#shouldn’t have tagged it but i’m tired grandpa!

[explanationpoint]

note to self: if you’re a trans woman and you become famous, tell people some bs about how you’re not actually trans despite transitioning. it’ll make everyone like you more.

[lillambtotheslaughter]

Jolene Olight transcript

(featuring both @/g0ttal0ve101, and @/johnnysgir1 OC interactions!)

(Jolene's ability name is 'savoir'. 'Savoir' can only be used once blood bottle is full and if grandpa is in the stunned state. Once activated grandpa is immediately taken out of this state and back to his original level he was at before being stunned. This ability can be blocked when sneak attacked, barged, and when put into a grapple)

Johnny seen

“Shouldn’t have brought that girl back here..”

“Yer’ lil boyfriend doesn’t seem too happy with that girl. (laughter) Have fun with that later!” (talking about Rae)

“Trackin them down just like you taught me NyNy!...Well you don't gotta be such an ass about it..(Annoyed grumble)

“I guess Nancy's angel can mess up!”

“Get yer head out of the clouds and track em’ already NyNy!”

“Don't go givin me orders when your the reason were in this mess!”

“Yer getting sloppier by the day. Get it together!”

“Can you get that little pet of yer’s to shut it already! All that whinin is gettin annoying y’know!” (talking about Dolly)

“I’m just about ready to rip yer girlfriend's pretty little vocal cords out if she don't QUIT CRYIN!” (talking about Dolly)

“Johnnyyyy can I borrow that girlfriend of yers just for a tiny while…? I promise I won't hurt her. I just wanna have someone to play with.” (talking about Dolly)

“I ain’t buggin' her! What I'm not allowed to leave gifts for Her Majesty no more?!” (talking about Dolly)

Sissy seen

“I hear yer’ one of grandpa's favorites. After me of course…(chuckles)”

“I really love your garden sissy! All those pretty flowers practically make it a bug minefield!”

“Where'd you hear those weird ass songs you keep singing from anyways?”

“Everyone messes up sometimes, don't be too hard on him. Besides that's my job. (Laughter)”

“Cause always is always- Ah-! Damnit sissy, stop gettin’ in my head!”

Nubbins seen

“(Whistle) those traps of yours sure do get the job done don't they?”

“Ain't this fun, ain't this fun! Just like playin tag when we were smaller huh!”

“You've been diggin' at that their graveyard again? (Giggle) Cool! What'd you find?!”

“I like that camera you got! It's real nice ain't it? That girl Johnny brought has some good taste!”

“Quit spitting out nonsense you ain't making any damn sense it's annoying!”

Leatherface/bubba seen

“How you doing buddy! Having fun I see?”

“You must be strong to be able to carry that thing everywhere! My arms get tired from just holding it!”

“Grandpa's gonna be real proud of us ain't he bubs!”

“(Laughter) Don't listen to them bubs! They're just upset you're way cooler than they'll ever be!”

“Keep up the good work bubs! Oh- and let out a holler if you need any help! (Laughter)”

Cook/Drayton seen

“You best quit yelling at me old geezer or I'll have to silence you myself!”

“Carefully now grandpa, wouldn't want you pulling something now would we? (Joined laughter with nubs)”

“You leave bubs alone and focus on yer own damn task like locking up this place for example!”

“Awh you're no fun..”

Nancy seen

“Hey ma! Nice day out ain't it-...(Groans) yes ma'am..”

“Did y'know about him and this girl?”

“Don't get on my ass just because yer little ‘angel’ messed up!”

“Awh, give me a break! They're slippery little bastards, it ain't my fault!”

Hands seen

“You’re real good at racing, I'll give you that!”

“For someone so big like yerself I wouldn't have expected you to use a weapon so…lightweight.”

“This is just gettin annoying! We gotta hurry up and find those damn kids!”

“Taught Johnny everything he knows but couldn't teach him to actually FINISH THE JOB!”

Leslie seen

“Hey les! How's bullet doin? Saw him give chase to that orange haired girl (laughter) she was screaming up a storm!”

“You're doing good les! Keep up the good work and I'm sure Nancy will reward us! Probably. (Laughter)”

“These guys sure do know where to hide…you find any of em’ yet?”

“Try and see if bullet can help sniff these guys out they’re startin to upset grandpa.”

"Glad to see yer havin fun Les!"

Dolly seen

“Did you like that surprise I left on yer bed this mornin? (Laughter) Thought since you didn't like human flesh you could use that rabbit for stew! (laughter)”

“Just cause Johnny likes you don’t mean I haveta.”

“Would you stop cryin already?! I can't concentrate with all that whining!”

“Nancy really don't like you around Johnny, you should be careful around her ‘kay?”

“C’mon cheer up! This could be fun if you try not to think about it so much!”

“You need any help there doll? If you can't finish the job I could always take over y’know.”

“I know we have our ups and downs but try not to let my words stick to ya so much darlin. It ain't nothin personal just how I am y’know?”

Family's responses

Johnny

“Oh quit yer whinin, think I don't already hear complainin enough from the old woman!”

“Shut the hell up and stay outta our business Jolene!”

“Oh are ya? THEN WHY THE HELL HAVEN’T YOU FOUND ANY OF THEM YET!”

“Yer lucky we have these damn kids to catch otherwise I would've been strangling you right now!”

“I’m already on it, maybe you should be more helpful and go check on Grandpa! (frustrated huff) We're gonna need his help..”

“You wanna use that tone with me again girl?!”

“With you hovering around me like an annoying gnat all damn day ain't exactly helpin neither!”

“Can't handle the taste of yer own medicine? (Laughter)”

“You're just as annoyin if not more than she is! Now go find those damn kids instead of complainin!”

“(Laughter) You must be downright insane if you think I'd ever leave her alone with you!”

“Quit buggin Dolly already! I’m tired of her cryin to me because some moron left another dead rabbit on her bed still twitchin!”

Sissy

“(chuckles) oh sweetie it's always good to dream!”

"Well thanks sugar! You know yer always welcomed wherever you feel like it!”

“If i told you i'd haveta kill you sugar! (laughter)”

“That damn brother of yer’s always causin trouble!”

“(Laughs)...”

Nubbins

“(Giggle) t-they're quite nifty h-huh?”

“O-oh i remember them times! (Laughs) you were always c-c-cheatin! S-saying timeout ev-ery time we almost g-gotcha!”

“Loads of p-pretty stuff! How’s about i sh-show you after this is all over?!”

“I-It sure is pretty! Glad i g-grabbed this be-fore johnny c-could!”

“W-W-Well whats got you s-so heated all s-sudden?!”

Drayton

“I outta knock you upside the head with this here broomstick!”

“I may be old but I can still knock some sense into that thick head of yer’s!”

“Don't go throwin orders at me you little brat!”

“Quit messin around with that idiot over there and help us out with grandpa!”

Nancy

“Oh quit tryna make small talk and go help yer brother look for them damn kids ye hear?! And don't call me ‘ma’ you aint a child no more.”

“It ain't none of yer concern Jolene.”

“Do not use that tone of voice with me, young lady!”

“Why haven't you caught a single one of those kids yet Jolene?!”

Dolly

“Y-yes…I umm I appreciate it really! (laughter)”

“Th-that’s okay! You don't havta….”

“(crying) I-I’m sorry! I-I can-can’t help it! (cries harder)”

“O-Okay! Thanks for the heads up….”

“Maybe I should pretend their screamin is one of happiness!...no that's worse.”

“Don’t worry about me Jo, I gotta learn somehow just gotta kill em like my Johnny taught me!”

“I understand Jo, yknow you hollerin at me actually helps a lot!”

(No Les, Hands, or Bubba. One because hands and bubba are both non verbal and two because i wanna see my moots own replies 😋)

Match starts

“Dammit Johnny, what’d you do now?”

“Ma’s not gonna like this…”

“Knew I should've finished that girl off myself…Dammit NyNy..”

Idle/Walking around

“Focus Jolene! Yer better than this!”

“I always haveta help clean up Johnny's mess..(Annoyed grunt)”

“Where the hell is she? Gotta find her before somebody else does…please be okay.”

“Well get em’ aint no doubt bout’ that..”

“Didn’t know we had new playmates! (Laughter)”

“Better pray i ain't the one to find ya’ll (Laughter)”

“Where ya hidin little piggy…I just wanna play!”

Feeding Grandpa

“Things are really startin to get outta hand!”

“Eat, eat ,eat ,eat! (laughter)”

“You wouldn't mind givin us a hand would you gramps?”

“After this is all over I'd really like to show you some of these pretty dragonflies I captured!”

“You havin as much fun watchin these little piggies run aroun’ as we are?”

Victim found hiding

“Awh c’mon, you were just askin to be found! (laughter)”

“You should really pay better attention to yer surroundings. I practically saw you jump in here..”

“Awh whaddya hidin for? The fun’s not over yet! (Laughter)”

“Tag is so borinnn… let's play a new game! How about operation? (Manic laughter)”

“Get yer ass outta there!”

Victim hit

“I’m on yer tail now!”

“Tag you're it!”

“Whats with all the runnin for sugar? Yer’ only making it much more harder on yerself!”

“Things are gettin fun aroun’ here!”

“X marks the spot! (laugher)”

“Better to just give up now!”

Blood trail seen

“Can't hide from me little piggie.. (Giggle)”

“Gave you a headstart and yer still gonna leave a trail for me?”

“Awh someones gettin sloppyyyy. (Laughter)”

“Don't you die on me just yet! We aint done with this little game of ours!"

Victim seen

“Found ya! (Laughter)”

“What are you hidin for? I aint gonna hurt ya!..Much.”

“All this runnin is useless y’know! You’ll only tire yerself out and make it easier for me to getcha!”

“Well who do we have here? (Laughter)”

“Oh, don't runaway sugar! The funs just begun!”

Victim seen escaping

“No no no no NO! (Frustrated growl) Dammit! Ma’s not gonna be happy..”

“Shit. Don’t got time to chase em’ right now…”

“You won't make it far, little piggie…those wounds will slow you down for sure..”

“Lucky bastards…”

Exit interaction

“All fixed up! I know I know I'm amazin. (Talking to herself)”

“That should do it. Nice and secure!”

“What idiot left this off! (annoyed sigh)”

“There, Just like Johnny showed me.”

Encounter start

“Ohhh, looks like someone still has some fight left in em’!”

“Don't underestimate me just cause I’m smaller!”

“Now yer gettin' into the game! (Laughter)”

“Oh, I'm gonna enjoy killin' you!”

“Someones finally bein’ brave huh? (Laughter)”

Lose enemy sub

“C’mon don't go so soon!”

“Now where do you think yer going?”

“Hey, we're not done yet! (Laughter)”

Lose enemy long

“(Annoyed growl) You can't keep runnin forever! I’ll find ya and when I do I'll make sure it hurts!”

“I ain't got time for this runnin aroun! Just give up already and maybe I'll make it quick!”

“You think just because I lost ya yer safe! Oh when I get my hands on you! Yer not leavin this place unless its in a body bag!”

“Go on then! Keep hidin! I don't care! I’ll find every single one of you and leave yer bodies in the cold room for the rats to feast on!”

Victim seen trapped

“Need some help there darlin? (Laughter)”

“Should've watched yer footin there sugar!”

“That things gotcha good huh? (Laughter)”

Use ability blocked

“Now ain't the time.”

“Grandpas fine ain't no reason for me to interfere..”

“Gotta grab more blood, this aint enough for him.”

“Better leave gramps alone for now..”

Use ability

“Get back up gramps we still need yer help!”

“Yer fine just a few scratches now help us!”

“Nobody said you were done yet!”

“The family still needs you gramps! Don't let us down just because of one small lil scratch!”

Use ability successful

“Feelin better? Good, now help us!”

“You vermin have no idea what you've just done!”

“I won't let 'em hurt you again, gramps..”

"I'm sorry grampa I'm real sorry, I shoulda been payin' more attention to ya.."

Use ability denied

“Get off of me you damn parasite!”

“Shit, gramps, I'm sorry.”

“Oh now I'm pissed!”

“Now yer gonna get it!”

Execution

“Look at all that pretty blood!”

“All that runnin and for what? (Laughter)”

“Johnny's gonna be real proud of me!”

“Just go down nice and easy! (Laughter)”

“A shame our little game had to end so early…a real shame..”

Maria seen

“Oh thats it! Im takin care of this myself!”

“That damn liar…No matter, she ain't leavin alive this time..”

“What's the matter? Don't you wanna thank the person who kept you alive this whole time? (Laughter)”

“Get near gramps again and I'll hang yer head on the wall!”

“You stay away from my brother, you hear me! I'll kill you myself!”

“Yer head would be a real nice present for Rae…Hey come back! I was just jokin! I'm not that crazy…! For the most part…(Laughter)”

“You bein here is startin to upset Dolly! Nobody makes her cry unless it's me or Johnny!”

///HOLY CRAP YALL I FINISHED IT😦

[pot-of-terv]

FINALLY! It is here! The conclusion to my PuzzleJune series! Thank you so much for everyone who’s tagged along on this journey and thank you especially to @xauroraxborealisx for arranging this event. It’s been a wild ride for me because this is the first time I’ve ever done something this big so I’m incredibly grateful for everything ;__;

I might continue this story with tiny bits here and there but for the foreseeable future, this is it. Hope you enjoy!! 💗 (Please be sure to read the previous parts first if you’re new here :3)

PuzzleJune 2021, Week Four: Mind (School, Bond)

“Aren’t you hungry, Yuugi?”

The aforementioned boy startles, almost dropping his spoon into his soup. He looks at his grandpa and blinks.

“Uh, yeah, not really. Sorry.”

“Thought so,” Sugoroku nods and drinks his remaining broth straight from the bowl. “Give the rest to me.”

Yuugi blinks at him again, almost owlishly, and lifts his bowl with stiff arms to hand it over to the old man.

Sugoroku doesn’t waste any time and goes for the soup as soon as it’s in front of him. Yuugi smiles at him, amused, and stands up. He gathers up his spoon and glass and brings them to the sink.

“Thanks for the food,” he calls out as he leaves the kitchen. Sugoroku answers him with a grunt, probably already immersed in his crossword now that there’s no one else at the table.

Yuugi walks the stairs to his room slowly, silently thanking his grandfather for not making a fuss about his suddenly disappeared appetite. It’s been a quiet day but he feels tired and he’s kept zoning out. He blames it on the blistering heat of late summer but even to him, it sounds like a lie – the real reason is that he misses Atem.

He doesn’t bother closing the door of his room behind him and goes straight for the bed, falling onto it face first. It’s stupid, I know, he thinks and lifts his head enough to be able to tilt it to the side so he’s not smothered by the plush bedspread. He’ll be back soon.

Jounouchi had come to the house early that morning and asked to borrow Atem. He had reasoned that because school would start again in a week, he wanted to spend at least one day together with just Atem, doing whatever. Atem didn’t have to enrol, after all, so they won’t be able to hang out that much anymore after the classes start.

Yuugi understood him, of course – he will see Atem every day even if there’s a lot of homework, but the others don’t have that privilege. He had even joked that why aren’t their other friends waiting in line to get a turn, too, flustering Atem and making Jounouchi guffaw.

In all honesty, he’s really happy that Jounouchi would take the time to spend a whole day with Atem. They’d been going out as a group a lot after the first week and a half of Atem living (actually living) with Yuugi and while having all of their friends to hang out with is so much fun, Yuugi treasures time spent one-on-one.

It doesn’t change the fact that after being glued to Atem’s side for so long, Yuugi finds himself lost without him. His mind feels like candy floss, fluttery and sticky, and he can’t concentrate. He had tried to go through his deck in order to decide if it’s good enough (he and Atem need their own decks now, after all, so most of it is brand new) but couldn’t get past the first couple of cards. After that hadn't worked, he tried a few different games that he could play by himself but got no enjoyment from them. He’d just been going through the motions and realising that, he had decided to go down to help his grandpa at the shop for the rest of the day.

It’s not healthy to be so attached, he knows, and they really need to work on that – Yuugi is sure that Atem is fine with Jounouchi, but what about when they need to go to school and Atem stays home? He’d like to believe that the pharaoh will be much better off by himself than Yuugi is, but that is doubtful. They’ll have to have yet another talk soon – preferably today.

Yuugi bites his lip and sighs. There really is no coming back from the kind of bond that they’ve shared – through mind, heart and body – and Yuugi doesn’t want to imagine the pain that Atem’s departure to Afterlife would have caused when a simple day spent apart makes him unravel at the seams. Also, this train of thought could bring him to a place he most definitely doesn’t want to go now so to distract himself he turns onto his back and fumbles blindly to his left to grab the book he had left on the bed earlier that day.

- 

The sound of rustling wakes him an undetermined time later. He opens his eyes slowly, groggy enough to feel like he should just go back to sleep, but when he glances at the clock on his desk his stomach flips and he shoots up from the bed – the book he had attempted to read falling on the floor with a bang – and startles Atem who had been digging through a grocery bag.

“Ah! Yuugi!” he yelps and almost falls onto his butt from his crouched position on the other side of the desk. Thankfully he doesn’t send any of his purchases flying as he stabilises himself by quickly planting his other hand on the floor.

“Sorry!” Yuugi apologises quickly, his heart still racing. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep and he most definitely didn’t mean to sleep that late. It’s already seven in the evening, meaning that Yuugi had snoozed away for three hours. But – it also means that Atem is back, as evidenced by the boy currently looking up at him with concern written all over his face.

“I didn’t mean to wake you –” he starts but Yuugi silences him by shaking his head.

“No, I shouldn’t have slept in the first place. Really, I should thank you,” he says and pauses, then just looks at Atem. An unprompted smile makes its way onto his face. “Welcome home.”

There’s wonder in the pharaoh’s eyes and after a moment of silence, he returns the smile with such warmth it can almost be felt. “I’m home,” he replies, and Yuugi smiles wider.

He really is.

-

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

“Aibou, please,” Atem laughs and holds Yuugi’s face between his hands, squishing his cheeks. Jounouchi chortles from somewhere behind him and Yuugi frowns in his direction but doesn’t move away from Atem or try to pry his hands off of his face.

“But I worry,” he says, looking rightfully pouty as he shifts his gaze back to his partner. Atem laughs more and releases his face, patting his other cheek before crossing his arms.

“I’ll walk back home, help grandpa open up the shop and then it’s smooth sailing from there. You don’t have to worry,” he smiles at the still pouting teen in front of him. “I’ll be fine, you’ll be fine, and the day’s done sooner than you realise.”

“Yeah, Yuugi,” Jounouchi cuts in with a grin and drapes an arm around Atem’s shoulders. “Atem knows his way around the shop and we’re all here to take care of you. No sweat.”

“Honestly,” Anzu smiles and swiftly elbows Honda in the ribs before he can interrupt her. “We know it’s hard on you both but it’s just like ripping off a bandaid, right? It stings at first but it doesn’t last forever and even before you realise, you’ve forgotten all about it.”

“Y-yeah,” Honda says, rubbing his side, “what they said. We’ll be here, Yuugi.”

Yuugi stares at his friends, feeling his cheeks warming. How in the world did he get so lucky?

“T-thanks,” he mutters but can’t help smiling in the end. “You guys are great.”

“Hell yeah we are!” Jounouchi exclaims and does finger guns at him, his other arm still on Atem’s shoulders. Atem laughs but his eyes are soft when he looks at Yuugi.

“Go on, then. The gates are about to close, aren’t they?”

“Oh, shit!” Honda and Jounouchi yelp at the same time and the latter releases his hold on Atem. He ruffles the spiky-haired head before taking off after his best friend. “Stay crispy!” he shouts over his shoulder at Atem.

Anzu shakes her head, frowning. “These guys are too much. You don’t have to run yet!” she tries yelling after them but the duo is already too far ahead. She sighs but when she turns to Yuugi and tilts her head to the side, her eyes are twinkling.

“I should go after them. I trust you’ll be right behind, okay?”

And she winks. Yuugi flushes pink but before he can say anything, she’s already jogging off. There’s a chuckle next to him and he looks at the pharaoh who seems much too happy.

“That wasn’t fair,” Yuugi grumbles and that only makes Atem laugh harder.

“You’ve got amazing friends,” he says when he’s calmed down. Yuugi bristles at him but the pink on his cheeks takes away from his attempted glare. Just a little bit.

“They’re your friends too!” he reminds him and that makes Atem sober up. His voice is surprisingly quiet when he talks.

“They really are,” he says and smiles in that gentle way he's been doing a lot lately. Yuugi softens at his expression and they take a moment to just look at each other, wondering, smiling. There’s so much to be happy about, they both realise at the same time, and Yuugi takes Atem’s hand.

“I know you’ll be alright. I’m, just, I’m – I’m going to miss you.”

Atem smiles at him and squeezes his hand. “I’ll miss you too, Yuugi.”

It makes Yuugi’s smile widen and he chuckles. Of course he knew it but it feels good to hear it said out loud. He’s sure it’s the same for Atem.

“Well, I guess I should be going. Take care,” he says and without pause, kisses Atem on the cheek. “See you after school!” he grins and with one final squeeze, lets go of Atem’s hand and turns around to run after his friends. His chest is buzzing and he smiles the whole way to the building.

Atem is left standing at the curb, eyes wide, face red. He lifts his hand to touch his cheek and the skin there feels electric, as if that simple touch of lips had awakened a new sense that had been completely dormant until now. That feeling spreads across his skin, reaching the top of his head and the very tips of his toes and it’s so, so warm.

It feels really nice. Atem breaks out into a grin that matches Yuugi’s earlier one and turns around to leave, his hand staying on his cheek. He must look smitten as anything but he doesn’t care. He’s happy, so why not show it to the world?

As soon as he takes the first step, he almost collides with Ryou who had come running around the corner.

“Oh! Sorry, Atem. I overslept!” the white-haired boy exclaims and stops to give a quick pat to Atem’s shoulder. “Have a good day at the shop. I’ll come to visit if I can, after school!”

He grins and waves and dashes through the school gates before Atem can wade through the fluttery mess that is his mind for a greeting. He’s still reeling but Bakura didn't seem to mind his silence so it’s probably alright.

-

The walk back home doesn’t feel lonely in the least. After all, his partner is always with him, even when they’re apart. Hearts are wonderful like that.

And that, if something, is worth smiling for.

[zevlors-tail]

So, I'm through episode 2 in Tears of Themis, and I would like to give a little review and say some things.

Spoilers for episodes 1, 2, and the beginning of Vyn's story BTW!!!

As far as functionality and storyline, those things are great. I am extremely interested in where the story is going, and the characters and plot are captivating. The game runs pretty smooth too, and it's not too different from Obey Me in terms of a card system and the episodes, though I do feel it could have been made a bit simpler...

So now that I've given my praise, I want to address a couple...issues that I have with the actual content of the game. 😬

I'll just be blunt. I don't like the fact that so far, mental illness has been portrayed the way it has. Quite frankly I think it's not only extremely harmful and misrepresenting of those who actually are affected by it, but also in poor taste to include it in such a prevalent way in an otome game. I'm not sure I understand the point behind it other than using it as an excuse for a motive for some of the cases and situations, which to me is absolutely just...yuck. And for that matter, there have been no warnings whatsoever for players who might be sensitive to those subjects either. It just pops up in the story randomly.

In Vyn's very first story segment, you literally see someone with SH marks, and it's MC's job to somehow read into that and come to the conclusion that one of Vyn's students is suicidal. In epside 2, bipolar disorder (idk the current/correct term or if that one's outdated, I'm sorry! I'm only quoting the term from the game!) is literally used as a piece of evidence and the motive as to why a man murdered his wife. Also, let's not forget the way Estelle literally used Janus' illness against him to try and manipulate him to go public with their marriage, saying "I have to take care of you and your depression, but who's going to take care of me?" That was quite possibly the most toxic line from this game I've read yet. And even in episode one, there was a brief mention of Grandpa Vern having depression after everything that transpired with Pedro and Penny's Comfort Foods, but MC and Artem quickly pass it off with something along the lines of "Well the trial's over now, so he'll be fine!"

Are you kidding me? 😳 I just feel like if you can't write a compelling murder mystery plot without having to make someone mentally ill to give them a motive, maybe you shouldn't be writing that plot. Also, you're misrepresenting everyone with mental illness and spreading misinformation about what it's really like. In real world situations, it's never black and white like that. It's so different for everyone, and it cannot be 'cured' or just 'go away' just because the main stressor or source of the problem does. It doesn't work like that, but I digress...

Note: I didn't really mention it here, but because I bring up Mystic Messenger in a later comparison, I would like to note that while MysMes also had a similar issue to this (ie. Rika, her cult, and mental illness), I feel that it was handled significantly better and multiple characters recognized her wrongdoings and condemned her and her actions for it. I haven't played through Saeran or V's route, so I can't vouch for that content. I just feel that MysMes handled it better (not perfectly), which is why it wasn't brought up here.

I think I've said enough about that. On to my next qualm:

I've noticed there have been several conversations about MC's figure and weight already, including Luke saying something akin to "I've always thought you looked too skinny," and MC thinking they were fat or asking/acusing Luke of calling them fat. I can't remember exactly what was said or mentioned but it made me feel uncomfortable for several reasons. The first is that weight didn't really need to be mentioned at all, and that is a particular sensitivity of mine, and the second being that Luke calling MC skinny is, well- it assumes that every single player is...skinny.

That is quite obviously not the case. Whatever their reasoning for it, they've now made every person who isn't considered skinny feel left out and shitty. I would even go as far as to say it's borderline fat-phobic with the type of comments that were made.

And on that topic...there is also no representation for POC whatsoever when it comes to MC. As far as I know, MC isn't customizable. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I never saw an option to change skin color, hair color, eye color, or just icons in general. Why? I'm tired of the "skinny white girl" rhetoric. Not everyone is skinny, not everyone is white, and not everyone is a girl or feminine.

Which leads me to my final big issue! I understand that an otome game's target audience is usually women, so I understand MC being a girl. I do. However- in comparison with Obey Me and even Mystic Messenger, the MC in Tears of Themis is overwhelmingly feminine. Again, I understand target audience, but come on. Even Mystic Messenger only occasionally poked at the MC's specific gender and even hid their eyes so make it slightly more anonymous/neutral (not to say the game wasn't in the wrong for it, bc they very well could have made the MC gender neutral apart from the CGI's), but I feel like this game specifically really paints a picture of a female MC that's extremely hard for me to relate to as a nonbinary person.

Also, even though I'm supposed to be the main character, it feels like I'm playing through someone else's life. They've fleshed out MC so much that she isn't actually relatable anymore, at least in my opinion. She's unnaturally upbeat, has an entire story about her childhood, specific hobbies and a designated work place, and has an entire appearance on screen. And unlike in both MysMes and Obey Me, you actually don't get the option to choose different responses to characters. It's just a set story. The only place you get to choose anything is when you're presenting evidence and testimony in court. So no personalization of MC is really my issue here, I think.

Props to Obey Me for making MC gender neutral, and props to MysMes for at least keeping MC relatable and giving them choices to respond with even if the game set their gender. And hey, MysMes even had different icons to choose from for MC too. Tears of Themis, what's the hold up? 🤨

It's generally a good game when it comes to it's working functions and systems, and I understand that no one is obligated to tag triggers, really. But it's still a game, and it's not above critique.

I give this game...3 stars out of 5. Functionality is great, plot is interesting when it's not misrepresenting, and the love interests are interesting and attractive. The art is beautiful. However, it ranks third on the list of otome games I've played so far (and I've only played three, meaning it's last on the list).

Obey Me takes the cake at number one with it's beautiful art and gender neutral MC as well as its multiple love interests and ridiculously hilarious plot. Mystic Messenger comes in at a solid second place, also with beautiful art and an interesting plot. MysMes also gets props for the way their hourglass system works and the way the story unfolded in different routes and all the different endings you could get. And finally we've got Tears of Themis in third...it could stand to do a bit better.

Well, that's pretty much all I got. Others are welcome to add on to this as well. If I'm wrong about something, please let me know respectfully.

[lifeofclonewars]

Intro to the Extended Fett Clan (WKatMAM)

I’m doing this so I don’t have to take an unnecessarily long amount of time during Part 4 to explain the whole family to everyone. I get my second Covid shot tomorrow, so hopefully Chapter One will be up soon. Enjoy!

Clan Leaders

Nielsen Fett: Better known as 99 in canon, Nielsen goes by NiNi or ba’buir with his grandkids. He’s a farmer, and hosts the Annual Fett Family Reunion every year. Married to Kamino. Father to Lynx, Courey, Wolffe's mom (no, I'm not revealing her name yet), Alfred (Alph), Charisma, Arla, and Jango. Grandpa to all the kids who will be listed. 

Kamino Fett: I say screw the Kaminoans by naming the matriarch of this au after their home planet and making her love her family no matter what happens. She was a baker, passed away from old age two years before this au takes place. Used to have those grandma glasses-on-a-chain. Was blonde. Mother to Lynx, Courey, Wolffe's mom, Alph, Charisma, Arla, and Jango. Her grandkids call her KamKam or ba’buir.

Subclan One (aka some of the Commanders)

Lynx Fett: The oldest of the next generation of Fetts. He's a vet. Has a full goatee. Married to Nala Se. Father to Bly, Gree, Ponds, Keeli, Colt, and Zariza. Grandpa to Colette. More lax on his kids than his wife. Good dad, poor choice in women.

Nala Se: Geneticist (obviously lol). Very strict because "Lynx is too lax on their kids" (he's not). Mother to Bly, Gree, Ponds, Keeli, Colt, and Zariza. Grandma to Colette. Few people in the family actually like her.

Bly Secura-Fett: 27, Kindergarten teacher. Married to Aayla, father to Colette. Oldest of the next generation of Fetts/the cousins. You might recognize his username from the previous parts, Old Man Dad Bly. Ponds was the one to set it to that. Bly doesn't care enough about it negatively to switch it.

Aayla Secura-Fett: 26, Ryl Translator. Married to Bly, mother of Colette. Known for wearing her hair in braids. She's not in the cousin chat but Bly's constantly showing her screenshots of it and she enjoys it.

Colette Secura-Fett: Almost 1, a Blyla baby! So far clings to Bly more than Aayla, but that may change. Gets lots of love and snuggles from the extended fam.

Gree Fett: 25, biologist. Second oldest of the subclan and of the cousins. Still has that haircut but mainly out of spite of his brothers instead of in honor of them this time. Chat Name: Green Man.

Pontius “Ponds” Fett: 23. He’s working to be an architect, but is currently stuck with a job he’s over-qualified for in the meantime. Known in the chat as Lakes because he thinks he’s funny sometimes. Most likely to start something in subclan one, least likely to be blamed for it... most of the time.

Keeli Fett: 21, cosmetologist. He took a different route than his brothers and went to trade school instead of a 4-year university and consequently got a job before Ponds did. Best hair in the family. Debating whether or not Gree’s haircut is a good enough reason to disown him lol. Chat Name: Keeling Over.

Colt Fett: 17, just finished his junior year of high school. Working a minimum wage summer job to help save for college. Met his best friends Havoc and Blitz in kindergarten; they all work at the same place now. Chat Name: Neigh.

Zariza Fett: 15, just finished her freshman year of high school. Only daughter in the subclan, which is both a blessing and a curse with Nala for a mom. Wants to be a photographer, has taken pictures throughout the reunions the past few years for NiNi. Has lots of blackmail on everyone as a result. Chat Name: Zzzzzz.

Subclan Two (aka the Coruscant Guard)

Courey Fett: Second oldest of his generation of Fetts. He’s a bartender (and owner), and the loudest and most rambunctious of his siblings. Full beard. Married to Slyvia Fett. Father to Fox, Thorn, Jek, Rys, and Corsica. His name is vaguely based on me misspelling Coruscant many many times in the past.

Slyvia Fett: You thought Nala Se was an interesting choice in mom? This lady is a super successful but shady businesswoman. Nobody knows the specifics and they’re not sure they want to know. Also kinda strict, but she’s also not home often enough for it to make too much impact. Married to Courey, mother to Fox, Thorn, Jek, Rys, and Corsica. She has dirty blonde hair, which two of her kids inherited when it combined with the rare blond Fett gene. Vaguely based on Sly Moore.

Fox Fett: 19, just finished his freshman year of college. Perpetually tired because of homework, actual work, and the projects he choses to do. Two days older than Wolffe and reminds him often. Actually best friends with Wolffe. They go to the same university. Like Wolffe, loves his siblings but is loath to admit it. Causes more trouble than people think. Chat Name: Think Outside the Fox.

Thorn Fett: 16, just finished his sophomore year of high school. Older of the two dirty-blonds in the sub-clan. Second oldest blond of the cousins after Rex. Suspicious in how he’s so optimistic when he grew up with Fox for a brother haha. Occasionally likes to stir up trouble in the chat, especially since he’s the one who made it. Chat Name: Thorn in Your Side.

Jek Fett: 11, just finished fifth grade. His best friend is Thire. Too young for the chat, not too young to cause trouble. Like all little brothers, switches between ignoring Fox and Thorn and always trying to get their attention. Like all middle children, turns it around and also picks on Rys and Corsica for the same things Fox and Thorn use on him. 

Rys Fett: 8, just finished second grade. Current goal in life is to catch Fox sneak-attacking him just once. Tags along with Jek most of the time, sometimes to bug him, sometimes because he thinks he’s cool. Also too young for the chat.

Corsica Fett: 7, just finished first grade. Only daughter of subclan two. The second of the dirty blonde haired kids in this subclan. Hangs out with Unique a lot at family reunions. Has the art of bugging her brothers at the most inconvenient times down. Already learning to blackmail people. Name lightly based on the correct spelling of Coruscant. Also too young for chat.

The Koons (aka our MCs! The Wolfpack)

Plo Koon: My favorite space dad haha. I think you get the gist by now. Get ready for some more puns! Definitely the type of dad to wear a fanny pack. His sunglasses are probably just transition glasses that switch too easily and he just never told anyone lol. Actually, I never mentioned it, but he’s also a social worker.

A[redacted] Koon: Our boys’ mom. Married to Plo, though she died giving birth to Comet. Twin to Alfred. Her name is a surprise for later, so here’s her first initial, at least. Used to wear glasses or contacts, depending on the day.

Wolffe Koon: 19, just finished his freshman year of college. The star of the show lol aka our pov character. Loves his brothers but rarely admits it out loud. Best friend is Fox and is going to use that to his advantage for blackmail this reunion. Cousin Chat Name: Werewolf? There Wolffe! Subclan Chat Name: Howl are you? Wolfpack Chat Name: Grr.

Boost Koon: 15, just finished his freshman year of high school. The only person in the family who likes Gree’s haircut. His maroon hair is starting to grow out now. It may or may not be his turn to get lost this time... Chat Name: T-Mobile. Subclan Chat Name: Ghosty Boi. Wolfpack Chat Name: Booster Seat.

Sinker Koon: 13, just finished seventh grade and it shows. His silver hair is also starting to grow out. Gonna cause some chaos, since he’s close in age to many of the Fett cousins. Chat Name: Banana Sink. Subclan Chat Name: Hook, Line, and— Wolfpack Chat Name: Stinker. (No, it hasn’t been changed back yet.)

Comet Koon: 10, just finished fourth grade. Still obsessed with penguins. Also gonna cause some chaos with some of the cousins. Koon most likely to get hurt during the reunion by climbing on and jumping off things he shouldn’t. Also too young for the chat.

Subclan Three (aka Cody + the 501st)

Alfred “Alpha” Fett: Twin to A, younger by 5 minutes and never talks about it. Married to Sevannah. Father to Cody, Rex, Fives, Echo, Tup. Owns a gym named Triple A. Used to be a personal trainer, which is how he met Sevannah. Technically the middle child of his siblings.

Sevannah Fett: Professional and Olympic archer. Married to Alph, mother to Cody, Rex, Fives, Echo, Tup. Yes, her name comes from seventeen as in “Alpha-17.″ (Maybe not) surprisingly, the more in shape out of her and Alph since she’s still competing lol.

Kote “Cody” Fett: 18, just graduated high school. Planning on attending college for sports management. Twin to Rex (he’s older by 7 minutes). Got his scar while playing football or something, I’m not really sure. Any Ghost member you can think of is probably his friend. Chat Name: *hacker voice* I’m In.

Rex Fett: 18, just graduated high school. Planning on being an athletic trainer. Twin to Cody. Naturally blond — and I mean blond and not dirty blond. Only one of subclan three who is. Any member of Torrent that’s not his brother is his friend. Chat Name: Jurassic Park.

Fives Fett: 13, just finished seventh grade. His full name will be revealed during Part 4. Twin to Echo (older by five minutes, yes). Wants to learn how to be a skydiving instructor solely to try to help Rex get over his fear of heights. Best friends are Domino Squad. Chat Name: Sixes.

Echo Fett: 13, just finished seventh grade. His full name will also be revealed during Part 4. Twin to Fives. Seems more chill than Fives but the reunion always proves that wrong. Best friends are Domino. Occasionally babysits the Havocs. Chat Name: ECHO Echo echo.

Tup Fett: 10, just finished fourth grade. Tup is his full name, yes. Starting to get into archery like his mom. Canon tattoo is a mole here. His hair’s down to his shoulders and super curly. Cody’s often pulling sticks out of it. Too young for the chat.

The Havocs (aka the Bad Batch)

Charisma Havoc (neé Fett): Interior designer. Married to Gunner. Mother to Hunter, Cross, Wrecker, Timmy. Also on the louder end of her and her siblings. The Havocs are pretty background characters, since their kids are much younger than Wolffe and also bc the show’s still establishing things.

Gunner Havoc: Carpenter. Married to Charisma. Father to Hunter, Cross, Wrecker, Timmy. Together Charisma and Gunner could probably start an HGTV show lol. But they don’t want to so they aren’t. Last name comes from the Havoc Marauder (tbb's ship).

Hunter Havoc: 14, just finished eighth grade. Part of his canon tattoo is a birthmark, though not all of it. His hair is also long enough to be put into a small ponytail. Keeli’s got some cousins to teach, doesn’t he lol. Chat Name: Hunter-Gatherer.

Cross Havoc: 12, just finished sixth grade. Grumpy almost-teenager. Wolffe doesn’t run into him often because he tries to avoid his older cousins (well, actually, most of his cousins) the entire reunion every year. Lurks in the chat but his username is Mad (courtesy of Thorn). I shortened his name because it is an actual name and Crosshair is only a clone name.

Walter “Wrecker” Havoc: 9, just finished third grade. The older cousins claim he got his nickname in the “Wrecker Incident” and make it out to be this overly dramatic thing that's classified to those 12 and under. In all reality, it was him accidentally crashing into a few things of his brothers when he was first learning to walk. Gree just thought it was hilarious to blow it out of proportion. Too young for the chat.

Timothy “Timmy” Havoc: 7, just finished first grade. Wears glasses. A bit too young to have Tech as a nickname quite yet, but he definitely would in the future. Also mostly in the background, considering he's 12 years younger than Wolffe. Too young for chat.

The Concords (aka let's add some more girls to this family)

Arla Concord neé Fett: She's the only adult beside her husband that I currently don't have a job listed for, but that's because my brain won't supply one. Second youngest of her siblings. Married to Felix. Mother to Clementine, Ansonia, Unique, Majorca, Tessa, Violet. Screw canon/legends, she's still alive.

Felix Concord: Again, haven't thought of a job for him yet, but he has one. Married to Arla. Father to Clementine, Ansonia, Unique, Majorca, Tessa, Violet. Last name comes from Concord Dawn.

Clementine Concord: 12, just finished sixth grade. Wants to be an astronaut or astrophysicist one day. Spends lots of time wrangling her younger sisters. Chat Name: Orange Gal.

Ansonia Concord: 10, just finished fourth grade. Wants to be an actress, really bring those dramatic Fett genes into play lol. Spends lots of time bugging Clementine and bossing around her younger sisters. Too young for the chat.

Unique Concord: 7, just finished first grade. Wants to be a doctor, spends lots of time hanging out with Ansonia. The two of them could probably do a pretty accurate hospital soap opera without prompting or knowing haha. Hangs with Corsica a lot at reunions, though. Yeah, idk where her name came from either. Dirty-blonde hair. Too young for the chat (duh).

Majorca Concord: 6, just finished kindergarten. Still learning basic writing and loves it so much she wants to be an author. Named after the city in Spain on accident — I totally didn’t realize that was why her name seemed familiar until like 2 months after I named her. Also too young for the chat or to appear much in the story.

Quintessa “Tess/Tessa” Concord: 5, preschooler. The other blonde kiddo. Picks on Gree’s hair without prompting from any cousins or sisters. Likes to play pretend with Majorca when they can. Also likes to draw stars and castles and such often. Obviously too young for the chat, appears slightly more because of her natural roasting abilities. 

Violet Concord: 3, maybe a preschooler? Again, doesn’t really appear much. Hangs out a bit with Boba and Tessa when the family gets together. Very very obviously too young for the chat.

Subclan Four (the OG Fetts)

Jango Fett: People usually make him one of the dads or the grandpa, but nah, he gets baby of his generation status. I wanted to keep with the “Arla is his older sister” thing but she’s the second youngest so he’s the youngest. Has been super mysterious about his life from the second he moved out but still shows up to family events. Knows who Boba’s mother is but refuses to tell. Father of Boba (obviously).

Boba Fett: 4, preschooler. Like I said above, hangs with Tessa and Violet during family events. More likely to accidentally reveal details about Jango’s life than Jango. Surprise baby but not for Jango. Jango knew. The family didn’t know until Jango showed up with infant Boba to a family event and went “this is Boba, no questions will be answered.” Also very obviously too young for the chat.

---

And that’s the extended Fett clan! Feel free to ask questions, I’ve got plenty of information about (most of) them and their roles in this au.

[vaguely-concerned]

The Mandalorian Chapter 12 rewatch thoughts

- I would like to thank them for keeping in din’s harried yet triumphant ‘hAH!!’ when he gets the explosives to stick to gideon’s ship in the ‘hey remember when this happened last season’ section, that was a nice gesture from the showrunners to me personally, I assume

- this episode actually helped me find more enjoyment in the last one, because it’s such a nice reassurance that even though they’re pulling in more stuff from other star wars media this show won’t suddenly stop being its own thing and mando won’t suddenly stop being himself and it’s very comforting to me somehow haha

- the small hesitation before din calls out “do you... do you have the wire?” lol lol lol he’s completely aware of the bizarreness of what he’s doing here but hey being alive is already so damn weird etc. 

the softness of his voice the whole way through and the fact that he never, never blames the baby for not being able to do what shouldn’t really be asked of him in the first place, tho... ;____;  

- the tiny exasperated head tilt din does when he realizes the hatch isn’t going to extend all the way fdslkfhasdlashfs  

- din is looking down at the baby the entire time while greef talks to the mechanics ❤️❤️❤️

(the baby seems pretty drawn to/excited to see greef again and mando seems to notice which is extremely cute. he’s becoming really good at tuning in with the kid) 

he also greets cara baby first in much the same way as he does peli, like he knows what the main attraction here is lol, they do a very sweet bro nod at each other. god I wish gina carano wasn’t so terrible imagine if we could just have this BrOTP without hesitations :( 

I think greef is actually a bit worried to begin with after seeing the ship, he sort of takes din in intently before he huffs a little laugh and grabs his arm. it must be a bit stressful to be his friend and not be able to see his expression right away when you worry something might be seriously wrong haha

- people are finally treating the baby like you would a real baby and it’s such a blessing, everyone talking and cooing at him and baby babbling back

(I wonder if greef has children of his own? he does have an undeniable air of experienced grandpa about him in this episode, it’s adorable)  

- din does so much talking -- unprompted, even! -- these days, it truly is an embarrassment of riches 

- capital E Emotional about this shot with IG-11 right behind din and cara inviting him into the school in front of him. some past carried with us into the future shit going on here  

IG-11′s legacy’s still got our back y’all :’) I swear to god if gideon blows up nevarro at some point I’m going to lose it 

the ‘oh yeah?/that so?’ way din leans his head back after she says “wait until you see inside” is also amazing

- baby reaching out his hand like ‘can have?’ is so polite ;______; he takes after his father (including in the ‘fool me twice, I’ll fuck you up’ department haha. listen you get one chance to be cool about it and then no more mr nice mando/baby)

-

go ahead, kid, make a fuss about it. who are you going to tell, huh? who’s going to believe you? you gonna tell them you got bested by a baby? a magic baby? no? that’s right. I took your dignity as easily as I took your macarons, there’s nothing you can do to change it, and now you gotta live with that. sweet dreams.

(this is a joke. the baby is not evil. I hate that I even have to specify this but I’ve seen some stupid shit in the tags in my time you guys haha) 

- I can’t work out what anything on greef’s desk is supposed to be, but if that’s a computer it’s got to be older than even the razor crest lol

- friends: din yes?

mando: din no, only repairs

friends: din yes please?

mando: ... [sigh] din yes 

he truly has next to no defense against people he actually likes asking him for something huh lol. well a self care co-op mission clearly did him a world of good in this one at least it’s all fine

- “I’m starting to dehydrate, Boss” is an excellent line and delivered perfectly, I cackle every time (”You park your gills right there until I say otherwise” is a good runner up too) 

- it’s so nice to see the small moments of communication between them in this one after mando was so out of sync with the team in the last one (and tbf those guys didn’t even try to give him any pointers at all, they really left him to flounder through the whole thing if you watch it carefully haha)

- the mythrol’s jacket still looks so comfy, I want one

- aaaaah the way din says “I don’t like this” is just so... hnnngh it’s perfect, there’s a vulnerability and openness to it for a moment. greef glances over at him like he hasn’t heard him sound like this before too, which just sells it even more

u ok bro?

you know shit’s fucked up when din djarin expresses an emotion without even being forced to by circumstance (I think what I mean is that it’s actually really rare for him to state how he feels about something just to do it, usually his communication is more practically oriented, more along ‘I think this is the best cause of action because of a and b’ lines, or like when he tells omera he’s grateful it’s... more to inform her of it and make sure she knows than to express himself? but he’s starting to do it more with people he trusts now and it gets me in the heart? man I’m finding this hard to articulate let’s move on lol)

- I really, really wonder about pershing’s position in all of this. his plea for the child’s life did sound genuine -- he did try to guard him with his own noodly scientist body when he thought din was out to hurt him, remember -- but is that only because he knows he’s in deep shit himself without the blood the baby can give? is he maybe not quite cool with whatever gideon has him doing? (he does sound quite strained when he talks about the ‘body’ rejecting the transfusion and the ‘volunteer’ potentially suffering the same fate... hm.)

idk why I want there to be something redeemable in him so bad, maybe it’s just my weird yet enduring attachment to ladon radim in stargate atlantis messing with me they’re kind of similar in some ways (yeah don’t ask me I don’t know either sometimes the heart wants what it wants in ways reason can’t explain)

- tfw ur literally launching yourself across a pool of boiling lava because you’re Dad and your baby’s in danger T__________T he just does not stop running towards that kid for even a single second help

- there’s something so innocently pure and... old fashioned? about the scene with mythrol and greef screaming the entire time they drive off the cliff, it feels like something out of a movie from like three decades ago. that whole segment feels a bit like that, it’s just there to be fun and that’s okay sometimes

- every dog fight in every movie should have a baby nonchalantly snacking on a cookie in them, it elevates the experience immeasurably (he squishes his nose a little bit with the macaron when he misses his mouth at one point, which is more than anyone should be expected to bear honestly)

I love that even all fixed up again the razor crest groans and creaks like an old tired thing when din makes it flip to dive, he 100% did take out a bunch of ferraris in his stalwart morris minor of a spaceship and I treasure him     

- there’s so much life and emotion in din’s voice here I can’t!!!! I simply can’t!!!! imagine if we get to hear him openly laugh one day, would I even survive it??!!!!

 also the kid makes such pitch perfect ‘having my lil nose wiped and whining about it’ baby noises when din uses his cape to clean him up (din does turn the autopilot on before he turns around to deal with it, for those who, like me, worry about these things) 

- between carson showing up and the stuff the droid talks about in the lesson they’re doing quite a bit of outer rim vs. core worlds theme building in this one, I wonder if this is going to ramp up more or what

- god but gideon’s theme SLAPS tho 

he’s probably going to try to fuck up everything I love but you can’t fault him on the tunes he’s going to do it to 

[leerongrong]

of princesses and amortentia.

Pairing: Lee Jeno x Reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Summary: In which you’re Slytherin’s princess and you get paired up with Gryffindor’s golden boy, Lee Jeno, for potions class. [Hogwarts AU]

Requested: yes!! Can I ask for a promt pleasee. 2. 2. 2/5/19/38 The boy is up for your choice, thank you ♥️♥️ 

Note: @neoculturalshit​ i stressed over this for 2 days ahgshash. i present to you, for her highness’ late birthday gift ♡ also yes, this time both nana and hyuck make an appearance,, dont drag me for it😤

Cracking fire with mixed in enchantment spells are the main sounds coming from the common room while hallways are silent, littered with nothing but the sounds of Madam Filtch’s meowing cat. The courtyard is filled to the brim with spectators from all houses, suspense in the air as two houses battle against each other for victory.

Slytherin is up against Gryffindor today. The final match of the season being the spectacle for other students to watch, rooting for their houses and making bets on who would win while you’re prancing in the Slytherin chamber, hands wrapped so tightly around your wand it would break. Your brother, Jaemin, is slumped on the couch, eyes following you with a smirk painted on his lips. He’s in nothing but his common clothes, having ditched all his classes for the day in favor of “very important work,” which so happens to be sleeping on the couch while listening to the venomous words dripping down your lips.

”Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck this shit. Fuck.”

“Ooh, careful princess.” Jaemin’s words are playfully sweet in contrast to the deep voice he has, the thing that has all of Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors alike down on their knees for him, his infamous charms even rivaling that of his parseltongue. “You’re going to put me and our great, great, great grandpa Salazar Slytherin to shame.”

“Besides,“ Jaemin fake pouts, “Shouldn’t princesses be sweet, charming and dignified? I expect the same from Slytherin’s own princess.”

Spells come flying out from your wands onto each other, harmless enough to not put you into too much trouble yet scorching when one hits the skin. The screams from outside are hard to ignore and one rattles your concentration, a rogue spell barreling towards Jaemin, one which he happens to avoid just in time for it to only burn of a bit of his hair. Fireworks go off in the air as you turn your head to see Gryffindor’s star quidditch player, Lee Jeno, with a Golden Snitch in his hand.

“You should’ve played.“ You scoff at Jaemin when you see the boy with a mischievous smile on his face, hands flying to the back of his head, a satisfying smack coming from it when your palm lands on its target. “We would’ve won if Slytherin’s ‘star player’ had played.”

Your eyes are back on the field, teeth clenching when you catch sight of Jeno, the boy smiling and being tossed into the air by his team while they celebrate a win. Lee Jeno is Gryffindor’s golden boy, a direct descendant from one of the most brilliant wizards of the time, Godric Gryffindor. You’ve never met the boy in person but from the start of the school year, people have put you and his friend circles against each other, causing a natural brewing competitiveness and although you’d never say it out loud, you wondered what it would be like to be friends with them.

Lee Jeno’s circle of friends are those of an odd pack; with Mark lee, the naturally clumsy but brave senior. Huang Renjun, the hot headed and fire spitting dragon trainer and Park Jisung, the shy but incredibly talented quidditch junior who’s expected to take over for Jeno. Then comes Lee Jeno himself, excelling at charms, potions, ancient runes, and especially, quidditch. Talents clear as day as he does have Gryffindor’s blood running in his veins.

Then there’s you and Jaemin. Slytherin’s prince and princess, named after your ancestor and for the blood that is running in your veins. All your life, you’ve been branded as special and different, your parents strictly raising you both to be valued heirs of your family, something you nor Jaemin wanted. Even from the start of your year, the two of you had been famous, other Slytherins coming to tag for a spot in your circle, until Lee Donghyuck came in. Cunning, Quick witted, Resourceful and very talented in Dark Arts, the epitome of what a Slytherin truly is.

“You good for nothing, always looking for trouble- Na Jaemin!”

The roaring crowds from outside fades into the background when the room’s gigantic double gates burst open to reveal a steaming Donghyuck with his hands still wrapped around his broomstick, a sign he came running over after the game finished.

“What’s up, pal?” Jaemin’s hands are raised in mock defeat the moment Donghyuck grabs him by his collar, a scream pulled out of his throat when Donghyuck raises his broomstick and whacks Jaemin’s head with it. It’s always a pleasure to watch the two quarrel, something that always brings a smile to your face ever since the two first met. The bond the three of you have is unique, something you didn’t think you’d find in Hogwarts.

“You have the emotional capacity of a brick!” Donghyuck is sheeting, his normally tidy uniform is a wreck and his hair looks windswept from his previous game. “I told you to be there for the game! And what do you do? Laze around in the common room instead?”

“Hyuckie, I need you to calm down.” You’re smiling as you see him take deep breaths, joining in with him to shake off your own ongoing nerves. “That’s much better.”

The moment the words leave your lips, Donghyuck is smiling back at you, pulling in to give you a hug. Somewhere behind you a gagging is heard and you’re rolling your eyes, hands grabbing at the broomstick still in Donghyuck’s hand and swinging it at Jaemin’s head, glaring when he ducks from the blow.

“Is there a reason my favorite set of siblings didn’t come to watch me play?”

Donghyuck is swinging his feet over the couch, planting himself in the corner whilst Jaemin sits down at the other side of the couch, creating a space in the middle just enough for you to fit in between the two. “Did you have another date with that Hufflepuff girl, Jaems?”

“She was cute, “ Jaemin shrugs, “But I think I would rather eat expired spam.”

“Ha!” You’re halfway to sitting down when Donghyuck raises a finger to point at Jaemin, successfully hitting your cheek in the process of it. The glare you send does nothing to him, the boy throwing an arm around your shoulder while still focused on humiliating your brother, “Suck on that! You aren’t as attractive as you thought, huh?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Jaemin’s waving his hand in the air for a moment, before he’s pointing his finger at you, redirecting all of Donghyuck’s attention onto you. “Besides, you should be more interested in our own princess’ date.”

“A date, as in where two people get together to get to know each other, to see if they’re compatible?” Donghyuck frowns, “Since when have you been interested in boys?”

“Jaemin,” You groan, “Partnering up with Jeno for potions isn’t a date.”

“Jeno? As in Lee Jeno!?” Donghyuck’s scream catches the attention of multiple people coming into the room after watching the match, some looking at you peculiarly while others don’t even spare a glance. It hasn’t even reached midday and you’re already tired from all the drama your two friends are causing, wishing the day would come to an end soon.

“The professor just wanted us to pair up because we’re the only ones who could rival each other.” You glare at Jaemin. “Not because he wants us to go on a date.”

Hushed whispers cut off the flow of conversation, some students cocking their heads to the door while you could feel the other bunch have their eyes on you. Both Jaemin and Donghyuck are craning their necks over multiple heads and Donghyuck’s the first one to come back to his original position, a sickeningly sweet smile on his face which is duplicated by Jaemin. “Well princess, I think it’s time to leave. Your prince charming has arrived.”

A Gryffindor peeking his head into the Slytherin common room isn’t a usual sight to see and you, yourself wouldn’t believe it if you weren’t seeing it with your own eyes, especially if said Gryffindor in question is golden boy, Lee Jeno himself. You’re watching with peek curiosity as Jeno peeks inside the room, his eyes darting everywhere as if he’s searching for someone. You have to admit that it would take bravery only a Gryffindor possesses, after all it would scare the living daylights out of anyone else but him.

His eyes narrow in on you and you’re checking if he’s staring at anyone else until a smile pops on his face and he’s screaming your name for everyone to hear. Gasps and murmurs break out but are silenced, not even seconds later, when Donghyuck lets out a laugh, his voice echoing through the otherwise silent room. Your brother nods his head to Jeno’s direction, a smirk resting on his face as you get up to meet Jeno. The fast steps you take are enough to reach him in a few seconds and the ongoing watchers disappear with a look from you, leaving you and Jeno with some privacy, except from your brother and friend.

“Lee Jeno, what a surprise.” You force out a smile, “A pleasure to see you, of course. But may I ask, what in Slytherin’s name are you doing here?”

Your nose scrunches when Jeno lifts his hand to scratch at the back of his neck. Lee Jeno smells of sweat, grass and a little bit of catnip, something you find odd since for all the years you’ve been in Hogwarts, you’ve never seen catnip grow anywhere near. Lee Jeno is everything you’ve heard of him to be; muscular, tall and looks as if he belongs on the field.

‘I never knew he would be this cute up close.’

A head shake dissipates all your thoughts, choosing to focus solely on the boy in front of you, who seems to be in a world of his own. Patience is not something you have, annoyance starting to bite at the back of your neck like a three headed snake. “Well?”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry.” Jeno’s ears are painted with a shade of red, cheeks in a similar condition. “I thought we could revise a bit before potions. Since the professor has high expectations on us and all.”

You’re pondering for a moment, listing off all the things you needed to do by tonight, ears pricking up when the sound of Jaemin’s laughter fills the room behind you. You decide that as much as you would enjoy working on ancient runes with Jaemin, you’d enjoy working on poyions a little bit more.

“Sure,” You nodded, “Lead the way.”

­-

“So are you sure we can use this place?” Jeno’s pace is a bit too quick for you to handle, forcing you to take bigger and quicker steps so that you’re walking side by side with each other. In the short amount of time you walked with Jeno, you realized he’s not one to speak. He prefers to keep quiet and let you do all the talking, he spews out a few questions here and there to keep the conversation going, and you suppose it’s a good difference than when you’re with Donghyuck and Jaemin.

“Yes, I asked professor Slughorn beforehand if you’re worried.”

The air is silent for a while, both you and Jeno hard at work on collecting the few necessities for your potion, with Jeno grabbing the books by the professor’s desk and you collecting the herbs to brew. The potions room is nothing special, decked out with chairs and tables in the middle for students to experiment on, a brewing pot stacked on each and every one of those desks. “So what’re we making?”

“Amortentia.” Jeno looks almost different in the dim light, almost as if he’s a different person than the one you’ve seen all these years. The way his arm moves as he’s stirring the potion, the way he’s squinting his eyes as if the potion would disappear if he looked away. You almost hear yourself say he looks magical with the mist that’s starting to float around, a telltale sign that the potion you’re working on is almost complete, “With a little bit of a twist.”

“A twist?” You’re positive the mist swirling around the room has gotten into your head, twisting your mind into thinking nonsense, and almost scoffing when the thought of smelling what Jeno smells like in the Amortentia appears. “A twist how?”

“Well,” The mist around you is changing in colors; one moment you’re seeing a hint of green, something that reminds you of Donghyuck. Another moment you’re seeing pink, something that you’ve associated with your brother your entire life. You even started seeing a hint of blue, something that vaguely reminds you of you, although you didn’t expect to see the patches of red and gold. You didn’t expect to see the two specific colors that reminds you all too much of Gryffindor, all too much of Jeno. “We know that Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in the world and that it smells different to each person, according to what attracts them.”

“So I thought,” Jeno mumbles, “Why not create something that foretells who you’ll be attracted to?”

The potion itself turns from a darkened ink blue into one of a mother-of-pearl sheen, the color briefly catching your eye before it puffs out more mist, some enhancing into spirals while others turn into odd shapes. Your eyes are drawn to a perfectly shaped lion pup playing with its siblings, then darting around to lock onto what seems like a kitten playing with a golden snitch in its paws. Swirling spirals of mist encase both you and Jeno, said boy looking to the edge of the room where he sees a little girl, one that looks exactly like you, playing with a golden snake.

“I’d hate to pry.” Your eyes catch onto the sight of a little boy on a broomstick, flying around above meadows of flowers and your heart beats a little faster when you realize the child looks a little too similar to Jeno for your liking. “But what does it smell like to you?”

“It smells like crackling fire, vanilla, and ancient runes.” Jeno’s looking around in bewilderment, trying to find the little girl in the room only to find you standing, looking dazed but straight at him. His heart is beating hard and fast, mind racing with a billion thoughts while he tries to figure out the last time he’s caught a sniff of vanilla or ancient runes, finding it seldom that he encounters those objects. His mind clicks into place when he realizes the only time he’s smelt a whiff of vanilla, being earlier when he went into the Slytherin common room to see you. “What about you?”

“It smells like freshly mowed grass, new parchment,” Your eyes flick onto Jeno, finding it hard to see him in the midst of Red and Gold clouding your vision, while Jeno’s sight is filled with nothing but Green and Silver, “..and catnip.”

“My head understands things that my heart is not yet willing to accept.”

[kumeko]

A/N: For the @furubazine! I wanted to give Kyoko her dues, I just love the snippets of the past we get in the series.

…

…

…

…

When she was younger, Kyoko hadn’t been big on traditions. Customs like that had to be taught at childhood, had to be given importance and love to carry through to adulthood. There had been no one to teach her to care and so she hadn’t. Birthdays were just another day to trudge through, holidays an extra day to sleep in, and gifts were always given by oneself.

Then came Katsuya and his sly smirks, Tohru and her big eyes, and now all Kyoko had were traditions. There were big ones, like birthdays and test results, where they’d grab a special treat from the bakery nearby. Small ones, like the morning goodbye and the bedtime kiss. There were so many, many ways to let a person know I love you and Kyoko never tired of finding a new one.

Even a visit to her husband’s grave was one steeped with routine. Standing at the gated entrance to the graveyard, she waited patiently as her father-in-law ambled toward her, a soft smile on his face. Dressed in a suit, he looked more put together than the absent-minded grandpa who liked to cuddle with Tohru in the kotatsu.

“Kyoko!” Noticing her, he waved as he came to a stop in front of the gate. His sleeves were slightly wet from cleaning the grave. “Right on time, I see.”

“What, is he taking appointments now?” Kyoko asked, raising a brow. If the dead could talk to the living, she could picture him doing it too. He’d probably even ask for money.

Her father-in-law chuckled, a raspy sound. She’s only ever known him for his kindness, for his soft edges, and it was strange to think that at one point, Katsuya couldn’t bear the man. “No, nothing of the sort. He’s grateful for any visitor, I’m sure.”

“That’s not the man I married.” Kyoko snorted, shaking her head. It wasn’t hard to remember how much he teased her, his lips curling into a playful smirk as she fumed. While she wasn’t sure where Tohru got her naïve personality, she was grateful she hadn’t picked up anything from her father aside from his polite speech. It would have been hell having two Katsuyas.

She wished she still had one.

Forcing a smile, she crossed her arms and asked, “You know, you could always come with us. You don’t have to visit alone.”

Perhaps reading her mind, he reached out and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. “After all those years apart, I need a little alone time with him. Though, he’s as talkative as ever.”

Kyoko guffawed. Her father-in-law was a riot, and she could see the traces of her husband in him. “If you say so.”

“I do.” Smiling, he stepped away. While he was getting older, Kyoko was certain that all of his wrinkles were from laughing. She could only hope it would be the same for her when she grew old. “I’ll see you for dinner?”

Another tradition. Kyoko nodded. “My cooking’s improved since last time. Maybe not as good as Tohru’s, but nothing is.”

Her father-in-law laughed as he headed away. “As long as I don’t join him today, it’ll be fine.”

She almost didn’t want to wave goodbye. Really, in that cruel honesty, he was just like his son. Would Katsuya have looked the same if he’d reached that age? Grey-haired and balding, his sides round from eating too many of Tohru’s dishes. Before she could linger on the idea, on the image of her husband as anything less than handsome, Kyoko heard a familiar voice calling her name. Turning around, she smiled brightly. “Tohru!”

“Mom!” Tohru waved back eagerly, her long skirt swishing around her heels as she trotted down the street. In her hands was a wicker basket, filled to the brim with this morning’s cooking. All as usual.

What was different, however, were the three people following her. Hanajima, Uotani, and Megumi trailed after, all dressed casually as they looked around curiously. Well, Kyoko assumed it was casual wear—it was hard to tell with Hanajima and Megumi sometimes. The siblings looked like they’d stepped out of a Victorian funeral and it was impressive on so many levels, not the least how hot it must be in the August heat. “You just missed Grandpa.”

“Oh no.” Tohru’s jaw fell open. Her eyes darted everywhere in a desperate attempt to catch his back. When she didn’t see him, she hunched over, depressed. “I should have come earlier,” she moaned.

“It’s fine.” It was impossible to resist the urge to hug her adorable daughter and Kyoko immediately gave in to the impulse. As she wrapped her arms around Tohru, she glanced at the others and smiled. “I’m glad you all could make it.”

Uotani brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, looking awkward. Maybe it was the way she held herself, her gangly body looking like it wanted to curl up and disappear, but Kyoko felt like she was looking at a younger version of herself. While she had no idea how Tohru came to be, she knew intimately what it took to make an Uotani. “Are…are you sure we should be here?” She peeked at the graveyard, then back at Kyoko. “Shouldn’t this be a family thing?”

“Are you saying you aren’t family?” she asked, raising a brow. Uotani flushed, looking both pleased and flustered, and Kyoko chuckled. “It’s about time Katsuya paid attention to Tohru’s life.”

Tohru nodded happily, still buried in Kyoko’s arms. “I want you to meet him!” she chimed in, her voice muffled.

“See? Not a problem.” Kyoko paused. “Unless, you don’t want to come?”

“No, that’s not…” Uotani was a bright red now.

While she floundered, Megumi pushed forward. “I’m in the company of four gorgeous ladies. I’ll stay.”

“Are you sure you’re in elementary school?” Kyoko asked, finally letting go of Tohru. She wasn’t sure which was worse, the wink he gave when he said that or the way that his expression and tone stayed flat the entire time.

“He’s very wise for his age,” Hanajima explained, looking as cool as a cucumber as she entered the graveyard.

“I could say the same about you,” Kyoko replied wryly. Tohru’s friends were an odd bunch. Katsuya would have loved them.

“Ready, Mom?” Tohru asked, grabbing her hand.

Kyoko felt herself melting again, but this time she resisted the urge to hug. She had to have some semblance of self-control, otherwise, they wouldn’t get anywhere today. “Yeah.”

The Honda family grave was already clean, the stone gleaming in the sun. Several white lilies were laid in front of it, a gift no doubt from her father-in-law. Setting down her picnic basket, Tohru dashed toward the buckets. “I’ll get the water.”

“Should I help?” Uotani asked, uncertain as she turned from the grave to her friend and then back again.

“The water isn’t that heavy.” Kyoko knelt in front of the grave, her fingers brushing the stone lightly. How strange. They hadn’t had that many years together, in the end, and she was now more familiar with the feel of stone than her husband’s hand. Tohru must remember even less, if she even remembered anything at all, and Kyoko’s heart ached. Lost time, lost chances, a void that never had the chance to exist.

Setting out three incense sticks, Kyoko slowly lit each one. Standing up once more, she said, in a stronger voice than she’d expected, “Katsuya, these are Tohru’s friends.”

“Hi?” Uotani mumbled, even more bemused. Gingerly she lifted her hands, looking like she wasn’t sure if she should wave or pray and she’d tried to do both.

Megumi nodded his greeting. “Hello.”

Looking up, Hanajima stared at the sky for a few minutes. Her smile was mysterious before she finally nodded. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Was it? part of Kyoko wanted to ask. It was impossible to speak to the dead, but that didn’t feel like the case with Hanajima. The more she learned about her waves, the less she understood.

“I’m back!” Lugging a heavy bucket, the water spilling over the top, Tohru struggled toward the grave. “Sorry I took so long.”

“Tohru!” Uotani scrambled toward her, quickly taking the bucket out of her hands. “I’ll take that.”

“I can’t let y…” More water splashed over the edge, hitting the bottom of her skirt. Biting her lip, Tohru reluctantly handed the bucket to Uotani. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Uotani grinned as she held the bucket with a hand. “See? It’s nothing, really.”

Kyoko watched as the pair sprinkled water over the grave. There were very few things she could deny Tohru, so it hadn’t even been a question when her daughter had asked if her friends could tag along. It had been a good idea. “You know, you should pray to him for your marks.”

“What do you mean?” Uotani asked, looking over her shoulder curiously.

“He was a teacher, after all. And very smart. Maybe he’ll slip in your dreams and give you all the test answers,” Kyoko explained, trying hard to keep a straight face. Her husband had never been that kind, and any help he gave would be trapped inside a riddle. “And looking at your grades, you need it. You have to get into high school, after all.”

Stricken, Tohru gulped. “That…we can do that…”

Uotani already had her hands clasped, her lips silently mouthing out many, many prayers. Kyoko covered her mouth, forcing her laugh to turn into a cough. Only Hanajima and Megumi didn’t move and when she turned toward them with an inquisitive look, Hanajima only smiled. “You can’t cure my stupidity.”

“She’s actually really smart,” Megumi added, hands in his pockets. “She just has to be motivated.”

“And he’s always very smart,” Hanajima fondly added, her eyes soft as she looked at her brother. “Besides, we’re not good at riddles.”

“Oh.” Had she read her mind? Kyoko wasn’t sure if she wanted the answer to that question. Instead, she pulled out a blanket from the forgotten basket and spread it out on the stone ground.

“What are you doing?” Uotani hissed, glancing around furtively.

“Setting up for lunch?” Kyoko answered slowly, her lip twitching slightly as she bit back her laugh.

“Here?” For an ex-gang member, Uotani was surprisingly serious sometimes.

“Yeah, we’re eating with him. We’re celebrating his memory, after all.” Kyoko knelt next to the basket and pulled out Tohru’s carefully prepared bentos. When Uotani still looked troubled, she patted on the blanket. “You don’t want Tohru’s hard work to go to waste, do you?”

Having no such qualms, Megumi already grabbed a bento and opened it. “Wow, you made all this?”

“Yes!” Tohru sat eagerly next to him and grabbed another one. “And there’s some karaage in here if you want.”

“Your cooking is as tasty as ever,” Hanajima complimented, sitting on her other side and effectively sandwiching Tohru between her and her brother.

It was a lost battle. Grumbling, Uotani sat down and held out her hand. “I’m hungry anyways.”

The graveyard was filled with sound, a stark contrast to the usual silence when it had just been her and Tohru visiting Katsuya. Kyoko liked it better this way. Maybe this would become yet another tradition, a lively one that kept friends and family close no matter what boundaries separated them.

“As you can see,” Kyoko murmured to her husband, “Tohru’s made some really good friends.”

And though she couldn’t see him, she knew he was smirking at her, the bastard.

[hateswifi]

Jasonette July: Children

Day ten of being committal, I love this one so much. Also not even gonna try sleepin on time. It’s either no sleep or post late.

The Master: Master List

Jasonette July: Master List

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

He didn’t know what to expect at the age of twenty when he heard crying from an alley while on patrol. What he didn’t expect to find was a crying raven-haired baby. His heart melted, maybe its because he saw himself in her or maybe because she is an abandoned baby. The next thing he knew, he was running back to the manor holding a now more calm baby.

“Hey, Brucie! I know you always have those adoption papers on hand, can I have a pack?” Jason says, walking into Bruce’s office.

“Please tell me I’m dreaming, you’re adopted, my adoption dis- habits shouldn’t affect you,” Bruce says, looking up from his work.

“Wait, I’m adopted, I’m so hurt…” Jason says, putting the back of his hand on his head.

“Stop being dramatic, I’ll give you the papers if you show me my grandchild,” Bruce says, opening his desk draw.

“I don’t know her name, but I would love to call her Maria-Angelina, after my grandmother,” Jason said, showing off his soon-to-be daughter. It was at that moment she starts crying. Not even two minutes later, Damian and Alfred burst into the room.

“Another one Father?”

“Master Bruce, I have always supported you, but another one?”

“No, this one isn’t mine, she is Jason’s.” Bruce smiled, standing up to walk around his desk.

“Alfred, I would like you to meet your great-granddaughter and Damian your niece, Maria-Angelina,” Jason says, holding her out.

“She is beautiful,” Alfred says, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. 

Jason loved his daughter even though she was not his biological daughter. As Maria grew older she realized she was missing something, more like someone. Her dad did everything for her, she loved him and he did everything her could to make her happy. But even at the age of eight, she knew her dad was missing someone as well. 

It was when she wandered away from dad while they were at the mall did she realize who she was missing and she found it in a dark-haired woman. She was beautiful. She was on the phone when the woman noticed her standing by herself. She puts her phone away and approaches her.

She crouches down to her height and asks “Are you lost, little miss?”

“Hi, yeah, I’m missing my dad,” She says slowly.

“Hi, my name is Marinette, would you like me to help you find your father? Or would you like me to walk you to security?”

“Could you help me find him?”

“Sure, what does he look like? Is your mom here too?”

“I don’t have a mom.”

“Oh I’m sorry, honey,” Marinette says, squeezing her shoulder.

“It’s fine, I never had one,” Maria says with a shrug. “My dad is tall, he has dark hair with a white patch on the front of his head. He has blue eyes, he big and awesome!”

“Where did you last see him?”

“We were at the book store.”

“Let’s head there then,” Marinette says, standing with a smile. They go down the escalator and walk to the book store. “What do you like to read?”

“I like Charlotte’s Web!” She smiles.

“That’s good.”

“What do you do? My daddy helps with my grandpa’s business,” She smiles, looking up at the pretty woman.

“I design clothes,” Marinette smiles, looking through the aisles for anyone meeting the little girl’s description.

“Oh! That’s so cool! Did you make your dress?”

“Yes, have you seen your dad?”

“Not yet,” She sighs.

“What’s you favorite subject?”

“I love English and art class!” she exclaims, rocking on her feet.

“Ok well, it doesn’t look like he’s here, we should go to security,” Marinette says.

“Aww… I’m having fun with you though,” Maria sighs and hangs her head.

“Well, we still have to walk there and wait for your dad,” Marinette points out as they leave the bookstore. The approach the map and Marinette listens to the girl’s chatter as she looks for the lost child area. Third floor.

“Ready? We’re heading up to the third floor,” Marinette smiles toward the little girl. “Do you know your dad’s name.

“Umm…. Jason Todd I think,” She contemplates. 

“Ok, we’ll tell the people who find parent,” Marinette says, as they step onto the elevator. There was a small back and forth conversation and all too soon, they reach the lost child area. “Hello, this is a lost child, she says her father’s name is Jason Todd, would you be able to call him?”

“Jason Todd, please report to security, we’ve found your missing daughter,” a voice comes over the loudspeaker. They continue their conversation until a big man bursts into the room. The little girl jumps up and rushes to hug him.

“Maria-Angelina Catherine Todd! What’ve I told you about wandering off,” He yells, pulling her into a hug.

“Hi, Dad,” Maria says, pulling out of the hug. “This is Marinette! She helped me look for you.” For the first since he entered the room, he looked up and saw the pixie, she was a sight, standing there in her light blue sundress that brings out her eye. 

He stands up. “Thank you so much for helping her, I don’t know what would happen if she was hurt or taken,” her dad- Jason- says taking her hand. “Please let us take you out as a thank you.”

“No, I couldn't, I just saw a lost child and helped her,” Marinette shrugs with a smile.

“Please, Marinette,” Maria asks, looking up at her with puppy dog eye.

“You have better puppy dog eye than Manon did,” Marinette giggles.

“Trust me, I know,” Jason chuckles.

“So is that a yes?”

“Fine,” Marinette says reluctantly.

“Yay!” Maria says, turning to rush out of the room.

“Kids huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Got any of your own,” Jason asks, a slight smirk spreading across his face.

“No, I don’t even have a boyfriend, but that beside the point, I use to babysit,” Marinette smiles. “What about you? She said she didn’t have a mom.”

“She’s adopted, I found her in an alleyway,” Jason says quickly.

“That’s sweet of you,” Marinette coos. They walk together to a close-by coffee place. They spend time talking and laughing. They leave saying goodbye to each other.

“Hey, Dad, you know how everyone has a mommy and a daddy?” Maria asks Jason nods in response, already knowing where this conversation was going. “Can she be my mommy?”

“Sweetie, that’s not up to me.”

“Can we see her again?” It was at the moment he realized, he never got her number. The next couple of days, though Jason tried to hide it, Maria could see the loneliness in her dad’s actions and the longing in his eyes.

“Dad, are you ok?”

“Yeah, honey, just a bit tired, just as a heads up we’re going for measurements later today at Grandpa’s house,” Jason says, packing her lunch.

“Ok, Dad,” Maria says, hopping off her stool. As she closes the door to head to the bus stop, she hears him sigh. She wishes she could see Marinette again. She wishes her dad was able to make Marinette her mommy, however that worked.

Her dad picked her up and they head over to the Wayne Manor. She rushes ahead of her dad and bursts into the lobby, “Hi, Grandpa! Hi, Great Grandpa!” 

“Hi sweetie, Uncle Damian is getting is measurements taken right now, but you can go in next,” Bruce says.

“Thank you, Grandpa! Will the nice designer make me a pretty dress?” She asks, hugging Bruce.

“Of course I will,” A feminine voice says, coming from the living room. “I’m ready for the princess, as Damian called her.” She giggles.

“Marinette?”

“Maria? Jason? You guys are Waynes? I thought you are Todds,” Marinette asks.

“Well we are, but Wayne is hyphenated,” Jason shrugs. The measurements go well. In Jason’s case really well,  he gets a kiss and a date. 

They start dating a week later, Maria is really happy, especially a year later when they announce that she’s going to have a baby brother. She was happy before she went wandering off but now she couldn’t be happier, she has a mommy, a dad, and a baby brother on the way. The wedding plans, which she was promised to be the flower girl in, was planned for after the baby’s birth. She loved her family and they loved her.

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

Tag List:

@jasonette-july-2k20 @abrx2002 @pawsitivelymiraculous​ @ironspiderstark@thestressmademedoit @bigpicklebananatree @zalladane

Permanent Tag:

@ash-amg @bee-wrecker @damianette-is-life @mjisntme @i-will-be-your-ace @k-poplunardreams @chocolateherringtacofan @toodaloo-kangaroo @i-is-mysterious @zambie-trashart @imnotfluffy @nanakeid

[theonetheycallhannah]

The Treatment of Captain Syverson- Chapter 7: Non-Productive Time

Pairing: Captain “Sy” Syverson x OFC (Shane Benton)

Summary: On a slow afternoon, Shane remembers a couple of fun evenings with Sy, and can’t help but start texting him…he turns out to be a bad influence.

Don’t want spoilers? Click me first to catch up!

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings:  Language, mature themes, a steamy scene that bumps up against the line of smut/not smut…it looks like smuttish is, in fact, a thing, (see what I did there? Toss a high five to your fic writer for the paraphrased Witcher quote in these here notes! lol! Sorry, i’m tired...and in a weird mood tonight...) so, anyway, using that. I love it. 

Author’s Note: This chapter was about half done before I even started SI1 and SI2! So that’s why it’s come along so quickly in the wake of them. It could also mean that there are some continuity issues…I found a couple during the re-write of the first part, and more when I was proofing, so it should be good, but…fair warning, one or more could have escaped me! Also, let me know if the text convo is hard to follow. I’ll try to reconfigure it to be more clear. It seemed to me like context was enough, and they’d had text convos before, and no one said anything…this one’s longer by about 300%, though, so…feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, Henry is not mine, le sigh, and all mention of him, his characters, any characters from his films, or his precious doggy, Kal, are strictly for transformative and recreational use. I neither ask for, nor accept payment for the work I post on Tumblr or AO3. Unbeta’d because this is for fun and escapism.

Tags: 

@onlyhenrys

@cavillryarchive

@summersong69

@titty-teetee

@bloodyinspiredfuck

@agniavateira

@oddsnendsfanfics

@omgkatinka

@thisismysecretthirstblog

@misslaland

@speakerforthedead0@tumblnewby

@suavechops

Hope I’m not forgetting anyone! If you want to be notified when I post a new chapter or work, I’ll be happy to add you to my tag list! Stricken blogs are getting personal messages from me when a new chapter is uploaded because Tumblr’s faulty tagging system will not stand in the way of me delivering what the people want!(?) lol! (Although…their lackadaisical notification system might…sorry for that. I have no control. lol!)

Time seemed to pass slowly when Shane wasn’t with Sy. When they weren’t having dinner together, or doing their typical date thing. She thought about their second date. One of the bars in town, chosen for its above average bar food but mostly, it’s pool tables. The warning he’d given her via text had made her laugh:

We’re goin’ to Cade’s for apps and pool, if that's okay. As gorgeous as you looked in that blue dress you wore last night, I recommend jeans and a T-shirt for tonight, okay?

She took his suggestion. A simple black tee, because she was a food klutz from hell, layered over a red camisole, and her favorite jeans. It showed off her dainty arrow necklace well.

While they played, they drank beer and talked about life, getting deeper into things than they could at therapy sessions.

“Dad split when I was about ten, I guess. Mom did her best with her only son, but she sent me to my grandpa’s a lot when she was working or just…needing her own time. He’d been an army man. Fought in Korea. His dad was in World War II. It felt like…I don’t know, this pull, like I was meant to join up.”

“Destiny?” She asked. A dreamy tone overtook him when he talked about his family and his now former career.

“I guess. Never though too much of all that before.”

They smiled at one another. Knowing.

“What was he like? Your grandpa?”

“Oh, Pap was the best. He was a mechanic in the service and so he could get anything hummin, ya know? We fixed up and built motors for all kinds a’ shit. My first car was a ‘67 Shelby Mustang with the fast back all because when I was about 14, he found most of one at a salvage yard and basically rescued it from the crusher. Got it for about nothin’. For two years we collected parts and did body work on that thing. And by the time I turned sixteen, it was the most beautiful, show-ready Kerry green machine you ever seen.”

“One of my favorite cars! I’d love to see pictures!”

“I’ve still got ‘er.” He grinned. “When Pap died, it got…hard for me to drive her, ya know? So…special occasions only now. And he left me his truck, which he’d just bought brand new while I was on my first tour. That F150 crew cab we came here in, with all the bells 'n whistles. I couldn’t let such a fine automobile go to waste.” He grinned.

“You’re such a gear head.” She chuckled.

“Hey, you may be glad about that when you need somebody to get your own motor humming.” He teased back at her, bending over the table to take his shot and sinking it deftly. He said they would only play for fun, but he was still winning this round…which she didn’t think was that fun.

“Okay, I deserved that.”

“The shot, or the innuendo?” He asked to clarify.

“Yes.” They laughed. He eventually did miss, making it her turn.

"Ya know, I'm disappointed in this date, Shane." He baited.

"How come?" she asked, a bit hurt.

"A guy only asks a girl to play pool with him so he can show her how to shoot…and you already know."

It was true. She'd played a lot growing up and even a bit as she got older. She and her siblings loved billiards. Her whole family, really. And although she was no professional, she wasn't half bad for an amateur.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, sizing up the table for her next shot, but knowing with a fair amount of certainty what he was implying.

"You know. I wanted to get all close to ya. Show ya how to grip that cue in your hand. How to stand, bent at the hip, where to eyeball your shot from." he smiled. "All that shit ya see in movies that makes the girl all nervous and excited that the guy's touchin' on her. Pressed up against her."

Shane grinned, picked up the small, blue cube of chalk and rolled the concave side over the tip of her cue…she had no need to do so, most people didn't, really…but she made herself look really sexy doing it and asked Sy, "Is that right? Well, I guess you'll have to find another way to get your cheap thrills, because this girl has been known to run a table." She bent over the green felt seductively, the angle at which she did so displaying her décolletage in his direction just enough to tantalize him into licking his lips. She took her shot at the 10 ball, but sunk the 8 instead, losing her the game…damn. She shouldn't have gotten cocky.

"Run it where, sunshine? Into the ground? Off a cliff?" he laughed as she stomped over and began to poke him mercilessly in the ribs.

"Come on, Minnesota Fats. Let's pay the tab and find something a little cozier to do."

"Oka--wait, did you just call me fat?" he was incredulous. She laughed.

"Oh my God, you thought YOU were gonna teach ME about billiards…Minnesota Fats is like the most famous pool player of ever. I am not calling you fat."

"You messin' with me?" he squinted.

"Sy, google it. I promise. I would never call you fat. You're… my sexy man bear."

"Technically a bear is a fat animal." he sulked.

"Why don't you tell that to one when it's chasing you down to make a meal of ya!" Shane laughed. "Come on. Remember? I think I mentioned something about… finding another way for you to get cheap thrills. Lets explore that, shall we?" she whispered into his ear. He dropped some bills on their table nearby to more than cover their food and beer, and they hauled ass into the night.

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

They had definitely been exploring. In the two weeks since they'd been given the green light to see each other outside of therapy--the day Sy basically handed Shane's boss her own ass--they'd spent most evenings with each other, unless Shane had a particularly late evening at work or an early day the next day. A few nights, they had been together so late, that just staying over seemed the most reasonable option. But they had both agreed to take things slowly with the physical stuff. It had been a long time since either of them had been in a relationship, and given their patient/therapist situation, waiting a while for the sex had seemed like a good idea…on paper. On the sofa had been a different story.

One day last week, she'd had to make an early night of things, and stood up from his couch, but was pulled back down to straddle his lap.

"Hold on a minute, sunshine. Why don't you gimme a proper goodbye before ya go, hmm?" he held her so close to him at every curve of their bodies, like the pieces of a puzzle snapping flush together. His kisses were deep and agonizing, his beard gently brushing her mouth, teasing her with its uncommon softness. She returned the ardor, squeezing him in every way she could.

She couldn't contain the desire pooling at her center, especially when he clearly couldn't contain his, either, straining against his shorts, pressing against her so deliciously, right where she needed him. She didn't hold back. And he was nothing if not encouraging to her endeavor.

"That feels so good, baby. You're so warm. Mmm." he whispered as he nipped at her ear and bit at her neck. She hadn't intended to, but she felt herself slipping over the edge, into pure euphoria and gripped at his hair, still rather short, though growing out from the mandated buzz. The length made him even more sensitive and when she ran her hands up his neck and over the back of his head, the result was like an electric current straight to his manhood. His body tensed as his release followed hers seconds later.

"Fuck." he said. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" she was truly confused.

"For losin' it like a teenager." he sighed and laid his head against the back of his couch in surrender…an unfamiliar sight, Shane was certain.

"Don't worry about it. I mean…it's not quite how I pictured our first time, but--"

"Oh, hell no. This doesn't count as a TIME, sunshine. This is batting practice. A warm up.”

"Ooh, you and your baseball references again. I told you, I need to leave, Sy. You can't get me worked up with that kinda dirty talk." she kissed his cheek, and stood. "Walk me out?"

He did. And they stood holding one another in the dark, leaned up against her Explorer, Sy's back against the door, Shane's cheek on his bare, hairy chest, and the turning of the earth all but forgotten.

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

She had to stop thinking about him. About their dates and the time they'd spent together. But her schedule had fallen apart for the day due to a nasty storm that had blown in, she had no more education to work on for now, and she could only clean and organize her treatment room and desk so thoroughly.

She guessed…the secretaries knew she was available if need be…and she was salaried…what was the harm in texting Sy? She'd stayed late and came in early and overworked herself in general so much for this clinic. She could justify a bit of downtime.

Hey! Whatcha doin?

Just did some exercises that my super hot PT gave me! *winky face emoji*

Uh-Oh, should I be jealous?

Mmm, hard to say, sunshine. I guess it'll depend on which one of you sleeps with me first. *devil emoji*

Smart money is on the one who’s already let you get to second base…and basically third, even though…does it count if it’s basically because of a dare. Induced by Jack Daniels?

I think it counts if you came…*smirk emoji*

Damn those skilled fingers and Tennessee whiskey.

What can I say. I told ya I knew how to get a motor humming. *cool guy emoji*

You certainly do. No doubt about that.

So how's your day goin', sunshine?

Eh, everyone's cancelled on me. I have no one until 4:00, and I have nothing to do until then. I've decided to see it as a blessing and text my favorite fella.

And when he didn't respond, you resorted to me? *smirk emoji*

Hey you know that you have no competition for my affection other than like, my dad…and Chris Evans. Lol

Your dad, I'm sure I couldn't compete with if I tried, from what you've told me. Chris…well, I'm a REAL captain, not some guy jumpin' around in tights.

Mmmm, shame. I bet you'd look good in a getup like that. *heart eyes emoji*

You think so?

Yup! *American flag emoji*

You wanna be my Black Widow?

I mean…I've already basically got a costume…*embarrassed monkey emoji*

*several lines of big eye emojis*

Yeah, a few Halloweens ago…I was Romanoff. Now you know. I'm a total nerd.

I'm a nerd, too, sunshine. Serious nerd.

How am I just finding out about this? There's next to no merch at your place, and you never wear typical nerd shirts…*skeptical face emoji*

You haven't seen my whole place…*wink emoji*

What, are you telling me you have Batman bedsheets? *lol emoji*

Oh, it's much…much worse than that. The bedroom is pretty neutral, but…I have a…kind of rec room in the basement that is basically nerd central.

Oh. Em. Gee. I can't WAIT to see that, Sy!!! And how dare you hold out on me!!!

Well, I mean, I didn't wanna lay out all my cards right off the bat. I'm playing the long game.

Ah, so, when do I get to see this nerd trap?

Come on over, sunshine. *smiley face*

I said, I've got a patient at 4:00.

Everyone's cancelled on you. Can't you cancel on them for once?

Not unless I'm violently ill do I ever have any patients cancelled on my behalf.

So…say you're violently ill and come see me. *shrugging man emoji*

I dunno, Sy…

I got stuff to make that soup you like…

She had made it clear to him how much she loved soup, especially a good creamy potato soup, and on one of their dates, he'd had her over and there was a big pot of the stuff on his stove, made from scratch. She'd never had better, and he almost got lucky that night…and I mean…he still got a little lucky. He cooked for her AND cleaned up, AND let her pick the movie that night. She still picked an action movie, because she wasn't really a romance movie type, overall. Even so. Could she leave him hanging?

She opened her thread with Heather in her messenger app on her laptop.

Heather, is there anyone who could take my last patient, Mr. Lopez?

Looks like Cheri has a cancel around that time. Need me to move him?

If you could. I'm not feeling well.

Are you pregnant?

Omg, every fucking time. Why when anything is amiss in a woman's life must it be pregnancy?! And why is it okay to ask that question?! Ugh! She loved Heather like a sister, and it probably was just a joke, but uuuuuugh!

Yes…yes I am. *eye roll emoji* I've got a killer headache that's making me queasy. I'll email Susan. Thanks.

You bet. Tell Sy I said hi. *wink emoji*

Shut up.

After a quick and concise email to her boss, she picked her phone back up. One unread message.

You there, sunshine?

She simply replied,

Get that soup ready, Captain, I'm on my way.

Up Next: Chapter Eight: Heat/Ice

[magicponies]

Sun Spirit Zuko - Backstory

TW(s) - Major Character Death, child abuse (if anything else needs tagged, please lmk)

.

Zuko was yanked out of bed and dragged from his room by his sister. In a tired moment of panic, he tried to get away from her, but she rolled her eyes and grabbed him by his shoulders.

“It’s your sister, idiot!” She hissed. Zuko’s eyes focused and he realized that it was, in fact, just his sister. He calmed down a bit, but looked around the castle and squinted.

“Why did you drag me out of bed so late?” He asked. 

“Dad wanted me to come and get you. Something happened to Grandpa- he told me that he needed you, not me.” Azula replied, sounding a little jealous. Zuko was confused.

“Why would Dad need me…?” He asked himself. Azula shrugged.

“Now come on- he told me to come to Grandpa’s throne room.” Zuko followed after his little sister carefully, trying to keep his footing whenever he almost tripped over things in the dark hallways. Not long after, they got into the throne room, where Ozai was waiting for them. Ursa was nowhere to be seen, but Azulon was sitting on the throne and watching carefully. 

“Thank you, Azula,” Ozai said, earning a bright smile from his daughter. “You may return to your room now- I just need your brother for this.” Azula looked a little disappointed at this, but nodded, gave a small bow to her father, and let go of her brother’s hand and started to walk away.

“Before you go,” Azulon suddenly spoke up, causing Azula to stop in her tracks. “Say goodbye to your brother. It would be good to do so.” Azula was a little confused by this but nodded anyway. Zuko was getting more anxious by the moment. 

“Of course, Grandfather,” Azula said, turning around again to face Zuko. “Goodbye, Zu-Zu!” She gave him a bright, slightly terrifying smile, before turning and walking off again. Zuko felt a bit more scared than he did before without her in the room but did the proper bow to greet his Grandfather.

“Have I done something wrong? Azula didn’t give me any explanation for why I’m here,” Zuko said, glancing up at his father, who did not look happy. 

“No,” Azulon said. “It is not your fault for what is going to happen, child. This is your father’s punishment.” Zuko looked confused at this.

“What do you mean?” Azulon did not reply- just looked at his son. A ring of fire suddenly surrounded both Zuko and Ozai, making it impossible for either of them to leave. Ozai’s hands lit aflame as he looked at Zuko. Zuko looked scared, but did not move- he knew that the ring of fire was there to have him stay put, or else there would be consequences. 

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

Azula watched through the curtains, staying low and quiet to not alert anyone that she was there. She could just barely see what was going on through the flames- and when she realized what was happening, her eyes widened slightly. She backed up and started to run to get her mother, just as she heard Zuko’s first scream. Not far away from the throne room did she find Ursa, who was rushing towards the room.

“Azula!” She said, kneeling down to Azula’s height. Azula looked legitimately scared for once in her life. “Are you okay?” Azula nodded. “Is there any way we can get into the throne room?”

“There’s fire blocking the entrance- what’s going on?! Is Dad actually going to kill Zuzu?! I thought he was just kidding!” Tears welled in Azula’s eyes. Ursa closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, gently brushing Azula’s hair out of her face. Another scream was heard, but it was fainter, due to them being further away.

“Zuko will be okay,” She said finally, her voice quiet. “I want you to get out of here. Go somewhere else. Go- go with Mai or Ty Lee, and don’t tell them what’s happening here. I’ll send someone to come get you when this is all over, okay? I love you, sweetheart.” Ursa pressed a kiss to Azula’s forehead before standing up again. “Go.” Azula hesitated before nodding, running off down the hallway in the opposite direction that Ursa was going. 

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

Zuko fell to the ground, barely breathing. His vision was blurry, he was sobbing, and every inch of his body was in tremendous amounts of pain. He could feel the blistering burns forming on the left half of his body. The burns were so severe that he could barely move, yet they hardly touched the right side of him. The biggest part that caused him the most pain was the area the lightning hit him- right in the chest. It hurt him just to breathe- he was dying, he knew that. He couldn’t bring himself to get up. He was exhausted. 

When the world around him started to go dark, he started getting even more scared. He couldn’t leave the world, not yet. He had to be there for his sister, he had to be there for his Uncle when he returned home. Yet he was unable to stay conscious, falling into what he hoped would just be a deep sleep.

His eyes opened again quickly, and he found himself in a dark room. His vision was still blurred slightly, but as they adjusted to the darkness, he quickly realized that it wasn’t a room he was in- in fact, he wasn’t inside at all. Once his eyes adjusted fully, the world around him lit up and grew to look peaceful. There were many animals running around, most of which he had never seen before. The ground below him was pale grass, which was very soft to the touch, he came to realize, seeing as he was laying right on it. The sky above him was a bright, vibrant blue with clouds passing through, yet there was no sun nor moon in sight. 

Pushing himself into a sitting position, Zuko could feel no pain anymore. He looked down at his arm, expecting to see fresh burns, but there were only scars where burns had once been. He reached up to touch his face, expecting to feel a fresh burn, yet there was only a scar. He was confused and surprised. He got to his feet, hesitating. There were trees around, too, and he noticed a lake in the distance, where a white-haired girl was sitting, looking into the lake as though she were trying to contact something or someone.

Zuko thought for a moment- he could go over to her and ask where they were, but she probably wouldn’t know, either. She looked younger than he did- maybe 11, 12 at best. The girl suddenly looked up from the water, her striking blue eyes looking right at Zuko.

“How did you get here?” She asked, standing up and making her way over to him. Despite the fact that they were rather far away from one another, it sounded as though she were whispering in his ear, and it made him shudder.

“I… I don’t know,” Zuko admitted, hesitating. The girl stood in front of him, her eyes carefully looking over him. She hesitated for a moment before bringing a hand up and placing it on his newly scarred chest. A bright, amber light came from the scar, and the girl yelped, jumping backward. Zuko felt a shock of pain from it, yet it disappeared almost as instantly as it came. The girl stared at him, eyes wide.

“You’re… you’re being blessed by Agni.” She said, almost breathlessly.

“What?” Zuko asked, looking down. The light had disappeared, though Zuko now realized that there was a pale, see through glow encasing his scars. He tried to get rid of it, but it didn’t budge. “Who are you?” He questioned the girl finally, panic rising in him. The girl looked embarrassed, messing with her hair.

“I’m so sorry, how foolish of me. I’m Princess Yue- I’ve been blessed by Tui. Tui saved my life when I was just a baby- so, it is my duty to save her life if things ever come to that.” Zuko looked confused.

“So- you’re a princess? And you like… are the Moon Spirit?” Yue smiled slightly.

“Yes, and no. I am not Tui. I am the future replacement for Tui if anything happens to her.” Zuko slowly nodded. “May I ask who you are?”

“Oh, uh… I’m Prince Zuko. Sorry- also, how old are you? You’re super formal- it’s kinda weird.”

“I’m 12.” 

“Oh. So am I.” Zuko hesitated. “You said I’m being blessed by Agni- what does that mean?” Yue bit her lip.

“I’m afraid that it means you died. But, the positive side is, someone saw you dying and didn’t want you to! So, they prayed to Agni for you- and, I guess Agni saw something in you… and, he has decided to help you by giving you part of his life force. I think. That what Tui said she did for me.” Zuko stared.

“I… I died? No- no, that’s not possible. I- I can’t have.” He fell to the ground, pulling a leg to his chest and running his hand through his hair, staring at the ground. “That’s impossible. I didn’t do anything wrong- I shouldn’t have died for nothing!” Before Yue could answer, a feminine voice rang out from the lake. A glowing, white figure appeared, though it didn’t appear to be feminine nor masculine. 

“Little moondust,” The figure said. “We must leave him be. I am sure you will meet again in the future, but the Sun and Moon are not to be around one another for very long. Come with me, I will send you home.” Yue nodded.

“Okay, Tui!” She said. She looked back at Zuko, hesitating. “I hope to see you again, Prince Zuko.” She did a small, traditional water tribe bow. “Bye!” With that, she ran off, walking right into the opened arms of Tui, both disappearing instantly. Zuko looked around frantically, quickly getting up again and going over to the lake. There was no sign of either of them, though there were two fish circling one another. 

“I don’t know what’s going on!” He cried out, but there were no reactions from the fish. They just continued to circle each other. 

“I am sorry, my little spark.” A masculine voice rang out. Zuko spun around, seeing a glowing yellow figure walking towards him. “But what Tui’s little moondust had said is the truth. You have died, but there is no room to worry.” The figure gently placed a hand on Zuko’s face. The figure was blurry- no features were able to be made out, other than the fact that it had a mouth and was the source of the voice. “I am going to give you a part of my life force, and you will be able to return home. If you ever need me, you will know how to find me, I assure you. If I am ever in danger, I am relying on you to either protect me or give up your own life for mine. Am I understood, little spark?” Zuko hesitated. He normally would have been scared, but there was something just so… warm and inviting about this figure. Zuko was sure this was Agni. 

“Yes, Agni.” Zuko breathed out. It was almost like he hadn’t wanted to speak, yet words came out. Agni nodded. 

“Good. Your mother is a very loving soul- you should thank her when you return. It was her prayers that I answered. I see something in you, little spark. You have great potential. You may return whenever you are ready. You just have to wake up.” Zuko nodded slightly. Agni suddenly disappeared out of thin air, and Zuko closed his eyes. The world around him faded, and he felt like he was falling, the rush of air running past him, until suddenly his eyes were opening again.

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

(Do not repost my writing nor my art.)

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

Pairings: Romantic Romile (Roman x Emile), Romantic Prandy (Andy x Pryce), Romantic Anxtober (October x Virgil), Romantic Intrulosleepceit (Remus x Logan x Remy x Deceit)

Word Count: 1135 Words

Summary: Deceit's hair, Putting Others First, and poly cuddle piles.

Warnings: Sex Mentions, Cursing, Cancer Mention, Sick Character, Immunocompromised Character, let me know if I should tag anything else.

Note: Bolded and blockquoted are actions in their chatroom, not a message.

Usernames, a quick translation guide: Andy: Raccoon Man (the trashiest hero), Belladonna: hazelnut, Castor: schrodingersdumbass, Dayd: carniverousroomba, Dice: Dr. Bitch, Emile: Thera-pissed, Eve: wall-e, Halley: aspermylastemail, Janus: SnekBoi, Logan: Momgan, Noah: nope, October: eatpavementido, Orion: birdgeoisie, Patton: Papa Bear, Pollux: satantakemehome, Pryce: SwEeTvErUcA, Remus: Octopussy, Remy: Coffee Bandit, Roman: waaahluigi, Sirius: literalsunshine, Teal: uwu, Thomas: shrexy, Virgil: spipples, Vita: þiccness

A Very Sanders Group Chat: Chapter 11

8:34 AM

SnekBoi: Remus, come to me room. Right now.

Octopussy is now online

Octopussy is now offline

Momgan: What happened, darling?

SnekBoi: My hair again.

Coffee Bandit: It's just hair, babe.

SnekBoi: I know but this means it'll be an even longer time before I can feel normal again.

Coffee Bandit: Normal's overrated, babe. Let's be weird together.

SnekBoi: Remus get the clippers.

spipples: Wait you're not going to

SnekBoi: I can control this. This is the one thing I can control this time.

Octopussy: I'm keeping it, emo, don't worry.

spipples: This doesn't worry me any less.

9:04 AM

Octopussy: twinsies.jpg

Momgan: So you shaved your head with him?

Octopussy: yup! I did this last time too and so DeeDee didn't have to be bald alone.

Momgan: Even the white?

Octopussy: well, it'll all grow back white anyway so why not.

Momgan: As long as you both are happy with it.

Octopussy: Dee's not happy about it, he loves his hair, but this is better for him than slowly losing hair every night.

Octopussy: plus now he gets to rock his old wigs without maybe pulling out hair.

Coffee Bandit: Yup, both of 'em still look cute.

12:12 PM

Octopussy: @SnekBoi sugarbutt, I'm going on a quest with Virgie-poo. if you need anything, Logan is off today and Remy's off too.

spipples: I'm unwilling please help me.

SnekBoi: Have fun you two. I'll be fine. I'm even starting to feel better.

Octopussy: that's good, honey. I love you! I'll see you tonight, promise!

Octopussy and spipples are now offline

5:20 PM

Momgan: Be careful. Please.

SnekBoi: I am. I'm fine.

Thera-pissed: I have a feeling I'm going to have several mental health appointments scheduled this week.

Coffee Bandit: You probably will, yeah.

Thera-pissed: Not surprising. Usually I get to schedule more appointments after these big discussion talks.

6:14 PM

SnekBoi: I guess I'm now known by name.

shexy: And I couldn't be prouder to have you onboard, Janus.

Momgan: Were you non-strenuous on your body?

SnekBoi: I'm considerably drained but I'm lying down so I shouldn't have any fall risk right now. Boogeyman is guarding me very well and retrieving anything I need but I'm probably just going to go to sleep.

Coffee Bandit: Please be careful with yourself, babykins.

SnekBoi: I'm careful, just tired and achey. I'll sleep and then I'll feel better, promise.

Momgan: Get some sleep, dear.

Coffee Bandit: I'll come over and stay with you if you can't sleep alone.

Momgan: If I may, I'd like to extend the offer to myself as well.

SnekBoi: Get over here then, you nerdy puffballs.

Momgan and Coffee Bandit are now offline

SnekBoi: Ah yes, to have two of three boyfriends smother me into oblivion. I can't wait.

6:30 PM

SwEeTvErUcA: Will someone explain why my little brother refuses to leave his room?

Thera-pissed: He and I have made an agreement that he not interact with others until his scheduled therapy session tomorrow morning. After then, he's all yours unless something has gone wrong with his stress levels and he happens to endanger his health.

SwEeTvErUcA: Cryptic, why's my brother's boyfriend being so cryptic? What are you two hiding from everyone?

Thera-pissed: Because I, despite being your brother's boyfriend, will be completely professional when it comes to his mental health and me and my patient have a strict contract of what others outside of the sessions can and cannot know, his current status, the one I believe you're questioning my knowledge of, being one of them.

SwEeTvErUcA: This answers none of my questions but fair enough.

SwEeTvErUcA: Hey, at the appointment, make sure you tell the little bastard I love him.

Thera-pissed: Of course.

9:45 PM

spipples: Wow, I leave for like 9 hours. The fuck, guys?

literalsunshine: Alright, so Auntie Jan and Auntie Roman are mad at each other, Grandpa Patton is happy but not about either of them, he's happy about Thomas. Auntie Jan finally got Thomas to trust him and Roman seemed really sad so I think Thomas is mad at him or something.

spipples: I have the urge to hit my head into a wall again.

literalsunshine: Mom, please don't.

spipples: I know.

literalsunshine: Take a shower, we can watch a movie together in your room.

spipples: Done deal.

spipples is now offline

11:55 PM

nope: so I guess we're not telling him tonight.

literalsunshine: not after this morning.

nope: I'm sure it's not his, though, Siri.

literalsunshine: And I'm sure it is, Noah.

þiccness: Can you two not be cryptic? Everyone is so cryptic today.

literalsunshine: No.

nope: absolutely not.

þiccness: I hate you both.

literalsunshine: Anyway, we can wait a bit longer to tell him, anyway. Or I guess, I'd like to wait just a bit longer.

nope: I guess it couldn't hurt to wait a little longer. Just know that mine are getting suspicious so we might want to figure it out soon.

literalsunshine: I know, it's just yours has less drama than mine, Noah.

nope: I know, babe. Want me to come cuddle?

literalsunshine: Please.

hazelnut: I can't wait until everyone in here is honest with each other.

shrexy: Says the one I only know by username.

hazelnut: Oh easy, Belladonna Hazel Sanders, my mother and father are functions of yours. You don't know me because the only adults that know of my existence besides my school in this big ol' brain box of yours is my two Aunties and my new step-dads.

shrexy: Well, hello, Belladonna.

hazelnut: I like Bela, by the way.

shrexy: Bela.

shrexy: Bela, by chance are your mother and father Remus and Janus?

hazelnut: Oh hey, first time, right guess. Never had that happen before. Everyone always switches me and Vita's parents because we both act a lot like each other's parent.

shrexy: Soooo yeah?

hazelnut: Yep. Remus is my dad and Janus is my mom.

shrexy: I thought Janus said he and Remus were never romantic before?

hazelnut: I do not control whose womb I arose from, Thommy, all I know is that's the one that housed me for like seven months. Also, he never said anything about being together in the past.

shrexy: Bela, it's nine months.

hazelnut: Nah, mom got sick while pregnant so he had me early so he could start chemo.

shrexy: Ah, makes sense.

hazelnut: Oh yeah, look how cute they are.

hazelnut: polyamorouscuddlepile.jpg

shrexy: Awwww. Like a box of kittens.

hazelnut: I'm just glad they're happy. Mom and Dad are emotionally constipated idiots who couldn't figure out for 14 years how to confess that they like each other as more than just friends-with-benefits.

shrexy: You know what? I believe it.

spipples: Ah yes, the specific brand of chaotic dumbass that is Remus and Janus is unrivalled by any other besides possibly Vita.

Taglist: @glaxyjellyfish @chronophobica @fear-ze-queer @imma-potatoo

[pinencurls]

Oh Honey

Hey! here’s the last of my draft one shots! Hope u enjoy and if u don’t remember I wrote this a g e s ago so you can’t blame me !

Italy, bike rides and a sun burnt Harry

3.6k 

These days, we wake in the early hours of the morning. It's hard not to stir when the sun rises so early and bright through the thin cotton drapes strung up over the bedroom window. Sometimes, we stay quiet. Exchanging a few murmurs of good morning wishes and lightly pressed kisses; silently decided to stay in each other's arms until the ungodly hours pass and breakfast is more tempting than bed.

I think it's Wednesday. I got pulled into the warped holiday time effect as soon as we arrived. I was free from jet lag at least, the flight from London to Italy only changing the clocks forwards about an hour. Harry had been less fortunate; the busy winding of work post-tour kept him out in Los Angeles a few more days than planned whilst Sarah, Mitch and I made our way to the holiday home we'd booked in Italy to celebrate a successful first tour. By the time Harry arrived in the white-walled villa tucked away comfortably in a small town - away from prying eyes, he was slow-moving and sleepy, although the afternoon was only just setting in. He'd eagerly drunk the coffees we offered and passed out around 5pm. Harry complained to me the next day that he was still exhausted, his brain and body were working nine hours behind after all-

"You shouldn't have slept on the plane, H." I mumbled, steadying the kettle over the large white mug as I poured hot water into Harry's second coffee of the morning. He'd been vocal about his dissatisfying sleep all of the two hours we'd been awake and my comment was seemingly unhelpful. He confirmed this by burying his face into my neck, head laying heavy on my shoulder, a low groan buzzing against my skin.

It took him a few days before he was fully himself again, but we've been here for a week now and everything's falling easily into long days by the pool and explorations into the cities either side of us. It feels oddly like a family holiday, I've known Sarah long enough; We grew up in the same town a few years apart, both moving away when we hit eighteen to pursue careers in similarly creative industries - music and journalism. We ended up at the same dinner parties and, for a few months before she moved to LA, we shared a shoebox flat in London.

She's the reason I met Harry; I stayed in her overheating LA apartment over the Easter break of 2017. We spent most days sprawled out on her sofa with all the windows thrown open, catching up on everything that'd happened since she moved away. She'd promised I could meet Mitch - a guitarist for the new band she'd started playing with whom she'd been dating for a few months. I'd heard bits and pieces about him as soon as they met, mostly about his brother-like closeness to the singer they played behind, and as promised, the Tuesday afternoon I opened her front door to Mitch, an equally long-haired-Hawaiian-shirt-clad boy followed.

Harry was goofier and unarguably louder, we paired up naturally in the group of four and it wasn't hard to get to know him, or to fall for the infamous charm I'd heard he was known for. To my pleasant surprise, it didn't feel odd when we joined in with Sarah and Mitch's couple-y activities - mini-golf, brunch, movie nights, I tagged along to a few studio sessions too before I had to go home. We promised to keep in touch but I was certain I'd probably never see him again, or at least not in the same way we'd spent the last week but, when he kissed me goodbye at the airport, I had a little hope.

"Hazzaaa!" Mitch calls loudly down the hall - no doubt on a temporary high from his new coffee addiction. There's no point responding, I can hear his footsteps storming towards our door before he swings it open and I can hide my face further into Harry's shoulder, who is unsurprisingly awake now.

"Go away Rodrick." I grumble, smiling at the rumble of laughter my nickname causes to ripple through Harry's chest.

"We've got bikes, Sarah's found a ride that's only a few miles - we're gonna get lunch." I could probably live here with Sarah and Mitch forever, there was only a few years difference between us but sometimes they felt like parents - or older siblings, cooing over me and Harry's relationship. I always felt part of something when we were all together, it wasn't so hard to imagine moving around each other in the same villa for the rest of our lives.

"Give us a sec Mitchy," Harry's waking up now, I roll over as he leans forward to sit, reaching out for the tea Mitch passes him. I hear mine clink down on my bedside table. "When're you leavin?"

"Thirty minutes?" Mitch replies, twisting his wrist to check the time on the ridiculously retro watch Harry had bought for his birthday. "S'already midday."

Harry hums, promising we'll be down in ten before Mitch accepts his mission of recruitment successful and leaves the room. I shift my head at the metal click confirming the door's shut behind him.

"M'gonna stay here," My face is resting in the crook of my arm, eyes closed as I try to cling to the last bit of sleep, "too tired."

The duvet shuffles slightly again with Harry's movements. He rests on his front now, his torso propped up as he leans his face down into my hair. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to his smiley morning kisses or the smooth scratch when his curls fall over my own.

"It'll be fun," I turn beneath him, settling to listen to his groggy drawl, his accent is always thicker in the mornings, he strokes a wave of hair behind my ear to see my face. "We'll get a nice lunch - Sarah'n'Mitch'll fawn over some street cats, what more could you want?"

"Sleep..." I giggle, his classic pout having the opposite effect as intended. "I'll come next time, promise. Today I just wanna sleep a little more and maybe go for a swim."

He glances down at me for a moment longer, hesitant to accept my excuse before swooping down to press a kiss to my cheek with a hum of approval and bounding out of bed. He tugs a white t-shirt over his head, pulling it down his torso to reveal the smiling bee graphic - "Enjoy Health - Eat Your Honey." He tries to calm his slightly dishevelled curls in the mirror before he goes back to his long morning process of getting ready.

I could spend all day by the pool if nobody stopped me. It's small enough to fit cosily in the garden of the villa and still leave enough patio for lounging chairs and a small table. A row of citrus fruit trees line the fence at the edge of the garden, they offer a little shade over the far end of the pool in the afternoons when the sun reaches its peak. Every now and then a blossom will fall from the larger trees along the patio; the first day we were all together, Sarah, Mitch and I swam for hours until the evening breeze got too cool against our wet skin. Harry had been reading in a chair a few feet off from us and despite our noisy chatter, he'd fallen asleep, no doubt aided by his still slightly backwards body clock. I made my way over to wake him, the breeze must have been stronger than we thought because as I got closer I noticed tiny pink flowers nestled in his hair - they must have blown from the trees and landed on him as he slept. For hours after he trailed behind me inside through the patio doors, I was picking small blossoms from his curls, he was smiley and dopey from jet lag as he kept reaching his hands out to catch mine and pull me into his chest. I'd missed him for the last ten months when he'd been dazzling the world in flares and Gucci suits. I visited and travelled with him for a few show dates, of course, we'd even managed to spend Christmas and our one year anniversary together, but it was different spending so much time apart. Everything was still shiny and new to me when he left for his first solo tour - we'd only been together four months, most of which had been spent in his London house or weekends together in LA. The refreshing familiarity of being together again after so long hadn't quite rubbed off as we lay sprawled over the sofa, blossom abandoned for now.

"What're you thinking about?"

I look up at Harry, he's changed into a grandpa esque pair of brown drawstring cords I don't miss the little bow he's tied. He raises his eyebrows at me inquisitively when I don't answer, smirking slightly as my eyes wander up to his face.

"Nothing," I smile, pausing to yawn, "Just thinking about what 'm gonna do today."

"Sure you don't want to come with us?" He's collecting bits and pieces from around the room - his phone, wallet, sunglasses, but he peaks his head over his shoulder to look at me as he asks.

"Yeah, think I'm just gonna sit outside for a bit, I wanna catch up on a little bit of work."

His eyebrow quirks up slightly, the 'catching up on work' conversation is something we've had tirelessly throughout our fourteen months together. His work was obviously a little more...noticeable. When he was at work it was normally in a studio all day or sat in meetings, sometimes in a different city or country to me. I could work at home more at least; the articles and reviews I wrote almost always required me to spend a few days out of town to research the topic but once I had my notes, I could write from home. This sometimes lent itself to later nights sat up in my small study - work day blurring into the evening. Harry couldn't argue on it though, he did the exact same. His long hours out of the house didn't cancel out the long ones in, Jeff called any hour of the day with 'pressing matters' and even without external pressures, Harry was determined to get everything perfect, even if it meant tweaking new songs on his weekends off. Normally when he was overwhelmed by the workload of album deadlines and promo he was out in LA, where the pre-sleep chatter whilst we both got ready for bed wasn't an option.

"We're on holiday love, you can let some of it slide."

"It's not work-work, I just wanna write a little." I brush the topic away, it didn't need to abet the argument it'd triggered in the past. "Hurry up - Mitch'll run off without you at this rate."

"I wouldn't worry, don't think Mitch has run a day in his life." Harry chuckles, the goofy smile he wore the whole first day we met beaming back at me as he tucks his belongings in his pockets. He leans down to where I'm sat up over the duvet now, kissing me goodbye. "Be back in a bit, don't burn the house down."

"Promise not to - don't fall off your bike." I say as he pulls away. "Love you- now go, I can hear Mitch having a hissy fit from here."

He laughs. Everything's so easy here, it feels as if time has warped slightly and nothing's too hard anymore. The sun's almost at it's strongest now, defying the curtains and falling on Harry as he makes his way to the bedroom door, picking up his pace as Mitch yells up the stairs at him to 'Stop messin with your hair and come down already.'

"Love you!" Harry calls behind him. His heavy footsteps are followed by Sarah's laugh from downstairs and then the door clicks shut and everything's quiet again.

After an hour or so laying by the pool and a nap that might have lasted a little longer than planned, the sun beats a little heavy and I make my way inside. I've written a decent amount - I found myself recalling the last week here, dipping into more personal ground than I would usually. It's not that Harry and I's relationship is a secret anymore, after about eight months people caught on, but we were still private. He'd brush off interviewer questions about relationships and his 'status' and my social media profiles are free from the hundreds of cosy domestic Harry photos I might have posted if he was someone less in the public eye. It's hard sometimes, especially when I can't share a decent chunk of my photography and all the experiences I might have written about. My old film camera is sat on the kitchen counter now, no doubt filled with sweet moments that'll never see the light of day outside of the four people in them.

The fridge was pretty well stocked considering we'd spent a lot of evenings eating out. We'd taken an eventful shopping trip earlier in the week to the massive grocery store in the town thirty minutes down the road. We ended up buying too much fruit and bread and not much else. The trek home hadn't been considered as Harry and Sarah grew more and more excited over the fresh foods they were used to being shipped over and older than ideal, after it all, we ended up on a long single-tiered town bus, tote bags full and tucked safely on our laps. There one photo in particular of Mitchell standing at the bus stop, watermelon in his arms and a bemused expression on his face that I can't wait to see again once I get to the small camera store back home.

After scouring the shelves for a moment longer, I settle on a sandwich. I'm slicing crunchy lettuce on the old wooden board with swirly carvings around the edges when I hear the door open and familiar voices.

I smear a thin layer of mayonnaise over the contents of the bread before cutting two even triangles and wander out to the living room. Mitch and Harry are already lounging over two of the sofas when I get there, Sarah's nowhere to be seen but the sound of the shower running upstairs starts quietly through the house.

"Hey," I call, making my way over to the back of the black sofa Harry's laying over. "How was it?"

Harry peaks one eye open and reaches his hand up towards me-

"Good- what're you eating?" I steer my food away from his prying fingers as he swoops up to tear off a corner.

"Sandwich, didn't you just eat lunch?"

"Yeah but the portions were tiny," Harry whines slightly, reaching up in a second attempt, protesting when I love the bread away from him again. "I'm growing!"

Mitch laughs from the other side of the room. He swings his legs over the side of the sofa and stands up, rubbing his eyes slightly and trogs over to the stairway. "I'm gonna go shower."

"Good idea, you stink mate," Harry smirks cheekily, earning a glare from Mitch before he disappears up the stairs.

"How was it really, H?" I ask before taking another bite of my sandwich.

"S'good, we cycled for ages - it was actually really beautiful. You've gotta come with me sometime before we go home, although we need to find a different cafe- I paid €11 for the smallest burger I've ever seen."

"We'll bring a picnic or somethin'" I muse, thinking between chews. "I was thinking we could make something tonight 'stead of going out again, something summery maybe."

"Yeah?" Harry mumbles, rubbing his hand over his sun pink cheeks, "Like what?"

"Maybe pitas and some fruit- you bought enough kiwis to last us a lifetime." It's true, he'd claimed he had to in celebration of the tour coming to an end. "Here, d'you want the rest?"

Harry's eyes wander down to the remaining half of my sandwich I'm holding out to him, I try not to think too long about how I could watch his sleepy eyes light up for as long as he'd let me.

"I had something after you left earlier, I'm not that hungry." He looks up at me, unconvinced, but takes the plate anyway, quickly setting the plate on his lap and tucking in. Now that he's sat up in the light without the shadows of the dark cushions around him, I can see how pink is face really is. There's a blushing red along his cheeks and nose and the tips of his ears are bright pink. I brush my thumb over his ear softly, catching his attention as he winces slightly.

"Sorry- think you caught the sun a bit." He swallows the food in his mouth and nods up at me.

"Yeah, hurts a bit." I tilt his face slightly to see the other side - the pink continues down his neck and shoulders where it disappears under the tan lines of his t-shirt.

"Did you not put suncream on before you left?" His mouth full again, he just shakes his head. I smile slightly at how suddenly he's eased into his patient role, munching on his sandwich and peering up at me - ready for me to tend to his injuries. A soft grumble comes from Harry before I sigh - "I'll get the aloe vera."

I walk out into the cool tiled kitchen, opening the fridge again to retrieve the small pot of gel from the top shelf. It was one of the only sensible things we'd managed to buy during the kiwi shopping spree.

"And why didn't you have any suncream on?" I chastise him, giggly at his pouty expression. "It's right on the table, you know."

"You were in bed - I forgot." He eyes my movements as I tuck my leg undeath my body and sit opposite him on the sofa, twisting the cap off the small glass pot in my hands.

" M'I supposed to remind you of everything now, can't even remember suncream without me hey?" He shakes his head, curls tousled around his face. "Come here, stay still..."

I balance the pot in his hands and push his hair back and behind his ears, it'd gotten longer on tour and was threatening to grow into a curly lord farquaad territory. He keeps his head in place when I take back the pot and spread the cold gel over his nose, smiling slightly in surprise-

"S'cold." He watches as I scoop another load of aloe onto my fingertips and cover his cheeks.

"It's been in the fridge- how're your shoulders?" I ask once the gel is spread sufficiently over the pink tint that covered his face and the tips of his ears.

"Not so bad, it's just my face that hurts really."

I hum an okay, spinning the pot lid back on and placing it on the coffee table beside my lunch plate. Harry's hands lay limply in his lap, one reaching slowly to stroke the hem of my loose summer dress. I look up to see his slightly shiny face settling in a shy expression-

"I can be quite forgetful - might have to look after me forever you know." He smiles lovingly, looking up from where his finger and thumb play with the cotton of my dress, to meet my gaze.

"Oh forever, so you've got no plan to improve this bad habit then?" He laughs at my teasing and his smile broadens into a trademark Harry grin.

"Nah...S'okay though, I'll look after you too."

We all end up in the garden by eight pm, lying around the pool with platters of fruit and pittas full of salad and falafel. Harry has a stripe of suncream down his nose and he keeps trying to throw kiwi into Sarah's mouth, although it's ending up anywhere but. The pink in his cheeks has calmed down by now and he's stolen a blue scrunchie from my suitcase and tied a little bun on top of his head.

The hours tick by and the air starts to lose its humid warmth. Pair by pair we trickle back inside, Sarah and Mitchell retreating to their room first.

Harry's standing above me, barefooted in the grass and tipsy on wine. He holds out his hand to me and I take it, pulling myself up from the soft blanket we'd been laying on.

"Leave it," Harry says when I kneel down to fold it, "It's not gonna rain."

Before I can protest he's pulling me behind him and inside the sliding french doors. The tile floor's cold against the bottoms of my feet but the air inside is warm, Harry squeezes my hand in his and pulls me closer against his side, slinging his arm over my shoulders. He's soft and sleepy, and we make out way up the curling staircase clumsily in each other's arms.

I call goodnight to Mitch and Sarah before falling into my own bed. There's a second and then two familiarly inked arms curl around me and pull me into a warm chest. I'm a little drunk, sun-kissed and sleepy from the long conversations of the evening and it isn't long before my eyes are closing - the last noise I can hear is Harry's soft mumbling against my hair. I could definitely stay right here forever.

[xlady-saya]

i’ve had a love of my own [ch 1]

Relationships: andrew/neil

Summary: Despite everything Neil could’ve imagined for his life, he never thought he’d be here, finally giving the world the interview they’ve always wanted.

It’s been decades, but even with his numerous accolades and sports wins, he finds that they’re the least important thing about his life.

Neil can’t help but laugh. Andrew would be so annoyed if he were here.

Of course, Neil only wants to talk about him, and the life they spent together.

Tags: interviews, post canon, major character death but not how u think I swear lol, neil is an old man retelling his memories about andrew, cheesy romance, post retirement, see more tags on ao3

Read on ao3!

Neil pricks himself on the old Palmetto pin as he fixes it to his collar, jabbing the same spot on his thumb he hit just a week before.

He hardly winces at the feeling these days, and for a long time, Matt joked about how he really couldn't go a day without attracting some form of violence. Neil smiles at the thought, because it's far from the truth. He stands by the claim he never asked for fights, simply had no problem finishing them.

"You mean letting me finish them," Andrew would quip, and they'd go back and forth all over again in a never-ending argument. It's so never-ending, Neil goes through the motions of it even now, however many decades later.

This pin tends to start it, since it's the only remotely dangerous thing he owns now. The orange is still bright and obnoxious, with criss crossing Exy racquets in a bright white. He's memorized the raised edges, tilted from old age. The once silver backing has rust spots, but no one ever sees that part. It has its reputation intact, and Neil smiles sardonically.

It's not the only thing that's been worn down, but he likes to think he doesn't look as bad as he could too. Laughing at his own joke, he taps the pin lightly. It's apparently vintage now, according to Allison, since the new Palmetto merch has drifted into neon territory.

Neil is glad he kept his own. It's especially important today, he thinks, that he shows as much fondness for the past as possible. Though, it's not for his sake. His room is nothing but littered with the tokens of the past.

Sighing, he stares fondly out across the living room, the walls haphazardly decorated with old, signed jerseys his friends used to wear. He has one from each of their old teams, but picked his favorites to go up on the wall. The rest sit in storage, ready to be auctioned off whenever he decides living is too much of a chore. Above the mantle, Andrew's racquet from his last team hangs in a shadow box. Then below it, framed pictures which Neil tries to rotate as best he can, some of them shitty ones converted from his phone camera. Mostly, they're of his Foxes at various points in their lives. The only two photos which stay the same are the one he took with Andrew and Kevin at the Olympics, and the snapshot of him and Andrew at the airport in his first year at Palmetto.

If he had to catalog the room, that would barely scratch the surface. He's pages away from mentioning Nicky's terribly made mugs, Betsy's first editions, and cookie tins filled with postcards Katelyn and Aaron sent twenty years ago.

Most of the time, the untidy collection of junk surrounding him is a comfort. It makes the small apartment feel like home, or as close as he can get when he's by himself. He swears some of the items still carry the unique scents of grass stains and floor polish, or Allison's perfume and the glitter glue from Dan and Matt's kids.

When that fails him, the candle he has in every room does the trick to fill in the blanks. Andrew used the same scent for over half their life together: breakfast pancakes. It's sickly sweet and stains the furniture, and Neil loves nothing more than to bury his face in the cushions after a day of having them lit.

These are the things that ground him, that keep him in place, but today he feels fidgety for the first time in years. He shouldn't be, he thinks, laughing to himself. He planned this after all, it's just...

Well, he's never been the best at talking to people.

There's a knock at his door, and the cuckoo clock on the wall (shockingly, that one is his fault) tells him it's right on schedule. Neil sighs, slipping his feet into the white slippers beneath him. "Come in, Sydney."

The nurse on his floor opens the door to his apartment with a smile, too fresh faced and early for this time of day. She’s young, and she's always been a bit cheery for his taste, but she reminds him of Katelyn and he allows it. In the last few years, when Andrew's migraines prevented him from reading, she'd bring him audiobook gift cards.

She smiles bright, and he gives her that look for her to cut it out. At this point, she's less put off by it and more amused. He only tells her to save the smiles because if she doesn't she'll have wrinkles like him years from now. He hates how much he sounds like Allison.

Neil hardly looks in the mirror anymore, but this morning he put in some effort. He looks as perpetually tired as he always looked back in the day, except now his eye bags are accompanied by wrinkles that form their own topographical map on his face.

At least he didn't lose all his hair.

The only thing is his blue eyes are as piercing as ever, so coupled with the grandpa look, he's quite intimidating. Not that he needs to be, but it's nice to feel a little capable when he can barely walk by himself anymore.

"Morning, Mr. Josten," Sydney greets, untucking the wheelchair from behind the door and pushing it over to him. He makes sure to grab Andrew's favorite crochet blanket. He hates messing with it, but he thinks the smell of nicotine it carries will help him today. Refresh his memory.

Neil grumbles, but lets her help him into the chair. He has on his good lounge pants, without holes, and his old Palmetto sweater. "I told you years ago I hate being called that."

"Because it makes you feel old," she jabs, teasing lightly. Even still, she's gentle when she places the blanket over his lap and hands him his glasses. "I have to keep you in line somehow."

"Ha-ha."

As she wheels him out of his room, he starts fidgeting again. He's used to exploring the luxury nursing home on his own time, not because he has somewhere to be. He hasn't had somewhere to be since...well, he hates thinking about that, lest he run into a memory that hurts more than helps.

Today isn't the day for that.

Some other, more able-bodied residents pass by him on foot, waving amicably and knowing better than to expect a wave back. Shockingly, he's well liked here, probably because he doesn't have rowdy grandkids who break the peace. Plus, he's pretty sure some of them are old fans.

Sydney leans down as they pass through the common area and into one of the meeting rooms, the spotless linoleum floor throwing him off as usual. He never would've picked a place so expensive and fancy for himself, but Andrew was always someone with classy tastes. "Ready for today?"

At the reminder, Neil wrings his fingers together. Not advised by his doctor, but fuck that guy. "As ready as I'll ever be," he says, glaring at the glass doors ahead. Sydney laughs, placing him at the end of a large table. The meeting room creeps him out, since it's mostly used for family meetings or will planning appointments. Sound proof, silent.

"Oh hush, you're a famous athlete, I'm sure you've faced worse," she chides, pouring him a glass of water without any ice. Because he's a fiend. Neil rolls his eyes; she has no idea. He's threatened countless reporters before for stepping even a toe out of line, but some recent college grads from an indie publication are making him sweat more than an Exy game. Sydney makes a show of whispering behind her hand. "Besides, I heard from Gabe at the front desk they look terrified, so go easy on them, yes? Can't have another cafeteria incident."

Ugh, not that again.

"You have no witnesses," he waves off, leaning back in his seat while Sydney sets the break in place. Only then is he hit with a wave of calm, fondness even. His quivering hands curl as best they can in the blanket, the ghost of a grip, and he smiles out across the room. Ah, he can't be doing this already, but it's hard to help. He itches for the smell of a cigarette, a press on the back of his neck. Closing his eyes, he tries his best to feel it. "Besides, once they know why they're really here they won't be nearly so stressed. Hell, they might even be disappointed."

He tries not to grimace at that, but for the time he's giving them and the paperwork he made them sign, they're going to sit and listen to his old man ravings all day or so help him--

He feels a hand brush against his, and when he looks Sydney is there. She squeezes his fingers in hers, smile fond and weighed down with a sadness so foreign, he nearly regrets telling her to cut it out. But no, he understands. He's the one who understands the most. She grazes the fabric of the blanket as she pulls away, breathing in the same smoke he can for just a moment. "No, I don't think that's possible."

She doesn't give Neil time to doubt himself, not that he could. He can never doubt anything when it comes to Andrew, no matter how much the blond secretly doubted about himself. Neil always teased him for that, and his living oxymoron ways.

Neil's biggest goal of the day is to piss off Andrew's ghost as much as humanly possible, and his grin is nearly splitting at the thought. Fine, mission active.

"Good luck!" Sydney calls as she leaves the meeting room, and he watches her gesture to his guests once they arrive through the glass doors.

Oh shit, they really do look terrified.

The two interviewers see him through the door and Neil can only assume they shit a brick. They're young, can't be more than a few years out of university, dressed way too professionally for someone as uncaring as Neil. They could've shown up in clown costumes for all he cared, at least he would've gotten a good laugh.

The young man fumbles with the door and his companion rushes forward a little too fast before correcting herself. Jeez.

Neil does his best to hide his laugh, not that he's ever been polite. It's more...

Their terror is Neil's fault. He started declining interviews soon after he retired, letting his name and lifestyle fade into mystery and speculation with the public. Kevin had not been happy about it, since to this day he and Thea are in the public eye, commentating on Exy games, doing talk shows, helping curate museums, blah, blah, blah...

Neil didn't have time for that.

He never thought he'd be okay with slipping back into unknown status after so many years of being seen, being cheered for, but when the time came it was an easy choice. Andrew made it so. Neil had his time to be free, to do whatever he wanted and play the sport he loved. But ultimately, when he no longer could, fucking off to do whatever he wanted with Andrew sounded way better than dealing with reporters and overzealous fans.

Just because he became an unknown though, doesn't mean he faded into obscurity. According to Allison, his life has been quite a hot button issue in the community for over a decade. People want to know where he's been, what he did during those years, how he looks back on the past, everything. It's been obnoxious.

Popular sports magazines and large publications have practically been clawing for a piece of him for years, and he's never given in no matter how many fruit bouquets they sent or how many checks they tried to write him. Though, one almost got him purely because they kept sending gourmet chocolates, and if Andrew was a glutton before, old age only made it worse.

So, Neil Josten is back to being a subject of interest for some reason, someone people want to know everything about. For him to randomly call up a dying indie magazine and offer them full rights to an interview under his specific terms surely threw the sports world into a fucking whirl.

Whatever.

He's going to share what he wants to share. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Mr. Jo--" The first reporter clears his throat, passing his notepad and phone over to his other hand before outstretching one to Neil. "Mr. Josten. It's such an honor to meet you, um, wow. I'm Blake, and this is Rayah. We're so grateful for being granted the opportunity to interview you. You're a legend!"

Neil stares at the outstretched hand like he doesn't know what to do with it, and as much as he does know what's expected of him, part of his hesitation is equal parts his disinterest and the fact he doesn't talk to anyone but his remaining family these days. Well, and Sydney.

Blake swallows and drops his hand, surely admonishing himself for his own stupidity.

Rayah saves him. "Um, we really are appreciative, sir," she says, laying out some notepads and setting up her recorder. Old school, Neil appreciates it. It's better than cameras and microphones. "We're still in shock honestly. We were theorizing on why you picked us the entire drive up here!"

"Neil is fine, and don't bother with small talk I know it's not why you're here," he says then, smiling at her words. They both flinch, taken aback. He's not sure why they'd be expecting a Kevin Day type. He has a record for being too blunt and argumentative for his own good. He's right though; they're here for answers, not discussions on how he's doing or what he does for fun in his not so humble nursing home. In much the same vein, he promised honesty, so he'll give it from the start. "I picked you precisely because you're unknown and failing."

They freeze, but they're clearly not Foxes. If they were, they'd immediately get indignant and glare, hold themselves back from punching a helpless old man. Oh, those were the good ol' days.

When Rayah fumbles for a response, a logic, Neil simply shrugs. "I like the underdogs."

He doesn't intend it to be, but it's a tension breaker. The stiffness in the reporters' shoulders deflate with a laugh, and they finally get back to organizing themselves without looking like they want to run for the hills and beg ESPN to take over.

"As your history suggests," Blake jokes, and Neil rewards him with a grin, tapping his Foxes pin.

He doesn't mention the fact Andrew would've never spoken to him had he gone to some trashy magazine, and that Andrew was always a bit of a rebel himself, though he hated to admit to any kind of urge that didn't involve Neil, sweets, or fancy cars.

Neil takes the free moment to wrap his blanket around his shoulders, letting the ingrained smell of ash permeate around him. Much better, he can think so much clearer like this.

As they finish setting up and take their seats across from him, Blake taps his pencil against the rim of his notepad. It looks like he almost wants to launch back into small talk, but thinks better of it when he remembers Neil's words. Considerate, a good listener. Just what Neil needs today.

Blake clears his throat, cutting through the bullshit. "Now, we know you have specific terms for how you want to lead this interview, which we're completely fine with. Wherever you want to start, we'll follow."

And with that, they sit back, unsure but ready to catch whatever morsel of information might fall from Neil's lips. Again, he finds himself fighting a smirk.

Of course, he led these people astray a bit, but he doesn't see the problem with having a little fun before revealing his true intentions.

He nods, pushing down the giddy feeling that always comes with talking about Andrew. Not yet, but soon.

"Hm, I assume you prepared some questions just in case," Neil asks, taking a sip of his water.

Rayah blinks, exchanging a look with Blake. She rifles through her notepad to a page in the middle, scribbled and stained with ink. There are so many questions on it, some of them curve over the others in a painful word twister. "Uh yes but, we didn't think you'd want to answer them," she guesses.

She's correct.

Neil loathes interview questions, because they're predictable. But in this case, he'll let the first one lead him down the road.

Neil relents, leaning back in his wheelchair. "Well you're mostly right, but why don't you ask me your first one?" He offers, and they look positively ecstatic. "That'll get me started."

And once he starts, he doubts he'll be able to stop.

"Sure." Blake clears his throat, making sure his recorder is functioning properly. When he's satisfied, he leans back, mirroring Neil's posture, though the rigidity is still there. If he doesn't lighten up, he's going to have back pains for days. "Now, there have been a lot of milestones in your career as a pro athlete. No one would dream of disputing your skill in the sport, or how you earned any of your countless awards--"

"Flattery," Neil warns, raising a single finger. That's not what he's here for either. In fact, as much as this is his interview, it's not about him at all.

"Right," Blake says with a huff of a laugh. "But surely one of your brightest moments was your historic win at the Olympics. It was talked about for months within the community. Of course, any true Exy fan knows the details of the game, it was only covered by every major publication. So, I guess our question is, what do you most remember about that moment? Was it as monumental for you as it was for Exy fans?"

Ah, a predictable question, but also not a bad place to begin. Neil doesn't fight the edge of the smirk that appears, though he does raise his thumb to swipe at it. It's been a while since he's felt so mischievous, it's so difficult to be, well, difficult when you're being wheeled around all day.

It was a monumental moment for him, though maybe not for the reasons everyone else would think.

"You certainly did your research," he comments, humming as he sits back in thought. He already knows his answer, but he's weak, and the feelings the memory evokes barely need to push him to send him careening off balance. Swept up. "Not sure what I was expecting from people so young, but my apologies for making assumptions."

He's glad they didn't ask the question in the stereotypical format, fishing for ways to brag and make it all about him. When he thinks of that time, as proud as he was, it's not his own praise that comes to mind.

With that in mind, Neil sighs.

"I don't think it was an exaggeration to say that was one of the best days of my life," he admits, and it's the truth. He's not here to lie. Come to think of it, he hasn't lied once since Andrew ran on ahead of him. Smiling, Neil lets the words flow.

"It was important to me, but not all because of the Olympics themselves..."

--

Neil rarely has time to pay attention in Exy games, as horrible and inefficient as that sounds.

His feet move on their own accord like a well-oiled machine, cogs and steam rushing through him to propel him across the court at record speeds. And they are record speeds.

That's why he's here isn't it? To run, to score.

It had been overwhelming when he first arrived, the sheer size of the Exy court at the Olympics. It's surrounded by flags from all over the world, bright neon signs and sponsorships. The lights at the entrance had been so vibrant, he made the mistake of looking up at them.

Blinding.

All aspects about it are, because as much as Neil knows this is his life, it can't possibly be reality.

The crowd makes the one at the Ravens' stadium seem minuscule, out of its league with seats and aisles that almost climb up to the heavens. The crowd roars and Neil feels every cheer and stomp echo against his bones.

He never thought he'd be here, but despite the gravity of it, he no longer has the time nor want to dwell on it. All that matters is his team, and getting them the gold.

Being with Andrew afterwards...getting to see Wymack smile proudly at Kevin.

Letting Kevin be proud of himself.

And Neil is an Olympic-qualified player, so with all that in mind, he delivers the second best game of his life. Even in the final seconds of the second half, even when he's been body checked so many times the nuts and bolts he imagines inside him must surely be worn and off-kilter, he doesn't stop moving. Everything is instinct, from the force of his steps to the last minute shifts he needs to intercept the ball.

It's not Kevin's perfect strategy, it's not a map or an out of body experience where he can see where every player on the court is.

He has no idea what's going on outside of what's in front of him, no awareness of anything but the immediate threats and a certain beacon, standing in the goal.

And that's the hardest part of it all, not being able to look over at Andrew for even a moment after he scores, because the game is fast and ruthless, and he has twice the energy of anyone on this court.

It's a stupid way to play, if he's really supposed to be Kevin's double. But they all long since established he is far from it. He has his own passion, his own drive, and Kevin trusts Neil with his life on the court.

Probably through anything.

So when he sees the perfect opportunity for a final interception, a chance to get them the last winning goal of the game, he's surprised that it's the one moment where it all comes to a stop. He's never had the experience before; normally his body snaps into action. He's not used to comprehending things until they're said and done.

He thinks his body is still following through though, turning in just the right way, making sure he's lined up.

But Neil is aware of so much more, his eyes train like a predator's on the goal, and he understands. He has a choice.

Choices are a weird luxury now, but he's gotten so used to having the freedom of them, he's forgotten the sheer magnitude they can carry.

His eyes snap to the goal, and then to Kevin. Kevin, who is so much closer, and already looking right at Neil.

And Neil never describes himself as fond towards most people, but he can say it proudly in that moment. This is the Kevin Day he likes to see.

Green eyes stare back, blown wide with a fire that can't be matched by anyone, probably not even his own mother, maybe not even Neil. A true, unadulterated love for this violent, freeing sport. Kevin catches Neil's eyes through his face guard, forehead drenched in sweat but his entire being rings with energy, ready and unwilling to quit until the buzzer sounds.

A Fox, at heart. Neil knows Andrew can see from where he's standing in goal, and Neil knows he's just as satisfied, deep down. It might give him some peace of mind too, to know Kevin kept his spine.

Neil puts all of those emotions into his last movement of the game.

He inclines his head just so, and that's it.

Kevin moves.

As Neil's racquet intercepts the ball from the other team's striker, he can't help but be a bit smug as he takes a powerful step forward. He can hear the painful slide of his shoes against the court floor, the heat of being too close, too exposed.

His legs will surely be shot after this, but no matter.

Kevin Day was always meant to be the greatest player in the history of Exy, the reigning queen, despite the arrogance they'll surely have to hear non-stop about. Fine. It's only fair that Neil help him achieve that goal here, at the biggest stadium in the world.

(By no means the best one, but still).

The clock gets down to five seconds, the beats resounding off the walls of his skull. Neil swings his racquet with such force the strings whistle, and the ball moves in a straight line directly into Kevin's. The other striker has zero time to react, the force of Neil's brutal cut off sending him stumbling. The ball hits Kevin's strings hard, Kevin's grip tightening around his racquet to keep it close to him.

Kevin doesn't hesitate longer than that.

He shoots at the goal in one fluid arch, and scores.

As confident as Neil is in Kevin's aim and skill, he'll admit his stomach swoops. It's a feeling that never truly goes away, much like the instincts that keep him moving. He wouldn't trade it for anything, that millisecond exhilaration before it comes together.

Because well, at one point nothing ever fell into place for him.

In the flash where the ball hits the net, Neil feels the ghost of a key in his palm, reminding him when that changed. The buzzer of the countdown blares, and all that anticipation meets a well-deserved end.

The stadium erupts until not even the buzzer can be heard. There's a swish of plexiglass doors, the sounds of their coach yelling in triumph, but Neil's body is too spent to react.

Neil's heart constricts in his chest as he tries to get air in, but it's impossible. Satisfied doesn't even begin to cover it, though he's sure he looks just as breathless as Kevin does, staring at the goal as it lights up. The world moves around him, respecting his moment of privacy when they should be hoisting him up and not allowing him a minute of disbelief. Neil's glad they don't; Kevin deserves to look surprised once in a while.

His teammates pile on each other, clapping him as they pass. A lot of them are still in shock, a few fall to their knees right away, but Neil feels nothing but fulfilled.

He made the right call.

His body sags, stinging, and he feels Andrew's gaze pinning him upright from across the court. It's the only thing that gets him walking, but he wills himself not to look in his boyfriend's direction.

If he does well...nothing else will matter, and there's one thing he has to do.

In a haze, he goes over to Kevin, who turns, sensing him. Neil shakes his head at Kevin's arrogance to this day, because even though Kevin is the one who made this possible for him, who came to him first...

Well, he still lets Neil do all the work. Neil laughs and hugs Kevin fiercely, barely keeping himself upright, and they trade the trembling in their bodies. Kevin drops his racquet, their height difference making them look all the more pathetic. He can hear Andrew's voice already, telling them they're too emotional about a damn sport.

Somehow, that makes Neil even happier, and he leans back as Kevin pries his helmet off, eyes wild and smiling.

Yes, the right choice. Absolutely.

"We did it," Kevin says, but not in disbelief. He had to have known they'd always make it here. "We did it."

Neil squeezes his friend's shoulder and grins, uncaring of what camera catches it. He's too damn happy to care. "Guess we did."

The crowd cheers so loud Neil can't hear more than a faint buzz in his ears, and the sticky scent of gatorade and sweat is an unfortunate addition. The cameras flash and shine obnoxiously through the double plexiglass to bathe them in light and attention.

Yet, with his legs feeling like jelly and his muscles stretched to the limits, there's only one thing he really wants. What he always wants.

Warmth, safety, something to lean on and keep him sheltered from the world before facing it alongside him. Neil hates that before, the only thing he yearned for was to play Exy. He thought that was bad.

This is so much worse.

Biting his lip, Neil turns to where Andrew is standing in the goal, already looking at him from across the court. And Andrew, with all his control, keeps himself planted there. Neil's breathing hiccups loudly, and Kevin's probably the only one who hears it over the cacophony.

Neil doesn't think he can cry anymore, but his eyes tighten up, he has to blink the pain away.

Neil wonders if Andrew's gripping his racquet hard enough to damage it, if he's digging his heels into the ground like Neil is.

Neil swallows down the lump in his throat. Suddenly, he hates the cameras more than usual; he's torn between wanting them to vanish completely, or wishing they paid as much attention to Andrew, because god, he's earned it.

Neil digs his heels in harder.

I want to be with you.

It's such a simple string of thought; it has crossed his mind so many times before, but never has the urge hurt so much. It has nothing to do with all he's worked for, with the fame and recognition this win will bring him. It's just Andrew.

He hasn't had a knife to his skin in years, but this reminds him of the piercing of flesh, lighting his nerves on end and sending him towards the source of his relief, his contentment.

Andrew played so well, so well, not just here. He worked his way through the pros until he got to Neil, worked his ass off for his reputation. He qualified with the rest of them to be here.

And tonight, he blocked almost every shot at his goal.

Neil closes his eyes, willing himself to calm down but he can't. This is one of the best moments of his life. If he can't share it with Andrew to the fullest, what was the point of everything in his past?

They're not out. That's the problem, he knows, as much as he doesn't give a single fuck. No one outside their family and management knows anything about them, apart from some tabloid rumors about their intense dislike of one another. If that doesn't prove how clueless the media is, Neil doesn't know what does.

And as much as they value privacy, as much as their peaceful bubble is enough, it's moments like these where Neil wants to take and show no matter the consequences.

He looks to Kevin, unsure. It's always been him, the one who warned them about the backlash they'd face despite his acceptance of their relationship years ago.

Neil expects the same thing here: the subtle shake of Kevin's head, the concern in his eyes for their careers and future. It used to piss Neil off to no end, but Kevin communicates all emotion through Exy, even concern. Neil's learned to read between those infuriating lines. The importance of career translates to 'without your career, there is no you.' Sometimes he forgets he's not entirely free.

And if he weren't around, then Andrew...

'You can't leave him.'

And so, knowing Kevin's language, Neil stayed in line, and he expects that same advice today. To his surprise though, it never comes. Kevin is looking at him, tired smile firmly in place as he nudges a shoulder in Andrew's direction. Neil's mouth falls open, and yes, he's convinced now. It's a dream, it's all one big dream. Except--

Kevin shakes his head. It's not resigned, or worried. He's just happy for them both. He pushes Neil away, straightening his back in preparation for his fans. Royal snob. "Go on already. You guys are gross."

And despite the laugh that falls from his mouth, Neil's breathing stutters, and he hadn't realized how wound up he truly was until it happens. His lungs fill with air and he throws his racquet to the ground. His self-control is poor, they all know that. Encouragement is all he needs to break him and send him where he belongs.

He takes off in a full sprint towards Andrew as the rest of his teammates crowd Kevin, looking after Neil in confusion.

Huh, so his muscles still work after all. The tendons are on fire, but it's the least of his concerns. He runs like his life depends on it again, faster than he ran during that whole game.

And to Neil's absolute delight, Andrew's body language screams 'finally.'

The blond takes a step forward, throwing his racquet to the side like it's worthless. Oh. Andrew's bracing to catch him, and Neil laughs at the realization as he throws off his helmet. One day he'll actually make Andrew fall over, but for now he enjoys the strength.

He jumps into Andrew's arms effortlessly, feels calloused hands wrap around his waist as Neil reaches for the clips of Andrew's helmet. Despite knowing the barrier is there as he fumbles with it, he leans forward, lips grazing the metal guard. Andrew huffs, and Neil claws until the helmet clatters to the floor. He throws it a bit far, and it hits the goal post with a clang, but he doesn't care in the moment. If all eyes are on them now, he can't feel them. They're in a vacuum, a side effect of being so taken with Andrew at times. Unaware, vulnerable. The rush of sound from before goes dead around them. His fingertips can feel overheated skin, can trace the barely-there freckles on Andrew's face.

Andrew isn't in the mood to let Neil admire today.

Neil barely gets to see the color in Andrew's eyes before the goalie's hand grips in between Neil's shoulder blades, pulling him down.

It reminds him of their first kiss; Neil catches Andrew's lips and, as if not believing they're real, that something could feel so wonderful, he pulls back. His eyes widen, the first hit of a drug. He breaks the kiss only to dive right back in, uncoordinated but so sure of himself. And he doesn't get how, but Andrew smells the same as back then. Less like cigarettes, but the same smell of leather and earthiness. Neil doesn't read nearly as much as Andrew does to have the capability of describing it, but it's refreshing, like soil after the rain. Through the sweat and exhaustion, Neil would know him anywhere.

Andrew opens his mouth for him first, breath hot but movements predictable. Neil will tease him later for that. You're getting old. Because the dance is so familiar, the way Andrew pushes Neil's tongue back first. 'Come and get me.'

Neil obliges every single time, because he can't back down from a challenge, and maybe he's getting old too.

Neil knows the kiss can't last forever, especially not here, but he allows himself to pretend it's not the case. Andrew hums into him, and Neil's hands feel all the vibrations from where his hand slips down to Andrew's throat. It's bared completely for him, and Neil gives a little squeeze.

He sighs into Andrew's mouth when his boyfriend's eyes open to glare at him, pulling back before kissing Neil again, and then one more time, and maybe just once...

One more, Neil thinks, brushing his lips against Andrew's so lightly they stick for a moment, and he licks his own slowly when he pulls back for the final time. His heart beats in his ribcage, or maybe that's the pounding of the reporters' feet as they rush through the stadium, he's not sure.

Again, it's always best for him to not look at Andrew if he's supposed to be doing something else, because in that moment, the blond has all Neil's attention.

They're already pressed chest to chest, but Andrew squeezes tighter, almost painful, keeping Neil there through the flashing of cameras and shocked cheers.

And while Andrew's expression gives nothing away for the public, it speaks volumes to Neil.

--

Neil didn't know what old meant back then, now that his legs give out after a good walk or his spine aches under the weight of nothing.

But they were predictable, that much was true.

Neil isn't looking at the reporters anymore, too focused on trying to weave the fraying threads of the blanket back into place. From their silence, he can guess they're as shocked as he expected them to be.

Unaffected, Neil reaches over for his water, taking a sip as he confronts their slack jaws and wide eyes.

Now, that might have been a bit unfair of him as well, to jump into such a blatant romantic recollection about Andrew. Again, Neil never took interviews, rarely took questions, but the subject of his relationship with Andrew was especially off limits for decades. What they had was theirs, and only theirs, even after outing themselves that day.

People naturally tried to pry, tried to dig up their past in hopes of justifying what they saw as a nonsensical relationship or gossip fuel.

Neil made them fear for their lives after that.

He eviscerated publications, reporters, top sports officials, talk shows hosts, pretty much whoever he needed to. Anything to keep Andrew's name out of their mouths. A lot of them sealed their place in the land of irrelevancy, media outlets were slammed by a combination of their fans, and Kevin's too, once he stood up in support.

Andrew always hated it, Neil's desperate need to protect him from words that no longer phased him, but Neil didn't care. It was one of the only things they fought about in their adult years.

It worked though; soon, all the major outlets aside from the tabloids stopped talking about it, knowing mentioning it in any way that wasn't positive or neutral would land them in a ton of hot water.

Even those online sources who refused to let up eventually fizzed out from lack of material; they tried their best to be nosy, but pretty much got nothing but some rare paparazzi photos a few times a year of them kissing in the park or on a date.

In short, it's a bit of an unspoken rule that you don't talk to Neil Josten about Andrew Minyard unless you have nothing but good things to say, and a lot of people are too chicken shit to take the risk and potentially insult him. That's the only disappointing thing, none of them have a shred of courage. Neil really would talk all day about Andrew if people just approached it correctly.

Not that Andrew would've allowed it when he was alive.

Take that.

Despite all the fear Neil instilled in the media, it never stopped the other famous Foxes from talking about how gooey and devoted he and Andrew were, but Neil let that slide.

The things he does for family.

So it makes sense that these reporters seemed to have forgotten Andrew's importance at all, another offense. Not just because he was the best goalie in Exy history, but because Neil was first and foremost, Andrew's.

Blake's mouth opens and closes, pen dangling precariously from his hand. "Are...are we allowed to ask about Andrew?"

Blake even flinches after he asks it, afraid that perhaps it's only okay for Neil to bring up.

If you only knew.

Neil laughs, too relaxed to hold back anymore. The reporters stare, exchanging nervous glances with excitement tingling below the surface.

Yes, he supposes details about his relationship with Andrew are more secretive and sought after than even Neil's opinions. The reporters weren't even going to try.

But now, there's morsels of information dangling in front of them, and Neil need only give them permission. It's their lucky day.

Neil's smile fades into something gentler, wistful. It's the closest he gets now, to how he looked at Andrew. But it's still different, because that expression...

Well, Andrew is gone. What more is there to say?

Neil leans back, wringing his hands softly. "I guess it's only fair that I tell you the real reason I accepted this interview."

The reporters lean forward, holding their breath, but Neil doesn't feel like making them wait. It's all about Andrew now, like he wanted it to be. "I want to talk about Andrew, plain and simple."

Except when it's not.

Their relationship was anything but simple but Neil cherished each memory, and he wants to speak them aloud so no one forgets. He wants everyone to know how important this person was to him, so when he's gone and can't defend them, people can't speculate or taint it with their unasked for opinions.

"I've never had the opportunity to really reminisce about Andrew, not even with my family," Neil admits. He and Aaron and Katelyn would sit around the fireplace at their home sometimes, telling stories, or Kevin would send him old pictures or clips of Andrew playing. But never the intimate details, never the raw, and at times complicated feelings. "It never felt right, even after he was gone. I wanted to keep it close still, so I wouldn't betray Andrew's trust."

Neil takes a deep breath, and it shakes his small frame, a cough escaping his lungs. His voice is rough, but no less sure when he continues. "But I know now what he'd say to that. That I couldn't, even if my dumb Exy brain tried really hard."

But he'd never.

He smiles, wiping his eyes when they aren't even wet. That's another thing he misunderstood back then. Neil thought he couldn't cry, but he's sure today he'll prove his younger self wrong.

Rayah and Blake stay silent through all of Neil's pauses, and the respect means more than he can say. Andrew would approve, he'd be okay with Neil's choice. That's what matters most, he thinks.

"For once I just want everyone to know how I felt, I want to tell you everything as I saw and felt it, so you can tell everyone else," Neil says, and hopes they can read between the lines for the rest. Ultimately, when he's dead he'll be nothing but bones in the dirt, his legacy won't mean much in the long run. But...if nothing else, he wants this to remain, for as long as it can.

He never cared before about it, but he guesses age really can put a new perspective on things. Neil sighs, and taps the table with his finger for lack of anything better to do. When he looks back up, he has their undivided attention, Rayah's brown eyes shining with unshed emotion. None of that, not yet. "Anyways, now that you know I misled you, I hope you're still alright with listening to me ramble for the next few hours."

If not, they can kindly fuck off, but Neil has his suspicions at this point that they'll stick around. As much as Neil prides himself on reading people's intentions well, he's quite horrible at reading people's feelings. But maybe he's improved in that arena too.

A price for everything, he thinks ruefully, reminding himself there's a break in between this session for him to take his pain pills.

Eventually, it's Rayah who stutters a response. "Of course it's alright! We're so honored! And not just in the...bullshit way."

She closes her mouth immediately after at the unprofessionalism of it, but it only makes Neil feel more at ease. He smirks, satisfied. "Noted."

"Mr. Jo--Neil, we really are happy to write about you and Andrew but I have to admit," Blake says, flipping through his notepad with a tight look on his face. "The questions we did prepare as backup don't exactly lend themselves to anything about your life with Andrew."

It's precisely why Neil stated he'd mostly be doing the talking initially, but their first test question actually did end up helping move him along, so...

Neil shrugs, gesturing to the notebook with fierce determination.

These people are about to learn...

He can make anything about Andrew.

When he smiles at the two of them again, they must feel it deep down. They return it tenfold, and then Rayah clicks her pen.

And with the pleasantries out of the way, Neil opens up to everything he's been keeping locked away.

"Try me."

[kodoku-roxi]

personal stuff

And everything will be alright!! I’m happy.

I just got out of quarantine 2 days ago, I didn't have anything serious, f*ck yeah!

Dad and grandpa are fine too, my grandmom just got out of the hospital and is home now, she feels perfect.

Ok, Content Warning!!!! death mentions and sadness :(

But I live in a house with some selfish people, if I died, I wouldn't mind!!!..... I really don't like them, you know.. the only regret I would have is that I would hurt everything I love.... all these drawings and projects that I didn't finish, my mother, whom I would have seriously hurt if I died, and my boyfriend, who,,,, I don't know why,, loves me, and he would have been hurt too if I died. Let's not forget about my sons! with whom I would have left my 7 children if I had died??? yes, Mr. E and his bike would have gone to my bf because he paid 65% of the price of that set... but my sons? there are 6 miniature bikes! I know they would have become simple toys if I died.. and I don't want that. They are everything to me. I don't want to lose or hurt them. But everything will be fine, I'll be fine, my mom is fine.

Ok, the warning is over! 

You can't imagine how happy I am. I promised myself that if I went through all this shit I would draw that "meet the artist" lol it would be the third year I want to do this, XD man, I have so much to draw. But as I promised, first time, I'll draw Mr. E and baby Wu, because I promised that. BUT because I'm very happy, uuuh asdfghjkl you know I started creating designs for robots, androids.. nindorids 0-0 you know.. how about... mm 6~6 you give me a ninja, you tell me if you want a robot or android and I'll draw it! 0w0 What do you say?! You know what. Let me do this officially. Tomorrow I will post this announcement, but only for peeps and followers. Without "ninjago" in tags. You can now write in the ask box what ninja you want me to draw for you. (Cole, Lloyd, Kai, Nya, Jay.. wait, Zane is already a nindroid.. f*ck. It doesn't matter, Zane too, as an android as a robot, doesn't matter!)

Content Warning!!! I started to be stupid!

Sorry for my English. I'm still on the ground, but I'll be fine, Long Live Our Hope. Oh, and, yeahh, you shouldn't write encouraging messages or that you love my art, don't do that, please, just write the request, ok?

Don't think it's the first time I think I'm going to die, and that's why I'm sentimental and stuff, no, no, no. It's the first time I've had something to fight for. Tomorrow I won't be like that, it's just a moment, I'm just tired now, my warm-calm-forgiving side was activated by constant, constant (more than usual) fatigue and stress. Tomorrow I will be as the world usually knows me.

Have a nice day~ LLOH (Yes, I'll start saying that again!) 

[secondchancesfic]

S.C Chapter IX

Superhero!AU

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Pairings: Parental Analogical, Platonical Anxceit. Sibling Roman and Remus, Logicality. 

Tags/Warnings: Anxiety, panic attack, villain!Roman, villain!Remus, kidnapping implied, torture implied, violence implied, nightmares. Murder mention. (There’s fluff like... fluffy fluff and silliness) 

Words: 6786

NOTE: You might want to read chapter VIII to have a refresher of what is going on jaja.

-Remy…-

-Yes?-

-Remy…-

-Aha?-

-Remy… What…?-

That’s the only thing Gregory could say while also pointing, incredulously, at the The Duke. How come all of the sudden this sneaky villain was soundly sleeping in Remy’s couch? From the call they had, it sounded that his friend was in extreme danger, so the confusion in the hero’s face was justified.

-Ok. So…- Remy began. -I came back from work-

-You have job?- Gregory interrupted as if that was an important thing to question at that moment.

-Yeah, shut up. Don’t interrupt me- The hero kept silence. –I came here to change into my outfit and do my usual round up. Nothing planned, I was just gonna see some friends and hang out. And while I was doing that, I didn’t notice this creep staring at me-

-What? How?!-

-To be fair, it was really dark and he was in a corner. He looked so fucking creepy. And before I could even scream he tried to choke!- Remy fling his arms in the air, completely indignant.

–Fortunately, as you can see, I manage to make him fall asleep… The problem is… I’m not sure for how long-

Remy smiled awkwardly. Gregory took a deep breath and passed his hands through his bleached hair. He stared at The Duke and thought to himself “This is extremely dangerous…”. The Duke without his powers is strong enough to take down whoever he wants, who knows how dangerously stronger he is with his powers intact.

-Remy… I need to take him in-

-No! You promised!-

-Why not?! Didn’t you say he was a creep? HE TRIED TO CHOKE YOU!- Gregory yelled exasperated.

-Well, yes! But… It wasn’t him-him, you know?- Remy lack of explanation made the hero even more annoyed and confused.  

-What exactly do you mean?-

-Dee, his eyes are green. When he attacked me he had bright sky blue eyes. He wasn’t himself- Remy explained.

The hero was taken aback. Sky blue eyes are the only description for the mysterious villain. Between Remy’s previous description and Elliot’s, the only thing that seem to be the same are the eyes. Mind you, Elliot’s version said the guy wore a mask after the first meeting but still, the eyes shine through the eye holes.

Gregory explained the anecdote to Logan without saying where did he heard it, it brought a bit of suspicion from the older hero but he took it anyway. So far, no face description has been said, although The Duke might be what they need to get a clue of who this mystery villain is.

Also “He wasn’t him-him…”? That can mean a lot of things, but the easier one might be he was under the influence of this villain. Or even controlled.

-Either way, he has to come with me to the base.- Gregory said, getting an annoyed look from Remy.

-I won’t let your stupid grandpa crush brainwash another one of my friends- The villain said fiercely

-He doesn’t brainwash them!! And he isn’t a grandpa, why do you have to make it weird?!- Gregory snapped back

-NO! You are doing his bidding! It’s annoying! Where is the Deceit I knew?! The one who didn’t care for rules?! The one who did what he needed to be done!-

-Remy! This is above you and me! Whoever this villain is, he is dangerous! He is disappearing people! And now it seems he is disappearing villains too…- The hero looked at the disheveled villain.

-SO?! We don’t need this super morons to figure this out! Come on! We are smart enough! Don’t you remember all our grand robberies? Like the spotted diamond?- Remy smiled, trying to convince his friend.  

-THIS ISN’T ABOUT STEALING! THIS IS ABOUT MISSING PEOPLE! God! I remember why I decided to go with Logan now, you are just a selfish, egocentric prick!-

Gregory’s anger got the best of him, the look of shock and hurt in his friend’s face was something the hero never thought he’d seen. Remy looked down and went to the kitchen, for the first time in a while he was completely silent.  

The hero stayed in place and sighed, then looked at the unconscious villain to check him out. The Duke’s hair had a string of white hair and both that and his moustache were really messy. He had bags under his eyes, he seemed to be slightly malnourish, his costume was missing some parts and his sleeves where ripped. Around his neck there were a couple of marks, maybe of a type of collar of sorts. The guy might have been kept by the villain, he really did not look good…

Gregory then realized something: Remy wasn’t worried he almost got choked, he was worried because of how bad The Duke looked. He called him his friend after all.

The hero rubbed his eyes and forehead. Logan’s method can be helpful, however it could also be seen as forceful. Gregory was really grateful for what Logan did but maybe this villain might not want it. Something in the hero was telling him to go by the rules, rules he was repeated over and over again. It might have been his crush on the older hero that he didn’t realized how tired and bored he was of following him.

Maybe he was really doing Logan’s bidding, maybe he was doing it in a hopeless attempt of gaining the affection of a man who clearly didn’t see him the same way. Maybe he was getting a bit… well a very huge amount of annoyance of following dumb rules.

He shouldn’t totally break a couple of rules right now. Of course not mindlessly.

-Fine- Gregory said.

Remy turned to him slowly, rubbing his cheeks and eyes. –What?- He choked out.

The sound of his friend’s voice made him feel guilty. –I won’t take him to the base. He can stay with you-

Remy cleaned his face while running towards Gregory and pulling him into a tight hug. –I knew you’d understand…- The villain said, smearing his friend’s shoulder with old tears. Gregory returned the hug.

-…I’m sorry about what I said…- The hero said.

-Oh, it’s fine- Remy pulled away and batted his hand in the air.

–Just buy me a burger and we’ll be even- Remy smiled and patted the hero’s arm. Gregory snorted and saw his friend walked towards the Duke.

-So… What do you want to do?- Gregory asked while fixing his hair.

-I… Have no idea- Remy stated, getting a groan from Gregory. –In my defense, I didn’t know I was going to convince you-

-Wow. As always, you half assed your way around-

-Hey! Improvising is our specialty, ain’t it?- Remy smiled and pointed between the both

Gregory sighed. –Yeah…-

The hero sat down at the feet of the sofa and started to plan. Remy looked at him and smiled before standing up to prepare some tea.

Back in the old glory days, Gregory was the one who’d plan in full detail how a burglary would go. Of course, there was always something that would go wrong since Remy was spontaneously and probably not intentionally trying to get both of them in trouble. His love for the dramatics always drove him insane and had to plan a way to safely get of any building before the police would get there to arrest them.

They learn to be really good at sneaking away from the law’s hands, although they were definitely amazing at not leaving tracks. (Thanks, Remy) Even so, most officers and heroes like Logan couldn’t even get the hang of them. Only by pure luck, Logan manage to catch Gregory. Well… Not catch him per say, if Remy didn’t want to make a statement by burning the bank they were robbing BEFORE they could be out safely, Logan wouldn’t have saved him from the collapsing building.

Remy walked towards him once he had the tea prepared, Gregory took the cup and blow it a bit before taking a quick sip. He stared at it for a moment before putting it down. He looked back at The Duke and Remy.

-Alright. First step. We’re are going to wake him up- The hero said.

-Uh… Yeah, I don’t know how long it will take for that… I did throw a lot of my sleep powder to his face…- Remy said while rubbing his neck.

-I think I can cancel the effects- Gregory looked at his hand but before doing anything he thought again. –Hmm… I still need some of the cancelling bracelets Logan created-

-What? Why can’t you just do it right away?-

-Because I can’t be a nanny 24/7-

-Sure you can! You can stay here and nullify his powers, ask what you need to know and set him free!- Remy said sheepishly.

-Yeah, I’m not gonna do that- Gregory stood up. –Keep him asleep. Tomorrow I will come by and bring the bracelets, then…-

-Then?-

Gregory sighed. -I know you don’t want me to bring him to the base…-

-Dee…- Remy begin to feel annoyed again.

-But, we have his brother with us…- Gregory said looking guilty. –Remember?-

Remy was about to say something but stayed silent and thought to himself. They stayed silent for a moment.

-Can’t you… take him out?- Remy asked smiling in a hopeful manner.

-…No, I’m already practically betraying Logan’s trust by doing this. I’m not going to dig a bigger hole for myself…-

Remy groan. –Yeah, I wouldn’t like you to get brainwashed again…-

Gregory snorted. Both man smiled nervously, this was a dangerous thing. The Duke could wake up and attack them at any moment. That is… if he was still under any type of influence.

They had a limited time though, remaining asleep for more than 3 days could potentially kill anyone. It shouldn’t be that hard to get a pair of handcuffs and coming back to Remy’s apartment, the main problems could be not looking suspicious for Logan and not telling Virgil anything. For some reason the hero felt anxious but also excited.  

Sudden mumbles made both of them turn towards The Duke’s direction. He was turning around and sweating, something must be scaring him. A nightmare? The Duke began to gasp for air, as if something or someone was… choking him. His hands were on his throat desperately trying to get something off.

Gregory turned to Remy expecting him to do something but his friend stood there, frozen and confused while staring at the situation in front of him. He has never seen The Duke scared. The hero took a deep breath and exhale before walking towards the unconscious villain, he began to feel nervous due to what he was about to do.  

Gregory went and hold the Duke’s hands to stop him from scratching his throat, he then moved the villain so he could sit and rest his head on his legs.

The villain was shaking and sweating, his eyes were tightly shot and he was still gasping for air even though there was nothing impeding him to take deep breath. Gregory was feeling nervous, he wasn’t usually one to give comfort. His years with Virgil did gave him an idea of how can he exactly comfort someone having some kind of breakdown. This was similar, right?

He placed a hand on the villain’s head, it felt as if it hasn’t been washed in weeks… Maybe even more so… It was a bit gross but the hero didn’t mind it that much, his focus was on trying to calm this mess of a guy.  

-Hey… Uh- He begin speaking as if the villain was listening. –It’s ok… You are safe… Nothing is… hurting you?- Gregory was really not good at that, he look up at Remy who gave him both thumbs up.  

The Duke’s hands were opening and closing while shaking violently, almost spastic. He turned and kept mumbling, Gregory continue talking to him and petted his head trying to convince him he was alright.

The villain started to breathe evenly but was still shaking. The hero thought it was process and smiled to himself, suddenly the villain went to grab his hand. Gregory felt flustered by the action but let him do it, maybe it brought some sort of comfort to the villain. It wasn’t something so bad, although he didn’t expected for the villain to slowly rise and turn towards him to look at his face. The hero stayed there frozen, the sky blue color in the villain’s eyes remain faintly before fading and turning into green. The villain looked drowsy and confused.

-You… aren’t Roman…- Was the only thing he manage to say before going back to sleep.

Gregory and Remy looked terrified at each other. No one could come up from the stupor of Sleep’s Powder. Not even the fiercest of villains or strongest of heroes could suddenly just snap out of it. Remy walked towards them and took Gregory out of the way before blasting the villain with more powder.

-Holy shit- Gregory said, freaking out. –This dude is stronger than I thought…-

-Don’t leave me alone with him! He might still want to beat my ass for keeping him high on sleep powder!- Remy said while holding Gregory’s arm.

-You know I can’t stay here. Logan could get suspicious, he also could look around for me…- Gregory stated

-Wha- Does he keep a leash on you or what?!- Remy yelled

-No, he’s just kind overprotective. Like a dad, you know?-

Silence fell upon them, Gregory looked at his friend who stared disgusted.

-What?-

-Dude, you’re crushing on your dad?-

Gregory pushed Remy while groaning very annoyed, the villain started cackling and curling in himself. The young hero blushed and rolled his eyes, landing on the unconscious Duke. This could either end really well or really, really bad…  

NEXT DAY, AFTER NOON

Logan was excited to get out of his class, something he never expected to think. Don’t get the wrong idea, he loved teaching and helping his students, he would even stay behind if he thought it was necessary but right now he was hoping to meet Patton before he had to go to the base.

He had made sure his students understood the themes completely and gave them a well thought guide for the upcoming test. And as a special treat he didn’t left them homework, since he was in an extremely good mood. Everyone thought he might have forgotten but no one planned on asking Logan about it.  

Once the clock hit 2 pm he stood up, said good bye to his students and before any of them he was already in the corridor. Elliot saw how their teacher was practically and desperately leaving, it made them snort.

-He’s gonna get some dick- Kai said non chalantly.

-Dude, gross- Elliot said while giving a disgusted glance to their friend who just laughed as a response.

Logan walked out of the faculty premises, he had told Virgil and Gregory he would be spending some time with Patton that evening to which he got a thumbs up and a “FINALLY” from Virgil and nothing from Gregory, he was probably still in class.

With everything looking good enough for him, Logan felt more than prepared to go out with Patton. They’ve only been talking through phone due to their heavy and busy schedules, besides the really awkward wave they still feel about the whole dating thing. They decided to see each other that day and manage to make some time in between their usual working hour.

Excitement and nervousness took over Logan, feeling his heart beat faster and faster, as he approach the park they both chose to meet at. It was perfect since it was the middle point for each other.

Once he got there, the teacher walked through a running path. He passed a couple people there who were doing exercise or just hanging out. He then went to a bench and sat down, fidgeting and looking directly in the ground.

It was a really pretty and well maintain place, to his back there were so many tall trees. It was like a small forest, full of dead leaves at the bottom and bright green ones at the very top. In front of him there was the running path and an open space full of grass, it looked like a hill. People were running around it, some were even falling and rolling. The giggles and the sound of the branches been moved by the gentle breeze gave him a bit of piece after pondering the whole walk why he felt so anxious: “was it because he hasn’t seen the bubbly man or because of the social interaction he had to make to be around him?”

-Oh shoot… where could he be…?- A recognizable voice came from behind and kind of startled him. Logan turned around and to his surprise a messy Patton was walking out of some bushes. He was wearing a pair of loose dark pants and a long sleeve shirt, both were stained with leaves and mud. Logan also notice he was wearing a pair of boots, the type explorers would wear for long walks.

-Um… Hello?- Logan said incredulous, confuse to see Patton just popping out of seemingly nowhere and looking a bit disheveled. Not like he looked bad, though… “What?” Logan pushed that thought back in the mental trashcan.

Patton look up quickly and blushed as he saw Logan, he tried to go towards him but slipped and fell to the leafy ground. Logan walked towards the man, wondering what he was doing. The teacher kneel down and let his hand out so the bubbly man could take it.

-Thanks…- Patton said embarrassed.

Logan smiled kindly. –No problem… If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly where you doing over there Patton?-

Patton shook his head and chuckled. –Nothing, it’s dumb…-

-Hmm… Well, you seemed to be dress properly for some… Search?- Logan question and waited for an answer, what he got was a shock glance from Patton and a big smile.

-Wow, you are very clever- The vet chuckled.

-I think the word you are looking for is observant-

-Why? Have you served any ants around here?-

Logan looked at Patton confused before he made the connection, then rubbed his face as the other man giggle at his horrible joke.

-Now, to give you a gay answer- Patton looked at Logan for a reaction, he notice the teacher was containing a snort. –I was…Um… I was kind of looking for frogs-

That spiked some interest in Logan. –Frogs?-

-Yeah… last night was really humid and it did rained a bit. This parts retain most of its moisture and I’ve heard some of them croak. I just can’t seem to find anything- The vet scratch the back of his head confused while looking around.

Logan thought for a moment, this was a peculiar interest but intriguing and entertaining none the less. He didn’t expect Patton to be the venturing kind. –Well, certain types of frogs will get close to sources of water, maybe if we find puddles there could be one-

The vet’s eyes flicker for a moment, excitement showing in his face.

-Will you help me find them?!- He shouted then paused and calmed before speaking again. –I-I know this might be a tad weird and not really… Up to your standard but I think it could be fun?-

Patton was waiting for a rejection, he knew some of his actions and mannerisms were not really usual for someone as old as him, but what was the point of being an adult if he couldn’t do what he wanted? Especially having fun! But Logan was too serious, way too proper, he came to the first date with a tie for goodness sake… Maybe they should go somewhere else…

-I would love to help you- Logan said, determination shining through.

It’s been a while since Logan did any kind of exploration of this kind, the only exploration he did was looking around the city for any suspicious activity. That was his job but it certainly was becoming a rather boring routine. This is not only helping him relax and be out of his office, it’s also helping him be closer to Patton.

-Well let’s go then! Oh… Wait… Won’t you get dirty?- The vet pointed out to Logan’s outfit; he was wearing black pants, a pair of black shoes and a navy blue dress shirt. Logan looked at himself and was thinking on turning the whole thing off just because he wasn’t dressed properly but… He was never as adventurous like other people. Sure, he would fight villains but his outfit was made for that, he was getting even more out of his comfort zone by getting dirty with this type of clothes.

“Screw it”

-It’s quite alright, Patton. This can be wash later, let’s go search for amphibians!- He proclaim in an attempt to sound valiant. This got a chuckle and a bright smile from Patton who walked through the messy terrain effortlessly, Logan made sure to step on solid ground but everything felt slippery.

The vet notices Logan having some troubles to walk around, he gets his arm out so the teacher could steady himself. Logan took it and thanked Patton, trying to ignore the clear blush he was feeling spreading around his cheeks. Both man started to walk deeper into that mini forest, looking around to several plants and insects.

Logan was fascinated and relax, even though the fauna and flora were common in the area, he admire nature in all its forms. He didn’t realize how a mantis landed in his shoulder until it was just walking around, this made Patton jump in surprise. Logan chuckled and hold it out in a tree with care. Looking how he was gentle to tiny creatures made the vet smile fondly, and might also made him fall a bit more over heels for the teacher.

They continue to look for puddles and looked at leaves, they confused a couple of those for frogs. It even made Logan fell when he confused a bunch of leaves for an animal he tried to avoid, earning a concern look from Patton and quickly acting to help him but to the vet’s surprise Logan laughed at the silliness of the whole situation. It was the most symphonic sound he has ever heard and wanted to listen to it forever.

He helped the teacher to stand up while chuckling nervously, Patton asked and checked Logan to make sure he was alright before the teacher reassured him. He was blushing deeply through the embarrassing situation, at least Patton’s concern helped him feel less dumb.

Both man finally arrived at what seemed to be a natural pond, pretty odd to the man-made forest. Patton gasped delighted by the sighted and tried to run over the pond, not noticing there was uneven ground and small hill. Logan tried to hold him back but Patton’s running start pulled the teacher with him and both man fall over. They ended at the feet of the pond unharmed yet really filthy. A fit of nervous giggles started from the vet. How humiliating.

-Oh gosh… I guess I got overexcited- He blurted out while giggling while fixing his glasses. Logan didn’t respond. The vet felt something under him and quickly realize he was above a really embarrassed and blushed teacher.

Patton himself began to blush a really deep red, and tried to move away as quickly as possible, but stumble clumsily. Logan himself was frozen in the spot not really knowing what to do or say. He snapped out when he heard Patton rambling apology over apology.

-I’M SO, SO, SO SORRY! I didn’t meant to do that! Oh my gosh.- The vet could only hide his face, he really just wanted to drop dead at the moment. His immaturity was always seen as annoyance, of course it would be annoying he should be acting like an adult! Logan will certainly think the same way after this stupid mistake. He could have hurt him! How irresponsible.

There was no anger, there was no reprimand. He only felt something taking his hand away from his embarrassed face. Logan was smiling.

-You really should be more careful, Patton- the teacher said between chuckles.

The way Logan said his name, so kindly and with no ounce of anger nor annoyance, made him calm down a bit. Patton looked at Logan’s eyes and felt like melting, the teacher was genuinely enjoying that weird meeting.

God, Patton was falling too much for him. The realization made him feel guilty and embarrassed since they barely know each other. They talked through their phones and exchange a couple of info about them but it’s different when you have the person in front of you, and not only that but getting that same person below you for a stupid mistake.

-I’m really sorry. Are you ok? Did I hurt you?- The bubbly man tried to amend whatever harm he could have done.

-I’m alright, Patton. Don’t worry- Logan said still chuckling, this sure was a strange way to know someone better. Strange but really fun. He doesn’t recall the last time he had fun with someone like this, or act silly in any way. He would act silly from time to time with his son but it was different with someone who wasn’t as close. This is just… The simple act of getting out of the metaphorical box and do something he wouldn’t usually do is…nice.

-Aren’t you mad?- The vet asked while looking at how muddy Logan had become

- Quite the contrary, I think I’m more amused than when we started- Logan said smiling gently while trying to clean his shirt.

Patton smiled and was about to help him clean himself when a croak made them froze in place. The croaking continued and both man looked at the pond and saw a couple of frogs, they were in different sizes and were moving around rocks and leaves. The vet gasp and his eyes sparkled with joy, for a split second Logan thought he saw his eyes turn another color. It was probably the messy glasses Patton was wearing. The teacher smiled by the excitement of the bubbly man and slowly stood up, giving a hand to help him stand up.

They slowly and as quiet as possible approach the pond, once they were close enough they crouch and stared at how the amphibians were swimming and climbing in the muddy rocks and leaves. Patton was delighted and looked peaceful, Logan looked at him and smiled to himself.

 -Do you usually do this?- Logan asked while walking back to the park’s normal path with Patton by his side looking at the sky that was covered by the branches of the trees.

-What?- The vet question, he didn’t quite catch what he said.

-Search for frogs?-

Patton chuckled. –I search for more than just frogs. Animals are just so cute!-

-Can be dangerous as well- Logan stated

-Yeah, I know. But sometimes animals need help.-

Logan hummed as an agreement. They stayed quite for a bit before Patton spoke up.

-Did you know there are poisonous frogs? They showcase really bright colors as a way to warn other animals. With one touch, boom! You’re dead!- Patton said while smiling, happy to share information of his job and interests. Although quickly realize how macabre it sounded.

-Oh! I think I’ve seen those in a documentary. Really impressive creatures- Logan stated, he didn’t felt awkward or nervous. Conversing of this type of scientific topics made him feel a bit more in control on the situation since he was a living encyclopedia of knowledge. He didn’t know if he could keep up with the animal knowledge though.

-Right?!- The vet shouted. –They are so tiny and adorable yet they could just…- Patton stopped by what he was going to say, he then just went quiet. Logan looked at him waiting for the rest of the sentence.

Patton chuckled. –Sorry-

-Why are you apologizing?- The teacher sounded genuinely confused

-I just…- The vet hummed. -Sometimes I get so passionate, I guess… I really love animals but I know it can be annoying…- Patton said really flustered, as if his job and interest should be something to be ashamed off.

Logan stop in the path, making the other man pause in his tracks. He looked at the teacher who had a puzzling look, something was off to him.

-Logan?-

-Sorry… It’s just…- He paused for a moment before speaking up.

-You aren’t annoying at all-

The vet looked bewildered at him, as if those words were a sound he couldn’t recognize. It was odd to say the least. Patton felt his chest swelling, as if those words were what he always needed to hear.

-Just because you enjoy something, something you are passionate about… You shouldn’t feel ashamed. You should embraced it, no matter what.-

Rejection is something this two are familiar with. Logan has always been the outcast everywhere he went, even in the association the heroes don’t look at him as an equal but as a useless scientist. He had to make himself tough to not let the harsh words and looks hurt him. The idea of Patton being rejected or hurt the same way made his blood boil… Metaphorically. Logan couldn’t fathom the idea of such a sweet and kind man being mistreated in such a horrible way and just because he was passionate in rescuing or studying animals.

-Even if people…- Patton spoke –Just… Hates you for it?-

-Especially when they hate you for it- Logan continue, looking serious towards the other man. –You shouldn’t be punish just for being you…-

The teacher started to blush. –And… well… From all people… You should feel really proud of yourself, Patton. Being knowledgeable in a complex career to save very vulnerable creatures… It’s, on its own, a very noble and heroic decision- He looked away from Patton and tried to dissimulate his embarrassment.

-Heroic!?- Patton shouted and laughed, Logan’s blush deepened. –Oh! I’m anything but that! I’m just a clumsy moron!-

The harsh diminishing words made Logan look back at Patton, the vet was blushing and scratching his neck while looking at the ground with a shock expression. He seem to be getting anxious.

-Patton, I really mean what I said- Logan said at him, he was looking seriously at the vet and a bit of concern could be seen in his eyes.

Patton smile flickered, kind word are so odd to hear specially the way Logan said them so kindly and truthfully. He didn’t know exactly what to say at all, his mind was going blank. In an attempt to deflect any kind of conversation about him, he began to ramble.

-Come on, Lo… Sure, I help some cute critters and such, but real heroes are the ones who save the people in the city! Especially from the several villains who suddenly appeared- Patton continue, his tone began to rise. –Like, uh… Oh, I forgot his name… Ah, Syllogism!!-

Logan jolted at the mention of his hero name, trying to remain compose he made himself look way more serious than he should. –Wh-What about him?- He asked.

-Well, I think he’s truly the best hero there is! His creations are really impressive and I bet he could put them into service for the whole place to see.-

Logan felt the blush deepening, feeling really nervous and awkward although it would be lie if he said he didn’t felt proud of his technological achievements.

-Also! He manage to stop the Royal Pain duo! I mean, getting rid of The Prince? That was a relief!- Patton said it with a nervous smile.

Logan froze, instead of hiding a proud smile he tried to hide the horrifying chill he suddenly felt. Do people think he… killed The Prince? He didn’t meant to throw him from that building… The Prince isn’t dead though, he’s recovering at the base. Even if he had… murdered him, why would Patton be so… happy about it?

-I…Disagree, what Syllogism did… it was a horrible thing to do- Logan remarked.

Patton hummed and looked at Logan a bit more serious.

–Why do you think that?-  

-Killing someone doesn’t stop anything. Whether a villain or a hero does it, it’s still wrong- The teacher said it in a factual manner.  

-Hmm…- The vet stayed quiet. –Killing can be wrong, but if it for a greater good then some sacrifices must be done- He stated, getting a wince from Logan then he tried to backtrack. –Ok, ok. I know it sounds bad, but hear me out. Let’s take The Prince and The duke as an example… They’ve been destroying and hurting people all around the place, not only in this city. They exploded buildings, streets and hurt countless innocents. There was no sign they would stop, especially with The Duke. If someone got… uh… rid of them, wouldn’t that stop the harm they do?-

Silence fell on the both, Logan placed a hand on his chin and thought for a moment, he was rather confused by this type of mentality. Patton expressed a concerning thought before at their first date, “forcing others to be good so they stop hurting others” now it’s “if they won’t stop harming, then they don’t deserve to live”. He could understand that train of thought though, but it still was horrifying.

–They are well known thieves and have no record of actually killing anyone. I don’t think that gives them a death sentence. And even if they did, it’s still not in the hero’s jurisdiction to make a judgment nor execution-

-You didn’t answered the question- Patton said seriously. –Would the harm they do, stop?-

Logan sighed and looked down. –Yes, it would. But again, it’s not the hero’s job to do an execution -

The vet hummed. They began to walk again, staying silent for a moment.  

-So…- Patton started again. –You think death is not a good punishment?-

-Of course not-

-What do you think it should be?-

-I believe some of them just need some guidance, so maybe… Get them help.-

-Oh frogwash!- Patton shouted. He placed a hand on his mouth before giggling.

–Oops… I mean… Do you think all villains can be… easily redeemed?-

Logan thought for a moment. –Well… Not everyone, I guess… If anyone still chooses the path of villainy the other option is to place them in jail. As I said, death is not a well thought option. Where’s the change? What about forgiveness?-

-Hmm… This people don’t deserve any kindness nor forgiveness…- Crimson was burning buildings, The Duke and The Prince were scaring and robbing people, Scarlet Mist made people blind for months, Meltdown almost destroyed the city…-

Patton paused for a moment.

–If heroes were as bold as Syllogism, there wouldn’t be as many villains showing up here and there. They have to keep taking the villains out like a weed-

Logan looked at Patton, he notice the vet looked rather shaken but he could also identify anger in his eyes.

–That statement doesn’t have a ground to stand on. If you…-

He got interrupted by Patton repressing a chuckle. Logan, confused, thought about what he said, after a couple seconds he made the connection: Weeds are on the ground. He sighed and Patton got in his giggle fit, at least Logan lighten up the mood.

-Sorry… That was good one, teach’- Patton said smiling lightly.

-It’s alright, Patton- Logan said as he gave a small smile at the other man. –As I was saying…That statement can’t hold itself. A weed might be taken out from the root, but there’s always going to be more weeds. Fighting violence with violence doesn’t stop villains.-

-What do you think it does…?- Patton raised his eyebrow and looked genuinely curious to what the answer might be.

-Comprehension and care. Like I said, maybe not all of them will respond to it. At end of the day, they have free will to decide whether or not to take the help but there is always someone who will, and that can make a bigger change than just mindlessly disposing of them-

The vet stared at Logan for a moment, not angrily, it was more like… concern…? Patton then lower his eyes, and looked at the ground and stopped in his tracks, which made the other man to stop. Logan waited patiently to see what kind of response he would get. The teacher began to worry due to how silent the other man was being.

-If…- Patton paused before continuing. –…If your son was…murdered and you knew who did it, wouldn’t you want revenge?-

That was not what Logan expected to hear. The teacher would do anything for Virgil, he would risk his own life to save him. But… Could Logan hurt someone else if they did anything like that to his son? He doesn’t think he could… He doesn’t believe in eye for an eye, but… Virgil is his world. Would he betray his son if he didn’t took revenge?

Why would Patton ask that?

Patton chuckled.

-Sorry… I got serious all of the sudden- His smiled seemed rather forceful. –You don’t have to answer. It’s really not important-

Logan looked at Patton, he wondered if… if that’s the reason he doesn’t have his own child… He wouldn’t ask right there and then of course, he doesn’t feel he has the right to know. Patton probably wouldn’t want to talk about it anyway. The vet notice Logan looking at him with concern in his eyes.

-Uff!- Patton shook himself –That was a bit too intense for my liking- He chuckled nervously

-Yes, it was- Logan reaffirmed, not knowing what else to do or say.

They remained in silence, it quickly became awkward but there was nothing to talk about. They continue walking, finally getting to the running path. Patton started giggling at the sight of Logan. Deep within the trees it was a bit darker, so they didn’t fully see the mess they both were. At least the imaginary thick wall of awkwardness had been shattered by something as wonderful as Patton’s giggles.

The teacher looked down on himself and smiled. He was covered in dried mud and a couple of leaves were stick in his clothes and hair. Patton didn’t look any better, his boots were indistinguishable from the ground and one of his sides was fully covered in mud. They laugh at the silly image, 2 grown man playing with mud and branches. How immature yet fun.  This was, without a doubt, a very strange yet wonderful date….

Date? Was that a date? Logan begin to think to himself. He fixed his hair and embarrassed, debated in his head whether or not it was. Then the thought of asking Patton for reassurance seemed reasonable but he was too shy beside he could potentially hurt the vet’s feelings. How exactly? He doesn’t know but he still could. Yet, as if the other man had read his mind.

-Uh… So… Um… Do you…- Patton began mumbling. –Was this… a date?- He winced, as if he was waiting for negative reaction from Logan.

Logan just blushed while fixing his shirt. He coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. –I… Frankly, I’m not sure… But… I think it was?-

The situation was so dumb, it just made them smiled. Sure, the conversation from before became a bit too serious but it wasn’t a bad date for any of them at all. Logan and Patton don’t seem to agree on many things, but they still remain respectful at the end.

Logan’s goal was to learn more about the other man, and he got that and more. Maybe their relationship could blossom into something more, although, between friends or lovers, he didn’t mind which type would evolve. He was happy with any of those as long as Patton was in his life.

Meanwhile, Logan didn’t realize how Patton was completely head over heels for him already, and was already prepared to just jump into the romance wagon, yet he restrain himself so he didn’t scared the teacher off.  

They walked the path all the way to the entrance of the park and parted their ways, they had to go back to their works after all. The day was sunny, warm but tolerable. A nice breeze came by to bring refreshing air, but also to bring a couple of dark and stormy clouds.

Prologue/ CH 1/ CH 2 / CH 3 / CH 4 / CH 5 / CH 6 / CH 7 / CH 8 / CH 9 / CH 10

I’m sorry again! I’m trying to be more productive this summer, now that I have stopped having classes. Hope you enjoy this chapter! I sure did!

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