#really wished they did managed to get the sequel approved back then

[zaruba-needslove]

People might complain that specials/episodes like these are a waste of time since it mostly consists of clip shows of past episodes, but I really love seeing snippets like this where they revisit old episodes while also still acting in character.

[whattimeisitintokyo]

Snip Snip

This is a one shot/sequel to @pengychan​ ‘s Mind the Gap that I had brewing in my head for sometime. 100% Pengy approved, I hope you enjoy some silliness.

WARNING: Has some language, sexual descriptions and deals with a M/M/F relationship. Also you should really read Pengy’s fic before you read mine.

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“Señor De la Cruz? The doctor will see you in about five minutes.”

“Never mind. I’m leaving.”

“No—nngh! No! Sit-… down!”

With a none to gentle shove and with great effort Héctor managed to pull Ernesto back down into the waiting room seat. The crashing of a heavy body and screeching of the plastic chair led to a disgruntled brow raise from the receptionist, but she just sighed and returned to her computer work. Ernesto grumbled to himself and crossed his arms with a glare.

“This was your idea, amigo.” Héctor whispered, not wanting to agitate the lady behind the counter even more.

“Exactly, which is why I should be allowed to change my mind.” Ernesto said, pouting as he looked down at his groin. “You don’t understand. I’ve spent my- no wait, every man has spent their whole lives protecting their manhood with gentle care and affection. It is a sense of pride, of thing of power. Potency! It’s what makes a man a man. To get a vasectomy goes against everything I believe in. It’s not in my nature.”

“Aw, Ernesto…” Héctor gripped Ernesto’s arm and squeezed comfortingly. “We’ve talked about this. You’ll still be a man. Imelda and I won’t think any less of you. In fact we’re both extremely proud of you for doing this.”

“Oh shut up.”

“How about this. Once you have the operation, get all healed up and are ready for some action, then…” Pausing to check to see if the receptionist was watching them. “Then you get to go to town on Imelda. No more condoms, just skin to skin. You thrusting deep inside of her while she screams your name, coming together in one rush of pure ecstasy.”

If it weren’t for his nerves and the flight-or-fight struggle going on inside of him now Ernesto would have been fully erect by Héctor’s words alone. Not an ideal situation to be in when one was in a urologist’s office and about to be fully nude from the waist down. Still his cheeks gave a slight flush and he swallowed thickly. “And, uh… what will you be doing while I’m with her?”

“Me?” Héctor chuckled huskily. “Why I’ll be right behind you. Just how you like it.”

Ernesto gasped softly. An Ernesto sandwich, his favorite. A sandwich was something Imelda had come up with that always depended on who was in the middle of their combined lovemaking, a silly little thing hardly compared to how fucking awesome it really was. Penetration and getting penetrated, two forms of stimulation all at once that left one howling in pleasure to the heavens and beyond. Ernesto’s face went full red at that and could already feel the tingle of arousal pooling in his stomach and creeping down into his groin. This was bad. He couldn’t get hard now. He had to think of something to cool down. Something to stop the progression of his-

“Alright, Señor. The doctor will see you now.”

‘That’ll do it.’ Ernesto thought as all thoughts of sex had switched back to nauseating terror.

“Ay, puta madre.” Ernesto whispered and stood up with Héctor. He started to actually tremble when they went through the door, Héctor’s hand on his shoulder failing to stop it. “Shit, shit, shit…”

“Uy, you’re so tense.” Héctor said, now a little worried. “You took your Valium pill almost an hour ago. It didn’t calm you down even a little bit?”

“Do I look calm?!” Ernesto whispered harshly.

No, Héctor had to admit. In the last half hour in the waiting room Ernesto had done anything but relax. He had stood up and sat down multiple times, paced the room, gotten a cup of stale coffee, and had picked up every single magazine that they had, read exactly one page of each, and had thrown it back down onto the table. Héctor believed that if he hadn’t had any Valium in his system right now then there would have been an Ernesto shaped hole busted through the wall of the receptionist office.

“Well they’re gonna give you something stronger once we’re in the room.”

“It won’t work. I know it won’t work.”

“How?”

“Héctor you know me.” Ernesto said, the trembling now reaching his voice. “I have a very strong constitution. Alcohol barely phases me, I need an extraordinary amount of caffeine to really wake up. That valium might as well have been an aspirin. I’m telling you there is nothing in the world that’ll calm me down at this point!”

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

Apparently that nothing had been a Demerol shot to the ass by an elderly nurse.

Héctor cursed the person who had made up the stupid rule that no cell phones or cameras were to be allowed in the doctor’s office. For this was a golden moment that would soon exist only in his memories. And maybe even only his memories because Ernesto himself was just a touch out of it. There he was, laying on the reclined operating chair in a hospital gown with his bare waist covered by a thin paper sheet. Singing baby songs.

“Quince elefantes se balanceaban sobre la tela de una araaaañaaa…” Ernesto sang drowsily while he languidly twirled his finger in the air like a conductor’s baton.

He had slowly but surely diminished over the past half hour, starting with the sluggish shaking of his head as the drugs started to paint his brain with a slight fog. Then came the slow blinking and the monotone, droning humming. Then finally to this: awake sedation as the doctors called it. To Héctor though it was pure hilarity.

Suddenly Ernesto stopped singing and his brow furrowed in thought. “You know they say that a strand of a spider’s web can be tougher than steel.”

Héctor nodded. “I’m sure I’ve heard that somewhere.”

“I don’t think a spider web can hold fifteen elephants, though.”

“No.”

“Then why would they make a song about something that is physically impossible?”

Héctor laughed. “It’s just a song to teach babies how to count, Ernesto.”

“Well it’s doing a very poor job about teaching them physics.” Ernesto huffed. “When we make it big we should do some kiddy songs, sí? Public domain stuff. That’s free money right there. Quince elefantes se balanceaban-.”

“Ernesto.” Héctor clapped a hand across Ernesto’s mouth, stifling a grin when it seemed to take a few seconds before the drugged man realized his song had been silenced. When Ernesto glared up at him he continued. “You’ve said quince elefantes five times now. You aren’t adding anymore elephants.”

This seemed to be news to Ernesto, and when Héctor removed his hand he actually looked downright embarrassed and ashamed. “Oh… I’m sorry.”

Yes, drugged Ernesto was hilarious alright. Also endearing and adorable.

“It’s okay, I forgive you.” Héctor said with a smile, and then bent over to give him a kiss on the forehead.

Ernesto hummed in contentment, a faint red on his cheeks as he suddenly looked bashful. “Someone could have come in when you did that, you know.”

“But they didn’t.”

“The room could have a security camera.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Oh, okay… Then…” Ernesto pouted and pointed to his forehead on the same spot. “Uno mas.”

Héctor happily obliged, and no sooner had he leant back from the kiss when the door opened. It was enough to make Héctor’s heart seize a little bit before forcing himself to relax. He hadn’t seen, it was alright. Ernesto just smiled wobbly and waved at the doctor coming in.

“Well, Señor de la Cruz!” the doctor said cheerfully as he set down his clipboard and began to slip on his gloves. “It’s been a little while now. How are we feeling after the Demerol shot?”

“Philosophical.” Ernesto proclaimed grandly, nearly smacking Héctor in the face as he threw out his hand in a dramatic pose. “Young Héctor and I have been discussing the fallacies of nursery rhymes and how they are negatively impacting a child’s learning structure.”

The doctor blinked at that, before giving Ernesto an indulgent smile. “Ohh, so I see. Yep, the medicine is in full effect.” Looking over at Héctor his smile seemed to falter a bit. “You know I usually see wives, girlfriends and even mothers come in to offer support, but rarely male friends.”

Héctor chuckled. “Well I think if his mamá realized that he would be cutting off any chance of her having grandchildren she would explode into a flood of tears. And besides, my wife and I would like to have more kids in the future, but I also might one day want to have a vasectomy. What better time to weigh my options than with my best friend, you know? See what it all entails.”

“I understand.” With a snap of his glove and turning on the overhead light to illuminate Ernesto’s crotch, he moved his tray of surgical equipment towards him. “All right then. Shall we begin?”

With a slight whimper Ernesto held out his hand for Héctor to hold. “You won’t let go at all, right?”

Seeing Ernesto so vulnerable and adorable melted Héctor’s heart, and he wished that Imelda had been there with him to witness Ernesto being so cute. He clutched Ernesto’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “I won’t. Don’t worry amigo, this is a perfectly normal procedure. Nothing to worry about at all.”

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

With Coco laid down for her afternoon nap, all the dogs and Pepita fed and watered, and no shoe orders to work on at the moment Imelda was enjoying some private time to herself curled onto the sofa, watching TV and drinking a nice cup of coffee. She knew this momentary bit of peace wouldn’t last.

Soon Héctor and Ernesto would be back from the doctor’s office and Imelda would be ready for them. She already had stocked up on acetaminophen and had several cold packs in the freezer for when they would be needed. She had even stocked up on Ernesto’s favorite soda, or at least one he tolerated when he wasn’t able to drink beer or other liquors.

She was very proud of Ernesto for bringing up the idea of getting a vasectomy for himself, and even prouder when he had set up the appointment all by himself and left for it this morning with Héctor. She knew he was nervous, heck she was nervous about it too, but she also knew that Ernesto was a man who once he set his mind on something there was no turning back. It was one of the things that she loved about him, even though it sometimes aggravated her.

Loved.

It was so weird thinking that now, even though she knew it was true. Although she was still deeply in love with Héctor and he was in love with her, the end of their sexual arrangement with Ernesto did not make their feelings for him disappear like she thought it would. In fact it only strengthened them. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say.

And in the end the only thing it succeeded in doing was completely breaking Ernesto’s heart and left him wanting for almost a year. She was ashamed of herself but there was no way she could have foreseen what would come of the night she had slapped that strap-on in front of Ernesto. She had no idea that she would have two men holding a third of her heart while she held a third of theirs.

But it was fine now. For how long she didn’t know. But they would just take it one day at a time.

When she heard the door knock she blew out a sigh and set her coffee mug down. Dante and Ernesto’s four little chihuahuas immediately ran to the door in their room where they were currently shut up in, but thankfully for once they didn’t yip or bark. Just whined pitifully and slightly scratched the door. But they would have to wait until she got Ernesto set up on the couch and was safely protected from them.

Opening the door, she greeted them with a smile. “Well, how did it… go?...”

Ernesto was standing there, straight and tall as ever, an annoyed pout on his face while with one arm wrapped around him was Héctor. Trembling slightly and his face the color of putty, Héctor pointed a shaking finger to Imelda. “We… are stocking up on condoms. Either that or we’ll have a dozen kids. But I am never… going to get one of those… things ever! Never ever!”

Imelda was shocked. “Dios mio! What on Earth happened? Ernesto, did you get the vasectomy or not?”

Handing Imelda a pamphlet with his free hand, Ernesto nodded. “Yeah, I got it. Surgery was short and went without a hitch. Here’s the aftercare treatment plan he gave me. No, the real problem was Princess Héctor right here. Fainted like a dainty maid after the doctor held up my sperm tube for us to see. I know it has another name, but I forget and don’t care.”

“Fainted!” Imelda gasped. “Are you all right? Did you hit your head?”

“No, but he did throw up.” Ernesto smirked.

“Don’t remind me.” Héctor groaned, holding his stomach and struggling to support himself. “I’ve been nauseous the whole ride back. I need to see something cute. Something pure. I need to see my Coco. Coco, my love, Papá is coming!”

“Do not wake her up Héctor, I just put her down twenty minutes ago!” Imelda called out to Héctor’s retreating form. “And don’t let the dogs out of the other room either!”

“Ay, ay ay ay…”

At the sound of pain, Imelda’s attention turned to Ernesto. He was hunched slightly against the doorframe, his eyes closed tight and face pinched. “Oh, I’m so sorry Ernesto. Héctor distracted me. Are you in a lot of pain?”

“Just tender more than painful.” Ernesto grunted out. “Though it might hurt more after the anesthetic wears off. No, what really hurts is my hand. Héctor crushed the hell out of it during the whole surgery! I regret ever asking him to hold it in the first place! It’s not like my whole livelihood rests in the full use of my hands…”

“You’d still have your voice.” Imelda smiled. “And your so-called good looks.”

“Whatever… can you help me to the couch? I- nng!-… think I reached my limit helping Héctor.”

Ah, so he was in pain. Taking hold of Ernesto’s large arm she helped him slowly shuffle his way around the couch. “He was supposed to be helping you.” She chastised.

“Well he was pretty much useless afterwards.”

“You could have hurt yourself. You shouldn’t be lifting heavy objects.”

Ernesto smiled. “Well look on the bright side. If one of my cajones swells up like a grapefruit then he can pay for my medical bills.”

“Mmm hmm.” Imelda couldn’t help by snicker a little at that. “Okay, let’s sit you down. Okay, easy. Easy…”

Slowly Ernesto sat down on the couch, letting Imelda support him as he slowly eased his way down. With a pained grunt and then a sigh of relief he let his head fall back against the headrest and let his knees spread enough to the point where there was no pain, the sweatpants he was wearing lifting away from the sensitive area. He closed his eyes for a few moments, listening to Imelda bustling through the kitchen quietly, before a soft ahem made him open them again.

Imelda handed him a glass of water and two white pills, then placed a frozen ice pack next to him on the couch. Taking the pills without complaint and downing half the glass of water, he then took the ice pack and ever so gently molded it against his sore nether regions. Gasping softly at the cold at first he then sighed in relief as the coolness soothed the aches and pains, smiling gratefully up at Imelda. “Gracias.”

“De nada.” Imelda said before sitting down next to him, careful not to jostle him too much. “So, the vasectomy was a success?”

Ernesto nodded. “Yep, my cannon is now just a water gun: I may be shooting blanks, but I can still squirt you in the eye.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Oh am I?”

“Hmm…” Imelda leant against her arm that was resting on the back of the couch, relieved that the pain seemed to be slowly fading from Ernesto’s features. She smiled a little, watching him until he looked over her way with a question on his face. “I’m proud of you, you know.”

Shifting a little uncomfortably, he gave her a smug look that used to infuriate her but now knew was just a mask to cover up his own insecurities. “You’re going to have to be more specific. I have done many things in my life you should be proud of.”

“Oh, of course.” Imelda tittered, then rested a hand on his arm. “No I’m proud that you did this. It would have been… hard to explain to others if I gave birth to a child that looked like you… I know you don’t necessarily like children and wouldn’t want one to begin with, but it was still a big decision to make. It couldn’t have been easy-”

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to stay with you two… Whatever it takes…”

This startled Imelda. Ernesto’s face had darkened considerably when he had said that, but his eyes displayed the same misery she had seen during the year where Ernesto had been separated from them. Because of her. She had been acting on her motherly instincts when she had found out that she was pregnant with Coco, surely a threesome between her parents and her godfather would end badly for her once it would be discovered. And it had only been about sex at the beginning and one-upping each other in terms of sexual prowess when it came to Héctor.

But love had grown first in Ernesto. And then in her and Héctor. All the separation had done was make them all miserable. It was no one else’s concern what they did behind closed doors, and they would raise Coco and their potential children to have open minds and kind hearts.

Ernesto’s eyes cleared and his face reddened in embarrassment as he quickly tried to back pedal. “Oh, uh… Forget I said that. I guess I’m still a little high from the drugs the nurse gave me. They always make me a bit chatty.”

Leaning forward, she wove her fingers into Ernesto’s wavy hair and smiled. “Well I wouldn’t worry. Like it or not you’re stuck with us for life.” And then she gave him a kiss on the forehead, not knowing it was in the exact same spot that Héctor had given him hours earlier. Ernesto touched where she had kissed him, face even redder, and smiled back.

Standing up from the couch, Imelda handed him the TV remote and brushed herself down in a way to calm her own nerves. “Well all right then. Don’t leave that ice pack on for too long. Just do it twenty minutes every hour. Would you like a soda?”

“I’d prefer a beer.”

“Not with medicine still in your system.”

“I also want to see my dogs.”

“I’m sorry, do you want four bony and dense cannonballs jumping directly onto your crotch?”

“…No…”

“Didn’t think so. I’ll get you some soda and chips before I have to rescue Coco from her father. Just holler if you need anything else.”

Watching her walk into the kitchen Ernesto settled further into the couch with a grin. The ache in his groin was lessening, he was now and forever barren, Imelda was pampering him, and he’d seen Héctor make a total fool out of himself today.

“This is nice.” Ernesto said to himself as he turned on the TV. “I should have gotten a vasectomy years ago!”

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

“And this is from his concert last month in Guadalajara! Signed photographs! Isn’t he handsome? My precious boy! He told me that they were charging 1000 pesos for one foto and they were selling like crazy! But he sent me a stack so that I could share them with my friends. And so I was wondering if you would like one too, Maricarmen?”

Maricarmen stopped stacking a pyramid of oranges long enough to glance at the photograph in Señora Adela de la Cruz’s hands. Ernesto was handsome all right: Dressed in a fine royal blue mariachi suit with a wide brimmed sombrero, grinning with pure machismo and his name signed in gold ink. But the sight of him didn’t melt her insides like it would other girls who glanced at his rugged features. It never did, really. Now just looking at him made her… anxious.

“I think I’ll pass Adela, but gracias anyway.”

Adela’s smile faded and she had that pitying, patronizing look that so many other people gave her that made her so mad but unable to defend herself against. “Are you still upset because Ernesto left all those years ago?”

“…I’m not… upset, but-.”

“Because it was my fault really! Ernesto left because of what I and his father did to him, we betrayed his trust and hurt him deeply. But finally we’ve patched things up and everything is right as rain again. He even visits us again, my precious boy! I know that you and he were good friends-”

Friends…

“-but every time he visits you never come over. Are you upset with him? Are you upset that he’s…” Adela paused, looked around to see if anyone else was listening in on their conversation, and whispered none too quietly, “…gay?”

Shocked into a sputtering snort Maricarmen managed to knock down her carefully made orange pyramid all over her fruit stall and onto the ground. Rolling her eyes she bent down to pick up the fallen fruit, shaking her head. “No, I’m not upset about that.” She said, not at all wanting to explain to the older woman what bisexuality was.

“I know you had some feelings for him.”

“… No offense, Dona, but the only feelings I had for him were tolerance but mostly annoyance.”

“Then what is it?”

“Mamá!”

The uncomfortable conversation was finally over with when all of a sudden a piercing cry and quick steps caused both woman to turn at the sudden intruder. A cute little girl, no more than eleven years old, came running up to them with her pink backpack slung over one elbow and her other hand reaching out for Maricarmen. She practically collided with Maricarmen with enough force to garner an oof! from the thin woman and gave her a big hug. “I’m done with school Mamá! May I have some money?”

“And a cheery good afternoon to you too, Maricruz.” Maricarmen said drily.

Maricruz laughed sheepishly and let go, putting her backpack underneath the fruit stand for safekeeping. “Lo siento, Mamá. It’s just that Dolores and Primavera are going to the movies and they invited me. So can I have some money, por favooooor?!”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, mija, but you know things have been tight recently. I’m going to have to start doing some night shifts at the cantina so we can stay afloat and have enough spending money.”

Maricarmen stayed strong when her daughter’s face instantly dropped. She knew that Maricruz was used to not having enough money for things she wanted, but being alone at night while her mother worked was something she hated most. Maricarmen knew that, but it wasn’t like she had anybody else to help her with raising her daughter. Her parents had both died years ago, and she had no other relatives willing to help the poor little slut who had a bastard child.

Maybe I could ask… her father for help?

No. Out of the question. What a fine time to tell him he had a daughter after all these years. And after he had just made it big.

“Oh, okay…” Maricruz said dejectedly, before turning a wide winning smile to Adela. “Señora de la Cruz! How nice to see you. Could you spare a few pesos so I could go see a movie, por favor?”

“Maricruz!” her mother instantly scolded. “You do not just ask someone else for money immediately after I said-”

“Of course I can, niña!”

“ADELA!” Maricarmen cried. “I’m trying to show her she can’t always get what she wants!”

Adela waved her off as she reached for her wallet. “Oh, it’s just a little money and our movie theater isn’t expensive. Going to one movie isn’t going to spoil the girl, especially one as sweet as she is. Here you go, chiquita, here’s enough money for the movie and a few snacks as well.”

“Gracias Señora de la Cruz!” Maricruz said as she pocketed the money and gave the elderly woman a big hug. “You are the nicest woman in all of Santa Cecilia!”

“Oh ho ho, you charmer you.” Adela chortled and then handed her one of her signed photographs. “Here you go also. A signed photograph of my son Ernesto, soon to be the greatest singer in all of Mexico! I’m giving it to everyone for free.”

“Oh cool, gracias!” Maricruz said as she took it, clearly not as excited as she was when she got the money. “I think I’ll give this to my friend Paloma if you don’t mind. She’s a de la Cruzito for life, at least that’s what she told me.”

“Oh, and you’re not?” Adela asked confused.

Maricarmen shook her head and smirked. “No, she likes Héctor, don’t you mija?”

Maricruz sighed dramatically and clutched the photo to her chest. “Ahhh, he’s soooo dreamy!...”

“Really now!” Adela laughed in surprise. “I must admit I’m a little shocked. Don’t get me wrong Héctor is a fine boy and everything, but I guess I’m just used to everyone fawning over my Tito.”

Photograph still in hand, Maricruz just shrugged and smiled widely, her light brown eyes almost giving off a golden hue. “Sorry Señora. But Ernesto de la Cruz just isn’t my type!”

THE END

[sonic-candy]

Jetter Mars + Ehoba collection complete!

Scanned the whole thing in a few hours yesterday and cleaned it up last night. But I was tired and decided to post them and this post tomorrow. Tomorrow is today, so here are the links. (All my other works are on archive.org as well. ) I need to re-scan anything, let me know.

Jetter Mars on Dropbox

Jetter Mars on Archive.org

I will cross post this on Twitter (@candy_sonic) and on my Kofi after I post this here.

Under the cut is the history of Jetter Mars and the manga(s) if you don't know much about it. It's a bit long so no pressure if you skip it.

In other news, I found and bought the last two Ehoba Doujinshis early this week - When You Wish Upon A Star (R-18 version) and Equal 1! I tried to combine shipping, but Star shipping out the day after I bought Equal. Not sure when they'll get here, I'm guessing by next month.

Tagging active Asto Boy and Jetter Mars fans:

@z-skull @snaileo @xblubotx @cookietastic @thelilithmachine @ab-kusoposting @eimie1

In the late 70s Osamu Tezuka, worked as director at the Toei Animation studio, wanting to continue working in animation. He proposed a remake/sequel to the 60's Astro boy called 'Mighty Mars' series which Toei approved. However, the rights to 60's AB belonged to Mushi Productions, Tezuka's anime company that went bankrupt in '73. The rights then went to it's sponsor company, Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd afterwards. So no official remake was possible.

He change the name to Jetter Mars and the main theme of the show was about Mars learning about the world around him and growing as a person, opposed to Astro's struggling to create a world where robots and humans could live peacefully together. There's still similarities such as Astro and Ochanomizu VA voicing Mars and Dr. Kawashimo.

Tezuka was involved in it's early development only. Toei Animation collaborated with Madhouse thus most of the animators were were ex Mushi employees. It's was translated into Italian (called 'Captain Jet') and a Spanish dub (called 'Jet Mars: The Bionic Boy') but no English dub.

Tori also owned a company called Televiland, who created Jetter Mars mangas and allowed Popy (now called Bandai) to create other JM merchandise. If you searched for Jetter Mars merch, then you seen them. Most look haunted TBF.

JM reception was not bad but not good either, with people wanting 60's AB back. Adding to that, Tezuka lost interest after 27 episodes (Less then a year) due to Toei's micro managing tactics. A few years later he obtained the rights to Astro Boy and created the remake in color - the 80's version of Astro Boy - at Tezuka Productions. This was his last Astro Boy project before his death in '89.

Jetter Mars faded in to obscurity, save a few cameos, one known one is in Astro Boy: Omega Factor (Really good game BTW) and referenced in Atom: The Beginning.

However, like most of Tezuka's lesser known works, Jetter Mars does have it's fans - and those fans are Astro Boy fans! A fansub also exist even if it's a bit wonky in places. And even the manga got reprinted back to 2019.

There's multiple versions of the manga, 4 to be exact. But the first one, created by Ikahara Shigeto (credited as Ikehara Shigeru in the manga) or Shigetoshi Ikehara is the only one to be reprinted.

Shigeto was one of Tezuka's pupils and assistant, working with him on Marvelous Melmo at Tezuka Productions in '79. Funny enough, he never worked on an Astro Boy manga but on the Rockman (Mega Man) manga's in the 90's. The only other Tezuka properties he worked on was a 3 part manga version of Marine Express (2016-2018). The vols are pretty cheap but IDK if I'll get it. I mean, does anyone really liked Marine Express like that? He mostly worked on licensed properties but he does have an webcomic called Monsieur Akashi. All the info I have about him is from the Mega Man wiki.

Again like the anime, Tezuka never worked on any versions of the manga. And as mentioned before, no version of the manga was reprinted untill 2019, Shigeto version only. Until then, the few people who was aware of any JM manga assume the was only one manga- Shigeto version- and assumed is was lost media.

The Shigeto manga adapted some of the anime episodes and thus can be considered canon. There's very little know about the other versions save a few pics so I can't talk much about them in terms of quality.

So why did they republish the manga? Who knows? Astro Boy Reboot been in the works near a decade with near nothing to show for it, so I doubt his remake/alternative series will get one anytime soon. We can only wait and see.

[wlw-lovestruck-fiction]

How about a sequel to the Naida/MC? When Nadia invites MC on a heist with her, the Poppy is worried for MC so they test to see if Nadia really cares about MC by making it look like MC’s will be caught (but it’s one of them as a fake guard) to see if Nadia stays to help MC and she does. When MC realises it’s the Poppy she’s upset bc they didn’t trust her judgement and leaves with Nadia, but Nadia convinces her to talk with them bc while she’s angry about being tested they were looking out for MC

Written by @an-awkward-ghost

Flashpoint’s heists were different than the Poppy’s. Nadia, back when she thought she was infatuated with Vivienne, had spent days studying their methods. They truly had the best combination of abilities and talents someone could ask for, and Nikolai knew how to put everything to good use. Nothing was wasted, any chance of failure would be immediately squashed before it could so much as exist. And if something unexpected did happen during a heist, well, they knew how to improvise. It was annoying, yes, but something that Nadia could respect – they were the best for a reason, after all. Part of that was remaining untouchable.

And while Nadia was aware that safety should be top priority, there was a unique thrill in doing things more freely that she would never give away. Flashpoint preferred to go all in, figurative guns blazing, taking what they wanted while everyone watched, unable to do anything.

She loved committing their expressions to memory, all stunned fear and enraged surprise. It was much better than imagining their reactions to a calling card, in her opinion.

When she had invited MC to work with them on their next heist, she knew the Poppy wouldn’t approve of her methods. They were like one big, stubborn, overprotective family she had to win over – the most disapproving “in-laws” in the world.

Fine, that was fine. Nadia could have Flashpoint play it safe for one heist. She’d never let Karina come to any harm, and hell to anyone who believed otherwise – she’d show the Poppy she can be trusted.

Thing is… she didn’t quite think she’d have to prove it this way. She expected a talk, maybe a heated debate, but nothing this dramatic nor extreme. Weren’t the Poppy supposed to play it safe?

And everything had happened so fast.

Karina had been telling her about her recruitment, high on adrenaline, laughing freely and warmly like the wind in spring. The whole experience had been invigorating, even if the heist wasn’t as crazy as Flashpoint usually preferred.

“I wish it had been me who discovered you,” Nadia had told her, in one of those moments where she didn’t feel the need to be dominating, in control. Karina had softened at the admission, had looked at her as if she were an undiscovered treasure she was itching to commit to memory.

They walked together to the back exit of the mansion Flashpoint had infiltrated in. Nadia wasn’t concerned about the rest of her crew – they were probably already waiting for them, since Karina and her might have gotten a bit… distracted… during the heist.

Just as she was reminiscing, feeling proud delight bubble in her chest and a spark of delicious heat, the Poppy had sprung into action.

Or, well, a “guard” did.

He came out of the literal shadows, unexpected like rain in September.

Nadia had been walking ahead, already out of the mansion. If this had occurred before Nadia had become aware she had feelings for Karina, she might have snorted and continued on to safety, glad to have gotten rid of Vivienne’s little toy.

But that’s not what happens at all.

The first thing Nadia hears is Karina’s surprised yelp. All rational thought leaves her at that moment. Before she can even blink, she’s already turning around, heading inside again like a demon let loose, hand moving towards her knife.

It takes her a moment to understand the scene before her, but the moment she does she sees red. Karina is caught in the guard’s grasp, expression open in honest surprise. Nadia can detect a tinge of panic twisting alongside ever eternal frustration, and understands this situation has happened before, and Karina had been as powerless then as she was now. Everything shifting with volcanic rage in her expression, Karina stomps on the guard’s foot with vigor.

The guard curses and yelps and flinches and Nadia instantly sees her opening. She pounces, eyes zeroing in on the spot that would guarantee a kill. It was second nature at this point.

True, she had promised to change for Karina. To hold back. To search for other methods, for other solutions. Nadia had grumbled and accepted it, but the instinct was never gone, not really. It’s the first thing that came to mind when something went wrong.

It’s the first thing that she was doing now, falling back into old habits.

The guard blocks her, still holding to Karina. She moves with him, a harsh tug that sets his balance off. That’s everything Nadia needs. Her knife is light and sure in her grasp, hungry for vengeance. She won’t miss.

“Nadia, wait!”

Against her better judgement, her body freezes mid strike, automatically responding to Karina’s yell- no, to her order. Unable to do anything else, she fixes the guard with a fulminating glare, daring him to do anything.

Karina continues. “I know that voice. Leon?”

The guard remains tense, though now thoroughly non-threatening.

“Leon?” Nadia repeats, with a huff. She can see it now, in his wide shoulders and tall frame. The knife would have been ineffective against someone like him, a mere bee’s sting. She huffs, relaxing her posture, still somewhat wary. “Explain. You didn’t betray them, did you?”

“Us,” Karina corrects, eyes narrowing. “And he’d never…”

She trails off at the same time Leon lets go of her, moving to take off the mask covering his mouth. His expression is filled with silent, thunderous determination.

“You guys planned this, didn’t you?” Karina asks, quietly. “You wanted to see what Nadia would do if I was in danger.”

Leon doesn’t shy away from her, which Nadia has to give him credit for. Karina could be scary when she wanted to, eyes dark like the deep end of the sea, where you couldn’t do anything else but drown.

The Poppy was hellbent on believing she was only deceiving Karina, weren’t they? After all this time? All of this?

Indignation burns away all other feelings. She distracts herself playing with her knife, frowning.

“Do you really trust me so little?” Karina explodes. “Do you- do you think that I don’t have a brain to make decisions or something? I know Nadia is dangerous. I’m not blind. I’m not a poor judge of character. I just- what were you guys thinking? Doing this- this… this test! What the hell were you trying to do? Provoke the inevitable? Nadia wouldn’t have abandoned me!”

Karina turns around, hand grabbing Nadia’s and dragging her off without another word. Leon remains where he is, resignation clouding his face, but even from here his relief is evident.

“I can’t believe their nerve! God! What if you hadn’t stopped and ended up stabbing him?”

“We are talking about Leon here. He can tank a knife.”

“I mean, yeah, but this could have been worse! It could have drawn in real guards, and then what?”

Nadia shrugs, knowing silence is the only option. Karina needs to vent.

“And I can’t believe they don’t trust me. I’ve told them about our dates, you know, you’d think they’d see-” She cuts herself off, quickly switching topics without really ending them. “I just know Remy and Jett must have driven all the other guards away. If we run into them, I’ll- oh my god, the maid we saw on the third floor! That’s it, I’m yelling at Vivienne too. I’m yelling at all of them.”

Nadia squints, vaguely remembering the maid Karina is referring to. The Poppy had clearly taken measures to ensure Karina wouldn’t be in any real danger whatsoever. This little test of theirs…

She sighs.

“Angel-”

“And don’t get me started on Zoe, she probably-”

“Angel.”

“-was watching the whole time! The moment I see another camera, I am-”

“Karina?”

“-so flipping her off!”

“Angel. Darling.”

That seems to make the trick. Karina whips around to glare at her.

“Don’t use darling. Please.”

Nadia nods. “Yes. I apologize. You weren’t listening.”

“Listening? Oh! I’m sorry, Nadia, I didn’t consider how this would make you feel… they are just acting like complete assholes, I know you would never-”

“No, no. It’s fine.” It’s not. Nadia is a woman of her word. She had told the Poppy that as soon as Karina and her had started dating, and to have her word so quickly brushed off…? It irked her. A lot. But she sucks it up and faces her girlfriend with the most neutral expression she can manage. “They are your family, Karina. I understand why they are worried.”

“They shouldn’t be.”

“But they are. As much as I dislike being tested like this, I’d say it helped win their favor. We should have no further problems from them.”

“But to go this far… they really crossed the line this time. I won’t forgive them.”

Gently, Nadia tugs Karina’s hand so she’ll stop walking. “If only humans weren’t this emotional... but the fact is they have a right to feel worried, just like you have a right to be angry.”

“We. Just like we.”

A small smile curls up her lips. “Just to be clear, I’d have done the same.”

“Huh?”

“If you were dating Vivienne. I would have tested her, too.”

Karina’s eyes go wide. “Hold on. That day, on the rooftop. You came to test me.”

Nadia swallows the fact that she had originally intended to kill her and just nods. The memory of her past self’s plans still made her skin crawl, even after all this time. She can’t fathom why she’d ever want to harm this woman, this angel. At least those thoughts are long gone, now.

Her girlfriend huffs and shakes her head.

“Am I the only one that would just choose to have a talk?”

“A shovel talk, you mean.”

“Hah. Maybe. So, your point was… I should forgive them? Really? Are you sure?”

“Oh, no, you can still bring them hell. Actually, please do. I was just trying to make you see things their way.”

Karina’s smile is downright predatory. “Oh, I’ll give them hell all right.”

[hrodvitnon]

Hmmm, ok, so in the aftermath of that, I think FW!Goji will adapt very well to the new world he is in, and will become annoyed at how many of the 'kaiju' (Titans) hate/fear him-while also having a very hostile relationship with his dead counterpart's family, them now staying in the Hollow Earth.

But, to add to the bitterness and rage: let's say one day Shin wants to head to the surface, but Mothra, Monster X, & even Kong forbid him from doing so out of fear that FW!Goji will see him as another threat to his kingdom-and kill him. This somehow doesn't deter him, and one night-he sneaks out of the Hollow Earth and enjoys some time getting fresh air....but just as he starts to head back to his new home-he unfortunately bumps into FW!Goji.

FW!Goji: Hey, watch where you're-!

*He sees and recognizes Shin*

FW!Goji:.....wait, didn't I kill you?!

Shin:...N-no, I'm not the Shin you killed, I'm a different one!

FW!Goji:.....*Sniff* Well, you do smell different from the one I killed....

Shin:...Y-yeah! So if you can just move aside and let me leave-

*Unfortunately for Shin, the Shinlets whom his counterpart released from his tail choose this exact moment come out of hiding, see Abraxas!Shin as their Shin-and immediately start to attack FW!Goji*

FW!Goji: ARG! What the hell?!

Shin: W-wha-

*FW!Goji spots the Shinlets, then back to Shin, makes the connection-and becomes enraged.

FW!Goji: GRRRR...You set me up, didn't you?! You tricked me into a false sense of security to kill me and take my throne right?!! WELL I WON'T LET YOU!!!! COME HERE!!!

Shin: NO, WAIT YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG! I DIDN'T-!!!

FW!Goji: DIE!!!!!!

*FW!Goji attacks Shin*

The two have a vicious and brutal fight, with the Shinlets doing everything they can to assist Shin, but most of them die to FW!Goji's Atomic Breath-Shin desperately fights for his life, evolving quickly just to keep up with FW!Goji-he uses his tail, tries to run away only for Final Wars Goji to drag him back, and he even uses his own Atomic Breath to try and compete with Final Wars Goji, but all that proves useless in the face of a Gojiran who faced far worse than that. A few of the Shinlets evolve and try to help their master-only to be torn asunder by FW!Goji with extreme prejudice; Shin, in an act of panic, sends out a distress signal via psychic link to Mothra-who receives it and immediately realized what was going on at the surface and wakes everyone up & Kong to try and help Shin.

Meanwhile, Shin spams his Atomic Breath on both his mouth & tail to intercept FW!Goji's beam, and the two enter a powerful beam-lock-with both parties seemingly being equal. But FW!Goji proves to be full of surprises as he concentrates his beam to become Spiral-Ray-like (similar to the dead Heisei!Goji's ability), and it slowly starts to overpower Shin's beams-not wanting to die though, Shin manages to make the beams equal again, but it rapidly drains his radiation reserves and risks running out. FW!Goji, getting annoyed now, decides to end the fight by automatically powering up his beam to be his Red G Spark Heat Ray again, and it rapidly overwhelms Shin's beams. It gets closer,closer, and closer to his head...

Meanwhile, everyone was just nearing where they are hearing the battle take place when they hear a large *BOOM* and a flash of light in the distance. They head over to see what it was, but once they do-they wished they never did.....

After the Burning G Spark Ray overpowered Shin's beams-all that power was forced into poor Shin's head-causing him to briefly scream before his head exploded into chunks of flesh, his now headless corpse stumbling a bit before falling over....Dead.

FW!Goji, wanting to make sure his enemy was really dead, spammed his beam over, over, and over again at the corpse-burning and practically cremated Shin; all of that happening when everyone else just arrived too late.

Everyone is immediately mortified by what Final Wars Goji just did, Mothra becomes even more broken inside after realizing one of her adoptive children was now dead, Junior simply weeps over his dead brother's body, Kong becomes disturbed and has his guard up while glaring angrily at FW!Goji for his actions, Monster X.....oh boy...do they not take Shin's death very well.....it gets to the point everyone has to physically hold them back from attacking Final Wars Goji in a furious rage...

Monster X: YOU BASTARD!!! YOU FUCKING KILLED HIM!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!

Final Wars Goji, to his credit, does feel some sense of remorse for killing Shin, but he stands by his actions and gives his reason why he did it.

"Because he attacked me first with those damn mini versions of himself..."

"THAT'S NO DAMN EXCUSE!!!!"

"Well he did, and he had to pay the price.....for what it's worth-I'm sorry for that....but you just have to live with it now...."

He leaves, and everyone reels from the death of not one, but two members of the family-and this serves to fuel the family's hatred towards FW!Goji, while Monster X is especially starting to reach their breaking point in how long they can tolerate him...

Before you can critique me on this, just think of it as a non-canon & speculative sequel to my immediate previous post + it being an angsty scenario-and what do you think?

HOW DARE YOU THROW SHIN TO THE MURDER BIN YOU MONSTER THAT IS UNFORGIVABLE I DON'T WANT TO BE ON THIS RIDE

I'm thinking FW!Goji has Fucked Up Now and is damn near ASKING for a coup d'état, and if his version of Minya got sucked into the AbraxasVerse with him then Minya's going to be very, very disappointed with how his father's running things. But I doubt he would be, since Minya would make damn sure no murder misunderstands happen on his watch. Oh, now there's a thought - maybe FW!Goji gets it into his head that "Well shit, things are going downhill fast and my approval rating here is slightly lower than a hole in the head... shit, that was too soon. Getting mad about everyone being mad at me isn't working. What would Minya do? He's good at this kind of thing."

Maybe he decides, "Okay, things are bad... but I need to put my foot down. I mean, what if a serious threat shows up and it's too much for even me to handle on my own? Surely this world's Mothra will find it in her heart to forgive me." So he goes sniffing for an entrance to the Hollow Earth to try brokering a truce and eventually finds one, but he doesn't get very far. Fortunately, Mothra's there to greet him at one of the entrances! Unfortunately, she looks like her literal soul has left her body, and there's what looks like a literal demon (Monster X) waiting for him in the darkness.

Mothra: You're not welcome here.

FW!Goji: Now hold on, I'm only trying to--

Mothra: Do what? Take over the Hollow Earth now? Forget it. None there will accept you. Our children are not safe with you. If you must satisfy your need for violence, then kill me. At least then I can be with my King again, and I won't live to see more of my sons senselessly killed.

FW!Goji: *slowly realizing just who exactly Shin was because even with all the reactions he saw he didn't realize he killed someone's CHILD* ...oh.

[aurora077]

Void

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13786191/1/Void

Title: Void

Summary: Adrien Agreste was the perfect son. He had perfect grades, perfect looks, a perfect personality. Perfection however, has its price.  

Post NY Special.

Can be read as a sequel to Aeon but also is a standalone.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

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

Adrien Agreste was the perfect son. He had perfect grades, perfect looks, a perfect personality.  (Or, so everyone but his father thought. Ironic given that he was the very reason Adrien even strived for perfection.) What nobody ever talked about however, was that perfection had its price. 

And Adrien was a perfect client. He paid his dues in full.

Who even was Adrien Agreste? 

Model…

Son…

Classmate... 

Or, simply a doll...made to be seen and not heard.

Perfection was a sham after all. Nobody was perfect. He knew that better than most. 

(Father would disagree, but then again, Father didn’t agree with him about anything.)

For ages he had tried to please everyone, and in doing so, he ended up losing himself. 

When his mother had disappeared (ran away, people whispered when they thought he couldn’t hear, ran away from her cold husband and their cold home) he’d thought if only he had been a better son maybe she would have stayed (or would have taken him with her...a thought he’d never dared to utter, even to himself.) He still had Father and so unable to do anything about his mother, he tried to be the best he could be so that Father wouldn’t leave him too. 

What a waste, he scoffed internally. Father couldn’t even be bothered to see him in person, preferring to communicate via Nathalie. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a meal with him. And the only time Father bothered to talk to him in person and without an appointment was to let him know what else he was disappointed about. What else he thought his son lacked. How much of a disgrace Adrien was to the Agreste name.

He reclined his incredibly comfortable seat and just lay there staring at the ceiling of the plane.  

The private plane.

The private plane that he was on because once again Father couldn’t just let him have a single moment of normalcy. One moment to be a regular boy on a class trip with his friends. 

Although this time maybe it was a blessing in disguise. He didn’t know how he would have been able to hold up if he had to be around his classmates and pretend that everything was okay. Because it was not okay.

He was not okay.

And he wouldn’t even be able to explain to them why. 

He was grateful to be alone on the plane. No Father, no Nathalie, no Gorilla. (No Plagg either, whispered the voice in his head.) With nobody around Adrien was finally able to let the facade of perfection drop. 

For the first time since he had been granted the honour of being Chat Noir, he was well and truly alone.

His eyes burned but the tears wouldn’t come. The hurt felt deeper than that. He was almost numb. It was as if his brain told his body ‘not right now’. His mind knew he wouldn’t be able to handle all the emotions brought on by the past few hours. It was too soon. The wounds too fresh. Too deep.

There was a void within him, and all feeling got sucked into the blackness of it. There was a gaping hole in his chest where his heart had once been (and coincidentally where Plagg’s camembert had always been hidden). If he had remembered it, he would have given it to Plagg as one last gift before parting ways. 

But as it was, at the moment of renouncing him all Adrien was thinking about was how he had let Paris down, almost seriously injured his partner and had all but killed someone. It didn’t matter that the only reason Aeon had been destroyed was that she was in fact not actually alive. She was alive in all the ways it counted. She was more alive it seemed, than Adrien Agreste. More loved too. 

“I am here to take captive those who are loved by no one!” Solitude had said. And by that he had most certainly meant Adrien. Between him and Marinette, well Adrien knew which one was loved. Adrien had fans and he had friends. But at the end of the day his fans and his friends only knew so much about him. (In no small part thanks to his father, his friends would always have to be subjected to Perfect Agreste rather than Just Adrien.) And after all how could you love someone you didn’t know? 

Ladybug would argue that he didn’t know her but loved her anyway. But that was different. He may not have known her name or her face but he did know her. Conversely, everyone knew his name and his face, yet nobody knew him. 

Solitude was aptly named wasn’t he? Adrien was already in solitude’s grasp long before he ever came to New York.

Especially since there was no more Plagg, who had served to be Adrien’s one sliver of freedom, and also the only being who had known him, truly known him... in and out of the mask. His most cherished companion. He was gone and Adrien was the one who threw him away. 

He hoped Plagg could forgive him one day, and that whoever Ladybug chose to replace him as Chat Noir would treat him well and be able to afford the camembert he so loved. Losing Plagg, even if it was by his own doing, would take him a while to get over. He’d never said it but he loved the kwami fiercely. Not just for the powers and freedom he granted him but for the way Plagg knew how to cheer him up when he got too down and how Plagg would curl up next to him at night and purr until he fell asleep. Plagg was sarcastic and blunt but he was genuine and cared about Adrien a whole lot more than literally everybody else in his life. He encouraged him to come out of his shell and live a little. And he knew if Plagg had his way he wouldn’t be kept in the dark about anything. Plagg looked out for him in his own way. Adrien didn’t have anyone else like Plagg. 

Sure sometimes Plagg’s advice could get him into trouble, but it was Adrien who chose to accept that advice. He should have told Ladybug he was going to be away on a class trip. He was just so scared that she’d lose trust in him because he had given her his word. In the end it didn’t matter, he’d lost her trust anyway. The way he saw it, he wouldn’t have won no matter what he’d chosen to do. It’s not as if he could explain to Ladybug why he had agreed to protect Paris only to turn around and say he couldn’t. She didn’t want to know. Identities and all that. (And clearly, Plagg didn’t disagree because he wouldn’t have encouraged Adrien to stay quiet if he had thought she’d be fine with him going… Given that Plagg knew who Ladybug was, Adrien chose to trust his advice. Not like he could have said no to his father when he made up his mind anyway. Adrien would not have won in this situation.)

Plagg had ranted and raved about how much easier things would be for both of them if they didn’t have these secrets in the way. Adrien agreed but it wasn’t his call to make. She was the guardian. And if even after all that she didn’t want him to know who she was...she didn’t want to know who he was, well there was nothing he or Plagg could do about it. 

He didn’t forget that though he’d given up his miraculous, she hadn’t cared to look at him. She still didn’t want to know. He hadn’t expected her to stop him or beg him to stay. He knew he’d screwed up and that she’d lost faith in him. But even at the end she hadn’t wanted to know him. To know who had stood by her side all this time... or who had failed her. 

But anyway, Adrien mused, it was inevitable. He was bound to screw up and lose his miraculous one way or another. As a result of Adrien Agreste being perfection incarnate, Chat Noir was carefree and subsequently, careless, as Ladybug would attest. 

It was his carelessness that led to Paris being severely damaged. It was his carelessness that lost him his lady’s trust. His carelessness that would have injured her. His carelessness that erased the lights from Aeon’s eyes, permanently if not for the Miracle Cure.

Ladybug would be better off without him, he knew. She needed someone who was careful and responsible, like she was. 

And that couldn’t be Adrien. Adrien loved her too much to be careful when it came to her. As Chat he would often throw himself in front of blows meant for her. And while he would never stop protecting her, he also knew it made her job harder having to fight him alongside the akuma. Another Chat Noir with less feelings invested might be able to find a better solution. But that Chat was not him. Try as he might he could not stop how he felt about her, even when he had other girls around him who he was sure he could come to love if she wasn’t in the picture. 

Marinette’s face came to mind unbiddenly and his sorrow intensified. He’d been so grateful to her. She’d managed against all odds to convince his father to let him come and it was for nothing really. All he’d ended up doing was causing damage as Chat and leaving anyway as Adrien. He meant what he said to her. He would have loved to have spent more time with her (and their friends).

 For once he felt like he truly belonged and could be with them as just another kid. She’d made that possible. He’d wanted nothing more for so long than to be able to be a better friend to her. He always felt like he made her uncomfortable which was the last thing he wanted, so for her to want him there meant the world to him. She was such a good friend. 

She’d looked devastated when his father’s car pulled up at the hotel. Sans Father of course...Adrien didn’t count the tablet with his head as him. Though the result was the same regardless of his physical presence or lack thereof. Adrien had to leave. It seemed he was always leaving behind the people he cared about. Though it was no sweat off his father’s back. Adrien shouldn’t care about people he didn’t approve of and so had no right to miss them. 

He knew Marinette wouldn’t be able to sway his father a second time, but he could admit, even if only to himself, that he was a little sad she hadn’t said anything to him before he left. He’d sort of wished she would tell him to stay or that she would miss him. But that was unfair to Marinette. It was thanks to her he could even come to begin with.

And he knew what he really wished was for Ladybug to have said she would miss him, even if she didn’t want him to stay. He knew she didn’t love him, but he hoped he was at least her friend. One who at the very least could understand some of the burden of a double life. (Or in his case, triple really.)

He chuckled darkly. ‘How naive of me’, he thought. He was merely a work colleague and a poor one at that. Former work colleague that is. 

His heart clenched painfully. It would be unbearable to see her working with another. It would devastate him to go back to being a random civilian to her, when she inevitably saved him from future attacks. He wouldn’t be able to help her or to even show that she could come to him for anything, because he shouldn’t know her, not really. 

She’d know Adrien Agreste, whose perfect face was displayed across Paris on billboards. Adrien Agreste would know Ladybug as Paris’s superheroine. Ladybug and Adrien Agreste knew each other as celebrities did and nothing more. The one perk to his face on billboards may just be that at the very least, he was someone she would recognise and remember even if only as a celebrity. If she couldn’t remember him at all...if he was invisible to her...Adrien didn’t know what would become of him. 

God, he would miss her so, so much. Before she became the guardian they had had a lot of moments where she would banter with him and even playfully tease him. They talked about insignificant things but it gave him joy. Nino was great and he was more himself with Nino than anyone else as Adrien, but it was with Ladybug that he felt safe and happy enough to let go of all of his inhibitions. She was one of his dearest friends, he had meant what he said to her the day she rejected his dinner. He truly valued her friendship. But as he was coming to realise, Adrien Agreste may not know so much about relationships. She had never called him her friend after all. She seemed to be a well adjusted person beyond the mask. And she was so amazing, she probably had an active social life. Who wouldn’t want to be her friend? She wouldn’t need his friendship like he needed hers. And she certainly didn’t crave it the way he did.

He didn’t know a lot of things that people his age should know about the world and people. Nino did his best to guide him but again, Father hated Nino so there was only so much he could do. Plagg tried too but Plagg wasn’t exactly human and didn’t understand things himself sometimes. 

He felt like his thoughts were all jumbled and going around in circles. His emotions were too heavy. It made him glad he wasn’t in Paris. He didn’t want to know what kind of akuma he could become with the amount of hurt he was currently nursing.

Thinking of her sobs when she saw the destruction done to Paris that she couldn’t reverse… because of him...well it solidified that he had made the right decision. It may have been the most painful thing he had ever had to do, but he loved her and he never wanted to put her in that kind of position again. He would put her, put Paris, before himself. He was accustomed to doing that anyway. He hid away his needs and desires to be what the ones he loved needed him to be. 

And if what they needed..what they wanted, was perfect then by George he would give them perfection....

Or stand aside for someone who could.

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

[houkagokappa]

YURIZANMAI

Here’s my translation of Yurizanmai by Morishima Akiko for the Sarazanmai Anthology!

I finished it the same week the Anthology came out, but then I completely forgot about posting it since I’ve been trying to spend less time online. Sorry about that!

I hope you like it, it manages to add the one thing to Sarazanmai that it was still lacking in order to become absolute perfection - lesbians!!!

Pg 1

Text: The night we defeated the first Kappa Zombie Text: we got a Dish of Hope. Plate: Hope Text: And then… Keppi: This Dish of Hope will grant you any wish, ribbit.

Tooi: Don’t tell stupid lies. Enta: Any wish? Enta: No waaay~ Keppi: It’s true, ribbit.

Enta: For real!? Well then, SFX: Haha Enta: eeeveryone in the whooole world becomes a girl ☆ Enta: Just kidd…

SFX: fwoosh Plate: Eeeeveryone girl

SFX: scatter Enta: …ing.

Title: Morishima Akiko – Yurizanmai

 Pg2

Tooi: !? Kazuki/SFX: What?! Kazuki: Natural hair! Enta: Wha.. Keppi: It has been granted, ribbit ♥ Text: We ended up becoming women. Title: Yurizanmai

 Pg3

Bubble: WHAT THE HELL!!!

Text: We can’t understand all life’s occurrences. Sara: G’morning ☆

Sara: Today’s lucky selfie item is… Sara: Yuri, dish ☆ TL note: Yuri as in lily the flower (but also lesbians) Plate: Yuri Large banner text: Lucky Selfie Item Small banner text: No way, I’m surprised YURIZANMAI got the OK. Thank you.

Text: This isn’t a reward, falling in love with my teammate, turning into kappa…

Text: Turning into girls… Enta: Girls’ breasts are in the way! Enta: The bra is tight and my shoulders are stiff. SFX: sigh

 Pg4

Tooi: THIS IS YOUR FAULT!! Tooi: Fuck, I can feel a breeze on my crotch!! Enta: Buuut~ Enta: It was only a joke~ Kazuki: It’ll be a relief not having to wear a wig, Kazuki: but a pain to need so much shampoo.

SFX: Ah Enta: That’s right, here… Tooi: ? Enta: I have a share of my sisters SFX: *rustle rustle*

Text: Menstrual pads.

Enta: Wouldn’t it be troublesome if we’d get it suddenly? Enta: Hey Kazuki, you too… huh? Kazuki: Yuri flowers… Kazuki: Eh, they don’t have them?

Kazuki: Has this flower shop sold out all the yuri flowers too? Kazuki: Yeah… Kazuki: What should I do about today’s mission…?

Pg5

Enta: I’ll help you search for them. Kazuki: Eh? But I’d feel bad. Enta: Don’t. We’re the Golden Combo, right? Enta: As men or as women!

Enta: Something like gender doesn’t matter… Kazuki: It matters a lot!

Kazuki: I mean… Enta as a girl… Kazuki: Is so insanely cute Kazuki: my heart is pounding.

Enta: What? SFX: ba-dump SFX: *lean*

Kazuki: If me and Enta would kiss Enta: Umm Kazuki: now that we’re both girls Kazuki: that’d be “yuri”, wouldn’t it? Enta: !!

 Pg6

Enta: Th-th-th… That’s right! We-we-we… We have no other choice for the sake of the mission! Kazuki: Not for the sake of the mission. Kazuki: I just want to kiss you Enta.

Enta: Re.. Really? Kazuki: Really. Kazuki: Enta I…

Kazuki: love you ♥ Text: Yuri... Kiss… ♥♥♥

Tooi: Doesn’t our schools flower bed have some? Kazuki: Is that so? I’m off!! SFX: *dash*

Enta: I knew it was a delusion… SFX: *slump*

 Pg7

SFX: *pow*

Tooi: …Hey. Tooi: Don’t kick the ball in a skirt. Enta: I’m wearing leggings like my sister told me to ♪

Tooi: …Hey. Tooi: What’s Yasaka doing all those things for? Tooi: Who’s Harukappa?

Enta: I think it’s probably Haruka. Enta: Kazuki’s precious little brother. Enta: Oh right, now it’s her little sister.

Kazuki: The school didn’t have anything but cucumbers, dish~☆ Tooi: His precious… little brother.

 Pg8

Kazuki: I have no choice but to try my luck at some flower shop in Asakusa… SFX: sigh

Tooi: I’ll help! Enta: What?

Enta: Kuji’s a good guy!? Enta: Eeeeh Enta: That’s surprising Tooi: I’m free today, that’s all…

Enta: What’s this? Just when I thought we’d be alone with Kazuki… Don’t get in the way.

SFX: gasp Enta: It can’t be…

Enta: Did Kuji fall in love with Kazuki once he turned into a girl!? Kazuki: Thank you! Kazuki: I’ll give you this cucumber

SFX: Grrrrrrrrrr Enta: ………….

 Pg9

Text: Eeeeveryone in the whooole world becomes a girl ☆ Text: Of course that wasn’t a serious wish. Text: It was just a joke Text: However…

Text: [Kaisou] Text: O Flashback X Seaweed

Enta: Wow cuuute~ Enta: Are these your photos from when you went to middle school? Text: National Tennis Championship Enta: So you were in the tennis club? Kazuki’s mom: Yes. Kazuki’s mom: We made it pretty far in the doubles together with my senpai.

 Pg10

Haruka: You were the Golden Combo! Haruka: Like Kazu-chan and Enta-oniichan. Enta: Are you still playing tennis together with your senpai?

Kazuki’s mom: No Kazuki’s mom: I haven’t seen my senpai in over 10 years.

Kazuki’s mom: But you know Kazuki’s mom: Me and my senpai are still connected.

Kazuki’s mom: A real connection will continue to shine forever without vanishing, even if you are separated. SFX: flip Text: Wedding/in the waiting room before the ceremony

Kazuki’s mom: And then that light will shine on the next new connection…

 Pg11

Kazuki’s mom: Even when we aren’t near. Kazuki’s mom: Even when we don’t meet. Kazuki’s mom: Me and my senpai are connected through that light. Kazuki’s mom: We always will be.

Enta: ……. Enta: I was a little jealous.

Enta: If Kazuki and I were women Enta: I wouldn’t be at the mercy of something such as desires, like men are. Enta: Even though my feelings are pure, I wonder if we can connect.

 Pg12

Reo: Tee-hee ♪ My make-up turned out beautifully! Reo: The perfect policewoman is complete~♥

Mabu: Let’s go investigate what caused this sudden change of gender.

Sara: The Prince is lovely even as a Princess, dish ♥ Keppi: It’s a pair-look, ribbit. Reo: I have like no idea how we got turned into women so suddenly~ Reo: The only thing I know for sure is that…

Reo: I’m beyond gorgeous as a woman ♥ Reo: Tee-hee-hee Mabu: Reo, even ever since you were a man you’ve been more beautiful than anyone else.

 Pg13

Reo: Wha- What, it’s unusual for you to give compliments.

Mabu: I’m not giving compliments, I’m stating a fact. Mabu: I’m not concerned as far as appearances go, beautiful or ugly, it doesn’t matter.

Reo: So you don’t care whether I’m beautiful or ugly. Reo: Hmph

Mabu: That’s right Text: Beautiful or ugly Text: Man or woman Text: I’m in love with Reo

Text: I want to tell you that, and yet…

Text: In the end however, no matter if I’m a man or a woman, my desire for Kazuki didn’t vanish. Enta: I’m delusional. I’m jealous. Enta: I still want to lick the recorder. SFX: Aaaah  

 Pg14

Enta: Still, I wouldn’t change these feelings. Enta: Even as a girl I’m in love with Kazuki!

Enta: I’m sorry Kazuki, yuri flowers are sold out everywhere… Kazuki: Enta? Kazuki: Look, look!

Kazuki: Kuji found them for me, dish ♥ Kazuki: They were dropped behind a funeral home SFX: squeeze Tooi: Hey, don’t cling to me so much Tooi: It’s soft

Enta: Kujiiiiiiiii SFX: roar

 Pg15

Bubble: Huh? SFX: whoosh

SFX: swish Bubble: Aaah

Kazuki: My yuri!! Sara: For our next news story, dish ☆

Sara: An incident has occurred all around Asakusa with yuri flowers taking flight. Sara: Gao, gao~☆ Banner: Yuri, flying! Don’t back down on love TL note: They’re using a word for flying that’s pronounced “shounin” just like “approved” from YKA was. Banner: This YURIZANMAI is fiction, dish. It has absolutely no relation to the official SARAZANMAI.

Tooi: This time the desire is yuri Tooi: A yuri-zombie, huh? Enta: Everyone… Enta: Let’s turn into kappa Kazuki: Yeah Bubble:  There’s something I have to take back

 Pg16

Text: Before Kuji falls in love with female Kazuki Text: I’ll use the Dish of Hope to turn Kazuki back to male! Text: And in order to do that… Bubble: Let’s go!

Text: Yurizanmai

Otter: Continues in the sequel Otter: Usso☆ (Lies)

END

[aceofwhump]

Umbrella Academy fic recs? Please? Your recs are always so good!

Ahh I’m really happy to hear that! I wonder sometimes if my recs are good lol. I’m glad you like them! 

And oh boy do I! fyi these are pretty much all Klaus whump. Hope that’s okay.

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

Brothers by hanzoshimadas Summary:The next time he saw Klaus, he was different. Even more different than usual. His brother was always the eccentric one of the group, on or off drugs. He had his own style, his own Klaus-isms, none of which filled the expectations of typical gender norms, but he didn’t give a shit.Whether he was dressing up with Allison, walking around with painted nails and braids in his hair, or wearing dresses for real, all that made Klaus who he was, and he was proud of his little brother for being so unapologetically himself.This Klaus though, the one sat in the passenger seat, was a very different person, and he didn’t like that at all.

Hugs for Benjamin by Katydid_99 Summary: Klaus ODs. Again.Diego visits him in the hospital and learns more than he ever wanted to know.

Bloody Fingernails by Poshii Summary: “Klaus.” Diego says. But Klaus can barely hear him over the sound of his own heartbeat. Nausea creeps into his throat as he reaches up to rub at his face uselessly.He hits the door again this time with his fist, “LET US OUT!”((AKA: Diego and Klaus get trapped in a room together. It took EVERY ounce of my willpower not to title this ‘klaustraphobic’.))

Help! I Need Somebody! (Preferably My Family) by TonyStarkisababe1967Summary: Multiple Au’s where the Hargreeves siblings actually care about Klaus’ safety and well-being.

It’s Not Funny Anymore by Edens_Spilled_Ink Summary: Klaus is the lovable junkie-scamp of the Umbrella Academy, the one everybody cracks jokes about - until the Hargreeves siblings learn something about his life that he’s purposely hidden from them. Something impossible to laugh at.- In which Klaus is caught whoring himself for drug money, and his issues become impossible to make light of.

the visitation of the ghost by allthempickles Summary: Klaus is going through withdrawal. The apocalypse (and Luther) aren’t making it easy.

Sleepless Folk by shoelaces Summary: Klaus overdoses for the first time on a grubby couch in the tiny living room he’s just about managing to pay for, with Ben crying next to him on the counter.In which Klaus makes a mistake, Ben tries to help, and Klaus and Diego have a chat.Set several years before episode 1.

Emergency Contact by BlueFluffyDragon Summary: A somewhat short fanfiction because I need moreKlaus joins Diego on one of his vigilantes “missions” to gather some information in which Diego learns something that he really should have known before.Or:Diego becomes Klaus’s emergency contact

Encounters by Jay_Bird23 Summary: Klaus wakes up in a stranger’s house after ODing on the street (again) and can’t stop running into them. As it would seem, they have a lot of the same issues but different ways of handling them.Set after the season one finale with no age regression and a still looming end of the world scenario.This story includes and original character cause I love them

Everyone wants to feel safe in the dark by StarsAlignedinMisery (ADayDreamingDream) Summary: His gut dropped when he saw his brother laying in the tub, eyes wide with fright, pale skin littered with marks of torture and abuse. Duct tape wrapped around his wrists, ankles and across his mouth. He was naked and there were ruminants of blood in the bottom“Klaus.” Diego breathed, pushing Ryan back so that he could get to his brother. Surprisingly Klaus seemed sober, tracking his movements with watery doe eyes

Trying to be done trying. And failing by wolfypuppypiles Summary: “You cannot convince me that Diego’s heart doesn’t stop every time they announce on the police radio that they’ve found a dead junkie” - ealeczander on tumblrDiego listens to the police radio and prays the dead junkie in the gutter isn’t Klaus.

Mi Casa es su Casa by hanzoshimadas Summary: Klaus’ eyes widened as he tried to make sense of what was happening through the dizzy haze he was experiencing from the drug.“YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU DO NOT DO THAT TO MY BROTHER! YOU. PICKED. THE WRONG. GUY."He knew that voice.Did he know that voice?Klaus rested his head against the leather seat as he struggled to remain conscious, soon finding himself falling and falling and falling and…

a couple of band-aids won’t cover the pounds of flesh taken by cancerthecrabbo Summary: When everything is just a little bit different, Diego gets to the motel just a bit earlier, and Klaus is found before getting on the bus, things get a little bit better once the Hargreeve siblings come to realize that Klaus is in need of more help than they first thought.

Wild Eyed Boy by intheflowers Summary: Klaus dropped into Dave’s life with a flash of blue light.It was the first time Klaus suprised him, but it was far from the last, and while at first he’d wondered if Klaus was maybe a little mad, it wasn’t long before he was certain that he really, definitely was.Not that it mattered much. Klaus had stolen his heart long before then.

silent as the grave by orphan_account Summary: Diego gets involved in trying to break up a drug ring in the city, only to find that Klaus is a little more involved than he initially expected.

life’s but a walking shadow by SydneyCarton Summary: Here he is—a junkie with nothing to his name except used needles and few bags of pills and powder at the bottom of his coat pockets—mired in a bog of addiction into which he walked willfully. How easy it would be, to sink until a roof of water concealed him from everything he’s been running away from.***Klaus wanders to the edge and Diego pulls him back again.

Don’t you know it’s no good for you? by imabagofcats Summary: Klaus is not Okay, that should be obvious to everyone… Except why can only Ben (and Diego) see that?Set after their fathers death but before the day of the apocalypse.

Not Completely Forgotten Yet by Littlemissmimi Summary:  What if Patch didn’t find Klaus when she searched the motel?Her call had at least reminded the others that Klaus was missing, but, well, Five was adamant about focusing on the apocalypse instead of “The Junkie” (He had a name, you know) and Luther seemed inclined to follow.Diego may not have approved of his brother’s choices, but god dammit he was still their brother and he still deserved to be saved.

All the tears you never know about by WickedCinnamonRoll Summary: Diego wishes he didn’t live a life always worried the next dead junkie he hears about has his brother’s name and face

Scar Tissue by MzMarbles Summary: How the hell did Diego get that epic scar? A few years before Sir Reggie kicks the bucket. Set after they’ve all left the house and Luther has left the planet. One shot.

it’s not as good as it used to be by plingo_kat Summary: “The recovery position.” Klaus laughs to himself until nausea forces him to swallow rapidly and pant, sweating. Maybe he should turn onto his side, just in case. Drowning in his own vomit would be such an inglorious death.

I think we’re alone now by nishiki Summary: As Diego finds his brother Klaus on the brink of death in that crappy motel room, he decides that taking care of his brother is more important than saving the world.

Oh Brother, How I Missed You So by StupidGeniusSummary: “Don’t do this.” Luther begs. “Don’t do this.”He can’t let another brother die on his watch. He’s supposed to be number One. He’s supposed to be a good leader, a protector. He’ll admit he’s not the best at it, sometimes, but it’s not his fault Klaus left. Right? There’s nothing he could have done, back then.Is there?—The scene at the rave goes a bit differently.

Why do you only call me when you’re high? by Nerdygeekflower Summary: I found a tumblr promt by legendarywhump when looking through an Umbrella Academy tag and it ate my brain but the promt gives away a lot of the plot so…Klaus is kidnaped (again) and tortured (again). His Captor seems to know a lot. And have a lot of plans, not just for Klaus but also for his siblings.a heavy Klaus torture and recovery fic that I wanted so I wrote. + Some long ass author’s notes because that’s how I roll.NOW HAS SEQUEL

[recurring-polynya]

Please tell me about Obidala UwU

Ha ha ha, you asked for it.

Okay, for starters, I am bisexual and all my OTPs consist of (1) dude who has basically the same personality as me but I would like to bone and (1) lady who is the sort of person I wish I was, whom I would also like to bone. The dude in a Polynya OTP is generally a member of some sort of strict order (cop, Jedi, shinigami) that he is deeply devoted to. He is super good at his job and works his ass off, but he is always the loyal lieutenant, never the main character and accepts this as his lot in life. He is neurotic. He drinks a lot of coffee, or whatever the appropriate fantasy equivalent is. The lady Goes Hard. She is tough as balls. She usually has a lot of political power and is very smart and will cut a bitch. Her aesthetic is off the chain; enormous, bizarre dresses a plus. I think you can see where I am going with this. Also, Ewan MacGregor and Natalie Portman are two incredibly good-looking people and amazing actors and they absolutely carried the Phantom Menace, which I saw, like, eight times in theaters.

Here is what would have happened if someone had hired me to write Episodes 2 and 3, which no one did, for some reason. So first off, in Episode 1, Amidala is 14, I think, Anakin is 10, and Obi-Wan is.. Jeez, I dunno. 17 maybe? 30? Who knows? Anyway, watch that movie and try to tell me that there is ~ any chance ~ that Amidala would fall for Anakin, especially when there is this hot apprentice Jedi hanging around having this tragic shit go down, and being stoic and oh, no, I’m getting misty. None of this matters. Amidala is the queen, she has shit to do, no time for dumb boys. Anakin is obviously immediately smitten with her, why wouldn’t he be? Okay, now I need, like, an interim episode 1.5, where Obi-Wan is trying to train Anakin, but he’s bad at it because he’s barely graduated himself and he’s really broken up over Qui-Gon’s death and also he’s an order muppet and Anakin is a chaos muppet, but they manage to work shit out and bond and become Force Bros. In fact, they are much more like brothers than having a traditional Master - Padawan relationship, but they are also absolute monsters at fighting together and even though Obi-Wan is still a wet-sock-rules-follower, Anakin is still very “fuck the police”. Cue episode 2, where they meet up with Amidala again. She’s retired from Queening (the rulership system on Naboo is bananas, srsly wtf) and they all go on an adventure. She is beauty, she is grace, she stabs a dude right in the face. The three of them are an absolute wrecking crew. Anakin is smitten all over again, except that Amidala and Obi-Wan have… all this… chemistry. But Obi-Wan is a rules follower, he knows he’s not supposed to fall in love and also, she’s a Galactic Senator, she’s way above his pay grade, and also, his best friend is in love with her, Obi-Wan Would Never. Amidala would definitely like to hit that, but she respects Obi-Wan’s weird morals and also, she cares a lot about both boys and does not want to mess things up between them. Episode ends with my three kids as Nakama with A Lot of Sexual Tension Floating Around. 

Episode 3! Episode 3 is the absolute keystone of the Star Wars nonology (is that a word?) and it has to be stunning and the Episode 3 we got is a pile of cat vomit. Anakin needs to be a character that you love and care for and it absolutely breaks your heart when he goes to the dark side. And Palpatine would achieve this by tapping into Anakin’s tendency to hate the rules which is the one major philosophical difference he has with Obi-Wan, and also planting the seeds of the idea that Obi-Wan and Amidala are in love behind his back. Now, Obi-Wan is getting worried about Anakin, and he turns to Amidala, because he feels like she’s the only one who can get through to him. Sheev (Christ, I cannot get over that his name is Sheev) machinates things so that Anakin catches them “sneaking around behind his back” and the thing is, they haven’t been doing anything aside from trying to help him, except the fact is, they are actually in love and Anakin has basically already known this, and he has also always known that in some ways, he is the one who has stood in the way of his best friends being together and also he has a lot of Trauma and our boy loses his shit and takes a one-way trip to the Dark Side. I honestly never worked out what happened after that, but ngl, I feel like “hey, Luke, Vader wasn’t actually your dad after all” would have been a pretty amazing plot twist for Ep 5.

Is this the fanfiction I wrote? No. It is not. My sis and I had a series of stories where Anakin was having trouble fitting in at the Temple, and Obi-Wan gets special permission to take him off to some backwater planet to train him by themselves. It was basically a bunch of Obi-Wan is A Shitty Single Dad stories, featuring such gems as Anakin Joins a Boy Scout Troop and They Go Camping (Obi-Wan throws one of the other dads’ cell phones in a lake?) and Anakin Tries to Surreptitiously Pod-Race Without Obi-Wan Finding Out and oh God, there was one where they had to go back to the Temple for some sort of Padawan Talent Show featuring all of Obi-Wan’s friends who are now grown up and have their own apprentices? Eventually, we get to my masterpiece, where Amidala sends some letters to Obi-Wan and Anakin, and Anakin misinterprets something she says and thinks she’s gotten roped into an Arranged Marriage and feeling that Obi-Wan would not take this seriously enough, runs away to go save her. Obi-Wan, who is so, so tired, has to chase after him, and shortly after he gets to Naboo, Amidala actually does get roped into a political marriage with this absolute buffoon who was vaguely based on Kuno Tatewaki from Ranma ½. Hilarity, as one might expect, ensues. But, wait! There’s more! Close to the end of the story, Anakin has to run off and get the dude’s parents who have not at all approved this marriage and he tells Obi-Wan he has to stall the wedding. Obi-Wan blows this super hard by declaring, in a long, rambling fashion, that Amidala can’t marry this other guy, because he, Obi-Wan is in love with her. I then wrote a sequel, where this awful prince tries to get married to someone else. All these rich, royal people think that Amidala and Obi-Wan are together (and that they are super cute) so they decide they have to have a loud public break-up, except that someone straight-up gets murdered and then they have to solve the murder mystery and the whole time Anakin is wandering around going “can you guys please break up already?” Anyway, the bride turned out to be involved in the murder, so, once again, this bonehead prince has failed to get married, although somewhere along the line, he fell in love with one of Amidala’s handmaidens (I should note, the handmaidens in these stories are major characters and utter agents of chaos). Anyway, I got halfway through the third story in this series as well, where the prince and Amidala’s handmaiden get married, and Obi-Wan and Amidala try once again to break up and then are like “What if we… didn’t?” and I never finished it. I still have it around her somewhere. I am pretty sure all this nonsense is still floating around the internet… somewhere, but it was 19-friggin-99, so it’s got my real (maiden) name on it ::face palm:: so I’m not posting a link. If you deeply feel the need to read any of this nonsense (and I tell you, you do not), DM me.

The moral of this story is that I am still writing the same gonzo comedy-of-errors stories I wrote when I was eighteen, when I get around to re-writing WDKALY, you jerks are in for it.

[rockysavannah]

Videl vs. Pan! A Bored Burp-Off!

Description:

WARNING THIS STORY CONTAINS: Female Burping.

If you’re not into any of the above things, please do not read!

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This could be considered a distant sequel to 'Bulma vs Chi-Chi! A Baby Shower Burping Contest!'.

Pan and Videl are sitting at home one day, bored out of their minds. After a couple of accidental eructations from the pair, they decide to have a burping contest, with a wager set in place to make it more interesting. Will Videl achieve victory, or will her daughter dominate? There’s only one way to find out.

I hope you like it. Any constructive criticism in the comments section is welcome.

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Originally uploaded back on March 7th, 2017 on Writing.com.

This story was co-written with Jokermask18/JWAPPEL in my interactive.

Since Writing.com basically requires people to need a paid membership in order to do anything on their website, it’s practically impossible for many people to write and read there. Therefore, I’ve decided to post some of the chapters from my interactives onto my other accounts as full-fledged stories so that they can reach a wider audience.

============

The Art of the Thumbnail is a blend of two images. (Since no one had drawn this concept...).

Videl by Seiya-Dbz-Fan.

Pan by Krizart-DA.

Text by me and Jokermask18/JWAPPEL.

============

Son Videl, Son Pan, and Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super © Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha and Akira Toriyama

(A/N: This is a collaboration with Jokermask18 A.K.A. JWAPPEL.)

Content Advisory! This story contains:

Female Hyper Belching

Taunting

Series: Dragon Ball

Characters: Son Videl, Son Pan

Synopsis: Videl and Pan try to alleviate their boredom by having some gassy fun.

If you’re not into any of the above things, please do not read!

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It was a quiet Saturday afternoon for the family of Son Gohan. The man of the house was out on business, leaving his wonderful wife and daughter to fend off the onslaught of boredom by themselves. The duo engaged in a multitude of recreational activities—watching television shows and movies, playing video and board games, even training—but nothing could keep their interests for more than a few minutes at best. Both were currently lounging around in the living room, Pan lied half-asleep on the couch and Videl was playing with a paddleball. Videl checked the clock and her eyes widened at the time.

“Oh no, it’s almost dinner time!” she exclaimed, loudly enough to capture the attention of her daughter, “I better get cooking!”

“…Huh?” Pan muttered groggily, until the weight of those words truly hit her, “Wait, dinner?! That sounds great! I’m starving!”

The eleven-year-old girl’s sudden burst of energy got a small chuckle out of her mother, “Well, you’ll have to ‘starve’ for a little longer, because it’ll take awhile to make enough food to satisfy your appetite.”

Pan’s lips curled downward, “Can I at least get a soda to hold me over.”

With an approving nod from her mother, Pan moved faster than a normal human could track, seemingly vanishing into thin air for a split second, before returning to the same spot, only with a root beer in hand. While Videl was getting up from her chair and heading for the kitchen, Pan began chugging the contents of her can. The carbonated beverage cascaded down her esophagus before landing in the pits of her stomach, mixing with the boiling green acids that were already dwelling there, and forming large bubbles of gas from the chemical reaction. Pan put her right hand on her belly when she heard a low rumbling deep inside. She felt pockets of air shift around within her tummy, before some of it was dislodged and evicted up a valve at the top of the stomach. Pan barely had time to register what happened before a juicy belch blasted past her lips, catching her by surprise. Videl stopped in the kitchen and turned to look at her daughter, who just sported a look of content on her face.

“That felt good,” Pan commented with a giggle.

“Pan, you should show better manners than that,” Videl reprimanded with a stereotypical parental finger pointing.

Pan scoffed internally, wishing that her mom would loosen up once in a while, like what her dad said she was like as a teenager. Alas, Videl’s acceptance of her role as a housewife had meant that she sacrificed much of her cooler (in Pan’s opinion), tomboyish personality, so it was unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Videl was about to get the ingredients and kitchen ware needed to make a meal fit for a demi- and quarter-Saiyan, but was stricken with a sudden pang of thirst. Wanting to quickly quench it before getting to work, she fished through the fridge and picked out a can of Jetap, before popping it open and spraying some of the alcoholic liquid on her cheeks. Pan snickered at this, while Videl took a large swig of her drink, draining the can in a matter of seconds. Once the intoxicated fluid splashed into her gut, a similar reaction that happened in Pan’s abdominal area occurred here too. As soon as Videl removed the can from her mouth, a beery burp rippled out of it, having the length, volume, and smell to be comparable to her daughter. When the three-second-long eructation ended, Videl’s cheeks lit up in a scarlet flash.

“Ooohhh my goodness! Excuse me!” she apologized with her left hand clasped over her mouth.

There was a period of silence in the house before the juvenile giggling of the youngest Son member promptly shattered it. “Nice one, Mom! I didn’t think… that you had… it in you!” her compliments were intersped by fits of laughter.

Videl’s level of embarrassment continued to grow, “T-that was just an accident, sweetie. I didn’t mean to.”

Pan rolled her eyes and gave her an unconvinced smirk, “Not buying it, Mom. Dad told me how much of a tomboy you were back in the day and I bet that you miss that time.”

Videl widened her light blue irises, baffled at how her adolescent daughter managed to back her into a corner like this. Then, she started to think about Pan’s words; about how her ‘tough girl’ days were when she was at her coolest. But that was just a persona, right? An act that she didn’t need to keep up when she met her high school sweetheart. Without that, she felt comfortable sporting a more feminine appearance, like her wedding gown when she married Gohan, or the red dress and black leggings when she attended Bulma’s ‘39th’ birthday party. On the other hand, her feistier attitude did earn her some respect from her former classmates at Orange Star High School, and she still found some amusement when she thought back to the times that she beat various members of the student body in burping contests. Perhaps it would not hurt to relive some of that glory one more time.

“Maybe… you have a point,” Videl admitted.

Pan’s grin grew wider, “Great, because I’ve got an idea for curing our boredom: a burping contest!”

If possible, the Son matriarch’s eyes grew wider still, “Really? Well, what are the stakes?”

Pan tapped a finger on her chin in thought, “If I win, you order as much food as I want, when I want, for the next three months; If you win, I’ll do all of yours and dad’s chores on top of my own for the same time.”

Videl pondered Pan’s proposition. The risk was great, but so was the reward. After a few moments, she reached her decision, “Game on, young lady,” Videl answered with a smirk that matched her daughter’s, finally regaining her uncouth appreciation for the immature art of burping.

“Cool!” Pan’s eyes shone in anticipation, thinking that this would make for a gross, but fun, bonding experience.

Videl pulled out at least eight more cans of soda from the fridge and divided them between herself and Pan. After all, one needed the right ammunition for this kind of thing. Pan reached for her first one and chugged the whole thing in less than a minute! With a smirk, she then thumped her chest and let out a nasty sounding burp that sounded like it came from a hardened trucker. Videl was actually a little proud of her for that. That is, until she remembered she was looking at her competitor. The daughter of Mister Satan figured her turn was up and attempted to copy her daughter's opening move. Unfortunately, she ended up choking on most of the soda and launched into a coughing fit.

“You're losing Mommy,” Pan taunted in a sing-song voice before belching again. This one was ever bigger than the last, being five seconds long!

Videl's eyes narrowed as her competitive fire was beginning to reignite, “I'm not finished yet!” She began chugging her second soda, this time nearly matching her daughter's former pace. Pan was on her second soda as well, though sipping it in a leisurely fashion. It was clear she wasn't worried and this made Videl all the more angry.

Thumping her chest, the daughter of Mr. Satan unleashed her first real belch in the contest. It was decent, though only half as big as Pan's first attempt. Videl scowled, knowing she'd once been able to do much better. Pan responded with another huge belch that won her the bout and began opening her third can. Videl did the same and managed to start off with a belch that surpassed her daughter's previous attempt! The good feeling that came with that was quickly destroyed when Pan unleashed a belch that blew her mother's hair back! Once again, the daughter of Mister Satan felt oddly proud even as she began opening her fourth can. This truly was a bonding experience.

The contest continued on in this way. Videl had actually started to regain some of her old skill but it didn't seem to help. Pan dominated each bout and only grew cockier over time. “Get ready to order Mama, cause I am hungry!” The daughter of Mister Satan only scowled more deeply at this taunt. She refused to let her daughter win. It wasn't just about what losing would cost her either. Now, it was about pride.

But honestly, Videl was getting flustered. She had to admit that her kid was good. Scratch that, Pan was very, very good. As they went through what was now the seventh can for both of them, mother and daughter soon realized that it was almost over. There were only two cans left and one of them would belong to the victor. It was clear from her grin that Pan believed she knew which one it would be. “Ready to give up?”

But Videl refused. If there was anything left over from the Videl of old, it was that. She wondered, not for the first time, just what had happened to that girl? The tomboy who had dominated boy and girl alike in belching contests since she was seven! She even remembered winning a few farting contests in her time. Looking at Pan, she realized that she missed those times. She wanted them back. It was time for her to start thinking like the old Videl again, but how?

After the duo each finished their seventh can, Pan effortlessly belted out another first class burp. Though it was comparatively less powerful than her previous ones, it compensated with an odor that made the matriarch of the Son household go green in the gills. While Videl, with watery eyes, was coughing and trying to fan away the foul fumes, Pan was looking bored. Sure, she was certain that she would be able to pig out on as much food as she wanted to when this was over, which definitely appealed to her Saiyan nature, but there was another thing that her alien instincts craved: a good fight. Her father had gone on about how unladylike and badass her mother was as a youth, so Pan expected at least something resembling a challenge, just to make her victory feel more earned.

However, right now Videl was not proving those stories true at all. In fact, her burps were barely able to get much reaction out of Pan aside from condescending amusement. Either the stories were lies or Videl had simply lost her edge. In any case, Pan found it disappointing, not simply because of the aforementioned lack of challenge, but because she had a lot of respect for mommy dearest. All of the tomboyish tales about Videl, not just of how she shattered gender stereotypes by utterly decimating sexist boys in belching contests, but also of her beating up bullies and leaping into danger to stop criminals. It helped influence Pan into shaping her personality to mimic the mother that she idolized, both as a tomboy and as a hero.

Meanwhile, Videl’s mind raced to find a way to gain an edge over her daughter. Maybe she could use the Dragon Balls to wish for her old personality back. No, that would seem like a waste to use something so powerful to win such a juvenile event. Besides, what would Gohan say about it when he returned home? Nevertheless, if she cannot do that, then how will the daughter of Mister Satan triumph over the gaseous greatness of Pan? Suddenly, she thought back to what her husband said when he taught her how to fly all those years ago.

He said that you have to focus your energy from your stomach, she recalled in her head. Then, she also flashed back to when she heard Gohan say that his mentor, Piccolo, could fire ki blasts from his mouth, Wait a minute. That’s it! Videl breathed deeply and concentrated hard, gulping down air to fuel her belch. She soon felt a spark of ki in her belly and smiled, Alright, she thought, silently thanking Gohan and Piccolo for not teaching Pan telepathy, I’m on the right track, but I should try to limit how much ki I use. Otherwise, Pan will know what I’m up to and just copy me, then, I’ll be screwed.

And so, the metaphysical energy continued to manifest in her stomach, acting like fire boiling water to produce steam as it stirred up more gas than any normal human ever could. When she felt enough build up, Videl proudly forced out the gas using her ki creating a shockwave that blew away Pan’s orange bandana. When it finished, Videl sighed in relief and giggled at the befuddled face of her daughter.

“Wh-what was that?!” Pan exclaimed.

“Well, Honey, I guess I was just a little rusty,” Videl replied, lips curled up into a smirk.

Pan narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She may be somewhat naïve, but she was not stupid. The daughter of Son Gohan found it weird that her mom could just pull out a totally awesome eructation at the eleventh hour after a series of mediocre burps. In addition, Pan could have sworn that she felt a minuscule ember of ki coming from her mother, specifically in her tummy.

Maybe… The quasi-Saiyan pondered for a moment, before dismissing the idea entirely, There’s no way. That’s just ridiculous. She probably just got lucky, that’s all.

Putting the notion aside, Pan opted to pop open her eighth can of soda and began chugging it. Videl soon joined her and in a matter of seconds, both had completely drained their aluminum canisters of their sugary liquid contents. Pan patted her packed paunch playfully, feeling it press up against and peek out under her shirt. It was an expected result given that eight cans worth of delicious carbonated goodness filled that gut of hers, not including the can that she had taken a swig of before the contest officially began. Videl rubbed her own bulging belly, starting to wonder how this competition would affect her figure afterward. However, she pushed that thought out for the moment, instead focusing on the here and now.

“Well, do you want to start the final bout, little lady?” Videl inquired with a smirk.

“Sure, but you’ll regret it, trust me,” Pan replied, matching her mom’s smirk.

Pan proceeded to gobble down as much precious oxygen as possible, making her abdominal area inflate even more so. She held her breath, and after a while, she was starting to become blue in the face, which made Videl frown in worry. The mother was about to ask if her daughter was all right when Pan decided to unleash her outright abominable eructation right in her face. It was by far her greatest/grossest one in the whole competition. Pan’s oral expulsion of air lasted an astounding ten seconds, actually shattering some of the windows, which Pan had a feeling would come out of her allowance even if she won. However, the smell was again in a category of its own, as the guttural belch blast carried a sickly green cloud of gas out of Pan’s mouth. Said gas cloud was composed of an amalgamation of every food and drink that the Pan had devoured over the past week, which to a full blooded human would have been a month’s worth of nourishment.

“How was that, Mom?” Pan giggled smugly after finishing.

“Ohhh…” Videl moaned, wholly discombobulated, “That was so nasty! I think that I’m going to hurl!” she slapped both hands over her mouth to keep herself from doing so.

Pan giggled even louder, savoring her mother’s disgusted demeanor. Eventually, Videl regained her bearings and threw a piercing glare at her daughter, at which Pan only snickered, “I take it that you didn’t like my magnum opus.”

That straw broke the camel’s back, Screw it, Videl thought, I don’t know if it’s the lingering nausea or seething anger, but I’m going to put this brat in her place, no matter what! That’ll knock her arrogance ass down a peg.

Then, she got into a battle stance, her legs spreading out two feet apart and bending at a 90° angle, and closed her eyes. The quarter-Sayian cocked her left eyebrow, confused. “Uh, mom, what are you doing?”

However, Videl closed her eyes, tuned her  daughter out, and took deep breaths. Pan frowned at the silence, but widened her eyes as she felt something weird happen in her mother. Once again, the daughter of Mister Satan manifested her ki in her stomach, though now it was much larger, to the point that Pan could clearly sense it.

Huh? Why is there so much ki in her stomach? Unless… Pan thought, until her eyes widened in realization, It’s true! She did do it before and she’s doing it now!

As Pan was trying to process the current situation, Videl pressurized the gas in her stomach by charging up ki in order to increase the power of her burp. Meanwhile, a glow formed in her stomach, the heat of her ki causing her to sweat profusely. After a while, she felt a huge burst of energy finish building up pressure in her belly. This feeling made her smile in anticipation.

“Oh, boy, here it comes,” Videl exclaimed excitedly.

“Here what comes?” her offspring questioned.

Videl ignored Pan and used her energy to channel the gas out of her belly. The glow intensified as it, the ki and the gas traveled up her body before entering her mouth, causing her cheeks to bulge outward and filling Videl’s mouth with a light bright enough to make her puffed out cheeks translucent. Then, she raised her head slightly away from Pan to avoid possibly hurting her and became the first person in history to burp out a blast of energy.

“*buuuUUUrrrrrrRRUUUuuuuuuuUUUCH!*”

Suddenly, her mouth snapped open and she belched out a large yellow ki beam, which rocketed past Videl's lips and barely missed the top of Pan’s head on its trajectory through one of the broken windows. The burp itself echoed throughout the house, shattering the remaining windows, and knocking down several books, expensive plates, and other belongings. The duo looked to see the blast vaporize some nearby trees, both of them gawking at the trail of burnt grass and destroyed foliage.

“Whoa, even I didn't expect that,” Videl admitted with a blush.

Pan turned back to her mom, “That… was… awesome! Let’s keep going! I want to do that too!”

Videl paused for a moment, but then chuckled at the absurdity of the situation, “Ok, but the loser gets punished for six months in lieu of three.”

“Deal!” Pan shouted, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.

Both remembered their unfinished cans of soda and grabbed them for the true final bout. They were going to need it!

Once the beverages had been consumed, the empty aluminum husk that previously held them were discarded and Pan began the final bout by pausing to focus her ki then:

“*BRRRRrrrRRRRRUUUUUuuuuUOOOOOOOoo-oooooOOOOOOOrrrp!!*”

A big energy blast shot from her mouth, twice the width of her mother's effort, though it only did a little more damage to the house by burning a few extra holes in the walls.

Videl applauded politely, then sucked in and: 

“*beeeeeeEEEEEELLLLllllLLRRRRRrrroooOOOOOaaAAAAARRRRrrrrrRRRRP!!!*”

She not only managed to outdo her daughter, but shot out a stream of ki balls from her mouth in rapid succession. Pan was forced to jump on top of her chair in dodge in a rather comedic fashion. Videl laughed out loud at this when she was finished and an evil gleam suddenly entered her eye. Turning her gaze towards the ceiling, she forced out a small burp that resulted in a single ball of ki knocking some debris onto Pan's head, the quarter-Saiyan scowling in response.

“Okay Mama, you've had it!

*BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP AAAAATTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!!*”

Videl's eyes widened as her daughter unleashed a huge belch that contained a variation of one of Vegeta's most powerful moves. It packed enough force to blow her through the wall of her home and leave her smoking on the already slightly scorched lawn. Pan laughed at the sight and began jumping up and down in an absurd little victory dance.

“Yes! I win! HAHAHAHA, I am the best!” This bratty sing-song voice awoke something in Videl and she slowly pulled herself to her feet, her eyes ablaze with fury. Pan watched with a mix of confusion and concern as her mother assumed a basic power-up stance and began speaking in grunts, as though she were on the verge of transforming into some new kind of super form. In fact, it wouldn't have surprised Pan at all if that were the case.

Little did the young girl know that during all this, her mother was reliving her past, watching various images of her rough and tumble self flash and the victories she'd achieved flash before her eyes. Everything from belching contests to looking best in a bikini passed her by. They were soon replaced by new images of Pan besting her younger self in all these same events. Other scenes were also included such as a rice eating contest and a farting contest. Every last one filled the Videl of the present with even more rage.

“No! I… Will… Not… lose… to a… little… girl! Even if she is my own daughter!” Pan watched in amazement as her mother's slightly higher than average power level suddenly skyrocketed, her aura blazing to life around her. Videl then bellowed, “Ka… Me… Ha… Me… 

*HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!!!*”

The mightiest belch under the heavens, contained within the signature technique of both the Kame House and the overall Son Family, shot from Videl's mouth. It zeroed in on a horrified Pan and created a great explosion that destroyed the entire house! Pan lay amidst the rubble, somehow only dazed, “You win, Mommy.”

“Oh yeah!” Videl cried out in a rather good impression of her father, “I win! I'm number—oh crap!” The daughter of Mister Satan looked upon what was left of her home and decided to let Pan off the hook: she would need all the help she could get in order to collect the Dragon Balls and restore everything before Gohan got back!

[darylandbethfanforever9]

Downfall Of Us All: Chapter 3

Downfall Of Us All

Chapter 3

Warnings: Medical examination, mention of past sexual assault and PTSD. Past torture, and abuse.

AN: Special thanks to @jtargaryen18​, who helped me write this story and the sequel as well. She deserves the credit for helping make this story dark in certain chapters. 

Sophie sat silently in the back of the armoured van with Raymond, Bonnie, Reg, Clyde and Jack in the pet carriers. She noticed the dark-haired woman was staring at her intently, when she spoke.

"I saw your sister in Sokovia, Novi Grad." Wanda said carefully, Sophie frowned at hearing this information. She knew Grace had travelled around Eastern Europe, but she hadn't said anything about going to Sokovia. "I didn't know Gracie went there, she never told me," Sophie admitted quietly, and looked at Bucky wearily. "Where are we going?" She asked wearily, but Bucky could hear the anxiousness in her voice. She was scared, and he couldn't blame her. "We're taking you and your sister to the Avengers Compound, they'll wanna do tests on you and make you sign the Sokovian Accords." Bucky explained grimly, looking at his Vibranium metal arm that had gold on it. Sophie swallowed. "What will happen to our shop? That's our livelihood, we can't lose our customers." She asked worriedly, her mother had built this business from nothing and now they could possibly lose it. "Tony will tell you, but you won't lose the business. It won't come to that, I swear." Bucky said reassuringly, trying to comfort her.

That surprised Sophie. As intimidating as the Winter Soldier was, especially with that arm, his kindness surprised her. She hoped he was right and their shop wouldn't be lost. "Thank you, sir," Sophie told him, trying to blink back tears. "Bucky," he told her, his blue eyes meeting hers. Sophie nodded. He really was handsome with incredible blue eyes. In that moment, it was hard to believe he was the same one who'd lunged at her baby sister back in the apartment. "Grace, she's my baby sister," she said quietly. "Is she okay back there?" Bucky nodded. "Clint's a good guy. She's going to be okay." "Why in the hell is he here?" Wanda demanded. "He just lost his children, he almost died. Why does Ross have him out here with us?" "I don't know, doll." Bucky shook his head. "I was thinking the same thing. But Clint's a tough bastard. He'll make it through this." "What?" Sophie looked back and forth between the both of them. "The guy that's back there with Grace lost his children?" Wanda nodded, her eyes misty. "They were small. They disappeared in the…" She didn't have to explain that to Sophie. They'd lost their neighbours on both sides to whatever the hell had happened. They'd come back. "I'm so sorry," Sophie whispered. "There's nothing worse than losing a child…" Afraid she'd said too much, she cast her gaze at her feet. "You've… lost a child?" Bucky asked surprised, Ross hadn’t mentioned it in the briefing about the sisters. Sophie shook her head. "No, not me." Wanda and Bucky exchanged a glance at that. "So, you knew Peter?" Wanda asked, her tone careful but friendly. Sophie nodded. "When our mother was still alive, we lived in the same apartment complex. He's… really great. It scares me a little that he's doing what you do." "We look after him," Wanda assured her. Bucky chuckled. "Not like he needs it. The kid's tough." "So, you can do what Peter does?" Wanda asked intrigued. Sophie thought about not answering that, but for some reason, she didn't get any bad vibes from her. From Bucky either.

"We've been able to do it since birth, when we were toddlers we'd cling to walls or jump up on the counter. Our parents were very protective of us, they didn't really let us hang out much with people." Sophie admitted shyly, tucking a strand of dark blonde hair behind her left ear. Her parents had been very respected in the Brooklyn Jewish community, they kept to themselves but were willing to help their fellow neighbours. Wanda and Bucky exchanged a look with each other silently, it was clear that Sophie had no idea about her parents dark past. "We're here." Bucky said quietly, the van stopped, and the door was opened for them. Wanda got out, followed by Sophie and Bucky as Ross observed them. "Take Miss Melnychenko Drăgoi into one of the examination rooms, while Barton brings in the sister," Ross said coldly, and left as two nurses took Sophie to the medical wing. Bucky watched her go silently, when Peter approached looking angry and upset. "Where are they taking Sophie?" He asked angrily, upset that his two friends were being treated like criminals. "Ross wants her to be examined, and undergo tests." Bucky explained quietly, not liking this reason any more than Peter did. Something was going on, and it wasn't good.

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Clint helped Grace out of the van and frowned at some of the soldiers who treated her harshly. They entered the compound, and Grace looked anxious. "Where's my sister? Is she ok?" Grace asked anxiously, Clint tried to reassure her as they waited. "Sophie's fine, they're just running some tests on her." Clint said reassuringly, Grace nodded reluctantly when Dr Jemma Simmons approached them. "Miss Melnychenko Drăgoi, please come with me. I'm going to examine you, and just run some tests." Jemma said carefully, Grace nodded hesitantly, and followed the woman. Clint watched her go in silence, when Bucky came over and touched his left shoulder. He looked up, and Bucky sighed. "Ross wants us in the conference room."

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Grace had changed into a hospital gown, and felt uncomfortable, it was bringing back painful memories for her. How she'd once worn a hospital gown, and been forced on a bed. She suddenly felt sick and took in a deep breath before laying down on the hospital bed. Dr Jemma Simmons gave her a smile, and she tried to relax. "I'm just going to do a pelvic exam. Is that alright?" She asked gently, Grace nodded hesitantly and put her feet in the stirrups as a nurse came in. They'd know what had happened to her. Tears burned her eyes, and she tried to blink them away but couldn't. Even after three years, she couldn't forget what had happened to her.

Jemma smiled as she put on a small pair of latex gloves, looking over Grace's charts. "Looks like they got all of your vitals," Jemma said. "Everything looks good." Grace nodded, trying not to fall apart on the table. "Are you okay?" the other woman asked. "Y-yes, Dr. Simmons," Grace didn't sound as brave as she had wanted to. "Please, call me Jemma," the doctor said carefully. Her face and eyes were kind. "I'm really sorry about all of this. I know how you must feel and I know you must be scared. For my part, I want to help you if I can. Okay?" Grace nodded, struggling. Jemma pressed on Grace's abdomen gently, checking the position of the ovaries, the womb. The doctor picked up the speculum and approached her carefully. "I'm going to do just a routine pap smear, okay?" Jemma asked. At Grace's nod, she got started. "There might be a little discomfort. I apologize." Grace didn't say anything while the doctor finished getting what she needed, removed the metal, and prepped the slide. "Almost done," Jemma told her, internally checking the position of the womb with her index finger. Then the woman frowned. "You've had a child?" There it was. Tears escaped her eyes, hot and stream over her temples into her hair. Grace couldn't breathe, somehow managed to nod. Jemma peeled off the gloves, approaching Grace's side gently. "Can you tell me about it?" "Why?" Grace's anguish was evident in her voice. "I'm supposed to tell you it's procedure," Jemma explained, "and that all of the Avengers go through a complete physical examination. It's true. But I know this must seem like a horrible invasion of privacy to you. I'm so sorry." Grace squeezed the hand that was offered to her in kindness. "I had a son," Grace whispered. "His name was Zach." The doctor's eyes were shiny, like she knew the story that was coming wasn't going to have a happy outcome. "What happened?" Jemma asked gently.

"It happened when the Sokovian Accords were approved, my son Zach....he inherited my abilities and somehow SHIELD found out. A team came, and they took him away, I can still hear him crying." Grace whispered brokenly, and tears slid down her cheeks. Jenna felt her own eyes sting with unshed tears, this young woman had lost her son because of SHIELD. What on earth had happened to Grace's son, after he'd been taken. "Do you know where they took him?" Jemma asked quietly, compassion in her voice and Grace wiped her eyes with a tissue. She was trying to calm down, but the emotions were still raw. "No, I looked everywhere but I never found him. I have hope that he's out there still, but I don't know where he is or if he's even here," Grace admitted quietly, and swallowed. "Do you know who the father is?" Jemma asked finally, knowing that this had to be difficult for Grace to talk about. Before Grace could speak, Natasha was at the door and she looked angry, but it wasn't directed at her. "Dr Simmons, Agent Bobbi Morse wishes to speak to us." She informed quietly and looked at Grace who looked like she'd been crying. "I'll be right back, Grace." Jemma said comfortingly, Grace nodded and wrapped her arms around her stomach tightly.

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"What the hell does SHIELD want?" Clint asked wearily, he didn't have any fondness for SHIELD at the minute. Since Coulson was revealed to be alive, he was furious that Fury and Director Maria Hill had kept the team in the dark about Coulson. "We've been ordered by the SHIELD Deputy Director Gonzalez, to interview Grace Melnychenko Drăgoi. She is considered a threat by Homeland Security, and is required to be placed in custody," Bobbi said coldly, her voice unemotional and detached. Clint couldn't believe that he'd married her once, it had been a big mistake and it hadn't ended well. "You can interview her, but she's staying here. She hasn't done anything wrong, and neither has her sister." Clint said angrily, and Bobbi glared at him when Bruce spoke up. "When we were examining Grace, we found scars on her body, and Jenna did a pelvic exam." Bruce said quietly, as he guided them to a room. Clint looked at the photos, and saw faded scars on Grace's chest, shoulders and neck. There were a few scars on her back, as well. "Where did she get these scars?" Wanda asked shocked, and Jemma swallowed slightly before speaking. "We don't know, but when I examined her there were signs that she'd given birth at least two years ago. She had a son." Jemma said quietly, causing the room to go quiet. "None of Grace's files mention her having a child, or going to a hospital." Hope said confused, and Tony sighed quietly before he and Scott exchanged a grim look. "That's because someone wiped her medical files clean, there's nothing there except Grace's birth records. Someone didn't want any of us to find out Grace had a child," Natasha said grimly, looking at Clint who looked deep in thought. Grace had a son, she had a son. "Did she say who the father was, Dr Simmons?" Bobbi asked impatiently, Jemma frowned at her. "She was too upset, and I didn't ask." Jemma said coolly, she left to go check on her patient. "That explains what Sophie said earlier in the van, she said it was horrible losing a child." Bucky said sympathy in his voice, and Ross glared at him. "Romanoff, Morse, question her and find out who the father was. For all we know, he could be an Inhuman, a Mutant or Enhanced." The Home Secretary ordered sharply.

Clint watched the bastard walk off, lowered his voice. "These scars," he said to Jemma, pointing to a couple of them. "She was tortured." Jemma nodded. "Seems likely." Natasha and Clint exchanged a glance. He knew Nat could handle Bobbi and she'd be careful with Grace in getting the rest of the story.

Nat tapped Bobbi on the shoulder, nonchalantly telling her they had to go. To someone who didn't know Nat well, she would seem perfectly calm. Clint knew better. Nat would get the rest of Grace's story. Something told him he didn't want to know it. Nat felt it too.

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Grace had dressed, there was still no sign of Sophie, and they'd led her to a small conference room. It was cold, and she was alone, just wishing she could curl in on herself and be anywhere else. When the door opened, two women walked in. One wore a grey pantsuit with a violet dress shirt. Her dark blonde hair framed her face in loose waves. The other woman was dressed casually in jeans with a t-shirt and hoodie. Her hair was blonde and bobbed off at her jaw line. Grace looked closer, realizing this woman she'd seen on TV. Her hair had been red. Ah, that one was the Black Widow. Unlike the woman in the suit, who regarded her coolly, the famous spy's eyes were kind. It was easier to look at her. "Grace, we're here to talk to you," the woman in the suit said. "I'm Agent Bobbi Morse. This is Agent Natasha Romanoff." Grace nodded. "And then we'll be done?" Natasha smiled gently. "Then we'll be done." Bobbi shot the other agent a look before clearing her throat and turning her attention back to Grace. "You're being held because you're considered a threat by the office of Homeland Security," Bobbi started. "The faster you tell us what we need to know, the faster we can get you processed. Okay?" "Processed?" Grace asked. "By that do you mean my sister and I can back to our lives? We're not trying to pose a threat to anyone. We own a cake shop. We make cakes for people's weddings and birthday parties. That's all." "Your parents were agents for a foreign faction," Bobbi told her tersely. "So, we're being punished for that?" Grace fought to keep her voice calm and even but was failing horribly. "No, you're being held for what you've done," Bobbi shot back. Grace hated that she was trembling, hated thinking back to those days when she'd fought each day just to survive. Would either of these women even begin to understand the darkness she'd been immersed in? What she had to do to survive? How could they?

"What have I exactly done? Please tell me." Grace said resentfully, angry that she was being held for something that she most likely hadn't done. "Consorting with a known terrorist, by the name Brock Rumlow who was a former S.H.I.E.L.D agent. You met him in Sokovia, on the 14th of July." Bobbi explained coldly, showing Grace a photo of the man who had raped, beaten and tortured her. Natasha saw Grace's face pale at the sight of the photo, and her hands were shaking slightly. So, Rumlow had been the man who had tortured and possibly raped her. "I didn't meet him by choice, I was in Sokovia doing relief work with the Red Cross. I wasn't doing anything illegal, I was just trying to help people." Grace said defensively, trying to keep her emotions under control. She could feel his hands on her skin, what he had done to her all those years ago with those two other men. She shivered inadvertently and tried to keep calm. "But why Sokovia? Surely you knew that there was a civil war going on in the country?" Bobbi pressed firmly, refusing to give the young woman a break. "Because I wanted to help people, I didn't have an ulterior motive. I was travelling around Eastern Europe and to Israel, to research my family tree," Grace said calmly, trying to keep her temper under control. "Did you know that you were conceived out of rape, as was your older sister?" Bobbi asked bluntly, causing Grace to freeze in shock a time the woman's words. Her mother was raped by her father? "That can't be true, it can't be. My parents were married in 1985, the 5th of November in Ukraine, Odessa. You've got it wrong." She insisted firmly, knowing her father wasn't a rapist. Adam Drăgoi had been a very quiet man, but had doted on his wife and two daughters. Grace would always remember how he'd always hug her or reassure her when things were rough. Natasha frowned at Grace's words, the young woman was adamant that her parents had genuinely loved each other. Maybe Adam Drăgoi had genuinely loved Anya Melnychenko, in a twisted way. "I'm afraid not, you and your sister were born into a program known as the Spider Widow Program. You and your sister were both genetically experimented on while in utero." Natasha explained quietly, causing Grace to look horrified. "But, have you ever met this man before?" Bobbi interrupted harshly, giving Natasha a warning look before looking at Grace who looked at the photo of Rumlow. "I've seen him on the news, he was the one who blew himself up in Lagos." Grace said wearily, trying not give anything away. "Were you in a romantic relationship with Rumlow?" Bobbi asked sharply, studying Grace intently for any weaknesses and Grace flinched as if she'd been slapped. "No! God no." She said horrified, and Natasha intervened at that minute, seeing Grace looked close to crying. "Grace, who was the father of your son?" Natasha asked gently, Grace felt tears slide down her cheeks and she felt defeated. There was no way out. "I was raped in Sokovia, I was coming back from the clinic when a young man came over. He told me that his twin sister was in labour, and she needed help, I went to help but he knocked me out," She said numbly, staring at the wall ahead. "What happened next?" Natasha asked gently, she knew this had to be very traumatic for Grace to relive and Bobbi wasn't helping things either. "I woke up in a room, and there was a man there. He told me that he'd been watching me, and....he called me Widow." Grace said quietly, she pulled at her hair band that was on her right wrist. Natasha reached over the table and took her hand, Grace was trembling as she spoke the next words. "They did tests on me every day, and..... that’s when he came into the bedroom that was mine. He was taunting me, I tried to get to the door, but he grabbed me by the hair and started kissing me. I bit down on his lip." Grace said distantly, her mind involuntarily wandering back to the memory.

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Sokovia, Novi Grad 15th of July 2015 Grace didn't know how long she'd been here in this place, she'd been taken every morning to a room that was like a laboratory but didn't see anyone else. Dr List had taken blood from her every day she'd been on her period, and now she was stuck in this room, her bedroom. She'd tried to keep her mind busy, by reading books. Her powers weren't working either, she sometimes found herself hang upside down on the ceiling or cocooned in a web.

The door opened, and she saw a man with short dark brown hair, and hard, cruel brown eyes. He had terrible burns on his forearms, and one on his neck. "Who are you?" Grace asked wearily, trying to smooth down her dress as she eyed the man suspiciously. "Call me Brock, blondie. Strucker sent me, to babysit his pet project," Brock said coldly, and he leered at her. She could sense his emotions and grasped the glass vase. She threw it at him.

He dodged it easily, laughing. His dark eyes gleamed as his gaze slid over her body, his intention was clear. His emotions were heavy with dark intent. He liked her fear. Grace's heart thundered in her chest. No. No. Why was this happening to her? Grace had always been able to move quickly. She lunged in one direction, then darted the opposite way, trying to around him and she did throw him off balance. But he was so tall, so big with heavy muscles. She knew if he got his hands on her, she wouldn't be able to throw him off. His laugh made her begin to feel sick. "If this is how you want it," he said. "It works for me. I want you to fight. Makes it more fun. A lot more fun." Grace kept scrambling around him, trying the door and then darting away when it wouldn't open, and he almost grabbed her. "Why?" It came out more as an anguished cry. "Why are you doing this?" "Because I can," he said simply, trying now to lunge at her, done with this part of the game in his mind. "Because they want me to." "What?" Grace yelled back. When she darted for the door this time, she frantically jerked the doorknob, pleading with it, for anything to let her open the door, to run away from here. Hot tears were streaming down her face as she darted away again, only this time not fast enough. Pain bloomed in her scalp when he grabbed a handful of her hair, jerking her back by it until she was pressed against him. His other arm clamped around her to hold her in place for him. Grace shivered in revulsion as he ran his nose down the line of neck and back up again to lick the shell of her ear. "We're going to have some fun, Blondie," he whispered roughly into her ear. "While you're welcome to keep fighting me, because I do like it, you might find if you just let it happen, you'll like it." He'd dragged her to the bed at that point and at that moment, the nightmare she'd been trapped in became a thousand times worse.

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Tag list: @kitkatd7​, @jtargaryen18​, @marvelfansworld​, @sherrybaby14​, and @sapphirescrolls​

[gumnut-logic]

The Hero (Part Three)

Title: The Hero

Sequel/companion piece to The Joker

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Author: Gumnut

3 - 12 Nov 2019

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: Thunderbird Two, with Virgil and Gordon aboard, is hijacked and stolen. With Virgil injured, it is up to Gordon to save his brother and his ‘bird. Sequel/companion piece to ‘The Joker’. Gordon is far more than he seems.

Word count: 3016

Spoilers & warnings: Violence, WASP!Gordon, Military!Scott, whump.

Timeline: Sequel/companion piece to ‘The Joker’.

Author’s note: For @corbyinoz because she has written some magnificent Virgil and Gordon fics and is a great inspiration. Thank you for all your wonderful words.

Oh god, this one’s a hard one. Just ask @vegetacide I’ve been whining in her ear for the last hour or so. I am so not sure about this. I really hope I can pull this off, but I’m chewing my fingernails into stubs. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

It started with ‘The Joker’. I got interested in WASP!Gordon and decided to explore his side of the story. Then PLOT happened. Now I have no idea what is going on.

Many thanks to @vegetacide and @scribbles97 for putting up with my crazy.

Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

Gordon held position, his eyes tracking his opponent.

“Left foot, Mister Gordon.”

Green eyes punctuated that statement, targeting the offending limb. Gordon shifted it back into form.

Kyrano circled and Gordon felt sweat break out on his forehead. Every sense was alert. Kyrano had that effect on him.

The security specialist was small in stature but deadly. His slowly greying hair hid his youth and his fitness. If the swimmer wanted to admit it to himself, the Malay scared him.

But his need outweighed his fear. He had to do this and Kyrano was the most capable of teaching him how.

Like a snake the man struck. Gordon fumbled to defend and for a moment he thought he had succeeded, but a sudden lack of limbs in contact with the floor saw him falling flat on his ass.

“Focus on your left foot and you forget your right.”

Gordon sagged into the mat.

“You wish to become WASP, yet you allow such vulnerability.”

“Doing my best, K.”

“Do better.”

He looked up to find those same green eyes staring at him beyond an offered hand. He reached up and took it.

And found himself airborne.

Ah, shit.

It was the only thought he could manage before the mat was again attempting to slap him into next week.

But this time he rebounded, using his centre of gravity to pivot and bring his flailing feet around in an arc in an attempt to take his teacher’s feet out from under him.

Of course, he failed, the Malay simply stepping back, but the glint of approval in those green eyes made it worth it.

Gordon followed through on the arc and used his momentum to spin himself to his feet.

He automatically shifted into form, body ready for another attack.

Kyrano eyed him. “You have some promise.”

On the sidelines, Virgil grinned at him.

Tin was no where near as impressed, but the subtle curve of her lips said it all.

“Perhaps you won’t die in your first fight.” Gordon grinned at Kyrano. “You’ll only be maimed.”

The grin became a glare. “Is that a bet, K?”

“Currently, it is a certainty.”

Gordon rolled his eyes. “Then teach me to kick your butt and I’ll prove you wrong.”

The small smile on Kyrano’s face was satisfying.

-o-o-o-

Gordon spun Thunderbird Two midair, coming to an abrupt landing that shook her frame and would have had her pilot swearing at him if he had been conscious.

The aquanaut shoved off his harness. “John, get the medics in here.”

His brother’s efficient “FAB.” was lost to Gordon throwing himself out of his co-pilot’s seat and hurrying to Virgil’s side. A quick vitals check disturbed the pilot and he muttered something incomprehensible.

“Hey, Virg. Hold on, bro, we’re getting you some help.”

“Gordon...”

He had never heard his name uttered with such faith and yet such vulnerability.

His chest tightened.

But he had no time for emotional response.

Dashing across the cockpit, he deployed a hover stretcher and dragged it over to the pilot’s chair.

Virgil sagged in his seat, muttering. Gordon gently nudged him upright and his brother moaned.

This was going to hurt.

“C’mon, Virg, let’s get you horizontal.”

“Need to protect...” And the sentence became incomprehensible.

Gordon levered his brother out of the pilot’s seat. Virgil flailed, his pain obvious, his coherency lost.

A clunk and the lower hatch deployed, John actioning Gordon’s request. Moments and hands were helping him lower Virgil onto the hover stretcher.

“Gordon! Gordon, no!”

Shit!

“Virgil! Virgil, I’m here! You’re safe. We’re both safe.” He desperately attempted to get his brother to focus on him, but whatever they had given him denied the man relief and his only understanding appeared to be the fact he was surrounded by strangers.

Virgil exploded.

The little energy the exhausted man had left, he threw into his muscles and attempted to leap off the gurney. Even weakened, Virgil was a big man and two of the medical personnel were thrown across the cockpit.

Gordon grabbed a flailing arm and bent it behind Virgil’s back, desperate to restrain him. “Virgil! You’re safe!”

“Gordon! Have to pr’tect G’don!” It was a bellowed slur and Virgil tipped sideways, barely catching himself. His other arm shot out uncoordinated and Gordon grabbed it, twisting his brother on the stretcher as the aquanaut climbed on top of him and held him down.

A medic appeared with a hypodermic.

“God, no! No sedative! He’s been drugged enough already.”

Virgil was wailing Gordon’s name over and over again, struggling to get free, but his body was giving out on him. Blood smeared on the mattress cover.

“Get us moving. Get some restraints.” Gasped out as Virgil wrenched his arm. “I’ll hold him.”

And International Rescue entered the military hospital, one member holding the other while he cried out his brother’s name over and over again.

-o-o-o-

Gordon eyed his former mentor. The man looked well; silver hair cut short except for the short braid at the nape of his neck. Simply dressed as always, black and silver embroidered tunic, loose black pants, both giving him the freedom of movement he used to attack at will. “Long time, no see, K.”

“Not long enough for that moniker to be any more acceptable.”

The aquanaut grinned. “You love it, just won’t admit it.”

Those green eyes, so similar to his daughter’s, flicked to Scott. “How is Mister Virgil?”

Beside Gordon, Scott’s stance shifted to one of weariness. “Recovering slowly. You have my briefing on the details.”

Kyrano straightened. “Yes, I do. Though it appears to be lacking some information.”

Scott’s stance shifted again and Gordon was reminded that Kyrano’s verbal sparring skills matched his physical skillset. “You have what is necessary.”

“But perhaps not everything that is needed.”

Scott tensed and Gordon frowned. “What more is there to tell?”

“What did you learn from Virgil?”

Gordon couldn’t help himself, he stiffened. “Nothing relevant.” But he knew it was a lost cause. Kyrano knew him too well.

“You have what is necessary.” The Commander of International Rescue made sure it was final. Scott straightened up beside him, his height, as always, to his advantage.

Kyrano eyed him a moment. “Very well.”

The tension in the air spiked a moment and Gordon found his feet automatically shifting into form.

Shit.

Kyrano smiled at him, green eyes sparkling. The man knew how to play a room. “Relax, Mister Gordon. You are among friends.”

“That remains to be seen.” And Tin spun on her heel and stalked out.

Scott sighed. “C’mon, Kyrano. I don’t know how you got onto the Island and I’m pretty sure you’re not going to tell me, but let’s get you set up in your old rooms.”

Gordon’s lips thinned. No doubt Tin was off scouring the security network looking for the hole her father had used.

“Thank you, Mister Tracy.”

As Kyrano turned towards the door, Gordon shuddered.

Mister Scott was no more and it hurt.

-o-o-o-

Gordon had no idea what time of day it was. His body ached and the remainder of the day had become a blur. Skipping across the Pacific was going both backward and forward in time and the sun had risen in the west.

Now everything consisted of the four walls holding his brother’s whimpers in the room.

They couldn’t sedate him and Virgil was caught in some kind of paranoid nightmare continually calling out to Gordon, terrified his brother was being hurt. Gordon had tried repeatedly to make himself known. There were moments where recognition set in and Virgil found the briefest of relief, but then his eyes would fog, memories reset and he would lose it again.

It was exhausting.

They had been forced to use strong restraints both to protect the staff and to protect Virgil from hurting himself.

It took the Commander of International Rescue a good twenty minutes to make it to the scene. John had reported Scott caught up with a mid-air collision over the Atlantic while Gordon had been hurtling across the Pacific.

The roar of One blanketed the base as she tore in to land, presumably beside Two. The blue-suited figure who strode into the room while the doctors were attempting to examine Virgil, flung out sharp and clipped questions demanding immediate answer, his eldest brother shielded by the military man who protected them all.

Virgil didn’t recognise Scott any more than he did Gordon.

Gordon watched as his big brother tried everything to calm the distraught man. The gentlest of touches, his fingers in Virgil’s hair, soft words.

Virgil only cried out more, tears in his eyes.

“Gordon, h‘s going t’ hurt Gordon. Can’t…can’t…”

Scott’s face turned to stone.

More sharp questions to the doctors revealed nothing. They had no idea what the hell was going on. Timelines told them that if Virgil had been dosed with anything at the time suggested, it should be wearing off now.

It wasn’t.

It was getting worse.

Three hours in, Virgil finally fell silent and slipped into unconsciousness.

His vitals took a dive.

-o-o-o-

When their father went missing, they lost more than just Jeff Tracy.

Kyrano took his loss as a personal affront and between one day and the next, upped and vanished.

The brothers still reeling in loss had no idea what to think.

Kayo was furious.

Gordon remembered his sister shifting from sorrow to anger when they discovered her father missing. He had left a note, detailing what he considered a personal failure, adding an equally personal vendetta to his reasons for leaving.

He neglected to even say goodbye.

It was like losing a third parent.

For all of them.

For Gordon it was also losing a mentor. The security specialist had been his guide in so much during those years. In training for WASP, his tenure, the accident that tore him from it and the long recovery that followed…Kyrano had been his spiritual lead. His brothers kept him afloat, but Kyrano had been his rudder in a time of turbulence.

Losing their father caused more pain than all of it and Kyrano left them all high and dry.

He had to respect the man, he had the right to mourn in his own way, but it hit Gordon hard.

But not as much as Kayo. She had never forgiven him for that moment. When he did eventually return, it was obviously with reluctance and on his own terms.

The one-sided screaming match between father and daughter had been heard across the Island. Gordon had the honour of seeing her flee the scene in tears.

He couldn’t remember the last time Tin had cried over anything.

She had barely tolerated the man ever since.

It left Gordon wondering if there was more to the equation that he wasn’t privy to. Virgil had attempted to follow up with Kayo, but she rejected everyone’s enquiries and eventually they all gave up, resorting to watching from the arms-length she kept them all at.

But each time Kyrano arrived back on the Island, always on his own terms and straight through her security, her anger returned.

Kyrano apparently ignored it, but Gordon was willing to bet his considerable fortune that it was all a façade.

Because Kyrano had always loved his daughter beyond reason and it just didn’t fly that her scorn could not affect the man.

“You hacked Four’s launch bay?!” Gordon stared at him. “What the hell, K? You’ve disabled her elevator! What if we’re called out?” Goddamnit.

“What if I wasn’t a friendly?”

“You could have just reported the vulnerability.”

“Demonstration is always the most efficient form of communication.”

Brains came running into the room, summoned by Scott. With Virgil out of action, the engineer was their primary fix-it man. The moment he caught sight of Kyrano, he took a step back. Brains had never been comfortable around Kyrano. Kayo sometimes gave the engineer the heebee jeebies. Her father multiplied that factor several times over and it put Brains in uncomfortable territory.

Even more when the specialist found holes in his creations.

Scott’s frown said it all. “Brains, we need repairs on Four’s chute and a security hole plugged. Kayo will give you details.”

The woman was back to her stone-faced glare, targeting her father from across the lounge.

“Y-Yes, Sc-Scott. I’ll get r-right on that.” He darted across the room, Max buzzing along behind him, camera trained on Kyrano in curiosity. Kayo pushed off from the lounge and with a final glare, followed the engineer out of the room.

Scott rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “I really wish you’d stop doing that, Kyrano. A notification would be enough.”

Kyrano shrugged. “I do what I think is best.”

“K, you mess with my ‘bird again, you and I are going to have words.”

“I’ll remember to bring my dictionary, Mister Gordon.”

Scott sighed again. “Kyrano, I need your assessment of our security.”

Green eyes flicked in the Commander’s direction. “I stand before you, do I not?”

“K, you set up security here. Foiling your own work hardly constitutes an assessment.” Besides Gordon had gone over security with both Kayo and Scott and there had been no sign of a vulnerability in Four’s launch bay.

His mentor’s lips thinned and he turned to look out towards the balcony and the ocean beyond, his whole body a picture of ease, one hand holding the wrist of the other in front of him.

A sudden hiss followed by a roar and something swooped in low over the ocean, leapt up the cliff in front of the villa and came to an abrupt halt, hovering above the pool.

Gordon stared at the frozen projectile. VTOL flickered orange and angry.

Not a single alarm was raised. There was no call from John or Eos.

“My assessment is that you are very vulnerable.”

Scott was a vibrating mass beside Gordon. “You said you fixed security after the Hood invaded our home.”

Gordon glared at the man. “And we don’t usually have to worry about Thunderducks being thrown at us, K.” The little arrow of an aqua-vehicle had gone missing with Kyrano and it was a given the man had taken it with him. They hadn’t seen it and it hadn’t been mentioned the few times Kyrano had been called back to the Island, but Brains had not been concerned. The craft was very low tech on the Thunderbird scale and besides, they had gifted it to the man.

Green eyes fastened on him. “How about Thunderbirds, Mister Gordon? Did you not lose one just recently?”

Gordon stiffened. “We got her back.”

“But what if you hadn’t?” The Thunderduck nudged a little closer to the open balcony doors.

“Your demonstration has communicated what it needs to, Kyrano.” Scott’s voice was controlled within an inch of its existence.

Kyrano eyed the Commander a moment and tilted his head a little. “Very well.”

The Thunderduck lowered quietly into the pool and settled there.

Gordon groaned. Now he would have to clean the damn pool.

“Your biggest vulnerability is yourselves.”

“And how exactly do we fix that?” Scott’s teeth were gritted, Gordon could almost hear them grinding.

Those green eyes just smiled.

-o-o-o-

As they watched their brother slipping away, Scott threw more questions at the doctors. The medical staff did what they could, but Virgil refused to respond to anything they did.

The drug should be flushing out of his system, but instead it was almost as if someone was upping the dose.

But there was nothing. The hospital had scanned his brother, there were no foreign objects in him or on him or…

Gordon’s eyes widened as his stared at his prone brother. “Shit.” It came out of him in a rush. A blink and he was up and moving.

“Gordon?!” Scott stood up abruptly.

He didn’t bother to answer his brother, his beeline for Two more important than anything. A fumble through the medical equipment locker and he dragged their IR medical scanner into the hospital.

Scott asked him questions with his eyes, but helped him set up the equipment beside Virgil.

Five minutes later, with the superior technology of International Rescue, they discovered why Virgil was deteriorating.

“What the hell is that?” The question burst from Gordon at the sight of the electronically camouflaged, pill shaped object lodged in Virgil’s oesophagus. A swipe of his hand and an enlarged hologram of the object appeared above his prone brother. The hologram flickered, plagued with interference as the object attempted to diffuse the signal.

A word to John, a tie into the scanner and the image cleared.

“Brains? What am I looking at?” The signal was thrown at Tracy Island.

The analysis came back ten minutes later, Brains’ words stabbing.

It was tiny, but it was a fully engineered death trap. Partly it was drug delivery. The drug likely immobilised the victim, and initially made him subject to suggestion, a simple torture device modulating the dose over a longer term than a hypodermic was capable.

But there was more.

A molecular scan of the object revealed it contained a manufactured substance that when it eventually came in contact with the hydrochloric acid in Virgil stomach, was going to leave a sizeable hole where the hospital currently stood. The capsule was designed to corrode.

It was only a matter of time before the container eroded and the resultant explosion obliterated everything in a good five hundred metre radius.

The only reason it hadn’t was because it had gotten stuck on the way down, caught in the oesophageal wall, and the acid concentration was low where it had lodged.

There was a frozen moment of silence after Brains delivered the diagnosis.

It was broken by a single whimper from the bed, Virgil struggling against his own unconsciousness.

“Fuck.” It came out in a rush of pain, anguish and fear.

-o-o-o-

End Part Three

Part Four

[delicioussshame]

You might remember I wrote a voyeurism/exhibitionism fic for kinktober? Have a sequel.

“Binghe decided to visit early today.”

Luo Binghe doesn’t flinch. It’s just a passing comment. “Would Shizun prefer I come back later? I would happily make him dinner if he so desires.” He can’t help being worried about Shizun’s food intake. Liu Qingge of all people cannot possibly provide meals worthy of being served to Shen Qingqiu. What if he doesn’t feed himself properly anymore?

“Binghe is always welcome to cook, but that’s not what I meant. His past visits have been much later than this. Why did he decide to change it now?”

Luo Binghe stops breathing, his gaze fixed on his shizun’s perfectly opaque face. “What is Shizun talking about?”

Shen Qingqiu’s fan bats the air in an almost redolent way. “Do you really think so little of your shizun and shishu? What kind of peak lords would we be if a disciple of ours could sneak on us repeatedly without us noticing?”

Luo Binghe’s heart is about to beat out of his chest. What was he even thinking? How could he hope to best Shen Qingqiu? Of course someone as excellent as his master wasn’t fooled by his lacklustre attempts at secrecy. What an idiot he has been! “Shizun! Please forgive your disciple! He meant no disrespect! I just… needed to see Shizun.” He doesn’t know what else to say. There’s no way he can explain how all-consuming his desire for Shen Qingqiu is without scaring him away. By now, Luo Binghe knows that his master will always be first in his heart, no matter what separates them. Even if Shen Qingqiu never returns his feelings, even if he spends the rest of his life by Liu Qingge’s side, Luo Binghe will still be there for him.

But that’s only if Shen Qingqiu allows it. If he’s disgusted by Luo Binghe’s behaviour and decides to repudiate him…

Luo Binghe is not sure he could survive it.

“Then Binghe must have been satisfied.”

Luo Binghe could never have enough of his shizun. How could he be satisfied? “No.”

“No? What is Binghe still lacking, after so brazenly sneaking into his shishu’s house over and over again?”

Luo Binghe chooses not to answer. Shen Qingqiu has been made aware of his feelings long ago. He must know Luo Binghe will take everything he can from him and yet it could never hope to be enough.

Shen Qingqiu continues, face still blank and hidden behind his fan, inscrutable eyes peeking over the top. “If Binghe wants, he could come to our bedroom tonight. Maybe he would find the experience more… fulfilling.”

__________

Luo Binghe focuses on his breathing to the exclusion of everything else. He has to remain in control of himself in front of Shizun.

He’s welcomed to the room not by Shen Qingqiu’s placid smile, but by Liu Qingge’s hostile glare over Shen Qingqiu’s shoulders.

He couldn’t care less about Liu Qingge’s approval. If Luo Binghe is here, it’s because both he and Shen Qingqiu allowed it. He can look reluctant all he wants; Luo Binghe knows the truth.

Shen Qingqiu’s back is turned to him, so his voice is a bit muffled. Not that it matters. He can always hear Shizun’s words. “Binghe can come sit on the foot of the bed if he wants to.”

Liu Qingge’s hold on Shen Qingqiu tightens as Luo Binghe steps closer with trembling steps before setting down on the bed.

The way Shen Qingqiu is kneeling to face Liu Qingge exposes his thin ankles and soft feet. Luo Binghe could easily reach out and wrap a hand around one of these ankles, feel the warmth of his skin and the fragility of his bones under his palms, if he dared.

He doesn’t.

Not yet.

A soft sigh escapes Shen Qingqiu as Liu Qingge kisses his neck, eyes still stuck to Luo Binghe.

Luo Binghe bares his teeth.

Liu Qingge sinks his into the flesh of Shen Qingqiu’s neck in obvious retaliation.

The growl that escapes his throat rings in unison with Shen Qingiu’s moan in the silence of the room.

Liu Qingge’s hands slide under the fabric of Shen Qingqiu’s robes, pushing them over his shoulders and down his waist. His head lowers down Shen Qingqiu’s chest while his hands linger down his back.

Luo Binghe can hear himself breathe faster. How can he remain calm while his master is so close? His whole body aches with the need to touch, to be the one to cause him to sigh in pleasure.

But he can’t. Shizun didn’t give him permission.

“Is Binghe, ah, enjoying himself?”

“Don’t talk to him! He’s already getting more than he deserves.”

Shen Qingqiu tuts even as Liu Qingge tries to divert his attention with his mouth. “Really, so rude.”

“I’m not the one who’s rude! He is!”

“He’s a guest now.”

“A guest!”

Luo Binghe couldn’t see it, but the noise of a face being slapped is unmistakable. “That’s quite enough of you being a hypocrite, thank you.”

Liu Qingge shuts up. If he’s anything like Luo Binghe, he’s probably too overwhelmed by this casual show of dominance, so alien to Shen Qingqiu’ usual disposition, to protest. If Luo Binghe was the one put in his place like this, he cannot imagine himself refusing any following request. Just thinking about it leaves him smoldering.

“Well then, Binghe, thoughts?”

All of Luo Binghe’s thoughts are centered on only one theme. “Shizun, can I please touch you?” Even if Shen Qingqiu being so near is the sweetest torture, it’s still torture. Shen Qingqiu can’t plan on teasing him forever, can he? He wouldn’t be so cruel as to invite him here and only tempt him all night long?

Shen Qingqiu turns his body toward him, granting Luo Binghe a look at his naked chest, adorned with red kiss marks that drive him wild with envy. His teacher’s eyes bore into him before obviously finding him unworthy. “Not yet, I think.”

“Shizun! Please!”

“Does Binghe also need to be taught a lesson? If he can’t behave, he’ll have to leave. Would he prefer that? I assure him we’ll manage by ourselves just fine.”

Liu Qingge plasters himself to Shen Qingqiu’s back, worrying his nape while his hand wraps itself around Shen Qingqiu’s cock and starts pumping. He’s clearly showing off, reminding Luo Binghe that he can easily have everything that Luo Binghe himself hasn’t been permitted.

Luo Binghe’s nails dig into his thighs while Shen Qingqiu’s spread under Liu Qingge. Like he could leave when he can smell the desire off Shen Qingqiu’s skin. “This disciple will behave. Please don’t send me away.”

Shen Qingqiu’s chest rises and falls more rapidly with each stroke. “Good, ah, boy.”

Luo Binghe can’t stop himself from moaning. He wants nothing more than being Shen Qingqiu’s good boy. All he has to do is ask.

Liu Qingge guides Shen Qingqiu to lie on the bed, slightly propped up by pillows, before pulling out a vial of oil obviously kept there for reasons that make Luo Binghe lightheaded.

Liu Qingge coats his fingers in the oil and slips one inside.

Luo Binghe stops thinking about anything that’s not Shen Qingqiu being filled and prepared for more right in front of him.

Liu Qingge is not going to… while Luo Binghe is right here, is he?

Oh yes he is. Why would he stop himself, after all? What better claim is there?

Luo Binghe feels strangely helpless watching Shizun's stretched hole being readied for someone else, again. Even while sharing a bed with him, Shen Qingqiu is going to be taken by Liu Qingge. It’s just so unfair.

It doesn’t make Shen Qingqiu any less arresting though. It takes little effort for Luo Binghe to imagine Shen Qingqiu is rolling his hips on his fingers; that the delightful sounds he’s making are caused by him. Since he’s the one who called him here, there’s surely a parcel of truth to it.

Shen Qingqiu’s hands lift to caress Liu Qingge’s face. The look they share, intimate, is but another thing Luo Binghe is excluded from that he can only dream of. If Shen Qingqiu looked at him like that, like they were alone in the world and he couldn’t be happier about it… Luo Binghe would hand him the world on a platter.

Shen Qingqiu makes the most obscene noises when Liu Qingge finally replaces his fingers by his cock.

Luo Binghe’s is bigger. He bets he would make Shizun feel better that Liu Qingge ever could.

Why is he even here if not to make Shizun feel good?

Not that, despite himself, he's not enjoying the spectacle anyway. Shen Qingqiu just looks like he’s made for taking cock, riding every trust with abandon even with Luo Binghe watching his every move. Luo Binghe hears himself whimper with each of Shen Qingqiu's wordless pleas for more, inwardly begging to fulfill them.

“Ah, nn, Binghe, here-“ As if reaching for him, Shen Qingqiu presents him his right hand, grasping nothing as the left one fists into Liu Qingge's hair.

Luo Binghe scrambles over to hold the hand so extended and hisses when his shizun's nails dig into his skin. Fearless, he raises it to his lips, pressing the lightest kiss on the back of Shen Qingqiu's damp hand. “Shizun.”

Beside him, Luo Binghe knows Liu Qingge is trying to pound Shen Qingqiu into the mattress so that he forgets Luo Binghe is even here. Sadly for him, he has an advantage neither of them do; he has nothing to lose and no desire to silence himself any longer. Shizun had told him not to touch without his express permission, but he hasn’t said anything about talking. “I'm sure that even if I dedicated my life to searching, I wouldn’t find anyone half as beautiful as Shizun is right now. I wish he could see himself twisting the in the sheets, so good, so eager for what he’s being given. If he would allow me, I would keep it in this state all night and then some, so that the stunning vision he makes doesn’t fade.”

“Shut up!”

Luo Binghe ignores Liu Qingge’s outraged objection. Everybody knows he is a man of few words. Luo Binghe isn’t. If he can’t worship Shen Qingqiu with his body, he'll do so with his mouth. Figuratively, though he hopes he'll have the chance to do so literally before the night ends. “If Shizun wants to shut me up, he can do so with his mouth whenever he pleases. He could also allow me to use mine on him. How could I dare to waste time on words when I could be tasting his skin?”

The hand grasping his pulls Luo Binghe forward. Luo Binghe follows with glee, advancing on his knees, and frees his shizun’s hand from his hold. Shen Qingqiu grabs his head and drags it toward him.

Luo Binghe will remember their first kiss always.

Liu Qingge grows deeply over Shen Qingqiu.

Luo Binghe couldn’t care less. “Is Shishu jealous? Does he want a kiss too?” Of course, he has no intention of following through. He just wants to see if Liu Qingge can fume even more.

Liu Qingge’s answer is to fuck Shen Qingqiu harder, until he’s screaming himself raw.

Luo Binghe smothers said screams with his mouth as he finally, finally wraps his hand around Shen Qingqiu’s cock, stroking him as he shatters under their touch.

He’s the hardest he’s ever been.

It’s not enough to get him down from the high of having Shen Qingqiu’s come staining his fingers. Luo Binghe stares at them, fascinated, before bringing them to his mouth.

Shen Qingqiu inhales sharply. Luo Binghe thrills. Liu Qingge pushes deeply into Shen Qinqgiu for one last time.

Luo Binghe bets nothing compares to the feeling of filling Shen Qingqiu like Liu Qingge is right now. He cannot wait until it’s his turn to do the same.

Since a hand is currently sliding from the outside to the inside of his thighs, dangerously close to where he desperately needs it, Luo Binghe might just be lucky enough to have this wish of his granted.

Fingertips rub along his length. His hips surge into it helplessly.  

Liu Qingge snorts close to his ear. “I bet he thinks you’re the one touching him.”

That brings Luo Binghe down to earth instantly. He tears his eyes away from the lips he had been kissing just moments ago to look at his thigh.

Where the hand pressing into his erection is too battered to be a scholar’s.

To his utter bafflement, the jolt he feels isn’t disgust. Not at all.

Liu Qingge snarls. “Let’s see if you’re good enough for me not to kick you out of bed right now.”

Luo Binghe glares. He’s got nothing to be ashamed of. “Fine. Shishu better not complain when Shizun finds you lacking in comparison.”

Still lying on the bed, sated for now but he believes it won’t last, Shen Qingqiu doesn’t bother hiding his amusement.

It’s not like they’re going to notice.

[innerpostmentality]

The Return of Mister and Mistress Sinclaire   Part 1 - Idyll

A Choices Desire & Decorum based AU fanfic  The sequel to The Road to Gretna Green All rights to characters and settings from the Desire & Decorum fiction belong to Pixelberry Studios Pairing: Ernest Sinclaire X Rose Sinclaire (MC) Rating: M – Erotica and mature themes Warning: bondage Word count: A smidge over 2200 This takes place a few days after the Road to Gretna Green series. Tagging: @darley1101 @hopefulmoonobject @blackcatkita @speedyoperarascalparty @hellospunkiebrewster @tornbetween2loves @gardeningourmet @melodyofgraves @thequeenofcronuts @symonde @ritachacha @hellooliviaolivia @paisleylovergirl @kennaxval @regencylady1810 Rose leaned against the doorframe and sipped her tea smiling over the cup at the stretched out form of her sleeping husband. She blushed as she thought of the vigor of their lovemaking the previous night. 

  It had been four days since they were wed. After their wedding night Ernest had been most solicitous and gentle. He had kissed and cuddled her and brought her to joy with his tender ministrations. He’d allowed her to pleasure him in turn but steadfastly refused to couple with her their second night holding her against him and telling her she must heal first.  She woke the third morning to him stroking her hair and feathering kisses on her face. He had made her morning tea and come to wake her. She had pulled him to her moaning her desire for him. Ernest had given in to her ardor and the ease and joy of their second coupling had reassured him.   Afterward they had walked into the town proper and done a bit of shopping and had lunch at The Queens Head pub. They had playfully teased and flirted with each other as much as somewhat extended public decorum would permit the newlyweds and by the time they had returned to the privacy of the cottage they were both urgent in their desire. She had pulled him onto the couch as soon as they got inside. Then later as she was peeling potatoes for their supper, he had come up behind her and kissed the nape of her neck where upon she rolled her hips into him. He moaned and hesitated but a moment when she pulled her skirts up to expose her bottom to him. Ernest obliged her coaxing with enough vigor to roll the potatoes onto the floor and move the table across the floor until it butted against the wall with his thrusting. They managed to get through their supper, feeding each other bites of the boiled potatoes and ham, laughing, and stealing kisses. Then Ernest swept her up and carried her to their bedroom declaring she was in need of washing. Not wishing to wait for water to heat he decided he should wash her with his tongue which he undertook with great enthusiasm if not efficiency.   The night was a haze of joy and discovery and desire; Rose blushed thinking about how wondrous Ernest’s passion unleashed was to her before she bit her lower lip and frowned. Her courses had arrived this morning; and she knew that Ernest would be certain he had somehow done some grievous harm to her.   Most of the women of the ton took to their apartments if not their beds for the duration of their monthlies as though they were gravely ill; but her mother had not raised her so.    As a single woman raising a child on a small farm her mother had never had the luxury to lie abed for a week every month. It was a natural thing that all women bore for the sins of Eve her mother said. But like childbirth and life itself it was part of the natural order of being a woman and to be endured with grace. So she was taught you put on your girdle to hold the rag pads and your brown underskirt and you did your chores as usual. The thought of her mother brought a soft smile. She knew she would very much approve and love Ernest Sinclaire. He really was the very best of men.  Smelling the porridge she returned to the kitchen of the cottage and stirred and tasted it. She spooned it into two bowls on the tray where she had prepared plates with slices of cured ham and fresh berries. She put a small pot of treacle on the tray with the sugar, cream, and tea then carried it into the bedroom and set it on her trunk before going to sit beside Ernest on the bed.     Leaning over she kissed him sweetly on his forehead and watched as he smiled and opened his eyes. He reached for her even as he rolled to his back.  “Good Morning, Wife.” He murmured as he pulled her down for a kiss.  She returned it happily but pulled away when he started to deepen it giggling. “Ah Love, don’t tempt me. I brought breakfast for us. And…” She dropped her eyes, blushing, still not really comfortable talking with him about such things. She sighed and squared her shoulders. “My monthlies arrived.”    Even in the dim light she saw the color drain from his face. “Oh, God, I have hurt you! Oh, Rose I’m so sorry. You should be abed.” He was scrabbling trying to get out of bed and put her in it at the same time.  She tried, she really did but him tangled in the bed cloths struggling got the best of her sense of humor and she started giggling even as she tried to fend him off. “Oh Ernest… Stop… Stop.  I’m fine.” Finally she managed to still him by kissing him.   His arms went around her as he melted into her kiss before taking her face in his hands and breaking the kiss to search her eyes. “Are you certain that you are well?”  She nodded and smiled at him. “Quite certain, my Love. Tis the way of healthy women and has been my nature since I was ten and four.”  He held her to him and kissed her forehead. She stroked the smooth planes of his back as he held her. “I cannot help but think I was excessive last eve. I should be gentler. I should not tax you so. Should you not be abed? Why are you up? You made breakfast? I am certain you should not be carrying things and bending to tend fires and..” Rose silenced him again with another kiss though she was still giggling at his fretting.     “Rose, I’m trying..” She grinned and kissed him again.   “You shouldn’t.. “ She was laughing as she sealed her mouth to his again and reached beneath the covers to stroke his soldier standing at full morning attention. Ernest groaned giving in to her questing tongue even as her warm fingers coaxed him to greater passion. She broke the kiss finally smiling softly and blushed as she looked in his beautiful eyes dark with his need. “I, I want to pleasure you Ernest. Please?”  He groaned as the soft pad of her finger swiped across his tip and around and nodded lost for words as his breath hitched.  She pulled the covers back and his night shirt up then addressed his cock with formality that made him chuckle. “My brave, magnificent Soldier, so smart and broad and tall. You gave me such pleasure last night. Now I must kiss you properly in thanks.” She murmured as she leaned over him caressing him with both hands before tonguing over the exposed ultra-sensitive ridge and slipping her lips over his dripping tip. She heard his soft grunts of pleasure as she started to suckle him gently while she stroked his length with both hands.  His fingers tangled in her hair and he couldn’t control his need to thrust into her mouth. “Rose!... “ he cried her name as his back arched with the waves of his climax as he came in her mouth. “Oh my Love. Beauty. Sweet Wife.” He pulled her up and kissed her tasting his seed in her mouth as their tongues tangled. “I love you.”  She nuzzled into him. “And I love you my husband.” She grinned as his stomach rumbled its hunger. “I did make breakfast. Though I feel as though I’ve had dessert first.” She kissed him again sweetly then went and got the tray and set it on the bed.  “See. I thought we could have a picnic. I wasn’t sure if you like treacle or sugar in your porridge or just a bit of fresh cream.” She smiled and fed him one of the raspberries she’d picked that morning.  He kissed her hand and studied her. She constantly amazed him with her self-sufficiency, her bravery and calmness. Her passion and curiosity fascinated and aroused him. He blushed and cleared his throat, “I thought we might go looking in the woods this morning for mushrooms… If a walk wouldn’t over tax you?”  She poured a bit of the treacle and cream in her porridge and tasted it before adding a bit more treacle. She nodded, “I should like a walk with you very much. And some nice mushrooms would go very well with the fine fish I’m sure you will catch us for our dinner.” She grinned at him.  He lifted a brow at her stirring a lump of sugar into his tea and adding several lumps to his porridge. “Oh, so now you wish me to go fishing?” He teased her even as he tasted a spoonful of the porridge. She smiled taking a bite of the ham she’d sliced. “Um, hmm… I was looking at the lovely books in Mister Wilson’s study this morning. He has a copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. A collection of stories most wondrous and terrible!” She giggled. “I fancied sitting on a blanket ‘neath a tree and reading with you until I got the frights and you had to comfort me. But that sounds much too fanciful for my serious husband so I thought to ask you fishing instead and accidently take the book along.” She batted her eyes at him coquettishly. “You need not dissemble with me Rose.” He chuckled as he ate his porridge. “If we are together I am content to do as you wish. We can read by the river at leisure unless you fancy fish for dinner in which case I’m not opposed to seeing what the stream may provide for us.” “I think some fish would be lovely. Perhaps I’ll find us some watercress to go with it.” She smiled at him a deep contentment suffusing her heart as she shared her breakfast with her husband.  A short time later as Ernest was tucking his shirt into his trousers and telling Rose he wanted to see if he might acquire some more suitable clothing for mucking about at leisure they heard a great bonging noise. He frowned and ran out the door and Rose followed. To the east where the village was they could see great black clouds of billowing smoke rising over the thatched roofs.  “Oh God.” Ernest stopped and pulled Rose tight to him. “Stay here. I have to go help.” He kissed her holding her tight. “I love you.” Then he took off at a full run toward the village.  “I love you too!” she called after him. “God keep him safe.” She murmured. Rose went back in the cottage and started planning. She knew she needed to fill all the containers she could with water. And start a large pot of stew she thought. Ernest would return dirty and hungry and she wanted everything to be in order. She pushed the thought away that he could be injured but checked the rag bin to be certain there were sufficient clean cloths for bandaging should the need arise. She grabbed a couple of empty buckets and headed for the river to get more water. She could hear the constant clanging and saw the smoke continuing to billow from the village. She hurried and was very glad the river wasn’t far and that unlike so many of the streams in England the water of the Sark was clear, cold, and sweet smelling. She set one bucket down and was filling the other when she was grabbed from behind and a sack put over her head. Rose screamed and struggled but arms like iron were wrapped around her. She kicked and clawed but her attacker lifted her off her feet.  A gruff deep voice commanded, “Settle. Ain’t gone hurt ye lest ye’s harm yerself.” He shook her like a rag doll till she feared her neck might snap and she went limp.   “Let me go. My husband will end you for this.” She felt someone else tying ropes around her even as she tried to struggle. She was lifted and put in another bag she thought then hefted over someone’s shoulder and carried for a bruisingly long hike bouncing on the shoulder in her stomach before she was dumped into something padded but not soft. She thought it likely hay.    “Let me go. I can pay you. Please.” She heard two men laugh at that. “We ought ‘ave gagged ‘er.” “Ain’t none gonna mind another woman screamin’ ‘ere. We can gag ‘er when we break ta piss. Feed ‘er some an then gag ‘er.” Rose realized they were covering her with something but it wasn’t heavy. She felt what she was on shift a bit then heard them click at horses and felt the lurch as the conveyance she was on set in motion.              ---------- to be continued ------------- 

[paulamehy]

Back when I was younger, I did label things that I like and things I hate. Identified things that I thought I don't need and those I needed from what the society approves. And as I age, I realized that categorizing things only will lead you to disappointment because you can't always get everything that you like. Whether you want it to be part of your life or not, you have no choice but to accept that one's existence doesn't only consists of beautiful things.

And as I realized that, I became aware of my entity as well. I only binded my sight on something that gives light, I was so positive that everything that surrounded me was capable of dropping things that I hate without me knowing that it will become part of my life in the future. I despise myself for having that way of thinking.

As much as possible I want to be in a role where I'm the most loved by everyone. I remember in my childhood days, amongst my friends I always choose cartoon character that I knew had the greatest and biggest role in the show, character that was pretty, kind, lovable, friendly, cheerful and in the main lead. And in real life, I have tons of friends because I don't want to look loner, I show off my talents to make people embrace me as a special one, I'm cheerful up-front because it's what made me being remembered, and in a circle I wanted to be the main lead. I gained people and I want to be accepted by them to the means of flaunting every qualified aspects that I have and even some that I didn't have. And the fact that I did those only because I thought they're all I needed, and it's what the society said.

I was loved because I chose to be loved; because I chose to be happy.

But I slowly became conscious about myself. Realization hits me that I'm not pretty enough, I don't have perfect body, I do and I love weird things that people might find offensive and awful, I'm smart but I'm lazy, neglectful and klutz, I have lots of sexual fetishes and addiction that can't be accepted by norm if you're a female, I'm a sadist, I always had lewd thoughts, I'm sympathetic but sometimes it's done half-hearted, I'm aggressive, warfreak and manipulative. I'm overconfident that I can manipulate people and feelings towards me forever because I was able to.

Those rascal traits of mine were flaunted after years ago, and to suprised that there was someone who still accepted me for who I am. I was the happiest person that time and I believe that nothing in this world can ever replace those memories.

But this is not a romance journal.

Until the darkness that I never thought I'll encounter came out.

People are saying that it is one's choice if they want to be happy. I started to lose my sanity the time that I became self-conscious, I became so insecure and anxious and I always compare myself to others because I felt that I'm not enough and unworthy to extent of me being disappointed with myself.

Those "just be happy" kind of statements will never work out.

And because I'm studying Psychology that time so I have hints on what's going on with me. I had some short time dealing with mania and depressive episodes, or I'm being sad and anxious for awhile but always end up being fine because there's someone who's taking care of me and making sure that everything's alright. It really worked out for several years and I think that was already my happy ending that doesn't need to be extended with any other person anymore.

Sequels are unnecessary in real life.

However, I can't blame that someone for looking for another party to love because I sucked at being lovable, I knew that it's because he was fed up and been tired of understanding this thing that even me can't understand. I just hate myself and that everyone else is better than me.

Apart from that, my parents eventually got separated due to third party. And for me, it is understandable that the one just fell out of love. Is it? I can't think of anything else to feel aside from accepting the reality and move on and besides, they are still my parents. But it really hurts a lot, so much that I can't find any definition from dictionary on how to describe how I felt.

Anguish.

But I can't come to hate every single person around me. I never called it "betrayal" because in the end I still blame it to myself. I lost most of the important persons in my life together with my trust in everything. In those people who believe that it's not my fault, I somehow dug for the reasons why I should blame myself.

I believe that I was hit by karma because I've done so much filthy things for the past few years that I can never put into words.

I really can't help myself but to cry to sleep every night, overdid everything to escape the reality that I'm now alone and in this miserable state. I became detached with the things that I used to love before such as singing, writing, reading and drawing as all I did for living is to work.

I tried different coping mechanisms. I used different people, been used by different people. Been in a bar every other day until I lose my consciousness. Beaten myself to job and repeat. I often found myself in hospital or clinic due to fatigue and other sickness and I just cry as I pity myself.

That's when I realized that I've been clinging to other people for happiness to the point that being alone agonized me so much. I can't calm myself anymore because in the first place it's not me who is pacifying myself everytime I'm having horrible thoughts, considering that I hated my existence to death.

My depressive episodes gotten worst, I started cutting my wrist, face and legs to reduce the pain which I never did before, I also tried overdosing myseIf using my medicines but I only ended up being asleep for two days and been drowsy, I was so insane that I even went to different place and decided to drown myself, but I was caught up by the guard.

As expected, I was diagnosed with Manic-Depression/Bipolar Disorder 10 months ago, and in 6 months I was in the process of medication, been taking psychotic, antidepressant drugs and such which made me numb and apathetic up to present. Those who knew about my horrible situation were only my previous colleagues. I somewhat managed to hide this from my family.

Several months ago, I started to weigh down some things to refresh my mind. I tried to survive on my own. I quit school, I moved to different workplace, been independent, cut ties with other people and I started to change some of my coping mechanisms.

I thought that those are the best things to do, but I knew to myself that its only because I want to run away from everything. I've tried too many coping mechanisms and escape was only the last option. Inever regret those things that I did in the past, but I felt that I need to put myself together for a bit. I don't have any plans on making myself better neither heal myself from the pain. I'll just exist and to my job right for the rest of my life.

It's been 6 months since I decided to slowly compose myself, I can't tell whether I'm completely recovered or what and I don't want to be complacent. I'm still on the same track, my thought are still bleak, I'm not happy neither sad, I don't feel anything towards everything literally and emotionally probably because of the medicines I'm currently taking. I'm coming to work for survival, I only have 1 friend that I can talk to with regard to office stuff, I am not standing out with anyone, a lowkey. I'm not accepting any courting or flirting. As much as possible I don't want to involve myself in infatuation. I changed every single aspects, habits, beliefs and behaviors that I can, and unexpectedly I was able to attain 6 months of not drinking any liquor. It doesn't make any sense but I feel like testing myself again.

I also created my bucket list that I want to fulfill before killing myself. But I just hope that I'll die without doing any self-infliction as I don't want to make any sin anymore.

The only trait that I knew was good and that I can't change is me being empathetic. I understand people for doing things whatever the reasons are even if it affects me, hurts me and such. I had this trait that I wish I didn't have.

In the end I never blamed anyone or anything because it's my choice to be in this situation. I got swallowed by the dark path that I just encountered and I don't think I can do anything else.

I just never loved myself to begin with.

[vore-scientist]

In Which Sophia Makes Some New Friends

A tale of the Mystic Woods

(read the other stories/comics here, and all posts related to Mystic Woods can be found here)

THIS IS A DIRECT SEQUEL TO THIS STORY

Content warnings: No actual vore in this story, sorry! But discussion of both safe and fatal (I tried to make it humorous/light hearted, it makes sense). Also GT cuddles at the end ;) 

---

Sophia paced around Yonah’s desk. After the unfortunate encounter with the meddlesome prince, Yonah had wandered off to get a healing potion. That was fine, while she waited she admired all the little things on the desk, and the books in languages that she had only begun to learn to read, but that someday she would be fluent in.

“Yonah?” came a voice. “Hey Yonah, you there?”

It was a man’s voice, and it was near. Sophia froze and looked around. The mirror, the small mirror on Yonah’s desk! She ran to it, and saw in it the face of what could only be another wizard.

The man had a red and black mustache, kind green eyes, a big floppy wizard’s hat, and beautiful yellow and blue wizard’s robes, which were accented with silver and black. His hands were behind his back and he was looking around expectantly, until he saw Sophia, and he startled, but recovered fast.

“Sayyyyyyy! You’re not Yonah!” said the man, smiling with suspicion, “Who are you?”

“I’m, I’m Princess Sophia of the Kingdom of Orr!” she declared without thinking. Then a terrible thought struck her, what if this man in the mirror was an evil wizard. Those existed! A continent to the west had an entire Society of Wizards who were always up to some evil.

“A princess...” then the man grinned like an idiot, “WAIT A PRINCESS? No shit!”

His face turned away and he shouted at someone out of view, “SHOSH! HEY SHOSH! YONAH WENT AND KIDNAPPED A PRINCESS!”

“HE DID WHAT! YOU BETTER NOT BE FUCKING WITH ME MICA!”

“IM SERIOUS COME TO THE MIRROR!”

A moment later a woman, also wearing a wizard’s hat appeared next to Mica and gasped. “oh dear gods that’s a princess alright!” Except for her ruby red lipstick, she had no makeup on, but she had numerous facial piercings. She had wild brown hair and large oval spectacles that made her green-brown eyes appear buggy.

Sophia fidgeted with her gown, she wasn’t some spectacle to be gawked at by whoever these people were. She wished she wasn’t in a blood spattered nightgown. She wished that Yonah was here.

“And who,” said Sophia, as sweet as she could, “are you?”

“Oh how terribly rude of us!” said Mica, still smiling, “I’m Mica, Mica Cohen! And this is Shoshana Jaffe, we’re friends of Yonah and we were hoping to talk to him,”

Sophia was stunned “Yonah has friends!?”

Mica and Shoshana burst out laughing.

“Yes dear girl, he has friends,” said Shoshana, “you can’t stay sane in a prison without them.”

“I’ve been here for two months! How have I not heard of you?” Sophia was planning to chew Yonah out about this when he felt better. What else was he hiding. Probably a lot, wizards liked their secrets... But why would he hide friends from her! How many more friends did he have?

“You mean you’re serious. Yonah hasn’t mentioned us?” Shoshana looked genuinely hurt.

“No! until now I thought he was a sad lonely man!”

The wizards laughed again.

“Well he’s not sad” said Shoshana, “angry more like, but not anymore than your average firewitch.”

“Nor is he really a man, kinda, half a man,” said Mica, thoughtfully.

“Lonely, well now, we wish we could visit more often, he is kinda stuck in one place.”

/Yeah, you can thank my dad for that/ thought Sophia. But thought it was better not to mention Yonah’s semi-house arrest sentence was handed down by her father.

“But now you’re there! This is so wonderful!” said Shoshana with glee, before turning serious, “unless, you’re lying and you’re a giant slayer, disguised as a princess.”

“What?”

“Whose blood are you currently wearing?” she narrowed her eyes.

What an odd way to phrase that, “it’s, well it’s Yonah’s but”

Shoshana raised an eyebrow, something about her presence, even through a mirror grew dark and threatening. Mica remained bright, if scared.

“Um, well you see, there was an incident this morning, with a prince, and…”

She told them what happened. They were a good audience, gasping and cheering at all the right places, and they didn’t interrupt her. Until she got to the part where Yonah ate the prince. They both looked a little green.

“He, ate the prince?” Mica’s voice shook. He and Shoshana exchanged worried looks.

Uh oh. Guess Yonah’s friends didn’t know. Too late now.

“Y-yes, but he spit him out! He ran off after that.” They relaxed, a bit, but continued to look at her suspiciously.

“And then you called” Sophia ended lamely, “that’s it!”

“And the blood?” Shoshana hadn’t noticed that Sophia failed to explain it.

In reality Sophia just forgot.

“Yonah’s… insides got roughed up by the prince’s armor and I ended up in the line of fire when he coughed”

She looked up from her gown to see the two wizard staring past her. Shoshana grinned wickedly.

“Ah, Yonah, Sophia here has been telling us all about your adventure from not moments ago!”

/“SHE WHAT!”/ cried Yonah. Except, as the words made it to his lips a stabbing pain in his throat stopped him, closing his airways as he coughed himself catatonic. So instead he just sat down and stared at the mirror through a slightly teary haze.

“Yonah, this young woman says that you’re a man-eating giant now! Can you lend credence to this? Has our Yonah truly become the monster that the professors said he would? Yonah, eater of men, kidnapper of princesses!” the sarcasm heavy in Shoshana’s voice.

No. no no no no no. no NO. This was not happening. This day was so crappy to begin with.

“He’s not denying it, so it must be true!” Mica said, matter a factly.

This wasn’t at all how he expected this to go down. He had kept his instances of “man-eating” hidden from his friends, sure that they would never speak to him again if they found out that he’d ever eaten a human.

But… they weren’t mad.

Didn’t matter. Getting teased about it was almost worse. He rubbed the moisture from his eyes.

“It’s not like you go around hunting humans” said Mica before getting serious “and it’s not like you were keeping this hidden while in school. You weren’t, right? You didn’t eat anyone at school? Was tasting us not enough?”

For the first time, Mica and Shoshana looked genuinely worried. Maybe they HAD been wrong about Yonah.

“No, No. I-I didnt eat anyone.” said Yonah, his voice high and quiet, he looked scared, “typically, giants only eat those who break into their houses, to steal or to kill” he recited. They’d heard the line before.

And regardless, the school was never his home, Of course he wasn’t ever interested in eating his fellow students. Tasting them was another matter, plenty of them smelled incredible. His friends did and still do occasionally allow him a taste, just to tease him.

Up until Sophia he wouldn’t have even dared to eat them! It was too dangerous. A thief he could risk swallowing and spitting back up before they died. Standard procedure to shock and punish them. And a Slayer’s life was forfeit. When they failed and escaped they usually returned and one way or another someone would end up dead.

“What about professors? I feel like some of them deserve to be eaten” Mica continued, all previous concern now gone, he was back to antagonizing.

“N-no, I just said that-“ but apparently Mica wasn’t listening and Yonah’s interjections fell upon uncaring ears.

“Like Professor Thuorbir! What a prick.” said Mica.

“I think he was also a giant slayer!” said Shoshana, her voice containing energy that Mica’s didn’t even come close to, “you should totally eat him, he’s still an asshole. Fucker rejected my research proposal for a third time!”

Gods this was not happening. Yonah put his now burning face into his hands.

“I’m not gonna eat Mr.Thuorbir,” Yonah managed to say through is stupor. Though he silently agreed that the man certainly deserved it, regardless of giant slaying. His head was buzzing.

Mica looked at Shoshana incredulously

“Shosh, that was because your proposal was to research a spell that would have turned the entire Mystic Woods PINK, down to the littlest ant! None of the professors would have approved that” he said before turning to Sophia. “The one before that, she wanted to propose researching a spell that would give the caster dominion over all bees. All of them. Knowing full well that attempting godhood is ILLEGAL.”

Sophia giggled and tried to imagine her father’s kingdom becoming a uniform shade of pink. Oh dear. Maybe she should tell her father, in case Shoshana actually attempted it.

“Well, just because they don’t want an army of bees” said Shoshana, nose in the air, arms crossed. “And it wasn’t a proposal to actually do it, just to design a spell that could.”

“I hate you both, you know that,” said Yonah.

“We know you mean love!” said Shoshana.

“Anyways, it can’t have really happened,” said Shoshana. “Not the way you said it did at the very least.”

“What do you mean?” Asked Yonah.

Mica looked at her in shock, he had clearly believed the story. This wouldn’t be the first time Shoshana had gone along with a ridiculous farce just for the drama of it, but as far as he knew, Yonah hadn’t spoken to Shoshana that recently, not without him present. And Yonah’s pain was real, his embarrassment was real.

Shoshana sighed and rubbed at her glasses.

“You don’t believe-“ Sophia started to say

“Oh I believe he’s eaten people. Comes with the territory at this point. But you’re” she eyed Yonah, “You’re kind of, too small to swallow a person whole, right? You’d have to, oh I don’t know, rip into them with your teeth like they were a prime rib.”

/Ugh, what a great image, thanks Shosh/ thought Yonah.

“It’s not really worth trying to claim the prince survived for our benefit. If eating people was a dealbreaker we wouldn’t be friends with dragons or ogres or that Sphinx that guards the gates to the tunnels of-“

“Yonah did swallow the prince whole!” Sophia wasn’t about to let the wizards think she had lied, “And yes, he’s killed a few assholes that way but he let the prince live! And thieves too! He eats them all the time but always lets them go!” She was almost shouting now, “And! And Yonah swallows me all the time! And if you haven’t noticed, I’m in one piece.”

All eyes were on her and everyone was silent, no one moved or blinked, but Yonah’s face became scarlet. Sophia played with her dress in her hands, and looked up at Yonah.

“Um, was I not supposed to tell them that?” she squeaked out.

“Yonah HaEsh, how could you!?” Shoshana yelled, no longer playful, “eat a princess!? You could kill her! She’s not a knight or a giant slayer! What on earth were you thinking? So we need to rescue her from you?”

Yonah’s embarrassment had turned to anger as his hair started to smoke and the roots glowed orange. He was breathing sharp breaths, seething with anger, until one got caught sending him into a into another coughing fit and onto the floor. Sophia took the opportunity to rectify her mistake.

But there was no need. Shoshana has gone white.

“Oh dear, I think I overdid it!”

“You think? Now Yonah thinks we hate him! Next time don’t seem so serious,” Mica chided her. Shoshana muttered something about wasting her skills and addressed Sophia again.

“But seriously, how!” she said, “How does he physically manage to swallow a person whole? And you said he eats you all the time! How the fuck has he managed to avoid fucking up and killing you or the thieves!” color had returned to her face. No longer bothered by Yonah’s plight, even though she had caused it. Mica shot her a death glare.

“Oh like you weren’t thinking the same thing!”

Mica sighed. “I was but I have the manners not to voice it. We could have called back tomorrow. But it’s too late now.”

They both looked at Sophia expectantly.

“Oh um, well, the thieves he just spits up real quick but myself... Yonah, enchanted me, so that he can’t hurt me” Sophia explained everything as Yonah wheezed in the background, still on the floor, but no longer in danger of coughing up a lung.

Shoshana’s eyes sparkled with greed. Mica was deep in thought.

“Wait are you sure this was an enchantment, because it sounds like curse.” Mica finally said.

“Well,” said Sophia, “the difference is a matter of perspective isn’t it.”

Which was true. One could see gems falling from ones mouth when one talked as a blessing, until everyone in the kingdom wanted you as their piggy bank and your voice was hoarse from being made to talk non stop and the economy is ruined by your gem contributions. Then it’s a curse. Becoming a glass statue would be a curse, but that’s not how it worked.

“That must have been an expensive procedure,” said Mica.

“It was, but he got the money from my dad,” Sophia made the last few words harsh and final. She was still bitter that her dad had instructed and funded Yonah to traumatize her into running back home. Jokes on him, it hadn’t worked and Yonah was her friend now! Showed him!

“He managed to only cast half a curse! He could publish with a trick like that” she said thoughtfully, but with a touch of envy.

“There would be a problem with rational,” Mica pointed out, “he would have to invent a fake reason! He can’t say he did it so he could eat one specific person and not worry about them dying!”

Shoshana nodded and laughed.

“To answer your other question, I don't know how he does it, because you’re right, by all means he shouldn’t. But even he doesn’t know.” Sophia said, the wizards were disappointed. Sophia tried to brighten their mood by suggesting they investigate it. They considered this with great pleasure.

“I’m just unable to picture it,” She was talking to Sophia again. “I-“ she shuddered with wicked glee as she had a new thought. “ Yes, I’d like to see it for myself. I don’t suppose, since it was your idea to research this, that you would be willing to give us a demonstration?”

That surprised both Sophia and Mica, but Mica’s grin said that he liked that idea.

Now it was Sophia’s turn to go red. Sophia rubbed her back of her head. Let someone watch? Having just seen Yonah eat the prince, she wasn’t sure if she wanted Yonah’s friends to see it. Even if they had joked about him giving into his more monstrous heritage. Sophia had seen it. That side of him did exist. But it had been her idea. She regretted planting the idea in their stupid wizard brains.

“I’ll, consider it, but Yonah’s in no condition right now.”

“Oh of course not dear! Just call us or something, there’s not rush,” Shoshana winked, “especially if it’s a regular occurrence, plenty of opportunities to observe.”

Yes, Sophia was realizing that about the thieves as well. She wondered how regular they were too, and if she could get involved in thief catching. 

Shaking badly, Yonah got up from the floor, pulling himself up to his stool. His face was very red, and his eyes glistened, tears steaming up his face.

Sophia turned to him “They’re over it, I explained it, you can stop being such a big baby and extinguish yourself”

Yonah glared at her but his head stopped smoldering and his eyes were back to brown.

“I think,” he wheezed, “I think I need to lie down, let the healing drought actually take effect.”

“Yonah darling you do look awful, we’ll get out of your hair, but don’t think we are done talking about this! Next time I expect a demonstration!” said Shoshana “goodbye Princess Sophia it was an absolute pleasure meeting your highness!” and before Mica could say a word she waved a hand in front of the mirror, turning it back to a normally mirror.

“Thank you Mirror” Sophia said, placing a hand on the golden edge. It made a small hum of acknowledgement.

“Come on let’s get you to bed,” Sophia looked up at the disheveled and gaunt wizard who picked her up and held her close to his chest as he walked back to his room. The sun had been up for an only hour yet the day felt like it was already over. He needed a nap.

He released Sophia onto the night stand, took off his hat, did not take off his slightly blood stained night robe, and collapsed face forward on the bed, breathing heavily.

Sophia sighed and climbed down the nightstand and using the still loose bed sheets, climbed onto the bed and onto Yonah. He didn’t protest, or make any sign that he knew she was there, but he had to know.

“Hey, you did good today, and your friends still love you, and I’m still your friend. I don’t think you made friends with that prince but he seemed like a dick so who cares.”

A painful chuckle shook from beneath her as Yonah rolled onto his back, Sophia scrambling to keep up with the rotation. Sitting on his chest as he stared up at the ceiling with his eyes closed. he brought his hand up to pet Sophia gently. His hand was warm and rough, and Sophia leaned into it, tickling his palm.

She fell asleep like that, Yonah’s warm hand of a weighted blanket.

Yonah had one last panicked thought before sleep took him.

/Had Shosh said DEMONSTRATION?/

[Thanks for reading! please reblog!]