#she's reformed now don't worry

[ronanlynchdefender]

The political stances of The Raven Cycle characters are so fascinating to me. You got Blue over here who is very much a progressive activist in the making. She recognizes things like misogyny and is not afraid to call those things out even when it concerns her closest friends. Because of that, I definitely see her as the type of activist who would be in the front lines at protests whether that be at the Capitol, college campuses, at the border, or as is the case in the dreamer trilogy, tied to a tree. She is the type of person who demands change in our current system and would demand it loudly and through acts of protest or civil disobedience.

Then you have Adam who displays no strong desire to change the system and whose only desire is to rise up in that system. He wants to climb the social ladder and assimilate to those of higher social status which is partially why he envies Gansey so much in the beginning because Gansey was born into it. Adam still tries to do this in the dreamer trilogy by essentially pretending to be a Gansey-like figure while at Harvard despite hating it. Eventually, Adam gives up on trying to belong within this higher social class and "climbing the ladder" but then strangely enough becomes a fed, which means just integrating into another form of hierarchy and power structure. And I feel like a more interesting arc would've been rejecting being a part of these societal systems altogether.

Which I suppose now leads us to Ronan who is a literal anarchist. He actually rejects all societal systems and rules and it permeates every aspect of his life. But actually, I shouldn't say all because there is one societal institution which he does enjoy partaking in: religion. With the exception of his catholicism, he does not engage in any other societal institution: education, law, politics. He hates it, in fact, It is antithetical to his being which is what makes his characterization so perfect because of course a gay farmer god would hate oppressive rules and structures (except for religion). That's not even mentioning that he is a canonical ecoterrorist that cost the US government a billion dollars. But what is really interesting about his character (and where his and Blue's political stances differ) is that because he rejects these systems he has no interest or stake in changing them. He'd sooner tear down the system than try to reform it.

And then there’s Gansey who doesn't seem to engage in politics and would rather spend his days reading his little Welsh books and going on his fun adventures. Of course, he is able to do this largely because he has the privilege to not worry about politics or social class. It seems that Blue's influence changes this as they are both chaining themselves to trees in protest during the dreamer trilogy. Other than that, I don't really have a lot to say about Gansey and his politics. But I find it very interesting that Maggie has created this close-knit group of characters with such varying relationships to how they view politics and social structures. I tried to draw out a 2-axis grid to show their differences, but I don't know if it really works because I feel like Gansey kinda screws it up but nevertheless I like how they each represent different ends of a spectrum sort of.

[brbsoulnomming]

Heart On Your Sleeve Part 8

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

written for steddiebigbang2024 and belatedly posting here!

-----

The kids leave the next day, after Steve's heart has mostly reformed itself. It's still a little beat up and mangled, but it's clearly a heart again, and it barely hurts anymore.

He doesn't know how he'll ever be able to thank them.

Eddie doesn't call.

—

His house stops being empty.

Robin's over almost constantly, their hearts in each other's chests more often than not. He can tell Robin's worried about him, and he likes feeling her emotions - it tells him when she's upset, or sad, and he can respond without her having to say anything.

The rest of the kids are over almost as constantly, as though his house has just become the de facto hang out.

He minds it a lot less than he pretends to.

Erica sulks at him, and he can't figure out why until Lucas makes a comment about their heart sharing and she rolls her eyes so hard he's afraid they're going to pop out.

Steve frowns at her, hanging back after the others have gone on into the kitchen.

“That's an extra level of snide, even for you,” he says.

She gives him a look. “You want it directed at you?”

He holds up his hands. “What'd I do?”

Her look only becomes more unimpressed. “You had my brother over for your little healing pow-wow? He wasn't even part of Scoops Troop.”

Oh.

That's.

Oh.

Never in a hundred years did he think Erica Sinclair would be throwing a fit because she didn't get to be a part of their group heart sharing, but here it is.

“You want to swap?” Steve asks.

Erica scoffs at him. “I don't need your pity heart exchange.”

“It's not pity,” he protests.

This time the look practically burns through him.

“Robin and I do it all the time,” he insists. “It's easier. It means we can understand the way the other one feels without having to figure out how to say it.”

Her eyebrows raise. “And you want to know how I feel?”

Steve holds out his hand in response.

She stares at him for a long moment, then sighs in a far too long suffering manner before she takes her heart out and gives it to him. He exchanges his for hers, and -

“Is it messed up again?” Dustin demands. “Why didn't you tell me?”

He honestly isn't sure if the surge of somewhat affectionate irritation he feels is his or Erica's, and he exchanges what he suspects is a near identical look with her.

Dustin narrows his eyes at them. “What's this look you're doing, I really don't like it on both of you.”

“That's because it's bad news for you,” Erica retorts.

“We're just swapping,” Steve says.

“It's what you do when someone is a little too hard headed and out of touch with their feelings to realize how insensitive they're being.”

That is absolutely not what Steve had been going for, but Erica says it with such superiority and Dustin is looking so contemplative at it that he just sighs and goes with it.

Erica shoots him a smug little look - she knows exactly what she's doing and how he feels about it.

“Mike!” Dustin shouts. “Come here, we're swapping, so you can know that I'm right!”

Steve groans, but there's no stopping it now.

Swaps are called to settle arguments, to prove that this movie really is scary guys come on, for a dozen other reasons until Steve honestly can't be sure who has whose heart at any given moment.

He'd worry about the effects of so much heart swapping, but - the kids seem happy. Sometimes he even catches them just sitting with each other and swapping, and after everything they've lost - who is he to say what's healthy and what isn't?

Steve can't complain.

Well. He can, and he does, but he also knows this is probably the happiest he's ever been in this house, so he doesn't complain too much.

—

Eddie still doesn't call.

He doesn't answer, either, when Steve calls him. Any of the times Steve calls him.

Steve drives out there, once, stupidly. He's pretty sure he can hear Eddie's music, but the trailer’s dark, and no one answers.

Steve takes the hint after that.

He doesn't let anyone but Robin swap with him for a while, as long as he can get away with. He doesn't really have a name for what he's feeling - he doesn't want to put a name to what he's feeling - and she doesn't make him.

—

The Hopper-Byers are moving.

None of the party take it well, but it seems to hit Max the hardest.

Or at least, he assumes it does, because she's suddenly not over for a week straight, and Steve knows avoidance when he sees it.

He finds her sitting at the skate park, all alone, but she doesn't protest when he sits down next to her.

“Swap?” Steve asks softly.

Max rolls her eyes. “I'm fine.”

He gives her the most unimpressed look he can muster.

She scoffs, then gives him one right back. “Okay, so, what, you want to feel angry and miserable too?”

Steve weighs his options for a moment, considering how to respond, then decides just to go for honesty. “Yeah,” he says simply. “I'm not here just for the good stuff, Mayfield, I'm here for all of it.”

She looks at him for a long moment, her expression hard. Then she wrenches her chest open.

He pops his open, too, taking his heart out and offering it to her. Steve expects her to take it and put her own in his hand, but instead she shoves her own heart into his chest before he can so much as blink, snatching his out of his hand. He blinks at her, but - yeah, okay, fine, that works.

She is angry, and miserable. She hated Billy, and she's still sad, and El is the only one who really gets her, and she knows that's not true, and everyone leaves, and he hasn't left, and she loves and she hates and she's so tired.

Steve can't really put any of it into words, but he doesn't have to.

He just has to be there.

—

School starts, and it gets quieter. He and Dustin still have their weekly movie nights, and he plays ball with Lucas, cooks dinner with Max, but Robin's the only one over as much as she used to be.

It's - actually fine, this time. He gets a job at Family Video, and he hangs out with Robin and spends time with the kids and goes on dates, and he's still happy.

Well, except the going on dates bit. Something's missing, something obvious, but he tells himself that's fine, too.

—

Dustin starts talking about Eddie, a few months into school.

Well, he talks about Hellfire, which Steve doesn't really put together at first, but he's happy Dustin's having fun with his club.

When he mentions Eddie, Steve probes a little, asks how he joined up. Dustin lights up, talking about how Eddie looked out for them starting from day one, even if he's definitely a little scary at times, and Steve -

“Swap?” Robin asks the second she gets to his house later, like she took one look at him and knew he needed it.

They both need it, actually.

She has feelings about Vickie, and he has feelings about Eddie, and they're both complicated and messy and neither of them know what to do about it.

“Ask her out,” Steve tells her.

“She doesn't even like girls!”

“How do you know?”

“How do you know?”

And that's - point, okay, Steve has nothing to counter that. Yet. He just has to start collecting proof.

Robin feels his intentions and gives a dramatic huff, but she doesn't try to stop him.

She won't admit it, but she's grateful.

“Do you regret asking Eddie out?” she asks.

He makes a face. “I mean, I didn't ask him out so much as take him out a bunch of times, realize like halfway through it that's what I was doing, and then he ran the second I made it obvious, so… I guess I regret not actually asking him.”

She considers that. “Do you think it would have changed anything?”

“I don't know,” he admits. “Maybe I could have made it so he didn't feel like he had to run, maybe we could have still been friends? I wish I'd known what I was doing and I'd done it different, but… I think I'd regret it more if I didn't try at all.”

She drops her shoulder against his. “Of course you would. You always go for what you want, it's like you have no fear.”

He has plenty of fear - she's felt it - but not about shooting his shot. She's right; he's a man of action, and he's not sure he knows how to be anything else.

“Ugh, let's stop talking about it. I'm glad he's still a good guy and is watching out for the little shits, end of story.”

It's not the end of the story, but for now, they both let it be.

—

Dustin calls him to beg him to play in Hellfire with him, and Steve groans audibly.

“Does Eddie know you're asking me?” he asks.

Dustin scoffs. “Of course not, but I have to show up with someone on Friday.”

Steve frowns. “On Friday? That's the championship game. Lucas is playing.”

Dustin groans, and Steve makes a little bit of a face at himself when he realizes the kid sounds almost exactly like him.

“Don't remind me,” Dustin grumbles. “He's the reason we have to find someone in the first place.”

“Lucas asked you to find someone to sub in for him?”

Steve doesn't even need Dustin's heart to be able to tell the silence that follows is guilty as hell.

“Dustin,” Steve says.

“Ugh, fine! Lucas asked us to come to the stupid game. He asked us to get Eddie to move Hellfire so he wouldn't miss the last session.”

“And did you?” Steve prompts.

“Of course!” Dustin says, indignant. “Eddie was pissed. Called Lucas a traitor, said now it was our responsibility to find someone to fill in for Lucas since he ditched us.”

That - isn’t what Steve was expecting at all.

“And instead of standing up for Lucas, you're doing what Eddie says?”

“He ditched us!” Dustin insists.

Steve pinches the bridge of his nose. “Go swap with Lucas.”

Dustin makes an almost incomprehensible noise of protest.

“Swap with Lucas, and tell him what Eddie said. If you guys come to an agreement and you still need a sub, I'll think about it.”

He'd rather watch Lucas play, and that's sure as hell what he's going to do if Dustin doesn't follow through, but if both Lucas and Dustin agree, then he'll sub in.

Not just to give Eddie a piece of his mind about this whole thing.

“You're no help!” Dustin retorts, hanging the phone up.

Robin leans against him. “Are we talking about it now?”

He considers that, then wordlessly takes his heart out and offers it to her. They swap, sitting in silence for a moment as they adjust to each other's feelings.

She's upset. He is, too, though not about exactly the same thing.

“I'm still not mad at him for how things went between him and me,” he says.

“I am,” she replies, sharp and firm. “He made your heart hurt, I still think I should get to kick his ass.”

It's not Eddie's fault, though, not as far as Steve's concerned. Steve was the one that fumbled around without knowing what he was doing, that came on too strong. He didn't get it then, but now that he knows Robin and Will and how difficult things are for them - he understands it better.

But one of the things that made Steve fall for Eddie in the first place was the way he watched out for people. It wasn't the same way Steve did it, but - they were both protective, both willing to take the hits so other people wouldn't have to. It's disappointing to see how he's pitting the kids against each other like this.

He wishes they were still friends, wishes he could call him and ask what was going on.

“If he hurts one of the kids’ hearts, then you can kick his ass,” he says finally, once he's worked through his feelings and felt Robin's support.

—

It comes back, because it always does.

It comes back, and Eddie comes back, and Steve wasn't expecting that.

—

There's tension in the boathouse even after everything's been explained, and Steve knows everyone can feel it.

Knows because it's only a few moments before Dustin's announcing, “Hearts out! We'll show you we mean it, right, guys?”

Steve sneaks a look over at Max. He still hasn't gotten a really good look at her heart since after the 4th, but maybe - no, she clearly hasn't shown anyone else here, because she's gone pale, and she looks a combination of pissed and afraid.

“Dustin,” Steve snaps, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice and failing a little. “Did you forget that some of us have hearts that aren't all that reassuring to see?”

Dustin's expression scrunches for a moment, and Steve feels most of his irritation fade away as he realizes that, yeah, Dustin did forget that.

“Oh,” Dustin says quietly. “It's okay, Steve, you don't-”

“No,” he cuts him off, still a little annoyed. “Look, we all know that I'm the one causing doubt here, right? I'll show my heart so Munson knows I mean it and we can get this over with.”

He doesn't want to, but he wants even less for this to put a spotlight on Max.

So he takes his heart out, gets back in close enough for Eddie to see it, says, “We're not lying, man, I promise.”

His heart beats true, true, true in his hands, but Eddie's eyes are going wide and wet as he stares at Steve's heart, and he isn't any less pale.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he whispers. “What the hell happened?”

“Nothing you have to worry about,” he replies, putting his heart back in his chest as soon as he can. “It's not going to happen to you.”

It comes out a little more protective than he'd intended, and it makes Eddie's eyes dart up to his, trying to search for something in there. Steve can't tell what, and he doesn't have Eddie's heart in his chest to help him out.

Strange, how quickly he's come to rely on having that familiarity with those he cares about.

Less strange that Eddie is still someone he cares about.

“Do you want to see mine?” Eddie asks, soft enough that Steve's pretty sure he's the only one who can hear it.

Steve does, is the thing. He really does.

But not like this.

“Do you want me to?” he asks, just as soft.

Eddie looks away, silent enough that Steve knows what the answer is without him saying anything.

“People try to make me show it all the time,” Eddie says, a little bitter. “I'm not trustworthy, you know. I'm not honest. I'm just going to screw them over.”

Steve's quiet for a moment, unsure what to say. He doesn't know how to tell him that Steve's never seen him that way, that all those other people are stupid.

Finally, he settles on, “I still haven't asked.”

Eddie turns to look at him again, his eyes gone molten. “No,” he says softly. “You haven't.”

Steve gives a half shrug. “There you go then.”

This is already written, and my plan is to post one part a day until it's all up here!

-----

Part 9

Taglist (always happy to add more to this if anyone wants): @fairytalesreality @lostonceandneverfound @wheneverfeasible @awkwardgravity1 @theintrovertedintrovert @thewickedkat @ravenfrog @scarlet-malfoy @missmagillicuddy @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @ollyxar @cringe-culture-is-dead-99 @thedragonsaunt @makewavesandwar @cryptid-system @ajeff855 @mae-liz @the-fantastical-asexual @jettestar @warlordess @persnicketysquares @samsoble @my-love-of-books @mydysfunctionallife @dreamercec @holyangelstudentuniverse @breealtair @shunna @xtraordinarally @thatdamnfan @justalittledrainbamage @strangerfolks @disrespectedgoatman @amber-ambience @anxietyfulloption @thepossummoldypasta @irregular-child @th30ra3k3n

[raayllum]

Anyway I did my 2nd watch of the season after sleeping / with the end in mind and it totally worked for me, especially with the understanding that there is 30% of the story left (and thereby Callum and Rayla's arcs aren't Over and room for more growth/plot had to be left open) and watching with the ending in mind.

I'm not upset that this is where Arc 2 ends, in some ways because it's sort of like season 2 of Avatar where Zuko doesn't join the Gaang in their 2nd arc (book two) because from a character basis he really wasn't Ready to do that / they had more story to tell, so I don't think with what they're doing it would've made sense to rush it in TDP. Nor do I think any of the previous set up for other outcomes (i.e. possession fight, salvation, etc) were wasted. Merely that TDP likes to do layer upon layer, and also have foreshadowing come back once (so you think you're safe) and then twice. I also don't think that Arc 2 resolved all the threads (i.e. Rayllum and greater good conflict / Aaravos & Callum) and ended them, and instead nudged them forwards in interesting ways for continued future exploration. I'll probably write more about the specifics later if this post doesn't get unwieldy or condensed with them for now.

In the meantime, these were things that I found really clicked for me on my 2nd watch through for S7 and with Arc 2 in general:

1) Arc 2's overarching focus on the Archdragons / the finale resolution with it.

We had a focus every season on at least one of the archdragons, with Zubeia (S4-S7), Luna Tenebris mentions (S4-S6), Rex Igenous (S4), Domina Profundis (S5), Sol Regem (S5-S6), and Avizandum mentions (S4-S5).

With that in mind, while I'm sure Aaravos' intentions was for no one to know of his plans ahead of time (7x01)... his actions also led to Callum and co. making connections to all the other Archdragons that they could pull on to bring everyone back to Lux Aurea, and Aaravos could destroy them (with no real consequence to himself, as his spirit was now free and his body could reform), taking a massive swing at the Cosmic Council's grand order that'd been enforced by the archdragons. He said the elves and dragons would fall hard... and now the dragons have, with the Cosmic Council being next (and thinking that the real focus on the Cosmic Council would be predominantly in arc 3 was, I believe, the general fandom consensus anyway).

AARAVOS: Now this is familiar, isn't it? Hasn't this all happened before? Arrogant fools. Again and again you make the same mistakes. (7x09)

Suitably, though, the Archdragons sacrifice themselves to protect all of Xadia, making amends for past / previous actions in their own way (narratively). They upheld the Cosmic Order, and then chose to break it.

Now, Aaravos will be returning to a world where there are no archdragons, and the only thing that can destroy his mortal form again would be the Nova Blade or some dark magic spell to take his spirit (but more on that later).

This also caps off S7 being about the destruction caused by one Archdragon (Sol Regem) and then the salvation through sacrifice from the other four as the finale. It comes full circle, but without repeating the cycle.

It also seems like the Nova Blade hasn't actually ever been used, as Aaravos states in 7x07:

She could have used the blade to destroy me, but chose instead to help imprison me. To spare me.

Or if it has, it still has a massive consequence that Zubeia is familiar with (the wielderdies if it's used to kill someone?), given that she is worried when Zym (and Ez wielding the sword) appears, intending to use it:

I'll also talk a bit more about why I think Aaravos designed 7x09 to be a win-win scenario for him no matter what when I get to Callum's section, but in the meantime...

2) Rayla's arc

Listen, y'all know I wanted Rayla to save Callum, like a lot, and thought there was a good chance she would if he was possessed again. However, neither of those things happened (also circumstances were crazy) and it was built up throughout the seasons, as well as in S7:

RAYLA: We can't save everyone, Soren. There's too much at stake. (4x05) RAYLA: But I can't help you yet... because right now, the world needs me. Callum and Ezran need me. There's a great evil returning to Xadia and we have to stop it, at any cost. (5x01) RAYLA: It hurts me to know they're trapped like this. It's agonizing. But our mission comes first. The world is in danger, and you can trust me to stay focused. (5x04) RAYLA: No, Callum. I want to help my parents, but I won't let it bias me. (6x01)

The season 7 setup is most prominently seen in S7 during Rayla's trial, in which she emphasizes that the assassins' deaths were not in vain due to the subsequent impact on the world as a whole, and in how their assassin pledges were upheld in their own way:

Life is precious. life is valuable. We take it, but we do not take it lightly. All of your lives were taken. But your sacrifices, they weren't for nothing. Callisto, you pledged your breath for freedom and we freed ourselves from an awful, pointless war. Andromeda, you pledged your eyes for truth. And we found the truth, a truth that changed the world. Skor, you pledged your strength for honour, and now humans and elves have finally begun to treat each other with honour again. And... Ram. You pledged your blood for justice. But what is justice? The king died that night. A life for a life. Is that justice? How much suffering is enough to paid for the mistakes we've made? I don't have the answers. But I'll carry you with me, all of you, forever.

So it made sense for her assassin oath to come back in some manner ("My heart for Xadia"). She had to honour her team's sacrifices by being willing to make her own (killing Callum and herself by symbolic extension), partially because her and Callum's "ride or die" dynamic had become a "ride and die" dynamic": this was his plan and his choice, and the alternative was to let him succumb to a fate worse than death AND to let Aaravos destroy the world through his hands.

And I get why this feels kind of backwards, because on the one hand, it seems like Rayla made a lot of progress, even questioning the validity of her own suffering for mistakes she / choices others have made, which is Huge!

And yet she's willing to suffer, and sacrifice Callum. The paying the price motif is even brought back in Aaravos' dialogue with the archdragons ("And what will your sacrifices buy?"). So what gives?

Well, I think in a lot of ways Arc 2 was Rayla learning to accept and ask for help (S5-S6), that she wasn't alone (S4, S7), and working to come back every time she leaves (S4) but... still being prepared to leave:

and still with sharing or acknowledging her own burdens not being her instinct.

There's a reason we all went "Rayla refusing to sacrifice Callum would be Character Development" after all. I also think it's quasi-similar to Rayla leaving after S3. She had a lot of opportunities to learn that she didn't have to do everything alone in arc 1, but those lessons didn't stick; in a similar fashion, Rayla had opportunities throughout arc 2 to learn that she doesn't always have to sacrifice something, but with Callum being increasingly sacrificial... Those lessons were there, but didn't stick. The other side of her sacrifice arc is not resolved.

With that in mind, I wanna talk about our favourite dorky mage, and then maybe arc 3.

3) Aaravos' Grand Plan & Callum's Corruption

This is a little hard to parse out just because we don't know what Aaravos' next step / goal was in bringing about Eternal Night (presumably to get the attention of the Cosmic Council, but who knows). That said, a few things I'm chewing on:

Aaravos, as previously discussed, found the most effective way to rid the world of (presumably) every Archdragon other than Zym

Aaravos, for whatever reason, wanted Ezran to have the Nova Blade, which Aanya even sets up for us in 7x09

Aaravos knew all along that Callum would turn to dark magic to take him down.

AARAVOS: Very soon, your brother will embrace dark magic to save those he loves. EZRAN: I suppose you've seen that written in the stars? AARAVOS: I have seen it written in his eyes. (7x07)

Furthermore, he wanted to have Callum be corrupted again, gave him the apple in 7x01 as the first attempt. The apple corruption was lampshaded with "Is there anything I can do to help?" + identity/name motif. Aaravos was actively goading him into dark magic in 7x09, even when he knew there was an assassin ready to kill Callum (Runaan), and smiling even when Callum began the spell (once Rayla had stepped in).

As of S7, Callum has been called (and not disputed being at least partially) a dark mage, used Viren's staff and now has it in his possession (and we still don't know why it was never supposed to be used again), and has a white streak. The willingness to go that far "has always been a part of" him and is now permanently reflected in his character design.

Secondly, we know that Aaravos' game with his pawns is not over, due to the secrets of the cube being ongoing (but confirmation in 7x09 that it indeed points towards Elarion) and due to framing with Claudia.

While I did consider that maybe Callum's pawn intro imagery had come back around in the conversation in 7x06 featuring the cube so heavily (!!) and then Callum choosing to do dark magic to stop Aaravos and save everyone as his destiny ("The one I write myself")... He's still corrupted, Aaravos is still going to come back in 7 years with Callum as a vessel, and the Key to the Book (metaphorically to literally the Book of Destiny) is still unresolved.

TLDR; think about how much it'd Hurt in a Good Way for Callum and Rayla to both know she would've sacrificed him for the greater good (fulfilling her end of foreshadowing from 6x03) only to be smacked in the face that Callum refuses to sacrifice her in Arc 3 with the other side of his ("if you ever have to choose between me and the greater good...").

The fact that the Cube canonically points towards Elarion, which feature stories about "a fair exchange of beloved for beloved" after a season in which Aaravos mandates "Your beloved is an assassin who cannot kill" is just the cherry on top. It also means that both Callum and Rayla have accordingly hit the 50-75% wavelength of their arc(s), with us now having a definitive basis for her being willing to that sets up more clearly her being not willing to in the future, the circumstances we'd need for a possession fight re-established, and the cube beat still on the table because the cube itself is still waiting to be plot relevant.

Rayla always follows Callum's lead ("Say the word and I'll go back into that tower with you") and reflects him ("Who told you that?" "You did") and the lessons he teaches her about love. He'll pave the way, and she'll follow, and then their arcs will come to a close.

We just had to get here first.

Conclusion??

Anyway I hope you enjoyed, I want to do a bigger Arc 3 predictions post (the ruby project, Evrkynd, Claudia, Harrow, etc.) sometime soon, but I hope in the meantime this brought some potentially needed assurance, excitement, or another perspective to consider.

[karasuno-planet]

Taking care of you

Kageyama x manager!reader who gets migraines !

warnings: migraine pain, vision loss

wc: 0.8k

summary: self-assured reader gets a horrible migraine and needs help, despite never asking for it. (pre-established relationship w/ kageyama) (fem!reader)

a/n: I LOVE THE HAIKYUU FANDOM SMMMM <333 you guys are my favs. requests open !! and the tsukki academic rivals fic is in the works for anyone wondering...

(gif not mine !)

One thing you had quickly learned while dating Kageyama is that he's not one for public displays of affection. You certainly weren't secret, hell pretty much everyone knew and was talking about you two, but you kept it private. Especially in front of his opponents. That's why it came as such a shock when you felt his arms aroudn you suddenly in the middle of a practice match.

To say you had a migraine that day was an understatement. Three days into the trining camp, in excruciating heat working late to help the team reform their entire strategies form the bottom up— you were exhausted.

But you were used to the migraines. It was something you could handle. The team is already under so much stress, especially Tobio. His sets hadn't been satisfactory, and he was re-learning everything he already knew from scratch. You couldn't imagine the pressure you knew he already felt, so keeping the pressure of your aching head a secret was nothing in comparison.

That doesn't mean nobody noticed, though. Walking into the first practice set of the day, Coach Ukai made a comment.

"Y/n, are you feeling okay?"

"Yes! Feeling good..."

"Okay, just let me know if you need to take a breather or something."

Had you already been exposed? The last thing you wanted was to be a burden on the team, but the floaters in your vision were a bit hard to ignore. And when the ringing in your ears set in, it got worse. Much worse.

By the third set of the day, you weren't faring well. You stood on the sidelines, taking notes on gameplay, when your vision started to black out completely. You widened your eyes to realize you couldn't see a thing. Your head pounding, you focused all your energy on just staying on your feet.

A deep voice yelled out, "Y/n? Are you okay?"

You recognized it as Daichi's voice, "Don't worry Daichi, I'm just fine..."

You heard Asahi chime in, "uh.. That was Kuroo talking...on the other side of the court..."

Before you knew it, Kageyama rushed off the court, running towards you and supporting you with his hand on your back, "Damn y/n, you can't see a thing, can you?" You recognized his touch and sent in front of you immediately.

"I'm okay, really."

"Sure.." he dismissed you. "I've got you okay? Must be scary, not being able to see..." he mumbled. "Can you walk if I support you? Here.." He started slowly helping you walk towards the exit of the gym.

"KAGEYAMA!" Hinata shouted, "What's going on??"

He sighed, looking back at the court, "She gets bad migraines, but she'll be okay, don't worry."

There was a collective sigh and chatter resumed across the volleyball court now that everyone understood the issue. Some players were wishing you well, but you could hear next to nothing with the ringing in your ears.

"I'm walking her to her room," Kageyama declared to Coach Ukai before continuing to support you to walk.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. SUGAWARA, get in there."

Suga jolted into action, stepping onto the court to fill Kageyama's place.

And that's the last moment you could clearly make out before you woke up.

You were laying on your back, a cold towel draped across your forehead and a blanket over your body. Tobio sat on the floor next to your bed, and turned around to face you quickly when you heard you moving.

"Y/n," he whispered. "Here, have some water." He handed you a bottle of ice water and you took a couple sips.

"Thank you..."

"No problem, but, why didn't you tell me something was wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to distract you."

"That's ridiculous, your migraines are serious and I deserve to know."

"You're right, I'm sorry."

You felt his hand slowly wrap around yours, "No, I...I've been so stressed out and mad at myself I didn't even realize what that might do to you. So absorbed in my own world..."

"My migraine is not your fault Tobio."

"Drink some more," he pushed the water towards you, noticeably keepin ghis voice low and soft to not irritate your head.

You took another sip and sighed, "I'm serious. You have nothing to do with it."

"Regardless, I have everything to do with it now. I'm not leaving your side until you're back to one hundred percent, okay?"

"You don't need to do that."

"But I'm going to," he assured you, squeezing your hand tightly in his, "besides, I'm lucky to be your nurse when you've got quite a few people eager to see you..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I don't think those guys have ever whispered in their lives," he chuckled softly, "I told them to piss off until I say you're ready."

"You're the best, Tobio."

"I know."

Before you could even open your mouth to thank him, he pressed a quick kiss to your cheek and set you back in your thoughts.

"I don't mind taking care of you, you know."

[masterlist]

[ack-cough]

I’m being exposed because of no anons, but I want more Meow!sabeau angst :3333

This AU is *Totally* about silly cat man

There's *definitely* no "Mira is at her fucking limit and finds out that the god she's devoted her life to has been fucking with her friends" angst I *promise*/silly

(Shut up shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!)

(You've devoted everything! Your life, your time, your years of efforts!! You were willing to make changes you never wanted, do things you'd never do in order to be a TRUE house maiden!)

(and they just. . . and they just--)

(PLAY WITH YOUR FAMILY LIKE CRABBING TOYS!!)

(Without thinking you lunge forward. Grabbing the god by the throat with all your might before violently slamming them into the darkless floor of the void!)

(YOUVE HAD IT. YOUVE HAD IT. YOUVE HAD IT.-)

(For a moment everything is silent, and you try to catch your breath. The change god lies motionless with a stone chunk missing from their solid round face..)

"Oh no. No no no no Mirabelle what have you done no no no no!"

"Hah that was fun huh! Don't worry just wanted to scare ya(⁠◕⁠દ⁠◕⁠)〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜"

(!!!)

(the Change God just.. reforms, completely whole, wearing the same stupid face you drew)

"First off OUCH .⁠·⁠´⁠¯⁠`⁠(⁠>⁠▂⁠<⁠)⁠´⁠¯⁠`⁠·⁠.(⁠ ⁠:⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠∧⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠:⁠ ⁠)!!"

"And secondly, Don't worry Mira!! You're still my favorite! but it's time for you to wake up now. But it'll be so interesting to see how this changes you (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+"

[luveline]

Hiii!!! Love your Eddie and Roan ficlets! I was wondering if you could write one about the first days of Eddie taking care of Roan, maybe you could do like Eddie having like a flashback or something like that while he's with Roan, and he remembers the first days he had Roan with him (and Wayne) That could be super cute!!

eddie and roan — eddie remembers the early days

“She doesn't want her.”  

“What do you mean, she doesn't want her?”   

“That's all she said, Wayne. She doesn't want her. I can have her. Can I have her?” 

Eddie thinks you're sleeping until you stroke his arm gently. “What are you thinking about?” you whisper. 

Roan doesn't stir. She falls asleep in his arms less and less now, but there were days where it was the only place she'd rest. The curve of his arm is deformed, he says, fit to her body. Or, reformed. Made how it was meant to be, to hold her near.

“Nothing,” he whispers back. 

“Liar. I know you're thinking about something, Munson. Is it the campaign?” 

He shakes his head. 

Wayne just looks at him. Really looks at him, the longest they've ever been in silence with one another since Eddie's dad dumped him and left. “Kid…” Wayne shakes his head. “Eddie. This is your life.” 

“But I can't just–”

Wayne holds up his hand. Not high, but enough to make Eddie stop. “You have to live with every decision you make…” 

Eddie squirms. Doesn't know what to say, or do, all he can think about is his baby in a bassinet waiting for someone to pick her up. “She's mine, right?” he asks. 

“Are you okay?” you ask. 

Eddie shifts the weight of his girl off of his chest and offers you a smile he knows from experience will reassure you, one parts living, three parts teasing. “What're you worrying about?” 

“Yeah. She's yours.” Wayne isn't a man of many words, but he's certainly a loving one. He hasn't hid that. He probably never will. “If you want her or not, let's go get her.”

“Of course I want her.” 

“Do you?” 

“You're quiet tonight,” you say. You worry at the inside of your lip, eyebrows lifting delicately at their beginnings as you bring your hand to his cheek. Slowly, like a soft drag, you pull your knuckle down his face. “If something’s wrong, I want to know.” 

“Nothing’s wrong. M'just thinking…” 

If Eddie didn't want Roan, it didn't really matter to Wayne. As far as he was concerned, Roan was a Munson the second she was born, and if Eddie didn't want her he would've taken her himself. Too old for a baby, he would've begged to have her rather than let her fall into the system. 

But Eddie did want her. He wasn't sure of everything, didn't know if he would be a father worth having or if he were even capable of raising a baby, but he wanted her. Lonely and stupid, dumb and broke, he wanted his girl. 

“Her mother was nice.” 

You tuck his hair behind his ear. “Who's?” 

“Roan's.” Eddie doesn't remember much about her beyond that. “But she didn't want to be a mom.” 

“It's just not what I pictured, Eddie. I'm sorry. This is me leaving her on your doorstep. Take her or leave her, do what you want, but I don't want her.” 

These days, Eddie doesn't want an apology. He didn't really want one then, but he wants one for Roan. His big girl, her dark head of hair pressed to his side and her dribble wetting a patch on his shirt, Eddie thinks of all the stuff that makes her her and he can't believe anyone could walk away from that, but he supposes she didn't know a thing about Roan or what she was going to be. 

Amazing, and brilliant, and beautiful. 

How could she not know that? 

Eddie only had to see Roan through plexiglass to guess how much he was going to love her. He didn't even need to hold her, but when he did, there wasn't any doubt. Not a lick of it. This was it for them, he wanted her and he chose her, and if he needed to, he'd fight for her. Badly, with poor coordination. He'd get mean if he needed to. 

“Well… I guess it's her loss.” You speak tentatively; this is unfamiliar territory between you. “It is, I mean. Her loss. I… oh, Eddie, I'm sorry.” 

“I'm sorry,” he says, holding the tiny bundle of his brand new daughter in terrified hands. “I'm sorry, babe, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do with you, are you hungry? God, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.” 

“It's alright, Eds,” Wayne says. “You got it. When you panic, she panics. So calm down.” 

Wayne explains himself better later on. It wasn't that he didn't want Eddie to take her, the opposite, he thought it was Eddie's duty as a father. As family. And Wayne would know about duty, looking after his brother's kid for no reason other than blood. He barely knew Eddie when he got ditched on his stoop, but that didn't stop him from bringing him in, getting him changed, and giving him the trailer's only bedroom. So Eddie doesn't know a thing about this baby in his arms, but she's sure as hell his to look after. A crop of dark, soft curls sprouting through the cradle cap and eyes swelled with newness, he'd joked that he can see the resemblance and Wayne tsked. He can't tell if his uncle is happy or mad lately —it's the same with the baby. Everybody's always glaring at him. 

“I'm calm.” 

“You look like you're gonna pass out.” 

“Why is she crying like she's in agony?” he asks. 

“‘Cos she knows you're worried!” Wayne laughs and slides in next to Eddie, snug in the corner of the kitchen beside a tower of formula and all the new baby bottles. What Eddie had for savings is well and truly gone. “You can do this, Eddie, I promise. Lift her head a bit and try again. She's hungry. She'll latch.” 

“I can't–” 

“Come on.” Wayne stands at his side, unflinching. “Deep breath.” 

Roan latches. (Crazy to have named her, weirder to have been allowed to bring her home, no questions asked. He showed his ID and she was his to love forever.) She stops crying, eyes barely open but watching him with the most innate kind of curiosity. 

She won't remember this moment, but Eddie will. 

“Hey,” he says quietly. “That's better. That's better, huh?” He lifts his eyes to Wayne's. “She's cute.”

“She's beautiful, Eds.” 

Eddie takes one of Roan's hands to knead her fingers. “I'm not sorry,” he confides to you. “I wish Ro could've had everything, but I think she's doing just fine now.” 

“Fine? Baby, she's had everything she ever needed right from the beginning.” You lean up to press a smacking kiss Munson style against his temple. “She's got you.” 

“I've got you,” he says, quiet and sweet as he meets her curious gaze. “Got you, sweetheart. Everything's gonna be okay.” 

He strokes a big tangle of curls away from Roan's face and smiles like he did then, as though he's seeing her properly for the first time all over again. 

[sweet-s0rr0w]

day 18 of @hprecfest - a fic that makes you laugh

Little Red Courgette, by @blamebrampton - T, 31k, 2009

Summary: When this season's purple courgettes are woefully thin, Draco Malfoy thinks it amounts to small beans. Next thing he knows, the Department of Standards is over-run with leeks, Brussels sprouts all sorts of legislative difficulties, and somebody appears to have put a roquette under Harry Potter. Can Draco seize a marrow victory? Or will his plans for peas be squashed?

All along, Kingsley Shacklebolt finds himself pining for the good old days, when, instead of governing, all you had to worry about were Dark Lords and imminent death.

Excerpt:

They each made it through a bowl of chocolate with sundry other flavours garnishing it. And three large glasses of wine. This was the only excuse Draco could find for the fact that he found himself asking Potter: 'So what's your game?'

'Quidditch,' Potter replied instantly. 'Or Exploding Snap.'

'Here. What's your game here.'

'I'm not with you.'

A part of Draco's brain screamed at him to stop, but the alcohol-soaked part, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Smythe's, encouraged him to go on. 'Are you working with Kingsley to enlist me as your pawn in a clean out of the Ministry? You were very quick to agree when I asked you to warn The Quibbler off, was it all a ruse?'

'I thought you were engaged in your own hands-on grass-roots Ministry reform, making the one department work well, with an eye to expanding in the future,' Potter rebutted.

'Well I am, so you needn't try making use of me in your nefarious scheme.'

'I don't have a nefarious scheme.'

'So is it all a complicated plan to take some highly personal and embarrassing revenge for the Potter Stinks badges? Because that was years ago. And although I feel a little badly about it now, they were excellent work for a wizard that age.'

'They were, I was impressed. I still have one at home, you know.'

'Really?'

'Yup. I thought you were a wanker at the time, but I have to say, that was a quality Charm.'

'Thanks. So what's left? You're in the hire of someone keen to assassinate the last of the Malfoys; it's all an elaborate if somewhat clumsy plan at seduction; or you're desperate for someone to talk to now that all your friends are getting married and having children.'

'Those are my options? I'll take two, clumsy seduction.'

'Really?'

Back in 2019 when I rediscovered the joys of fanfic after over a decade out, I started off the way any (less tech-savvy) millennial would, by googling 'Drarry fanfiction'. blamebrampton's works were some of the first that I found, and I was immediately entranced. They're such an incredible variety, from the Muggle World-set Doing the Lambeth Walk, to travel fic Beneath Boundless Skies, to wartime epic (and longtime @tackytigerfic obsession) And Save Me From Bloody Men. No matter what the topic, though, blamebrampton's sense of humour always shines through in her sharp observations and witty dialogue, and in Little Red Courgette she's able to showcase this to the fullest extent. It's a hilarious examination of government bureaucracy from the world-weary point of view of one Draco Malfoy, an employee of the Office for the Volumetric Standardisation of Edible Wizarding Greengrocery Produce. The veg related puns are numerous, and excellent, and both Draco and Harry are incredibly endearing. Big rec, for all her works!

If you read it, and especially if you love it, please do let me know! And as always, please do take the time to leave the author a kudos/comment <3

day 1 - first fic you remember reading

day 2 - a fic rated G

day 3 - a fic not on ao3

day 4 - a comfort fic

day 5 - a romantic fic

day 6 - a fic for a ship you don’t normally read

day 7 - the best of your OTP

day 8 - a fic that was recced to you

day 9 - a WIP

day 10 - a fest/event fic

day 11 - an underrated fic

day 12 - a fic from your favourite author

day 13 - a rare pair

day 14 - a fic rated T

day 15 - a fic over 50k

day 16 - a podfic

day 17 - a fic that makes you cry

[trueebeauty]

hello~ could you make an oneshot of Gun x reader when we had a very bad day and hold all the emotions until we came home, hearing his worried voice, we ran into his arms and bursted into tears like a baby 🥹

thank you so much ☺️

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ notes ; ofc!! I added my own little twist to this if you don't mind!!

You fumbled with your keys, hands shaking as you finally unlocked the door to your shared apartment. It had been an awful, stressful day and you had barely held it together on the way home, fighting back tears the whole way. Mrs. Johnson, usually a sweet lady, had been having a particularly difficult day with her dementia. She had repeatedly accused you of stealing her jewelry, growing more agitated and combative each time you gently reminded her that her daughter was keeping her valuables safe at home. Then there was Mr. Thompson, who had stubbornly refused to take his medication, insisting that you were trying to poison him. By the time you had finished assisting Ms. Chen with her evening routine, carefully following the special instructions for transferring her from her wheelchair to the bed due to her recent hip surgery, you were physically and emotionally drained.  "[Your Name]? Is that you?" Gun's deep, comforting voice called out from the living room. Hearing his voice shattered the last of your composure. Dropping your bag, you ran to him, collapsing into his strong arms as the floodgates opened and sobs wracked your body. Gun held you close, one hand rubbing soothing circles on your back. "Shh, it's okay, I've got you," he murmured. "Rough day at work?" Not trusting your voice, you simply nodded against his chest, burying your face in his shirt as you let out all the pent-up emotions from the day. Gun tightened his embrace, rocking you gently. In the safety of Gun's arms, you finally released the stress and frustration you'd been holding in all day, crying until you had no tears left. Through it all, he simply held you, whispering words of comfort and pressing kisses to your hair. "Just give me two seconds with each of them," he said seriously. Stopping your crying, you remove your head from his chest and look at him, "They're old," you say. Gun shrugs, "You’re right, half a second should be more than enough." You snort before you push against his chest, "How are you not in prison?" "I did nothing wron–" Gun stops when he sees your disbelieving face, "What, don't believe me?" You shook your head, "Not a chance." "You wound me, [Your Name]," Gun clutched his chest dramatically. "I'm a model citizen, I'll have you know." You raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at your lips. "Is that what they're calling reformed delinquents these days?" Gun grinned, pulling you closer. "Reformed? Who said anything about reformed? I'm just better at not getting caught now." You couldn't help but laugh at his audacity. "You're impossible." "Impossibly charming, you mean," he winked, pleased to see your mood lifting. "More like impossibly hopeless," you retorted, but your eyes shone with affection. "You love it," Gun said confidently, pressing a quick kiss to your head. You sighed, snuggling back into his embrace. "Heaven help me, but I really do." With Gun, you weren't afraid to be vulnerable. His love and strength were your safe harbor, and you knew that no matter how hard your job or your life could be, he would always be there to support you.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Azul Ashengrotto - Platinum Jacket Vignette

"Happy 100th Anniversary"

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Azul: That painting was done by a painter from the Coral Sea… I'm rather surprised at the number of merfolk focused paintings here in a museum on the surface.

Azul: I suppose I should expect nothing less from this Land of Dawning Museum with 100 years of history lining its halls. Their collection includes a wide variety of works.

Azul: Fufu, it does bring me pride a supporter of the museum. I must do my part well… Oh?

???: She's a lot bigger than I expected… Did the Sea Witch really need to grow to such a size…?

Azul: Well, well, Jamil-san. If there is anything I can elucidate you on this painting of the Sea Witch, I would happy to do so.

Jamil: Don't just listen in on someone else's personal mutterings like that. Your ears just pick up everything, huh.

Azul: The scene depicted in this painting is of when the Sea Witch was admonishing someone who tried to change their contract.

Jamil: And don't just start explaining without being prompted. Even I know about the story of when she transformed to that titanic size.

Jamil: But when I actually see this painting in person, she's just much larger than I had imagined… It's just hard to believe.

Azul: You believe this depiction is a fictional exaggeration of what actually happened?

Azul: I completely understand that. I had the same thoughts the first time I saw this painting.

Azul: Nevertheless, this painting has faithfully reproduced a well-known legend passed down in the Coral Sea.

Azul: The Sea Witch embodies the spirit of compassion. And yet, she also demonstrated her anger at the mer who broke their contract.

Azul: But all of it was for the purpose to reform the soul of the mer who had acted in bad faith!

Jamil: What, she disciplined them for their own good? …Actually, yeah, there are some people who don't learn their lesson from just a light scolding.

Azul: Indeed. That is how it is taught in the Coral Sea.

Azul: You cannot just spoil someone rotten, there needs to be some discipline as well. I believe that shows true compassion.

Jamil: I can't believe something reasonable actually came from your mouth… What's wrong, are you sick or something?

Azul: Not at all. I only say this because there was someone close to me who would do the exact same thing.

Jamil: You personally know a mer who is similar to the Sea Witch? Who could that be?

Azul: My grandmother.

Azul: She always dotes on me… And when I was a child, I was definitely spoiled rotten by her.

Azul: However, she didn't hold back on scolding me when I didn't heed her advice and mixed some dangerous potions together.

Azul: And that was beyond terrifying… She was as furious as whirlpools in a strait.

Jamil: Whirlpools in a strait, huh… I bet that was as intense at the Sea Witch in this painting.

Azul: Indeed she was. Even if I had wanted to swim away, my legs were shaking so much, I couldn't even move.

Azul: However, I do understand now that she was tough because she had been worried about me.

Azul: Even after leaving home, I diligently put forth the effort every single day while always remembering her teachings.

Azul: So whenever I go to work, I remember what she would say to me, and use that to strengthen myself before beginning.

Azul: She would say… "Become a mer who is capable of helping someone else."

Jamil: …I see.

Jamil: I gotta say, I wasn't expecting you to be that much of a grandma's boy. That's a bit of a shocker.

Azul: A grandma's boy… Well, I suppose. I am who I am now thanks to her.

Azul: Of course, it also wouldn't be incorrect to say that I learned the importance of proper compensation from her, either.

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Azul: This is… a painting that depicts story of when the Fairest Queen disguised herself as an old woman and visited a young girl who lived in a forest.

Azul: If I recall, as a way to help the young girl in love, she personally came to deliver apples that the she needed for a dish.

Jamil: So she was going to get through to her love interest through their stomach, hm. If the Fairest Queen herself brought them all the way there, those apples must have been especially delicious.

Azul: Indeed, one can almost smell that sweet apple aroma just by looking at this painting.

Azul: I'm sure it would be rather difficult for a painter from the oceans to draw such a real-looking apple.

Jamil: You think? Apples are imported under the sea, too. I feel like they could draw it by looking at that…

Azul: Of course, we absolutely can get our hands of apples in the sea. However, there is a large difference in how the light hits it and how the color shines upon it when it is at the sea floor compared to the surface.

Azul: Unless that painter has spent enough years on land, the way they draw them will be completely different from how they look on land.

Jamil: Interesting. Speaking of differences, Azul… Is it true that things smell differently on land and in the sea?

Azul: Oh, you're quite knowledgeable.

Azul: It often does feel as though the same things smell differently under the sea or on the surface.

Azul: When I first came on land, every scent was new to me, so every time I came across something new, I made it a point to determine its aroma.

Jamil: You just went around sniffing everything left and right… Haha, makes me laugh just imagining it.

Jamil: I bet everything smelling different caused some confusion, huh.

Azul: I suppose so. However, I did make some new discoveries. I especially found my meal times to be very valuable.

Azul: I can never forget that moment I realized just how different the flavors of ingredients that we also had in the ocean could be just from the change in aroma.

Azul: People do often say that fragrance is a valuable part of determining the taste factor of a dish.

Jamil: That's true. Oftentimes spices are used as a way to add fragrance in the same way.

Jamil: So, what was the dish that made you realize that even the same ingredients could affect the flavor?

Azul: Just a simple grilled dish. Char-grilled meat or fish, for example.

Azul: Of course, I've eaten things made on land underwater before, but the flavor was completely different.

Jamil: Char-grilling, hm. I can definitely see that as having a different flavor, since those dishes heavily rely on aromas.

Azul: Indeed. As such, at Jade and Floyd's suggestion, we had a barbeque soon after we came to the surface…

Azul: However, our ingredients became charred due to our inability to control the heat properly, and smoke kept getting into our eyes… It was one hardship after another, since we had no idea how to do it effectively.

Azul: Not to mention that Jade and Floyd found it entertaining to keep blowing the smoke in my direction… It was a wretched time.

Jamil: Sounds like fun to me. I can picture just how disgruntled you must have been.

Azul: Oh, is that right? I'll make sure to invite you next time, Jamil-san, since you seem interested.

Jamil: …I think I'll pass, actually.

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Jamil: This is a painting of the Lord of the Underworld and his human helper from his legends, huh. This lady looks pretty unhappy.

Azul: It is said that they would have troubles compromising often, and it seems that she is very reluctant towards something here.

Azul: In addition, she had failed in a task that the Lord had given her, and made a major misstep by reporting incorrect information.

Azul: However, he didn't abandon her and instead gave her a chance to redeem herself.

Azul: How utterly generous he is… The Lord of the Underworld is a wonderful inspiration as someone who knows how to rouse his people.

Jamil: Well, I can't deny that, but… To me, there's something to be said about being too tolerant.

Jamil: I know I personally would rather not have an increase in workload because something gets promised without thinking.

Azul: Are you perhaps talking about matter of raising the PR level of Night Raven College that the Headmage requested?

Azul: When that topic was brought up in the last Housewarden meeting, Kalim-san was so forthright in accepting the task.

Jamil: You accepted it, too. This is an unbearable weight on me, and my fellow dorm students, you know.

Jamil: I get why softhearted Kalim took it on, but why would you go out of your way to accept this sort of annoying task?

Azul: No reason why… The Headmage was in need, so I volunteered out of the goodness of my heart.

Azul: Also… If this PR were to succeed, then it would be beneficial to me, as well.

Jamil: Beneficial to you?

Azul: If the good name of our academy is spread, then that will also reflect on us, you see?

Azul: More than ever people will recognize us as being students from that Night Raven College…

Azul: And if it is a grand success, then as one of the organizers, I may have the chance to grow my own opportunities.

Jamil: So that's why. You're completely different from Kalim, who just took it on because the Headmage asked.

Jamil: But anyway, this is all just hypothetical, right? There's also the chance that it's all just a waste of time and effort.

Azul: That is true. However, that is no reason to sit back and do nothing.

Azul: My main goal while at this academy is to maximize my own marketability before heading out into society.

Azul: In order to achieve that, there is nothing I am unwilling to do. I must take every opportunity that is given to me.

Jamil: Sigh, that's just like you.

Jamil: Speaking of which, have you already come up with how you're planning on increasing PR?

Jamil: I hear that the organizer will have to implement the best idea personally. That's a pretty hefty load, don't you think?

Azul: Fufu, I can't go into details, but… Of course, I've thought of some feasible ideas.

Azul: If you're interested, why not join us, Jamil-san?

Azul: It would be remiss if I were to completely monopolize this wonderful of an opportunity.

Jamil: No thanks. I'll be leaving now before I get wrapped up in anything troublesome.

Azul: Fufu, and there he slips away from me. …Hm? This painting…

Azul: It's the mermaid who fell in love with a human from one of the Sea Witch's legends. She seems so naïve and vulnerable; one prone to being led on.

Azul: Fufu… The world is cruel, after all. I wonder how much of reality she actually understood.

Requested by @pianostarinwonderland.

[sjsmith56]

A Better Man, Part 10 - Walkthrough

Summary: A year later two momentous occasions are pending. First, the three partners of Shield Renovations await the dropping of all charges against them. Secondly, there is a wedding soon to happen.

Length: 4.7 K

Characters: Bucky, Steve, Sam, Winnifred, Andrea, Lily, Natasha, Bruce.

Warnings: Fluffy fluff with a final touch of anxiety from Bucky.

Author notes: I hope you liked this mostly sweet story of a shy man falling for the right woman. Although there was some darkness, it also showed Bucky’s qualities that made him the better man.

<<Part 9

Part 10

One year later

The three partners sat in Bucky's office late on a Friday afternoon, waiting nervously.  The courier was supposed to bring the confirmation directly to them but according to Hope Van Dyne, he had left the District Attorney's office well over an hour ago. 

"Maybe he got into an accident," said Sam, cracking his knuckles and getting glares from his two friends at the sounds.  "Well, why else would he be late?  Don't those guys go all out on their bikes?  It's gotta be that or someone trying to stop us getting cleared completely.  Pierce could still have people on his payroll."

"You watched that movie again, didn't you?" asked Steve, rolling his eyes.  "That Premium Rush one?  There are no corrupt cops wanting to screw us over, okay?  Both Natasha and Maria said that as far as the NYPD is concerned, we're reformed.  They're all rooting for us, plus ever since we did Tom Benson's renovation, he's managed to refer a dozen other clients to us.  Our reputation is sterling."

"It will be fine," said Bucky, searching his pockets in vain.  He looked at Steve.  "Give me some gum, will you?"

He reached into the chest pocket of his Shield Renovations and Construction polo shirt, pulling out a package of gum and handing a strip to Bucky.  Another hand appeared in front of him, and he placed one in Sam's hand before taking one himself.  Although all three of them gave up smoking, they still needed a substitute vice when they were stressed, and gum was the vice of choice.  They sat quietly, chewing away, then the door opened, and Hope came in with a large envelope.

"It's here," she said. 

Bucky put his hand out, taking it from her, then she left.  At the time he hired her it was because Mrs. Parker said she was swamped but in reality, Hope Van Dyne was her hand-picked choice to replace her.  Knowing that the operation was close to being wrapped up, Mrs. Parker had stumbled across the capable administrative assistant on her daily commute, befriending her and offering her consolation over the antics of the younger woman's employer.  Even though May Parker contemplated retiring from the FBI to continue working with the company, another undercover assignment was offered to her and she felt compelled to accept it.  The last they heard she was working at a private golf club and resort in Florida, keeping an eye on a retired high-level politician who seemed to have a lot of foreign dignitaries visiting him at all hours of the day and night. 

"Are you going to open it, or what?" asked Sam, interrupting Bucky's thoughts.

With an irritated glance at his friend, Bucky opened the envelope and pulled out three sheets of paper, handing one each to Sam and Steve.  They all read the words on the papers then at each other, slowly smiling.

"We're good," said Sam.  "Fury has come through.  We're completely legit!"

"We can travel," said Bucky.  "I was worried that it wouldn't come through before the wedding and we couldn't go on our honeymoon."

"I can propose now," said Steve, then he blushed.

"Wait, what?  You're proposing to Natasha?  Does she know?  Maria never said anything about a proposal."

"Of course, she doesn't know," answered Steve, pushing Sam in the arm.  "Dumbass.  It's a proposal.  It's supposed to be a surprise."

Sam rubbed his arm, then grinned, offering his hand to Steve.  "Congratulations, man.  She had you wrapped around her finger from the very start."

"She did not.  What about you and Maria?  You wanted her to move in within a month."

"Did not.  Her lease was ending, and I was being nice."

Bucky watched and listened to their bickering, then crumpled up a post-it note and threw it at Steve.  His two friends stopped talking, switching their attention to him. 

"Now that we have our confirmation that the charges are all dropped and expunged, I'm going home," he said, standing up.  "I'm going to hug my daughter, read her a story and tuck her in, then take my almost wife to bed."

"You can't," said Steve.  He ran his hand through his hair.  "You're coming out with us for your stag.  It's all arranged.  Andrea knows that you'll probably crash with me tonight."

"Guys ... I didn't want one."

"I know, but the troops did and a good general always supports his troops.  Just so you know, we're meeting at a sports bar that has twenty different burgers, a hundred different beers, and games galore.  No strippers, no hookers, nothing that you or we would ever be ashamed of."  He gestured at Bucky's company shirt.  "I have something for you to change into."

He left, coming back with one of Bucky's favourite shirts.  With a sigh, Bucky changed, while Steve and Sam changed theirs.  They locked up, since Hope had already left, and headed to where they could hail a taxi.  After a short ride they arrived at their destination and made sure that Bucky walked in ahead of them.  It was full of every guy who worked for them, including Thor, and Peter Quill.  A beer was put into Bucky's hands, then Steve stood on a chair, holding his beer up.

"In a week, Bucky gets married to Andrea, a woman that stole his heart from the first moment he saw her.  Sam and I met her two weeks before, quite by accident as she was taking her baby girl, Lily, out for a walk.  We were having a smoke break, and this breath of fresh air approached us, then stopped, smiled, and asked where the nearest park was.  Sam, being the smooth operator he was, asked about Lily, then gave Andrea advice about child raising, based on his experiences as uncle to his sister's two boys.  She thanked him and walked away, leaving us feeling a little colder and in the dark without her presence.  Two weeks after that, Bucky joined us, and it was like a light went on in his head and his heart.  Those of you who witnessed this special time knew that he was a changed man.  In his opinion, he's become a better man since then.  To our better man, Bucky Barnes."

They all repeated it and drank to him.  He smiled shyly and looked at all of them.

"After my surgery, we decided to change the name of Barnes Contracting to something new.  It was Andrea who suggested Shield Renovations and Construction.  She said the shield would represent protection, something that she felt with us.  She told me of how you all waited at the hospital during my surgery and told stories about us, about how we gave you all a second chance to be better men.  Obviously, you all wanted it, because you bought into our limited scope of operations and when we went legitimate you stayed with us.  We wouldn't be where we are today without you all.  Thank you for believing in us and in yourselves.  We're only as good as the people who work for us, and right now, I think we have the best of men as our employees."

He drank more of his beer, then received many handshakes and shoulder squeezes from everyone as they began to party.  For several hours Bucky nursed his beers, drinking only three in total.  After making sure Steve and Sam got home okay, he took a taxi to the brownstone and paid the driver, looking up at the building in the dark.  He sat on the top step and opened his phone, flipping through the gallery of photos he took of the renovation, finished seven months before.  In many ways it was a record of the second part of his and Andrea's relationship.  The job became a labour of love as he steered the renovation alongside her, making sure she was involved in all the aspects of doing it right, the first time. 

Everything new had to be done to last a lifetime, and everything old that he kept from the original had to be restored to the highest quality.  When the project was finished, and they took the walkthrough together before moving her furniture back, she turned to him. 

"You are moving in with me, right?" she asked.  "This is all so beautiful, that you must have done some of it for yourself."

"It was all for you, but I am moving in with you," he replied.  "My apartment was what I thought Dot wanted, and I stayed there because it cost a lot.  It was more of a home with you and Lily there but this is the home I want to live the rest of my life in."

He placed his hand casually in his pocket, feeling the edge of the ring box, then drew it out, when her back was turned as she opened the butler's pantry door and went inside.  When she came out, he was down on one knee, with the box opened towards her, and she gasped in surprise.

"Will you marry me?  Will you stand with this former criminal and keep me on the good path that I've tried to stay on since I met you?  Will you let me be Lily's father in name and not just practice?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," she replied without hesitation.  "I'll marry you.  The path is wide enough that you'll never fall off, not with me at your side.  As for Lily, Brock has given up his rights to her.  He never wanted her, except for the money she would bring him."

As he slid the vintage engagement ring onto her ring finger, he gazed at her face, then stood up.  When she looked up at him, he saw only love, something he never saw with Dot.  That was the night they made love for the first time, a perfect melding of hearts, souls, and flesh that made his dick thicken as he thought of it.  Even though they picked up their relationship from where they left off, he didn't push Andrea into anything she wasn't ready for.  Some of their make out sessions became steamy but, in his heart, Bucky knew they would be together in every way when the time was right.  Waiting just made their first time incredibly special.

The selfie of them in the kitchen with her showing off her engagement ring was the last of the renovation pictures.  Sighing as he closed the gallery Bucky thought of when he sold his apartment condo, paid his mother back for the renovations and invested the rest, including starting up a college fund for Lily.  In the seven months they had shared the brownstone he lived as he always wanted, without worry and fear of the law coming after him, with someone he loved more than anything.

Standing up, he entered the code on the door panel, closing and locking the door behind him.  Slipping his shoes off, he hung up his jacket in the closet and made his way up to the second floor.  Checking in on Lily first, he grinned at how she was sprawled out in her "big girl" bed.  At 19 months she was walking and talking, and still just as friendly to almost everyone she met.  The guys at the warehouse loved seeing her whenever Andrea stopped by.  It was hilarious watching a bunch of grown men trying to entertain her by making goofy faces and sounds to get her attention.  She had her favourites; Clint, the father of three who was now their foreman, and Scott, who was in a serious relationship with Hope.  He knew magic and could make Lily laugh and clap her hands at his simple tricks.   Surprisingly, at least to Bucky, she liked Luis, who was teaching her Spanish, even bringing some Spanish language children's books to the warehouse to read to her whenever she climbed up on his lap.  Of course, she had soft spots for her godfathers Sammy and Steeby.  Every time they were over at the house, she went from one to the other, scamming them out of candy or money.  His mother's love for the little girl was as strong as if she had been related by blood.  Nana always got hugs and kisses, giving them back in turn.  If only Andrea's parents saw her more, it would be perfect.  Although they had finally met there was still an element of disapproval from her mother, over their daughter being a single mother, living with a man who was not the father of her child, even though the biological father was an absolute bastard.  On the other hand, her father had tried since that meeting to stay in touch with Andrea, often coming over and doting on Lily.

Moving towards his daughter, Bucky gently tugged the blanket over her, then put a stuffed animal under her arm.  Kneeling down, he kissed her on the head and whispered his usual saying to her.

"Sleep tight, little star.  In the morning, I'll catch you in my hand and make a wish to love you forever and always."

Getting up from his knees, he stood at the doorway again, basking in the love he felt for this toddler.  From there he quietly entered the bedroom and stepped into the ensuite bathroom to remove his clothes and brush his teeth.  He always kept a pair of sweatpants on a hook and put them on, then slipped under the bed covers, spooning behind Andrea.  She made the sweetest sound when he draped his arm over her waist.

"I thought you were staying at Steve's?"

"I only had a few beers, so I came home.  Besides, he snores when he's had too much."

She rolled over, kissed him sweetly on the mouth, then snuggled into his chest.

"I'm glad you're home.  It was hard to get to sleep without you.  Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, it was good to see everyone outside of work.  Thor and Peter Quill were there as well."  He kissed the top of her head.  "In a week we'll be married."

He could feel her smile forming on his chest, then she looked up at him again.

"Are we going to announce the baby?"

"I think we should wait.  You're only six weeks along.  Although they'll probably figure it out when you don't drink any alcohol."

"Probably," she yawned.  "Natasha thinks Steve might be proposing to her.  She said he's been acting quite mysterious lately.  Did he say anything to you?"

He couldn't help but smile.  If he lied, Andrea would know it.  If he didn't lie and she told Natasha, Steve wouldn't be happy with him.

"It was brought up, but he won't say when it's going to happen.  You're not going to tell her, are you?"

She didn't answer but by her regular breathing he could tell she was asleep.  He didn't even get a chance to tell her about the charges being dropped.  That could wait until the morning.  He kissed her head again and closed his eyes, feeling like he was the luckiest man in the world.

💍 💐

One week later

Having his head down between his knees wasn't helping Bucky breathe, even as his mother rubbed his back soothingly.  Sam and Steve stood there, wringing their hands, hoping that their friend wasn't about to pass out just 10 minutes before his wedding.  Winnifred looked up at the two of them.

"Get him some water," she said.  "Send Dr. Banner in."

"Yeah, good idea," said Steve, relieved at the suggestion.  "Sam, you get the doctor, and I'll get the doctor."  Sam looked at him, then slapped him lightly upside the back of his head.  "What the hell?"

"We can't both get the doctor," replied the other man.

"Boys, focus," said Winnifred.  "Sam, you get the water.  Steve, you get the doctor.  Go."

She shook her head.  For 34-year-old men, they still had their dumbass moments where they acted 14. 

"I don't know why I'm like this," gasped Bucky.  "I want to get married.  I love Andrea and want to be with her.  I feel almost like I did whenever I saw blood.  Ma, why is this happening now?"

How he got that torrent of words out when he could barely breathe made no sense to Winnifred, but she wasn't about to call her son out on it.  He always had been a sensitive soul, and she was sure this had something to do with it.  Bruce Banner arrived first, accompanied by Steve. 

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"He feels like he's going to faint," said Winnifred.  "Said it's like whenever he saw blood before."

"Bucky, do you feel like you're going to vomit?" asked Banner.

"Yes ... no, I don't know.  I just don't feel right, like I'm going to pass out at any moment."

"Hey, look at me."  Bucky raised his head.  "Tell me three things that you see."

"Um, the chair ... the mirror ... um, um, the carpet."

"Good," smiled Bruce.  "Now, three sounds.  What can you hear, right now?"

Bucky breathed in heavily.  "My breath.  The sound of music outside."  He focused more on Dr. Banner.  "A siren, far away."

"Excellent.  Just breathe, steady in for five then out for five.  Now I want you to move three body parts.  Can you do that?"

"Yeah." 

He sat up and moved his head from side to side.  Then he clenched and unclenched his fists.  Finally, he stuck his feet out in front of him, then brought them back to their original position.  Sam appeared with the water.

"I had to wait for the bartender to show up ... oh, you look better." 

He gave the water to Bucky, who nodded his head and sipped it, then took a longer drink.  He kept breathing in and out, following Dr. Banner's example.  The older man patted him on the shoulder.

"Feel better, now?"

"Yeah, I do.  Thanks."

"No problem.  It was just a little bit of anxiety you were feeling.  If it happens again try the 3-3-3.  Three things you can see, three things you can hear and move three body parts.  It redirects your brain to stop the anxiety.  Works every time."  The doctor stood up.  "Just give him a couple of minutes.  Winnie, are you walking him down the aisle?"

"I am now," she said.

"Just support him.  He'll be fine once he gets to the front.  I have to say this is a nice place for a wedding.  Very picturesque."

He left and Winnifred kept rubbing Bucky's back.  Finally, he nodded and stood up. 

"Okay, let's get married."

The wedding planner arrived to tell them it was time.  Together, they walked to where the outdoor ceremony was set up in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.  Sam and Steve walked towards the officiant first, positioning themselves at the front, then Bucky walked out with his mother, stopping at the first row of chairs to kiss her on the cheek, before he joined his friends.  Then Natasha and Maria appeared, with Lily in front of them, her tiny hands holding a basket of flower petals.  As When You Wish Upon a Star played, the little girl, wearing a lacy pink dress, scattered her petals, stopping to put some in people's hands along the way.  Bucky felt his heart in his throat, as his lips trembled, seeing his daughter taking her roll so seriously.  Then she saw him.

"Dada," she cried, dropping the basket, and running to him, making everyone swoon at the sight, as he picked her up and kissed her.

"You stay with me, and we'll watch Mama together, okay?"

She nodded then pointed to where Andrea waited while the music to A Groovy Kind of Love started.  He laughed at first, then began to cry at how beautiful she looked.  She stood alone at the other end, then she looked to one side and was joined by her father.  Kissing her on the cheek, he walked her down the aisle, a big grin on his face.  There were more kisses when she arrived to where Bucky stood, from her dad to her and Lily, then a handshake to the groom. 

For such a memorable moment in his life, Bucky could never remember much of the ceremony itself.  He remembered how Andrea looked while they gazed at each other as if they were the sun, moon, and stars personified.  He remembered saying "I do" and putting the wedding band on her finger but everything else was a blur until they kissed.  Lily had already wiggled out of his arms to go to his mother, making everyone laugh.  When he was told he could kiss the bride he placed his hands on Andrea's cheeks, then kissed her softly and sweetly, wanting it to last forever. 

More flower petals were tossed at them as they walked down the aisle and led everyone to the pool beside the Palm House, set up for cocktails.  They left briefly for photographs amongst the flowers blooming nearby.  When the late afternoon turned into the evening, and the light became more golden as sunset approached, the Palm House was opened for the reception.  The glass walled structure, filled with more colourful flowers, and festooned in fairy lights, seemed magical in appearance.  Lily was entranced by it and clapped her hands in pure joy.

The first dance for the couple was to You Make Me Feel Brand New, the third song they ever danced to when Andrea had to nudge Bucky into finally kissing her.  Everyone who had been there from the start of Bucky and Andrea's relationship, watched with soft smiles on their faces at the tenderness between the couple.  That song was the one most suited for the wedding dance, although the other two songs made it to the set list.  It wasn't all 70s and 80s music, as they made sure there was something for everyone, including some sultry Spanish style songs that brought out Steve and Natasha, in a repeat of the first time they danced. 

If anyone noticed that Andrea wasn't drinking, they didn't say anything, although Winnifred and several others suspected that Lily would have a sibling early in the new year.  The toddler held out for a long time, dancing with her parents and with anyone she asked.  No one turned her down.  When she finally conked out, a bed of sorts was made for her using a cushioned bench and Steve's borrowed jacket as a blanket.  She slept there, oblivious to everything around her, until her parents made their goodbyes, and Winnifred lifted the little girl up in her arms, carrying her out to the limousine that took them home to her apartment. 

The party went on for some time.  Steve, after a quite energetic dance with Natasha, suggested they go out to the pool to cool off.  They sat on a bench on the far side of the pool, overlooking the dark water, which reflected the lights coming from the Palm House. 

"What a great wedding," she smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.  "This was such a beautiful place to have it."

"It was," he agreed, looking up at the night sky.  "We could have a great wedding here."

"You have to ask me first," chuckled Natasha.

He looked at her.  "I'm asking."

It took her a moment to respond then she lifted her head up to look at him, aware that she could hear her heart beating loudly in her ears.

"What are you asking?"

"If you'll marry me.  I think we could have something amazing together."

It was what he said to her the night of their first date.

"Yeah?"  She swallowed.  "Maybe, but there are complications."

He tilted his head slightly, smiling at that answer.  "You already married?"  She shook her head.  "Engaged?" 

"I could be, to the right guy."

"Natasha, I'm the right guy for you.  I knew it from the first moment I saw you standing inside our office.  I wanted you then and I want you for the rest of our lives."  Gently, he traced her jaw with his fingertips.  "Say yes to being amazing together.  Say yes to the guy who loves you for the incredible woman you are."

"Steve?" 

"Yeah?"

"Yes.  Now shut up and kiss me."

Pulling her onto his lap, he kissed her fiercely, holding her as if he never wanted to let her go.  Reaching into his pocket, he brought out the ring box and opened it.  Natasha almost stopped breathing at the size of the diamond.  She knew business was good, but this....

"It's not hot, is it?"

"Baby, I'm a legitimate businessman now.  This didn't fall off a truck.  Legally bought and paid for."

She admired it on her hand, then they stayed out there for some time, kissing and enjoying each other's company.  When Sam appeared across the pool to say they had to close things up, he grinned at them, knowing that he would be repeating his own version of a proposal soon. 

🌃 🌌

In the hotel room, Bucky, and Andrea, were catching their breath, laying on top of the rumpled duvet with their legs intertwined and her head on his chest.  Their wedding clothes, strewn everywhere, weren't a priority, until his phone signalled a text message.  Climbing off the bed, Bucky picked up his jacket, searching for the phone but it wasn't in any of the pockets.  My pants, the phone must be in my pants.  Where are they?

Andrea watched with amusement as he looked for his pants, then she got up and lifted her dress up from the floor, pulling his pants out from underneath it and reaching inside one the pockets to retrieve his phone, placing it in his hand.  He grinned, kissed her, then opened the message, which he showed to Andrea. 

Steve:  She said yes.

"What should I say?" he asked.

"Congratulations, now go celebrate," suggested Andrea.  "Then come back to bed and put it on silent."

He sent the message, put the phone on silent and tossed it onto a chair.  Climbing back on the bed, he hovered over his wife, then stopped.  His wife ... this woman was his wife and in the new year, she would be the mother of his child.  How did he get so lucky?

"You okay?" she asked.  "You were somewhere else for a moment."

"I was right here, thinking of how lucky I am that I have you in my life.  You changed me, changed everything for the better when you walked past Barnes Contracting."

She shook her head, caressing her face. 

"All I did was take Lily for a walk.  Grandma said it was important to know the neighbourhood and your neighbours."  She shrugged.  "I just figured it would be good to know who had businesses in the neighbourhood as well.  She was a teacher and knew lots of people."

"What was your grandma's name?"

"Lily Dugan," she answered.  "She was a widow.  My grandpa, her husband, died when I was little.  She always said there was no better man than him.  That's how I feel about you."

Bucky felt a lump in his throat.  Dugan was the name of his dad's friend, who worked with him at Barnes Contracting.  He remembered him, a big burly man with a large moustache and genial attitude who always made him laugh, even after the incident.  Then suddenly, he wasn't around anymore, and his parents were sad for some time.  Was it a coincidence or fate that brought Andrea past the very building her grandfather had worked at?  It didn't matter, not in the long run.  Placing one hand on Andrea's, he moved it so he could kiss her palm, then laid with his head on her chest as she ran her hand through his hair.  He was right where he wanted to be; in the arms of the woman he loved, the woman he would always say made him a better man.

THE END

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[iguana-eyanna]

Too Late

Pairing: Clark Kent x plus size witch reader

Summary: All you ever wanted was for Clark to be happy, even if it wasn't you

requested by @salenorona23

You were typing furiously by your monitor, eyes glued on the screen. 

You mutter under your breath, cursing your boss, Perry.

“You okay there?”

You look up and see Clark walking up to you in your seat.

“No, Perry didn’t like my pitch. I had to start from scratch.” You said in frustration. 

"Don't worry, he does that to me 4 times a week." He said.

"Don't you pitch four stories a week?" You ask.

"Exactly." He replied, making you both laugh.

"Smallville, we need to head for lunch before I start tearing off heads." Lois Lane said as she was scrimmaging her bag, not bothering to say hello to you.

"You wanna join us? We could all split the bill at that chinese restaurant downtown." He asks.

"I brought some food in the break room. And I know not to get in the way with your pork dumplings. Have fun with Lois." You said, returning to your screen.

He smiles at you and runs after Lois. He stops in his track as he looks back at you, wondering how you knew his order if you two never really hung out before?

He shakes his head and caught up to Lois as they made their way to the restaurant.

A few minutes passed, and you got up from your desk and headed to the break room. Now that you were alone, you locked the door and pulled out a small mirror that fit inside of your tote back and muttered a short phrase.

"Show me him."

The mirror swirled with a purple light and transformed your reflection into the present, where you saw Clark laughing at what Lois said. They looked like they were having a time of their mundane lives.

You hated it, but you can't look away. The way he looked at her... it was the same way he looked at you.

But he doesn't remember.

It happened about a few months ago. There was an accident at a LexCorp building as it begun to collapse down. Clark was running late from a date to save everyone that night, but right when he was about to fly out, his powers gave out. The room radiated with blue kryptonite, a rock that took away his powers and made him an ordinary man. He tried to escape, but too much debris knocked him down and made him unconscious.

You were waiting for him at the restaurant where you'd meet up. Yes, there were occasions that Clark would come late... but you knew in your gut something was wrong as you didn't see Clark in sight, so you used your powers to transport to where he was.

No good ever happened when people knew your secret as you reformed from an evil Covet, except to Clark.

He accepted you without hesitation and loved every part of you that you hated. And you helped he realized he wasn't alone. Your emotions took you to where he was, and you panicked as you saw him on the ground, unconscious. You made a force field around you as you transported out with a spell. You were far away to God knows where and you tried to wake him up.

"Please..." You begged him to just open his eyes.

He did in fact opened those beautiful blue piercing eyes that had hints of green in them.

But they were in confusion as he saw you.

"What's going on? What just happened?" He asks as he shuffles up, trying to get away from you.

"You were struck by some debris, I transported us out in time-"

"If a building collapsed, it's not safe for you to be here, ma'am."

That's when you choked on the air you were breathing as you heard what he just said.

He forgot who you were.

He gets up in alert, as they were more to do to help the civilians during the catastrophe.

"Let me fly you out to safety and-"

"No, it's alright. My home's not too far from here and, I didn't get hurt." You said.

Superman looked unsure if he should leave you, but others needed his help.

"Please take care." He says before he flies away, leaving you.

Your chest tightens as you fall on your knees, trying to hold back a sob so he doesn't hear you cry.

So many things could be done to regain his memory. You could show him all these pictures and cheesy letters you wrote to each other. You could tell him that you know of his home planet. You could use your powers!

But you couldn't.

If a witch used their powers on a mortal's mind, it could dissolve all of their memories in just a single second. The damage would be unfixable. You can't imagine the pain Clark would go through if you did that to him, or either show him a reality that he may not with you.

So... you decided to erase your entire relationship. Clark and you were never open about your relationship to anyone. You were a very private person and Clark respected your wishes (He called his mom though and briefly told her that he thinks he found the one.)

Using his spare key at his apartment, you went inside and just took away everything that was associated to you.

The pictures in the frames, the coffee mug you bought him for his birthday, you took everything away.

It was painful for you, but it had to be done.

You were unsure how'd he react if he saw you at work, but he just assumed that you were just a writer at the Daily Planet that he hadn't met yet.

"Hi, I don't think we met. I'm Clark Kent." He said, offering you his hand to shake.

As you see his features, it was like you were staring back at another person. None of his shared memories he had appeared to him, and he didn't expect that you saw him as Superman that night.

You had to bite your tongue momentarily and smile, returning the same friendly nature.

"It's nice to meet you."

You thought you two would be closer and maybe you can form more memories with him. But you saw how he looked at Lois. She was fearless, driven, and the best journalist there was on your floor.

Was she a bit blunt? Yeah, but she was like that to everyone, so no one took offense as she was also really understanding. You couldn't be upset with her, not when she made Clark happy. It killed you every night, as you slept in your bed alone, wishing he was there to hold you. But you'd be selfish, stripping away a new life he made for himself.

So you stayed at an arm's length. But you made sure that he was ok... or rather you kept on checking on him to see if he remembered.

The days past on, and one problem was after another. Lex Luthor was desperate to get his hands on kryptonian technology and Clark wouldn't stand for it. So when Luther revived General Zod and created Doomsday, it was the hardest fight Clark had to face.

You saw the explosions from afar and saw the red caped hero trying defeat him, but it was no use. Even with Batman and the Amazonian Warrior, it was hard to keep him at bay.

They needed help, or else this would be a losing battle.

You transported nearby, waiting for the opportunity to attack. And that's when you saw it, the green kryptonite spear that they tried to kill Doomsday with.

The Amazonian Warrior tried to restrain it with her lasso and batman blew a kryptonian grenade at the beast.

And that's when you saw Clark, who looked almost beaten as Lois was trying to let him stay away. You knew what he was going to do... Clark was a selfless man. He flew away to protect Lois picking up the spear and headed towards Doomsday.

But suddenly, a power restrained him from going any farther. He tried to resist the force that was on him, but then he heard a voice.

"Stop, don't fight it."

He turns his head and saw you running towards him with a worried gaze.

Clark was confused at your presence.

"You shouldn't be here! You gotta get out of-"

"Clark." You stopped him as a tear rolled down your face.

You stepped forward, placing a hand on his cheek. Why did it feel so familiar to him?

"I lost you once, I'm not going to lose you again."

You took the staff away from his grasp and you levitated away from him as he tried to break from your spell. He thinks on your words, saying that you lost him. He winces as a spur of a memory flashes in his mind.

Clark looks up in fear.

"No, NO! STOP HER!" He yelled out to Bruce and Diana but it was no use.

You neared the ferocious beast with the lightning surrounding you both. You took your shot and traveled the spear through its chest using the strength you had.

It yells in pain and tries to get a hold of you, but you created different versions of yourself to confuse doomsday. But it became smarter and swatted its arms till it caught the real you. Doomsday then pierced you in your abdomen.

You were in unbelievable pain, but you had one more chance. You raised your hands to the spear, using one last spell to reach to the inner core of doomsday. Then suddenly, a burst of light goes up in the air, knocking you backwards away from the beast.

As you lost your focus, Clark was now free from your enchantment and flew over to you, holding you upward.

"Hey, hey, c'mon." he whispers to you as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"Did I- I stop it?" You stuttered.

He nods, trying to smile to stay strong as he could hear your heartbeat beating slower.

"Yes. You did it. You're going to be okay. I'll fly you up to the nearest hospital, they'll patch you up good as new."

"I think... we both know that's not possible." You fluttered your eyes, about to lose consciousness.

"No no no, stay with me. I - I... I remember now. I remembered every Sunday afternoon when we watch those bad rom coms and I hold you close to me. I remembered when we always bought each other flowers for no apparent reason. I remembered that I... I wanted to marry you."

You smiled back, giving a heartful chuckle before you began to cough. Clark held you a bit tighter in his chest.

"I would have loved to be yours again." You whispered.

"You were always mine... Imma fool to forget you." He said, tears pricking his eyes.

"I... forgive you, Clark. I just wanted you to be... happier." You closed your eyes again, but they never opened.

"Baby? Baby wake up." He tried placing his hand softly on your cheek but it was cold. He tried listening to a heartbeat but there was silence.

Clark broke into a blood curdling scream. He pleads to anyone to bring you back, to just open your eyes so he could see them once more.

And those around him saw the strongest man in the world break down as he lost someone who loved him.

Now, he was too late.

[lovemyromance]

Azriel: <just doing his job in Sangravanah, angry to see another woman violated>

Gwynriels: omg mate behavior

/

Azriel: <Saved Gwyn from two Hybern soldiers and passed her off to Mor, who carried her out>

Gwynriels: omg he carried her to safety

/

Azriel: <goes against orders to save Elain from Hybern's camp, won't let go of Elain despite his shredded wings, demands to get the chains off her>

Gwynriels: Feyre saved Elain, not Azriel. And Elain didn't even care about Azriel

/

Azriel: <is willing to get on his knees for Elain>

Gwynriels: omg incel

2 pages later

Azriel: Helps a priestess train when he was trying to be alone but ran into her by accident

Gwynriels: something sparked in his chest, they are mates how romantic

/

Cassian: <going feral and numb with worry when Nesta gets taken for the BR>

Azriel: they'll be fine. You know who we need to save though? ERIS

Gwynriels: it's because he trusts that they're capable and that's shows mate behavior duh

/

Which is it? Either the supposed bond between them snapped when he saved Gwyn or it didn't.

Either it snapped when something "sparked in his chest" or it didn't.

Either he's an incel or he's not?

You can't have it both ways. People don't change within TWO PAGES. He cannot be an incel with Elain and then magically reformed with Gwyn on the next page.

It just doesn't make sense that Gwyn is supposed to be his mate. He's seen her in a traumatic situation, and the bond didn't snap. He trained the priestesses every day, and the bond didn't snap. She got taken -similar to Elain- and the bond didn't snap. So tell me, don't you think if this theory were true, this 500 yr old Spymaster would know she is his mate by then? Especially if the antis believe all he wants is a mate anyways?

Let's be logical now.

Azriel is literally the most protective/respectful of the bat boys. You're telling me he found his mate (that he's been so desperate for apparently) and when she gets taken to the BR he just - what? Doesn't react at all?

You want mate behavior? Look at Cassian. He has more reason than Azriel to believe the girls are trained well they should trust in that, since he was their instructor from the beginning. And yet, he's going crazy because that's his mate. Azriel does not react that way at all in this scenario ...

... but he does when Elain gets taken.

Arguably, that's the only time we've seen such a reaction from him on the page.

Gwynriels stay contradicting themselves with each new argument. Honestly, just pick a struggle 😒 How are you out here claiming Azriel and Gwyn are mates, Az is an incel, and Azriel doesn't care about Elain all in one breath?

[baggebythesea]

"I have the BEST idea"

She-Ra characters ranked after how worried you should be when they suddenly proclaim they have The Best Idea, from least to most.

Juliet - Good. She will most likely reduced the damage of the drama disasters she's standing guard over.

Angella - she's just hosting a tea party or reforming the tax system or something

Spinnerella - Although her good ideas might be a challenge for her wife, most other people will come out of it relatively unharmed.

Hordak - There's a good chance his ideas actually ARE good, or at least will keep Entrapta entertained which is a net safety plus for everyone else.

Castaspella - she'll probably just give you another sweater, but you might want to be on the lookout for Drama just in case.

Frosta - don't get me wrong - it WILL be shenanigans, but there is a good chance it will be pretty benign

Catra - If she calls it a good idea it will probably just be a juvenile prank on Glimmer's expense. She's perfectly aware how bad her TRULY bad ideas are

Perfuma - Hopefully girl just wants another club night (which will totally end in dumb drama), but be on the lookout for cacti, just to be on the safe side.

Netossa - EVERYTHING DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A COMPETITION, NETOSSA!

Swift Wind - Horse shenanigans

Adora - More Horse shenanigans

Bow - just smile and nod while you back away out of arrow-range.

Micah - No, Micah. It's a bad idea and you know it.

Imp - Stop chewing on cables, Imp.

Scorpia - it will be totally BENEVOLENT, but that is not the same thing as HARMLESS. Also, gal never learned to read the room when it's time for hugs or not.

Glimmer - it COULD be a tea party. It COULD be an illegal fight club. It COULD be extremely ill adviced black magic. Just make sure to keep Bow at hands.

Sea Hawk - To be fair, his good ideas are really hard to differ from his bad ideas.

Mermista - SHE PRACTICES AT HOME!

Double Trouble - There is a difference between 'good' and 'entertaining', you know that, right?

Horde Prime - He has never had a good idea in his life and is not about to start now.

Shadow Weaver - Is utterly convinced all her ideas are great, which given her track reckord is not very comforting.

Entrapta - run, just run. Preferably to a less hackble planet if you can.

[maniacwatchestheworld]

Here. Have a DPxDC prompt or something. (#1)

Danny, Tucker, and Sam were walking down the streets of Gotham, chatting as they cut their way through the decrepit alleyways and backstreets to get to their favorite comic shop in the city. Tucker and Danny were deep in a debate over the latest storyline in the Road Rage series and so didn't notice the man walking towards them in the dark alley until Sam nudged them both.

"Guys!" She said it in a pointed whisper to catch their attention, but hopefully not that of the stranger's.

Sure enough, heading towards them was a muscular tower of a man. He was wearing what was clearly an expensive suit, tailor fitted for him, and a golden mask over the left side of his face.

"No way...! I-Is that Two-Face!??" Tucker was shivering, suddenly struck by fear now that he was in the presence of one of Gotham's most famous criminal masterminds. "What does he want from us!?"

"Didn't they say that he had reformed...?" Sam asked, less afraid and more curious.

"Maybe if we keep walking, he won't notice us..." Danny mumbled as he continued to shuffle forwards.

A collective breath escaped the trio as they passed the man, but just as they thought they were in the clear, there was a clatter.

Slowly, the three turned around to see the man holding something in front of him.

"Excuse me, young man, but I think you-" but before he could finish, Tucker was yelling.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT US, MR. TWO-FACE, SIR! WE'LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT."

"...What are you-"

"Tucker, I don't think-" but before Sam could talk some sense into their friend, Danny interrupted.

"Don't worry guys, I'll take care of this!" And with that, Danny went intangible and entered the body of Two-Face to overshadow him.

Danny could feel the man inhabiting the body go unconscious as he took control. "See, guys! It's no big... Deal... I'll just..." Suddenly, Danny got the very real feeling that he was not alone inside of this body. There was something else in here. Other... People... And they were fully aware that Danny was in here with them. Inside of this man's mind, Danny knew that all eyes were on him. They did not want him here. And whatever was holding them back before was no longer there, now asleep at Danny's feet.

"What are you doing in here, child?" A faceless voice asked into Danny's neck, forcing a chill to run down his spine.

A flash and suddenly Danny was confronted by a mass of anger and scars. "Who are you? You're not one of us! Get out. Get out! GET OUT!!!" He was screaming.

Danny was screaming. The body of the man he had just possessed was screaming for him to get out.

Summary/TLDR: Danny, Sam, and Tucker pass Harvey Dent on the street. Harvey is minding his own business when he notices one of the kids drop something/something falls out of one of their bags. Harvey tries giving it back to them, but Tucker starts freaking out. Thinking that it would solve everything, Danny overshadows/possesses Harvey Dent. However, while he rendered Harvey unconscious, the other members of Harvey's system are still very much awake and do NOT want Danny in here!

Note: Plural system stuff going on here! Danny basically made Harvey (who is mostly harmless and was fronting at the time) disassociate into unconsciousness. When Danny leaves the body, Harvey will probably wake back up, but there is no guarantee that he will be able to get back to his senses quick enough to stop Two-Face from taking the reins to attack whatever/whoever made Harvey black out.

(Feel free to use. Credit is appreciated but not fully necessary. Have fun!)

[sokkastyles]

thanks for answering me,

But what do you mean by unhealthy relationship? do you mean Maiko as was in the canon series (where Mai didn't care about Zuko's feelings and in the final episode it seemed like she was the one dominating the relationship) or do you mean how the relationship will be treated in the comic? , since from what I saw in the couple of panels where Mai and Zuko interacted, not only does Mai have to reluctantly agree to do something just because Zuko asked her but I can see that that would be her future life, becoming his submissive girlfriend or wife and ending up doing anything just to please her partner without complaining.

I also have to admit that I'm a little impressed with Zuko's behavior and attitude in the new comic, I've never seen Zuko smile so much either in a happy or playful way neither in the animated series nor in the previous comics, what's more the attitude he showed with Mai, was the type "the rich boy who is overconfident and is used to everyone saying yes to him, looks for the poor or antisocial girl so that she will do him a favor and will not accept no for an answer", which is weird because Zuko has never had that kind of relaxed attitude before, but I think they decided to go for that characterization for show us who is now in control and who is no longer in control

Yeah, I think that's a huge reach because as you say, Mai and Zuko have never had that dynamic and it doesn't fit their characterizations at all. I also don't think the comics are trying to show "who is in control" because Mai does not just do what Zuko says without complaint. She complains a lot, and then decides to just ditch the lesson and take the kids outside. Nor does Zuko seem particularly in control. He talks about reforming the school and how he's sure the obviously evil headmaster will teach his new curriculum, and she, unsurprisingly, doesn't. Just because he's smiling doesn't mean he's in control. He seems more incompetent than anything, and the comic was giving me King Kuei vibes. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing Zuko smile, but the character we know should be worried about what is going to happen to Kiyi or even Mai going in to that school, especially considering all of Zuko's hangups.

Speaking of which, couldn't we get some info about Zuko's schooling, since it's never been talked about in canon? I've always assumed he had private tutors, which makes even less sense why he would want Kiyi to go to that school.

Anyway, the main reason Mai accepts the job isn't to show that Zuko is in control now, it's because there wouldn't be a plot otherwise. Which is always how the comics have been written.

And by unhealthy relationship, I mean one where neither partner seems to understand each other or even like each other. Relationship dynamics aren't just about who is "dominating," and you can have a healthy relationship with one partner being more dominant than the other. The problem was never Mai being more dominant than Zuko, it's that she doesn't seem to have much respect for him (mostly because the narrative doesn't have much respect for her, even in a female-led comic where her emotions are dismissed as 'an act'), and that dynamic can continue when he's given her something to do because then it gives her something to complain about.

[scrubbinn]

Mimic Memoirs: Labor logs

HRT Month ???

Stuffed within the void

Some time after Mayday attempted her ritual

cw: depression

“My name is… unimportant. I doubt anyone is going to actually find this, I mean, if you're in the void, you probably have bigger problems. But I wanted to leave evidence of my time here, and in case I need it for later.”

“The bod- Mayday is still trying to gain consciousness in this place. I have a bit of a head start after all this time being a headmate. You can't have a body in this place. People always think of a void as this infinitely big place of nothing. The truth is that nothing is actually quite small. It's a zero dimensional zone that weaves itself in the cracks and spaces between worlds. The only things that can exist here are concepts and ideas. Right now, I'm merely a thought. Reciting information into the concept of a recording device that will float in here until I or universe forbid, someone else, finds it here. I won't remember this once I craft this memory. It's better that way.”

“Mimics. They're everywhere here. Not the kind that exists in fiction and other worlds. They're not chests, slimes, or hermit crabs. They're just concepts. The concept of consumption. The idea that to consume something is to know something. There probably used to be other concepts floating around here. But they've all been removed. Or maybe something else happened? I see them eating each other all the time, but they just reform out of nothing again. Sure, it's creepy. But it isn't what has me worried.”

“Erian, that idiot. Slime hrt combined with a mimic octopus would have made a decent enough Mimic on its own. But he was still in that phase of seeing us as experiments or walking billboards. Of course he decided to add some mysterious substance he had literally no idea what it was. I know what it is now. It's just one of these mimics. I guess it's like a deep sea fish. If you brought one of them into a space with physics, they would expand into a liquid or gas. And he decided to feed it to someone.”

“Would we have just died if Mayday continued her transition? No, I think we'd be fine, maybe just a puddle that can't form shapes, but we'd be alive. Still, it's concerning how close to death we've been. We nearly did until all of us helped Mayday form a cocoon. The first step in her mimic-hood

“Believe it or not, dying would have been the better alternative. Mimics here don't just eat each other. Sometimes, they poke through to another world and eat from it. But not things like stealing candy or eating people. Though sometimes they do that, too. But I've seen them eat the stab wounds off a human, munching 14 hours of time from a universe, even devouring fear itself from one place. Of course, most of them try to mimic what they ate and usually get crushed in zero dimensional space. It's a good thing there isn't one of them that can survive in three dimensions… You get what I'm saying now, right?”

“Do I let Mayday leave here? What happens if she has access to these sorts of abilities back in hyper city. Does she have access to them? Maybe if she doesn't cross that road, but what if they are a part of her. Just dorment. Forget eating a bit of stomach. What if she ended up eating all of Abi's memories. It's not like she has complete control of her mouths… Wait… No. She did it already. Once, at the zoo. Eating Kaylen's nightmares and turning into them. That's not normal. That's not a normal mimic thing.That's what these things do. So… I don't know. I don't know if I should hide away from her. Let her fade into nothing here.”

“That's why I'm leaving this recording here. So I'll forget it. So that she won't know. So that I don't have to make that choice. I'm sorry.”

Mayday stepped out of the portal she made. A recorder in her hands that wasn't there when she stepped in. She had become quite the expert with the book that made the portal after her first trip with it. There was potential within its eldritch grip to help the clinic and its patients. She didn't consider herself a witch, but this was something that had dug its way into her mind. She did always find comfort in that place, this book calling out to her when she first visited that library, she was meant for that place.

Oh, can't go having those sorts of thoughts. There's still plenty to enjoy in this world. There's… well, there's not a whole lot. Just work. Hang out with friends, girlfriend. Well, it's still plenty. Some people have less after all. Anyways, It's not about how much you have, it's about the time you spend with them! Like… No, can't go having those sorts of thoughts. Let's just focus on work. Jasmine scheduled an appointment today. It seemed pretty serious by the tone of garden voice. best to wrap up her personal explorations and get ready for work.

Today, Mayday’s coffee tasted bitter, and her food felt like ash. The winter skies were coated in nothing but dull clouds. A puddle of slush was thrown onto her skirt and boots as a car skidded by, traveling way too fast to be legal. There were probably good things. She didn't hit any red lights, no one around her was rude, Abi seemed happy texting about some new collector’s edition doll she found. lots of little joys. Joys that she was having trouble seeing each day. She tried not to think about what she heard on that recording.

The work day was horrendous. Nothing but Erian shouting at patients, and pharmacies suddenly having problems with handing out the prescriptions they're supposed to hand out. She did her best to put on a grin when anyone approached her. After all, it's easy to fake a smile when you don't have a face.

That thought just made her consider the fact that, as a mimic, she doesn't have a true form. There's the things in the void or the DnD style “purple goop,” but those weren't true forms. Mayday didn't have a true form, or a default form, or anything like that. She just felt comfortable being a slime. Because it was easier to stick with that, then to explain to your family that you're not a burglar, you're just trying on a new you today. Being a slime or a cat, or a dragon, or looking like someone she knew. They were all the same level of comfort. The only euphoria she felt was the act of changing her shape, and she found herself doing it less and less. Explaining it was a hassle.

The clock struck 5pm. Oh, her rambling ideas had passed the time to Jasmine's appointment when she wasn't looking. Oops. She clutched the recorder in her hands tighter. Maybe someone should listen to this. Maybe someone could help. Anything to not be alone with her thoughts. She grew a resolve then and there to ask Erian. Over the weeks, she had gotten to see a side of him that was, decent, at least. His expertise might be what she's looking for. Just have to get through the day.

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