advertising ammo, rods and reels, and a thirty percent sale for Pioneers Day; the far side is residential. Apart from you and the Winchesters, there were no other signs of life.

From across the street next to a sporting goods store, Big Louie’s, there was a car that was overturned in the street. Gripping your gun tightly, you approached the car cautiously. Peering in, it was empty of any sign of human life. Looking at the brothers, you shook your head to signal to them that it was empty. It was time to move on since Rufus was here and in trouble; not to mention the demons.

A sprinkler is running in front of one of the houses: whatever happened to clear the area happened fast enough that no one turned it off. There's another car in the street, this one tan and the right way up. The driver's door is open, the engine is running, and the radio is playing "Spirit in the Sky". You didn’t have to approach it to know it was empty. Turning off the car, you looked around in frustration.

A banner hangs over the street, welcoming folks to the seventy-fifth anniversary of River Pass, Colorado's Pioneer Days, with pictures of Grand Marshall Jerry Wanek and Rodeo Queen Lee Lee Laschuk. Something sparks at the gas station which pulled your attention to a silver four-door sedan. The driver's door stands open. There's a baby stroller next to the door and a great deal of blood in front of and leading away from the door. You three approach the car, but no one was inside. There's a large hole in the windshield, but otherwise, there is nothing else suspicious.

“What the hell happened?” you exclaimed. Just as you three were going to go on, you heard a gun cock from behind your head. Quickly whipping around, you leveled your shotgun at whoever was pointing theirs at you.

“Ellen?” Sam asked as you lowered your gun.

“Hello, boys. Y/N.”

“Ellen, what the hell is going on here?” you asked as she approached. She didn’t say anything except to throw water in yours and Dean’s faces since Sam was too far from her. Sighing, you closed your eyes as the water dripped from your eyes and mouth.

“We’re us,” Dean spoke.

“We got tattoos, remember?” you huffed as you wiped the water off. Ellen refused to say more, but she led the way to a church where hopefully you would get some answers. She led you through a corridor and down a hallway where there was a devil’s trap drawn inside the doorway and a line of salt across the threshold. You four walk across it with no problems.

“Real glad to see you boys. You too Y/N,” she said as she went to hug Dean. When she pulled away, she slapped him hard across the face which caused you to gasp in shock. “The can of whoopass I ought to open on you!”

“Ow!”

“You can't pick up a phone? What are you, allergic to giving me peace of mind? I got to find out that you're alive from Rufus?”

“Sorry, Ellen,” he sighed.

“Yeah, you better be. You better put me on speed dial, kid.”

“Yes, ma'am,” he nodded. After a pause, she turns to lead you three further inside.

“What is going on, Ellen?” you asked.

“More than I can handle alone.”

“How many demons are there?” Sam asked.

“Pretty much the whole town, minus the dead people and these guys,” she said as she stopped outside of a closed door. Whoever was inside was safe from the demons out there. “So, this is it, right? End times? It’s got to be.”

“Seems like it,” Sam sighed. 

Ellen knocked on the door before letting whoever was behind know it was her. The peephole opened before it closed and the door swung open. Inside the room was all kinds of different people, all of which weren’t demons. Taking a deep breath, you projected an invisible wall of magic throughout the room to see if you could spot anything that your eyes couldn’t see. No one seemed too hurt, and most importantly, no one was a demon. However, there was a man with glasses sitting by himself that caught your attention. He wasn’t a demon, but he wasn’t human either.

“This is Sam, Dean, and Y/N. They're hunters. Here to help.”

“You guys hip to this whole demon thing?” Austin, the guy who opened the door asked.

“Yeah. Are you?” Dean asked.

“My wife's eyes turned black. She came at me with a brick. Kind of makes you embrace the paranormal,” Roger, the guy that wasn’t human said. He brought his right hand to his chin, contemplating his ring. Something wasn’t right with him.

“Alright, catch us up,” you said to the woman.

“I doubt I know much more than you. Rufus called and said he was in town investigating omens. All of a sudden, the whole town was possessed. Jo and I were nearby—”

“You’re hunting with Jo? Where is she?”

“Yeah, for a while now. We got here, and the place—well, the place was like you see it. Couldn't find Rufus, then Jo and I got separated. I was out looking when I found you.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find her,” you assured her.

“Either way, these people cannot just sit here,” Sam declared. The pregnant woman in the room startled just as Roger played with his ring. “We got to get them out now.”

“No, it's not that easy. I've been trying. We already made a run for it once.”

“What happened?” you asked.

“There used to be twenty of us,” Ellen sighed. Excluding the three new hunters to arrive, there were only ten people in the room.

“Well, there's three of us now—”

“You don't know what it's like out there,” Ellen interrupted you. “Demons are everywhere. We won't be able to cover everybody.”

“Why don’t you let me worry about that, yeah? I’m not the same person as I was when we first met.”

“What if we get everyone guns?” Sam asked before Ellen could question you.

“What, are you gonna arm up baby bump over here?” Dean scoffed.

“More salt we can fire at once, more demons we can keep away.”

“There's a sporting goods store we passed on Main on the way in. I bet they got guns.”

“Alright, you stay. We’ll go,” Sam said as the brothers dropped their bags.

“What about—”

“Ellen, if Jo and Rufus are out there, I’ll bring her back. You have my word,” you promised. Austin opened the door to let you out, and you three leave the room.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on,” Dean stopped his brother. “Why don't Y/N and I just go?”

“What? Alone?”

“Well, yeah. Somebody's got to stay here and start giving them Shotgun 101.”

“Yeah. Ellen,” he said before trying to go up the stairs when his brother stopped him.

“No. It's gonna go a lot faster if you stay and help, okay?”

“While you go get guns and salt and look for Jo and Rufus? That's stupid.”

“I’ll look for Jo and Rufus. Don’t worry, Sam, we got this.”

“You don't want me going out there,” Sam said when he came to the realization.

“I didn't say that.”

“Around demons.”

“He didn't say that,” you sighed.

“Fine, then let's go,” he smiled tightly before going up the stairs. Sighing, you and Dean followed him to the street which was still dead silent.

“I'll get the salt. You two get the guns,” Sam declared.

“We'll go together.”

“Dean, it's right there. Can we at least do this like professionals?” he asked as he raised his gun before heading for the Quick-Mart at the corner of St. Olaf and Riverside. You and Dean watched him go before heading to Big Louie’s where the guns were located.

“Dean, something isn’t right,” you confessed as you walked.

“With Sam? I agree.”

“No, with Roger. The guy with the glasses and the big ass ring on his finger. When we entered that church, I made sure everyone was alright and human, but that guy wasn’t. He’s not a demon, but he’s not human. I don’t know if the rest even know.”

“We’ll deal with that when we get back. Come on,” he said before entering the place. It was easy work getting the guns, it’s as if the demons didn’t even want to come at you. You were on your way back when you realized something.

“Where are the demons?” you asked.

“What?”

“The demons. If they knew we were here, they would be up our asses, you know this. With Michael’s sword and Lucifer rising, they should be here. So, where the hell are they?”

“I don’t want to know. Let’s just get Sam and go.”

Back at the church, it was time to try and get the civilians experts on guns. With the number of demons out there as they say there are, then everyone would need to know how to work a gun. While Sam and Dean taught them how to, you were standing off in the corner with Ellen to talk privately.

“I didn’t see Jo out there. I’m sure she’s fine if she’s with Rufus. Plus, she’s a strong woman. But, I’ll go back out there and check again. I promise you,” you said before looking up and seeing Roger fumble with his gun. Pattering her on the back, you walked over to him while Sam and Dean talked in another corner.

“Need some help?” you asked, hoping you would have time to try and figure out who the hell he is.

“Oh, I think I got it,” he stuttered as he fumbled with it again.

“Let me show you,” you said as you grabbed the shells from his hand. Upon the first contact, your eyes clouded over as you got another vision. Red, that’s all you saw. A ring, kind of like the one on Roger’s fingers. Faint screaming, that’s all you could hear. Roger pulled his hand away and that is when the pictures and screaming stopped.

“I got it,” he said sternly.

“O-Okay,” you whispered as you backed away from him slowly.

“I'll be back,” Ellen said, thankfully breaking yours and Roger’s stare.

“Where are you going?” you asked.

“I can't sit here on my ass. My daughter's out there somewhere. I'm not back in half an hour, go. Get these people out of here.”

“No, wait. I'll go with you,” Sam said eagerly.

“Whoa, hold on. Can I talk to you for a second?” Dean asked as he pulled his brother out the door to talk privately. Going up to Ellen, you put a hand on her shoulder.

“I can go with you. I’m more useful up there than I am down here.”

“No, one Winchester is enough,” she said just as Sam and Dean came back. Sam looked at Ellen and she walked with him out of the church and onto the street. Walking over to Dean, you looked at him with a confused look.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” he sighed before helping the people with the guns. Sighing, you looked over at Roger to see him playing with his ring once more. There was something about that damn ring you didn’t like.

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[ginnyzero]

Success is a Journey, Not a Destination

Last Friday, my father called me before he left work. I have a fairly close and adult relationship with my dad. He's the one I talked to before deciding to self-publish. He's a pretty non-judgemental guy with a out of left field sense of humor. We are often told we share a brain, which when it comes to working together can be detrimental because we really don't. I can't read his mind. It can't be frustrating.

But, I don't talk to him about my creative endeavors. I didn't talk to him about my fashion projects or my creative writing. I sat in the office of his shop and between screens loading with his old accounting and job building software frantically typed the first draft of the Lone Prospect and an office manual for said software. So, I was pretty happy when I published the Lone Prospect in paperback that he actually bought it even though he knows I only get 34 cents from the sale. He's not an ebook reader type of guy. I wasn't even sure if he'd read it.

My dad's reading taste is pretty eclectic. He works a lot so seeing him read anything other than the Bible or machinist magazines was pretty rare when I was growing up. When I was a teenager, his reading habits were whatever book you left laying unattended in the living room. I learned quickly not to leave my books unattended. He had the ability to flip open a book I was reading (and may not have even finished yet) and find the one sex scene in the book (that I hadn't gotten to and didn't know existed.) Embarrassing. As a teenager I didn't want him to know I was reading about sex, just as much as I didn't want to know that he and mom still had sex. (Oh the stories from my sister and cousin whose bedroom was over my parents.) When I was in college, I didn't really want to know that my father knew I wrote sex scenes. When I found out from my mother that he'd found my fan fiction LJ accounts and had looked into what I was doing online, I f-locked the accounts. (I was in my early twenties for God's sake.)

So far, sex hasn't come up in anything I've published. I can put off this dilemma for another day. (Thank Goodness.)

Last month, he told me he was reading Honor Harrington. Hard political science fiction mixed with hard core space battles. I was pretty floored. Not what I expected. Friday, he told me that he'd read my book and was actually reading it again. I asked him outright if he liked it because he won't tell me these things unless I do. (Working for him was a pain because I never was sure I was doing a good job.) He did. (He also found grammar errors and missing words in the first 70 pages that have been through three Microsoft products, two format changes and then adobe products and losing words is what happens when too many software formats collide and I refuse to touch it again or else I'll scream. But he notices these things! Engineers.) His approval and enjoying my book made me really happy. Because I want my father's love and approval. In fact, he wanted to know if there were more books.

If this was the pinnacle and definition of success, then I'd reached that goal. Success achieved.

Of course, that's not really where my goal of success lays. But it's a good, life affirming step.

Being a successful published author isn't easy no matter if you're a self published author or if you're a traditionally published author. You end up doing a lot of the marketing work yourself. You aren't just a writer. You're an entrepreneur of your own brand. And it's work. It's a journey, a road, an experience not for the faint of heart. Because you can spend hours and hours writing something, publish it, grind your tailbone flat marketing and promoting and get no response, and then spend an hour dashing off a meaningless dribble and be an overnight sensation. You just don't know how it's going to play out.

I'm at the beginning (2020 here, STILL at the Beginning it feels like) of this original work self-publishing journey. I published my first book in August of 2016 and I know that it may be years before I get more than drips of sales. I'm still on the "what type of promoting is going to work best for me" stage. (Especially since I have no money to put into it.) It doesn't make me a failure. It means I don't know where I'm going yet. I'm at the fork in the road and trying to determine which way looks the best. (I may look back at this in a few years and go, oh Ginnikins, you naive little sod.)

Everyone's journey is different. Everyone has their own realizations about themselves, their writing, creative process and what is important to them at different times. Sometimes, the first step of the journey as a writer is to realize that you can't stop writing. Then the next is whether or not it's important to you to share that writing. The journey is about yourself, the inner you and while other people may come into this journey, they aren't the stars of it. Trying to make someone else the star of your journey is at least a very big distraction. During the journey, you can grow or you can stall and stay the same.

Eighteen years ago, I started writing in order to connect with a friend. Fifteen years ago, I was writing fanfic. Where the hardest thing after having a successful story was writing the next story and trying to duplicate that success. Ten years ago, I was a big name fan (BNF) running a pairing community and hosting awards. Nine years ago, I burnt out. I switched fandoms. I stopped posting WIP. I stopped posting stories all together. I faded out of fandom. No one looked for me. Six years ago or more, I said I'd never publish an original book. Because I didn't want to lose creative control of my characters, plots and writing style. Four or five years ago, I finally had an emotional breakthrough and came up with my ideas for the Lone Prospect. Two years ago, I looked at my health and faced reality that I needed to try to get another source of income that I could get while sitting on my couch, writing. I started querying agents. Six to eight months ago, I decided to self-publish because even if I got an agent to look at my writing, it'd be another two years before I was published by a publisher. And in two years, I could publish 5 books myself plus whatever short stories I wanted.

Who knows where I'll be in two years? I don't.

Even if I'm not getting a lot of sales. Even if I'm working part time jobs or as a consultant or whatever I need to do to keep a roof over my head and food in my fridge. I won't be a failure. I will just be at another part of my journey. As long as I don't give up and I keep writing. (I can't stop writing. I get frustrated and depressed if I stop writing.) Then I'm still a success because I'm moving forward slowly, one step at a time.

One of the major realizations I had in this journey is that I don't need outside affirmation that my writing is good, that I have good stories to tell. I know I'm a good writer. I know I'm a creative person. There are stories I write, that I only share with one person because I know she'll like them too and she wants them. And if I didn't have her, I wouldn't have to share the stories with anyone else. Because they are for me. (Self indulgent character driven stories of properties I don't own and one or two I do.)

The stories I write and that I do share, they're for me too. I share them because I hope others will also enjoy them. I hope that others will find meaning in them even if it is a few hours of entertainment. But it took a great deal of time for me to come to this realization and that if people have problems with the stories I write and the way I write them (outside of technical things like grammar and missing words) then they aren't the audience for my stories. Their opinions don't have to sway me from doing what I love to do.

I don't say this out of arrogance or hubris. I say this out of confidence. I know what I do well and while I may stretch myself in order to grow and improve, it won't change my style and method of writing. There are things I can't do and don't need to do in order to tell my stories. And I acknowledge those things and move on. There are enough people out there that could and would tear me down and shred me apart that I don't need to do it to myself. (And there are lots of lovely people out there too that could build me up.)

I say this because the moment I let an outside opinion define my success, then that person has power over me. That lack of power can undermine my confidence, make me second guess myself. It takes way from me being single minded in my goals to write. This leads to fear of not being good enough, of being rejected and of being a failure. Fear leads to depression. Depression leads to being paralyzed.

And then I'd be stuck on my journey, not willing to go forward, unable to go backwards. And even if you're just taking that first step in your journey by opening a document and writing the first sentence, you've come too far to stop now.

As long as you keep going, as long as you stay on your journey, then you can't be a failure. There may be mountains and molehills or turning molehills into mountains. There will be flat spaces where it's happy and easy and storms when it's hard and you're anxious and stressed and not sure if getting out of bed in the morning is worth it. There can be twists and turns. Sure, maybe your journey will veer away from writing. Maybe there will be a new passion and a new place to put your energy. But that doesn't mean you're a failure as a writer or a person. It just means that there is a new exciting path ahead of you.

Please, don't give up on it.

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol. 1 Annual 1980

Tues Apr 27 2020 [10:15 PM] Bocaj: Ah annuals [10:15 PM] Bocaj: My bane [10:15 PM] Wack'd: The first story is called "Time for the Prime Ten" and I have to suspect someone came up with that title and then worked backwards to a story [10:16 PM] Bocaj: Ah, like silver age DC with that and covers [10:17 PM] Wack'd: Alicia is taking Franklin for the weekend while the Four finish up one of Reed's inventions [10:17 PM] Bocaj: Do you really want Johnny helping with that, Reed? [10:18 PM] Wack'd: I mean counterpoint: would you rather trust Johnny with menial construction work or supervising a child [10:18 PM] maxwellelvis: Hmm... [10:19 PM] Bocaj: That’s tough [10:19 PM] Mousa The 14: Kid fixes cars, he has at least some mechanical know how [10:19 PM] Wack'd: Hilariously, just as Alicia and Franklin leave, Reed finishes his project! So, like [10:19 PM] Mousa The 14: ... WHY BOTHER [10:19 PM] Wack'd: Honestly unless that project was child-proofing your lab I dunno what the point was [10:20 PM] Bocaj: 😐 [10:20 PM] Wack'd: But the project was not childproofing the lab! It was wirelessly transmitting energy! Reed got Franklin's toy car to move with no batteries and he's quite pleased [10:20 PM] maxwellelvis: Well of course the real reason is to make sure Franklin and Alicia are helpless when something bad happens, but... [10:20 PM] Mousa The 14: That’s cute I guess [10:21 PM] Mousa The 14: And a useful invention [10:21 PM] Wack'd: Especially, as Reed points out, in an energy crisis [10:23 PM] Wack'd: Reed is hoping this leads to grants to work on faster-than-light travel, as he's always wanted to go to do that [10:23 PM] Mousa The 14: Ummm [10:23 PM] Wack'd: Chew over that one for a bit [10:24 PM] Mousa The 14: But... [10:24 PM] Mousa The 14: But... [10:24 PM] maxwellelvis: YOU'VE ALREADY- [10:24 PM] Wack'd: Then stop chewing because someone's at the door! [10:24 PM] Mousa The 14: I don’t even... [10:24 PM] Wack'd: And the alarms didn't go off! [10:24 PM] Wack'd: Egads! [10:24 PM] Umbramatic: i [10:24 PM] Bocaj: Is it wacky neighbor Namor? [10:24 PM] maxwellelvis: He's been to other planets [10:25 PM] maxwellelvis: I... just... GAAAAHHHH [10:25 PM] Wack'd: @Bocaj Close

[10:26 PM] Bocaj: Does he just [10:26 PM] Bocaj: Wiggle his ears as he walks around [10:27 PM] Wack'd: Sometimes you've just got to amuse yourself [10:28 PM] Bocaj: Mm, true [10:29 PM] Wack'd: Anyway it hasn't been that long since we saw Willie [10:30 PM] Bocaj: How long? [10:30 PM] Wack'd: His most recent listed appearance date is #191 in 1978,  and it's 1980, so [10:31 PM] Bocaj: Willie is back from Hollywood Kansas [10:32 PM] Wack'd: Especially for a character who is barely more than a cameo to begin with those are pretty good numbers [10:32 PM] Mousa The 14: Good point [10:33 PM] Mousa The 14: But hey, Willie is a staple. A rock. [10:34 PM] Wack'd: So anyway Reed makes his excuses to go check the Baxter's security systems. He can't find anything wrong [10:34 PM] Wack'd: And then a portal opens in Reed’s energy transmitter to Captain Mar-Vell having a fight scene involving a lot of falling rocks [10:34 PM] maxwellelvis: Like he just pops up? [10:34 PM] Mousa The 14: What he never thought maybe he built in a security exception for good ol’ Willie? [10:36 PM] Wack'd: Reed is now very concerned because it was not supposed to be doing that [10:36 PM] maxwellelvis: And he accidentally opened a portal to wherever Captain Marvel was at that very moment? [10:36 PM] Wack'd: His theory is Mar-Vell--or his combatant--accidentally opened a portal to him [10:37 PM] Wack'd:

[10:38 PM] Aleph Null: Skrull Cops Are Bastards [10:38 PM] Wack'd: Willie's a postman! [10:38 PM] Aleph Null: he looks like a cop! [10:38 PM] Wack'd: Sure [10:39 PM] Wack'd: Anyway that "package" "Willie" brought was an alarm canceler and also a stun...thing, so Sue, Johnny and Ben are out of the picture for the moment [10:40 PM] Wack'd: "LET ME EXPOSIT, DAMMIT"

[10:41 PM] Wack'd: Wow, your device has three whole purposes, that's impressive! But if you'll me a moment, I need to take a moment to check the weather on this device I'm using to read comics, duplicate portions of them, and instantaneously send them to friends

[10:42 PM] Mousa The 14: Man, Skrull technology is really behind. They just can’t seem to keep up with humanity’s advances [10:42 PM] Umbramatic: alas [10:43 PM] Wack'd: Okay so, basically [10:44 PM] Wack'd: Skrulls want to win the Kree/Skrull War [10:44 PM] Wack'd: To do this, they want teleportation [10:44 PM] Wack'd: Reed's device can do this, but with energy instead of matter [10:45 PM] Wack'd: "Willie" wants to exchange the lives of the Four for Reed's transmitter so the Skrulls can get it up to code [10:45 PM] Wack'd: Hell he even promises not to bring the fight to Earth [10:46 PM] Wack'd: He's slightly-to-moderately surprised when Reed refuses on ethical grounds [10:47 PM] Mousa The 14: “What do you know of ‘Ethics’, Richards.” [10:48 PM] Wack'd: Reed catches him monologuing and BUSCEMA-PUNCHES HIM FROM BEHIND WITH HIS BALLED-UP ANKLE

[10:48 PM] Bocaj: Amazing [10:48 PM] maxwellelvis: He punched him with his leg! [10:48 PM] Umbramatic: impressive [10:48 PM] Bocaj: Now here's the nonsense stretching that I"m here for [10:48 PM] Umbramatic: creative power use i like that [10:48 PM] maxwellelvis: He PUNCHED the Skrull with his LEG [10:49 PM] Mousa The 14: Gave him the boot [10:49 PM] Umbramatic: a boot to the head [10:49 PM] maxwellelvis: He found the proper ankle of attack [10:50 PM] maxwellelvis: He really put his foot down [10:50 PM] Mousa The 14: And one more for Jenny and the wimp [10:49 PM] Wack'd: Anyway Reed wins easily and knocks the Skrull cold. And then Captain Marvel steps through the portal and is like "hey, I hate Kree and Skrulls, give me the transmitter and I'll clean all this up for you" [10:50 PM] Wack'd: It was. Probably too good an offer

[10:51 PM] Mousa The 14: Yeah even with that ask I wouldn’t have given it to him [10:51 PM] Mousa The 14: On the other hand. If it’s in the hands of Captain Marvel it would be completely useless and go absolutely nowhere [10:52 PM] Wack'd: Mar-Vell is like "you need to kill that guy now, no questions asked" and Reed is like [10:52 PM] Wack'd: "Okay just because I'm the one who gave myself the title smartest man alive doesn't mean it isn't true" [10:53 PM] maxwellelvis: "C'mon, be a pal! Pretty please?" [10:53 PM] Mousa The 14: Mar-Vell: “You gave yourself that title? You know what? Keep it.” [10:53 PM] Wack'd: I'm kidding, he talks about how Mar-Vell isn't bloodthirsty. But how do I know? I've never read a book with him [10:54 PM] Mousa The 14: Really, coulda swore showed up in FF previously [10:54 PM] Bocaj: He's a super saiyan [10:54 PM] maxwellelvis: From what I know the only thing that sets Mar-Vell off is Thanos. [10:54 PM] maxwellelvis: But then, who isn't? [10:54 PM] Wack'd: Anyway turns out bloodthirsty "kill him now" Mar-Vell is the imposter [10:54 PM] Wack'd: Stunner [10:54 PM] Mousa The 14: Shock above all shocks [10:55 PM] maxwellelvis: "Would you like me to shoot him now or wait til you get home?" [10:55 PM] maxwellelvis: "SHOOT HIM NOW! SHOOT HIM NOW!" [10:55 PM] maxwellelvis: "You keep out of this, I don't have to shoot you now." [10:56 PM] maxwellelvis: "Well I say you DO have to shoot me now! I DEMAND you shoot me now! ....mother!" [10:56 PM] Wack'd: Reed, smartly, also asks this Mar-Vell for proof of identity, and Mar-Vell has him stare into his eyes and see the whole of existence [10:56 PM] Wack'd: And Reed believes him and doesn't notice the syringe full of alien hallucinogens that I've just been plunged into his arm nah I'm kidding [10:56 PM] Wack'd: It's the real deal [10:57 PM] Umbramatic: alien hallucinogens are the good stuff [10:57 PM] Wack'd: This story still isn't over though! More Skrulls show up! Eight of them! Plus the other two makes Ten [10:58 PM] Wack'd: They're the ten prime Skrulls chosen for this mission [10:58 PM] Umbramatic: and that's terrible [10:58 PM] maxwellelvis: Even with the other three KO'd, that shouldn't be a problem. [10:58 PM] Wack'd: So, you know, I know we've all probably forgotten about that awful pun in the title, but here's our evidence it was reversed engineered [10:59 PM] Wack'd: Anyway the other three of Four miraculously wake up and return from being stunned earlier [10:59 PM] Wack'd: Fight fight fight [11:00 PM] Bocaj: ACTION SCENE NOW [11:01 PM] Wack'd: I guess this was all a parable about ethics and science? Seems to me like it was mostly about dumb imposter reveals but okay

[11:01 PM] Bocaj: its like action league now is the joke [11:01 PM] Wack'd: I understood that reference [11:01 PM] Bocaj: Ok but why is it that the work can't be precisely repeated [11:02 PM] Bocaj: Reed. You do understand that’s the definition of the scientific method, right? [11:02 PM] Bocaj: The fuck you doing if its not that? [11:02 PM] maxwellelvis: I'd have to assume it's the portal aspect he means. [11:02 PM] Umbramatic: "dumb imposter reveals" are just what happens every time you involve skrulls [11:02 PM] Wack'd: If I had to take a wild guess his funding was conditional on results, he had only gotten a result like two hours ago, and then it immediately got blown up [11:03 PM] Wack'd: Whoever gave him the money to build this thing is not going to accept "Skrulls ate my homework" [11:03 PM] Wack'd: But this story also says that Reed had never done faster than light travel before so who fucking knows [11:04 PM] Bocaj: What a bafflement [11:04 PM] Wack'd: Speaking of bafflements [11:04 PM] Wack'd: There is an epilogue [11:04 PM] Wack'd: In which it turns out Sue, Johnny and Ben had been gotten out of the way by sent back in time two hours [11:05 PM] Wack'd: And now there are duplicates who need to imminently depart to go fight Skrulls [11:05 PM] Bocaj: huh. [11:05 PM] maxwellelvis: I'm surprised Aleph Null hasn't chimed with a remark about a resonance cascade [11:07 PM] Aleph Null: "It's not- it's not shutting down!" [11:09 PM] Wack'd: Anyway there's a second story! [11:09 PM] Wack'd: Normally I wouldn't bother because the Four aren't in it [11:09 PM] Wack'd: Buuuuuut [11:09 PM] Wack'd: Well [11:09 PM] Wack'd: When last we saw Latveria, Doom had been institutionalized and Zorba had taken over as an interm leader while elections are set up [11:10 PM] Aleph Null: love democracy! [11:10 PM] Wack'd: So we should. Probably find out why it's not like that going forward [11:10 PM] Mousa The 14: One might say the democracy was doomed to fail in Latveria [11:10 PM] Wack'd: Ha! [11:10 PM] Aleph Null: like in america [11:10 PM] Mousa The 14: There can only be one victor in the contest of ruling that nation [11:11 PM] Wack'd: I like that Moench is actually, like, giving time to this. I feel like in the modern comics climate a lot of folks would just quietly ignore previous runs or dismantle them offpanel [11:11 PM] Wack'd: But also this is a dumb status quo reversion so like [11:12 PM] Umbramatic: welp [11:12 PM] Aleph Null: there are smart status quo reversions? [11:13 PM] maxwellelvis: Ending the Clone Saga [11:14 PM] Wack'd: So the first two pages of this are heady political debate! Zorba's tax policy is coming under protest since Doom preferred to fund things with, you know, crime, so taxes are kind of a new thing for folks [11:17 PM] Wack'd: Zorba feels it's unfair that people are ignoring his civil liberties reform but his advisor points out that since most people never had direct contact with Doom, their day-to-day lives weren't much impacted by what a huge shithead he was [11:18 PM] Wack'd: His advisor also points out that if you give people the right to protest, well, sometimes middle-class assholes who don't want higher taxes are going to be the ones waving signs [11:19 PM] Umbramatic: oh great lavertia still has republicans [11:20 PM] Wack'd: The advisor however also reminds Zorba that, at one time, he was the protestor, and he should be cautious of that worm turning [11:20 PM] Wack'd: Especially with most of Doom's inner circle being mysteriously unaccounted for [11:20 PM] Umbramatic: 🤔 [11:20 PM] Wack'd: (Doom having an inner circle is kind of a surprise to me but, like, he runs a country, a cabinet is probably necessary) [11:21 PM] Umbramatic: the cabnet is just a bunch of doombots [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: He's got Boris, and he's got... his national superhero, forgot her name [11:21 PM] Bocaj: Victorious. She's newer [11:22 PM] maxwellelvis: She's there to do the stuff he's can't be at, because even DOOM cannot be everywhere. [11:22 PM] Wack'd: Anyway Zorba is like "please, for any real resistance to happen, Doom himself would have to have escaped, but he's still in his cell--" [11:22 PM] maxwellelvis: "Oh no! OH NO!" [11:22 PM] Wack'd: I'll give you three guesses what is actually in Doom's cell right now [11:23 PM] Bocaj: Doombot? [11:23 PM] Wack'd: Yep [11:23 PM] maxwellelvis: A vaguely Doom-shaped dummy with a broom, a bucket, and his old cloak? [11:23 PM] maxwellelvis: Oh. [11:24 PM] Bocaj: The thing about many latverian citizens not being directly oppressed really lines up with my grand theory of statesman doom [11:24 PM] Aleph Null: wait so this actually has things to say about politics? [11:24 PM] Wack'd: Yeah! Whoda thunk [11:24 PM] Wack'd: Zorba's advisor, whose name is Starn, thank you comic [11:24 PM] Wack'd: Starn is like "we need to infiltrate the Doom loyalist underground to find out how this happened" [11:25 PM] Wack'd: And Zorba's like "spying is against civil liberties so, uh, no" [11:25 PM] Wack'd: Given how the story ends I'm really hoping that the moral isn't "civil liberties are bad sometimes actually" [11:26 PM] Bocaj: Good hustle though, zorba [11:27 PM] Bocaj: In the sports sense [11:28 PM] Aleph Null: the only way to beat a bad guy with a fascist security state is a good guy with a fascist security state [11:28 PM] Wack'd: Zorba awakes from a PTSD nightmare to the realization that if the loyalists have spirited away Doom, well, he's kinda fragile right now, he'd need his armor [11:28 PM] Wack'd: And arrives in its vault just in time to be ambushed by loyalists [11:28 PM] Bocaj: Womp womp [11:29 PM] Wack'd: *sigh* Goddammit Zorba

[11:29 PM] Wack'd: Also that "crucial minutes too late" remark makes me think Starn is in on it [11:31 PM] Wack'd: Doom is revived but, when the captured soldier appears mere minutes later, Doom realizes it's a trap and a shootout ensues [11:32 PM] Wack'd: Zorba barely manages to escape, and Doom decides that before he can return to power he needs to make sure he has no more challengers. Ever. [11:32 PM] Wack'd: And that's where we leave things. [11:33 PM] Wack'd: Oh also max mentioned Boris earlier so here's a Boris