#still not enough evi in this flashback though

[goqmir]

in my dream i imagined a world in which the most popular tv show in america was a drama/dark comedy about several neighborly families now vying for scraps of sustenance in a bloodborne-esque apocalyptic city where they have all died and gone to a torturous underworld. and the main character is the dork nobody really liked in any family who arbitrarily escaped death by hiding his soul in that of an automaton.

this tv show was the result of a brand deal where the artist Drake got really into painting somewhat gothic portraits of imagined characters during the 2020 lockdown. Wal-Mart offered Drake an exclusivity deal to sell prints of these paintings that included a personal studio, and Drake requested for his studio a hole so deep in the earth that they can use magnets to make the canvasses have zero gravity. americans lapped that shit up and Wal-Mart began releasing ads of Drake in his dark and cavernous underground warehouselike studio where he would paint mildly gothic portraits on floating canvasses held down to the floor and walls by a series of trusses from Roblox and cables from Teardown. these portraits were astoundingly popular and a similarly successful TV show was produced by Wal-Mart using the characters Drake would paint.

during the dream, I lived this TV show through the eyes of the twink main character. I escaped from the underworld pits by hiding in the body of a Wizard101 wooden automaton, and began wandering the streets of the gothic city it took place in, meeting still-alive members of the group of families the portraits depicted. A little before my death, tragedy struck the families and they had a falling out. During my dreams i had to watch all of these tragedies in grim detail, which I depicted as fairly funny in my head to the average american but like. i never really found death or suffering that funny even if a character dies by a series of slapstick events. so it kind of just sucked for me to have to bear witness to it.

every time a new character would appear, the original Drake portrait depicting them would be shown on screen. every character had the name of a Universes Beyond Magic: the Gathering card-- Graham O'Brien, Rosie Cotton, that sort of thing, even though they weren't related to the characters.

there was a segment where i could choose to revive anyone from the underworld that wanted to leave, and I saw the cartoon shadow of a cute babe from behind a boat winking at me and flirting with me. I chose her cuz i was like woahhh i love women but when I revived her I realized it was actually Evie Frye, my rival in life who was close to me as a child but drifted apart from me after witnessing the comedically gruesome death of her father. the dream then played out that death in a flashback sequence, which was sickening enough to me that it woke me up. and then I spent 30 minutes writing this post and that's been my morning so far.

[nightblink]

Blink Reads Oathbringer - Chapters 46-49

Chapter Forty-Six – When the Dream Dies

I did expect that whoever is important enough to have conversations like this with Hoid would indeed be interested in removing the threat of Odium from the Cosmere. Your indifference surprises me, and the stupidity of it is frankly astonishing.

More bridgeman chapters! This time with Skar, yay. I hope you get the hang of breathing stormlight soon; I don't want to see you left behind.

Now there's a high-altitude training regimen. [whistles] And an impressive time indeed when you're not breathing stomlight. That's not a comfort though, and rather mean – though unintentionally so – of Sigzil to rub it in like that.

Interesting that they know the exact amount of force they're using in a Lashing instinctually. I wonder if it works that way for some of the other Radiant Orders' abilities as well?

HORNEATER DANCE OF VICTORY. All of Bridge Four should be doing this dance. They've earned it. What a glorious sight it would be!

Skar: *I'm just going to lie here. the floor loves me more than you assholes do*

At least Teft has some love left for you, or at least chouta. Ahhhh, Teft, I'm really worried about you and those bags under your eyes don't exactly make me any less so.

Bridge Four has come so far, from never even telling the other men their names to a full support group for each other. They all needed it, not just Kaladin; those bridge runs left them all broken, bitter people, cracking a little more with each run, each day they were treated like they only had lives for the sake of expending them under Parshendi arrows.

Wait, what's keeping Kaladin? Teft, is this you displacing anger at yourself onto Kaladin. A handful of spheres says it is. But no, Skar is agreeing… Kal, what's going on here, where your own bridgemates think you're keeping aloof?

I'm still wondering how they hope this whole recruitment thing is going to work out – if they want to try to make true Radiants of some of these men, of if they simply hope for more squires that osmose their ability from Kala-Syl? To be a Radiant, one must be broken, down to one's soul, and that may hold true for the bridgemen, but recruits…? [hums]

What does Rlain think of the humans essentially occupying what used to be the last bastion of his people? He may be Bridge Four, but talk about divisive feelings. Sanderson, we'd better get a Rlain POV in one of these Bridge Four chapters, or I will have another bone to pick with you.

Highprince Reference: red and light blue are Ruthar's colours

Ooof, yeah, that'd do it, Skar. Ingenuity, yes, but also willingness to steal. That's generally frowned upon (unless it's other people's stuff, which is often the point of war, as young!Dalinar so helpfully pointed out a while ago).

Mmm, Syl can sense the soul-cracked ones.

Getting snarky there, Skar. Can't blame him for this one though, as he does have a point at the very least since they let lighteyed Renarin in, waaaay before Kaladin's eyes started showing even a flicker of blue.

Speaking of good points, Sigzil makes one about squires perhaps not necessarily being a step towards being a full Radiant. Good to know that someone is at least considering the routes and levels of Investiture-use here.

[winces] Oh, Skar

(bless u Rock for lightening the mood)

Lyn again! Good good good I want to see more of them (I think I'm going to use 'them' for Lyn for the time being, because while their initial conversation with Shallan was pretty blatant, I don't know if that's something Sanderson intended or if it was another 'oops I accidentally did a thing didn't I'. Still. The agony of being closeted trans in the world of strict Alethi gender roles would easily be enough to break a person, and that could make them a possible future Radiant...)

Ooooo, Skar saw even before the highstorm incident! Damn, he must have thought he was hallucinating, seeing light and all the arrows curving towards it.

Heh, all the thinking in the world isn't going to help you two with this. But focusing on the Ideals that makes the Windrunners what they are…. Yeah. That might do it. Skar, you really do have a knack for teaching.

YES YES YES

YOU'RE GLOWING TOO

FINALLY

Chapter Forty-Seven – So Much is Lost

Wait, admire… admire Rayse's initiative? Odium's? Dude. Seriously. What the everloving fuck.

!!!! Taln's own writings! Or at least what he said while they all thought he was crazy – and he was definitely more than a little loopy, not able to see how far human civilization advanced even when he looked around him.

Finally getting to a Jasnah chapter! WHY DID YOU HOLD OFF ON THIS FOR SO LONG SANDERSON

Ivory's at his full size while in the Physical Realm? Whaaaat. Is this something he can do because of the Oaths that Jasnah has sworn, or is it because the Elsecallers are so entwined with the Cognitive Realm via their abilities?

I'd say “paranoid much, Jasnah?” but considering all of the assassination attempts that have already been made, 'it's not paranoia if they're actually out to get you'.

[winces] Her life's work, all that time and effort and pain, now all so much common knowledge. That's…. painful. It's a good thing that they know it, but at the same time, it leaves a hollowness for Jasnah in its wake.

Shallan is definitely a topic that needs to be discussed.

Ahhh, Ivory – bonded to Jasnah and yet you still don't understand how humans can fortify themselves without that solidity running all the way through.

Oh shit, oh shit, hints of Jasnah's breaking? And it was back when she was a child? Oh no, ohhhh, that's. That's a lot earlier than I thought she'd broken. Considering how distant Gavilar seems in the flashbacks, I'll bet broams he at least peripherally had something to do with it.

“Considering what the ancient fathers are.” IVORY. IVORY YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT AND LEAVE US HERE HANGING. IV O R Y- oh. You just mean the spren lost in the Recreance. Well that was anticlimactic.

The idea of spren wars, though, now that is an interesting tidbit of dropped information.

I like Ivory. What a little rebel. You're very much like your bonded in that way, aren't you?

[winces again] Jasnah, you're going to have to confront Shallan about things sooner or later – and probably sooner. When that happens, best to have all the information you can on hand… but also keep an open mind.

All ten orders but the Skybreakers. Speaking of which, when are Nale and Szeth going to show up again?

Fuck, Jasnah knows the secret – the secret that the Stormfather said would break Dalinar and the others. Ivory believes they'd break, he knows the precedent for that…

Jasnah does not.

Chapter Forty-Eight – Rhythm of Work

The hell do you mean, 'we stand in the sea'. Is this in reference to whatever is out in the Ocean of Origins that the lighthouse-keeper mentioned in the Interludes? Maybe, maybe not, but it stinks of coincidence.

Admittedly, while I like the insight that Moash's chapters bring, I just don't care about him as much as I do our other protagonists. He's a good character, but I'm not really emotionally attached to him.

'Better than bridge duty' is not a metric by which anything should be judged, Moash, and you know this.

So. Hauling things, but where are you taking them…?

[winces] He can try all he likes to convince himself that his decisions and actions weren't his fault, but Kaladin gave you chance upon chance upon chance to drop Graves and his crew and stay with Bridge Four. At this point, you're just deluding yourself.

Shiiiiiit, they're going to Kholinar. Of course they are. As if I didn't worry about that city enough already.

Well, he's not wrong about the 'false gods' and 'ruling class whose eyes reminded them of the Knights Radiant', at least. We still need confirmation on whether lighteyes are actual descendants of the Radiants or not, though.

….you're more religious than I'd realized, Moash.

YES YOU CAN BE BLAMED, AND WE BLAME YOU. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

!!! Are… are those Kaladin's group of Parshmen? Is his involvement with them the reason they're being treated poorly?

YEP

Oh man, oh man, are you going to go help them, Moash? YES-

-but blanket-condemning humans as you do. Not just in your head this time, but as an argument point. Hoo boy.

Chapter Forty-Nine – Born Unto Light

FLASHBACK CHAPTER YEEEAAAAAAHHHH plz give us more Evi this time Branderson

….Dalinar why are you doing moss-drugs. Are you constantly discontent since you're not getting battles and the Thrill. Also that is a disturbing comparison.

This is perhaps the most opposite of your current self that we've seen you when you weren't Thrill-murdering.

...listening to your wife is good but I don't think she meant 'you should totally do drugs'

However, you getting into a fighting ring is very likely among the things she expected you to get into when she suggested 'live in the moment', considering what you're like at this time, whether you're fighting in them or just betting on them. It's the violence inherent in them.

Yessss, you're caring about Evi, FINALLY, even if you might not love her yet. We still haven't seen evidence of that from your end of the relationship.

Gavilar might not be able to politic his way past a rebellion, but the last flashback indicated that he's certainly going to try, come Damnation or stormwaters. Dalinar, though… he's too apathetic to even care at this point. It's extremely disconcerting.

Oohhhhh, you're trying to use the drunkenness to stave off the Thrill, really…? Well, apparently you're going to fight anyway. But will the Thrill come, and do you even want it to…?

dark bar atmosphere, laced with smoke that curls, grey, melding with and making its own shadows as the raucous noise silences completely, predator's eyes glinting bright blue across the ring

“Hurting you? Storms, that's not what I'm afraid of.”

You have a reputation, Dalinar. It's not a good one.

Yeaaah, he's essentially not feeling anything nowadays. One fight he can barely remember is the last time that brought him emotion – that's not natural; something has to be damping it.

Toh! You're still hanging around! Damn, we haven't seen anything of you save for that single chapter with the highstorm. Has Dalinar simply been too emotionally-dead to notice you the entire time? But he notes 'familiar face', so you must have spent a fair amount of time together…

OH OH IT'S TIME IT'S TIME IT'S TI-  ….it's early and they're not surprised. Why. Why. I demand answers.

You ran all the way there at a sprint, didn't you.

She pretty much did fight a battle, Dal. Just not the kind you're used to.

Still with the left-handed-ness – and it may not be the same sign of intimacy to her as it is to you, Dal, but still.

Dropping to his knees at her bedside! Holding hands! Overcome with emotion! Ohhh, you have come to love her by this point, haven't you?

“many men are apprehensive at first when-” NOPE. SWOOPS HIM INTO HIS HANDS INTO THE AIR AND DANCES AMIDST THE GOLDEN GLORYSPREN

ahhhhh, with thick blond-and-black streaking even as a newborn! AND DALINAR'S PROUD OF IT, PROUD THAT HIS SON SHOWS HIS MIXED HERITAGE EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A THING SCOFFED AT IN ALETHKAR AND SOME PEOPLE EVEN DYE THEIR HAIR TRUE BLACK TO HIDE THAT THEY'RE MIXED. Good on you, Dal, good on you

'May you have your father's strength… and at least some of your mother's compassion, little one.' excuse me while I go sob in the corner

this is the first true spark of Dadlinar – of the Dalinar we see in the future

'BORN UNTO LIGHT' AS A NAME MEANING I'VE BEEN CALLING HIM 'SUN SON' ALL THIS TIME AND THAT'S SO DAMN CLOSE ARE YOU KIDDING ME it's such a good name what a good name my boy my boy

please run through the city whooping for joy and proclaiming you're a dad, Dalinar, I need that image in my head

For once, Dalinar rolls a decent Insight check. What are you gonna do or say to fuck this up, Gavilar.

!!!! 'Lunacy'? Was… was Jasnah already broken by this point? With sixteen more years to go before she bonded with Ivory?

Ooooo, so crowns are mostly a Western-Rosharan thing – Gavilar compromises with a circlet, but probably not an entirely plain one, a simple band of metal. Ten-pointed, perhaps, subtle and tasteful.

Failing? The rebellion is that bad? Aaaaand you're going to send Dalinar in to crush it and that's when shit's going to go down. Ooof.

….this is that Sons of Honor organization cropping up, isn't it, or at least their overarching goals. Were you just part of them, or did you found them, Gavilar?

Oh no, oh no, Dalinar had a flash of hope, of emotion, of a different future than just battle, and now that's going to clash with his old bloodthirst and this is going to end terribly; none of this bodes well

“I… might have something that will help.” ……….I do not trust you, Gavilar. Dalinar's still the unstable barbarian here, but even he sounds more trustworthy than you right now.

This does not sound good this does not sound good this does not sound good-

“I can't help feeling words would be enough, if only I knew the right ones to say.” Okay so you're probably being tested as a proto-Bondsmith, but dude. Dude. This is not the way to go about it.

[tommyspeakycap]

Everything is Changing (5)

pairing: tommy shelby x reader

word count: about 3.5k

based loosely off of taylor swift’s “mary’s song (oh my my my)”.  (takes place during the events of season 1) flashbacks to childhood- which they’ll be lots of throughout the series- are italicized. 

summary: i suck at summaries lol. you and tommy have been the best of friends since you were big enough get from your doorstep to his and have been bridging the gap between best friends and a little more for years now. with the new arrivals in small heath, everything is falling apart and everything is changing.

part summary: Tommy finds a way to get back at Campbell in a way that won’t get him killed but get himself mildly injured in the process. He turns to Grace to patch him up instead of his best friend.

a/n: i havent written in ages lol!! also there's kind of less dialogue and interaction between reader and Tommy in this chapter as it kind of centres around Tommy and his feeling/thoughts. hope you guys still enjoy!!

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4

Grace attempts to use her large hat as a facial cover as she makes her way into the grand art gallery where she knew Inspector Campbell would be awaiting her to report back. He stands, blankly admiring something rather ugly to most and completely confusing to her really, but appreciated by the bourgeoise nonetheless. "I think the job is going to be more difficult than we originally thought." She states flippantly, making it look as though it's just casual conversation between to friends in an art gallery. "They're pretty solid. There's barely a crack to drive the wedge into." Campbell sighs heavily.

That's what he had been afraid of.

"That being said," She hums, "I think she loves him, and love may be the perfect wedge. If I pursue him and she continues to pursue her own love life then the pair will drift apart." A small part inside of her aches as she says it because she sees Tommy as the war-torn man that he is, and in driving you away from him she knows that she truly does run the risk of ruining completely any chance for him to hold onto the image of the man that he once was. She's heard the whispers on the street of what Thomas Shelby used to be like. She's heard stories in passing from older woman taking in hushed tones about the Shelby boy who had distinct goodness in his heart that seemed to have been blackened by the war that had stolen so much from so many.

Flashes of that boy are seen when Tommy Shelby allows his lips to pull into that smile and release that laugh. It happens rarely and Grace has only ever observed it when he was in your presence, but in those moments she often finds herself doubting that her job is doing what is truly right. Hurting that man, taking from him the only thing that seemed to really hold meaning to him, seemed so far from right. But then she was often reminded by men sitting at that bar maybe a little too drunk that Tommy was bad. They were grown men, scarred by the same war but still petrified of what the likes of Tommy could do to them if they didn't comply with the agenda that he was pushing.

Amongst words used to describe Tommy in the drunken rambles of emotional men were those such as 'that man is pure evi' though some even went as far as to call him 'the devil in a trench coat and peaky cap.' Though Grace of course didn't know much in regards to the validity of this statement, she had heard some of the very unsettling things for which he was responsible. However, no matter how bad everyone made him out to be or how afraid everyone was of Tommy Shelby, it was clear that you were almost always at ease and protected with him and the way that he always stood that little bit in front of you just in case because God knows that man is as paranoid as they come and his biggest fear is a life without you in it.

She learned very quickly that the whole of Small Heath knows your life is one people do not mess with. Tommy's most violent lashings were to those who may bring you harm. She could see why he loved you. You were gentle and loving and you looked past his sins to see the man beneath you had grown up with. You, unlike just about everyone else, seen the man that he could have been and the man that he was so deep down instead of the man he actually was. She just couldn't understand why you were so dedicated to him. You were much smaller and far less strong but she had been you stand up to men twice your size in his defence. She had seen you look after him and she could see how much you cared for him. It leaked out of you.

You gave him so much more than he could ever deserve and he still couldn't see how much you loved him.

She just couldn't understand it.

----

"Ada. Pol." Tommy says, acknowledging his aunt and sister as he enters the kitchen. His aunt barely flicks her eyes up to look at him standing there, taking off his cap while looking around trying not to be too obvious. Trying being the key word. Polly rolls her eyes.

"She's not here, Thomas." Tommy looks a mix of surprised that she knew exactly why he was there and disappointed that you weren't where he'd hoped you'd be. Ada sniggered slightly at this uncommon facial expression on her brother. "Ah," he hums, a somewhat uncomfortable silence filling the air as the two women could see Tommy having to restrain himself from asking where you were for fear of his desperation to speak to you leaking through in his words. This was the longest duration of time - since France - that you had gone without seeing each other. He had been spending a lot of his time thinking about how he could get back at Campbell for ever laying his hands on you.

"Right," Tommy says, clearing his throat and fixing his cap back on his head, "Suppose I uh," He stops to clear his throat again in a way that seems to have become common for him, "Better get back to work." Ada and Polly share a look as Tommy opens the front door, and the older woman sighs.

"The cafe round the corner from the Garrison." Tommy turns back around, leaning back around what had been the nearly closed door to look at his aunt with an eyebrow quirked questioningly. "You'll find (y/n) there." Relief flies through Tommy's eyes and he offers her a curt nod, but says nothing as he leaves.

"That fucking man," Polly sighs heavily, rubbing her forehead with her hand in frustration. Ada shakes her head with a sigh of her own. "And (y/n)." She says, "God knows she loves him too. They're the only ones who don't fucking see it." Polly only shakes her head, tearing her eyes away from the photograph on the window ledge depicting a pretty girl grinning at the camera with a smitten young man looking at her. That pretty girl was you, and the man was Tommy in a suit far too big for him. Young adults playing dress up in a world far too big and bad for such pure souls. Your smile is so big and so bright and you lean ever so slightly into the Shelby boy on your left who has has his arm around your waist. He had looked over at you at the last minute, just before the old camera clicked when you had laughed. It's a grainy old black and white photograph, but a even the hard of sight could see that Tommy Shelby's eyes shone in admiration for you. At that point life was by no means easy for either of you, but there had been no traumatising world war and Tommy didn't have to run a violent gang of men or a similarly violent business. Sure, there was a huge amount expected of him and he was definitely darker than most of the men his age but Tommy and he was present and not riddled with post traumatic stress.

"Makes you wonder doesn't it?" Ada asks, "If without that war, where they'd be?" Polly sips her now nearly cold tea in thought at her nieces words. "Probably together." She replies. "They've loved each other since they were just kids. Your mother used to talk about it all the time."

Dwelling on the fact would only cause more pain for Polly, who would be forced to think of her late sister in law who would've given anything for Tommy to have a life that would allow him to just love you the way he always wanted to. That was what everyone knew you both wanted. Ada remembers quite little about her mother, but she did know that Tommy was so special to her and that she would be devastated if she were alive to see how his life had ended up.

One thing that would never change, though, was that no matter what Tommy Shelby was doing - he was almost always chasing after you at the same time. You were often at the centre of whatever it was he was doing

That's why he had gone to try and find you that afternoon. He had to make sure you were with someone so you wouldn't go looking for him. He had given you a promise he wouldn't go after Campbell directly, but God knows Tommy had to find a way to get his revenge. There was no way that he was going to let someone, no matter who they were or how important they were, get away with hurting someone he loved. Especially not you.

He couldn't hurt Campbell directly, but if Tommy had learned one thing in his time - mostly from his grandfather - it was that there is always more than one way to issue a warning.

That's what Thomas was going to do.

Tommy presses his forearm down harshly, leaning over to the side to spit blood from his mouth. He turns back to the tall burly man who was definitely a fair bit bigger than he was. That clearly hadn't mattered much in the grand scheme of things because currently Tommy was the one who had the taller man pinned down on the wet scrapyard ground with the blade sown into the blinders hat pressed against the neck of the man Tommy had discovered was one of Campbell's. It would be so, so easy to make one flick of his wrist and the man beneath him would bleed out so fast. Not only was it easy, but it was also ever so tempting for the head of the Shelby family.

"You go back to your fucking inspector," Tommy seethes, moving the blade from the mans neck to next to his eye, "And fucking tell that if he ever lays a hand on (y/n) again-" He pauses to press the blade down and slide it along above his assailants eye. This promotes an agonised scream of writhing agony that makes it a little more difficult for Tommy to keep him pinned down. The gangster uses this opportunity to chuck his cap to the side and stand to rip the man off the floor and slam his back into the wall behind him. He leans in closer to his ear to enunciate his words to be heard clearly through the pain.

"You tell him Thomas Shelby will take more than his fucking eyes."

When inflicted with such pain, the biggest and harshest men often do crack and scuttle off like little boys to do as was told. That is exactly what this one did too.

Tommy 's chest jumps as he tries to catch his breath behind what was probably a few broken ribs that ache when he crouches to lift his cap up off the floor. His runs his hand over his face before spitting more blood out onto the ground as he makes his way out of the scrapyard knowing that the rain would wash away the blood pool he had left in his wake. His body does ache with every step that he takes, but really that isn't anything he isn't used to. He tunes more into the feeling of satisfaction he gets from hurting someone who present with Campbell in the market -keeping watch when you had gotten hurt.

Every time he looked at you and saw that big black eye and when he stood by the door as Polly cleaned the blood off the back of your neck from where Campbell had bashed your head against the wall, his heart would pump unadulterated rage through his entire body. You had nothing to do with missing guns, taking bets, collecting money, chasing bookies off of courses or any other of the violent, dangerous business that Tommy and his family get involved with. You were just a woman who grown from a little girl with a soft spot for Thomas Shelby. You didn't deserve to get hurt because of him.

That was why, when he seen Grace in the street and she stopped to ask him if he wanted to go back to the Garrison so she could clean him up, he said yes instead of going to you. From his very first bloody nose and black eye you had been the one making sure he was alright. After every fight and every bruise he came to you. Partly because he knew you would worry yourself sick if you didn't know he was safe and partly because you always made him feel markedly better - even if your medical expertise wasn't so fantastic.

He hated worrying you and he hated drawing you into his dirty business. He didn't want you to know that he was out there tearing people apart because people hurting you causes him so much anger and fear and grief that he physically couldn't contain himself whenever it happened. Somewhere deep down, he knew that he was truly just so in love with you that he didn't even know what to do with himself and he didn't want you to ever think poorly of him - not knowing that you honestly never could.

The man is always so busy thinking about what he can do to make sure you stay safe and that no one can get to you or hurt you that he often forgets that he can hurt you. He's pretty much dedicated his life to protecting you because he has absolutely no idea how to handle life without you in it. He loves you so much that his brain won't even let him accept it. He's mashed it down and mashed it down for so long. But he doesn't seem to realise that in mashing it down and letting the darkness the war brought to him take over the sweet, loving and bright man you had known four years ago - he is breaking your heart. Each day that he keeps you at arms length to try to keep you from a life he knows you don't deserve, he pushes you closer and to a man that isn't him.

Maybe that's why he's pursuing Grace. He honestly doesn't know why he does what he does.

He just knows that, as he sits in waiting for Grace to get the medical stuff form the back office in the pub that he wishes it could be you.

Thats when the door bangs open.

"Tommy!" You yelped, door clanging shut behind you as you rushed towards him. It was safe to say that he had no idea you would walk into the Garrison alone this late. "What the fuck happened to you?!" He stands up as you reach him and he goes to lift his hand to swat yours away in show of his distaste to your fussing, but his shoulder protests with a shot of pain that makes him wince when he moves to raise it. You can read him like a book and you could have caught that wince from a mile away.

"God Tommy, sit back down!" You're probably the only person who can give him an order that he'll actually follow. He doesn't really know what to say to you and can honestly barely bring himself to look you in the eye as you inspect the gash above his eyebrow that you knew must have been from a very forceful punch. You had gotten good at knowing what kind of injuries are caused by what after how many times you patched those boys up in that Watery Lane kitchen. "I think that'll need stitches," You mumble, the obvious concentration in your voice that sends a pain through Tommy's heart for what he knows is about to happen.

"(y/n)-" He tries, but you shut him up quick enough. "Why did you come to me? Were you just planning on sitting here bleeding 'till Harry opened in the morning? You know I don't mind-"

"I found some stuff in back-oh."

You whip your head around at the sound of another voice. You feel hurt and anger wafting through your body in a way you hadn't really felt before. You have to muster all of the strength that you have within you to not let the pain show on your face when the person you turn around to see standing there with gauze and alcohol.

"Ah," you mumble, turning back away from her and picking up your bag that you had dropped on the floor in your hurry to make sure that Thomas was alright. "I'll leave you guys to it."

Tommy stands up again in a hurry, his good arm clutching his painful shoulder as you turn on your heel far too quickly for him to catch up. You didn't slow down when he called out your name weakly and before he even had the chance to get half way to the door you were long gone. There's a silence between Grace and Tommy that hangs heavy in the air.

"You love her?" The new barmaid asks softly as she cleans out that cut on his eyebrow. The sting from that alcohol coated cloth burns, but there's no pain that anyone could inflict on him that would be worse than the pain he feels inside after watching your face fall like that. He knew you felt betrayed. You thought he could and would go to you for everything, to let you know he was okay when he got hurt. It was what he always done.

He knew how much you hate when things change, and with the amount of loss you've suffered in your life, people leaving you was one of your biggest fears. He knew you must've been heart broken right now. There's no physical pain that he doesn't feel like he deserves for being the cause of your hurt.

"Not in the way you think." He responds, watching her face to gauge her reaction. "Okay." She says, but Tommy knows she doesn't seem to believe him. "We grew up together," he states, clearing his throat, "Only real friend I ever had." The thought of that makes Grace grin softly at the hardened man trying to stop the adoration shining in his eyes just at the thought of you. "I see," she replies, "Why did you come here to me instead of going to her then?" That draws a slight sigh from the man in front of her.

"I fought next to her brother in France and his dying wish was that I protect his little sister. He gave his life for it. She got hurt because of me last week, Grace. I won't let it happen a second time." Grace doesn't know what to say to that. It almost hurts her heart a bit knowing that her mission was to further push him from you. Her mission was to get what she could from Thomas Shelby and her only way to do that was to separate him from you as much as was possible.

She knew this would break an already shattered man.

"It's good she's got Henry then?" Grace suggests, briefly flicking her eyes up to see what Tommy's reaction would be. His eyes are closed in discomfort from the alcohol she had just poured into the open wound on his shoulder, so she doesn't see the agony in his heart at those words. His eyes are one his only emotional giveaways if you look close enough. Those beautiful cerulean blues truly were a window into his heart if you knew how to interoperate him.

Tommy doesn't respond with words, he simply makes a sound through closed lips that sounds kind of like "Mhm." But less sure. Thinking about recounting this conversation to Inspector Campbell definitely raised a dash of guilt for the blonde woman. She truly did like Thomas. He was certainly not hard on the eyes, and she knew that somewhere under the million layers of armour and general discontent with the world was a man who truly deserved a lot more than the cards that he had been dealt.

That didn't change her job though, she knew what she had to do.

"Maybe this would make that feel a bit better?" Tommy only get a moment to open his eyes to see what she was going to do before her lips land on his. He doesn't know how to name the feeling he gets from it, but he knows that he will do anything he can to get the thought of you out of his brain.

So Tommy Shelby leans into the kiss and moves any feelings he might have about anything at all  into the back of his mind.

And Thomas Shelby decides he is so over having feelings.

[monkey-d-evy]

Theory / Thought: One Piece No 2 Luffy, the man who dreams of turning the world upside down.

⚠ Attention ❗Spoiler for Chapter 1000 and previous ⚠

So, in Chapter 1000 Ace told Yamato off screen what Luffy's dream is and asks him not to laugh about it, even though he and Sabo laughed about it when they were children. I didn't even notice it at first, but after reading it for the third / fourth time I noticed something about Yamato's answer.

Yamato tearfully replies that he would never make fun of it because the Pirate King had said exactly the same thing. So in this case it cannot be his dream of becoming the pirate king, because there is no way that Roger would ever have dreamed of holding this title. Roger never persued it, he was named that by Morgans (the newspaper) after doing what he did. I will not go into any further detail about this but...

Holy shit! We're not talking about Luffy's dream of becoming the pirate king!!

And then it hit me like Luffy's elephant gun, it might be his dream to "turn the world upside down". If I remember correctly, that was what he said to Rayleigh, when they said goodbye on Sabaody after the timeskip. And from Rayleigh's flashback we know that it was Roger's dream aswell (what Yamato might have known about), which he uttered when he met Rayleigh for the first time. Luffy probably put it into concrete terms to Ace and Sabo and they laughed. After all, they were just kids...

But what could be meant by turning the world upside down? Well, very likely to fight the injustice between the rich and the poor or to overthrow the ailing system with the tenryuubito and the nobility. I know, I know, this sounds too much like Dragon, although the two are not particularly similar in personality, never met and taken independent paths. Luffy is still a D and therefore "a natural enemy of the gods".

We must not forget that Luffy has a better understanding of the world than one might think at first glance. In Dressrosa he also remembered Goa and was able to draw parallels, such as the throwaway-mentality, not only of everything that is against the system but also simply everything that does not contribute enough to it, illustrated by the toys or the gray terminal, that he has obviously known since childhood and it will be clear to him that it is a global problem, what we can clearly see in Wano, which also suffers hunger, poverty and disease because of its ruler.

But Evy, he only learns that by visiting these islands, you might say now., but I would say they are manifesting his dream of ending tyranny. Learning about the world is a process that most of us go through as we get older. For Luffy, this process began with the Gray terminal and the nobility of his homeland, about which he must have learned a lot from Ace, but also above all, from Sabo, who has detailed insight from his origins.

A particularly dramatic experience was the conflict between Ace and Dadan regarding Sabo's death or more precisely Sabo's murderer, which Luffy overheard. We remember, Ace wanted to take revenge on the world aristocrat, who did this to Sabo, but Dadan stopped him and said, "It was this kingdom that killed Sabo. It was the world itself." Since he was so young, Luffy has not only learned that Goa is just a miniature of what is wrong in the world, but also who is the real enemy of the freedom that he not only wants for himself but for all people. And here we are again at Yamato and it becomes so clear why that moved him to tears, because he himself longs for this freedom and sees what Ace saw, Luffy as the man who is ready to fight for the freedom of all.

So why should he laugh at the man who dreams of turning the world upside down.

__________________________________________________

But that was just a thought I had. I hope I could explain what I mean, unfortunately, English is not my native language. Feel free to leave your thoughts on this in the comments below, I'd love to discuss this with you guys! Please remain factual and friendly even if you disagree. I am also very interested in constructive criticism if you find linguistic errors or have improvements in my writing style.

[janisarkisian]

You Drew Stars Around My Scars

Happy Holidays!! @the-sunflowerstar!!! I was your gifter from @darkalinas and @scxundress‘s gift exchange! I hope you like this nodrian fic I wrote for you!

Word Count: 1295

Pairing: nodrian (nova x adrian) 

Nova could so perfectly remember the last Christmas she experienced with her family. Evie had been small, and grumpy, so she couldn’t really partake in the festivities, but Nova had loved baking Christmas cookies with her Mom, and all the amazing memories. She could still practically taste the cinnamon of her mom’s snickerdoodle cookies. To this day, they were still her favorite. 

She could still see her dad’s smile when he said the word “Christmas.” He had playfully tackled her, and she ended up collapsing in a fit of giggles before she could truly fight back. She could still perfectly picture the fire he had failed to make twice in the fireplace, the one that had made their whole apartment feel like a home. 

Somehow, she had managed to get a frilly, green Christmas dress on Evie without putting her to sleep. Evie had been extremely intelligent, like Nova herself, for her age, and was walking already. She could even say a few different words. That had shocked the whole family. Still, Nova had danced around with Evie on her toes, and for that night, it had seemed like there was no Age of Anarchy. There were no Renegades, no Anarchists. Just one family, and one normal Christmas. 

In her whirlwind of memories, Nova had started crying. Evie could have been with her at that very moment, celebrating Christmas, if she had not chickened out. 

No. This was what she was supposed to be working on with her therapist. She couldn’t blame herself for this, even though it partly was her fault. She couldn’t change the result of terrible things that had happened all those years ago. All she could do was accept it, and remember her family in the best way possible. 

Sighing, she looked up at the fairy lights she had prompted Adrian to put up in his room. She had a feeling that he had put them up just for her, and the thought of it put butterflies in her stomach and made her pulse flutter. They always calmed her, especially when the normal lights were off like they were right now. Almost, in a small way, the environment reminded her of the warm feeling she had gotten from her own apartment as a child. In Adrian’s bedroom, there were no issues she had previously faced, and none were yet to come. It was just one bedroom like her apartment had been. 

“Nova?” She heard Adrian from the stairs that connected his bedroom to the general floor of the Mayor’s Mansion. 

 “Are you okay?” He asked her in a voice that Nova knew by heart. It was full of kindness, and care, some of the things she liked most about him. 

Shaking her head no, she tried to speak, something that had always been hard for her when upset.

“N-no,” Her voice quivered gently. His eyes were so soft and caring. Nova thought it must have been her imagination, the way he looked at her. It was so full of kindness and love, all the things Nova had never truly experienced for herself.

 “Do you want to talk to me about it,” Adrian asked, gently placing his hand on her arm to steady her shaking. 

“Yeah. I think I do,” She said, still a little shaky. Adrian was still looking at her, and it made her feel better to know that he always wanted her to take her time. He would never rush her, he would never leave. He was always there for her. “So, what happened is I started having memories about my family on Christmas Eve. No traumatic flashbacks. Just good ones. They still hurt a little though.” 

“They would have been so proud of you,” His smile crinkled and widened just enough that Nova could see the little dimple above his cheek that she always prided herself on getting to see. 

“How do you know?” She asked, uncertain. She had done so many terrible things that she was aware of. Maybe she had been guilt-tripped and manipulated, but she had still done them. She had been faced with a decision between doing right, and doing wrong. and every single time she had chosen wrong. She had been very, very wrong. 

“Dad always says that whenever you do good things, even just simplethings, like smiling or playing with Max, he always sees your father in you. And I bet you have so much of your mother in you too. Trust me, they would have been so proud.” 

A small grin started to appear on her face. “Do you really think they would have been?” 

“I know they would have been.” She sat with him there on his old, musty couch for what could have been minutes, or could have been hours. She had always been used to the silence of nights, so being in a basement with the lights off, in silence, that just made it so much better. 

Finally, the self-doubt started to arise again. It had never been uncommon for her. The only difference was that now she cared to do something about it. 

“Hey, Adrian?” She said softly, her breath still caught from the tears that had only recently cleared up. 

“Yes Baby Girl?” He said with that look in his eyes that made Nova want to fall in love with him all over again. She wished she could. 

“Can I have a hug?” She asked, almost embarrassed that she had such an absurd request. 

“I’ll give you as many hugs as you want. All I want is for you to be happy, and if that means hugs, I’ll hug you until the day I die, Nova Artino.”  As she wrapped her arms around Adrian, she felt all the anxiety, stress and worries that had been piling up inside her flooded out. It was just her and Adrian. No one else mattered. No one else was there. 

They remained silent, and Adrian’s fingers worked their way through her hair. She would probably never admit to him how much she enjoyed it. Actually, she loved it when he touched him at all. 

“Ew! You two are gross!” Tearing away from Adrian’s embrace, she turned to see Max fake-gagging on the staircase.

Nova turned to Adrian, grinning. “Did you hear that?” She asked Adrian, still grinning, “He thinks we’re adorable.” 

Max opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, she put her arms around Adrian’s neck, pulled him close, and kissed him. 

She was absolutely positive that this was better than the first time they had kissed. When they had kissed the first time, she had been so troubled, and so touch-starved. Truthfully, she was still touch-starved, and every time she neared Adrian, she became more so. It was that when they kissed now, they weren’t enemies. They were just two kids who were over-the-moon for each other. 

“Can you guys stop?” She heard Max’s adorable yet annoying voice in the background. 

In response, Adrian pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. Laughing, Max started to make his way up the stairs, “I’ll just tell Dad and Pops you two don’t want your Christmas Eve gifts then….” 

Letting her lips leave Adrian’s Nova looked at Max. “Gifts?” 

“I knew that would get your attention,” Max grinned, “I heard Simon saying he got you a pretty great gift.

She looked over to Adrian, who was grinning as wide as Max, and he nodded in confirmation. 

They all started up the stairs, and Nova stopped. The feeling she was experiencing was like no other, and for once, she felt happy. Just plain happy. There was no added stress or anxiety, just happiness. 

“Nova? Are you okay?” Adrian looked at her, puzzled. 

“Yeah,” She smiled. “I’m happy.”

[robin-oliver]

you’re somebody else | matt + robin (flashback)

“Come on, Ro. It’s the best high you’ll ever have, the rush is fucking amazing.”

Robin shrugged, taking the three pills and washing them down with her drink. She hadn’t even really paid attention to what type of pills they were, just the promise of forgetting. She needed to escape, to stop thinking for a while. It was payback to her Mum, who never thought Robin could do things like this and still get out of Spenningdale. It was payback to her Dad, for leaving and taking a piece of her with him whether he wanted it or not, but perhaps most importantly to her at this moment, it was payback to Jack for acting like a child and leaving her at this party - the last party they’d have before leaving for uni. Robin was angry, but mostly she was sad, and hopefully soon, she wouldn’t feel anything.

Robin quickly finished her drink and smiled up at Matt with her eyebrows raised. “Happy now?” He smirked. “Very. And soon you will be too. Good riddance Jacky, the party’s better off without your shit attitude and even shittier music.” He let out a loud laugh and Robin shook her head, already looking around for another drink to help her push any thoughts of Jack out of her mind - his stupid argument with Matt over music, his insistence in leaving the party, her begging him to stay, the angry words they exchanged, staring after him as he retreated through the crowd. The nagging feeling of abandonment that was gnawing at her. “I don’t want to talk about Jack anymore, let’s just have fun, Matty.” Matt laughed again and threw an arm around Robin, holding up his drink.

“Yeah, fuck Jack.”

Robin had been fucked up many, many times before this, but never like she was now. She staggered away from the crowd where she’d been dancing with Matt, grabbing at the wall for support as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She barely registered the feeling of an arm around her waist to steady her, and for a moment she even thought it might be Jack coming back to surprise her; however, the thought quickly vanished as she heard Matt’s voice in her ear. “Doth my eyes deceive me? Or is Robin Oliver, who can always handle her alcohol, absolutely shitfaced?” Robin rolled her eyes, weakly pushing Matt. “Fuck off…” She protested, distantly noticing how slurred her words were. Jesus. She thought about the pills and laughed. “You were right, Matty. The pills… The music... Everything is perfect.” She let out another laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Let’s keep dancing, we’re having so much fun… Let’s not stop now.” Matt threw his head back and let out a boisterous laugh. “You can barely stand up straight, Ro. Come on, you need to sit down for a bit.”

Before Robin could object, she could feel Matt guiding her towards the stairs and presumably up to his room. She did mutter a matter-of-fact, “I could have just sat on the sofa,” which made Matt laugh again. “With all those annoying fuckers in there? Nah, only the best for you Robbie.” She groaned and put a clumsy hand to his lips. “Shh don’t call me that... You’re right though.” She laughed and her hand dropped back to her side. Everything felt choppy, like moments were being spliced together with seconds or minutes at a time missing completely. Maybe she should just be going home, or to Jack’s. No. She should be with Jack. She’d pushed any thoughts of him out of the way the entire night, but now he was the only thing floating through her head. She was fully leaning into Matt at this point, shaking her head, trying to release Jack from her mind. She spoke about him instead as Matt helped her into a sitting position on his bed, it didn’t help. “Can you believe Jack was such an asshole tonight? To just leave like that. He can be such a dick sometimes… I really love him though.” Robin laughed - those words had never left her mouth before, even in moments when she could have said them to Jack, they’d always remained locked away in the safety of her thoughts.

She shook her head, resting it against Matt’s arm as they walked up the stairs. “I really fucking love him, Matt. Is that how you feel about Evie? Where she can be so frustrating but she’s still the person you want to be with over anything? ” Robin looked up at Matt with a smile, taking her free hand to tap her finger on his nose as she laughed. He suddenly appeared so uncharacteristically serious and it made Robin laugh harder. “I love you too, Matty. You and Leo… My boys. You’re never a dick, Matt… You know? You wouldn’t leave me. You’re always there - everyone’s golden boy. Jack is different though… He’s my favorite person... I don’t know, maybe I should call him? Make sure he got home safely.” Robin swayed back and forth a bit as Matt helped her into a sitting position on the edge of his bed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Robin. Let’s not let Jack ruin the night. He’s probably already asleep, anyway.” Robin thought about this for a moment and nodded. “Yeah…” The mere motion of the nod threw her off balance, yet she was still attempting to stand up from the bed and pull him up with her. “We should go back down and dance, Matty.” Matt let out a tight laugh but didn’t move, even at Robin’s attempts to pull him up. “We just got up here? Do you really think you’re going to be able to dance when you can barely stand up? Come on, Ro.” Robin laughed and pushed him. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I should just go home... My Mum will be pissed.” Matt let out another laugh as he wrapped his arm around her to steady her and keep her from standing up. “Since when have you given a single fuck what your Mum thought? You’re absolutely fucked, just stay here. Jacky doesn’t have to know.”

Jack. His name was the only part of the sentence her cloudy mind settled on and she let out a laugh, nodding again, then languidly rested her head against his shoulder. She barely registered the implication of the rest of Matt’s words, or his hand that was now resting on her thigh, gently pushing up the hem of her skirt. Robin laughed again, this time turning her head away and weakly pushing at his hand. “Matty… What’re you -” She started, interrupted by Matt’s own laugh. “Chill, it’s just meant to be some fun. Jack’ll never know. Haven’t you always wondered what it’d be like? I was your favorite first, right?” She shook her head adamantly, which only made her dizzier, as Jack appeared once again at the forefront of her mind. “What? No... I don’t want that.” Robin pushed at Matt’s hand again, and this time it moved swiftly from her leg, his face laced with an underlying emotion Robin’s drunken mind couldn’t settle on. Frustration? Maybe. Then Matt’s face softened, the faintest look of amusement in his eyes. Amusement and a touch of irritation. “Relax, you didn’t think I was actually going to do anything, did you, Ro? Jesus, it was just a joke, you’re more wasted than I thought.” He laughed again and Robin hesitated for a moment, confused yet relieved, and much too tired to do anything other than just go along with what Matt was saying. She let out a small laugh and nodded. “Yeah - yeah, totally…”

She fell back onto Matt’s bed then, letting out a laugh as the ridiculous idea of him trying anything with her for anything other than a joke set in. Of course it was a joke, Matt was like the brother Robin never had, he’d never do anything to mess that up. She felt herself sink into the softness of his mattress - a welcoming feeling to her inebriated mind and body. Robin stared up at the ceiling as the room spun around her, struggling to keep her eyes open as she felt Matt pushing hair out of her face. She laughed again, waving a hand in front of her face before it dropped onto the bed beside her.. “These pills are fucking crazy, I feel like I’m floating… Everything is spinning.” She rubbed at her face with her hand and shook her head lazily. “I think… Maybe I just need to rest for a minute before we go back downstairs, Matty.” She mumbled, closing her eyes as the interaction they’d just had quickly faded from her memory. Matt was talking again, but Robin wasn’t really hearing what he was saying. She kept fading in and out of consciousness, at one point hearing a voice saying her name, then feeling a tug at her clothes, and then once more with a heavy pressure pinning her down.

The next time she came to, everything was quiet and her body felt damp with sweat.

--

Robin woke up the next morning to the sound of a phone vibrating, the sensation of sheets sticking to her skin, and her head pounding so hard she nearly vomited. She laid still for a moment with her eyes closed, trying to control the nausea rising in her, before mustering the strength to sit up and look for her phone. It was only then that Robin realized she wasn’t in her room, or Jack’s - the only two places she ever ended up after a night out. She was in Matt’s room, in his bed in only her bra and underwear, her clothes discarded in a pile on the floor, with Matt asleep next to her, and absolutely no recollection of what happened the night before. That realization was enough to make her stomach lurch. Robin sat wrapped in Matt’s sheets for a second, trying to piece together any memory from the night before, when she heard the phone vibrating again. She leaned over the side of the bed for her clothes, finding her phone beneath them with a new message from Jack, and four before that.

00:43 hey u djehrbshag

missed call

01:23 ri knw ur pissed atme but tiqsll come dto mine tonight? i’ll make it up txo you ;)

01:51 i didn’t want to leave you, matt’s such a dickm. call me when yowu leave othe party

missed call

03:05 are you alive??? ie’m sorry rockin <3333

09:53 please just text me when you’re up x

So they’d had an argument and Jack left? Jack and Matt had gotten into it too? None of it explained how she’d ended up in Matt’s bed basically half naked. Shit. 

Once Robin had her clothes on she nudged Matt awake, determined to get answers. He grumbled for a moment and turned over to look up at her. Before he had a chance to talk, she looked down at him. “What the fuck happened last night, Matt? Why did I sleep here? And my clothes? What the fuck?”

Matt looked up at Robin with an amused smile. “You don’t remember, Ro? You were plastered out of your mind last night.” He laughed and shook his head. “Jack was being a pussy and left the party, so we had a good time - you tried some pills and needed to rest so I brought you up here then went back down to the party. When I came back later you were passed out in bed with your clothes on the ground.” Matt shrugged with a small laugh. “I was pretty fucked too. Not a big deal, we had a great time.” Robin nodded slowly, her cheeks flushing at how stupid she had to have been to strip down to just her bra and underwear in her best friend’s bedroom. At least it was just Matt and not some creep. Still, there was a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. Had she ever done that before? A large part of her knew not, but she filed that away and chose to trust him. Why wouldn’t she? “Right, yeah… Of course.” He smirked and motioned to her phone. “What? Is Jacky feeling left out about missing it? You can tell him we had a great time without him.” She let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes, pushing away any of the weird feelings she was having and dismissing them as just embarrassment and a really shitty hangover. “Yeah, whatever.” Robin ruffled Matt’s hair. “Well I’m off then, time to face the wicked witch and explain my prolonged absence last night.” She walked towards the bedroom door but turned around with a smile. “Thanks for looking out for me last night, Matty.” He smiled and nodded. “Always, Robbie.”

Robin pulled out her phone to text Jack as she closed the front door behind her.

Sorry, alive and hungover. Let’s just forget about last night. Can I come round later? Have to fight off mum now x

[hitchell-mope]

(Third film. After “losing your memory”. Devie are back in their room and Evie looks beyond haunted. Doug is trying to calm her down but it’s not working)

Evie: why didn’t it work?

Doug: I really couldn’t tell you

Evie: of course I know why it didn’t work. I mean it should’ve worked and it didn’t. I still feel the same. I’m still angry. Why am I still angry? You saw me. I was bawling my eyes out.

Doug: the best I can tell you is that your feelings of abandonment aren’t rooted in unknowing. Perhaps. It’s not him you’re sad for. Maybe you’re just sad about what could’ve been. What you could’ve had. With him and Hadie

Evie: they’re going to be wanting an answer

Doug: so you tell them the truth

(In the kitchen)

Mal: you realise you have meat pulp around your face and on your nose right?

Ben: do I? Hm. (He wipes his mouth and nose with the back on his hand, sniffs it, shrugs and licks off). Better? What’s wrong?

Mal (eyes wide as dinner plates): absolutely nothing wrong at all.

Ben (giggling dorkily): ok

Evie (walking hurriedly into the kitchen): I watched the memory. And I have something to say. (Her father and brother look at her hopefully). I’m not ready to forgive you. I might never be ready. But I am willing to takes very small steps into letting you be apart of my life. You just have to let me set the tone. Alright? If not. Then I want nothing to do with either of you and Mal can keep keep you both. Capisce?

Hades: that sounds more then fair.

Hadie: yes. Much more then either of us deserve. Could I have the hat back now?

Evie: take it. Oh! By the way. I might have interfered with the memory a little bit.

Hades: OH! So that was you then. Your spell work is very impressive Evie

Evie: thank you. I think

(Gil is watching from the doorway. Happy to see his family is somewhat getting along, he goes to the living room and flops down next to Lonnie who’s being used as a human pillow by Jane)

Lonnie: you ok?

Gil: yeah. I like it when they’re happy.

Lonnie: you like it when everyone’s happy

Gil: yah cause it’s the greatest emotion evah (Lonnie quietly snorts). It makes a change from when I first got here though. Remember that. Everyone was so sweet to me. But I could tell I got on their nerves

Lonnie: you could never get on anyone’s nerves. It was just a...really weird time for everyone. Belle was trying to get Adam to agree to the divorce. Ben was ordering Uma’s statue. The memorial was being planned. But you always took precedent. You know that. Right?

Gil: yeah. I just don’t like that I made everyone feel they needed to devote all that time to me. I was really difficult to teach. And I cried a lot

Lonnie: never be ashamed of crying. It’s perfectly healthy.

Gil: I know that now. But remember who my birth father is. One misty eye and it was a punch in the face. But at least mom helped me unlearn all of that.

Lonnie: yeah. (Chuckling). Remember, remember that one time after your first month here

Gil (joining her in chuckling): oh god the car. Doug was so sweet. I can tell what Evie sees in him. Whew. That was. That was a good day.

Lonnie: yeah, yeah it was.

(Flashback time. One month after Gil arrives in Auradon. He’s been officially adopted by Belle. And now Doug is trying to teach him to drive. Belle watches out the window of her quarters as Doug and Gil swaps seats. This is when “strange sight” happens. A few weeks after tne song. Belle trudges back into her office. Elsa’s there at her desk, waiting for her)

Belle (wearily): please get out of my chair.

Elsa: only one in this office I can sit in without fixing it. Chocolate liqueur?

Belle: please. (She takes twenty). You will not believe the day I just had

Elsa: Mal filled me in. Some people just can’t take the hint

Belle: I don’t want money, Ben’ll be eighteen soon so I don’t need custody, I just want him out.

Elsa: about that. I, uhm, got bored, and I rifled through the papers you so carelessly left out on the desk and I found something that might be of interest to you. Here you go (she hands Belle a piece of paper) you own the school.

Belle: I know that. I had to twist his arm to let me sign it in my name

Belle: yes. And while you may not need custody or money, you still need to protect what’s yours.

Belle: he could come after the school.

Elsa: precisely.

(Belle flops down onto a couch. Elsa goes to the wet bar)

Belle: he wasn’t always like this you know. He used to be good. But being elected. It warped him. And I can’t

Elsa: it’s not your fault, here, drink. You changed him from beast to man. But he’s still a selfish brat deep down. Nothing you or anyone could’ve done would’ve changed that.

Belle: I know. It’s just

Elsa: irritating? Yah. I got that. You need to take you’re mind off of all this

Belle: what do you suggest?

Elsa: what did carlos make for you’re birthday last week?

Belle: immersive karaoke machine. Why?

Elsa (proofing the machine into the room): pick the song. Unwind. Then wring your ex’s neck

Belle: anything by Beyoncé. Mal got my interest piqued

Elsa: she was a very impressive entertainer

(Elsa clicks the numbers in and everything gets set up. This is when “if I were a boy” happens. After the song. Mal pops her head around the door)

Mal: asset dividing went well I see? Good song choice

Elsa: thank you dear.

Belle: anything wrong Mal?

Mal: nope. Just enjoying the show. Oh. And the WI Dinner. Scorpio room alright?

Belle: should be more then adequate. Is that all?

Mal: no I don’t think so. Just. Don’t worry about Auradon Prep. You’ll think of something. You always do.

Belle: thank you dear. I like the fringe by the way.

Mal: you would be the fourth

Belle: beg pardon?

Mal: well Ben, mom, Gil, and now you. Four. Jay and Carlos tease. Evie’s threatening to shave me bald in my sleep. Doug has no opinion. Dizzy thinks it’d look better on her. And Lonnie and Jane think it makes me look like a soccer mom

Elsa: well then...uh...

Mal: nah don’t worry. I said I’d have it for a month. And it’s been two days. Hopefully my sisters brain will melt from annoyance

Belle: g-good to know

Mal: aces. I’ll leave you to it then. See ya

(She walks down the hall. Artfully dodging the palace staff. Soon though she reaches the main staircase as well as Ben and Adam who’re are in the middle of an argument)

Adam:...if you had just listened to me then none of this ever would’ve happened!

Ben: yes it would’ve dad! Wether you want to face the truth or not, what happened at cotillion could’ve happened at literally any other time. I’m just thankful it happened when the cameras were on us. Cause at least then everyone could see that it’s people like you that drove Uma to it

Adam: of course, I forgot, I’m the bad man for thinking of the kingdom and you’re the alruist for putting up statues of our aggressors!

Mal (having heard enough from Adam): Uma was not an aggressor. The raccoon, yes, but Uma, no. (Adam starts to growl). Oh don’t look at me like that. What are you going to do? Throw a chair at me? (Her eyes glow emerald green). Go on then. Do it! I can more then assure you that it shan’t be me that it makes contact with. (Her eyes return to normal). Give the word Ben and I’ll turn him into something easily burned with a magnifying glass. If not I’ll be in your room

Ben: nah. He’s not worth it. Besides. He’d just start raving again. And nobody needs that. Please dad, just leave.

Adam: you need me son, you need me, Ben. The half dwarf has no idea how to assist you in running this kingdom

Ben: DOUG, knows a right sight more about the inner workings of the kingdom than you do. There’s a reason he’s my major-domo. And I know what you’re thinking. “He’s gonna be crawling back and asking for my help sooner or later. He’ll feel so stupid. Oh how he should’ve listened to me” (he laughs mockingly). Yeah remember I can read minds now. And I won’t. Don’t worry. I’m not gonna come crawling back. I’m good, we don’t need you, we’re good, I feel good

(This is when “feeling good” happens. Ben leaves his father twitching on the grass, rubs his face in frustration and poofs to his room. Mal’s in the kitchenette looking at a bottle of her medication)

Mal: I’ve got enough to last until the end of the week. But I’ll go into town and get some more later today. Just to be on the safe side

Ben (distractedly): sounds good

Mal: you ok?

Ben: mhmm...no. It’s just. He gets to me. You know. He knows how to push my buttons

Mal: oooh I’ve been there. You know you can always make an appointment with Milo, right?

Ben: yeah. Just not right now. M’not ready

Mal: that’s ok too. If you’re in the mood for it. We could fit in a quick “flight session” before dinner?

Ben: flight session or “flight session”?

Mal: second one

Ben: mmmm...no. Not in the right headspace. But we can fly properly later if ya like

Mal (understandingly): sounds perfect. But we should really do something to take your mind off your father. So how about we practice for the showcase?

Ben: fairy godmother said our song choice wasn’t viable for a school environment. And then paired you up with Evie.

Mal: well. How about we prevtice your one. You know. The one you’re doing with Lonnie

Ben (smiling): that sounds good

(Mal sets up the automatic piano. This is when “changes” happens. After the song Ben notices something)

Ben: hey mom! Hold up! (He pods down to the front of the palace to greet his mother). Watcha doing?

Belle: I’m off to the library

Ben: I thought we had one inside.

Belle: yes. Yea we do. But it’s not been updated apart from legal documents for 22 years. Therefore. I thought I’d take on the duty of updating it. Like it should be

Ben (cracking a wide grin): pick out some for me. You know what ones I like

Belle: will do

Ben: what brought all this on though. I’ve never seen you this happy. I like it.

Belle: getting a divorce can do wonders for a woman’s confidence. See you later tonight.

(She starts to head off)

Ben: hey mom!

Belle: yes?

Ben: Phillipe II’s been looking a little lonely

Belle (realising what Ben means): of course. Now I really must be going. Bye bye

Ben: byeee

(This is when “float” happens. A few weeks later Gil’s at the ROAR arena watching Lonnie lead the team in training)

Carlos: you know, you’re not gonna get anywhere with her just by staring

Gil: I-I am not-staring, puh hoohaa, ehhhh, is it that obvious?

Carlos: only from space

Gil: ah. (Whimpering) help meee. Please?

Carlos: you know what she likes. ROAR. Gossip. And weapons in general. You’ll be fine.

Gil: ok. Ok. I can do this. I’ll be fine

(After practice he approaches her as she’s packing to leave)

Gil: teach me

Lonnie (slightly surprised): hm?

Gil: I know how to fight like a pirate. And I know how to wrestle a grown man until his tendons snap beneath my fingers. But I don’t know ROAR. So I was wandering. Could you teach me?

Lonnie: of course. Only if you agree to do exactly what I say when I say it without argument

Gil: no arguments from me. So when do we start?

Lonnie: hmmmmm. For safety’s sake, considering this this your first time at ROAR, how about now?

Gil: works for me.

Lonnie: alrighty then. Grab that spare sword and we’ll get started

Gil: as you wish captain

(He takes the spare sword and they start practicing. This is when “strangers like me” happens. Well after the song Gil’s whooping down the corridor past Jay and Carlos)

Jay: somebody’s happy

Carlos: yeah I might have given him the final push he needed to ask Lonnie out

Jay: impressive. I’m proud of you. Ya big softie

Carlos: you would’ve done the same. Except you’d have added more beer

Jay: this is true. But still. You did a good thing dear.

Carlos: yeah. At least they get to move on together next year

Jay: ahhhh...wait, what? Whadya mean next year?

Carlos: oh nothing, you’re graduating this year, next year I’ll have a new roommate, and long distance hardly ever works

Jay (turning Carlos around to face him): C, look at me, long distance is gonna work. You know me. I’m lazy as sin.

Carlos: yeah, that’s probably true. But still. It’s gonna be difficult. Like really, really, really, difficult

Jay: what makes you say that?

Carlos: I mean look at you, you’re a freaking genie for gods sake. More to the point, you’re a free genie. People are gonna eat you up my friend.

Jay: ohhhh. You’re jealous.

Carlos: I’m not jealous. I’m insecure. There’s a difference

Jay: riiiight. I know how to deal with jealousy. But not insecurity

Carlos: I don’t expect you to. It’s my problem. And I’m the one who’s gotta deal with it. Not you. And oh Christ there’s the kingdom to consider

Jay: oho kay. I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill right now

Carlos: it’s fine. I don’t expect you to get it. But please just let me vent.

Jay: sure. Vent away

(This is when “the last of the real ones” happens. That night in the family library, Ben finds Belle at the main table. She’s crying quietly)

Ben: hey, Mal and I are going out for dinner. I just wanted to let you know. Are you alright?

Belle: yeah. Just. I dunno. Feeling sorry for myself I suppose. I uh, I found something that brought back memories

Ben: good or bad memories?

Belle: oh good, very good, that’s what made me sad

Ben (reading the book title): “William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: First Edition Illustrated”. Ohhhh. Oh you taught him to read with that didn’t you?

Belle: retaught him. He was cursed for almost ten years by then. He’d forgotten. (She abruptly stands up, sending the chair flying). Oh god why am I crying about him. It’s stupid. I’m divorcing him. He’s out of my life

Ben: I hate to play the devils advocate but he isn’t. Because of me you won’t be rid of him until his funeral procession. Which can’t come soon enough in my opinion.

Belle: it’s a stupid memory

Ben: no it’s not, cause it meant something to you.

Belle: I taught you too well

Ben: well it was either you teach me manners or Lumiere teach me flirting. Frankly we’re lucky the only thing I can play on piano is the assorted hits of David Bowie

Belle: you do play a good Starman. What are you doing?

Ben (pulling out his phone): calling Mal. Hey. Yeah it’s me. Mom’s got something going on. But you, Doug and Evie can go on without me. Oooh yes! Jane loves that restaurant. She’d love to go. See you tomorrow morning. Love you. Bye. And now you’re stuck with me for the night Maman

Belle: you don’t have to do this. You’re young. You should be having fun. Not stuck here with your elderly mother

Ben: I’ve got whiskey

Belle: so Downton Abbey, yes?

(Five hours and six bottles later they’re cry-laughing at the season one finale when Ben looks at his phone)

Ben: oh Christ. Is that the time. I should really be getting to bed

Belle: goodnight dear. I’ll keep watching

(Ben heads for the door. Then stops and turns back around to face her. This is when “strange sight reprise” happens. After the song, he leaves and the scene melts away back to the present. Gil and Lonnie are still on the couch looking very confused)

Lonnie: that was, uh, a weird flashback

Gil: I wasn’t there for half of that stuff

(They see something next to the mantelpiece)

Gilonnie: Camelot incense

Lonnie: Mal must have lit them

Gil: serves Evie right for buying in bulk.

Uma: what the fuck are you two on about

Gil: oh. Hey Uma. Didn’t see you there. We were, um, we were remembering what I was like when I first got here.

Uma: like I care. I don’t wanna hear about your perfect little life.

Lonnie: that’s my cue to leave. Or I’ll put your head through a wall.

Uma: ohhhh you could try. You wouldn’t be successful. But you could try

Lonnie: I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me Gil. As you you, you tricorn wearing whiny ass little loser. If you upset him. You answer to me. Capisce?

Uma: I don’t eat anything the bitch cooks. I’d rather die

Lonnie: keep acting the way your acting, that could very well happen

(Lonnie leaves. Gil looks disapprovingly at Uma)

Gil: she’s right you know

Uma: what?

Gil: eventually, everyone will stop trying to understand you. And they will leave you. Again. And you’ll be alone. Again. Is that really what you want?

Uma: I don’t need friends to know I’m right

Gil: BUT YOU’RE NOT! NEITHER OF YOU ARE RIGHT! She did one shitty thing to you ten years ago and what did you do? You let it consume you. You sent Harry after Carlos, the one she sees as her son, then last year you kidnapped and hypnotised the love of her life. And now. When both she and Ben are trying to give you leeway you keep pushing back. Because you are so fucking terrified of showing some much needed weakness that you’d rather push away anyone who gives somewhat of a damn about you wether it’s me or Harry or Ben or Morg

Uma: SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! YOU DONT KNOW ME! NONE OF YOU DO! YOU NEVER DID! AND YOU NEVER WILL!

Gil: yeah, cause you won’t let us. And that’s where you fail Uma. You never let anyone in

(Gil leaves the room passing Doug and Celia on the way)

Doug: Ben would like everyone back in the kitchen please. Hades and Mal have something they want to say

Uma: later.

Doug: no, now. Trust me. You’ll wanna here this

Uma: you’re not the boss of me. No matter how good looking you are

Doug: this is my house. Captain Facillier.

Celia: give us a minute.

Doug: you get ten.

(They watch Doug leave. Celia grabs Uma’s arm and practically throws her onto the couch)

Uma: what the hell was that for?

Celia: shut up. Just sit back and pay attention.

Uma: what are you doing?

Celia: relighting the Camelot incense.

Uma: why?

Celia: because dad cares. Just remember. These operate on Merlin’s magic. Which is rather unreliable. So we’ll probably see more then we need to

Uma: what?

Celia: just shut up and let me work. Alright?

(Once she lights the incense then she mutters a quick spell in french and once again the scene gives way to a flashback. This time to Facillier’s arcade on the island. The news is on the tv. Ben looks apologetic. He’s talking about a statue. Facillier’s watching and he looks broken)

Uma: why are we here?

Celia: this is six months ago. Aka; six months after you disappeared and Ben’s just declared you legally dead, highly reluctantly might I add. See Uma, you were missed. Even if you don’t think so. It practically broke our dad. Ah crap.

Uma: what?

Celia: I forgot.

Uma: forgot. WHAT?

Celia: ah, heh heh. Yuh see errrr

Ursula: 🎶OH ANTOINE!!!!🎶

Uma: no.

Celia: I am so sorry

(The door is blasted open and in slithers Ursula in all her slithery cephalopodic “glory”)

Ursula (slurring her words a little): I came as soon as I heard.

Facillier: what? To rub it in?

Ursula: why ever would I do that? I’ve lost my only daughter and only wish to seek >hic< comfort in the arms of the only man I’ve ever >belch< loved

Facillier: my god, you’re drunk aren’t you?

Ursula (giggling and belching simultaneously): muhbe a lil bit?

Facillier: oh Christ I should’ve known. You’re only here to gloat about how I can never see Uma again. Only you can’t be blamed for it

Ursula: oh don’t beat yourself up honey. Who knows. One day she may yet reappear. After (brap) all, every soul lost to the depths makes its way to me. It’s the law of the ocean. I’m like that fiery gent you sleaze around with. Only I’m more important

Facillier: get out

Ursula (stammering): what?

Facillier: get out! Go on! GET OUT! GET YOUR DRUNKEN BLUBBERY ASS OUT OF MY HOUSE! NOW!!!!

Ursula (turning on the, very, very, false, waterworks): but, but, but-

Facillier (having flat out lost his patience by now): BUT NOTHING! I don’t want you here. Not near me. Not near Celia. Get out. Sober your ass up. Or never contact me again

Ursula (actually starting to get nervous now): but this is how we work. I show up here drunk, you join me, then we end up in bed and

Facillier: not this time. If you want to talk to me, then stop downing the sixteen bottles of fermented grog you filch at the pier. And don’t, don’t do that

Ursula: don’t do what?

Facillier: oh god do I have to spell it out for you?

(This is when “call me when you’re sober” happens. After the song he wafts Ursula away in a plume of magenta smoke)

Facillier: you can come in now

Anastasia (sheepish smile): I uh, I saw Ursula headed for you and I thought you might need someone in your corner. How’re you doing?

Facillier: about as good as can be expected. But at least punches weren’t thrown

Anastasia: yeah. It’s just a shame there’s nothing they can do

Facillier: well they already went over the legal requirements and I know enough about the king to know he didn’t make the call off lightly. But it’s still disheartening. She might still be out there. Alone. With no one to help OH SHIT

Anastasia: what is it. What’s wrong?

Facillier (putting his jacket on as he heads for the door): Celia! I’ve got to go somewhere. I might be gone for so time. Ana’s going to stay here to look after you. Be good, behave and please try not to fleece anyone who doesn’t deserve it.

Flashback!Celia (from upstairs): will do. See ya later. Bye

Anastasia: what’s. Wrong?

Facillier: the boy. Uma wasn’t alone. He was with her

Anastasia: fuck. Do you think hades knows?

Facillier: I don’t know. If he does. He’s probably drinking himself into a stupor. Either way. He needs someone

Anastasia: then fly you fool

Facillier: I really shouldn’t have found that disc for you

Anastasia: oh you wouldn’t changed it for the world

Facillier: yeah you’re right

(He poofs away in a cloud of fuchsia smoke. In the shadows Celia turns to Uma who has a pained look on her face)

Celia: this was all I know. Well. What he told me. What happens next will be a complete surprise to both of us. So. Do you continue?

Uma: yes. Fine. I need to know. Just get on with it

(Celia nods her head and the scene melts away into smoke the reappears in a brightly lit, well cared for but still run down bar. The signage says “Kronk’s Tavern”. Facillier approaches Hades (Eva Green) who’s sitting on a barstool and drowning her sorrows in tequila and gin. End of this part of the Facillier flashback)

[capricornus-rex]

Two Sides of the Coin (13)

Chapter 13: Strange Way of Finding Things | Jidné Sheedra x Cal Kestis

Summary: Hell-bent on exacting revenge and retrieving the Holocron, the dreaded Darth Vader is now on the hunt for the young Jedi Knight, Cal Kestis. Under the assumption that he still possessed the artifact, while fueled by the intrigue of the boy’s strength and skill with the Force, the dark lord hires the bounty hunter, Jidné Sheedra, to track him down and have him delivered alive. However, the task becomes a trial for young Jidné, as she faces a conflict that tests her beliefs of a scarred past she had hidden for so long.

A/N: This was supposed to be a full-length flashback chapter but I looked at the word count and I just-- 😳😵😧😬 So I just decided to split it because I don’t wanna drag you guys on with more than 5000 words of a single chapter. I would’ve broken my record average word count 😜 anyway, I hope y’all are ready for the angst

Also tagging: @silver-is-in-too-many-fandoms​ @berenilion​ @justtinfoley​ @stellar-trinity​ @peterwandaparker​ @calgasm​ @queen-destenie​ @calsponchoemporium​ @cal-jestis​ @ayamenimthiriel​ @sweeetteaa​ @fallenjedii​ @superwarsofthrones​

Also in AO3

Tags: Fem OC, Jidné Sheedra, Force-Sensitive! Fem OC, Bounty Hunter! Fem OC, Jedi! Fem OC | Additional (last 2 tags count as TW): Nomara Anesh, Jedi Master! Fem OC, Togruta Fem OC, Jedi Seeker! Fem OC, family separation, separation anxiety

Chapters: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 | Previous: Part 12 | Next: Part 14 | Masterlist

13 of ?

31 BBY

ESHYN, LAU’NON SYSTEM, OUTER RIM TERRITORIES

The clouds clear a path for the Jedi Starfighter, aboard it is the young Jedi Seeker, Nomara Anesh, one of the youngest seekers at only 34 years old.

Her aerial view of the archipelago captivated her as she flew by the land mass. The sapphire blue coastline surrounded the island, high mesas with a vast carpet of grass framed the formation while the torrential waves kissed the rigid rock faces with its ivory-white seafoam and mist.

It was simply breathtaking.

Though it saddened her that the Trade Federation has begun to press its ugly thumb into this tropical masterpiece. Prior to her visit, Nomara did her reading on the planet, its current political and economic state as well. She has always been the curious one amongst her batch—said her former master—thus resulting to her inquisitive upbringing.

“There it is, Evy,” Nomara peered through the side window of the cockpit. “Sa’Junna: where we need to be.”

She afforded another pass above the main island, searching for a safe place to land with the assistance of the astromech droid.

“Do you see anything, Evy?”

The droid, EV-65 or Evy as Nomara personally nicknamed it, chirped in excitement, equally as captivated as its Jedi owner; the droid popped out a tiny satellite from a small hatch on its dome head.

The young woman managed a smile at her droid’s happy trills, but something stirred within her as she approaches the island. The closer she got, the swirling at the pit of her stomach became stronger—though, it didn’t alarm her because she doesn’t sense anything wrong with it; nevertheless, whatever the Force was subtly telling her, it intrigued her.

“Bee-beep!!”

“Great job, Evy. Override the landing cycle now,”

“Beeep-doo!”

It took Evy a few seconds before relaying the area coordinates for a safe landing area to Nomara’s dashboard. A virtual map of the island flashed and a green blip blinked over the center section of the land mass. The Jedi followed the lead and managed to dock her ship in between the capital and a village half a mile away from each landmark. The droid remained on the ship while Nomara dismounted the vessel.

The city of Sa’Junna was developed by a civilization of old, and then later cultivated and nurtured by the past generations until the current one. Having grown and thrived for countless millennia, a great majority of the residents were humans, but other humanoids like Twi’leks and Nautolans have migrated to this idyllic sanctuary. The place appeared to have seen better days priors to the Trade Federation’s occupation.

Nomara could see the bustle of trade in the city, it wasn’t as grand as Coruscant or Naboo, but the prosperity is evident.

Upon alighting her starship, she was promptly greeted by a tall stature of a human male with a greying beard that covered half of his olive-skinned face. He gestured with open arms, welcoming the Togruta, while subtly keeping a tinge of caution in his words and actions.

Nomara bowed slowly and solemnly in greeting.

“Welcome, traveler. What is it that you seek in our already-disturbed home?”

“The exact disturbance you speak of, friend.”

The tribe leader introduced himself as Sentuk Nirmo, he governed one of the villages that networked with the main city—where most of the trade transpires. Seeing that Nomara bore better will than the Trade Federation’s emissaries, he invited her into their settlement where they could speak openly within closed walls. As they walked, Sentuk briefed Nomara of their situation.

“At first, they wanted the metal. But when they found the deeper caverns, that’s when they’ve completely sucked our mines dry! The Federation has robbed us of our own homeland.” Sentuk grieved, and then added. “They barricaded the Yishen Strait—our main trade route—from civilians and real traders. Since then, business has been slow for many of us.”

Sentuk’s voice trailed off when he noticed Nomara subtly panning her head left and right, as if searching for something. The Jedi apologized for zoning out, the tribe leader dismissed it as a fascination towards the planet as well as exhaustion—and so he invited her to their settlement. The Togruta follows the Sentuk into the village; along the way, he explains that each village has a leader which then comprises the council. With every step, the faint trace of the Force that Nomara has picked up gotten stronger.

Sentuk presented his humble home, it seems that the Federation has already left its mark in this village along with the others surrounding the capital city—Nomara looked around and found children playing out in the open, whilst weavers make baskets and rucksacks out of their looms for the hunters to store their game, other residents tend and plow their modest vegetable gardens and orchards.

“It seems so peaceful here,” Nomara’s smile faded as instantaneously as it appeared. “But I sense the distraught in these people.”

Sentuk hummed in agreement, recalling his grievance of their overall predicament. Nomara’s brows pulled together, she closed her eyes for a moment to detect that trail she’s picked up.

“There’s something else,” she mumbled so quietly that Sentuk barely heard.

The Togruta blinked her eyes open and the first thing she saw was a small girl watching the other children play—she looked like she had just learned how to stand and walk. Forgetting that she stood with the tribe leader, Nomara approached the child slowly until the girl acknowledged her with wide, quiet eyes bursting with curiosity.

She knelt down to level with the child, she offered her open palm, and without a single ounce of hesitation the toddler placed her pudgy hands on the vibrant red-skinned palm of the visitor. Their eyes met, Nomara’s heart leapt for a reason she can’t explain, her lips involuntarily curled and by impulse, her fingers folded around the soft, tender hand.

“Jidné!” a melodic voice beckoned from the cottage.

Both Nomara and the child turned to the direction of the voice, it was the mother. Nomara slowly hoisted herself back to her full height, when the mother stepped out of the doorway of their home, two more little girls followed behind her—presumably the little one’s older sisters—but they kept themselves close by the skirt of their mother, intrigued and at the same time shy of the unusual-looking visitor.

“I’m sorry, I just…” stammered the Jedi softly. “Your daughter.”

The mother flashed a friendly smile, “Yes, what about her?”

“She’s strong with the Force. For someone so little, she carries a significant amount of it within her.”

The woman immediately got the hint, she’s heard the stories, though this is the first time she’s met one in the flesh. Her eyes wandered to the waistband of the Togruta’s robes and spotted the silver hilt shimmering, dominating the neutral colors of her clothes.

“You’re a Jedi, aren’t you?”

“Yes, my name is Nomara Anesh,” the Jedi bowed her head briefly as soon as she uttered her own name.

“My name is Tymara Sheedra, I see you have met my little Jidné,” the woman peeked over the backside of her skirt, spotting her two other daughters, she introduced Krea and Maryn—aged eleven and eight respectively. The girls greeted the Togruta who beamed a gentle smile at them as she returned the gesture.

Nomara clarified that she was a Seeker and stated her purpose to Tymara, the Togruta’s emotions synched with the other woman’s—that friendly smile reduced into a poker face and then replaced with a blank smile.

“Um… Why don’t we talk inside? I just finished making supper,” Tymara invited the guest into her house, who politely obliged despite the tension.

The single-storey cottage was quaint, although each room was cramped and limiting to a number of persons inside. The kitchen was in the same space as the dining table—which lacked chairs and had woven cushions and mantles in its place. If one is to peek a little bit to their right, they could see the bedroom—the girls’ beds were thick-enough cushions each sitting atop a wooden frame, whilst the parents’ bed is settled on another side of the room; the only thing distinguishing the “rooms” was a wooden divider panel.

Nomara wagered this house couldn’t fit any more family members, Jidné would be the live marker of the home’s limit. She settled herself by the table—across where she sat, the three girls played in a small space that only fit them perfectly without needing to duck or crouch, the two older sisters watched with great fascination as Jidné lift a doll off the floor without touching it, Nomara watched intently along with them.

Tymara offered her a bowl of broth and bread on the side.

“I’m really sorry about our house. It’s not exactly much, isn’t it?” Tymara initiated quite apologetically, poking the bits of meat in the soup.

“I don’t mind,” Nomara awkwardly chuckled, parroting Tymara’s nervous poking before scooping up a spoonful and then bringing it into her mouth.

“What is it that you Seekers do?”

“We search the galaxy for Force-sensitive children. We bring them to the Jedi Temple in Coruscant and then train them into becoming Jedi Knights like myself.”

Tymara bit her lip and gawked emotionlessly at her food, it took her a good minute before she started to touch her food again. She spoke again, but didn’t face Nomara when she did.

“Have you come for her?”

The Jedi’s head perked to the mother, Tymara let the bottom of the spoon float above the soup—sensing her fluctuating appetite swirling together with the anxiety slowly eating away her mind; Nomara inhaled deeply, ceasing to touch her food to find the right words to say.

“Not specifically. I didn’t even know it was her until I… well, found her. The Force—or perhaps the universe—has a strange way of showing things we need to see when we least expect it, no matter how difficult it is to accept the signs.”

“And this Force… showed you to my daughter?”

“It would appear so,”

“Are you going to take her from me?”

“I wouldn’t force it,” Nomara replied somberly, as if understanding the grief of separation. In a way, she has felt that in one way or another.

There was silence, even the girls have purposefully hushed their voices and giggling to secretly listen to their conversation between the guest and their mother—even the little, two-year-old Jidné followed suit of her sisters.

“Eshyn isn’t what it used to be anymore, this was my home, and my husband’s, and our parents…” Tymara mumbled, watching her daughters resume playing. “We thought the Federation would make us prosper—because that’s what they promised us. You could imagine how stupid we all felt when the Trade Federation delivered the perfect opposite of what they told us. Ever since then, life has been hard for all of us. Especially the children—even if they don’t see it that way, at least not yet.”

Nomara understood Tymara’s sentiments, after all, she is a mother just looking for out for children and wanting what’s only best for them. The collective giggling of the girls was the only thing that warmed the abode today.

“Where’s their father?”

Tymara’s clasped fingers tightened around one another, she breathed deeply and bit her lip before she spoke a word.

“I lost him to a mining accident… because they wanted more metal. That’s all we ever heard from them. More metal. More work. More yields.”

“I’m sorry,” Nomara averted her gaze to the food that had now gone cold.

Little Jidné approached the table, specifically to Nomara’s side. She waddled towards the Jedi, the baby stared and studied the vibrant indigo patterns of the montrals while feeling its texture; then her pudgy paws found the tassel of turquoise beads that framed the side of the Togruta’s face, mistaking it for a toy. The two women giggled, endeared the little one’s innocence as Jidné continued to lightly swat the accessory and watch it dangle, immediately and easily entertained. Eventually, her sisters joined in and bombarded the Togruta with questions of wonderment—to name a few, they asked her where her species lived, if the white patterns on their faces were actual skin or tattoos, and how long can their montrals grow.

Nomara is simply overwhelmed by the cheeriness of these three girls combined, but the unexplainable lightness of Jidné prevailed. She knew it was the girl’s Force energy, but also the purity of her heart and spirit.

Tymara smiled at the sight of her youngest daughter getting along too easily with their visitor, but it was a sad smile—in her mind, she was already arguing against herself for the betterment of her youngest. With the occupation rendering them dirt poor and being a single parent, she had to make the toughest decision of her life. It took Tymara the entire evening to let it sink into her and toughen herself up even though she’s already falling apart because of their economic state.

By sunset, the entire village was rattled by the presence of the Trade Federation emissaries and their guards—a small unit of battle droids. What barred them from taking a step further into the settlement is Sentuk, with his warriors and hunters united to making a barricade out of themselves to protect their home.

“Not one step further!” Sentuk bellowed.

“I am sure you are aware of your settlement’s dues, old man,” the Neimoidian official flapped its trouty lips at the tribe leader.

“Your demands do not have a single drop of realism in them! You demand large yields over a short period of time, not even the manpower of two villages combined can make that quota,”

“Yeah, with what you’ve done with our mines—that quota is ridiculous!” added a spear-wielding warrior standing beside Sentuk and the men behind them murmured in agreement.

“Is your brain smaller than what it appears?!” taunted another man in the barricade, the joke was received differently from each party.

Vexed and provoked, the Neimoidian emissary raised a finger at Sentuk.

“I have given you more than enough time for that quota and you have failed me once more! I told you what would come to you should you not do what you are asked!”

A hasty wave of the hand prompted the guards to aim their rifles at the people making up the human barricade, the people in the village shrieked in fright—many of which have already retreated into their homes but peered through their windows. Nomara, who had been observing the sour exchange between the leader and the slimy emissary, rushed into the scene a split second after the command to fire has been given—killing off five of the men already and fatally wounding Sentuk after being shot in the side of his stomach.

“Jedi!? Here!?” the Neimodian screeched in a panic.

All of the villagers completely retreated into their homes—including Tymara and the girls—while Nomara aided the warriors in eradicating the battle droids, leaving the empty-handed emissary standing amongst the pile of dead clankers. Completely befuddled and frightened for his life, Nomara had him at swordpoint.

“I… I didn’t give the order! I’m just a messenger…!” he whimpered and his sheer terror had unconsciously dragged his legs to make him run away, leaving the wake of the ruined droids behind him.

When the tension eased, Nomara quickly turned her attention to the wounded Sentuk. A group of people have already gathered around him.

“Bring him to your healer, quickly now!”

The group carried their leader by the feet and underneath his arms, they briskly brought him to the cottage of the village healer while Nomara caught her breath and examined the droids’ remains. She felt the gaze of Tymara piercing right through her, she found the mother and children huddled by the doorway after the skirmish; Nomara saw the sad, disdainful sigh of the mother as she herded her children back into the house again.

After tucking the girls to bed, Tymara joined Nomara who was overlooking the coastline; the ocean breeze made the ladies’ robes and skirt billow wildly above the grass. There was a voiceless banter between the women, as if they have already began this conversation in their minds and linked it to each other.

“Will she be taken care of?” Tymara blurted.

Taken aback by the question, Nomara turned her head to the mother and stared at her for a long moment, unaware that her lips have parted due to the surprise. She turned her eyes back to the ocean slowly being devoured by the evening’s darkness.

“What?”

“Jidné. If you bring her with you, to become a Jedi, will she be taken care of?”

“Tymara, a Jedi’s hard life is a hard life,” Nomara shifted her body to face Tymara. “Jidné will have to grow up facing a lot of dangers as she grows up if she comes with me.”

Tymara bitterly chuckled, more of a nasal exhalation than an actual laugh, “Better than scratching the earth for her next meal. At least I know that she lives fighting for something honorable.”

“What about you? And Krea and Maryn?”

“We’ll manage. They’ve already learned how to loom and tend farms, they know their craft well. But for Jidné, well…” Tymara licked her lips. “This will always be her home, but I know she’s made for something greater. I just know it. You can never underestimate a mother’s intuition.”

Nomara smiled, although sadly, mostly for Tymara and the girls. Having nothing more to say, the two of them continued to look into the horizon, finding an individual sort of comfort underneath the pale blue moonlight.

“No, I suppose not.”

That night, Tymara snuck upon her sleeping daughters, but fixated her eyes on the youngest—plump cheeks squished against the pillow, her round and supple belly rising and falling as she slept, and her twitching eyelids made Tymara wonder what the little one could be dreaming of. She knelt down by Jidné’s bedside, her hands smoothly glided over her soft head and fine head of dark hair, and leaned forward to kiss Jidné’s forehead—it was a long kiss, and even after she pulled her lips away, the roundness of the baby’s cheek perfectly fit the curve of Tymara’s nose bridge, inhaling Jidné’s infant scent.

The woman bit her lip as she battled with her tears. It’s going to be a long night for Tymara.

Nomara watched from the open doorway, arms crossed with each other, there was a heavy gloom around the house that suffocated her—not even sighing deeply helped. She retired to the space in the bedroom that Tymara had personally fixed up for her.

In the morning of their departure, Tymara held her youngest daughter for the final time and rocked her as if putting her to sleep. Her sisters, as well, bade their own tearful goodbyes to their baby sister, ceaselessly riddling her plump cheeks with kisses and leaving tears stains upon her skin—in a way, Jidné is lucky that she is unaware that this is the sorrow of parting.

Tymara nuzzled her cheek against Jidné’s smooth forehead. One last embrace and a kiss buried into the crook of the child neck; with her eyes closed, she imagined how Jidné would grow up to be—but she’s completely certain that she’d grow up to be a strong, courageous woman—and she painted a mental picture of how her daughter would look like once she’s come of age.

In a prayerful solemnity, Tymara whispered all of her wishes for Jidné to Jidné herself—be strong and brave yet remain kind, wise, and gentle; make good friends with the other children if she meets any; listen well to the instructions of the elders; and most importantly, listen to her heart.

Tymara savored this last moment, Nomara was kind enough to give all the time she needs—the Togruta passed the time by prepping her Starfighter and doing the necessary maintenance checks before takeoff.

“I love you… I love you so much, my darling girl,” Tymara feigns a brave face. She held Jidné right in front of her, then Jidné’s pudgy hands caressed both of her cheeks, and that’s when she lost it—tears streamed down her cheeks, wetting the child’s tiny fingers.

The true, final embrace and kiss from her mother before Jidné is transferred to the arms of Nomara Anesh.

“You have my word. She’ll be treated well.”

“I know,” muttered Tymara quite weakly, rubbing her arms together to whisk away the cold goosebumps pelting her skin. “I know.”

Tymara watches her daughter walk away in the arms of the Togruta. She watches a part of her heart and soul shrink in the distance, unaware eyes looking over the shoulder of the Seeker and back into the grieving eyes of her mother. Tymara’s hand flinched into a short-lived wave and quickly brought them to her lip, biting into her fingernails until her daughter has fully disappeared in a ship with Nomara and out of Eshyn.

[save-the-spiral]

Wiztober Day Nineteen: Transformation

Welcome to Day Nineteen of wiztober2020. Content warning for arguing, implied bullying, death mentions.

(link to prompt list)

Castian moved her fingers nervously, the slight rasp of her scales against one another a soft, soothing sound. She balled her hands into loose fists, thumbs slowly feeling the sides of her index fingers, her claws carefully out of the way.

She had been very, very excited at first. One of her best friends had a mysterious, long lost sister, so how could she not be ecstatic for her friend, as well as for the opportunity to watch something so dramatic.

But it hadn’t been fun, not really.

Castian had known of Mari Jade, but had never met the girl. Castian knew almost every student at Ravenwood, so to have not met Mari meant that she was a recluse to the highest degree. All the information Castian had about Mari was through the grapevine of school gossip that Castian played no small part in facilitating, and even that was sparse and, apparently, wrong.

Mari was supposedly intelligent, though not as skilled in practicals, and had a habit of barely even passing classes that relied purely on casting magic. She was a quiet doormat, easily pushed around by the more bullheaded or mean of the life school. She was also a teacher’s pet, on very friendly terms with Professor Wu, sometimes slipping up and calling her Moolinda in class, to her own embarrassment.

It was a pitiful amount of information, and Castian quickly learned that most of it was completely wrong.

The Mari that wreaked havoc through the ice school, barging in and demanding to see Emrys Pyre and not taking ‘no’ for an answer was not the meek theurgist that Ravenwood Academy knew her as. The ambient magic around her was sharp, thorny, and enraged, a dark green aura around her instead of the usual vibrant lime of average life wizards.

When she had found Emrys with the help of a very mischievous Genevieve (usually going by Eve, or Evie), a vital, if not very young member to their friend group, Mari had tackled the stoic and typically rude boy in a hug, and began violently sobbing into his shoulder.

And Emrys, instead of pushing her away or looking uncomfortable at the display of emotions, had simply soothed her, arms reaching around her thin shoulders and mouth moving fast. Castian, Eve, and Jen couldn’t understand the language, but it was fast and in a soft undertone, a constant stream of bouncing syllables as Emrys let this random girl cry all over him. Jen, the only one of them who knew any Earth languages, guessed that he had likely been speaking Vietnamese, though how a half Korean, half Japanese boy who was raised in Mooshu knew the language, none of them could know. Well, they could just ask, but doing so would likely anger Emrys, who was a deeply private person. Private enough to hide a whole sister from his best friends.

Emrys never faltered in his kind, if not protective hold on Mari. He guided her to the ice wizard dorms, and into Jen and Castian’s room instead of his own. There, he had sat down with her on the floor, not even noticing his three friends trailing along.

Finally, when Mari had calmed enough, anger flooding back in over any fear or sadness, the line of her jaw tight enough that Castian worried it might just snap like a rubber band, though she didn’t know much about human wizard physiology. Mari stared at Emrys with a deep anger, not at him, but simply too ingrained in her state of being so she could not stop sounding as if she were going to strike the next person who drew near.

“We need to go to Dragonspyre, and rescue my-” Mari stopped, seething, nostrils flaring. “And rescue someone. The old death professor, Malistaire, kidnapped her. He’s going to kill her, after using her to help destroy the Spiral.”

“Woah.” Eve whispered from the doorway, standing alongside Castian and Jen. She was just thirteen, due to turn fourteen in a month’s time, though she refused to act her age. Considering she was a prodigy, she usually got away with it.

Emrys shook his head, leaning back a bit, putting his weigh on his hand. “Right now? You wanna go storm an entire world right now?”

Mari’s face twisted with her anger. “If you’re not going to help me-!”

“No- no! I’ll help, Mari. Whatever you need.” Emrys’ voice was vulnerable, raw in a tone that usually meant a bad flashback, though not this time. “Just- we can’t run off with no plan, no preparation. I can’t-” His voice cracked. “I really can’t do this without at least a day to prepare, Mari. After that, we’ll do whatever we need to save this person and even save the Spiral if we must.”

Mari huffed out a breath. “A day? She could be dead! The Spiral could be gone, wiped out!”

“It will be anyway if you run off right now, Mari. Look at yourself. You’re running on fumes already- when is the last time you ate, or slept, or even drank some god damned water?” Emrys demanded harshly.

“I-” Mari’s voice cracked. “I don’t...” She seemed to almost sway from where she was sitting.

“A day, Mari.” Emrys murmured. “Just one day and then we can go save another world together, okay?”

“‘Kay.” Mari slurred tiredly.

“Cas, Jen, please take care of Mari while I get the supplies we’ll need? Genevieve, come with me.” Emrys kissed Mari’s forehead as she leaned against the side of Jen’s bed, and then he left, Eve excitedly following him.

Castian and Jen exchanged one look, and that was all they needed. Castian grabbed some of their many mugs, filling two with tap water, and then preparing to make hot cocoa. It would be a long night, and hot cocoa solved most problems, even if it wouldn’t solve this one.

Jen lifted the now sleeping Mari onto their own bed, covering her with a quilt. They hadn’t expected this, but they adapted easily, and this would turn out okay. It had to.

After Mari woke from her impromptu nap, she drank water, she ate, she even drank a bit of cocoa. She was silent, though sometimes if she stared off into space she would let out a dry, hoarse sob. This person who was kidnapped was very, very important to her.

Castian knew the best thing would be to distract her, fill her mind with other thoughts so she could rest, and then she could think as much as she wanted about whoever she wanted then. But not tonight.

It started with a haircut. Jen had suggested it, considering Mari’s hair was a mess, cut quickly and uneven. Mari told them that her braid had gotten caught on a fence, and she had no time. Jen began suggesting hairstyles, pulling out one of their magazines. Mari saw a picture of a beautiful girl in a leather jacket and ripped jeans, with half of her head shaved, staring moodily at the camera.

“That one.” Was all she said.

Jen had gone all out, and they turned it into a spa night, complete with nail (and claw) painting, and a bit of hair dye. Jen had even shaved a little complex design on the side of Mari’s head, vines curling and dyed green, a bit of magic involved to keep it in.

Mari finally smiled when looking in the mirror, though the bags under her eyes spoke of far deeper turmoil that a bit of pampering could not fix in a million years. Castian and Jen knew this, but still. It was fun, and Mari deserved fun before she went on a mission to likely kill a man.

They began picking out clothes, and that was when the real fun began. Mari was introduced to Jen’s rather broad taste in music, though she quickly honed in on the punk side, eyes wide and mouth almost twisting into a smile when she heard loud, almost chaotic sounds, and knew it was called music. After that, Mari spoke more. As usual with Castian, it turned to gossip.

And it was amazing. Castian hadn’t known how deep the life school really went with its sometimes harsh interpersonal relationships, but Mari was in it, and not at all phased by sharing these supposed life wizard only secrets. It was a whole new side to almost every life wizard, and Castian couldn’t get enough, almost overwhelming Mari with questions, both of them drawing out their anecdotes, dramatic pauses and all.

Mari was changing, and she’d need to be more and more prepared to change, because Castian knew that people who went on quests never came back quite the same. It reminded Castian of her cousins who were in the process of shedding their skins, draconian scales dulling, almost dead looking.

Then on the other side they were shining and radiant.

Maybe it reminded Castian of herself, a bit. Though she had never felt the loss and fear Mari had, not since she was very, very young.

Castian would always be willing to help out a friend in need though.

[jiminandlemonade-blog]

serendipity | the finale

a/n: i’m not going to lie, i’m in tears writing this. it’s the final instalment of a series i’ve had for over a year and a half. if you’re not here from youtube and want to know more about the series, the playlist is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7jiMg0Xpsg&list=PLvqlaQfwogWIPaj4LMDqKysJeiwozIETH

if you’ve come from youtube, i hope you liked the video and find more about what happened, once the cameras stopped rolling.

thank you for being apart of the journey with me, i truly have appreciated all of your comments.

“Benjamin, can you please give your Dad his contacts back? He needs to go” you huffed for what felt like the 80th time. Since turning 7, he hit a stage of madness. You were told by your parents-in-law that Jimin went through exactly the same stage, definitely not a coincidence. “Jam! Give Dad his eye thingys” Rose laughed, chasing her brother around the room, calling his nickname, after seeing you getting noticeably annoyed. “Where’s Dad?” Evie asked, clinging onto your leg. After her accident a few months ago, she’s not been able to leave yours and Jimin’s side and when one is gone, she gets concerned.  

“Daddy’s here” Jimin smiled, walking through the door non-chalauntly as if he wasn’t even bothered that his eldest child was throwing his actual sight all over the floor. “Go play with Rose. And what I mean by that, go and get Daddy’s contacts” he laughed off, pushing her slightly for a little bit of encouragement.  

“I’m not sure what to do about this anymore” you sighed, putting your back to where the children were playing in the lounge room, placing all of your upper body weight on your elbows that you gently slammed into the kitchen island table, both hands gripping the side of your hair in slight panic. You didn’t want to show the children you were stressed, you hated the thought of doing that. Even when you had moments where you would rather lick paint than answer another “but why Mommy?”, you never showed it.

“That was nobodies fault Y/N and you know it. She’ll come round soon enough” Jimin tried to reassure you by caressing your back. Thinking back to that day, you’ll never forget the piercing shriek that shook you and Jimin to your very core.

-”Come on Rose, we need to find Faith and Madeline before time runs out!” you heard Evie call out playfully. Faith was Jungkook’s first born, the child his now wife had extreme pregnancy complications with. Faith was born only a few months after the twins so are close in age. ‘Faith’ was a name yourself and Jimin considered using for the twins. When Jungkook’s wife was pregnant, then fiance, Jimin suggested mentioning the name to Jungkook. They didn’t have a name, or so you thought. They didn’t want to mention a name to anyone because of what possibly could have gone wrong in her pregnancy, they were worried about becoming too attached if something terrible happened. Even if God-forbid, something did happen, they had a name in mind. Once she was born, Jimin knew her name was Faith and it made a lot of sense with what the couple went through. Jungkook and his wife loved the name, adding that the name they had for their child didn’t fit.  

“10, 9, 8-” you shouted loudly counting down, for all of the girls to hear. You had your eyes on every room each of the girls went in down the long corridor of the Big Hit Offices as they hid from each other. “Time’s up!” you exclaimed, watching the girls appear from the room. “Evie! I told you to check that room” Rose huffed, knowing Faith and Madeline had won that round. Considering she was 5, she remembered A LOT of information. Especially when her twin was wrong. They both loved each other so much but didn’t half love to tease each other at times. “Can I be on a team with Faith please?” Rose asked, running towards Jimin like the Daddy’s girl she is. “As long as everyone is okay with that of course, take it in turns!” he rightly responded. You all made sure that the children felt equal and had their equal turn and nobody felt left out.  

Faith and Rose had become really good friends, whereas Evie and Madeline were even more thick as thieves. Madeline was Seokjin’s child. He likes to say she’s named after a cake but we all know that’s not true. Seokjin proposed to his long-time girlfriend and ex BigHit idol in Paris and fell in love with everything Parisian so the name made so much sense when she fell pregnant on their honeymoon. Madeline was younger by just over a year but that didn’t stop their friendship blossoming from an early age. They also attended Jin’s Performing Arts School together so they were literally inseperable.  

“GO!” yourself and Jin’s wife shouted after a countdown. “Watching these kids run around make me tired, I need a coffee. Do you want one?” you asked, forgetting she was pregnant with Seokjin’s second child. A boy, soon to be named Gabriel. Again, quintesentially Parisian. “Decaf?” she questioned, laughing. You knew there was some so you nodded your head and headed to the kitchen. There you were met with Jungkook and Jimin. Seokjin was recording for his first solo mixtape and Jungkook was there ready to provide his vocals for the next BTS comeback.

“They’re going wild out there” you chuckled, managing to get a word in edge ways as the boys were chatting away. You had just heard the kettle click to signal it was boiled before you heard an almightly bang and the sound that will kill your soul for the rest of your life.  

Within miliseconds, you turned to Jimin knowing it was sound of Evie. The sound was blood curdling. You both had never ran so fast in your life. Seokjin’s wife, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, was at the other end of the corridor dealing with Faith who had fell over from running too fast when the accident happened. You could see her running as fast as she possibly could, waddling in fact, as her face turned white. As you got closer and closer to the door, Jimin started swearing. Something he never did around the children or much at all. “Fuck, please don’t be that room. Please don’t be that fucking room!” he screamed. Due to running so fast, he got to the door before he could even finish his expletive sentence. “EVIE?! EVIE?!” he protested, banging on the door. Adreneline pumping through everyone’s bodies in a different way. You hadn’t even realised you had burned your arm from the hot kettle.  

Jungkook wasn’t far behind you when you noticed Jimin look straight past you and more towards your shoulder, meeting eye contact with Jungkook. You turned around to see the fear in Jungkook’s eyes, just like you saw in Jimin’s-

“Y/N, are you ok?” Jimin asked as you came over all funny. “Sorry, I just had a flashback to that moment again” you sighed. It was nobody’s fault, but as a parent, it sticks in your mind. “A whole sound booth fell on her when we weren’t there and she was trapped for 20 minutes” you hushed, walking away from where the children were playing, grasping Jimin’s hand. Her injuries you didn’t even want to think about, as much as she is perfectly fine now, it’s harrowing to think your baby went through that.

Jimin sat you down. “Y/N, we told them not to go in that room and we locked it to even make sure they wouldn’t go in”. Most children were inquisitive and if you said don’t do something, they would go and do it for the sole purpose you said no, but not these girls, they were usually extremely obedient. Which they were, it was all just a bad mistake. Once Jimin locked the room, Seokjin also went to lock the room afterwards and turned the key, thinking he was locking it but instead unlocked it. You all knew. Jimin, Jungkook, you and Seokjin’s wife but you’ve never told him that though, you all didn’t want him to feel guilty as it wasn’t his fault.  

In the room was a lone standing sound booth that was faulty and extremely heavy, only slightly resting against the wall. The removers were coming to get it the next day, knowing exactly how to remove such a heavy item after it had been left there from old tenants of the new second building, a kids allowed building. The main building was the main hub for activity but if the children wanted to come along, a smaller second building was purchased so they had their own area to play but still being close to their Father’s. That was extremely important to them.

When entering the room which Evie and Madeline both got mixed up with the room next door, Evie lightly tapped the sound booth whilst looking for a hiding place, which ended up falling on her, narrowly missing Madeline who had only just turned 4 but was the size of a 2 year old. The booth ended up falling and jamming the door allowing anyone to gain entry. The fire service were a credit of getting the children out safely. All you could hear was Evie crying for you and Jimin and trying to calm her down by reassuring her you were there and just outside and “just a little longer before we see you” as you tried not to sound hysterical.  

Jimin couldn’t speak at this point. He was doing an extremely low roman chair against the wall, head in his hands with Jungkook passing him tissues and water and trying to calm him down. You hadn’t seen the size of the thing, so you didn’t know what to expect. You were hoping Jimin was just being over dramatic. You couldn’t help but smile as you heard Madeline talk in hushed tones “Evie, just think you will be off school if you have a poorly arm” and “I’m here for you too”. As the door opened, you saw Madeline holding Evie’s hand who’s body was half under the soundbooth. You felt nauseated. By this point, Madeline had already told Seokjin’s wife she was ok and not hurt and kept knocking on the door to prove she could walk around and was ok. She immediately took Rose and Faith away from the scene explaining that they simply got locked in. Seokjin had arrive by this point and seeing you and Jimin beat up, he was the one to do all of the explaining to the ambulance crew as Jungkook started to reassure you both.

You held her hand on the stretcher and Jimin had the other hand, both not able to look at her in her head brace. Thankfully she couldn’t see you were both not looking as she was unable to move her head around far enough because of the brace. Jin stood behind her though, pushing the stretcher so she could see a familiar face and her Uncle Jin always made her laugh. At this point, Madeline was with her Mother after being quickly checked over and got the all clear. Jin offered to come to the hospital and yourself and Jimin silently nodded, knowing you both needed him there.

8 hours later, you learned that there was some internal bleeding as well as 2 broken ribs, a broken leg, crushed little finger and a rather large gash on her shoulder where the side of the booth landed. It was easily the worst day of your life. She could have easily been killed if it fell into her chest.  

“Daddy, are you listening?” Rose asked. You both fell into a state of remembering that you didn’t hear the children talking to you for a moment. Rose and Evie were each holding some packets of contacts to which Jimin replied “that’s my girls!” picking them both up, one in each arm and spinning them around. Evie had no pain anymore and was fully healed so it was nice to experience little things like their Dad being able to pick them both up.

You remembered, you had stuff to do. “Benjamin, if you don’t pick up your Dad’s contacts and put on your coat, I will tell DaeDae you loooooveeeee her” teasing him, emphasing the love. DaeDae was the nickname for Taehyung’s only child, Daea (pronounced Day-a). There was DaeDae and TaeTae and hopefully more in the future. Taehyung was still forever in love with his childhood sweetheart and due to marry her in only a couple of weeks. You’ve never seen Benjamin move so fast. He was 7 but had an adorable crush on 4 year old Daea. They always held hands. Jimin and Taehyung loved it. You couldn’t help but love that your child’s first crush was your husband’s best friend’s daughter. “DON’T TELL HER” he said out of fright, zooming to find his coat after picking up his Dad’s contacts.

The girls were already ready and finally Benjamin was too. “Just waiting for your Dad to put his last contact in then we can go”. “Is there going to be food?” Benjamin asked. “You’ve spent way too long with Jin and Jungkook as a child” Jimin giggled as he walked around the corner from the mirror.

He walked over whilst putting on his grey suit jacket which sinched him in at the waist. Even though you had loved him for so many years, he never failed to take your breath away. You both smiled at each other, knowing you were admiring how each other looked as you finally managed to find time to change from your pyjamas to your dress whilst the twins were occupying themselves and Evie was distracted and Benjamin was looking for his coat.  

He walked up to you and kissed on the lips, much to the protests of the children. You both giggled. “I’ll go and get (recently turned 3 year old) Samuel up from his nap. It is okay to change him into clothes there right?” you confirmed. He nodded, answering the door as someone buzzed. It was Namjoon to help you with the children, it was always a 3 man job bundling the 4 kids into the car.  

You quickly double checked Samuel’s outfit was in the bag and woke him up, slightly stiring but still asleep in your arms. By the time you got to the front door, he was awake. Your first ever baby to not cry when you had to wake them up from their nap for them not to oversleep. It was pure bliss. Namjoon doted on Samuel and was his Godfather. He clapped his hands together, signalling Samuel to come to him which he immediately did. He loves his Uncle Joon. Namjoon smiled whilst explaining he was taking Samuel to the car and Jimin would come back up from buckling the others in just to confirm you both had everything. A job of being a parent. 4 in a 4 year age gap wasn’t easy.

A couple of moments later, Jimin appeared in the door way. He planted a kiss on you again and told you you looked beautiful. “Away from the kids” he smiled, kissing your forehead. Even to this day, you still blush. “Crap! Rose’s medicine” you called, quickly remembering you hadn’t packed it. Rose had an ear infection that was nearly cleared and you couldn’t wait for it to be gone. “What? What?! WhaT?!” was all you heard for the past 2 weeks.

As you got her medication, you looked up and saw Jimin standing there. You were so proud. You noticed his tie was crooked and walked over to pull it up. You felt your shoulders relax, let out a quick sigh from the last 30 minutes down memory lane and chasing your eldest and smiled. “I’m so proud of you, you know that right?” you asked Jimin. He knew it. You told him everyday but even if he didn’t want you too, you would still tell him. “I know” he replied, kissing your forehead again.  

He led you to walk out of the door before you stopped him in the doorway. “Are you ready to do this?” you asked, knowing what the answer was but just making sure. He nodded and smiled half lipped before turning to a full one and his eyes getting even brighter than they already were. His mouth opened and you already knew what words would come out. “It’s time”.

Your eyes were full of tears. For the first time in 3 years, the boys were on stage together. About to announce their return as a full group. When they walked out, the room erupted and then erupted further when they realised Jimin was there too. You honestly didn’t think there was a dry eye in the house.

It was never Jimin’s plan to leave the group and he thankfully stuck to his word. He wanted to see the baby milestones he missed out on with Benjamin due to him touring a lot. He didn’t want to miss his children growing up. But as they settled into a routine and were becoming more aware of their Dad’s job, it seemed the right time for him to go back. Nonetheless, he wanted to wait an extra year so Samuel was in school but with the impending comeback, Jimin was needed for the album. It was never BTS without a member missing.  

Through the 3 years people had been absent for numerous reasons. Childbirth, watching their children grow up, marriages, long honeymoons, enlistment.. The group itself went down to only the rapline at one point and slowly the vocal line started coming back after a year, now complete with Jimin back.

You didn’t even hear half of what they had to say, the whole table full of wives and girlfriends were in tears. Namjoon was the only one to have a girlfriend and not a wife/fiance, albeit they had been wanting to be in a relationship for a while but personal matters complicated things. Hoseok and Taehyung both had fiances, Taehyung was marrying her soon and Hoseok was marrying his fiance the following year. The fans were supportive as ever, that was the main thing.

You couldn’t help it when Taehyung started addressing the table as being their key motivations and then the camera cutting to the children who were backstage being looked after by BigHit staff. The members wanted them to be there watching and cheering their Dad’s on. It was such an important moment to them.

“We’re back” Jungkook chuckled. By this point, Jungkook was just as fluent in English as Namjoon and delivered the rest of the speech. Your eyes clocked Jimin and he burst out into even more tears, dropping to the floor much like you remember him doing at Citifield all those years before when he was inspired to write his first solo song.  

Trying to breathe slowly, you watched the members deliver their speech and leave the stage. You can’t lie and say the past 3 years hadn’t been the best 3 years of your life with Jimin because they were, but you honestly couldn’t wait for him to get back to his passion. He had released a lot of solo projects in the past 3 years with the vocal line appearing on some of his songs. When this happened, he knew he had to go back if it was the last thing he did.

“Guess what?” Jimin questioned, walking up to you at the end of the awards show. “Namjoon and N/G/N are going to take the children tonight. It’s been around 3 months since we had a proper date. I think we deserve this considering the occasion". You felt so excited but your mind quickly raced to Evie. “But Evie-” you stammered out before Jimin cut you off. “I have just been with her and talking to her. She said she wants to play with the others and have a big sleepover so we are fine” he nodded, placing your head in his hands. Your heart started racing. You both really hadn’t been on a date in what felt like such a long time, especially in Seoul.  

Because of Jimin rejoining the group, you both invested in a house in Seoul as well as having your family home in Busan, just so you could all be closer as a family. With none of the boys now living together, it also made sense as 4/7 lived together when Jimin first left the group. Your parents also wanted to be closer to the family so made the move over when you purchased the house in Seoul. There was always someone looking after a house.  

“You’re seriously taking me to a karaoke room?” you giggled, walking into a building that was familiar to you from when you first started dating. “But you hate these places” you continued. “I thought it was time we let our hair down” Jimin stated, pulling you up the narrow staircase. The thing about this karaoke room is that it was a complete secret with a secret entrance and passcode. It is specifically made for people in the Korean Entertainment Industry and you need to book online to book a spot.

Jimin quickly typed in the unique passcode and gained entry before you could realise you had chewing gum stuck to your feet. “Ew, I hope whoever was brought here has more class at home” you laughed, knowing the comment would make Jimin chuckle, especially as he knew exactly which Idol you were on about.

Recently, one of Jimin’s friends from outside of BTS but still an Idol, found out about this place and started to bring his hook ups, one of them being a friend of yours. You and Jimin teased about it to each other all the time as they were obviously in love but didn’t want to admit it. You both continued the conversation about the pair before stumbling across your room.

As soon as you entered you were the first to grab the remote. You loved karaoke rooms and checking out what each one had to offer in terms of song selection. You were flicking through and noticed something rather quickly. “Our wedding song is on here. Our first date song. Our first ever dance. The songs we play the children. The songs you sing to me. It’s as if..” “I had planned it?” Jimin said, looking at you with a pleasing eye. “Jiminnnn” you trailed off, pulling him into hug you. Then it all suddenly clicked. “Namjoon was always looking after the kids huh?” you asked. He explained that’s why Namjoon picked them up, so he could have their car seats. It all made sense.

Through-out the next few hours, you had a ball. Jimin sang to you, you sang to Jimin, you sang together. Everytime Jimin sang to you, you couldn’t help but laugh as he was choosing the silliest of songs that brought back the funniest of memories. You did the same. When you sang together, you sang songs that you both sing to the children or ones they really loved.

Jimin was trying to choose what to sing next. You had a request but you felt silly, but you had never heard him sing it. “Can you please sing our wedding song?” you hushed quietly. The vocal line, minus Jimin, actually sang the song at your wedding but you had never heard Jimin sing the actual song. “What?” he asked, not understanding a word you said. “Our wedding song. Can you please sing it? I’ve never heard you sing it and I’d like too” you smiled, walking closer to him since you went up to get a drink, sitting down next to him and linking his arm whilst putting your head on his shoulder. “You really want me too?” he asked. You nodded.

The way his unique voice filled the song brought tears to your eyes reminising on your wedding and how you felt. Your vows and your dress. You felt as though you were walking down the aisle again, but this time, your husband was next to you.  

Mid-way through the song, Jimin noticed you crying. “Oh darling no-” he laughed slightly, kneeling down in front of you and wiping your tears away. “It brings back memories” you choked, looking up and him, realising it did exactly the same for him as his eyes were puffy and watery too.  

He reached for the monitor and turned it off and came back to sit next to you. The next few minutes you spoke about your wedding and how far you had come. You also spoke about the future and how you both hope there would be more moments like this, even though Jimin was going to become extremely busy again. “At least now, every night, I can come home to my family” he smiled, summing up the conversation perfectly. He was right. He really would be coming home every night and was just streets away if you needed him during the day.

You both pulled yourselves together and stood up and let out a sigh. “You know” Jimin said rather seductively, pushing your hair behind your ear. He continued, “The children are out tonight so what better time than-”. You instantly cut him off. “COME ON, LET’S GO” you proclaimed, brushing past him and grabbing his hand so he could follow you out of the building. You weren’t missing this. The idea of having sex and not having the worry the children or even the members potentially walking in was currently your idea of heaven.

It was the first morning in a long time when you’ve woken up of your own accord. No children or the dog, Milo, bothering you. Yes, Jimin got the dog he had always wanted. You both mutually agreed not to try for any more children, if it happened, it happened and it would be a blessing but it’s not something you both actively seeked out anymore. You both got the 2 boys and 2 girls you had always wanted and they were healthy, that being the main thing. So once the idea of trying for children was out of the way and once Yoongi had also just bought a dog (the children went nuts begging for one), you felt the time was right. Their face was a picture when Jimin walked in with Milo on Christmas Day, a tan and white Sheltie dog. Milo was still in the house but peaceful by the log fire and you couldn’t help but wonder if this experience was a gift for him too, thinking about the peace he was getting this morning without the children trying to dress him up in the twin’s fancy dress outfits from their costume box.

“It’s the last full day at home” Jimin yawned, tired from last night’s events. He was facing you as you both woke up, somewhat intertwined between each other. He moved closer to you as he moved his hand from under your back which led him to have pins and needles shooting up his arm and had to wriggle it around for a hot minute to try and get rid of the sensation. Once achieved, his arm came back down and draped over your side, pulling you even closer to him. “It’s a shame I want this every morning but I’ll be back at work tomorrow” he sighed. You knew just how much he wanted to spend every morning with you like this but the need to go back to work was all too great and the excuse of ‘I wanted to spend a few extra minutes with my wife in bed’ wouldn’t get anyone anywhere in life. “I’ll make you a deal” you chuckled, knowing fine well you were going to regret it knowing how tired you were going to be from the suggestion if he accepts. His eyes widened with curiosity. “I promise to wake up at 5:30 every morning with you. The twins always run into the room just minutes after 6 so that will give us 30 minutes of pure relaxation. Dea-”. You couldn’t even utter the words ‘deal’ out of your mouth before he had kissed you. Obviously meaning a deal. You were both alone in the house, it was good to make use of the time right? You were married after-all.

Jimin’s hands followed the same path on your body that they did the night before. Trailing along your back and to your core. It was only a matter of time before he was on top of you, leaving kisses along the same path his hands had just went on. This time, instead of his focus going South, he trailed his kisses up your stomach and towards your neck, delicately leaving soft traces from his wet lips all over your sensitive neck area. He instantly became handsy again as his lips reached yours after calling out his name. The fire in your stomach was roaring but you needed his lips on yours. That was your idea of the perfect intimate moment between the two of you. Feeling like absolutely nothing could undeter your lust and passion for one another during a kiss, not even his hands moving slowly down your body could make your mind wander from the kisses he gave you. In that moment, you were on cloud nine, thinking you didn’t want this moment to end until- “-Daddy, have you lost something? Mummy can’t help you if you’re on top of her” Rose asked, casually walking into the bedroom...

“SHIT!” you heard Namjoon silently mutter as he covered his eyes, running after the twins in your bedroom, trying not to look at you both flapping around covering your naked bodies. “Namjoon! What are you doing here?” Jimin questioned after quickly finding his boxers that you threw on the floor the night before. “Jimin, it’s 1pm. They were supposed to be home at 11am but I thought I’d give you some alone time.. It looks like it went on longer than expected” Namjoon chuckled, passing him some pyjama trousers that were on the pile of clothes ready to be put into your room, one of the chores Jimin said he would help you with today. “N/G/N really enjoyed looking after the children. I think she’s getting broody” you heard Namjoon say once you had walked out fully clothed. “I’m guessing you don’t see it yet sensing the tone?” you asked intrigued. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Namjoon paused. Yourself and Jimin were confused, looking at each other across from the kitchen island, no idea what he was about to say. “I know today is your last day at home Jimin but I’m wondering whether you both could help me” Namjoon asked, facing Jimin and then to you as if to ask for permission. “Of course, anything” you both said in unison. “You know how I’m the GodFather of Samuel and N/G/N is the GodMother? Well I was wondering if I could take him this afternoon for a day out and if he could wear this” Namjoon questioned, handing you a Samuel sized tshirt. “It’s not a problem for you to take Samuel, Namjoon, you know that” Jimin laughed, hitting him slightly in the arm. “Hopefully I can get the other kids looked after and me and Y/N can finish where we left off” Jimin cackled, playing it off as a joke but you could tell he was kind of being serious.  

Tears pricked your eyes. “I’m only joking Y/N, of course we’ll spend time with the older kids today-” you cut Jimin off. “It’s not that” you sobbed. Silently gasping for air from the cute gesture in front of you. You read aloud the shirt “To my Godmother, I was wondering whether you would marry my GodFather? All my love, Samuel”. Jimin looked straight at you and back to Namjoon. “You’re proposing?!” Jimin belted out, not caring if anyone heard. Namjoon nodded, tears coming to his eyes too. You all gathered around for a group hug without uttering another word and after a short moment, yourself and Jimin stepped back looking at Namjoon as if you were sending him off on his first day of school. You rushed to get Samuel a new set of diapers and the other essentials and sent him off with Namjoon, hoping to hear good news in the soon.  

A couple of hours later, after a nice day in with the older children binging on food and watching films, there was a knock on the door. You opened it to a huge ring in your face. Yourself and N/G/N had become really close so you couldn’t help have a girly catch up for just over an hour as Namjoon and Jimin spoke about some trip they were planning. Now that was that. All of the Bangtan Boys had a ring on a girl’s finger and all that was left was for them to complete their families with children and you couldn’t wait to watch.  

As Namjoon and his now fiance slowly left, you watched the way they interacted with all of the kids. You remembered back to when yourself and Jimin were so scared when babysitting your cousin for the first time. That was the first time you had ever mentioned having children. You wondered what was going on in their minds, were they feeling this sort of way too? It was wonderful and intriguing to watch.

“We have 3 more hours before we send the twins off to bed. How about we watch their film and then Benjamin can watch what he wants afterwards?” Jimin suggested to you when walking to the fridge to fetch them more ice cream. You had been stood up in the kitchen for a while, folding away the rest of the laundry that still needed to be hung up in your room but thankfully coming to the end of it so you could finally relax. You nodded, grabbing Jimin’s hand and squeezing it as if to say ‘everything will be ok’. You always sensed his nerves, he was so nervous to leave the children and for what was to come. Without saying a word to each other, you both walked over to the couch hand in hand, you leaving the laundry for tomorrow, and explained that the girls’ film would go first before bed. Benjamin was ok about this as the girls has mutually agreed on a not so girly film. Benjamin was in his element in his racing car chair and stuffing his face as per usual whilst the girls ever so silently managed to budge their way between you and Jimin, Jimin holding Samuel and cooing over him.  

When the film ended, you wanted Jimin to put the girls to bed on his own. It’s not like he would never experience putting them to bed ever again but you wanted him to explain how things were going to be from now on. Their Daddy wont always be there when they wake up or when they get home from their school but it wont be very much longer after they come home for him to arrive home. All the things you thought he should mention, he did, as he briefed you upon return. By this point, you had already put Samuel down too as he was out like a light and didn’t want to disturb him with what you guessed would be Spiderman as Benjamin’s choice of film. Thank you to Jin and Jungkook for that one.  

Jimin had already explained everything to Benjamin with him being older and more aware of adult conversations, he knew something was going on so Jimin made the decision to talk to him. Benjamin was cool about it, especially because he doesn’t arrive home from school until after Jimin would return from work anyway and since Benjamin is home schooled 3 days out of the week and it occurs in the BigHit offices that the children can attend. It was mutually agreed between all of the parents that this happens due to wanting the children to socialise with other children at a mainstream school but also so they get an actual education rather than be interrupted every class about talk that their parents are in BTS. Benjamin attended mainstream school for 2 years but after some investigation due to Benjamin falling behind academically, it seemed as though classes were sometimes interrupted by the topic of BTS so everyone felt like this was the right decision to make not only for Benjamin but for other children in class too.  

Yourself and Jimin were cuddled up on the couch as Benjamin remained in his car chair. “Dad. I’m going to miss you” Benjamin suddenly blurted out, turning his body to face you and Jimin. By God did those words sting you. Jimin remained strong explaining how it would be exactly the same as before, but instead of being at home whilst Benjamin was at school, he’d be at work in the same place he attended school. Benjamin nodded as he walked close to you both and jumped between the two of you. You both looked at each other and it was as if you were speaking telepathically. This child was the most unexpected surprise you had both ever received and became such a huge blessing. He was the cause of so many controversies before he was even born yet despite knowing all of this as you were very transparent with him due to the world you lived in, he was the most calm and down to Earth child you had ever come across. This boy was the person to allow you to see Jimin as the man you love the most, the Father to your children.  

You both simultaneously kissed him on the forehead but you sensed something was wrong and you guessed Jimin had sensed it too since he asked him “There’s something else. What’s wrong my son?”. Benjamin leant more over to Jimin, cuddling into him slightly tighter, not seeming to want to let go. “Dad. When you go on tour, you wont leave me will you?” he asked, looking up to Jimin with puppy dog eyes. Jimin spun him around on his lap resting on the arm rest of the couch, so Benjamin was facing both him and you. “I’ll not be leaving any single one of you and that’s my absolute promise” he smiled up to him. “Pinky promise?” Benjamin giggled. “Pinky promise” Jimin responded, holding out his pinky and locking it with Benjamin’s.  

Your heart died at that little moment but you all naturally went back into watching the film. Benjamin now equal distribution between the both of you. As the film came to an end and it was time for Benjamin’s bed time, you both went to say goodnight. Benjamin was quite grown up for his age, he wasn’t bothered about being tucked in, no bedtime stories or a nightlight, however he was a sucker for a good night hug from his parents and a glass of warm milk with a bit of vanilla honey in it. Jimin stayed with Benjamin as you made his hot milk, thinking about how lucky you were to have such a wonderful life, the ping from the microwave darting you from your day dream. You added in the vanilla honey and stirred whilst walking back to the bedroom. You said your goodnights and started to slowly leave his room. “Dad” you heard him whisper like he always did due to his room being next door to Samuel’s. “What is it son?” Jimin asked, walking towards him and you following, wanting to know what he had to say. “I can’t wait to see you on stage again so I can show my friends and say that I am proud” Benjamin smiled sweetly from what you could see in the dark, light radiating from his face from the somewhat light nights of the early Autumn in Seoul peaking through his window. You could sense Jimin was beaming. “So you can tell your friends your Dad is a singer and you’re proud?” Jimin giggled, somewhat in a heartclenching way, proud as punch. “No, silly” Benjamin responded. “I am proud that you’re my Dad” And with that, Jimin’s eyes pooled with tears, letting a tear slip onto Benjamin’s forehead as he kissed him goodnight one more time.  

Walking into the light of the hallway, far enough away from Benjamin’s room, Jimin turned around and fell to the floor, gripping his knees. “After all of this time, I thought I was a bad Dad for leaving him when I had the tours or other commitments with BTS and he says things like that” he cried as you went on your knees in front of him. “He’s so sweet because you’re his Father” you chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. “Y/N, I really thought I had messed up you know” he stated. You were so confused. Your whole demeanour changed from laughing to being concerned. You looked at him dazed and he knew instantly that you had no idea what he was talking about. “I thought he would hate me for the rest of my life, knowing that I stayed home with Samuel his whole first 2 years, the twins as often as I could and Benjamin not as often as I would have liked. It’s something he could easily find online. I was just so scared Y/N” he confessed. You were stunned. You knew Jimin felt this way when Benjamin was younger and sometimes felt guilty but you didn’t know it affected him this much. “Jimin. Have you seen our children? Have you seen how they adore you? It’s not the time you spend with them but how you spend your time with them that counts” you smiled back, helping him back to his feet. Those words seemed to stick with him forever as from then on, he never let any moment with the kids be a dull one, no matter whether he was tired, sick, stressed.. He always made sure to spend the time he had with the children to the fullest.

“Y/N” you heard him whisper as you both got under your white silk sheets to counteract the body heat that radiates off the both of you in the hot Autumn nights. He faced you and took both of your hands, interacting both of your pinkies with his. “I promise you, the rest of our lives will continue to feel like heaven. No matter where we are physically and mentally. It’s always you and the children who come first and I promise you that I will never let your smile leave your face.” He trailed off slowly as you leant towards him for a long passionate kiss. You cupped his face between your hands to send him some quick kisses to finish off the long passionate one before you went to sleep. “I know” you smiled. You both smiled back at each other in unison and moved your bodies closer together and intertwined with one another that was comfortable enough for you both to fall asleep in.  

“Jimin” you said, opening your eyes about 2 minutes after shutting them. It was as if your body took over as you didn’t know what words were about to come out of your mouth. “Mm?” he questioned, already half asleep. You kissed his forehead and gently recentered back before letting out the words “Tomorrow will be the start of an awfully big adventure”. Your eyes were closing but not fast enough to see the smirk on Jimin’s lip and the mouthing of the words “I love you” before you were sent into a deep sleep.

_____________________________________________________________________

You couldn’t believe what you saw in front of you. It was as if you were experiencing an outer body experience. You reached for the phone and called Jimin straight away. “I know you’re preparing for tour babe, but you need to come home” you muttered out of the words. Jimin could sense your concern straight away so rushed home.  

The past 2 years since Jimin returned to BTS had been amazing. He always came home at the time he said he would, always made sure to be home for food being on the table for a family meal and always kept his promises to the children. Rest assured, he did not want to go on a worldwide tour until Samuel was older and started going to nursery and that it was better for him to fly long distances, rather than being a baby. Whilst they did go on tour, they only had 3 dates in North America, 1 in South America, 3 dates in Europe and 2 in Korea as well as an independent Japanese tour. Yourself and the children had joined him in both Europe and North America, before parting for a week whilst they performed in South America and you and the children returned home before Jimin came back to join you to finish off the tour in Korea.  

You kept thinking about how Jimin was looking forward to such a long tour. He knew he would be tired, you all would be, but you were going to be there for most of it. By this point, you all mutually decided to take your children out of regular school and have them homeschooled. They needed to be with their Fathers. You all didn’t want them to miss out on anything. You all saw this as one big adventure, bringing the children along for the ride for the first time ever on a full blown tour. The tour overall would be 5 months, with a 6 week break in between. It was doable with children, especially since it was planned out to the finest detail. You couldn’t stop thinking about all of those fine details, everything that was planned and ultimately how everything was going to fail before it even commenced..

“Is that-” Jimin gasped, walking through the door of your bedroom. You didn’t even hear him come in. You felt the blood rush to your cheeks, your hands start to tremor and tears come to your eyes. You hadn’t been in this situation since you were 20.  

“Y/N..” he trailed off, climbing onto the bed behind you and scooping his arms around your front. “I guess 5 is our lucky number” you let out a loose laugh. You didn’t know what to think in that moment. “Really Y/N is this real? I don’t know what to believe” Jimin quieried, shocked. You both knew the answer. It was real. It was wrote there in black and white. ‘Pregnant’.

After the birth of Samuel, you never expected to get pregnant again, especially because of your condition. The Doctors told you that due to your condition, your fertility would be practically non-existent by the time you were in your late 20s which you were now. There was just no way. Even though you weren’t using protection, you never expected this to happen. It didn’t happen since Samuel so you already dealt with the fact you could no longer have children. The shock was intense.  

Tears filled Jimin’s eyes when the news settled. You already had had a few hours to process it. “This feels like Benjamin all over again-” Jimin let out. Those words felt like a weight had been lifted from your shoulders as you were worried to say the same thing. “It’s the unexpected” you responded, grabbing his hand. “Baby, we’re having another baby” you giggled, scooching closer towards Jimin and kissing him multiple times to the point he started joking that you were acting like Milo. He told you he loved you and how happy he was a million times as he laid you on your back, tracing your stomach and asking the ‘little one’, as he called the baby growing inside of you, if they were okay, asking them to grow big and strong for their parents.  

After the happiness came the downfall, the tour. “Where does that leave us?” you asked after a brief discussion. “It’s only 5 months and it starts in 2 weeks, yes you’ll have morning sickness but by the end of the tour you’ll be close to 7 months pregnant right? We should be ok..” you had to stop him. “Jimin, my illness. I have to be closely monitored by a Doctor.”. “Y/N, there’s no way on this Earth that you’re not coming with me, I’ll get you a Doctor to be by your side this whole tour. I promise you.” You were scared, you weren’t going to lie. The unexpected, the nerves, the idea of being ill whilst looking after 4 children with another one growing inside of you. Jimin could sense all of this. “Look Y/N, all of the wives are coming with us. They’ve got your back like all of us members do. I know they’ll all do their share in helping out. It’s always the way it’s been.” He didn’t have to tell you that. You knew. You knew how wonderful your friends and family were. The realisation soon hit though and your face was a beaming mess. “Jimin, we’re having another baby” you smiled, hugging him once more, tears falling down your face. “5 children under the age of 30.. What have we let ourselves in for” Jimin laughed causing you to chuckle with him. “-But there’s only 4” Hoseok asked confused, letting himself in after bringing Jimin’s bag back from the studio which he had left. “Think about it Hoseok..” Jimin giggled, rubbing your stomach in front of him.

As he promised, a Doctor was by your side every step of the way and good riddance too as your morning sickness in the beginning was terrible. Thankfully you didn’t have many bad days once you reached 4 months pregnant. This was also the time yourself and Jimin told the world, announced by his notorious VLives. “What’s the gender?! Everyone is asking” Jimin smirked, reading the comments out loud as you were lying on the bed away from the camera. “Are you having fun in New York? Congratulations! How far along is Y/N? Jimin tell us the gender!” He couldn’t stop laughing from all of the questions and neither could you. “Y/N is 4 months pregnant and whilst we could know the gender, for the first time we have decided not the find out until the birth of our little one. The baby has been called ‘nugget’ by Samuel. His favourite food at the moment. It’s better than “jelly squishy eyeball” that Rose came up with I guess. We have 2 of each gender and we’ll be lucky to have whichever gender this baby is. As long as they’re healthy, we don’t mind.” Jimin explained.  

You were tucked up in the blanket, texting Jin to ask how the twins were getting on and how Namjoon was dealing with the boys. Namjoon’s now wife just found out she was pregnant quite far on in her pregnancy to the point she could find out the gender straight away. It was a little baby boy. Namjoon wanted to look after the boys to see what life would be like as a Dad to a boy. He took every chance he could get. “Y/N, what gender do you think?” Jimin asked. “I’ve said from the start I think it’s a boy. Everyone thinks so.” you explained, Jimin moving the camera around to where you were on the bed but not getting you fully in focus to respect your privacy of only being in an oversized shirt.. “If our baby is a boy, we have enough boys to make a replica BTS” Jimin giggled “so yes, I think it’s a boy too” he carried on explaining.  

The next few months were a whirlwind, it went by so fast and soon enough you were back in Korea, settling down and decorating the baby’s room grey, white and yellow and in a zoo theme. The only bad thing that occurred is when you when you were returning from tour and you ended up tripping over one of the fansites at the airport and were rushed to hospital in fear of the baby’s safety but thankfully, all was okay and you were free to leave.  

It’s not to say the tour didn’t have it’s struggles either. Jimin needed to find his work/life/social balance and at first it was a challenge, but nothing you couldn’t handle. It was more an internal struggle for himself, but there’s only so much help you can give a person without ruling their life and as a wife, that’s something you didn’t want to do. On the days Jimin didn’t have a show or practice which was 4/7 days, he would spend them solely with the family. On the other days, he would spend the days with his friends but would always be back by 6pm not on show dates. Obviously you all attended the shows as a family too. It was also made a deal that each member got their own day child free for date day with their significant others. However because you were pregnant and had the most children anyway, you struggled to look after the babies but would more than happily take the older ones as they were never any problem.  

You couldn’t help but reminisce about the tour as you put up the last photo in the baby’s room. “It was a great tour wasn’t it” Jimin smiled, kissing your bare shoulder as you were walking around in only your Calvin Klein cotton grey underwear set. The photo you just hung up was a frame that Yoongi and his wife bought you and Jimin of all the places you had visited on tour with bump. The map was grey with yellow stars highlighting the cities. It was wonderful.

“Mommy, Daddy..” Samuel sighed, walking into the room hand in hand with Benjamin. “Samuel wants to give you something” Benjamin smiled, ushering Samuel forward. “Give this to nugget” Samuel spoke softly. “But darling, this is yours and Benjamin’s remember?” Jimin responded, knowing your hormones were about to tip you over the edge. “We know Dad. We want to give Nugget this” Benjamin beamed back. “Nugget can have elephant as a present” Samuel joined in with the beaming of his brother. “Are you sure?” you asked, bending down to their level and picking them both up and placing them on the bed beside you. They both nodded. Elephant was Benjamin’s first ever cuddly animal. When you told Taehyung about your pregnancy with Benjamin, he instantly bought you and Jimin gifts, everything you could ever imagine that you hadn’t even thought about yet. “This is Vante, Vante the eleph-vante. Get it?” he chuckled, pointing out all the gifts he had bought you. The memory came back to you so vividly. “I asked Uncle Tae and he said it’s ok” Benjamin said, as if to know what you were thinking. You will never forget the day Samuel was sick and you walked into his room whilst he was sleeping to find Benjamin lying next to him, awake, asking him if he wanted to keep the cuddly toy, to remind him of his big brother when he went to sleep. Samuel was never away from that teddy since then, until now.

//

“You’ve done this 4 times already! This baby will slip right out” the Nurse giggled, rushing to your bedside after Jimin rushed you to hospital after your waters broke all over the Gucci store’s floor. You were shopping for baby gifts for Taehyung’s baby who was recently just announced and as soon as you reached the baby section, it was go time for you. Taehyung’s baby still had 6 months to arrive, it could wait whilst you pushed a baby out of you. “Well 3 times actually, I had twins” you joked back, hoping the idea of this baby just slipping out was true.

“Y/N, you’re already 10cm dialated. I’m getting the Doctor in now for you to push” the Nurse quickly explained, buzzing in the Doctor. Jimin looked calm yet stressed at the same time. Labour had never happened like this before, it was either scheduled, or slow and agonising. “Jimin, this is the last time I’m doing this” you gasped in between pushes. Everyone in the room giggled, in the moment, you didn’t find anything funny. You were being deadly serious. You forgot how much this shit hurt.  

Jimin looked down as he always did and tears kept falling as they had done from when your water broke. “Blonde hair! I see loads of blonde hair!” he gasped. None of your other children had been light haired but since you were naturally light haired, it made for a happy change. “If you keep pushing like you are doing, the baby should be out within the next 2 minutes, keep going!” the Doctor championed on.  

And with that, silence filled the room as you breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a high shrieked cry coming from your baby. “5:22pm” you heard the Nurse call. “Jimin, that’s our anniversary” you let out, somewhat speechless because of the coincidence and also because you just pushed a 6lb 4 baby from your vagina. By this point, Jimin had his head in your chest, thanking you for another wonderful gift.  

The moment was broken by a Nurse asking “you haven’t found out the gender yet right?”. Jimin didn’t know, you both made the decision to not know until the baby was placed in your arms so as the baby was entering the world, he looked up at you, telling you he loved you countless times. You also requested the baby to be wrapped in a white blanket, no way of knowing judging by a colour.  

“I want to wait-” you paused. “I want the children to meet the baby as nugget, before any names arrive. They got attached to nugget didn’t they” you smiled, looking down at your beautiful baby. You knew in your heart the gender. You just knew. But you were struggling with a name. “They’re right outside. I’ll go and get them” Jimin smiled, kissing you on the forehead before leaving. Jungkook was looking after the children whilst his wife and daughters were on a girly spa day, so brought them over immediately when he heard the news from Jimin that the labour wasn’t going to be a long one and he should bring the children.

The baby in front of you symbolised the end of yours and Jimin’s gifts to the world. You always thought Samuel was the last, but this baby was a very much welcomed surprise. Your heart flickered when their eyes started to slowly open, showing their Dad’s brown eyes beautifully. “You have double lids like Samuel” you giggled, gently feathering your babies lashes with your thumb.

“NUGGET!” Samuel cried out, running towards the bed. “Be careful!” Jimin shouted, escorting in the twins who looked slightly nervous. “This, this is nugget?” Benjamin stammered. Benjamin was old enough now to realise what was going on. “I’m your big brother” he smiled. That instantly caused you to cry as he started reaching over to kiss her. After the moment of sheer heart flutter, Jimin plonked them on the bed one by one next to you.  

“Wait Dad!” Evie stopped Jimin before settling on the bed, “Can you bring the bag?” she asked. Rose nodding along. The children were having a conversation amongst themselves whilst you basked at the vision of your life in front of you, bliss.  

“Here boys, this is from you to nugget” Rose stated, handing the boys an item wrapped in random wrapping paper they’d obviously found from the craft cupboard. “This one is from us!” Rose and Evie chanted in unison, wanting to get in first. “You didn’t have to do anything” you smiled. You opened up the bag and both girls had drew a picture of the family, it was adorable and in your emotional state, it was a lot to take in. You couldn’t help notice that at the bottom of the bag were strewn chicken nuggets from their McDonalds run with Jungkook before arriving to the hospital. Thankfully minus any dipping sauce otherwise the gifts would be ruined.  

“What’s this?” you asked, pulling a gift from the bag. One labelled Mummy and one Daddy. You opened it up to see a necklace with charms added on it, an initial for each one of your children. “An extra E?” you asked, confused, looking at Jimin as if he knew something as he opened up his watch, it engraved with the initials of his children. Jungkook was in the room at the time and cared to explain. “We all chipped in for these gifts. You’ve both been amazing role models to us as parents and this is only a small token as to how we can pay you back. They all came to myself and Jin and asked if we could help them with a present for you. When Benjamin mentioned about initials, we all loved the idea but we didn’t know the gender, let alone what you would name the baby. Rose and Evie were dead set on N for Nugget but we all thought maybe not. We were going to leave it blank but Samuel kept repeating E over and over again when we asked about initials. We thought to humour him we may as well just do it and if it were to be any other initial we would just get you a new charm and add to your engraving Jimin” he explained, hugging you both towards the end.

Composing yourself after such a generous gift, you wanted to dig deeper. “Why E Samuel?” you asked. Without a moments hesitation, he handed you the gift. “Elephant” you smiled, opening the present, carefully unwrapping the craft paper which you knew you wanted to keep. You kept looking at the elephant due to it being such a wonderful token from the boys that you seemed to miss a crucial clue. “Oh my God Y/N, look at the foot” Jimin gasped. On the front of the elephant’s foot read a name, wrote in Benjamin’s handwriting out of the request of Samuel.

“Elephant. Elephant for my nugget. Elephant for Ellie Nugget” he cooed, reaching over to the baby and smiling above.

“ELLIE! Ellie-Elephant” he beamed. “But what if it’s not a girl?” Jimin giggled, watching him call the baby Ellie without even knowing the gender.  

“Jimin.” you stopped. Your eyes weeped and your head tilted back hitting the somewhat comfortable hospital pillow. "Call it Mother's intuition and I’m so sorry but I don’t think your boyband is complete yet. I think this is our baby Ellie” you smiled. Even by looking at your face, he knew you were right. He trusted your instincts completely.

Jimin took the baby from you and stared right into their eyes. He layed the baby down on the table. He turned around, his chocolate brown eyes looking even more heavenly. “We’ve got another Princess” he bashfully said..  

“Welcome to the World, Ellie”

_____________________________________________________________________

“Ellie, I swear if you hit your brother one more time, you’ll not be allowed to go to the concert next week” Jimin put his foot down. The children had been acting up all day and it was driving you both insane. Thankfully the other members were on their way to have a nice gathering at your house for Taehyung’s birthday.

“You’ve now joined me at 30!” Jimin laughed, pulling Taehyung in for a hug when he walked through the door. “You’re early?” you questioned, hoping the other members would get here before him. “Oh, well I have a good reason for that” he smiled. Taehyung’s presence had somehow managed to calm down the children, he seemed to have that calming effect on all of them. “Hold on, where’s T/G/N?” you asked, completely confused as to why she and Daea weren’t there.  

Without a moments notice, Taehyung shot out words that neither you and Jimin were expecting. “I’m joining the club” he laughed, knowing you both would become even more confused. The club? What was he on about. “T/G.N isn’t here because she’s at the hospital, we’re having twins” he beamed. More children!? This Bangtan Baby malarky was becoming not only a band, but the whole K-Pop community. This was most certainly the last children BTS were planning on having, especially because 6/7 of them were now in their 30s with multiple children.  

You couldn’t help but cry. T/G/N and Taehyung had been trying for a child for the past 3 years and after a try of IVF, which nobody knew they were having until now, they were successful. “But I’m here to ask your permission..” he trailed off, looking at you both in the eyes, constantly going between the two of you but still at a slow enough pace to see the sincerity in his eyes.  

“It’s a boy and a girl. Y/N, I’ve admired the way you have brought up your children and been an absolutely amazing role model to Daea as well as helping myself and T/G/N through extremely difficult times of conceiving as well as online backlash from fans when we announced our engagement. I don’t think I can ever explain how happy you have made me in my life. You made me the Godfather to your children and that’s something I can never put into words. Myself and Y/N would be honoured if our daughter could take your first name as her middle name”. You couldn’t believe what he was saying. Did yours and Jimin’s relationship and parental skills influence people so much? It seemed so.  

“And Jimin” Taehyung said, turning to him. “I honestly don’t know where to start. You’re my best friend and someone I have known since high school. I will always remember the day you came to me and told me that a beautiful girl had came to your house to do a study for a school project on Korean families and you wanted to make her yours. You told me you’d marry her and have kids with her someday. Then that happened, a lot quicker than expected. You both faced backlash for being young and not married when the news was announced Y/N was pregnant with Benjamin. It affected you more than I have ever seen anything affect anyone. You just wanted the world to be happy for you because you were so indescribably happy. You walked on air and suddenly had this spring in your step as it was slowly sinking in that you were going to be a Dad. I remember not really understanding how someone could be so happy. Then Daea arrived and all of that changed. You were there to guide me and comfort me when times were hard but I honestly don’t think that I could have been this great a Father if it wasn’t for you. That’s why myself and T/G/N are wondering whether you would give us the honour of naming our son Jimin, after you”.

How was it that all of a sudden, you suddenly get a deeper connection with someone you have known for years? You both nodded your heads like puppy dogs in agreement to what he was asking and gave him the biggest hug possible, both pushing him back on the couch before the children joined by jumping on their Uncle Tae.

“Where’s Daea?” Benjamin asked, smitten. “Benji, I think I will be upset if you don’t marry my daughter someday” Taehyung laughed. Oh, if only he could see the future and how slippery that slope could be.  

All the members and their families had arrived by this point, with Taehyung telling everyone the good news. T/G/N and Daea arrived shortly after to a round of applause and congratulations. Benjamin ran immediately over to play with Daea, obviously.  

You couldn’t help but look at the sight in front of you and feel yourself getting emotional. You were introduced to BTS after falling in love with Jimin. You had only met a few members a few times before you found out you were pregnant. You were scared they were only getting to know you because they had too, but that wasn’t the case at all. You all had your own little families, but this was one big family. Indescribable and something nobody could ever reciprocate. Other than your husband, the members were like brothers, their wives like your best friends and their children like the children you would have been blessed to birth yourself. You loved them all so much and were in love with this idea of heaven.

“I need to say something”. Words left your mouth faster than you could speak and by the time you had registered what you had said, everyone was staring at you in silence, even the children. “I-I-” you stammered, not exactly sure where to start.  

“I love you all and-”

You couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened between you all. 

Everyone found the love of their life.

Jimin with you, a foreign student attending University in Busan for the Summer.

Jungkook with a fan.

Taehyung with his childhood best friend.

Hoseok with a dancing partner from a solo project.

Yoongi with his long distance girlfriend from before debut.

Namjoon with his make up artist.

Jin with an ex girl group member.  

Everyone had children (and their Korean names of course).

Jimin and yourself had Benjamin, Rose, Evie, Samuel and Ellie.

Jungkook had Faith and now, Joshua thanks to some medical advances.

Taehyung had Daea and soon to be James (Jimin) and Julia.  

Hoseok had Harry and Harlow.

Yoongi had Florence and Luca

Namjoon had Oliver and in the future he has Thomas (the final Bangtan Baby)

Jin had Madeline and Gabriel and recently Harriet.  

You remembered the good times and the bad times, the easy times and the hard times, the funny times and the hard times, but you wouldn’t change a thing. Members walking in on you and Jimin, you walking in on members and their significant others. Watching members walking down the aisle, having the children, making huge life decisions.. And now we were onto this one. One to change everything.

“I’ll take it from here Y/N” Namjoon took over from your thoughts that quickly rushed through your mind, walking towards you and walking you towards the table where he started his speech. His speech to break everyone’s hearts.

//

Arriving at Jamsil Stadium, you could feel the tension in the air. You felt uneasy. Everyone did. To not make this anymore confusing in terms of emotions, the families sat in their own area. You zipped up the coats of all of the children, adding hand warmers into their coat pockets and their hands covered in BTS gloves.

“Daddy I love you” Gabriel screamed when Jin appeared on screen in the VCR. The whole crowd roared with laughter and “aws”. The children loved this so once their Dad’s appeared on the screen they kept proclaiming their love, much to the adoration of the crowd.

“It’s time” Jimin mouthed, noticing him from behind the curtain in the corner. You blew him a kiss. What else could you do? You didn’t know what to do.  

From No More Dream to their most recent hit, Like to Home, Danger to Dionysus, Boy In Luv to Boy With Luv, War of Hormone to Make It Right, Run to Tear, I Need U to Dimple, Spring Day to Idol and everything in between. Tonight was a party. A celebration. But soon, the party had to come to an end.  

And with that, the curtain closed. The curtain finally closed on BTS.

The sobs around the stadium were Earth shattering and heart stopping. The high pitched wails from fans around the world who had stuck by the members through thick and thin. They didn’t deserve this heart ache, but the members did it for them, even if they didn’t realise it yet.  

-“I’m worried our presence holds ARMY back” Jungkook said one day. He was right. Some fans don’t make the effort to have a social life, hold a decent conversation in person or follow their dreams because in the moment, they believe all their live is set up to be is a fan of BTS. Wrong. They were so much more than that and if an extremely long hiatus is what it took for them to realise, then so be it. If they ever came back, the fans would return if they found time. Not because they had time to ‘waste’.-

You knew Jimin was nervous, he was worried to leave. But in essence, nobody was leaving. Nobody ever said they wouldn’t return. Nobody said they were no longer a band. They were just stopping promotions for a long while. “The next Take That of K-Pop" one English news outlet broadcasted and maybe that was true, maybe the would come back. Nobody could ever see the future.  

The possibility for group projects were never off the table. They were all planning on working on solo stuff so why couldn’t a collab be in the works. “Just because we might not be promoting as BTS, doesn’t mean we’ll not always be BTS. BTS is in our blood” Seokjin explained during the final ment. “I’m still waiting for that collab Yoongi-hyung" Taehyung joked, trying to make Yoongi laugh since he started crying and couldn’t stop during Love Myself half way through the set.

Jimin had been awfully quiet. “G-g-guys" he mustered up the courage when his face came on the screen, all puffy and red. Everyone’s face matched his. Even the children’s. Most of them were old enough now to know what was going on so they were emotional or they just had Jack Frost nipping at their adorable chubby cheeks.

“I promise I’ll never leave you. We will never leave you” Namjoon ushered out, trying to fill in the gaps of Jimin’s long pause.

“Can I do something?” Jimin asked the crowd. The cry from the crowd was different. The last question he’ll ever ask for a long time and they knew that. He seemed desperate for whatever he wanted to happen. It was as if after all this time, the pent up emotions of ARMY dissolved. It didn’t matter what awards they won, how many Youtube titles they took, records they broke, TV shows attended.. None of that mattered. ARMY were no longer a force to be reckoned with. They felt broken. But do you know what kept them together? BTS’ happiness. Whatever they wished for, ARMY would grant.

“I want to walk around this stadium. I want to be able to hug every single one of you and whilst I know that’s not possible. I want to see you up close. I want you to see me. I want you to remember me. I know in time, we will dwindle out of your life but you will always be in my heart and my feelings towards you all can only get bigger. ARMY, if I and the other members walk around, do you promise not to leave your seats? Do you promise to say safe? I will only do this if you promise to protect yourselves and others around you. I want to do this ARMY. Let me see you so I can etch this moment in my heart and never let it go.”

And for one last time, Jimin’s wish was ARMY’s command.

It was silent. Nobody spoke, you only heard silent muffled sobs. That’s when you realised your life was changing infront of your eyes and you hadn’t realised. You had only known Jimin in BTS, what was your life together going to be like? You couldn’t wait for the possibilities and in all honestly, you smiled a faint smile knowing your husband was going to be able to wake up next to you from now on and make you his famous orange and pear juice that he made for you if he was ever off work. Knowing that the children can have their Daddy whenever they wanted, without calling to ask him to come home. It was time. Everyone knew it. But you knew this would break his heart, but as his wife, you were going to get him through it, just like the rest of the members. Your thoughts were broken as Jimin came over to your area and kissed you with a different type of kiss. It was passionate but longing, it was as if he was promising to take care of you for the rest of his life no matter what happens and that everything he has ever done was all for you but now it’s time to focus on you and the children. He was yearning at the thought of all the years and experiences spent together. It was an amazing kiss. A one that lasted a while, in front of the whole crowd, but you didn’t care. This crowd loved BTS for their music and their happiness. You detached your lips and placed out your palm as if to signal him that he should walk around. He already spoke with the children, you were his stop after the kids and now, ARMY was his last.

The ARMY bombs around you suddenly turned a multitude of purple tones. “This is for you” Taehyung cried in a muffle, speaking in both Korean and English.

And suddenly, Young Forever started to play on the screen. A lot like their notorious surprise at Wembley Stadium but this time, they planned this. They needed ARMY to remember them in some way. Apparently this was the way to do it, but they obviously didn’t realise by just being around and making music was the way ARMY would remember them but this, this was special.

Sobs got louder, wails got more high pitched and the inhaling of breath took over. Within moments, it was over. The stadium became dark and a cold twitch soared through your body. It seemed like everyone experienced it as there was an almightly shudder that occurred at the same time.

They bowed for one final time, not wanting to come up, Namjoon having to make the first move.

They walked back to the front stage, awaiting for their slow descent.  

“You’ve got me..” Jungkook sang. “I’ve got you” the crowd replied.

“So show me..” Taehyung called. “I’ll show you” the crowd replied.  

“It’s okay now count..” Namjoon chanted. “1,2,3!” the crowd replied. “Forget all of the sad memories, hold my hand and smile” Hoseok finished.

“You showed me I have reasons..” Jin trailed off. “I should love myself” the crowd replied.

“The morning will come again, because no darkness or season can last forever. Bogoshipda” Yoongi spoke in English, finishing off in Korean. “Bogoshipda” the crowd replied.

“Forever, we are young..” Jimin sang. Immediately stopping himself. He composed himself, taking a deep breath, looking at ARMY.

“And with that, we’ll love you forever. Forever we are young and forever, we are yours”.  

And just like that they were gone.

The screen turned to black, a message slowly appearing moments later.

‘Special thanks to our forever love and support, our heart and soul, our forever ours, ARMY. Let’s hope for better days.’

And in the next 10 years, they all achieved greatness.  

_______________________________________________________________________

“Dad, I swear it’s not what it looks like” Benjamin gasped, Jimin walking in. At this point, only Samuel (17 and currently dating Jin’s youngest daughter Harriet) and Ellie (now 15, but crushing on Jungkook’s son Joshua) still lived with you and Jimin. Benjamin was now 24 and the twins had just turned 22, both living apart for the first time with their boyfriends. Whilst Rose was dating someone in the fashion industry where she worked, Evie was engaged to Hoseok’s son Harry with whom she’d been dating from being 15.  

Jimin couldn’t help but have his mind cast back to when his Father walked in on yourself and Jimin doing the deed. He laughed slightly at the memory but the seriousness came crashing down. “Daea, does Taehyung know you’re here?” he asked, looking straight at her. She was a grown adult of course, but due to what had went on in the past few years, Jimin didn’t think this was a good idea.

It’s not as if anything dirty was happening, Jimin walked in on them kissing rather passionately. Just like the time you walked in on them doing the same thing 4 years prior.  

-”Mrs. Park-” Daea gasped over Benjamin’s shoulder. “Fuck” he let out. It was at this moment yourself and Jimin were worried things were going to get complicated. It did, a lot. But thankfully, it caused no damage to your friendship with Taehyung. Benjamin and Daea were so in love with one another, they reminded everyone of you and Jimin, however, they went around things the completely wrong way. They messed around with other people, trying to shake their love away, thinking it wasn’t reciprocated. They didn’t talk to each other about feelings and it messed things up time and time again. Daea was like your daughter too. She came to you about your son breaking her heart and Benjamin went to Taehyung, his Godfather, about Taehyung’s daughter breaking his heart. Years passed and they continued to be together in terms of one off dates and the “i love yous” then silence for a few weeks.. As a collective, yourself and Jimin, Taehyung and T/W/N told them they needed to sort out their priorities and maybe stay apart for a while. It was at this point Daea called Taehyung crying, leaving a voicemail she was in love with him whilst he was fooling around with his only ever girlfriend who was his ex since he was 19. A short lived romance, when Benjamin was desperate for Daea’s love but didn’t think he could have it. Obviously, she ended up walking in on Benjamin’s actions and all hell broke loose, with Daea also spending the night with her ex and Benjamin finding out the next morning due to Daea’s snapchat location. It wasn’t yours or Jimin’s fight, neither was it Taehyung’s or Y/W/N. They needed to sort it themselves but for sure, nobody was happy with their decisions.-

“We-we” Benjamin stuttered, putting his top back on. You heard some commotion as you were walking through the front door with furniture you bought from IKEA for the new flat he had moved into. Jimin looked at you, a hand on his hip and an eye roll was presented to you as you walked closer. You saw who was in the room and let out another sigh, hoping it wasn’t going to be the umpteenth time you cleaned up the heartbreak mess.  

Time seemed to go really slowly even though you were only there around 10 seconds. “We-we’re dating. We have been for 6 months” Benjamin let out, seeing his shoulders come down as if to release the weight of the world that was evidently on it. “We didn’t tell anybody because the media still follows us and pays attention to our every move. When we spoke, properly, we realised that it was the media’s input on our lives that affected the decisions that we made. ‘Daea was spotted with mystery man’ popped up on my phone every now and again and I would lose it. I never had the guts to tell her I wanted to be that man. But I finally did and it’s been working out so far”.  

The smile couldn’t escape yours and Jimin’s face, you literally ran over to them and scooped them both into a hug, squishing Benjamin’s face onto yours like you used to do when he was a child. “You can tell Taehyung though” you laughed, eyeing Benjamin. He nodded in agreement, as did Daea.  

Whilst all the members were working on solo projects, Benjamin became keen and interested in the industry. He was now a well-known choreographer for rookie groups, helping them perfect and hone in on their first performances. A critic but someone who was loveable and everyone wanted him for their rookies. BigHit ended up hiring him recently to choreograph the first boy group since TXT’s numbers for the next 5 years, a contract he had been wanting since Jimin told him about it 2 years back. Daea also followed in the choreography path and was currently choreographing routines for Jin’s new entertainment company which was made up of, you guessed it, some of Bangtan’s children aswell as another boygroup of a younger age. None of your children chose to follow that path apart from Ellie, who was a trainee at BigHit as Jin’s entertainment company was solely focusing on their male trainees for a 5 piece boy band and also the trio group consisting of Harry (Hoseok’s son and Evie’s fiance), Oliver (Namjoon’s son) and Joshua (Jungkook’s son). They were aged 21-18 and focused solely on acoustic performances and were immediately adored by the public when they debuted a year ago.  

Rose and Evie both worked in the fashion industry for a popular Korean brand, who’s main job was to style idols. But they also had other commitments. Rose took over from Jin’s performing arts studio where the twins both attended when they were young and Evie had multiple businesses including dainty jewellery and a wholesaler of fabric.  

Jungkook’s daughter Faith, as well as Jin’s daughter Madeline both trained to become paramedics, not wanting to be in industry. Taehyung’s son worked as a movie director and Julia was a well known actress, at this point, being more famous than what her Dad was at 20. Julia was also engaged to Jin’s son Gabriel, who was a CEO of a law firm. Hoseok’s daughter Harlow became joint owner of his sister’s online clothing business, as well as making a subsiduary and venturing out into bags and shoes. Yoongi’s 2 children Florence and Luca were inspired by their Father a lot, they both became composers, Florence for JYP and Luca for Jin’s label. Harriet (Jin’s youngest) and Thomas (Namjoon’s youngest) were the youngest babies, other than Samuel, Harriet being a couple of months older. Harriet was determined to make it in music but wanted to go through the University route and was recently accepted on early admission to Seoul National University. Thomas didn’t want to be in the industry and was focused on getting the grades to attend university and study interior design.

Samuel? He wanted to be a videographer. He loved watching Taehyung and Jungkook continue to make their films, as well as James (Taehyung’s son) being a director. He was inspired. His back up plan was to become a policeman, a lot like his Dad wanted to do when he was younger. At 17, he had a lot of decisions to make, but it seemed as though life had already planned that for him.  

Thankfully, all of the members were still with their partners and even more in love than ever. During the past 10 years, members had come together for special anniversary performances that were filmed in the offices and posted online, never a concert or anything. The rap line did do their own world tour, with the vocal line releasing 3 CDs and some individual mix tapes along the way. Jin and Taehyung dabbled in acting, Jungkook filmed some solo artists MVs, with Jimin becoming more confident in his song writing and writing songs for the most popular groups right now. This was only the tip of the iceberg, the all tried their hand in so many things. Yoongi and Jungkook even opened up a chain of restaurants to much success, specialising in lamb.. Lamb skewers of course.

You and Jimin, you were stronger than ever. Never missing your date weekend when Ellie would spend time in the BigHit dorms, now inside the BigHit office building, to bond with fellow trainees and Samuel would make himself scarce at Namjoon’s house where his best friend Thomas lived (Namjoon’s youngest and the youngest Bangtan baby).  

Date weekends comprised of anything, a trip away, a karaoke bar, a meal, a stay in the house, a concert.. You name it. There was never a time when you both stopped reminding each other of how you were meant to be and in awe of everything about each other. You both regularly made the effort to reminise about your relationship and that was extremely beautiful. It was a tradition you both loved, a lot like Benjamin putting his first baby hat on top of the Christmas tree instead of a star. The baby hat that was passed down to your youngest.  

“I just remembered we need to get the Christmas boxes out of storage” you piped up to Jimin, as if to hurry him along because you had a busy day today. “Do you want a wreath making again this year Benjamin?” you asked, walking from his bedroom door and turning his light off that was on during the middle of the day. He nodded happily. “Remember to talk to Taehyung” Jimin said, wagging his finger in a joking way as you grabbed his hand. You weren’t the cool kids anymore and he needed to stop acting like he was ‘down with the kids’.  

You both couldn’t stop talking about the situation on the car ride home. You were both so glad that their relationship was finally settled and they were happy. A text from Benjamin popped up on your phone as you pulled into the parking spot. ‘Just told Uncle Tae. He seemed mad at first but when we explained, he understood our position and now he’s really happy for us’. “He knows” you smiled at Jimin and he smiled back at you. Finally, you didn’t have to worry about anything. Everyone was happy and that’s the main thing.

You both walked up to your apartment hand in hand, giggly as if it were 15 years ago (always keeping the spark alive) to notice the door already unlocked. You swore you locked it and Samuel and Ellie should still be out for another 2 hours. Jimin pushed the door open first, shielding you incase there was an intruder. You tutted at the sheer thought of it considering how much security you need to get past to get up here and especially since there was no sign of intrusion. Jimin waved his hand in as you saw a puzzle look come across his face.

“Samuel, are you here?” Jimin called out, noticing his jacket on the couch. It was totally unlike Samuel to come home early, if anything, he was always a few hours late from playing the latest video game. The house was quiet but your Motherly instincts could tell something was up. Within moments, the bathroom door creaked open and out walked Samuel with his hands up to his face. You instantly knew he was crying, his demeanour was different.

Jimin walked over to him straight away, bringing him in for a hug, and then brought him over to the sofa with a hang over his back. “What’s wrong my darling?” you asked him as he fell into your shoulder. You were so concerned, you and Jimin kept looking backwards and forwards between yourselves, also catching glimpses of each other in the mirror opposite.  

“Please don’t hate me” he sobbed, making the shoulder of your white top see-through. “We would never hate you, just tell us what it is and we can solve this, together” you smiled, gripping Jimin’s hand behind Samuel’s back, no idea what was about to come out of his mouth.  

“Harriet is pregnant. I’m going to be a Dad..” he trailed off.

The pain in your chest hit you like it was yesterday. Dejavu of yourself and Jimin becoming pregnant with Benjamin. The looks you got when pushing around the pram, having people disappointed in you, saying they hated your baby before he was even born.. It was tough, but you both got through it together. The only thing was that you were both in your early 20s, Samuel wasn’t even at the age of consent and neither was Harriet. You wanted to say “shit” so badly but all you and Jimin could do was look at each other and think about the heartache you went through, when it really should have been the most euphoric experience of your life. Not to say it wasn’t an amazing experience, but people have their way of ruining things for others, and people’s spiteful comments towards you, your relationship, Jimin and your baby were it for you. No way were you going to let your little boy live the feelings you both did.  

You found out that Jin already knew after Harriet told him she might be pregnant before even taking a test. Harriet told Jin a week before telling Samuel, just to give Jin some time to calm down. He was furious, but there was nothing he could do, it was something that would have to be taken in everyone’s stride.

After the words were over, calming him down and going over Jin’s house for a talk, everything was settled and it was more about being prepared for the baby to come rather than anything else.

“We’re going to be Grandparents” you said, lying awake that night, it suddenly hit you. Jimin turned to you and kissed your forehead replying “I know” and tears filling his eyes, which you only picked up from because of the lamp in the corner of the room glistening his tears. “I’ll tell the girls tomorrow” Jimin stated, kissing you again on the forehead. Benjamin had already found out, Samuel asked for him to be there when everyone went to Jin’s house.  

Jimin’s hands intertwined with yours, pulling you closer. “Our little family became a rather large one and now it’s expanding and other than you, I think that’s the most beautiful thing I could have ever dreamed of” he smiled, squeezing your hand a little more. He knew you were worried, your little boy becoming a Father. Now wasn’t the time for Jimin to try and get into your pants either, something that always ended up happening on date weekend, multiple times, however he turned you around, his chin nustled into your neck and wrapping his hand around your stomach, cooing you to sleep whilst moving his free hand above to your head, running his hands through your hair to help you fall asleep.

The next morning, Jimin had told the girls before you even woke up. He didn’t want to wake you, especially because you both didn’t get to sleep until late due to lying awake at the idea of being Grandparents. “Our family is our magic shop” you heard Evie say from the other room, waking yourself up to the sound of people's muffled voices. Evie always said that. Magic Shop was her favourite song and she loved the idea of escaping and being able to join people in their emotions in this ‘other world’. It was her favourite song as a child too. She often talked about visiting the magic shop in her dreams and her family was always there, even the ‘extended family’ meaning BTS and their families. Rose shared in the same experience. “Exactly dad, Magic Shop equals family. If any of us need to escape, we don’t need to run away and hide from it, we just need to console in our family, because they’re the ones who will truly help us” she smiled to you as you appeared in the doorway. You smiled a half smile, still evidently nervous. “He’ll be okay you know? He’s got us” you heard Ellie say, bringing you over a cup of coffee, obviously overhearing you rustle around in the bedroom as you were getting ready. You knew everything would be okay, you knew that. But it was still so hard. You and Jimin had it tough, everyone knew that. It was an unspoken mutual decision that everyone was going to do everything in their power to not let this repeat again.

“Dad, you’re releasing that song soon right?” Ellie asked as she handed Jimin the cup of tea too. You looked at him slightly confused. “A song?” you asked. He’d been telling you he was working on writing lyrics for another group, not himself. “Ellie!” Benjamin scoffed.  

Jimin’s eyes rolled, his surprise obviously now in your mind.. Not a surprise as such, more a confusion. He could have probably let it play out and you would have forgotten because of your sleepy state but he went on to tell you the truth. “It’s our wedding anniversary tomorrow and I wrote you a song for it. It’s an updated version of Serendipity, which I wrote for you when we first married” Jimin cooed, playing with his fingers, as if he went back 20 odd years to the time he told you he first had wrote you a song.

You were lucky. You were so lucky. Your family. Your friends. Your life. Everything was great. Jimin came over to you, obviously noticing you were overwhelmed and took your hand. And as if by magic, you could see your future pan out before your eyes, and it was the most wonderful one you could ever imagine.

_______________________________________________________________________

“They aren’t going to know what has hit them” Namjoon’s wife called, gathering around the computer in Yoongi’s apartment. The past 5 years was the best 5 years of everyone’s lives. The babies were adults, doing their own thing and you all got to spend time with your significant other only for the first time in a very long time. Benjamin and Daea were now happily married with a baby on the way. The twins were married too. By God, the look on Jimin’s face when he had to give them away was a picture. He told Ellie she couldn’t get married until she was at least 40 but that didn’t exactly happen. It had been a year since Ellie moved out and into a shared flat with some of the younger Bangtan ‘babies’ but was engaged to a fellow trainee, much to Jimin’s delight as Jimin was actually his ‘ex-idol’ coach which is something BigHit were now doing. Samuel moved out 4 years ago in an apartment next door to you and Jimin for independence with the baby and Harriet, to whom he was getting married to in less than a few weeks. Recently though, Harriet and Samuel decided that Busan was there home rather than Seoul, so they took over from looking after your house in Busan, whilst you and Jimin decided to stay in Seoul for the foreseeable future due to the upcoming events.  

“Y/N can you get a plaster? Charlotte’s fell over when I was chasing her” Jin asked, rushing in as if a slight graze was the worst thing he’s ever done in his life. Charlotte was your Grandchild. It was so surreal how Charlotte joined you and Jimin, Jin and his wife together. By this point, Evie had a baby boy too, with Rose following behind and currently standing at 6 months pregnant.  

You scrambled to get a plaster, not wanting to miss anything that was about to unfold.

“K-POP Superstars BTS have announced their return 15 years after announcing they were working on solo projects aswell as taking a well deserved break with their families” the news blared in the background. “How do they even know this?” Jimin looked puzzled. It was before the official statement from the company but obviously something was leaked as per usual. Thankfully, it was only seconds later that the statement was published.

Dear ARMY,

You’ve waited a long time for us right? We’ve been by your side even if you didn’t think we were there. We’ve always been watching over you and it’s been a pleasure to see you all on a calmer basis when we are out and about with family. However, the reason we are coming to you today is because even though we love to see you all personally, we have missed you all terribly for the last 15 years. As much as our wives and children have been telling us to come back a lot sooner than we have, we all wanted to make sure it was the right time for everyone. Everyone needs the opportunity of having the luxury that is family time.  

We are so happy to announce that we will have a comeback next month on the 5th of October. As well as this, we will be posting soon about a world tour to start in January next year.  

A lot of you will be older than us right? The same ages, slightly younger? But it’s been a while. A lot of you will have family and other commitments and might not be able to support us like you did back then but that’s ok. You supported us once and that’s more than we ever deserved. But if you’re back to support us on our next venture, thank you. There’s some ARMY out there who have never stopped supporting us through our 15 years and we hope you will continue to do so. Even if you had to leave for commitments or whatever reason, you are welcome to come back or you can remain at a distance. Like we said, thank you for being a part of our lives.

Our families now have families and are enjoying their lives, now it’s our turn to get back to our passion. We have missed you guys.

All of our love,

See you soon. BTS.

Harriet was the new music producer for BTS after successfully completing university whilst pregnant and being a young parent. All of the other producers were classed as co-producers whilst working for other companies.

You didn’t expect the rush of comments to come through as thick and fast. You were sure it was going to be a small scale thing like “oh yeah you remember that kpop band? They're back”. Oh how wrong you were. It was as if they had never left. And do you know why? ARMY never left and neither did BTS.

//

Starting back where they left it at Jamsil Stadium, the world tour was about to begin. This time, the children were able to stay at home if they wanted, come along or join whenever they wanted/could. It was all down to them. You? Of course you were going. You loved this. You loved seeing Jimin being his true self again. A performer, something he loved. Yes he had his Asian tour one time but this, this was back in BTS, back where he felt safe and comfortable. However, this time, maybe not so much choreo, the 95s were now 45! If anything, it was a celebration and a party more than a concert.

Each member was in a different room with their families. Everyone attended their first concert. Jimin looked so happy, it was if he was having another child. But deep down, you knew he was nervous and the children could sense it too.  

Dressed in a grey suit to greet the crowd first and foremost, he sat down on the couch and rolled his head back, controlling his breathing, thinking about how this is the start of his new forever. You had spoken to him so many times about this. For the past 18 months, this had been in the works and for those past months, you soothed his fears in bed every night. This time, you couldn’t soothe them. You felt emotional at him finally doing what he loved doing, second to being a Father. Just like that time you went back to work in research for Jin’s company, something you had loved studying for before your pregnancies.  

At this point, BigHit were focused on their new groups and Bang PD, who was now retired, told them to go their own way, they deserved to be fully in control, so that’s when Jin decided to let his company run the show. It was very much an all inclusive family.  

“Dad, we need to talk” Evie stated, walking over to Jimin and giving him a hug. “You’re not pregnant again are you? You can’t tell me this as I’m about to walk out on stage Ev’-” “Dad, no stop. I’m not pregnant and even if I was, this is your day. We’ll always be here you know Dad? You did everything for us. You gave up your passion so you could see your children grow up. I don’t think you know how much that means to us. You know who our friends are, you know who their parents are and how they focused on their careers instead of their children and look at their tarnished relationships. Not that I am saying ours would be like that if you did work more but what I am saying is your career meant nothing to you once you saw Benjamin, then me and Rose, then Samuel and Ellie. You both looked after us so well. We gave us everything we could dream of, and not the material things either. You really are the most amazing parents and people we all aspire to be. Dad, without you, I wouldn’t know how to be a good parent to Alexander and we’ve all had this discussion, there’s no way we would have been able to be this happy in our lives without you both. You comforted us during the happy and sad times, you were there to fight our battles and there to put us in our place when we were wrong. Ultimately you loved us no matter what. We hear love stories about the two of you all the time and that’s who we all aspire to be. I heard one time, Benjamin told Mum that he wanted to be just like Dad. Have you seen him with Rosie? She’s only 2 weeks old and I have never seen a man look at his daughter like he does. How do I know? Because that’s the way you looked at me. We’re always there for you Dad, whenever you need us. It’s your turn to put yourself first. Just like the time you were there for me on the other side of the door, when I wanted and needed you most, that’s where we will be. Waiting to comfort you, in our very own magic shop.” Evie confessed. And with that. There was not a dry eye in the house.

“Remember Dad, not all of this is a coincidence, everything has been predestined” Samuel sang, quoting Serendipity whilst rocking Benjamin’s baby Rosie.  

//

Up on stage, they did everything they needed to do and then some. “I toold you we wouldn’t leave you” Jimin beamed and cried out to the Jamsil Stadium packed of ARMYs. It was amazing to see the age difference. Older ARMYs and younger ones, most of which were probably children of the adult ARMYs but still seemed to know every word. It was their first night of a sold out tour, 3 of the nights being in Seoul, next stop being North America, followed by South America, Europe, Oceania and back to Asia.  

You saw all 7 of them up on stage and sobbed, everyone did. They truly were back and back for good.

You went on their tour with them and once you reached Europe, Jimin had a special treat for you. Something you had always wanted to do.

Once again, BTS sold out Wembley Stadium but they had a 2 week stop in England. Jimin told you to pack your bags because we were going somewhere special. A private plane and no announcements as to where you were going later, you arrived. You first told him about this place when you were dating and never mentioned it since. He remembered.  

“Are we in- N-?” you stammered, recognising the language from the writing on the airport building. Jimin smiled. “This is to say thank you” he stated, planting a lingering kiss on your lips.

Pulling up to the glass house in the snowy mountains, it took your breath away, literally and metaphorically. “Welcome to Norway” Jimin announced, “hopefully we get a glimpse of the Northern Lights tonight” he smiled. The Northern Lights was the only thing you ever wanted to visit on this Earth but unfortunately, when you had been to other countries to see it, the phenomenon never occurred. Jimin always knew you wanted to go to Norway, especially since he told you everything about his trip for Bon Voyage when he was on his first date with you. There was plans to visit once but you became pregnant with Samuel and then time seemed to go by too fast.  

Everything you ever envisioned for this trip, he made true. The house had a glass roof and glass walls, the only thing not glass was the floor and appliances. The wooden décor inside decorated with woody earth tones, opposite yet still complimenting the snowy landscape outside. Wrapped in many layers and between a blanket, you went outside and toasted marshmallows every night and giggled like kids trying to take the gooeyness from each other’s faces as the marshmallows splattered everywhere.  

Jimin recently took up learning guitar and it was beautiful to see him play and lul too, watching the snow come down, fire crackling, him wrapped in a mint green blanket. It was as if you were falling in love with him all over again. You loved but never in love with BTS’ Jimin. You were in love with your Jimin, your Park Jimin. The one who sang you to sleep every night. The one who would make you a loaded grilled cheese every Thursday night because he knew you started your diet on a Friday. The one who could get stroppy at the slightest little thing but knew you could fix with your optimistic outlook. The one who took a mental note of things you looked at with admiring eyes and bought you it for a surprise. The one who broke his arm when you were pregnant with Ellie but still did all the chores around the house. The one who complains there’s too much firewood on the fire and he’s too hot yet still wont leave from under the blanket you both shared because as long as he’s next to you, anything can be thrown at him. The one who sent you flowers when he was abroad and knew which ones to send you during different seasons because of your hayfever. The one who ran into a river once because you dropped your phone and it started flowing down stream. The one who knew everything about you and still loved you for it. The one who fell to the floor every time you announced you were pregnant, thanking his lucky stars for the miracles. The one who told you he loved you and you were beautiful, even if you looked in the mirror and thought you didn’t look good that day. The one who gave up his passion for his family. The one that was willing to risk it all for a foreign girl he had only known for 6 months and pregnant with his first child.

As all these memories were running through your mind, you looked up and saw what you knew was the start of the Northern lights. Without saying a word, you grabbed Jimin’s hand, pointed up and without saying a word, you bundled up your clothes all giddy and ran outside. There was an out house built for romantic moments like this, being able to snuggle together and look out into the horizon. You ran straight inside and did exactly that.

Jimin couldn’t stop staring. Not at the Northern lights, but at you. “Your happiness and mine has been planned” he stated, whispering into your head as your forehead lay on his chest looking out the marvelous multi-coloured display in front of you. The emotions inside of you were tremendous, especially when he started to sing Serendipity in your ear.  

This is all you could ever have hoped for. Your children are healthy and were raised well, all having their own families. You were in a position that you loved. Your grandchildren were your world. Your friends and family were amazing and here was Jimin, the love of your life since your early 20s, still by your side giggling and joking. “It’s been an amazing ride so far Y/N” he smiled, knowing you were emotional and finding his hand to your face, wiping away a tear. He knew you so well that he knew you tucked your thumb into your finger when you were about to cry. “And we still have eternity to go” you smiled back, lifting yourself up and kissing him passionately. “Y/N, you have an eternity with me like you said, focus on the outside” he giggled, breaking away from the kiss. You didn’t move. “Why look outside when the person in front of me gave me everything I ever wanted?” you questioned, both of your eyes welling up. This was it. It was you and him now, forever.

“I love you Y/N” “I love you, Park Jimin” “Forever” “And always”...

[toloveawarlord]

A Pair of Jacks “Confession”

You can find my masterlist in my bio!

Day 2 of the Celebration of the Jacks!

Not my original intention for the second day but it’s been fun doing a little flashback of Edgar and Luka in school together! I was unsure of how many years that they would have attending the boarding school together, so for this stories purpose, it’s a 3 year school.

Tagging my partner is all crimes: @plumpblueberry

The final year of their time in school had begun. The young Bright having no intentions to attend all his lessons as he had not the prior years. The curriculum dull and nearly put him to sleep. No, he’d found a more entertaining way to spend parts of his days, a most cherished friend, beloved, even.

His previous day having ended on a peculiar note. Tucked away inside his school bag, a letter nestled between two textbooks. The scribbled handwriting all too familiar. Words carefully chosen, likely written many times over to perfect exactly what had to be conveyed.

Having received many a letter containing similar contents, none had brought a genuine smile to his lips, nor kept him awake most of the night committing those words to his memory. Little sleep did he get, yet the boy felt no tiredness at all. In fact, one might say he felt invigorated.

Edgar slipped through the halls, feet carrying him down the path that had been traversed many times before, etched into his very core. He could say that he’d always been more than eager to meet his companion, but today, the thrill coursing through his being felt like no other day.

The cool autumn breeze greeted the boy. Summer waning away, taking its unbearable heat, replaced by the comfortable breeze of chilled air in the turning of fall. Weather impeccable for the two to meet under these delightful circumstances.

His step faltered, jade eyes sweeping across the open rooftop unable to locate the one he’d come to meet. Peculiar. There had been no signs of him within the school. The only logical place for him to be would be here, waiting for Edgar to arrive-

“There you are,” Edgar called, relief washing over him. It would have been quite disappointing for the other boy to have not shown up. “Why are you hiding over there, Luka?” He could guess but chose not to.

The other boy only shrunk inward at the sound of his name being called. Luka sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, forehead resting against them, as if wishing to make himself disappear from sight.

Silent steps carried the young Bright to him, and Edgar took a seat beside him, gazing curiously at his behavior. “If I didn’t know better, I’d assume that you didn’t want to see me.”

“Did you... get the letter?” Luka’s muffled voice cracked, shoulders tense with anticipation of the other’s answer. The tips of his ears brightly red.

“I did.”

Luka gave a soft groan, tightening his arms around his legs. Under all that tousled hair covering the view of his face, Edgar could imagine the blush spread across his porcelain skin, almost as if perfectly painted by an expert doll maker. The very thought brought a grin to his lips.

“Luka, will you look at me?” Edgar asked, shifting his position on the ground to match the words that would soon follow. His hand against his chest, his heart pounded harder than ever before, elated to release his declaration. An experience incredibly new. 

Amber eyes peeked out, intent on only catching a glimpse before hiding away. Only, they widened, and Luka raised his head entirely. “Ed-”

“Luka Clemence, will you marry me?” Edgar rested on one knee, presenting a rose gold band in a velvet red box.

“Wha-” Luka’s lips parted with only half the word able to tumble out. The red across his cheeks deepened.

Chuckling from pure bliss of the expression across the other’s features, Edgar gave a cheeky wink. “In a year or so, of course.” Letting those words only further confuse the recipient, he cleared his throat. “You stole my line, Luka. I read your letter all night long, soaking in every tender word. Your heart spread across the page for my eyes only. You love me?”

The pause brought about a silence only interrupted by the wind whisking around them.

“That’s incredibly bold of you to write such heartfelt words about me, and though I hardly see myself in that light, I can surely understand that sentiment. For, my own thoughts are plagued by you, all of you. Every time you present me with a new food that you’ve cooked, that smile that lights up all the way to those mesmerizing amber eyes nearly stops my heart from beating.”

Edgar hadn’t prepared this at all, wanting only to convey the emotions that overtook him when faced with the boy that could bring the sunshine to him on the rainiest of days. None of it logical, his speech or his adoration of the young Clemence. Yet, he’d never been so sure. 

“How you puzzle my emotions, Luka, I’ll never know. A day without you is nearly unbearable to me. My heart could possibly burst from my chest when I’m with you, and this fluttering in my stomach is quite new to me. Nothing is ever normal when I spend my days with you.”

His own overflowing affection mirrored in the amber irises trained on his jade ones, enthralled with every fiber of his being.

“I am in love with you, Luka Clemence.”

The moment drew out, both boys having confided their feelings in the other, the fear of rejection and the fear of being loved evident in their respective declarations.

Luka chewed on his bottom lip, as he did when overthinking. The blush had begun to leave his cheeks. With his feelings returned with as much affection, he’d begun to relax. “You... amaze me, Ed.”

“I thoroughly commit to large gestures.”

The soft angelic laugh of the Clemence sounded sweeter than any symphony could play. “Yes, I know. But... we haven’t been on a single date.” Not that their schedules allowed for such an outing, but he could dream of it.

“That’s not quite true. I find our daily meetings to be very simulate. We have eaten many meals together, shared countless memories and enjoyed the other’s company. Very much like a date.” At least, in his eyes, it had been that way. 

Luka mulled over those words carefully. “I can see that.”

A mischievous glint flickered in those jade irises. The ring placed against the floor for a moment. He’d need both hands. “I’d say the only thing we’re missing is a proper kiss.”

Pouncing like the predator capturing its prey, Edgar cupped Luka’s cheeks gently, pressing his lips to the other’s. The stun wore off and the kiss reciprocated with equal passion. Awkward, unsure. Their noses bumping as they worked to find the perfect fit. The sloppy motions began to turn fluid, exploring each other’s taste.

As they parted, both were short of breath, chests heaving and their hot breath mingling. Neither pulled fully away, only a quick break. Luka’s hands tugged at the lapels of Edgar’s jacket, closing the distance to steal another taste of his lips. Another and another. The boys unable to stop their need to convey how much they cared.

“Ed.” Luka fought to steady his breathing, head still spinning from their myriad of kisses.

“Hmm?” Edgar hovered over Luka. He’d been just about to continue, already missing the soft lips of the other.

Amber eyes slid away, red creeping back up onto his cheeks. Lashes fluttered. “I... do want to marry you... some day.”

A sly smirk spread across Edgar’s features. “Is that a yes, then?” The box with the ring laid somewhere around where they’d ended up. Delicately swiping his fingers through Luka’s bangs, he eagerly awaited the answer.

“Yes.”

*****

Edgar caught the mug slipping from the sleeping child’s hands, setting it aside on the coffee table. Evie had dozed off during the story, a content smile on her face, her head rested against Luka. He’d continued solely speaking to his husband.

“I still can’t believe you proposed to me that day,” Luka whispered, brushing his fingers through Evie’s raven locks softly.

“I meant it. Every word.” He would never wish to change a single thing about that day. A perfect autumn day etched into his memory. He reached out to caress Luka’s cheek tenderly. “You and Evie are the best things that ever happened to me. I love you even more than I did back then, and every day it only grows stronger.”

Luka turned his head just enough to press a kiss into Edgar’s palm. “I feel the exact same way.”

The fire crackled, illuminating the shared kiss between them. Careful not to wake their child, the same passion shared on that fateful day upon their school rooftop spilled over that very night.

  One day very soon, Luka’s letter will be revealed! ^_^ I hope you enjoyed their little story of when they confessed their feelings!

[margridarnauds]

Can you please talk about Imhotep x Anck Sun Amun. Anything. I’ve come back to one of my age old opts and I need your help

Oh my God, I’ll try! (Warning: Contains some salt for the second film, though it comes from a place of love and affection, and much rambling, which isn’t helped by the fact that it’s been a little while since I’ve seen both films but still have many feelings, also tw: for references to rape)

Like you, they were probably one of my oldest OTPs, and I’ve always been more or less consistent on them. (I remember being SO disappointed as a kid with the finale of the Animated Series when Imhotep just...walks away from her.) I absolutely loved how EPIC and tragic it was, and I was always rooting for them to get a happy ending. (And I was always disappointed, until I discovered the wonderful world of fanfic.) The Mummy is actually what got me started with my interest in history, and so I really do owe it a big one for that. It’s probably one of the single most influential pieces of media I’ve consumed in my life. I definitely think they were at their strongest in The Mummy; that’s the film that really DEFINES the ship for me, despite Anck getting relatively little time. Like, in the course of the introduction, we find out several things in quick succession: That Imhotep was Pharaoh’s high priest, that Anck was his mistress, and that they loved each other enough that "For their love, they were willing to risk life itself.” And then, after THAT, we learn that they were willing to kill PHARAOH, AKA the MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE DIVINE AND THE MORTAL REALM for the sake of each other. One of the things I actually realized while I was rewatching The Scene is that there’s actually a moment immediately after Pharaoh’s asked her who touched her where she looks at her arm and has a brief moment of surprise, starting just a LITTLE before she turns to look at Seti and then, behind him... 

She is TERRIFIED at this point. I think that killing Pharaoh was probably been something they’d considered, possibly talked about, but I have some strong doubts that this particular part was planned out. (Though I could also be very, very easily persuaded otherwise as well; it’s the kind of thing I’ve gone back and forth on over the years.) And then the two of them work TOGETHER to kill Pharaoh. Anck isn’t passively sitting by while her lover kills Seti, she’s actively participating in it, taking the first stab even before Imhotep gets to it, when he’s just drawn his sword. And, when the Medjai come, Imhotep was willing to DIE for her, only being dragged away by his priests, even though Anck had begged him to leave so that he could resurrect her. And then we learn a little bit about why she might not have hesitated to kill Pharaoh before Imhotep did...

This is what she chooses as her LAST WORDS. A defiant statement saying, once and for all, that she’s never going to be violated again, her last action seizing agency for herself, killing herself before letting her fate being dictated by someone else again (and to prevent her from the painful, painful death that would have awaited her otherwise). All while letting the man she chose to be with, to love, escape while she took the full blame (it’s mentioned in the original script by Narrator!Imhotep that “For murdering Pharaoh, Anck-su-namun's body was to be cursed. And it was I, the High Priest, whose duty it was to curse it.” Which...holy ANGST Batman. Given how IMPORTANT the body was to Ancient Egyptian beliefs relating to the afterlife and how important the afterlife really WAS, this must have killed him, even if he might have justified to himself that he was going to get her back. 

I’ll never entirely forgive the second film for changing her from “mistress” to “fiancee” (which seems to give her more...security, than her just being a concubine, though realistically Seti has MULTIPLE wives, but The Mummy doesn’t MENTION them or Nefertiti’s mother, so...) and deciding that she was going to be an Obvious Dark Sexy Lady from the get-go, when this is pretty damn self-explanatory. But they’d decided that Nefertiti was going to be Evie, and Seti was now the BELOVED FATHER of our heroine, and so of course Seti has to be a loving, kind father whose death was a great tragedy. (Though...personally, I choose to go with Nefertiti as an unreliable narrator. Of course she’s not going to have sympathy for a common concubine who murdered her rightful king, she had to have been a scheming, manipulative woman from the beginning. Seti can be a loving father...who still treated Anck as if she was an object for his pleasure.)

It’s just...so, so important for me to emphasize that she CHOSE to love Imhotep, that he might very well have BEEN the only man she CHOSE to be with in her life

And I’ve focused a lot on this opening and how IMPORTANT it is because it’s literally the first thing we see, and it’s what sets up the entire series. “For their love, they were willing to risk life itself” and, as it turns out, their afterlives as well. Even while Imhotep’s been turned into a cursed figure, doomed to bring the Ten Plagues of Egypt, he has two essential goals (1) Get himself rejuvenated so he won’t run up a tree whenever a cat comes along and (2) Get Anck back. Like...holy SHIT. He was willing to tear down this world and the next just to have the life with her that they SHOULD have had, in another world. 

One of the things that really stood out while I was looking for sources to work with was something that Pete Hammond, a film critic said, which is that "people want to believe in a life after death situation," which is TRUE, and explains a lot of the appeal of figures like ghosts and zombies and mummies (who are kind of specifically Egyptian zombies, as far as their ties to imperialism are concerned, but I digress), but also with Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun in particular, it’s the idea of a star-crossed love so incredibly powerful that it lasts for MILLENNIA, in defiance of death and life. It’s destructive, to the society they live in, to the world at large, but it’s epic love at its finest and it was something they both fought like Hell for. 

And then we get the second film. And in the second film, there’s obviously the ambiguity between Anck and Meela, and which one is which. Still, I think that for the MOST part the person we see in the film is more or less meant to be the person that Anck was in the past, given that there are traces of that in the pre-canon flashbacks, such as the opposition of Nefertiti VS Ankh su Namun, Pharaoh’s daughter VS the mistress, light feminine VS dark feminine, which then is repeated throughout film with Evie VS Anck/Meela, though to be fair, I’m not sure that the WRITERS were 100% sure where one began and the other ended. Which is probably a consequence of defining Anck in the first film mainly as “a goddess” and “gorgeous” the latter of which the film notes EVEN AFTER SHE’S DEAD, but I digress. The novelization plays with it a little bit, having Meela be the one to desert Imhotep, not Anck, running as her identities collapsed in on themselves. The one script I was able to get my hands on that seemed like it might be halfway legitimate rather than just a transcript said that he “realizes that she never loved him,” which seems to swing the opposite direction, being more in line with the Animated Series which would follow it where Anck is a villain whose “Love” for Imhotep is entirely opportunistic. 

Personally, even though I waffle back and forth on this one, I think that Meela is slightly more outwardly vampy than Anck, slightly more pragmatic (Anck was always pragmatic, don’t get me wrong, THAT’S shown by her asking Imhotep to leave so he could resurrect her, but it’s...DIFFERENT, in that I can’t see Meela stabbing herself in the stomach either.) But, we did get some solid OTP content in this film: 

THE LONGING. HOLY SHIT. Like, we know so little about their relationship pre-canon, but obviously, with the whole “Body paint” issue, I honestly don’t see how they would have had TOO much time available for sexytimes, and so you have this situation where they have to try to repress so much around each other when they love each other so much, and sometimes they fail and there are those LOOKS (which cues Nefertiti in on it, so bad move guys, but...#YouTried). I don’t think that they were chaste, per se, given that they were going to do SOMETHING in Anck’s bedchamber before Pharaoh arrived, but I think that their time together was limited and always fraught with the danger of being discovered.  

Which also ties into one of the major THINGS in both movies, which is that almost-but-not-quite-touch. There’s such an INTIMACY there, so much mutual pining. Even when they kiss and everything is ruined for them, look at how they do it. 

It’s so SLOW and longing, the way that Imhotep’s hands just kind of hover for a little while before going to her shoulders as he angles for the kiss. I mean, this is some REGENCY level pining here. Albeit. In Anck’s bedchamber. But still. 

Honestly, I think one of the biggest dick moves the second film did was use them as a foil for the O’Connell’s One True Love. Like, at the end of the first film, there are two love arcs, and for Imhotep to fulfill his and get Anck back, Evie has to be sacrificed, while for Rick to succeed (and save the world!), Imhotep’s gotta go. There’s no real way around this. 

With the second film, though, it comes down more to the two ladies, with BOTH of them having the chance to save their respective love interests. Evie, obviously, goes to save Rick, but Anck...wavers? Suddenly? And you could make an argument that Imhotep wavers himself, given that he chose fighting the Scorpion King for power rather than staying behind with her, but...still. After all these years? The novel explains it as Meela coming back and reasserting herself, but in the film proper it really doesn’t make as much sense, unless you go with the idea that she was never in love with Imhotep, as mentioned in the script above, or at the very least, that it was somehow LESSER to the love that Evie has for Rick, which switches the narrative of the first film from World-Destroying, Epic Love of the Undead VS World-Saving Love of the Living to Fake Love VS Real True Love (With the appropriate child to show it, while Imhotep and Anck can...obviously not produce children. Which I wouldn’t want to bring up normally but given how MUCH of Evie’s identity in the film is tied to her being Alex’s mom, Rick’s wife, and Seti’s daughter...). Which...I fundamentally can’t believe. I can’t believe that after everything the two of them did for each other, how IMPORTANT they both were, that it was just an infatuation. It adds a pointless element to Imhotep’s arc that doesn’t really make sense with what we’d seen before. The tragedy, for me, with their relationship was never that one loved the other more or less; it was that they lived in a world where it simply couldn’t happen, whereas Rick and Evie DID.

The quote that I’ve gone back to time and time again is, “For their love, they were willing to risk life itself,” THEIR. Always THEIR. No matter what, they felt strongly enough for one another that they were willing to do anything so long as it kept the other by their side, and they did it TOGETHER. 

Tl;dr: Iconic ship, iconic characters, 100/10 will stan for eternity

[alltheloveflowerh]

late late show

For the short story to make sense, read these beforehand:  Lie Detector Test: Part One   Part Two   Part Three  +  after

When the previous night, Harry told himself that he wasn’t going to get up early to watch Y/N on the Late Late Show with James Cordon, he knew he was going to end up doing it anyways.

The past few months, getting out of bed was hard, because he barely got any sleep; memories of his and Y/N’s relationship flooding his dreams, and flashback of their break-up taking over his thoughts over the day. Usually, his morning routine was: get up, go for a run, shower and then make breakfast for himself and Y/N; but ever since the break up, he had no desire to wake up too early or go for a run before noon. Then the routine turned into dragging himself out of the bed, fail at making breakfast only to end up going out for one, and make himself as busy as possible so he wouldn’t have time to get sad or depressed. Now, that he was spending his time back in Holmes Chapel with his mum, his breakfast was ready whenever he woke up, with plans to do exactly nothing apart from talking his mum’s ear off about how much he missed Y/N.

Harry’s alarm woke him up at seven in the morning, after only four hours of sleep. He decided that he had enough time to shower, prepare himself some breakfast and then quietly eat while Y/N was on TV. When he finally got up, he took a shower in hopes to freshen him up before he made his way towards the kitchen, where he prepared himself some scrambled eggs, avocado on toast and a hot cup of black coffee. 

Once he entered the living room, he saw his mother sitting on the sofa as well. He was a bit confused, as to why his mother was up already and why the laptop was plugged into the TV already. Anne was also surprised to see Harry up considering he usually didn’t get up until noon. 

‘‘Morning, sweetheart.’‘ His mother smiled softly at him.

‘‘H-Hey, mum.. What are you doing up?’‘ He said, while putting down the tray with his food. 

‘‘Y/N is going to be on the Late Late Show in a couple of minutes, so I thought it would be nice to watch her.’‘ All three cats - Dotty, Dusty and Evie - were laying around Anne’s legs, taking over the space around her. 

‘‘Oh..Do you mind if we watch it together?’‘ Harry’s voice came out as whisper, as if he didn’t want to admit that this was the only way to see her. 

‘‘Of course not, darling.’‘ Anne scooted over, picking Evie up and placing her in her lap. ‘‘Come sit over here.’‘ She patted the spot next to her and smiled at her son, knowing how much he missed Y/N. 

They were sat in silence for the few minutes before the show started. James started off with his monologue, and then introducing each on of his guests. One by one they came over to the couch and all Harry could think of was how beautiful Y/N looked. Even his mum made a comment on how stunning she was, and Harry could only agree. Throughout the whole interview his focus was only on Y/N, chuckling at her snappy comebacks to James, smiling about her passion for the movie she was promoting. She looked good, at least he thought. 

When they announced that she was going to do the lie detector test, Harry could see the discomfort on her face, which made him frown. She looked so nervous and uncomfortable, that all Harry wanted to do was hold her and tell her it’s okay. But he wasn’t there, and she wasn’t his anymore. Once the questions started, he saw her loosen up a little bit with each one. 

‘’Is it true that you almost fainted when you saw Matt LeBlanc?’’ As James asked her a question, the corner of Y/N’s lips started turning up, but Harry’s did as well, remembering the exact moment it happened. 

They were in Los Angeles for a charity event Y/N was doing, so she brought Harry with as her date. By that time, they had been dating for over two years but it was still a shock to the public whenever they went out together because they rarely did it as publicly as that was. 

Harry had always loved LA and every so often he would be seen spending quite some time there, Y/N on the other hand wasn’t the biggest fan of it. She hated the weather, the overly hot, humid air and somewhat the few snobby people who cared way too much about what salads they eat. But that night of the charity event in LA was marked down as one of the best nights of her life. 

They were all seated, hundreds of people in the room, as different people got on stage, performed, made speeches, thanked each and every single person participating, told plans for future projects and so on. The night was coming to an end, when people got up to leave for the after party while both Harry and Y/N chatted with their friends and acquaintances. As they were making their way towards the main exit, Y/N stopped dead in her tracks making Harry stumble backwards since their hands were intertwined.

‘‘Oh my God!’‘ Y/N almost yelled out, when she saw the Matt LeBlanc a few feet away. ‘’I think I’m gonna faint.’’ Her heart was beating so fast upon seeing the legend himself. 

‘‘What? Why? What’s wrong?’‘ His voice was filled with worry since he didn’t know what was happening, or why she was feeling unwell.

‘‘M-Matt.. LeBlanc is there.. oh my.. Hold me.’‘ She nodded her head towards him, as she gripped onto Harry trying to hold herself together. 

‘‘Jesus, I thought you were seriously gonna faint..’’

‘‘Well, I am! It’s bloody Joey from Friends!’‘

‘‘To think I am special man in your life, but no, apparently Matt is...’‘ Harry huffed at her, earning a light whack on his chest. ‘‘Ouch! Stop it, woman!’‘

‘‘Hey, Matt!’‘ Y/N’s eyes widened in surprise and fear once she heard Harry yell out. His grip on her hand tightened, leading her through the crowd.

‘‘No, no, Harry, stop...No.. I’m dead..’‘ Y/N was being quite dramatic, refusing to walk but that didn’t stop Harry, so they found themselves in front of Matt LeBlanc in a matter of seconds.

‘‘How are you, man?’‘ Harry said, giving him a one-handed hug while his other hand this gripped Y/N’s. Matt hugged him back, smiling wildly at the young Styles himself. 

‘‘This is my girlfriend, Y/N. She’s a bit of a fan, you know?’‘ Harry looked at his girl with the biggest smile on his face. 

‘‘H-Hi, I’m Y/N and I think I’m gonna faint.’‘ Her knees felt weak. Even though she had been working in the film industry for years now, she never properly met him. 

‘’How you doin’?’’ Matt said, with a smile. ‘‘Saw a couple of you movies, you’re amazing in them.’‘ He added.

‘‘Oh my-’‘ Y/N felt herself stumble backwards into Harry, trying to stand on her feet but failing. Harry immediately put his arms around her waist, steadying her as she quite literally almost fainted.

With each question, Harry remembered a certain event connected to it. He felt himself smiling and being happy even for a few seconds. But with the next question, Harry felt his heart drop. His mum’s eyes widened in surprise to both the question and the machines answer. Would you ever give up your acting career just to live a normal life with your boyfriend, Harry Styles? - No. - Lie.

Several months prior, Harry and Y/N found themselves celebrating Y/N’s twenty fourth birthday, in Edinburgh Scotland; one of Y/N’s favourite cities to visit. After opening the presents and exploring the city, they ended up in their hotel room with room service; different types of fish laid out on the table, potato’s prepared in different ways, and of course wine. Not any kind, but the most expensive rose wine, because Harry wanted to treat his lady. 

They ate and drank as much as their heart desired, but they were quite drunk once the clock hit midnight and it was no longer Y/N’s birthday. And these kind of night were Harry’s favourite, where they were in each others arms, talking about the most random stuff but still enjoying ever second of it. 

‘‘Do you think your dad will ever like me?’‘ Harry wondered.

‘‘What? Don’t be silly, Harry. Dad loves you.’‘ Y/N chuckled at her silly boyfriend. 

‘‘Yeah but he doesn’t really approve of me..’‘ Drunk Harry equals emotional Harry. ‘‘I don’t think he would be very happy if I were to ask for your hand in marriage...’’ He whispered, his hand going up and down Y/N’s back as they lay on the bed, Y/N against Harry’s chest. 

‘‘You want to marry me?’‘ Her drunken self wasn’t sure if she was hearing right. But she felt tingly feelings in her tummy, happiness taking over her body.

‘‘Of course, I do, kitten.’‘ Harry brushed his lips against her forehead, leaving soft kisses, one after another.

‘‘I love you, Harry.’‘ She raised her head to look up at him. ‘‘You mean the world to me and I would do anything for you. Even if I had to give everything up, I’d do it in a heartbeat, if it meant being with you.’‘ She whispered, kissing his neck all the way to his chin, cheeks and then his lips. 

After that night, neither of them spoke on that topic again. Both of them remember this conversation, how wouldn’t they? But they left it at that, until Y/N was asked exactly that questions. 

Harry knew how Y/N felt about him, because they spent countless nights talking about what the future holds for them. He was also aware of the fact that she would give everything up for him, but hearing it on national television all while hooked up on a machine, sent weird kinds of emotions all over his body. 

Anne gasped at her, her hand flew up to cover her mouth, because she wasn’t aware that Y/N loved her son that much. She loved Y/N as if she was her child, and she brought nothing but happiness to her son. And she couldn’t feel happier because her motherly instinct told that there was still a chance for them. She wasn’t sick of her son spending every day with her or hearing him talk about his problems, it was just that Anne hated seeing her son in this state, even if he brought it upon himself. 

‘‘You have to talk to her, lovely, you can’t keep avoiding her.’‘ She took her sons hand in her, giving it a light squeeze. 

‘‘I haven’t.. I wasn’t avoiding her, mum.’‘ His head hung low. 

‘‘She still loves you, honey. And you were being stupid, even I as your mother will admit that, but your intentions were not to hurt her. And I can assure you, she will understand that.’‘

Before Harry answered his mum, the next question was asked and answered:  would you want to start a family of your own with Harry? - Yes. Tears started forming in his eyes as he watched the love of his life confess to the whole world that she wanted a family. The show was finishing and Harry could notice the stress on Y/N’s face, but at that moment all he could think was about a little Y/N and a little Harry running around their home, as their parents shared the look of a proud parent. 

After their break up, Harry was filled with sadness, regret, pain; where there once was laughter, love, light - all of it was replaced with the feeling of emptiness. He went through all of the stages of grieving a break up, even though he was the one that caused it. But there was something about hearing Y/N answer those questions, that involved the final and seventh stage - redirected hope. It wasn’t his mother voice which assured him that there was hope to rekindle their relationship, but Y/N.

‘‘Promise me you’ll, at least, talk to her. Please, honey?’‘ Petting her cats, Anne looked over at Harry, as the show was finishing. 

‘‘I will.’‘ He promised her. ‘‘I think she has a few more interviews to do, but I’m leaving for London in a couple of days, sound good?’‘ Harry smiled at her; Anne would do anything to make her kids happy, and Harry loved that about his mum, was so kind and caring.

‘‘I’m not rushing you, its just.. Honey, you’re miserable without her, and your sister is already fed up with it.’‘ Chuckling at her, Harry thought that she was right; he was miserable and Gemma did have enough of his whining, saying ‘’Didn’t you break up with her?’’ Of course Gemma loved him, her little brother, but she loved Y/N as a sister and she saw her a couple of time during those months apart, and Harry wasn’t the only miserable one. 

Harry was determined, he was going to fix things and he was going to win his girls heart back. But he planned that before everything else crushed down. 

-----------

If someone told Harry, that only few weeks after he watched the episode of the Late Late Show, he would be laying down in Y/N’s bed after hours of cuddling, he wouldn’t have believed you. But exactly that was happening. 

After everyone left Y/N’s apartment, the only ones left were Harry and Y/N. They were laying down in Y/N’s bed while discussing the previous events, such as their date and the time spent with friends and family afterwards, but now they were alone, catching up on all the cuddles they had missed. 

Harry’s hands were draped around Y/N’s small body, holding her as close to his body as possible. His head nestled in the crook of her neck, nuzzling his nose against her soft and warm skin, leaving soft kisses from time to time. Y/N’s hands held his ones close up to her chest, their fingers intertwined, Y/N’s thumb softly rubbing against Harry’s knuckles. 

‘‘Baby?’‘ Y/N only responded with a hum. ‘‘I just remembered something..’‘ He said, thinking of himself and his mum watching her interview. 

‘‘What’s that, love?’‘ She turned her body, so that her head was now laid against his chest and her arms around his body.

‘‘Well, did you mean what you said on the late late show?’‘ He looked down at her, smiling widely. ‘‘Not that I mind, darling, but was just thinking. We can get mar-’‘

‘‘No! Harry!’‘ Her cheeks flushed, embarrassed, she hid her face into his chest even more. ‘‘Why did you have to watch that?!’‘ She brought her hands up to her face, hiding her red cheeks.

‘‘Oh no, is my baby embarrassed?’‘ Shushing her, he kissed her forehand and his fingers poking her sides making her squirm under his grip. 

‘‘Stop it! I will call your mum and tell on you!’‘

‘‘Won’t work, lovely. She even watched it with me; told me how happy she was for having you in our lives, you know.’‘

‘‘Oh my God.’‘ Y/N groaned, pulling the blankets over her head and hiding away. 

‘‘If you ask me, I would marry you any day.’‘ Harry pulled the blankets off of her, grasping her head in his hands. ‘‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I do not plan on ever letting you go, okay?’‘ He left kisses all over her face, making her giggle like a teenage girl who just found out her crush has a crush on her too. 

‘‘Sounds good to me, H.’‘ Y/N whispered before kissing him hard and eager. ‘‘Sounds good to me.’‘

[hitchell-mope]

(Third film. After “goodbye”. 23 years ago. The afternoon after the isle was set up. Olympus. Zeus is milling about the throne room excessively drinking in celebration. The marble floor cracks. From them vines fly out and form a Venus fly trap. The mouth opens and out steps a figure in a dark verdant hooded cloak. They send vines in Zeus’s direction which wrap around neck)

Zeus: WHO ARE YOU!!!!

Persephone (removing the cloak): who the fuck do you think it is your “majesty”

Zeus: eurghooh uh. Lady Persephone. To what do I owe the pleasure

Persephone: oh stuff it you old sot. You know what you did!!!!

Zeus: I assure you. I have no idea whatsoever as to what you mean

Persephone: my husband and my two week son where missing when I woke up this morning.

Zeus (feigning concern): really? That’s horrible

Persephone: he did it didn’t he? Adam. He set that, that horrible god awful prison up

Zeus (dropping all pretences): I’m happy to say he did. Now all of those, ahem, people, for want of a better word, are where they belong and can no longer harm us. Oh don’t look at me like that my girl. This is a good thing. Now you’re no longer bound by that pissy little contract he forced you into. You can rejoin your mother here on Olympus and all is as it was a should be before my idiot little destroyed your life

Persephone: if he destroyed my life I wouldn’t be here defending him you stupid slut. Nobody gets it. Nobody has ever seemed to have gotten it. I went through that fissure. I approached the skull throne. I threw myself at him. Being up here was a fucking snooze fest of banality. So I took the first out I could find. And I could not have been happier of what my life has become. The only reason the contract exists is because my mother threatened humanity’s livelihood should I stay there. If it were up to me I would’ve never have come back. I had to sign that to save the mortals

Zeus: how can you possibly be happy in the worlds basement

Persephone: hades is a good husband and provider. He respects my boundaries. He’s never strayed without my consent. And unlike you. He’s never purposefully killed anyone.

Zeus: and what of what he did to my son?

Persephone: ok. I shan’t defend him for that. Because he doesn’t defend himself for it either. He knows he did something disreputable. But he’s more then made up for it. Among other things he paid for and officiated the boys wedding

Zeus: where the Helios was I in all this?

Persephone: you were wine drunk, literally swanning about and harassing anyone and all naiads that stayed still long enough for you to approach them

Zeus (fondly): ah yes, good times, good times. Wait. Where are you going

Persephone: I’m going back home. Pain and Panic are good babysitters. But when Persey cries she tends to burn their limbs

Zeus: who cares. They’re the help

Persephone: they’re family.

(She leaves the way she arrived. On the isle. It’s dark, cold and barren. Hades (John Barrowman) is unconscious. There’s a large green and yellow bruise on his left temple. He’s woken up by the sound of crying)

Hades: hey kiddo. It’s alright. We’ll be ok. I tbini. We just have to get to shelter

(A very large very angry dragon jumps out of the fog. End of flashback. Underworld. Present day. Persephone is at her desk on her laptop)

Persey: see ya ma! I’m going out

Persephone: goodbye dear. Wait. Where are you going?

Persey: Auradon. Don’t tell me you haven’t heard? Chad Charming’s gone postal, stole Verna’s wand. Ben’s missing and Lonnie just sent out the batsignal.

Persephone: oh my goodness. Wow. Do you need me to help?

Persey: just look after our home.

(They disappear a wisp of steel grey fire. Outskirts of Auradon. Elsa’s unconscious on the ground. The girls have found her)

Lonnie: oh my god

Jane: your majesty

Dizzy: we’re off to a great start

Jane: your majesty wake up. Please wake up

Dizzy: the bazooka use the bazooka

Jane: right yes of course

(She squirts ends with the bazooka which instantly wakes her up)

Elsa: ouch. Use that sparingly dear. We may need it more than you think. Could somebody help me up please. Thank you Lonnie

Lonnie: what happened?

Elsa: I teleported here and then I hit something

Jane: it’s a barrier. She put up a barrier around Auradon

Dizzy: ohhhh she’s good. I mean she’s an evil psychopathic bitch. But she’s clever

Lonnie: how do we get inside?

Elsa: Jane?

(Jane makes confused questioning noises)

Elsa: if you would be so kind as to assist me in getting past the barrier?

Jane: ohhhh. Yeah sure let’s do it

(The ice queen and light fairy use magic to create a hole in the barrier. As they do so a flaming comet zooms down and crash a few feet away from them)

Elsa: what the hell

Barrowman!Hades: Name's Hades, Lord of the dead. Hi, how ya doin'?

Jane: fuck

(Elsewhere in Auradon on the school grounds Mal and the others have just touched ground. Mal’s a human again doubled over in pain)

Mal (groaning painfully): urgh. FuckDAMMIT!!!! Jesus I’m not made for this

Hadie (worriedly): are you alright

Mal: I will be. A minivan I am not.

Hadie: was this the first time you’ve carried this many people?

Mal: yeah. Normally it’s just Ben. And even then it’s only if he asks.

Hadie: really.

Jay: let’s just say he wouldn’t watch GOT for the political intrigue

Carlos: or HYTTD for the animation

Evie: or merlin for the story line

Hadie (knowledgeably): ahhh, he’s a scaly

Core four: yep

Harry: can you let me go now?

Jay: uhhhh. Nah

Harry: why?

Mal: because we may yet need a human sacrifice. And you’re the only schmo who fits the bill.

Harry: huh?

Carlos: Gil and I are loved by everyone. I’m the kings adoptive son. He’s the kings brother. You’re the ground people use to scrape gum off their shoes

Evie: that’s an insult to shoes gum and ground. And scraping

Carlos: my apologies. To shoes gum ground and scraping

Harry: I hate you all.

Jay: don’t expect us to lose sleep over it

Harry: besides. I’m the last person who should be a sacrifice

Evie: that specific criteria has been discontinued

Harry: huh

Jay: people like you can be scarified now

Harry: shit

Mal: oh no. Oh no no no no no. This is not good

Evie: they’re all asleep. DOUG

Mal: BEN

Gil: LONNIE

Evie: please pickup please please please pickup.

Mal: nonononononono. Gah. I miss you

Gil: please be safe

Jay: Jane isn’t answering either.

Mal: ok ok ok. So. The king. His major-domo/regent. And both their regents are missing. All the remaining students are asleep. It’s only half past two in the afternoon but I already want to take a brandy bath. Because Auradon has no leader. So we’re all screwed to fuckery

Jay: well that’s not entirely true is it. Hadie could you summon the three little bitches. Cause I really really want them to see this

(Hadie makes Uma, Harriet and Cj appear via grey smoke)

Uma: what the hell’a going on?

Harriet (very confused): we were still on the bridge and what’s all that funny coloureds stuf on the ground?

Jay: you three are gonna hate this. You, Uma, especially are gonna hate it. (In his announcer voice) NOW PRESENTING. MALEFICENT BERTHA. THE ACTING QUEEN OF AURADON

(He bows to Mal, closely floored by Carlos Celia Gil and Hadie. Evie is pulled to her knees by Carlos. Mal looks like she was just clipped by a car)

Uma: what?

Jay: well after the wedding she’ll be queen legally. But for now she’s just the regent. It’s wonderful don’t ya think?

Hadie: it’s marvellous. Now bow heathens

Harriet: fat fucking chance.

Jay: oh but Harry’s bowing to the one true queen

Harry: Celia bent my spine

Celia: it was my pleasure

Uma: I am not bowing to that.

Jay: oh you act as if you have a choice

(He uses magic to make the three pirates kowtow to the dark fairy)

Jay: there ya go. Isn’t that better?

(Mal takes a swig of her hipflask and disappears into purple smoke. Everyone stands up again)

Gil: where did mal go?

Jay: I think I know

Evie: then tell us ohhhh. Yeah. Sounds about right

Hadie: where is she. I’ll go to her. Me Evie and Harry

Harry: I don’t fucking think so

Hadie: she’s family. We have to help her

Harry: I’ll bring the coughing

Evie: if that’s going with you then mal will probably commit a sin on sacred ground

Hadie: where is it that she���s gone to?

Jay: you’ll see

(He moves his lower arm around creating a cloud of gold smoke that surrounds Evie and Hadie. When it clears they’ve disappeared. The smoke deposits them on stone steps. Hadie’s clutching Harry’s arm)

Harry: I hate you. I honest to mmmmother hate you

Evie: feelings mutual. Come on let’s go

Hadie: where are we Evie

Evie: where the king was crowned a year and a half ago

(They enter the cathedral . Only Mal is now where to be seen)

Harry: well she’s not here let’s go

Evie: up bup bup. There is one way to lure her out of hiding. Hadie the dagger please

Harry (having flashbacks to when he was 14): no Nono don’t you dare dont you fucking think about it. FUUUUUUCK! She did it

(Evie uses the dagger to slash Harry’s shin. He falls down in pain. Mal pops up from behind the pulpit)

Mal: I heard Scottish screaming (realises she was played) aw crap I shoulda known. I hate it when you do that

Evie: it’s a tested tried and true method. Plus it’s fun to maim him

Mal: yeah...(she heaves a sigh and sits down heavily on the stage) I’m queen. “Yay” I want Ben. Is that pathetic? It sounds pathetic

Evie (sitting down next to her): no. I want Doug. Does that make me ok pathetic?

Mal: no. It’s a change though. Did you ever think two years ago we’d be wanting our boyfriends here protecting us?

Evie: two years ago I wanted to sink my claws into a prince. Now I have the perfect man

Mal: no, the perfect man bypassed you and asked me out. But Doug’s a close second though

Evie (cackling): bitch

Mal: sister. Older by a day

Hadie: May I scoot in if we’re sharing things?

Mal (making a space for him between her and Evie): sure. What do you want to talk about?

Hadie: I never knew my mother. And before you say “don’t rub it in”. I wasn’t born on the island. I’m an Olympian by birth. But when Adam set the isl...you know what, let’s just call it what it is. When Adam created the prison he convinced our beloved uncle Zeus to put our dad there first. Theory was that if Satan could be subdued by a human. Then other “undesirables” would be easier to round up. So when I was two weeks old, Zeus and Hypnos used their combined magic to put him and I there. I have never known anything else. And the next year Hook uh “hooked up” with a street walker, Harriet. And uh

Evie: not a lot stuff to do over there

Mal: well you know except

Evie: don’t. Please. Don’t. It’s bad enough I’m related to that thing on the floor. But having to imagine THAT happening. Gah...it crosses a line

Mal: thanks for the nightmares

Evie: you started it.

Hadie: I’m a hedonist. A disciple of Dionysus to be precise

(Evie looks at him with her mouth agape)

Evie: well that took a turn

Mal: what is a “disciple of Dionysus”?

Evie: it’s basically some sort of cult. Mostly guys. Girls are there as well. I had the unfortunate honour of delivering a flyer to one of their clubhouses last month

Hadie: sorry about that. I told them to be a little bit more discreet after that

Mal (overjoyed): no

Evie (slightly sick): it can’t be

Hadie: I was eighteen and bored. What else was there to do but set up a club

Evie: try to find us.

Hadie: whenever I wasn’t with my friends or our dad I checked up on you. One time you were trying to puncture the barrier with magic. And another you were crying in an alleyway Mal. I even tried to make a wig for you when you were in the market place with a buzzcut Evie.

Mal: that’s actually quite sweet.

Hadie: I just want to tell my mother “don’t worry. My life wasn’t completely terrible. I’m happy”.

Mal: when this is over I wanna tell Maleficent “fuck you, you giant living accessory, fuck you”

Evie: I want to tell Grimhilde. “You were wrong. Princes are not for me, Doug is perfect for me and I eat what I want when I want”

Hadie (wistfully) and Mal and Evie (vengefully): I cant wait to see the look on her face

(This is when “hey look ma, I made it happens. At the school Gil has a peace offering)

Uma: what the hell are these?

Gil: berries. They’re amazing. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, fun fact, never get in a strawberry eating contest with Mal. You will lose. And need your stomach pumped

Uma: this is this supposed to make up for what you did? You betrayed me. Abandoned me for this. No amount of whatever this shit is is gonna erase that

Gil: I didn’t leave because I wanted to hurt you Uma. I left because it was best for me. You know as well as anyone that the island is an awful place for people like us. So, yeah, I left. But that’s what you wanted. I did what you wanted. Just not how you wanted it to happen. The fact of the matter is Uma, you scare me. I still love you. But you scare me. All I could think of at the dance when you were attacking the ship was “this is what I get for trying to be happy”. I still have nightmares about it. If you care so much about getting kids off the island why were you so mad that I left. Irrespective of who I left with. Shouldn’t you be happy I got away at all?

Uma (standing up to her full height which just barely reaches Gil’s chin): you left me. To go galavanting off with them. You may not think it. But a lot of sins are never forgiven. So no. I’m not “happy that you got away” because you betrayed my loyalty to do so

Jay: Gil, buddy, leave her to stew. She’s not worth it.

(Gil leaves heartbroken and joins Carlos and Celia near some of the sleeping students)

Uma: lemme guess. You’re his bit on the side? Or is he your chippy?

Jay (chuckling sarcastically): oh Uma. He’s with Lonnie. I’m with Carlos. He and I are not together. But he’s done so well here. He’s great at chess and tourney and R.O.A.R. He’s set up a book club. Every month he goes to the isle and hands out flyers and food and blankets and weathers the hate he for it. He’s a good guy. And him “disrespecting you” wasn’t malicious. Because here’s the thing. You seem to be belabouring under the impression that this is your story. It’s not. It’s ours. It’s always been our story. Mal and me and Carlos and Evie. You don’t even get a look in until way way after this whole thing started. It is not about you. It has never been about you. I’m just sorry you still think that after all these years.

Uma: you don’t deserve to have people celebrate you after what you did.

Jay: what about what you did. You set Harry on Carlos five years ago. You kidnapped Ben and tried to murder him to get under Mal’s skin. Face it “Captain”, you say that what you do is for the island but it’s not. It never has been. What you did was for you. To make yourself feel less worthless than you are

Uma: so what now? You gonna kill me?

Jay: no. Not today. Not while Mal still feels guilty about the shrimpy incident. But I want you to know something. I would’ve done it you know. I would have murdered you if you murdered Mal and Ben. And neither Evie Doug Carlos or Dizzy could have stopped me. Because that is what you get when you mess with my family. And I would’ve made that thing that follows you around like a fixed mutt clean up your remains. Just bear that in mind next time you try to wrest control from my queen

(At the cathedral Harry’s trying to bandage his leg. Hadie sits down next to him and heals him with magic)

Hadie: there you go. All better

Harry: I guess I should say thank you.

Hadie: nah. Don’t expect you to. But I do wanna show you something.

Harry: what?

(Hadie flicks his wrist and there in a darkened bedroom. A baby’s bedroom. It’s filled with roughshod burlap sack stuffed toys hand stitched and fraying. A makeshift mobile of various coloured glass hangs above a safe looking but old crib)

Harry: where are we.

Hadie: where you should’ve been for the past nineteen years if I hadn’t panicked and took you to the Jolly Roger.

Harry: this is my room? At the wherever it’s was you lived.

Hadie: our room. At the lair.

Harry: holy shit. You two. You two wanted to

Hadie: yeah. Dad wanted to keep you. But I was four. You got stuck on the way out. I thought I broke you.

Harry: yeah well, a lot of people would say that there is as nuffink you coulda done

Hadie: I could d waited for dad to wake up. I could’ve asked her what to do.

Harry: like you said you four. When I was four I went down to the docks to try and get rid of ol leftie here. Thought it’d get dad to like me

Hadie: I know. I heard the story. Tick-Tock wouldn’t go for it.

Harry: why settle for the after mint when you can have the rotting steak? You can still see the scar. Look.

Hadie: is that why you carry the...

Harry: the hook? Yeah. That and added protection. For some reason people don’t really like me. Might be the skull face. I dunno

(Hadie laughs. Evie enters the illusion)

Evie (drolly): how sentimental

Hadie (brightly): hey sis

Evie: I mean I haven’t been this choked up since got a chunk of moussaka caught in my throat

Mal (also crashing the conversation): Doug made her laugh at a state dinner eight months ago.

Harry: well I’ve seen him. He doesn’t have to do much.

Evie: have you ever had a telekinetic wedgie?

Harry: no

Evie: oh. Then we’ll be in for a treat then

(Her eyes glow briefly, the illusion breaks and Harry’s lifted ten feet in the the air by the back of his underwear yelling in pain all the while)

Evie: you know, I’ve been thinking. The ember is defunct because calamari thee it in the bay. So we need to reignite it. And correct me of I’m wrong but hades has a massive temper problem?

Hadie: not for years but yes.

Evie: and Hook is the angriest person I know. So. If he by some twisted non miracle gets his hair set on fire while he’s holding the ember then it can work again.

Hadie: don’t appreciate the word phrasing. But I understand the general idea

Harry (bored): so how’re you gonna do it. Beat me up. Conjure up my worst fears.

Evie: talk to you. I’m just gonna talk to you. Believe me. It’s gonna hurt me a lot more then it hurts you. At least not physically

Harry: like I give a shit. Just get on with it so it can be over. Who’s got the pebble

(It conks him on the side of his head)

Mal (sarcastically): oops

Harry: ok first off. I hate you and your carcass needs to be burned with you still breathing.

Mal: immune to fire.

Harry: I meant iron.

(Mal lunges are him it Hadie holds her back)

Evie: now where was I? Oh yes. Breaking your spirit. You realise of course everyone hates you. Your father, us, Jay, Carlos, Ben. Hell. Even Gil only hung around with you out of pity. And Uma. The first chance she got she dumped you like yesterday’s trash. Because that’s what you are Hook. Trash. Useless rotting disgusting trash. Nobody loves. Nobody cares about you. Nobody wants you around.

Harry (nervously): Uma

Evie: threw you away and branded you traitor the minute you questioned her judgement. She never wanted a first mate or a, whatever it was you were to her, she wanted an easily malleable, easily swayed, lapdog. That’s all you were to her “Icarus”.

Harry (voice brittle): Harriet

Evie: lied to you for nineteen years. To save her own skin.

Harry (weakly): stop. Please. Stop

Evie: sorry for what I’m about to say Mal but it’s necessary. (Turning back to Harry). Did you stop when Carlos begged you to stop chasing him in the market that day. Did you stop when dizzy asked you taking all the money from the till? No? Then why the hell should I stop now? Face it Icarus. Nobody wants you. Nobody likes you. Nobody loves you! You mean nothing to anyone. You were born useless. You will die useless. So stop wasting everybody’s time and just do it. Die like the dog you are!

(Harry roars and lunges at her. She evades him easily and he crashes into the stage. He stands up. The verbal beat down worked. His eyes are glowing blood red. His hair on fire in the same colour. The ember has reactivated)

Harry: now it’s your turn

(He shoves his palm out and Evie’s thrown into the wall. Brass candle stands wrap around her neck and starts to dig into her skin. Evie screams hits and kicks at the air. Mal calmly walks up to Harry, uses the sceptre to stab him in the back and pulls out his heart)

Mal: put her down gently. Good. Now lie down like the bitch you are. (She notices Hadie looking at her in horror) what? Did you really expect me to touch him with my bare hands? Here you go (she swings the aorta over to him). You can put it back. You alright E?

Evie: yeah I’m ok. I’m just going to stomp on his face with SPIKED CLEATS!

Hadie: that horrible experience worked. Now we gotta try to make it work for all of us

Mal: how. And don’t say what I think you’re gonna say because I am not working with him

Hadie (sane time as her): we need to work together as a family

Evie: fuck

Mal: how’d you propose we do this then.

Hadie: friction. I think. When I got us out of the isle I rubbed the ember

Harry: and covered it in your own blood

Hadie: yes. So if we replicate that. Then maybe. Just maybe. We’ll all be able to use it.

Evie: good plan. But again. How do we all do it. Cause in case you haven’t noticed. There’s three of us. And one ember.

Hadie: Harry’s here as well

Evie: I know. I intentionally left him out. To me he doesn’t count.

Hadie: well dear you’re going to have to get into his headspace.

Mal: my Scottish accent is legally classed as offensive

Evie: it’s true. Absolutely fucking horrendous

Hadie: heh?

Mal: one time in class we had to put ourselves in the shoes of evil we hate most.

Evie: all four of us chose Harry.

Harry: now ya see what I gotta put up with?

Hadie: indeed I do.

Mal: gargh! Fine. We’ll do what you think is right. But only because I need to stop Maleficent. Ok.

Hadie (smoking giddily): ok

Evie: urgh fine.

Harry: whatever it takes for me to get away from these two twigs

(This is when “friction” happens)

[skarletterambles]

The Mummy Returns Re(-re-re-re-re-) watch blog

I might be short a few “re-”s there, as I know I saw this four times in the theater, and plenty of times on DVD, but close enough.

Below are my thoughts, typed as I watched (while eating the pizza leftover from last night’s viewing of the first movie)...

[Disclaimers:  Spoilers for both The Mummy (1999) and, obviously, The Mummy Returns (2001)  Expect lots of squeeing and/or crying over Imhotep/Anck-su-namun.]

And here comes The Rock in his first film appearance.  All those big movies he’s been in since owe a debt to this one.  *insert sound clip of “You’re Welcome” from Moana*

Anubis needs to feed his warriors better.  They’re way too skinny.

Got to love the detail where there’s a carving of Anck-su-namun and Nefertiri in ritual combat on the wall Evy and Rick are excavating.  One of those things you don’t notice on first viewing.

“No harm ever came from opening a chest.”  Evy, I know you’re doing a cute callback, but you were there when the Americans suffered the consequences of opening the canopic jar chest in the last movie.

Since Evelyn is actually the reincarnation of the Bracelet’s official guardian, why did her taking it trigger the booby traps?  I guess that kind of role doesn’t carry over.

Oh joy, more scarab beetles.

I know we have to be able to recognize him, but it’s silly that Ardeth was spying on the Hamunaptra digsite with only a hood on.  Someone--especially Meela--would have recognized his face tattoos.  ... Wait, did I just suggest covering up that gorgeous face?  Never mind!

Rick/Ivy = relationship goals

Meela:  “And your point is?” Jonathan:  “My point is I told you so you wouldn’t kill me!” Meela:  “When did we make that arrangement?”

I wonder if she collected her snake before they left.  Otherwise the O’Connells (or their housekeeping staff) will have a nasty surprise later.

I could listen to Rick, Ardeth and Jonathan bicker and banter all day.

Notice how Alex gets annoyed when Rick ruffles his hair.  So it’s not just Imhotep’s head-ruffles he hates.  Heh.

In my drooling over Rick, Ardeth, and Imhotep I had almost forgotten that Lock-Nah is built like a brick shithouse.  Nice.

There’s a camera shot that appears to show the POV of Imhotep inside the hardened goo.  So I guess he could tell what was going on...sort of.

Both Alex and Evy recognize Curator Hafez from their time in the British Museum.  There’s room for some wacky prequel stories there.

I love that little “Eew, whatever,” reaction from Hafez when Imhotep is done declaring his love for Anck-su-Namun.  LOL

I still want to know how Meela managed to snap her fingers with her gloves on.

Imhotep recognizes Rick and roars “YOU!” and Rick clips him in the shoulder with a hail of bullets, knowing full well it won’t hurt him, just as a big “eff you, too.”  Love it.

LOL @ “Honey, whatcha doin’?  These guys don’t use doors” and “Oh, I hate mummies...”  So many funny lines in this part.

That’s twice--no, thrice--the bad guys have drawn blood on Ardeth tonight.  Leave him and his glorious body alone, you big meanies!  :P

Alex has a good point:  props to Jonathan for driving that bus safely through all that mummy battling.  (Well, mostly safely.  Better than I would have done, anyway.)

Ardeth geeking out over his first bus ride is too freaking adorable for words.

I just noticed the parallel between Rick hanging on the edge of the drawbridge, near tears in desperation as he watches the kidnappers driving away with his son, and, well...you know which scene.  Sigh.

I could watch that flashback kiss between Imhotep and Anck-su-namun a dozen times on repeat...if I could manage to time it perfectly so I could rewind before he morphs back into a mummy.  Because eew.  LOL, but eew.

Imhotep tried to be nice to Alex, talking to him as gently as he could (which is still raspy and scary, but he was trying) and explaining how the bracelet works, and in return Alex told him how his dad would kick his ass.  I don’t blame Imhotep for taking off his mask and scaring the kid then.  :p

Then Imhotep takes off his robes before attacking the mercenaries.  Freedom of movement?  The cloth wouldn’t survive the magic regeneration?  He wanted to be naked because he knew his girl was peeking through the door?  All of the above?  Who knows? 

LOL @ Meela squeamishly tip-toeing around the desiccated corpses of the mercenaries.  It’s worth it to get to the now-normal-looking Imhotep, though.  ;)

I want to slap the editors for inter-cutting the big, romantic reunion with Alex tampering with a filthy toilet.

I know Imhotep wanted to stop his minions from shooting Alex, but yeeting those guys into the pillars was totally unnecessary.  I bet he was showing off for Meela.

...  And I was too busy holding my breath and freaking out during the big duel/regicide flashback to type anything.  Oh well.

I did notice one moment where Imhotep is watching the women fight and something goes wrong for Anck-su-namun and he gives this little involuntary gasp.  Subtle, but neat.

What I like to refer to as The Look(tm) is such a great moment, though.  They actually slow down the film as Imhotep and Anck-su-namun make eye contact, drawing out that stolen, subtle moment of intimacy just like it must have felt for them.  *swoon*

Back to modern times... Once again Imhotep watches out for Alex by making Lock-Nah put him down and stop threatening him.  I mean, yeah, he’s also about to try killing the boy’s parents, so he’s not perfect, but still...  I thank that attempted head-ruffle was his way of apology...  *polishes villain-fangirl goggles*

It’s been awhile since I mentioned how breathtakingly good-looking Ardeth is.  But he is.  Just sayin’.

Imhotep looks conflicted and even a little sad when Hafez says they don’t need the boy anymore.  He doesn’t give the order to kill him, either.  Just makes a vague statement about needing the bracelet.  It may be a coincidence, but he even smirks right after someone says “The boy!”  (i.e. Alex is making a run for it).  It could just be my fangirly brain playing tricks, but I really think a case can be made for Imhotep having a soft spot for the kid.

I see Jonathan has learned the “scream at things” technique from Rick.  Alas, it didn’t save the red-robed guy from the pygmy mummies.  (I swear I know that actor from somewhere...  The red-robed guy, not the pygmy mummy.)

I can’t believe I still get a tiny bit misty-eyed at Evy’s death.  I’ve seen this movie at least ten times, and even the FIRST TIME I knew she wasn’t going to stay dead.  But man, the actors sell it.

I just noticed that after he loses his powers, but before he takes off his black robe, Imhotep and Anck-su-namun were holding hands while walking through the pyramid.  Awwwww!

Mighty brave of Rick to attack Imhotep without knowing he had lost his powers.   Luckily Imhotep’s split lip bleeds, tipping Rick off right away...and then the blood disappears in the next shot.  Yay, continuity!

Everyone remembers the Scorpion King himself as being the CGI lowlight of the film, but those Anubis warriors don’t hold up very well, either.

God bless Arnold Vosloo for doing this fight scene in a loincloth.  I’ve read how punishing it was to film without the padding that Brendan Fraser had under his costume, but the eye candy was worth the sacrifice.  Heh.

I was too busy watching to type much during the climax, but that’s just as well, as it’s hard to articulate “YAY NO OMG WOOHOO NO LOL WHAT AAAH YEAH NOOOOOOOOOOO DAMN IT.”

After the Anubis army went poof I was like, “Okay, great, we won, let’s all call a truce and get out of here before anyone else gets killed.”  But did the stupid movie listen to me?  Noooooo.  Instead, there are Rick and Imhotep, hanging onto the cliff for dear life.

Time for the worst experiment in reverse psychology ever: Rick:  “Go!  Save yourself!” Evy:  *does the opposite* Imhotep:  “Help me!” Anck-su-namun:  “does the opposite*

Sigh.

Fight or flight is a deeply ingrained response, and I just can’t bring myself to hate Anck-su-namun for going with the wrong reaction in that moment of panic.  It’s simply another facet of the tragedy that is their love story.  That doesn’t make it hurt any less to watch, though.  There are tears in Imhotep’s eyes right before he lets go.  Actual tears!   Even Rick and Evy look like they feel sorry for him!  Aaah!  I can’t take it!

As he was letting himself fall I maaaay have screamed at the TV, “Don’t make me write fanfic to fix this--oh wait, I already did.”  Heh.

Better luck next reincarnation, you two.

Then the good guys escape and live happily ever after, yada yada yada.  The end.

(And no, we don’t speak of the third movie.  It doesn’t exist.  I saw it once, was amused by Jonathan opening a nightclub called “Imhotep’s,” and found the rest totally frustrating and forgettable.  So nope, there are only two movies in this series.)

[devillainsarchive]

🐾 meta;

Carlos and his mental state and disabilities (this is the best way i could think to phrase it). These are present in all my verses unless stated otherwise (like my mr robot verse where he has dissociative identity disorder).

I want to be very clear, this post will only graze the surface of deeper issues. I am also putting a majority of this post under a read more due to the some of the more sensitive topics, and I don’t desire to trigger anyone.

I want to also say, making this post has made me extremely nervous. As I don’t want to portray things incorrectly, or wrong. I am always learning, and striving to reduce the stigma and glorification of these things.

Additionally, this things are not plot points for Carlos. I will never use them to make his story more sad or more upsetting. I am not here to have them be a shock value. With writing about these things most of my nerves regarding this post that I have put off for months is the backlash I will get. If you want to talk to me about anything I say in this post, I ask you do it off anon.

Finally this post is not going to be addressing Carlos intelligence (ie his IQ score and how he is a prodigy where schooling is concerned). Certainly some of these things can feed into that. But his intelligence is something that deserves its own post.

Short list: things Carlos has (diagnosed and diagnosed)

Asperger’s

PTSD and C-PTSD

Anxiety

Depression

Schizophrenia

OCD

Insomnia

This is the longer list, essentially I go a bit into detail about each thing on the short list, explain my reasoning behind him having each thing, where I pull from canon to get the reasoning, a bit about the manifestations of each thing for Carlos. There will be cross over, so I may repeat myself on occasion.

Asperger’s (Asperger Syndrome)

Carlos’ Asperger’s is evident when you know the signs. Carlos struggles to pick on basic social cues. He certainly gets better and learns more when he is older. But as a young child, and especially all his time on the Isle, and when he first lives in Auradon. One of the most evident signs of this is that he will talk about things he likes typically mechanics and wires and machines without stopping to care about what his listener thinks about it. In Auradon he learns to stop himself from getting to far, and he always feels bad about it after. He cherishes people that let him talk.

Carlos is not loud, but he certainly has a wide vocabulary. While this is not incredibly evident, his annoyance with Reza’s vocabulary could lead to he knows what all those words mean. Carlos just knows how to use them in natural conversation. He does not understand normal jokes or humor, and it takes him a few moments to get a joke. In Auradon he gets better with those social queues, and learns how and when people are trying to be funny. Carlos may laugh but that does not mean he gets the joke. He also may not understand when he is telling a joke. This does not mean that Carlos can’t laugh or doesn’t know when to laugh, he laughs easily with Jay, and probably for a very long time Jay is the only one who can get a genuine laugh out of him.

Carlos’ is very aware of his surroundings. He notices small changes in things, and often changes in thins will bug him, and make him upset. He hyper-fixates this primarily on his desk in Auradon, and his desk in the hideout on the Isle, and the treehouse in the backyard of Hell Hall on the Isle. He knows immediately when things are wrong with it. This applies also to people around him, sudden movements, but for the most part Carlos associates that with always having to be on alert for his mother. His own interactions with people may seem odd, he may ignore them or seem rude, but he doesn’t mean it. This is where part of that callous demeanor comes from, but he is much better at turning that off and on than people realize.

Carlos also has his hobbies that he talks forever about, that he will ignore people for. This hobby is science and mechanics, and computers. He also enjoys binary code, and Morse code. One prime example of this is when he first ignores Evie when she meets him officially for the first time. He is focusing on building the machine that pierces a hole in the barrier. He essentially ignores Evie, until she makes a comment about the machine to help him make it work. Another example of this is from D1 where he is playing the video game. One other example is the fact that he has the period table of elements memorized this comes up as a way to calm himself down, when he is aware enough to calm himself down.

Last but not least Carlos has a serious aversion to touch. This plays into so many other things about him, and many things you will see on the list. Carlos does not like being touched. And touching him when its uninvited could lead to a various range of results.

PTSD

Carlos PTSD mainly manifests itself in the forms of flashbacks, and nightmares, and panic attacks. His PTSD is caused by his mother’s treatment of his as a child. His mother’s treatment of him, wont be discussed in great detail here, but it is traumatic for him. In short he was not loved or cared for. He had to do so much on his own, on top of his mother ordering him about. She burned him with butts of cigarettes, threw things at him, and treated him like a dog to the point of Evie thinking he was a dog because she could hear it. Dog jokes on the isle about him run rampant.

His triggers on the Isle, he doesn’t really care about. He still is in the situation constantly, so he doesn’t really pay attention. In general, and one he has control of, is the various dog nick names. He will get a bit volatile about being called dog names. Other triggers mainly include heals clacking, smoke, dogs (all dogs, and then just big dogs as he gets to know Dude), and touch particularly touch of his hair. These are his biggest triggers, and they are not his only ones. They also don’t always set him off. He has it all much more under control than he thinks he does. He is good at self regulating his panic attacks and knows when they come on. Flashbacks are his rarest form of manifestation. They are not always full on vivid images of things, but he often gets an overwhelming smell of his mother, and Hell Hall. Nightmares are his most common manifestation. He struggles to sleep, but when he does 6 nights out of 7 he will have a nightmare. He does his best to thoroughly exhaust himself before he sleeps in order to not have nightmares (and to not disturb people, namely Jay). They mainly manifest in Auradon.

His PTSD can get very bad, especially when he has a full flashback. His full flashbacks are generally brought about when he thinks he is being threatened. They come mostly from fear of being touched, mainly if he thinks someone is going to strike him, or if someone is yelling at him. He has full flashbacks very very rarely, but he has had them. One of the most prominent times he has had one is on Parents day when Audrey’s grandmother, and Chad yelled at Mal, Evie, and Jay.

Carlos has both PTSD and C-PTSD. There are certain events from Carlos’ childhood that cause PTSD, but the ongoing abuse he suffered is what gives him C-PTSD. PTSD includes reliving the trauma through nightmares ( referenced vividly in book 4 ) and flashbacks both of which Carlos experiences. He avoids situations, and when he can’t he either disassociates or runs such as with Parent’s Day when Queen Leah’s yelling makes him dissociate. His fear of dogs stems from his PTSD, as well as his hyper awareness of the world around him (though this hyper awareness is also brought on for other reasons). Some of his triggers cause somatic symptoms, as shown above.

Carlos’ C-PTSD is evident in both the books and the movies. From lack of emotional regulation (him yelling at his mom in D1), to dissociation his response to Jane in D3 where he forgets seemingly that his mother abused him. Carlos shows many signs for C-PTSD. He has the most control over his emotions almost to the point where he can come of as emotionless ( “they say I’m callous” ). Carlos has a negative view of himself, but don’t expect him to say that. His mother’s comments towards him made it such so that he feels different, not to mention how utterly embarrassed he is of his handwriting because he taught himself how to write. Carlos’ inability to form good relationships with people, especially outside of the Core4 is not only a symptom of C-PTSD but also something that is part of asperger’s. However its a fine line because the type of people he is typically attracted to, tend to have power over him. Its a delicate line that both parties have to walk.

Carlos’ perception of his mother is his biggest sign that he has C-PTSD. He loves her. He loves her to the point that he will defend her. He knows she doesn’t love him, this is his plot of book 1 essentially. But that does not change his feelings towards her. He has a desire to make her proud, even at the cost of his own morals. Carlos loves Cruella unconditionally even though he shouldn’t, and its unhealthy. He also fears her, but that doesn’t mean he can’t love her. His fear of her causes physical reactions in him from shaking, as seen in book one, to nearly becoming a different person, a main reason he doesn’t want Dude on the Isle in D2.

Carlos doesn’t really exhibit loss of systems, mainly because his only real connection with religion is that his dad is Jewish. However, in my writing, he does often think about how stupid it is to have hope, so that would fit in well there.

Overall Carlos has both. There are specific child hood events that give him PTSD, but the abuse over the years is what gives him C-PTSD, and yes one can have both.

This is not diagnosed.

Anxiety

Carlos’ has anxiety, mainly severe social anxiety. Carlos does not do well in big crowds, or social situations. He has the constant thought that he is annoying people or bugging them. He may want to approach someone, but actually doing it is incredibly taxing on him, and he panics.

Social situations in general make his heart rate go up. Carlos has panic attacks from this. These are the ones that he can barely control, if at all. They come on fast, and often Carlos gets no real warning for them mainly because he doesn’t always know what triggers them.

This is also not diagnosed, but it does stem from Cruella’s treatment. He is always on edge around her, and worried and nervous about how she feels about him. This extends to every person he knows and meets. This extends to his friends. He is always worried about them, and how they view him. He is waiting often for their guidance to tell  him what to do, even if he knows what he needs to do. He likes orders.

Additionally his mind is constantly going a million miles a minute. He often has different things processing and going on at the same time. But worries are most of those. These worries keep him up at night, and actually add to his insomnia.

His anxiety is potentially the least worrying thing for Carlos though. It has been ingrained in him so long to be on edge, that that is all he views it as.

Depression

Carlos’ depression is the must fuzzy of all the things he is diagnosed with. It is definitely the hardest to pin down. And it is one of the things that Carlos does his best to ignore. He has other things going on his mind, if he wants to lay in bed, he has things going on telling him he can’t. Something needs to be cleaned, something needs to be done, his mother is telling him to get up.

Something that links into his depression is his view of his body. Carlos is incredibly self conscious. He has multiple scars that are from cigarettes, or chemical burns. He has cuts, and scrapes that have scared over. He also has his freckles which are a love hate relationship with. His mother found it the one good thing about him since he was born with spots unlike puppies, but for a while it made him resent them. However due to his unique relationship with his mom, he likes his freckles because he knows that since he has them his mom has the chance to love him.

Carlos’ view of his own body being malnourished, and that his growth is stunted, among other things is skewed. He doesn’t like people seeing his body. Sometimes seeing his body makes him uncomfortable with himself, or he just loses all motivation he had. It can be incredibly debilitating. It is often the thing that gets him down the most, and makes his days the hardest to get through.

Schizophrenia

Carlos’ schizophrenia began to manifest itself when he was around the age of 10. He has no idea what it is. It is gentic, and he did get it from Cruella (this is based primarily on Descendants Cruella, and Disney’s live action and animated Cruella).

Carlos’ main symptoms for this are hallucinations, delusions, unusual ways of thinking, agitated body movements, reduced expression of emotion, reduced speaking, and poor executive function. He may exhibit more, but these are the most common. On the daily he typically experiences auditory or visual hallucinations that are vivid and often seem real to him. It his strongest symptom. He explains as he does in D2 where he hears Cruella’s voice in his head. She often talks to him telling him that he is worthless and useless, or she will give him orders. Disobeying the orders is hard, and sometimes he feels that he has no control over his body as he obeys whatever order his mother told him.

Carlos also often known to have delusions, and when he is having an episode he likely wont make sense. He will behave opposite to how he is commonly known (so how Auradonians view him), but he will also be opposite to how the Core 4, and friends who actually know him are. One way to confirm that he is potentially relapsing is that he will respond to the vivid hallucinations.

Often the best way to get him to come back to reality, and get him past the episode is to initiate contact with him, because that is the best way to ground him. Its not an easy feat since he doesn’t like being touched. And he will likely lash out when people try to touch him.

Aside from hearing his mother’s voice, he may feel her arms around him and she could be stroking his hair. His protection of her is often what makes him lash out at people who come near when this happens. Carlos seems almost relaxed when this happens, in a way he never is, his eyes close and it looks like he is experiencing something euphoric, he has this look in D1 when his mother is petting his hair in Maleficent’s home before they head to Auradon.

However, his most common system is the auditory hallucinations, and he rarely talks about them even with his friends. This is also not diagnosed because of his refusal to admit that he is crazy like his mom. He does not want to be like her, and he knows that having it could potentially get him sent back to the Isle. He doesn’t necessarily like when people say he isn’t like his mother, because he knows its a load of bull.

OCD

Carlos has OCD, it goes beyond his need for things to be perfect and meticulous something that was ingrained into him by his mother. Carlos has a few very small ticks. He does things in 10s, or in 101s. For example Carlos will wash his hands for 101 seconds, or will brush his teeth for 101 seconds. He will eat food in ten bites, not a whole meal but each seperate piece of food he eats will be done in 10 bites. This leads to him being a bit of a messy eater, but don’t worry he has 10 napkins for that issue exactly. If he used a clickable pen he would have to click the pen 10 times before he will use it. Often when panicking he counts to 10 to help him breathe. 101s are meant for longer tasks, his brain automatically sorts things like that. His worst infraction of this is going up stairs, if a stair case does not have 101 steps, which most of them don’t, he will calculate what he needs to get to those steps. If a staircase has more than that, he will start the 101 over, and calculate how to get to that number like he would with a regular stair case. It is the hardest tick to hide, in his opinion.

This is not diagnosed.

Insomnia

Carlos has severe insomnia, it is added to by a few things, such as his anxiety and PTSD. It is not dependent on those things. Carlos’ mind just does not shut off. In order to get a good night’s sleep he has to be pretty much exhausted. It became much more apparent in Auradon than on the Isle. It did exist on the Isle. Often being coaxed into sleep helps too, and that typically includes friends helping him sleep, this can be seen more so in my own writing. However I do pull him having insomnia from the scene in D1 where he is shifting on his bed awake, granted all the kids are awake, but his just feels different to me.

As with everything else on the list this is not diagnosed, but it is one of the few things Carlos is fairly comfortable self diagnosing himself with.

In general, the numerous things he deals with that affect his life day to day, when he is diagnosed and does talk about them, are the reason he is eligible for a service dog, and why he gets a service dog. Granted he has to over come his fear of dogs first, but its the baby steps. Medicine is not exactly an option for Carlos because he is so scared of the side affects of many of them Not to mention he kind of refuses to take it. Agreeing to having a service dog is a good compromise for now. But doctors ideally want him on medication to further improve his life. He does not get a service dog til he is essentially an adult in most of my verses.