#tells them how they’ve overcome it/grown since then??? yeah like that

[xx0yeet-everything0xx]

jason grace with tattoos is something that can be so personal actually

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @velinxi​

Hello! I’m Xiao Tong Kong, better known as “Velinxi.” I’m the creator of the webcomic Countdown to Countdown and have been doing freelance artwork since I was a teenager. I love telling stories with my illustrations! Tumblr was where I first got my start as an artist, specifically a small fandom artist as a hobby… and now I’m somehow here! When I’m not trying my best to stay awake in front of my tablets, I’m usually cooking, gaming, or sleeping. Sometimes all three, in my dreams.

Check out our interview with Velinxi below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

Yeah! I’ve basically been on track to become an artist since I was a child. I went to a middle school with an emphasis on arts and a high school specializing in it. I went to SVA briefly for computer arts but dropped out to pursue freelance and webcomics after my first year.

Over the years as an artist, what or who were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

My biggest inspirations growing up were Yuumei and Shilin Huang, two titans on DeviantArt back in the day. They still inspire me today, but the list of inspirations has grown exponentially over the years, including artists, movies, entire art movements, etc.

What was your thought process behind the creation of your webcomic, Countdown to Countdown?

Well, Countdown to Countdown started as a passion project back when I was 15, in high school, and pretty depressed. I just wanted to draw whatever story I thought was cool, inspired by my favorite media at the time. There was a very loose beginning and outline, but I was truly just writing as I drew the story. That’s why I had to stop the comic in 2018 and restart from scratch the year after. Now, the story has a set story and a clear outline. It still has similar roots, characters, and themes of neglect, abuse, and escape—but I think the story is a lot easier to follow now. It’s got an artstyle I can actually keep up with in the long run. The origin of why CTC exists also remains the same: I simply wanted to make a story I wanted to read for myself. Which happens to be about two dumb boys with superpowers navigating a hostile world that wants them dead or caged—together.

Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?

Oh, all the time. It’s part of the process. Personally, though—I just have to draw through it. Every month on my Patreon, I have my patrons vote on a theme I have to draw by the end of the month, and I try my best to make it as interesting as possible. I draw quite a few—tens even, of doodles or compositions for each of these themes to try to make something that tells a story while still being aesthetically pleasing and clear. I think pushing myself like this helps with art block, really. I also do remember to take breaks and simply consume other media I like! It gets the inspiration juices flowing.

Advice you would give to an aspiring creator?

If you do one—your first webcomic should be a short, fun, messy thing. It’s not often you can get it right the first time, but you’ll certainly learn a lot through sheer experience. This goes for a lot of things in art, to be honest.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

3D Animation. I briefly learned it at SVA, and I think that’s enough of that tech for me. I accept that there are some things that are truly beautiful if done right, and I am too simple and lazy for it.

What is your goal for the rest of this year?

Get Countdown to Countdown book 2 finished! And live HAHA

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

@yuumei-art on Tumblr, still! They’ve been a huge inspiration for digital artists and storytellers online for years. I have no doubt that many digital artists of my generation have been influenced by them, and they’re still here, making beautiful art and stories. It’s a thing to behold.

Thanks for stopping by, Velinxi! If you haven’t seen her Meet the Artist piece, be sure to check it out here. You can also follow her for more amazing art over at her Tumblr, @velinxi!

[bamf-jaskier]

AU Where Dara is the Heir to the Elven Throne

I have been thinking about this NONSTOP and yeah so this is like my new fav headcanon rn. We know Dara’s family was involved in Filavandrel’s uprising and that Filavandrel himself wasn’t indicated/shown to have a family so imagine that Dara is either Filavandrel’s son or just heir and THAT is the reason he hid but still felt very guilty over hiding while the elves were slaughtered by Calanthe. 

In episode 4 he says, “Her soldiers…They laughed when they did it, killing, raping. They laughed the hardest when they were swinging babies from their legs, smashing their heads in. I was the only one left. Because I hid. I should’ve saved them. or fought and died.” (I kinda talk about this more here)

and if you think about this in the context of Dara being a prince it makes sense. Because then he realizes he has to hid in order to continue the royal line of the elves but also he feels a sense of guilt because he is feels as though he has this sense of duty to his people. It also explains why he knew so much when the doppler was impersonating Mousesack about what happens in sieges and how prisoners are tortured, etc. Dara would have been involved in at least some way in the planning and fighting of the uprising even if he was extremely young. 

So Dara leaves Ciri behind because he had this realization that just like Ciri is pushing for her destiny and her plans, he has to do the same. He felt this sense of kinship with her, both royalty whose kingdoms were stolen from them. It adds this layer that Dara’s home was stolen by Ciri’s family and how there is this struggle there and how much blame can Ciri hold for her ignorance and the sins of her family? Clearly Dara cares for her in some aspects but there is going to be this tension that I think in the end would be difficult to overcome. 

Dara leaves Ciri behind and while she finds Geralt, Dara finds the few elves that are left. Filavandrel is still alive and is forming an elven army. They want to take advantage of Cintra’s weakness in order to take back their land. This sort of plays into the idea of the Scoia’tael but instead of being a group of elves who were manipulated by Nilfgaard and honestly were expected to lose from the beginning, this would be a real fighting force with clear goals and intentions. 

At first, Dara has trouble adjusting once again to the responsibility of being heir. While he was on the run, he adjusted to hiding under the radar but he knows the eyes of his people are on him again and he feels a sense of survivor’s guilt for watching his people die during Calanthe’s massacre and struggles with having this leadership position alongside Filavandrel while feeling like he wasn’t good enough. Of course, as he plans this elven campaign, and they fight against the few remaining Cintran forces and take back a lot of their land and set up their own kingdom once again, he gains confidence. 

He is crowned king once the new elven kingdom is set up because Filavandrel is just so tired and wants to rest and Dara is the new blood the elves sort of need to keep them strong and secure. He’s definitely the sort of ruler who will dress in normal clothing and go out among the people in disguise. I love the royalty-in-disguise trope and I’m willing to bet that Dara will often do this. He loves traveling and meeting new people and new experiences without the grandeur of the royal title. 

Imagine he reconnects with Ciri while in disguise when she is planning to take down Nilfgaard, maybe it’s been a year or so since they last saw each other and  by now, Ciri has grown a lot. She’s more secure, she has been training and being raised by Geralt and Dara has grown a lot too so there's now this sense of maturity between them. And although Dara doesn’t reveal he’s royalty he does offer to help Ciri once again. He is not a fan of Nilfgaard, recognizing that they are just another form of benevolent imperialism. 

So perhaps Dara helps Ciri plan attacks against Nilfgaard and surprises her with his talent strategy. Maybe he plays a role as a spy or an infiltrator within the Nilfgaard Army. (also imagine him trying to keep his role as a fighter alongside Ciri a secret from his advisors and telling them he’s on the road or something when he’s actually fighting Nilfgaard, the comedy)

And then, down the road, Nilfgaard is defeated and a lot of people in Cintra want to take their land back and re-establish their kingdom again. However, there is now this new Elven Kingdom that has formed near Brokilon and much of the land they have is in what was once Cintra. 

So Ciri goes to the newly set up Elven Court to negotiate and sort of feel out how relations between Cintra and the Elves would work and then who is on the throne but Dara who did NOT expect Ciri to arrive. 

And they’ve been good friends for a number of years now so Ciri is just SHOCKED that Dara is actually the KING of the Elves and he’s just like “Listen, I didn’t want to tell you I thought it would make things awkward”

I love this idea a lot and I know I don’t really have time to ever write it but I am obsessed. 

[cakejots]

this is us trying, Chapter 1 - The Beginning of an End

In this AU, they don’t know each other outside of the suit. And in this AU, Ladybug and Chat Noir love each other. But in this AU, Chat doesn’t want their identities revealed.

Written for @ladynoirjuly 2021

notes: this is a coherent story based on all the prompts; each chapter contains at least 3 prompts

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9 | Ch 10

Read on AO3

1. Older

“Well, Chaton?”

Chat stared at Ladybug as though she had grown an extra head.

“My lady, are you sure you want to know?”

“Oh come on Chat, there are at least tens of thousands of people who are of the same age. There’s no way you can figure out who I am just from that.” She leaned forward, chin on her palms and eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Hmm, that is true.” His fingers under his chin, eyes searching the sky. “I'm turning 21 this year.”

Ladybug looked dazed for a moment before smugness took over. “So I was right about your age! Well, the age range at least.”

“Oh? And how did my lady manage to guess it?”

Ladybug slowly ran her eyes down his body before peering right back into his eyes, and she smiled innocently.

Chat barked out a laugh.

“Now guess mine!”

“Don’t need to. I know you’re in the same age range as meow.”

She raised an eyebrow and his lips curled slyly. “The same way you managed to guess my age. Do you really want me to say it? Or in this case, show it to you?”

Ladybug couldn’t help but blush. “Okay, okay. You’re not wrong, I’m turning 21 this year too.”

Chat’s child-like demeanour came back, eyes lighting up. “Okay, but now I have to know who’s actually older! Mine’s in September.”

“I'm Leo, so the range is from July to August,” she grinned.

Chat regarded her with a mixture of awe and shock. “No way… You’re actually older than me!”

“Why is this a shock to you? I am more mature than you are,” Ladybug giggled.

“I mean, yeah, but for that fact to get thrust into my face, it just feels—”

“Surreal. I get it,” she sighed blissfully.

They fell into a peaceful silence as this new realisation settled within their hearts and minds. They were finding the most minute of things to share without giving away their identities, and just this tiny, basic fact about each other was overwhelming enough.

This, was something they could experience soon enough, to be normal again and enjoy the process of courting. This, was something they could slowly discover about each other soon enough, to fall in love harder, and to fall in love all over again.

“We are so close. So so close.” Chat gazed into her eyes, took her hand in his and squeezed, much like how his heart was feeling as it was overcome with emotions.

“We are finally nearing the end of all of this.” Ladybug pulled him into a tight hug.

2. Masks

It was over.

It was finally over.

It was a joyous day for Parisians as the supervillain who had been terrorising their city over the past few years had finally been caught and sent to prison.

It was a joyous day indeed.

But why was the atmosphere surrounding him so burdensome, just like the downpour that struck ever since he had entered the Agreste mansion?

The thunderstorm that raged above him, the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses that sat in his palm, and the face of the supervillain who was actually his father, glaring at him from a distance away with absolute despise and fury, they all seemed to be mocking him for his ill-fortune.

Of course there was no happy ending for him, even after the final battle. How could he have been so naive to believe that there was a positive outcome for him? He was the epitome of bad luck. From being chosen to be the Black Cat Miraculous holder, right down to his fate that had decided his course for him ever since he was brought into this world.

He was all alone now. His mother’s passing during his early teenage years had left an open wound in his heart. He saw the funeral happened. He cried as the ceremony went on for days on end. He was there to witness the burial of his mother. Those were definitive proof that his mother had passed. He has been mourning for his mother every year on her death anniversary.

So imagine his shock when he saw her in the basement he didn’t know existed, still as radiant and beautiful as he remembered. And to be slapped with the knowledge that his father had a hand in all of this.

He had a hand in withholding the truth about his mother’s whereabouts all this time. The truth that he had rights to. That she was well and alive but in deep deep slumber, one that she might never awake from. He had a hand in causing him so much pain, so much trauma. To be the perfect child he is to be, else he was no son of Gabriel. The direct role his father played in causing him to feel neglected, unloved, and worthless. Just so that he could play the supervillain and recruit innocent Parisians in his quest to obtain the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses.

He caused Parisians so much pain, stripping them of their right to feel what they feel. A minor slipped up from being unable to control their emotions and they became the villains for the day. He had used them for his selfish desires, to do his dirty work for him. All this for not being able to move on from the death of his wife. Not being able to accept the natural cycle of life.

And all of this had happened under his nose, but he didn’t even know. He has been living with the supervillain all his life. He has interacted with the supervillain almost daily. He has shown care and concern for the supervillain. He has forgiven the supervillain for his actions, always telling himself that he had his reasons for acting the way he did. He was a superhero and he didn’t even know.

If he had known, maybe he'd be able to convince his father to stop whatever he was doing. Maybe even prevent the current outcome of events, and even save his father from serving jail time. Some superhero he is.

He didn't know what would become of his mother, but he had long accepted that she had passed. And now, his father will leave his side, to pay for what he did.

Chat was truly alone now.

“Chaton?”

He blinked and looked over to his left. His lady was standing right beside him with concerned eyes, her hands on his left arm. The rain had lightened up considerably and he could see her as clear as day. He didn’t register her touch until he had seen it himself.

Chat wordlessly turned towards her and extended his right hand, the hand that held the two missing Miraculouses. He was expecting her to take them from him and called it a day with their habitual fist bump, but she closed his right hand and held both his hands in hers tightly and peered into his eyes.

“Chaton, are you alright?”

Ladybug cursed herself for asking the obvious. Clearly, he wasn’t feeling his usual self. The cheeky and confident demeanour he always had after the end of a battle was gone. His ears, tail, and posture seemed so deflated and depressed that he just looked like a kitten kicked hard.

She touched his face.

Chat grabbed her hand on his face and wanted to smack himself. His lady was right beside him all this time as he was drowning himself in self-loathing and self-pity. He couldn't let his gloominess take hold of her on this glorious day.

“I’m fine,” Chat showcased the brightest smile he could muster at that moment.

Ladybug worried her lips, not buying it for a single second.

“Chaton…”

He knew she wasn’t going to buy his act with the way she was watching him. Chat really didn’t know what he should do. His hand squeezed hers, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Can we go for a run, just for a while? I promised we’ll talk when we meet up again at the Eiffel Tower.”

When Ladybug didn’t respond, he opened his eyes to beg. “Please?”

Ladybug squeezed his hand before nodding and letting go, giving him a head start. Chat caught her hands before they fell completely by her side, and placed the Miraculouses within her palms. He made sure she put them away securely before jumping away. She followed him soon after, giving him the time and space he needed.

.

When Ladybug arrived at the Eiffel Tower, Chat seemed really nervous. She really didn’t know what made him like this, but he shouldn’t be that restless. Not of the revelations he made during the final battle and his rooftop run, and he definitely should not be uneasy about her arriving.

She extended her arms towards him. “Minou, can I hug you?”

Chat rushed to her and embraced her tightly. Her hands drew soothing circles on his back to release tension from his body, and he relaxed ever so slightly into hers.

“Okay, I’m ready to talk.” He took a deep breath to mentally prepare himself before he continued. “I-I know you’re looking forward to the reveal after the final battle. I am too. We’ve waited years for this moment. But… but can we not do that now?”

Ladybug instantly pulled back and gawked at him. To say that she was shocked was an understatement. She did not expect this at all. Yes, she totally forgot about the reveal because she was so focused on making sure he’s alright, but for him to just drop the bomb on her like that. “But—”

“I know this is a really unfair request from me,” he quickly added. “But I don’t want to deceive you. We can go on dates in our suits! So that you get to know me. All of me. How I act in and out of battle.”

He slowly averted his gaze. “And that the feelings you have for me will still be there even after our dates.”

Ladybug couldn’t believe her ears, Chat is still Chat, no matter the situation. The fact that he didn’t even include her in the proposal he just suggested made it obvious that he wasn’t even convinced himself. They both knew that they weren’t going to act any different. They’ve hung out outside of Akuma attacks, they will be the same in and out of the suit. It just didn’t make sense.

“Chat...” she pleaded.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so so sorry. Please don’t leave me,” he sobbed and enveloped her in a bear hug, afraid that she'd run if he didn’t have a tight enough grasp on her.

Wait, what? No, no! Where did he get the idea that she’s going to leave?

“I-I can’t—”

That's absurd.

“Chat, you don’t have to explain.” Her hands continued the back rubs from before, making sure that it soothed him enough till he’s comfortable loosening his grip. She slowly pulled back and cupped his cheeks, a smile on her face. “Words are not needed. I may not understand the reasons behind your decisions now, but I trust that your heart is in the right place.”

That subtle shine in his eyes did not go unnoticed by Ladybug. “Words cannot express how thankful I am, my lady.”

“Well, then better make it up to me with the dates you promised.”

“Of course, my lady.”

Judging the look on his face, she slowly added, “Do you need more time to sort things out?”

“I don’t know. Can you stay with me a while longer?”

She nodded understandingly and went back to hugging him. Chat tightened his arms around her and breathed in her scent. Her fingers left delicate touches in its trail from his back to his scalp, knowing full well that it's a gesture he’d appreciate. Low rumbles of purring slowly filled the air around them.

They stayed tangled for who knows how long before Ladybug popped the question.

“About the masks, are you sure?”

“Yeah. We don’t drop them,” Chat said with a conviction he knew was never there.

3. Tease

It’s been a week since the defeat of Shadowmoth.

A week since Chat broke down from whatever he had experienced during that short time frame of the final battle.

A week since he had declined the reveal.

Ladybug wasn’t pleased, how could she be? She had waited 6 long years for that, ever since the day they first met and swore to protect Paris from Hawkmoth’s clutches. Well, Shadowmoth now.

It sucked. Even Shadowmoth has had development. Her relationship with Chat? Null.

No. It wasn’t fair to say that. Of course their relationship had developed. From practical strangers to lovers, they trusted each other with their lives, even if they didn’t know who the other was behind that mask. That’s some intense trust they have right there.

But still.

She was really looking forward to the reveal. They were really looking forward to the reveal.

Chat must have had a reason for what he chose that day, strong enough to throw away what he desired most. But what?

Ladybug sighed, she supposed the only thing she could do was to hope that nothing about their relationship had changed. And be there for him when he needs it, like a good girlfriend she is. Are they even a couple? The unnamed boundaries were causing her additional anxiety she didn’t need now. She guessed she’d have to talk it out with Chat and make clear where they stood.

She got broken out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching her.

“Hey...”

Before she even turned around, the tone of his voice sounded so tired, as though coming here was a chore for him. He had shared with her before that meeting her is always the highlight of his day. For it to become a chore… He must be really affected by it.

“My lady?” He stopped behind her.

That wouldn’t do.

She whipped around and flicked his bell, “Hey Chaton, you’re here!”

And as if that wasn’t enough, she had the sweetest smile he has ever seen plastered on her beautiful face. Those rosy cheeks and welcoming lips upturned, and the whites of her teeth slightly visible from her smile, directed at him. So happy to see him. So thrilled for him to be here.

It shot right through his heart. He couldn’t do anything else besides fixate his eyes on her radiant and alluring face.

“Aww, cat got your tongue? Or in this case, a ladybug got your tongue?” She cooed and flicked his bell once more.

She was relieved she still has this effect on him.

“S-she definitely did.” A pink hue dusted his cheeks.

Cute.

Ladybug figured the only thing she could do was to remind him of all the enjoyable memories they had together and banish the sad ones that gripped him from a week ago. The reveal can wait. What's important was to make sure he doesn’t forget why they wanted the reveal in the first place.

She concluded upping her tease factor was the way to go.

“I’ll make sure you know that my feelings for you are real and you won’t be able to resist my charms any longer.”

“My lady,” Chat whined. He was already regretting his decisions from a week before.

Ladybug, on the other hand, was grinning. She’d accept whatever he’s willing to give. She supposed she could get the ball rolling, to begin filling in on fresh empty pages as they experience falling in love all over again. Because deep down, that is what they’ve wanted after all.

[thebigqueer]

Solangelo - "Edging Closer and Closer to Doom" - One-Shot

Summary: Nico and Will visit Percy and Annabeth to get advice before they leave for Tartarus.

Word Count: 4843

SPOILERS: Tower of Nero; TW: brief mention of guns (no actual violence though); trauma

Read on AO3

“Nico, where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see.”

“Is it somewhere romantic?”

Nico turns to Will, stopping both the boys in their tracks. A small smile twists over his mouth. “Well, we can go somewhere afterwards.”

It’s a warm day in August, and Will wants nothing more than to stay here at camp and enjoy the sun with his boyfriend. The month is coming to a close, along with their freedom, and Will thinks it’s important to enjoy the time they have left together.

Since the clash with Nero, Nico’s dreams have been getting worse. He’s been sleeping in later and later, trying to get snippets of the voice, to analyze where and who it’s coming from. Will has been getting worried about him; after some time at camp, Nico’s body seemed to fill into itself and an olive sheen returned to his skin, but only in the past few weeks all that work to improve himself appeared to be for nothing. His dark circles inked into his eyelids and the tan of his skin leached away as his fears took control of him again. His muscles turned to bones, hardening and poking against his skin. He isn’t even able to eat properly.

How are either of them supposed to survive Tartarus when they’re both getting robbed of their health?

“If we’re not going on a romantic date,” Will says, placing his hand over Nico’s wrist, “then I don’t want it.”

Nico raises an eyebrow and pulls closer, leaning his head back to properly look at Will. “It’s to prepare us for Tartarus. We need it.”

A block of ice settles in Will’s chest, freezing him down to his core. All the giddiness that he felt just moments ago melts away. He frowns. “Oh. Okay. Are we leaving for Tartarus right now?”

“Not for Tartarus.” A small smile balances across Nico’s face. “We’re just going to a place.”

“What is this place?” Will asks, seriousness slipping into his voice. “Are we going to Paris?”

Nico shakes his head. “No, we’re not going for the prophecy yet. Just… I need to show you something before we leave for real.”

Will sighs. “Okay. Are we going right now?”

Nico nods. “I’m going to shadow-travel us. You have Kit-Kats in your bag?”

“I can’t believe you think I wouldn’t. It’s like you don’t even know me.”

Nico rolls his eyes and pulls Will along, leading the two of them to the shadow of a nearby tree. “Let’s hope I don’t bring us to Venezuela again.”

Will laughs softly, the sound of it evaporating in the August heat. “Well, I didn’t mind being covered in cheese.”

“Yeah, well, at least it matched with your aesthetic. Cheese Head.”

About five minutes later, Nico and Will find themselves in a much different setting than the camp. The air here is much warmer than Long Island - it pours over both the boys’ skin and immediately coats them in sweat.

Looking around, Will realizes there are buildings surrounding them. Some people mill about, mostly teenagers and young adults with books in their hand and backpacks slung over their shoulder. College age. An aura of maturity lingers in the warm air, and suddenly Will feels too young to be here. Too inexperienced.

Nico leads the two out of the shadows and into the bright sun, and Will wants nothing more than to crawl right back into the darkness. Anything is better than this heat.

As the two stumble around, looking out of place in such a grown-up world, Will asks, “Where are we?”

Nico leads them towards a large building, where some young adults stand around and talk to each other. Some of them turn to look at Will and Nico, but for the most part none of them seem to mind. Dark circles linger under each of their eyes.

“We’re in New Rome,” Nico responds just as they enter the building. A cool wave washes over Will and he sighs outwardly in relief. The heat outside was almost unbearable.

But then Nico’s words settle into his mind, and he stops in his tracks. “New Rome?” he squeaks. “Why?”

“We’re going to meet someone.” Nico’s voice tightens with reluctance, as if he doesn’t want to give too much away, but Will already understands who they’re going to meet.

The son of Hades takes hold of Will’s wrist again and leads them up a set of stairs, despite the blond’s attempts at slowing them down. It appears that despite Nico’s lack of nutrition, he’s still able to drag Will along if he’s really into it.

“We’re meeting Percy and Annabeth?” Will asks, astonished. He almost trips over the next step as Nico’s pace quickens at the mention of their names.

When he doesn’t answer, Will knows he’s right. “Why them? I mean, I know they’ve been to Tartarus, but, like… so have you. What else do they need to tell you?”

“Well…,” Nico says, pulling them along to a flat floor. A corridor stares back at them, with doors standing on each side of the hallway. Harsh gray light flickers over the ceiling. He finally turns to Will. “It’s more like what they need to tell you.”

Nico releases his hold on his boyfriend’s wrist and walks forward, his feet pattering lightly against the floor. Will’s heart beats quickly in his chest, anxiety thrumming through his system. What are we here for? he wonders.

A little bit down the hallway, Nico stops and stares at a door. Under the gray lighting, his skin looks ashen and pale. Taking a deep breath, Nico raises a fist to the door and knocks.

Time stills as the boys wait for an answer. Nico slips his hand into Will’s and squeezes, then releases again. His skin feels feverishly warm against Will’s, bursting with anxiety. The blond frowns but says nothing.

After a moment, a click echoes in the hallway and the door swings open, throwing air around the boys. A tall figure looks down at them, his body slouching against the door tiredly, and Will is suddenly overcome with how much more different Percy looks.

His green eyes sparkle as mischievously as ever, churning with a mix of exhaustion and irritation. A large purple sweatshirt dangles over his body, the letters “SPQR” flashing across his chest in gold. His hair stands on end, frazzled and messy as if he’s just woken from a nap. In the lighting, his tan skin looks just as gray as Nico’s. A bored expression lingers over his face.

When he realizes it’s Will and Nico, he stands up straight. “Nico!” he exclaims. “Wow, I thought I’d be expecting you later.”

“Maybe you just slept in too much. You look exhausted.”

A tired smile sweeps over Percy’s mouth. “School hasn’t even started and I’m already missing out on sleep. Can’t wait for my classes to begin for real.” His eyes flit across Will. He tips his head in acknowledgement and moves away from the door. “You guys should come in.”

The air inside the room is a little cooler, fresh compared to the outside. Nico goes in first and Will follows, closing the door behind him.

For the most part, the room looks fairly neat. The blinds are drawn at the far side of the dorm room, only letting a little bit of light filter through. One bed stands against the far wall while another protrudes from a corner in the right. To the left of Will, a plain desk gleams; another one stands to the corner in the back. A bathroom and closet reside to the left, and a miniature kitchen protrudes from their right. Articles of clothing are piled up over the bed, which Will guesses are Percy’s.

“Nice place you’ve got,” Nico says carefully. Tension strangles the air, pulling the three together in an uncomfortable embrace. Will knows that, for the most part, Nico and Percy have improved their relationship. But looking at them now, with both their eyes trained on each other in an awkward stare, there’s still the rope of discomfort around them. They’re not completely sure how to act with each other.

A small part of Will relishes that discomfort. He knows Nico and Percy never really had a chance, but even then, he likes that he knows Nico better than the son of Poseidon. Maybe Percy is a huge, well-known hero who Will could probably never compare to, but at least there’s one thing Will can be better at than him, and that thing is being a better friend.

Almost as if he can sense Will’s thoughts, Percy smiles at Will. “Wow,” he says with astonishment. “Man, I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while. You look… tired. Everything okay with you guys?”

Well, Will thinks with annoyance, what a wonderful way to start a conversation.

Nico nods. “Is Annabeth coming?”

Just then, a knock echoes behind them. Percy grins. “That should be her.”

Annabeth peeps into the room, her blond curls flying as she pushes her head in. At the sight of Will and Nico, a nervous smile flickers over her features. She pushes through the door and steps over nervously. Tense silence wraps around the four demigods as they wait for everyone to get their places, prepared to act in this play of politeness.

“So,” Percy says, throwing an arm around Annabeth, “what is it that you guys are here for?”

Will snaps his eyes to Nico. He says nothing, but the message is clear: You haven’t told him?

Nico stares at him for only a second before he turns back to Percy. In a calm voice, he says, “It’s a matter of Tartarus.”

At the mention of the deathly place, both Percy and Annabeth flinch. The tan of their skin seeps out, spilling over the pale floor, and their eyes cloud over with fear. They’re looking past the boys, past the walls, traveling down into the fears, into the trauma.

“Tartarus?” Percy whispers, his voice threaded with fear and astonishment. “Why? Are you having dreams or something, Nico?”

Nico crosses his arms over his chest and looks at the ground, the gears in his head turning as he considers what to say next. “Yes,” he answers simply.

“Are you… looking for advice?” Annabeth inquires, edging a little closer to Nico. “Is everything alright? We thought you were going to Dionysus.”

Nico steps back from their gazes, his heart thrumming in his chest. He knew he’d have to tell them about his trip one day or another, and he supposes that now is the best time. Especially with how intense his dreams have become…

“I don’t need advice,” he promises, fixing Percy and Annabeth with what he hopes is a comforting look. Taking a deep breath, he admits, “Actually, I have to go down there again.”

For a moment, nothing happens. Time itself stills, pausing around all four demigods, tightening around them like coil. Percy and Annabeth stare at Nico as if they’ve never seen him before.

“Again?” Percy gasps. “What do you possibly need to do down there?”

Nico’s fingers clasp together in an attempt to ground himself. “Well, I’ve been having dreams. Someone keeps… calling my name. I think it may be Bob, but I can’t be sure. Whoever it is needs my help. I need to go down there again.”

Annabeth blinks. “You? Why you specifically? How come me and Percy haven’t been getting those voices?”

Nico shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know. But I know that I need to go down there. Someone keeps calling it, and I would love to ignore it, but… they’re insistent. They want to get out. And I wouldn’t be a hero if I didn’t help them escape their torture.”

A feral look flashes in Percy’s eyes. His jaw clenches and he removes his arm from Annabeth. Stepping closer to Nico, he mutters, “You can’t. Do you know how dangerous that is, Nico? You went there alone and barely made it out alive. Me and Annabeth went there together and we barely made it out alive. How the fuck do you think you’re going to get in there and come back out alive for a second time?” He shakes his head and runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Dude, you cannot go down there again. No doubt you’ve suffered through enough trauma; you don’t think it’s going to mess up your mind even more? Annabeth and I had nightmares and flashbacks for months. We hadn’t been able to eat properly, or sleep, or just function.” He looks up and down at Nico. “And it seems like you haven’t either. You’re worse than I saw you before I left for New Rome. It’s not a good idea to go down there.”

As each of Percy’s words sink into Nico, irritation builds up in his skin. His nerves curl up and burst open again in rage. His jaw clenches. What right does Percy have to tell him how to act?

“I’m afraid it’s not your say in what I do or don’t,” Nico hisses. “Someone needs me, and I’m going to save them.” Unlike some people.

Annabeth steps forward, fear flashing in her eyes. “Then let us come with you! You can’t go down there on your own.” Then she blinks and snaps her head to Will. Her eyes widen. “No…,” she murmurs. “You’re going to take Will with you? Are you crazy?”

“He’s not taking me with him,” Will mutters defensively. “I’m choosing to go with him.”

“And that’s exactly why we’re here,” says Nico matter-of-factly. “I need your help to convince him not to come.”

At his words, Will’s chest constricts with annoyance and betrayal. He thought they established that Nico isn’t going alone. But apparently this entire trip was just to try to convince him not to accompany him.

Will twists to his boyfriend. “What? After all we talked about, you’re still trying to get me to not come?”

A guilty look flashes in Nico’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Will, but I can’t risk it. You’re too important to me. I’m sorry I tricked you, but it’s not worth it for you to risk your life like this. The camp needs you.”

“And what? The camp doesn’t need you?” Will hisses. “You’re just as important. Gods, I just… I wish you would stop acting like you aren’t important. Like… like it doesn’t matter what happens to you.” He leans closer, his face bursting with red. “Because you know what, Nico? It does matter what happens to you. There are people who care about you. I care about you. You’re not going alone.”

“Actually,” chimes Percy, “neither of you are going. At least not without us.”

Nico turns on Percy, his fists shivering at his sides. “Don’t you act like you’re some savior, Percy. You may be older, but that gives you no right to act like you’re something to control our actions, like you’re supposed to protect us like we’re some kind of children. All I’m asking of you guys is to explain to Will that he shouldn’t come.”

“Why don’t I get a say if I get to come or not?” asks Will. “I’m my own person.”

Percy groans. “Why would we only say that to Will when you shouldn’t go either? Neither of you should be going!”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” growls Nico. “I asked for help.” Looking from Annabeth to Percy, he asks, “Will you help or not?”

Annabeth says, “Our only way of helping is by going with you.”

Nico groans. “You guys aren’t going. I’m not risking your lives either. Just… Can you explain to Will why he shouldn’t come?”

Will frowns. “Why can’t I? Why are you always insisting on doing something by yourself? You aren’t alone anymore, and you’re going to push me away?”

“Can you just… not? I’m trying to save your life and it’s getting really hard when you’re insisting to come with me.”

A wave of anger crashes into Will’s stomach and climbs all the way to the cliffs of his chest. His vision turns red. “Oh, I’m sorry, Nico, am I annoying you by saying I just want you to take care of yourself? Because if I am, just say so.”

An angry scowl curving over Nico’s features. “Yeah, you kind of are. How many times am I going to say it? I’m trying to protect you from certain death.”

“Why? Because you don’t think I’m good enough to go with you? That maybe I’m not as strong as any of the Big Three?”

Nico throws his head back as a harsh laugh escapes his throat. “Here we are again. Will, that’s exactly why I don’t want you to go - you’re insecure. Tartarus is going to use that against you. I don’t think you’re weak, and I never even said that. Your insecurities are the problem. Not to mention that it doesn’t matter if it’s your own choice to come with me; I’m still going to feel guilty if you die.” He scrubs a frustrated hand over his face and when he removes it, Will sees the pain in his eyes, the jab of guilt that’s been pressing against his conscience for days. “I don’t want you to die.”

“And that’s what I don’t want from you either!” cries Will. “Maybe I’m insecure, but I won’t be able to fix it any time soon. And you’re not okay either. But, Nico” - Will tangles his fingers with his boyfriend’s, spilling his warmth and kindness and heartache all into Nico’s bare palms - “we’re not going to be okay. No one is ever perfectly okay at any time. So don’t you think it’s even more important that someone go with you? Going together means that we’ll be there for each other; we’ll watch out for each other. Without you, I’m going to be worried sick; without me, you’re not going to have someone at your back. We ride or die together, just like we did with Nero. I don’t want to let you go on your own. You don’t need to.”

Nico’s chin quivers as he looks at Will, fighting hard to push back his tornado of emotions from destroying the room. “Will,” he whispers, but doesn’t say more.

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Don’t say that. You’re making me feel worse.”

“I’m still not leaving you.”

“Neither of you are leaving,” Percy interrupts. Will turns to him, only to find that in place of calming sea-green eyes, he’s met with emerald daggers. A scowl bends over Percy’s face. “Nico, you know how dangerous that is. You can’t leave without me and Annabeth.”

The softness that came over Nico just seconds ago vanishes away as he turns to Percy. He lets go of Will’s hands and steps towards the son of Poseidon. “Stop acting like that!” he exclaims. “You think you’re some kind of hero, don’t you? Why can’t you understand this is important? I thought you were smarter than this, Percy. Aren’t you the kind to save friends from peril?”

“Yes,” Percy says, gritting his teeth. “That’s exactly it. If I let you go, I’m not saving you.”

“Well, you’re not saving Bob either.”

“He’s a Titan. He can handle himself.”

“He saved your lives!”

“And I’m grateful for that,” assures Percy. “Every day. But he’s still a Titan; he’s able to last down there longer than we can. Wait for me and Annabeth, and we’ll go with you. It’s like Will said - you aren’t alone anymore.”

Hot, acidic silence lingers over the air, tightening its hold over the four demigods. Nico and Percy stare each other down, and it’s almost like Annabeth and Will don’t even exist anymore; it’s only them, trying to win their own battles.

“No,” Nico says simply. “The more people, the more danger. Two people is enough.”

At his words, Will’s chest billows with relief. “Two? You mean I’m coming?”

Nico turns his head to Will and looks at him with reluctance. He says nothing of affirmation, but that’s all Will needs to know. He’s going, and this time Nico won’t stop him.

“No!” exclaims Percy. He steps closer to Nico, his body towering over the son of Hades like an indestructible wall. For a second, Will’s nervous that he’s going to hit Nico, but he stops just short of bumping chests. Anger burns bright in Nico’s eyes, but he doesn’t step back.

“No what?”

Nico’s looking up at Percy, staring him down despite the fact that he’s a few inches shorter. Tension sparks between them, bursting over everyone’s bare skin, and a sudden nervousness burns in Will’s core. The room is covered in gasoline, and with one spark of fire, Percy and Nico will blow up.

At first, Will thinks maybe it’s his own anxiety that makes the room feel like it’s shaking - but then Annabeth’s eyebrows jump in surprise and she takes Will’s wrist, edging the two of them to the door slowly. Realizing that it isn’t just him who can feel the quaking, Will wraps an arm around Annabeth’s shoulder in the hopes that it will keep them safe from whatever bomb detonates between the other two demigods.

“Guys,” Annabeth mutters. “Calm yourselves. You are both children of the Big Three - remember how much power both of you have.”

The room continues shaking; neither boy looks at Annabeth. Percy’s eyes swirl with spark with angry energy. Nico’s hands raise at his side while he pulls himself into a fighting stance. Percy’s hands linger at his thigh, fingering a pocket.

Behind Will, a gurgling sound thrums in the walls, and in the kitchen a tap turns on. Annabeth’s gray eyes flash with fear and Will pulls closer to her, anxiety stabbing him in the chest.

“Guys,” Annabeth insists, “stop it.”

Will has never seen Nico look so enraged. His entire face turns fiery red and his paled hands shake at his side. The ground continues shaking, grumbling more persistently under his feet, and he knows that if neither him or Annabeth stop this, there will be serious consequences.

“We need to pull them apart,” whispers Will, staring at the demigods nervously. “Break them out of whatever trance they’re in. Otherwise you’re gonna have to pay for damage if Nico starts bringing skeletons in here.”

Annabeth offers a firm nod. The blonds edge close to the walls as they tiptoe towards the two, their balance tested by the quaking in the room. Will reaches out and touches Nico’s inner wrist, rubbing his skin softly in an attempt to bring Nico back, to make him stop drowning in his irritation. His hands feel cold and angry; only power buzzes underneath his skin, and it vibrates down Will’s own body. He almost pulls away in fear that Nico will turn on him instead.

Nico blinks and shifts to look at Will. The rage that took over him just seconds ago melts away and gives way to daze; his dark eyes cloud over with emotion. Will pulls him back from Percy just as Annabeth places a hand over her own boyfriend’s shoulder.

For a moment, all is silent. The quaking simmers down and soon the water in the kitchen slows to a trickle. Percy and Nico continue glaring at each other, but at least they aren’t going after one another.

Percy’s face only betrays anger, resentment, but there’s something else behind his eyes: guilt. Despite how enraged he looks, a frustrated tear blooms across his eye and slips down the side of his face. Almost immediately all his frustration spills out of him and forms a puddle on the floor, leaving him only deflated and exhausted.

“Nico,” he says, his voice strangled with emotions, “you’re like a brother to me. I- I know we haven’t had the best relationship in the past, and neither of us treated each other well. Me especially. But… We’ve had time to fix it. Our relationship isn’t perfect, and it probably needs more time.

“But, please,” Percy continues, desperation trickling into his voice, “don’t do this. I… I can’t imagine losing you. Not after all that happened. Not after everything that you had to go through.”

Nico watches him speak, letting the words from his mouth seep into his ears and harden around his brain. A wave of emotions crashes into his chest and he has to squeeze Will’s hand just to make sure he’s still standing.

Silence lingers in the air again, making itself comfy in the gaps between all the demigods. It doesn’t move for a long while.

Nico’s eyes brim with tears, which flash in the dim lighting of the dorm room. Will takes his other hand and balances it behind Nico’s back in an attempt to comfort him. Two tears roll down Nico’s cheeks as he says, “I’m sorry, Percy, but I have to. I’m glad we got to be friends again, but you know I have to do this. You know more than anyone how important it is to be there for your friends.” He lets go of Will’s hand and steps forward. “I’m going to save my friend Bob. And you know what, Percy? You’re helping me as your friend. If you let me go, you’re helping me make the world better for someone.”

Percy shakes his head. “For one person, Nico? A person who is literally strong enough to survive hell? You’re going to risk your life for that?”

“I- I can’t explain it,” Nico mutters. “I just know he needs my help. If he’s not getting in your dreams, then it must be me.” Nico sighs shakily and another tear falls. “I just… need to do this. So let me do it. I’m no longer that helpless eleven-year-old boy you knew, Percy; I’m old enough to take care of myself. I have been for a long time.”

Percy and Annabeth turn to each other, both their eyes glazed over with pity and guilt. Their eyebrows jump and narrow at each other as if having a silent conversation. Then Annabeth turns to Nico and says, “Then be safe, Nico. And it’s not too late to take us with you. Give us the word, and we’ll come.”

Nico shakes his head. “I’m not risking more lives. And you guys deserve to have this break and enjoy your education.”

“But you deserve a calm year, too,” Annabeth says. “We can give this up if you need us to.”

Nico shakes his head again. “I’ve had time to heal. I’m not completely mended yet, but I’ve grown. You guys had to go right back into your real life and become one with reality again. You deserve just a chance to relax with each other. I’m going.”

Nico turns to Will and leans against his side. A burst of joy erupts in Will’s chest and he melts into his boyfriend, basking in his warmth. “Besides,” Nico says, offering a small smile to Will, “I’m going to have Will with me. He can shoot a mean gun. I think we’ll be alright.”

A doubtful expression flashes against Percy’s face. “You’re sure?”

Nico’s hand squeezes Will’s fingers, and for the first time in a while, confidence rises in Will’s heart. He feels seen knowing that Nico’s finally accepted he’s coming; he’s ensured that Nico doesn’t see him as just a healer, but also as someone who he can count on to come down with him to the depths of the Underworld.

Nico trusts him. He trusts him with his life and safety. There is nothing more honorable than knowing that, after years of losing people (whether by death or by distance), there is someone in his life who truly believes in Will. His face heats at the realization that Nico’s ready to let him watch his back.

Will hopes he doesn’t fail Nico.

Percy smiles hesitantly. “Alright. But, again, if you need anything before you go… Please, for the love of god, tell us. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must be to go down there for a second time.” He frowns. “When are you leaving anyway?”

“Probably in a few days,” Nico says. “Just need to get some supplies, then we’re going to meet Rachel in Paris and get a prophecy.”

Pery nods. “Okay.” His green eyes swim between Nico and Will, concern pooling in them. “Just… watch out for each other, okay? If either of you die, I’m killing you.”

Nico cracks a smile, the first one in a while. “We’ll try not to die.” Then he nods his head to Annabeth. “Thank you both for the help.”

Annabeth snorts. “What help? All we did was argue.”

“Well, it helped. Just accept the grace.”

Nico and Will step back to the door. The blond turns back to look at Percy and Annabeth, who are both watching the boys with politely concerned eyes.

He smiles. “We’ll see you later. Hopefully.”

And with that, Nico and Will leave the door and walk away, edging closer and closer to whatever doom lies in their future.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Metallo!Lena AU Part 15

Lena's decision to reveal herself isn't entirely well thought out. In the weeks that follow, the media outlets flood with speculation about her veracity, her intentions, and her whereabouts for the past year. Considering Lena bolted after giving the reporters her name, their confusion isn't entirely unwarranted, but Lena has no intention of giving them any further details.

Reclaiming her name is one thing. Revealing the current condition is another.

"The last thing the world needs to hear is that there's a Luthor running around without a heart. Literally."

Kara rolls her eyes at the weak joke. "Nobody blames you for your brother's actions, Lena. If they knew what happened--"

"They'll say I should have seen it coming. It's all in the family, Kara. My brother killed me and my mother resurrected me. This is my chance to start fresh, so just... let me have it."

The unexpected outcome of it all is that Lena no longer needs to hide. Slowly, she starts to venture out into the city with Kara, both with armor and without, and for the first time since her rescue, she gets to enjoy some of the things she used to.

Like watching the geese in the park, and window shopping in midtown. At first, she's able to get away unnoticed by simply wearing casual outfits, but as the media coverage persists, more and more people start to notice her. It soon becomes clear that Lena needs to make another decision.

"I have to make a statement," she says one night, lying in her bunk next to Kara. They've just come out of a sparring session, and are sweaty and tired, but still Lena's mind races.

Kara looks at her, not lifting her head. "Are you sure?"

"No. But... if I don't, I'll just lose control of my narrative all over again."

"Okay," comes the easy response. "I'll support you, whatever you decide."

Lena turns to look at her. "I'm going to need you to do more than that."

---

"You want her to WHAT?" Alex asks, when they tell her the plan.

Lena doesn't blink an eye. "I want Kara to leverage an exclusive interview with me to get her old job back."

Alex looks like she's going to pop a blood vessel. She eyes Lena, then turns her incredulous gaze on Kara. "And what do you want?"

Kara shuffles awkwardly in place, eyes on her shoes. "I... am okay with it."

It had taken some convincing. Well, not so much convincing as talking Kara out of her own pessimism. Her career was over, she'd claimed when Lena first shared her idea. Supergirl was her job now. She was needed at the DEO more than anywhere else. The world needed Supergirl.

"But what does Supergirl need?" Lena had asked.

Now, Alex doesn't seem convinced. "Really? Because you were miserable there before you quit. Are you really ready to go back?"

Kara shrugs, sheepish and uncertain both. Lena shifts protectively in front of her. "Don't worry," she drawls, "I'm sure she'll still help at DEO if you ask nicely."

"That's not why I'm concerned," Alex scoffs.

"Then why do you care so much about what Kara chooses to do with her civilian life, Director?"

Alex pauses on the verge of retort. Then she rocks back on her heels, making pointed eye contact with Kara. Kara touches Lena shoulder, moving out from behind her.

"Because she's my sister."

Lena blinks in surprise, then freezes as her brain restructures itself to absorb this new information. "Oh. That is... not what I expected."

"What were you expecting?"

"...doesn't matter."

Alex huffs, irritation flaring. "Kara, I don't think I need to remind you of what it was like when you were working at CatCo--"

"I loved CatCo. I still do." Kara's shoulders lift. "Looking back, I don't think CatCo was the reason I was miserable. It's just the part of my life that suffered the most. But--" She looks at Lena, shoulders squaring. "Things are different now. I can't be Supergirl all my life. I need more. I always have."

With a sigh, Alex relents. "Fine. What do you need from me?"

---

James is nothing if not surprised to see Kara slip into his office one afternoon. She's clearly nervous, fidgeting with her glasses and shrinking into herself. Even so, he's glad to see her.

"Kara, hey! Wow, it's been a while. How are... things?"

He knows her secret, but after their breakup and Kara's unexpected departure from CatCo, they'd drifted apart.

"Good, good. Yeah," Kara stammers. "I, uh, I was wondering if we could talk, for a second."

James grins. "Yeah. Of course, of course. Come on in."

He comes around his desk, meeting Kara at the couches. A little thrill rushes through him at their proximity, before he shakes himself out of it. He never got a chance to settle back into frienship with Kara, and he regrets the distance between them.

When they sit, he tries to ease her nerves with a grin. "What's happening?"

Kara smooths her hands on the tops of her thighs, and takes a deep breath. Then, she straightens and turns to face him.

"I came here to discuss the possibility of me getting my job back."

"Your job," James repeats. "Here. At CatCo."

Kara nods. "Yes. At CatCo."

"Oh... I don't know, Kara."

"I know it's a tall ask--"

James barks a laugh. "A tall ask? It's been over a year, and I hate to say it, but Snapper hasn't gotten any better since you left."

"He wasn't why I left..."

"I actually figured it was because of me."

Kara's eyes widen, and her cheeks heat with a flush as she scrambles to deny it. "James, no-- that's not--"

"You don't need to explain anything to me, Kara, really...  but I have to say, a rehire would be a tough sell with Snapper, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to sell him anything," Kara rebuts, her voice steeling. Her gaze took on a hard glint. "You're his boss."

James nods. "That's true, but I wouldn't be doing you any favors by forcing you on him."

"I'm not asking for any favors--"

"Kara."

"You know what I mean. I'm ready to take on anything Snapper has in store, I'm ready to pull weight, and I'm ready to go the distance. And you know the kind of person I am, James. I won't let you down."

James sighs. "I know. But... I just can't do it."

Kara nods, adjusting her glasses. "I can prove to you that CatCo needs me-- will be better to have me on board."

There's something familiar in Kara's voice now, and James realizes that he's seeing Supergirl poking through. Whatever had so shaken her a year ago, she's ready to overcome it.

"And what's that?" he asks.

"Lena Luthor."

James pauses. "What about her?"

"She's agreed to an exclusive with CatCo-- on one condition."

"With you."

"As a fully hired and salaried CatCo employee."

It's the one thing James knows he can't refuse. Every media outlet in the country is clamoring for an interview with Lena Luthor, and here she's been walked right into his office on the wings of the one former employee his editor-in-chief cannot stand. That said...

With a scoop like Lena Luthor, CatCo would survive if Snapper Carr walked out.

James hesitates, out of principle if nothing else. "You really have Lena Luthor on lock?"

Taking out her phone, Kara opens her contacts and with just a few taps of her thumb has a video chat ringing. As James watches, the black comes to life with the visage of Lena Luthor.

"Kara, hi," says the tinny voice. Despite likely expecting the call, the woman is clearly happy to see Kara.

Kara blushes, fiddling with her glasses once more. "Hi, Lena. I, um, I have James here, and he was wondering--"

"Mr. Olsen." Suddenly, Lena Luthor is all business. "I expect Kara has already explained the situation."

James nods. "She has."

"I am willing to work with CatCo, so long as I interview exclusively with Kara Danvers."

"Editorial will have input on the question list."

"Which will be screened in advance, and received with Kara's contract, signed and countersigned."

James doesn't necessarily like being dictated to, but Lena's tone is nothing less than professional. It's as though he's talking to another executive, and negotiation is a tactic he's grown accustomed to.

"We can work with that."

"At 10% above Kara's exit salary."

Ohhhhh... James chafes at that. Kara starts, then flushes-- clearly, she hadn't expected this. But there's no negotiation in Lena's tone, so he chooses to take the high road. He nods.

"All right. We'll be in touch."

previous / next

[itsclydebitches]

Another thing about how rwby views trauma survivors reacting to their abuse or unfortunate background is that it frames the solution to healing is by serving in armed forces. Weiss and Blake joined Beacon to escape their abuser. Ren and Nora joined Beacon after the loss of their families. Winter joined the military to escape Jacques and I'm assuming will become the new Atlas general after Ironwood's death. The Huntsmen Academies are all framed as these safe havens (literally with Mistral) for anyone who can carry a weapon, meanwhile anyone who can't or doesn't want to join, or joins a group outside of the institution is depicted as bad.

To say that this is all muddied would be a huge understatement because even if we put aside the complicated message of, "Overcome your abuse by learning to punch back," at this point the combined huntsmen-military is no longer presented as a means of escape. Rather, between the rewriting of Winter's history – she has apparently been manipulated by Ironwood this whole time rather than choosing the military as a means of escaping her abuser – as well as the military aligned huntsmen – FNKI aren't heroes like RWBYJNOR anymore, willingly protecting their home, they're children who have been forced into this conflict – there's now this major divide between fighters-on-their-own and fighters-as-part-of-the-institution. We could even read this as extending to the huntsmen academies themselves, given that one has fallen, one was destroyed, and the other lost its figurehead. They used to be presented as havens for struggling individuals... now, not so much. The plot's message is not that heroes win by banding together through established structures that were designed to help those coming from bad circumstances (note how aware Ozpin is of these backstories: Qrow's bandit tribe, Blake's White Fang history, looking into Ruby's defense of the store, etc.), but rather you win by rag-tag individuals making decisions based on friendship.

Yet simultaneously, that divide is by no means neat and tidy (since plenty of stories have that latter message). As we've discussed elsewhere, RWBYJNOR is ingrained in these structures despite the story rejecting them. They got their initial training at Beacon (how many fans have argued that they learned enough there? That they're basically full-fledged huntsmen already? So, that school was pretty important, yeah?). They worked with Ironwood for months. They're using the prestige of their licenses to get people to listen to them. They're hijacking military equipment to give the world orders to prepare for an attack. Ruby became a general in all but title in that moment, in the same way that Weiss became the Remnant equivalent of a cop when she tried to arrest her father. Volumes 6-8 suddenly wanted to send an anti-military message without considering the context of their story (what does a military mean in a world where unambiguously evil monsters attack, as opposed to a world where these "monsters" are minorities?) and they failed to separate the heroes from the structures they so passionately reject. You cannot have the group stand in opposition to Ironwood and everything he represents while also encouraging the audience to oohh and ahhh at Jaune whipping out his huntsmen license to lead a group of civilians to safety. The supposed cruelty of the former and supposed heroism of the latter are meant to exist simultaneously, despite the contradiction. We went from the message that huntsmen academies, including Atlas', are a haven from abuse, poverty, etc. but now, suddenly, certain types of escapes are no longer morally sound. So just ignore how many of the heroes took the "wrong" path.

And then on top of all of that we have Rhodes. RWBY is pushing the individualism message hard nowadays – that a group of friends is better than a general and his soldiers just ignore that Ruby is their leader and they all follow her orders – yet it's Rhodes' individuality that is criticized in Cinder's flashback. He, as a single person, tries to take on the complex situation of helping an abused child and he failed. The fandom's reaction to his efforts is pretty telling because most kept falling back on structural solutions: "Why didn't he just call CPS? Why didn't he get her admitted early like Ruby? Why didn't he approach some superior to fix all this?" Most fans seemed to grudgingly acknowledge that kidnapping Cinder and raising this traumatized kid on the road while hunting grimm was... not the best idea, so they turned to the very things they've rejected in Ruby's part of the story: laws that people have to follow, schools with an hierarchy that can serve as support, someone above you whose orders you follow and whose seniority can help you in a tough situation. In Cinder's flashback people wanted Remnant to have structural solutions because, clearly, leaving one flawed man to fix this situation on his own didn't turn out so well. They (and the writers) just don't want Ruby to have to obey those same structures because Ruby is the title hero they've grown to love over eight years. We feel like we know Ruby and we assume that if Ruby is in charge she'd totally make the best decision. But Rhodes? He's a stranger, someone we see for less than ten minutes, so his flaws are far easier to home in on. Few are willing to acknowledge that Ruby is Rhodes on a much larger scale, trying things because she wants to help, but ultimately doing far more harm because she's incredibly inexperienced and is just running on her own, individual ideas, not any of the structures in place that are meant to deal with such crises. Rhodes' "Idk what else to do, so I guess I'll teach a tortured kid how to defend herself and hope for the best" is Ruby's "Idk what else to do, so I guess I'll drop Atlas on Mantle, leave with the Relics, move everyone to Vacuo, and hope for the best." The primary difference is that while Rhodes is punished through his death and the narrative makes it clear that this was the wrong choice (Cinder murders everyone and becomes a villain), whereas Ruby's screwups are continually framed as heroic. And that's because the show can't make up its mind about this structural vs. individual approach. Do huntsmen need to be held responsible for their actions, or do they need complete freedom to do the right thing with the belief that anything that goes wrong was completely out of their hands (Yangs' take)? Well, that depends entirely on which huntsmen we're talking about. RWBY's idea that some people are intrinsically good and others intrinsically bad means that the writing – and the fandom – can demand rogue huntsmen be held accountable while simultaneously cheering the group running away from arrest; curse Clover for following orders while simultaneously gushing over how loyal the group is to Ruby; condemn lies that Ozpin gives while simultaneously justifying the ones Ruby gives, etc. RWBY has no clear message, just the insistence that whatever our heroes does is good. The path they've taken, learning to fight to escape horrific situation is a good thing. The path Rhodes laid out, teaching Cinder to fight to escape a horrific situation, is a bad thing. It comes down to the characters, not the situation.

Finally, yeah, there's a complete lack of acknowledgment that either option – structural or individual – alienates those who don't know how to fight. This is seen most clearly in Whitley who asks why he'd want to be a huntsmen when he can afford an army, yet when armies are painted as unquestionably bad, the story won't admit that this leaves Whitley stranded. He had no way to escape his abuse like Winter and Weiss did. He had no way to defend himself when Weiss shoved a weapon in his face. The story never had to grapple with where it's left characters who can't fight and who shouldn't make the evil choice of relying on soldiers because Whitley unexpectedly got on Weiss' good side and gained her protection. It doesn't matter anymore because Whitley is a Good Guy now who the group will take care of. But if he'd continued to disagree? Gone to his room instead of calling Klein? If, in the future, he does something that annoys his sisters and they decide to ignore him like they did before? Well, Whitley is screwed. In a world besieged by grimm – with attacks growing with each volume – he wanted to rely on an army to help solve these problems. But then that was said to be wrong, the general died, and the army, far as we can tell, was left behind to die as well. So what's left? Rely on the huntsmen. Just hope that there are enough (there aren't), that you get a good one (not a Lionheart, or a Raven, or a Cardin, or a Dudley, or...), and that the good ones care enough to bother protecting you. Even if the story hadn't gone out of its way to show how terribly flawed individual huntsmen are – from Lionheart's devastating betrayal to Qrow teaming up with Tyrian – from a practical perspective it's just not enough. Volume 8 showed without a doubt that in a war like this, one built on a witch's ability to summon endless grimm, an army is necessary. Salem would have been into Atlas in a second without those soldiers holding her forces back. Yang, Jaune, and Ren wouldn't have gotten to the whale without that army. Yet the story never acknowledges this, instead pretending like the few individuals we see – the limited numbers the characters keep admitting are horrendously limited – could have somehow saved the day without that assistance. Everything we're seeing nowadays – which characters can use these institutions to escape abuse, which can lie to help the war, which should rely on structures as opposed to their own ideas and physical power – is a mess of inconsistent, often contradictory messages.

[trashyswitch]

Am I Annoying?

Virgil begins to worry that he's asking for tickles too often. In an attempt to lessen his temptations, Virgil hides away in his bedroom. But Patton and the other sides are missing having him around. So, Patton finally checks up on him to find out the reason for Virgil's sudden hiding plan.

This was suggested by an anonymous user on my Tumblr page. Thank you for the prompt, and I hope you enjoy the fanfic!

Virgil has always worried about many things. If the thing was bad and had to do with him, then he worried about it. Some things were worth getting worried about, while other things were just unnecessary. An example of something that would be worth worrying about is: ‘Did I forget to buy someone a gift for christmas?’ and ‘did I forget to turn the stove on?’. Things that are unnecessary to worry about is: ‘Is this person still mad at me despite them saying they forgive me?’ and ‘Does this person truly love me as much as they claim?’. Though these things seem understandable to worry about, they actually aren’t necessary for survival or your life whatsoever. So, you can cross that off your list. But one thing that has been going through his mind, is if Virgil is annoying the people around him with one single question: ‘Can you tickle me please?’

That thought has been bringing him down since he admitted he likes being tickled. He fears he’s been asking too much to be tickled, and he fears he may be annoying them as a result. How does he know? Well, that’s easy: he senses it. He senses they’re agitated. He senses the fear in their head as Virgil walks up to them. He just knows they’ve grown to despise the question. “Can I be tickled?” “I’m in the mood.” “Are you busy? If not, can you tickle me please?” It’s become too much for them to handle. Virgil knows it. He knows it all too well. And now...Virgil feels bad about it.

So what a better way to lessen the question, than to hide away more often? If he wasn’t around the sides nearly as much, he wouldn’t be tempted into asking. And if the sides were left without anxiety there, the sides wouldn’t have to worry about the dreaded question coming up. So Virgil’s been hiding himself away in the dark void that is his room. He’s been finding other ways to make up for his cravings, and has found ways to survive his lee moods without people. Sure, it’s not nearly as perfect a remedy as being actually tickled, but...it’s better than being bombarded with the same general question over and over again.

Virgil was sitting in his room, drinking hot chocolate and snacking on popcorn while he watched christmas movies. He was bored and tired. Also touch-starved. And in need of love. But Virgil ignored his cravings and continued to try and watch the movie.

Soon though, a few knocks filled the room. “Virgil?” the familiar voice called. Uh oh...It was Patton. Patton probably senses he’s been hiding from them! Virgil gasped in slight fear, and hid himself under the covers with his phone. “I brought you food. You haven’t been coming out.” Patton told him. Virgil winced at that. He DOES know. Well...that’s Patton for ya: always checking up on his family members. “Can I come in?” Patton asked.

Virgil whined quietly and rested his head on his pillow. It was getting hard to breath under the comforter, but he wasn’t prepared to face Patton or the other sides yet. He was scared of what they would think of him just...shutting them out for personal reasons. The truth was, what he did to them wasn’t fair. But...Do they really miss him that much?

Soon, the door opened. “I’m gonna place the food down here, then leave you alone. Something tells me you need alone time.” Patton told him.

Virgil frowned. Who told him he needed alone time? Was Patton just assuming that? If so, then that is a really bad assumption to make.

He didn’t hear his door close. So, Virgil continued to hide under the covers till he heard some sort of noise that indicated he was alone.

“Virgil?” Patton called, his voice getting closer. Virgil opened his eyes and bit his lip. He heard Patton pick up a piece of plastic. “Have you been solely surviving on popcorn and juice boxes?” he asked.

Virgil silently sighed. Great. Patton’s gonna start on his rant about how ‘unhealthy’ it is and how he should at least be making noodles or getting food from the kitchen.

“Virgil...Please come out.” Patton begged, patting the being that hid under the pile of blanket.

“Why?” Virgil asked.

“I’m worried about you. We’re all worried about you. You’ve been hiding in here for a week.” Patton told him.

Virgil thought about it. Yup, he has been hiding for a week. And boy, did it feel like one. The days became so much slower when he was all alone and not hanging out with the other sides. “I know.” Virgil finally replied.

“Why? Did we do something wrong? Did I do something wrong? Please tell me.” Patton begged.

Virgil blinked in surprise. Wait...Are they blaming themselves for him not coming out? Why would they be blaming themselves? They did nothing wrong.

“It’s not you. It’s me.” Virgil told him.

Virgil waited for something to happen. What was Patton gonna do? Was Patton gonna take the covers off him? Was Patton gonna poke him? Was Patton gonna surround him with all his special stuffies?

Well...the last one isn’t that bad, actually.

Virgil’s thoughts quickly halted when a bunch of weight softly came down on the bed. Virgil felt the mass with his feet, and quickly realized he was touching Patton’s hip. What’s he doing?

“Is this about the tickling thing?” Patton asked.

Virgil’s fear morphed into guilt almost immediately. Damn...he knows. “...Yeah.” Virgil admitted.

Virgil moved the comforter off his face very slowly and looked at the man. Patton was smiling humbly at him. “Are you still embarrassed about liking it?” Patton asked.

Virgil shook his head. “I worry...I’m asking too much.” Virgil admitted.

Patton widened his eyes and quickly scooted himself closer. “Virgil, we are not bothered by how often you ask us for tickles. We would much rather you ask us 5 times everyday, than have you hide in your room and not ask at all.” Patton admitted.

Virgil’s fear lessened a slight bit. “Are you sure?” He asked.

Patton moved his bangs out of the way. “Of course. I’m positive.” Patton replied.

Virgil smiled a little and looked at his hand. “Thank you Patton.”

“No problem! Are you up for some tickles now?” Patton asked.

Virgil looked at him and practically tackled him down. “YES PLEEEAAASE! I have been touch-starved for way too long. I am just aching fo-hohohohor- Yahahahahay!” Virgil practically melted off of Patton and flopped onto the ground happily. Patton skittered his fingers as quickly and effectively as he could on Virgil’s sides, ribs, and armpits. “Whyhyhyhy ahahare yohohohou gohohoihihihing soho fahahahast? Ihihi dihihidn’t ehehehexpehehect thihihis!” Virgil admitted.

Patton giggled and continued his tickling. “Because I think you deserve lots of tickles! I wanted to make up for the long break we’ve all had from tickling you!” Patton replied eagerly.

“Ohohohoho! Wehehehell, ahahahalrihihight.” Virgil giggled as he squirmed about under him. Patton moved his hands to Virgil’s sides, and started clawing and squeezing them. Virgil threw his head back with a surprised shriek! “OHOHOHOHO GEHEHEHEEZ! HAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHE!” Virgil bursted out laughing.

“Ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-tickle! A ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-tickle!” Patton teased with a huge smile on his face.

“HOHOHOW AHAHARE YOHOHOHOU SOHO GOHOHOHOOD AHAHAT THIHIHIHIS?!” Virgil asked, already overcome with giddiness.

“I guess it’s just in my nature. Being a father means you are automatically an amazing tickle monster.” Patton replied.

“NOHOHOHOW YOHOHOU’RE BOHOHOASTIHIHING.” Virgil reacted.

“Yeeeaaah, maybe a little.” Patton replied with a smirk. “Uh oh! I feel a sneeze coming! Uh oh! Aah, aah! AAAAAH-” Patton dipped his head down into Virgil’s belly and blew a BIG raspberry onto his belly.

Virgil threw his head back and practically HOWLED with laughter! “WHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Oh! Goodness me!” Patton fake sniffed. “Pardon me! That was a strong one.” Patton joked.

“THAHAHAHAT WAHAHAS A FUHUHUCKING SNEEHEHEHEHEZE?!” Virgil joked as well, making a reference to the TikTok audio.

Patton laughed at that. “That was a fucking SNEEZE?!” Patton reacted, imitating the original audio voice as best as he could before laughing himself silly.

“Dihihid yohou mehean to reference that?” Virgil asked.

“No! I never meant to reference that at all! I was simply trying out a new teasing method.” Patton replied.

“Ooooh. Well, it certainly worked.” Virgil added.

“Really?!” Patton reacted, clapping his hands excitedly.

“Yup!” Virgil replied.

Patton tilted his head to the side. “Can I be honest?”

Virgil chuckled. “Of course you can. What’s up?”

Patton smiled. “I’m in the mood to press your buttons.” Patton admitted.

Virgil blinked in surprise. “I...What-” was all Virgil could say. Press his buttons? Like, annoy him while tickling him?

“Specifically, a certain giggle button of yours~” Patton teased, wiggling his index finger and lowering it down to his belly button.

“Ohoho! That’s what you meant. You were making a subtle tehehease!” Virgil quickly lost track of how close the finger was, and guffawed in surprise when Patton’s finger touched down a lot sooner than he expected.

“Uh oh! Looks like a certain wiggle worm is looking for a hooome~! I wonder...Can your belly button become its brand new cave for the winter?” Patton teased.

Virgil continued to laugh and squirm around wildly. “WHAHAHAHAT?! IHIHIHI’M TOHOHOHOO TIHIHICKLIHIHIHISH FOHOHOR THAHAHAHAT!” Virgil replied.

Patton made a fake frown. “But the poor worm has come across so many belly buttons today! And they’ve all been too ticklish to handle it! Will the poor worm ever find a home to hibernate in?” Patton asked.

“FIHIHIHIND OHOHOUT NEHEHEXT TIHIHIHIME OHON DRAHAHAGOHOHON BAHAHALL ZEEHEHEHE!” Virgil suddenly declared.

Patton gasped in fake horror. “NOT find out next time! We must find out now!” Patton reacted. “If your ticklish widdle belly button won’t work, maybe your armpits will?” Patton asked.

Virgil shrieked in horror! “NOHOHO! NAHAHAT THE ARMPIHIHIHITS!” Virgil begged, pushing against his chest.

“Oh YES the armpits! There’s nowhere else that’s quite as hidden than the belly button, or the armpits!” Patton declared.

Patton’s finger started inching its way to Virgil’s left armpit to burrow itself in there. Virgil was pushing Patton and laughing out the words “NO!” over and over again. But Patton giggled at his attempts because his pushing was just exposing his armpits more and more.

Patton finally touched down and burrowed his finger into the exposed armpit. “AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NONONONOHOHOHO NAHAHAT MYHYHY AHAHARMPIHIHIHIHIT! PLEHEHEHEHEHEAHAHASE!” Virgil shrieked and laughed hysterically!

“Oh my goodness! This little home is veeeerry comfy, but also super bumpy. Maybe the right armpit might be better?” Patton removed his finger from his left pit and inched his wormy finger over his shoulder blades to the right pit.

“PAHAHAHAT! DOHOHOHON’T! IHIHIHI’M BEHEHEGGIHIHIHING YOHOHOU!” Virgil squawked and cackled.

Patton paused his tickling and smirked. Virgil’s laughter quickly turned into giggles as his body started recovering from the tickle attack. But once his brain fog sobered up, Virgil looked at Patton with the most heart wrenching disappointed expression on his face. The facial expression alone, could break a dozen hearts.

“You don’t really want me to skip out on the right armpit, do you?” Patton asked.

Virgil looked down, giving him the guilty eyes. But his lips read a more playful, embarrassed kind of reaction. “N...No.” Virgil finally replied.

“Iiiii KNEW IT! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! “You like armpit tickles too!” Patton added.

“Wahahanna know something else?” Virgil asked. Patton quickly nodded and leaned forward to hear it. “My belly button is my favorite spot to be tickled.” Virgil admitted.

Patton gasped and practically EXPLODED with excitement! It didn’t take long for Patton to hold his arms up and tickle his belly button for him. “Coochy coochy coochy coochy coo! Such a cute little giggle button!” Patton teased more and more. “It’s been so long since I’ve booped such a ticklish little button! Boop! Boop boop boop!” Patton continued to tease.

Virgil could not stop squirming around and struggling to protect his ticklish belly button. “HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! IHIHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLEHES SOHOHO BAHAHAHAHAHAD!” Virgil told him.

“It tickles really bad, huh?” Patton let out an amused giggle. “Do you want me to slow down for ya?” Patton asked. Virgil shook his head in response, showing Patton that it was just a statement, and not a plea for change. “Okaaaaayy! But if you ever change your mind, you can always tell me to move spots.” Patton let him know casually.

Virgil continued to enjoy the belly button tickles for a little while. Even though it wasn’t the giggly kinda tickles, it was just the right amount that made Virgil all giddy and delirious. He missed this so much. It was almost agony trying to get through the week without proper tickles. And Patton was so understanding, patient, and playful all at once!

Virgil learned on that evening how patient every side really is with him. He had been worried he was annoying them by asking when in reality, it was only Virgil who was experiencing the doubt about his family. The only person who has showed any signs of annoyance was Roman. And that could easily be explained as Roman being his cocky self.

And how does a cocky attitude get cured?

Why, with tickles of course! Never forget the teases, and don’t be shy with the raspberries! And of course, all ticklish lees shall be calmed with some cuddles, blankets and hot cocoa.

[justlookfrightened]

If you're still taking them... would you mind doing random 8?

Prompt is from this list. Random 8: “Can you please…? Hmmm, I don’t know. Maybe put a shirt on?!”

“So you’re okay with it?” Bitty asked.

Jack stood up after rummaging in the fridge and coming up with a protein drink.

“Sure,” he said. “If you are. They’re your family.”

Bitty snorted.

“My relatives, sure,” Bitty said. “But it means they’ll be here when you get back from your first roadie this season. You’re you wouldn’t rather have your home to yourself?”

“Your home, too,” Jack said. “And you’ll be here, right? So as long you don’t mind, why not?”

“Why would I mind?”

“Just … do you like these cousins?” Jack asked. “I mean, you don’t think they’re just using you?”

“Using me? You mean besides asking to stay here? How?”

“You know,” Jack said. “For your connections, money …”

“Jack, I hate to break this to you now, but I don’t have any money,” Bitty said. “It’s like the Samwell financial aid office knew how much money I had -- to the penny -- and made sure they got every last cent of it. I am bringing no money into this household.”

Jack shrugged.

“What’s mine is yours,” he said. “So yes, you have money. And you are a big name at every college in New England, even the ones that aren’t into hockey, because of --”

“The first out captain thing?”

“I was going to say winning the Frozen Four,” Jack said. “But probably both.”

“Anyway, no, the girls have always been fine,” Bitty said. “I mean, they’re five years younger so I don’t know them that well. They were 13 when I went to Samwell. I guess I’m more surprised that Aunt Connie and Uncle Bubba would let them stay with us since we’re living in sin.”

“Uncle Bubba?” Jack asked. “Never mind. They’re both looking at colleges in Boston?”

“Yeah,” Bitty said. “They’re twins, and they’ve always been in the same school. A lot of the time the same classes, because they’re both smart. So they decided they wanted to go to different colleges but try to be in the same city.”

“And Boston has plenty of options,” Jack said.

“Yup,” Bitty said. “I mean, Atlanta has options too, but if they want to get out of Georgia, good for them.”

*

By the time Jack left on his roadie, Bitty was glad to have his cousins’ visit to prepare for. He made sure the linens in the guest bedroom and bathroom were fresh, he bought flowers (at the supermarket, but still), laid in a supply of Coca-Cola, and and baked cookies before they arrived.

That helped take his mind off Jack being gone for three nights … which was fine, really. Last season, they almost never got to spend three nights in a row together at all. Bitty had been spoiled by spending the whole summer with Jack, and now he had to get used to having Jack gone almost as much as he was home. Maybe Bitty would spend a lot of time at the Haus 2.0.

But for now, he had Missy and Ellie coming for two nights and four college tours. Northeastern, Tufts, Boston University and Boston College. It was going to be exhausting, but at least Bitty knew his way around and was used to driving in Boston. Although it might make more sense to do the city ones on the T, and more fun for the girls. 

They arrived at Logan decked out in jeans and hoodies, with jackets over their arms, despite beautiful October weather. Bitty clucked to himself, but remembered how cold sixty degrees felt his first year in Massachusetts.

“What do y’all want to do besides visit the schools?” Bitty said. “Although I think that will take most of our time. And you know I live like an hour away from here, right?”

“We know, Di -- Eric,” Missy said. “Sorry. Aunt Suzanne said no one here calls you Dicky. I figured you might not like it anymore.”

“Anymore?” Ellie snorted. “Did he ever?”

“It’s fine,” Eric said. “I guess if I had my choice, you could call me Eric. Or Bitty. That’s what most people here call me.”

“You don’t mind that?” Missy asked. 

“No,” Bitty said. “It was what my team called me, and what Jack’s whole team calls me.”

“Speaking of,” Ellie said. “Any chance we’ll meet any hockey players?”

“Not Falconers,” Bitty said. “They’re on the road this week. Jack’ll be back very early Saturday, but of course you’ve met him.”

He led the way to the car and headed for a public lot halfway between Northeastern and Boston University.

“Is the traffic always like this?” Missy asked.

“What do you mean?” Bitty said. “It’s not as bad as Atlanta.”

“Maybe not as many cars,” Ellie said. “But they go every which way.”

After an introductory talk and a tour, Bitty took them to Amelia’s for Mexican food for lunch before repeating the routine at BU. Bitty found himself wondering what it would have been like to go to school in the middle of the city instead of in a college town like Samwell. Until now, all he’d seen of the campuses were their ice rinks.

He made them dinner at home, and enjoyed the cooking and washing up and listening to the girls chatter and gossip. It also gave him time to make a couple of pies for the following night.

The next day started with Tufts and ended at Boston College. Dinner was actually at Haus 2.0, where Ransom, Holster, Lardo and Shitty regaled Missy and Ellie with tales of Bitty’s misadventures as a frog.

“Pies just appear?” Missy said. “I know that feeling, around you and Aunt Suzanne. Somehow the baking bug missed Mom.”

“If you guys end up here, I’m sure Bits will deliver,” Holster said. “Having him around was half the reason we decided to stay in Boston. Another beer, Rans?”

Bitty, of course, was not drinking, since he was not only chaperoning his cousins but also driving. This would make three each for Ransom and Holster, which was … probably not good for their long-term health if they were doing it every day, but also not enough to get either of them drunk. Lardo had a beer with dinner, and Shitty disappeared onto the balcony and came back smelling of marihuana.

“Eric?” Ellie asked when they got in the car. “Did your friend go outside to smoke weed?”

“Uh … yes,” Bitty said. “Which is legal here, if you buy it from a dispensary and are over 21. Just so you know, it’ll still get you in trouble if not expelled from college.”

“No duh,” Missy said. “It’s not like we’ve never been around anyone who smoked weed before. I just didn’t expect you to hang around with potheads.”

“Shitty a pothead?” Bitty was indignant. Shitty did smoke pretty regularly, but he also was pulling top marks at Harvard Law, and Bitty rarely saw him too stoned to function responsibly. “I don’t think I’d use that word. He’s one of the smartest people I know, and if that’s how he relaxes, I’m not going to judge him.”

“Did you ever smoke weed?” Missy asked. 

“I’m not gonna answer that,” Bitty said.

“Pretty sure that is an answer,” Missy said.

“But don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone,” Ellie said. “What’s the deal with Ransom and Holster? Are they together? I couldn’t tell. Or are they available?”

“Not to you,” Bitty said. “You’re seventeen. They’re grown adults.”

“But they’re not together?” Missy persisted. 

Bitty shrugged. 

“I suppose it means what you mean by together,” he said. “They lived together the whole time I new them, got jobs together and moved in together after college, so I’d say their relationship is primary to both of them. But they also both date. One of the things I learned in college is that nothing is as black-and-white as lots of people seem to think. But those are lessons you’ll learn with people your own age.”

The girls fell quiet, and Bitty wondered if he’d been too harsh.

“Sorry,” he said. “It’s not for me to tell you what to do when you get to college. But for now, I have to keep an eye out for you. And if you want a long lecture on power dynamics in relationships, I can set something up with Shitty.”

By the time Bitty went to bed that night, he was glad his cousins came, and even happier that he would be taking them back to the airport to head home tomorrow. It might be nice if they ended up in Bostpn for school, but if that happened, they’d be busy with their own friends and lives, and he could just drop in with pie and sympathy from time to time. Teenagers were exhausting.

*

Bitty woke up when Jack came in, probably somewhere around 3 a.m., and promptly followed Jack’s instructions to go back to sleep. He slept better than he had since Jack left, cocooned in the warm bed with his warmer fiance. 

He didn’t even wake up when Jack, who by rights should be more exhausted than he was, got up in the morning. Or at least it appeared that way, when he rolled over to snuggle into Jack’s said and found only cool sheets.

It was clearly full daylight, so Bitty checked his phone. It was only 8:30, but probably time to get up if he was going to get the girls to the airport in time for their 12:30 flight. There should still be time for pancakes if he could get them up soon.

He washed up and headed for the kitchen, drawn by the sound of giggles, a little surprised that they were already up.

He almost couldn’t believe the sight that met his eyes: Ellie and Missy, attempting to cook (French toast, maybe?) in his kitchen, but overcome with laughter as Jack, clearly just returned from a run, tried to figure out who was who. He wasn’t helped by the way they kept switching names on him just to make it worse.

Bitty stepped into the kitchen and removed the smoking, empty skillet from the burner. 

“Ellie,” he said, pointing, “and Missy, didn’t your mother tell you not to leave a pan on a hot burner unattended?”

“We’re right here,” Ellie said. 

“And yet the pan was smoking,” Bitty said. “You also should ask before cooking in someone else’s kitchen.”

“We just wanted to make breakfast to thank you for letting us stay,” Missy said. “Mom said we should.”

“She said you should start cooking in my kitchen without asking?” Bitty asked, because Aunt Connie set the standard for possessiveness over her kitchen. Which, come to think of it, might be why Ellie and Missy didn’t have any kitchen sense.

“She just said we should do something,” Missy said.

“Well, I’ll consider myself thanked, and you two can go pack your things,” Bitty said. “Breakfast in twenty minutes.”

“Are you sure we can’t stay and help?” Ellie said. “We’re mostly packed.”

“Maybe you could teach us,” Missy said.

It was her eyes straying away to Jack that gave her away. 

“If you want,” Bitty said sweetly. “Jack can help, too.”

“Me?” said Jack, putting his water glassin the sink. “What do you need, bud?”

“Can you please…? Hmmm, I don’t know. Maybe put a shirt on?” Bitty asked. “You know, for kitchen safety and all that.”

[siriuslyshewrote]

Finn Shelby x fem!reader imagine, please! Maybe something like they've been together a while (set season 4) and everyone is a bit sceptical of the reader being able to handle the life when they meet her during the Mafia stuff but maybe at one point they're attacked and it turns out she's a damn good shot and barely flinches at shooting their attackers. Fluff, proud Finn, badass reader, usual Peaky Blinders stuff.. Do with the idea what you will.

SCEPTICAL- FINN SHELBY

You had moved from Scotland almost a year ago, exactly, you realised, as you sat next to Finn in the Garrison, smoke exuding from both your lips, you both sharing a cigarette, as bloody Isaiah refused to let you have any of his packet, and you’d forgot your own, and Finn could only find a rather broken one at the bottom of his pocket, which had had to do.

A lot had changed in that time. You and your parents had moved to get away from the Billy Boy’s - men who had several vendetta’s against your family, from some wrongdoings in the past. And you had rather unknowingly moved straight into Blinder territory.

You found yourself only being thankful of this , however. If you had moved somewhere more supposedly safe, you’d never have met the two people you were sat with, Isaiah being your closest mate, and Finn... well, Finn being your boyfriend.

Finn hadn’t been a hard person to fall in love with - really, you knew you would adore him the minute you laid eyes on him, as he had sweetly helped you’d pick up some of your dropped items, as you moved into your house on Watery Lane, just a few down from his own home, you’d later find out. You’d also later find out the sound of his laugh, and how he tugged on his ear when he was nervous, and how he hated his freckles that darkened in the summertime, though to you, they were one of his best features. You’d learn that he liked to be the little spoon sometimes, and his favourite food was simple stew, and he chewed his lip when he was embarrassed. You’d learn about his brothers business, and his involvement, a few months after meeting him, and you’d realised you were too far in love already to even care.

His family cared though. Rather a lot.

And you tried to understand. Finn was the baby of the family - though you were both now almost seventeen - and it probably felt strange for them to see him grow up. They probably were worried he’d make the same mistakes as they , get you knocked up young. And they were suspicious. Of course. You and your family appeared suddenly from Scotland - where one of their rival gangs were - and you appeared almost too unfazed about gang business , the one time you’d met them, and they tried to rather unsubtley scare you with conversation at the table. You hadn’t seen them since - they didn’t trust you, and, as you had said to Finn in one of your only arguments, you didn’t want to live trying to prove yourself to them.

You just had to hope that they’d come round, one day.

“Ya alright, love?” Finn jolted you out of your thoughts, as he squeezed your shoulders gently, as your eyes flickered back towards him.

“Yeah, just thinking.” You smiled, leaning your head against his shoulder, as Isaiah said something about getting more drinks from the bar, getting up.

“About what?” Finn was always so interested in everything you said - it was one of the main reasons you had grown to love him.

You nestled further into his side, playing with his fingers.

“Just your family.” You murmured.

You felt, rather than heard, him exhale.

“I know it’s bothering you... I’m going to try and speak to them-“

You smiled a little, looking up at them.

“You don’t need to. They’ll come round eventually, won’t they?”

Doubt flickered across both your faces.

You poked him in the cheek.

“Besides.” You sighed dramatically, a teasing grin on your face. “One Shelby is more than enough to put up with.”

He laughed, and went to tickle your neck in retaliation, knowing that was your weak spot, and you were both so consumed in that, that at first you didn’t hear the doors of the Garrison being kicked in.

Until you heard the guns cock. And your blood froze.

You both turned around, to the door, Finn immediately moving in front of you to shield you, standing up, leaving his suit jacket lying on the chair next you.

You didn’t recognise the men in front of you - two of them, looking to similar they had to be similar.

They walked towards you both, everyone in the pub freezing. Isaiah caught your eye, motioning for you to stay still. You knew what he was trying to say. Don’t do anything till they start something. Not if they’ve got guns.

“Finn Shelby. Care to tell us where your fuckin brothers are?”

Your heart thrummed fast in your chest, as you saw the metal pistols in their hands. They were inexperienced with them, you could tell immediately, from how they handled them, from how their hands shook slightly.

Very quietly, still keeping your eyes on the scene in front of you, your hands went for Finns jacket on the chair, slipping into the pockets. You knew it was here somewhere. Ah. Your fingers wrapped around the cool metal in the material, and it would stay there - until they made any move to hurt Finn.

“How should I know?” His voice was smooth and arrogant. Finn refused to be scared of them. Of course. He knew his status in this city. Why should he be scared? “What do you want with them?”

“They killed our fucking brother. And they’re going to pay.”

Oh. Shit.

Finn shrugged.

“Well. They’re not here. So, do you want to bugger off?”

His back was tense, betraying his smooth voice.

“Well, I don’t know. An eye for an eye. A brother for a brother-“

One of them raised their hand with their guns. You had to act-

A shot was fired, and you exhaled. The gun in your hand remained steady, as you pointed it at the leg of one of the men, as you heard a howl.

Then chaos erupted - Finn, and Isaiah diving for the men, wrestling the guns from their hands whilst they were distracted. You didn’t move - almost frozen, but not in fear, or shock. You just wanted to make absolutely sure everyone was safe from them.

And the minute you realised that yes, the guns were gone, you dropped it immediately, a feeling of nausea overcoming you, as you saw blood on the floor.

——————————————————————————

Polly Gray, and her other three nephews burst through the doors, wielding weapons not three minutes later - someone must have slipped out and informed them.

You and Finn were sat in the corner, him keeping an eye on the two men in the corner ( Isaiah and Harry keeping guard of them ). His hand gripped yours, as you murmured quietly to one another - you giving an explanation, him still being bewildered that you could use a weapon, let alone shoot it correctly.

“Finn!” Polly exhaled in relief, rushing over, as the others went over to presumably sort the situation out with the blokes, her eyes scanning him for any injuries. “Are you-“

“I’m fine Pol. Y/N, here, stopped them.” There was a distinct sound of pride in his voice. You squeezed his hand.

His Aunt’s eyes flickered to you.

“How-“

“Living in Scotland ... it was , surprisingly, less safe than here. My parents taught me how to shoot. Guess it came in handy.” You said rather calmly, as Finn kissed your cheek, a proud grin on his features.

She paused.

“Thankyou.” She smiled, for the first time at you. “Thank you, for saving my nephew.”

Perhaps the Shelby’s would start coming round to you, after all.

Permanent Tag List-

@marvelismylifffe

[brushes-of-sage]

If all 8 parts dont come thru blame tumblr and their ask limit frozen au idea: ok so yeah varian was born with ice powers(btw i have no idea if hugos adopted in this au or not, it might come back later, my brain is just spitting things at me atm)Varian hugo quirin and ulla were a happy family until one day and accident involving alchemy, ice magic, and a startled alchemist involves in both parents getting trapped in a giant amber trap(Hugo comes in just as the amber finishes consuming them)(1/8)

After this, varian is scared of himself and his abilities both in magic and alchemy. He now wears his gloves 24/7 as opposed to just during experimenting(varian is 9, hugo is 8 kinda like elsa and anna but flipped(i think)) Any confidence he had in his abilities is immediately shattered and try as he might he cant seem to free his parents with magic alchemy or both. Hugo tries to help as much he can but varian is too scared and doesnt want to hurt him. After doing some research,(2/8)

he tries to ask for the trolls help but they cant so he requests they erase his memories of varians power, for fear of hurting his brother (he cant seem to keep hugo out of his lab. He feels horrible about it but cant risk hurting his only family left) Btw i dont c varian hurting hugo accidentally as well i dont think he could emotionally handle it, but all u angst writers, knock urselves out. Fast forward a few years and varian is 21 and about to be crowned king bc he still hasnt found(3/8)

a way to free his parents. While at the coronation party hugo meets donella, quickly filling the mother role he wished he had. Little does he know, she is only posing as a foreign dignitary bc she heard rumors about a magical prince hiding in arendelle and wants to exploit/study it. By the end of the evening she determines its not hugo, but hopes getting in hugos good graces could help getting to varian. Fast forward to the ballroom, the brothers argue (about what i dunno), ice spikes, (4/8)

varian runs, hugo leaves to follow him, and leaves donella in charge. I also headcannon he gets his memories back as the movie goes on bc reasons. Along the way, he runs into belle, a hardened ice harvester whos seriously annoyed about this snow storm in july.(dont worry guys hugo and belle dont fall in love, theyre just friends)They trek their way up the mountain while varian builds himself an ice lab cuz hes a dork. Along the way they meet ice ruddiger("Im sorry u 2 made a snow raccoon but(5/8

not a snowman?" "shut up Belle")So they make it to the lab, Hugos impressed, he wants to reconcile, but varian still has Confidence Issues, insert first time in 4evr reprise and whoopsies Hugos heart is frozen and his hair is turning blue(its already blond) and Belle takes him to the trolls. They tell him “an act of true love” like b4 but they interpret it as familial/platonic love bc that love doesnt get enough love. He thinks its donella bc just like how anna was desperate for love,(6/8)

hugo was desperate for some sort of parental figure, and rushes back, insert evil monologue by donella here. The rest of the movie pretty much plays out as b4: varian is captured, donella continues playing good guy, hugo gets out of the locked library, slowly freezing as he makes his way across the fjord insert art by mom, love heals, parents are finally free, gates are open roll credits. This is honestly something ive been thinking about all day and this au now lives in my mind rent free.(7/8)

I know there are plot holes and missing elements, but this is what i have so far, i lowkey love it, and if u have any questions pls ask, i wanna elaborate this au as much as possible and questions will help and pls tag mom i want her to c this. Sorry if this is too long i just have a lot of thoughts. And oh my goodness that means so much that you've gotten invested tysm(8/8) -💙

Response under cut

Okay, first off oh my heart, I need this movie now akfjakfja (and tagging @cinn-a-mom too ‘cause bless)

So lil Varian is the partial cause of the encasement, right? ‘Cause oh gosh, this poor kid being so enthused by alchemy and now has powers and all of that building up to encasing his parents?? Someone give him a hug 🥺🥺 (and omigosh if this does end up being where Hugo is somehow adopted into the family, just ohhhhh, him coming in at that moment is just *tears*)

And ohhhhh, I love how you slightly changed it to, if I understood right, Varian requesting that the trolls take away Hugo’s memories of his powers - ‘cause this kid is just wanting to help and Varian is scared and worried of hurting him, so he sees this as an option to protect him. (And ohhh, while the angst of him accidentally hurting Hugo with his powers is definitely wonderful, now I’m just imagining smol Varian going to the trolls and pleading for them to help and then coming to the decision to take away Hugo’s memories. Like OH MY HEART-)

And ohhh, I don’t think it’d play such a big part in the story, but as they’re both growing up, who’s acting regent at the moment? Or at least I’m just musing how things would be as they’re growing up since they were kids when Quirin and Ulla were encased (and if you don’t have any thoughts for it yet, that’s totally cool 🤗)

Ajfkakfjka Donella posing as a foreign dignitary to find the ‘magical prince’ to study is ahhhhhhhh- And then Hugo being drawn to her as the mother figure he’d always wanted and lacked for so long????? Lemme just

*sobs*

(Ajfkakdj Varian is SUCH A DORK OMIGOSH I LOVE HIM)

And omigosh, the whole dynamics between Belle and Hugo would be hilarious (“Shut up Belle” while she’s laughing yessss) Also snow/ice Ruddiger is absolutely adorable ahhhhh!

Hnnnnnngggg First Time I’m Forever Reprise and Hugo believing that Donella could break the spell (and ahhhhhh, I can just barely imagine how that monologue would go down - how she was never there for him, why would anyone want him - oh gosh, insert “More Than Just the Spare” ‘cause that’s literally how he’s feeling ahhhh - aldjgjlad even more so especially if he was adopted/taken in because he’ll feel even more isolated after all of this had happened, which is another reason why he was drawn to Donella in the first place)

And then cue Cinn’s art where Hugo sacrifices himself for Varian and we’re here to see all of the tears and sobbing and feels akfjakfjaj

BUT OMIGOSH I FREAKING LOVE THIS - Varian and all of his issues in confidence and his struggle to overcome it, Hugo and his issues in wanting to feel loved from having been pushed away for so long, you mentioned Belle was hardened so I’m excited to see her soften up ajfkakdj, and then DONELLA HECK YEAH - I was not expecting the route you took but I love it so much that it gave me chills ahhhhhh.

Wonder how Quirin and Ulla react to all of this once they get out ‘cause they’ve all grown so much and their kingdom as well

I freaking love this AU and the angst lord in me, while quite enjoying the soft and the fluff, is grinning quite malevolently at the angsty scenes hehehehehe, but seriously, this is AWESOME 😱

[bouwrites]

Even Heroes Have the Right to Dream: Chapter 13

To save the world or go to work, it’s the same thing to me.

First, Previous, Next. Ao3.

Story under read-more.

Marinette almost kissed Jon. She would have, had he not jumped away at the last minute. And bubbling up inside her is this dirty feeling she hasn’t had for a while now. A slimy loathing that fills her and tries to drag her down into it.

Not this time. Marinette will not fall prey to that feeling again. Yes, she almost kissed Jon. Yes, it’s a sort-of, almost surprise to her just how willing she is to do so – how eager, even. Yes, he pulls away at the last moment, clearly not ready, or not willing, to kiss her.

Yes, she feels like an idiot. Like, despite how fresh her realization that her feelings for him may not be entirely platonic, she’s just been rejected. But he does lean in in the first place. He does give her that touching speech about how important she is to him and look at her like she has the galaxy mapped out in her face. And the last thing she’ll believe is that all of that was a lie.

Marinette feels that self-loathing, the childish hatred that tells her that there’s something wrong with her, that it’s stupid of her to think Jon will ever like her like that. She feels it, and she grabs it by its metaphorical balls and tells it to go die.

Marinette is the guardian of the Miraculous, former hero of Paris, and a grown twenty-two-year-old woman. Little embarrasses her more about her past than her ridiculousness around Adrien. She’s not going to let another crush turn her into that little girl again. She’s especially not re-adopting the self-destructive habits of that little girl.

This is Jon. Her roommate, her best friend. The man she fully intends to spend the rest of her life with, romantically or not. The man who just finished spilling his heart out to her about how much he loves her, even if he doesn’t use those exact words. The man whom she just finished spilling her heart out to about how much she loves him.

Besides, they’ve been through this before. They learned from the first time and put that lesson into practice the second. They have to communicate.

So, even though Marinette feels a little stupid and a little childish, and even though she’s awkwardly shuffling away from him on their perch on a thick tree branch, she waits. He’s the one that retreats from the kiss, so she’s hoping he’ll say something first.

And he does. “I- I, uh…” Jon clears his throat and hugs himself. “I’m… sorry. I- I didn’t- I wasn’t- I wasn’t thinking. I just… you’re… so beautiful. And I… I love you so much.”

Marinette is surprised at the confession. Even though he says it like a question, it makes a familiar warm embarrassment and affection blossom within her.

“Oh, God.” Jon covers his face. “I didn’t even realize. Oh, okay, um… I’m so sorry. I’m still processing.”

Marinette can see the weak, hopeless smile on his face mixed with the barely held together panic and frustration in his eyes and sighs. She can relate. She doesn’t feel all that different right now. “Do you need a moment?” She asks.

“Yes please.” He squeaks.

Marinette giggles and nods. “Me too.”

And she really does. People have been teasing her about or implying she likes Jon for a while now – basically since she broke up with Adrien, honestly, though it’s really picked up since last semester when they really got into a nice groove of living together and working to help each other and just generally all the domestic happiness they’ve found. And that’s fine. It doesn’t bother her. It’s embarrassing, a little, just because it’s not true – or it wasn’t – and more than a few times Jon is right there to witness it, but he never makes it awkward either. He just laughs it off or ignores it if there’s no need to correct it, so Marinette ends up taking the same approach.

It’s easy. It’s comfortable. It’s nice.

And he’s cute, for sure. Those big eyes behind those glasses will surely be the death of her (she can never resist when he tries for the puppy eyes, but then again she’s weak to Adrien and Alya’s puppy eyes as well), and she may or may not have admired him once or twice.

It’s actually ridiculous how, despite having seen him in various states of undress, it’s his arms that linger in Marinette’s mind. The muscles working as he leans over the tractor, the (disgusting) smears of oil and grime across his hands and arms, how they flex when he moves, it’s criminal. Marinette doesn’t think much of it at the time beyond appreciating his body (which is a perfectly acceptable thing for a friend to do, if Alya is any sort of standard), but now, after their egregiously romantic night under the stars, it all takes a new context.

Honestly, Marinette thinks, almost pouting, how can anyone expect me not to fall in love after that? She looks out to the horizon again, soaking in the sight of the stars, the faint glow of the galaxy so clear out here – she’s never seen that in person before. This is something she only gets to see because of Jon. This is something that Jon went out of his way to bring her to see.

And then he goes and tells her all that about how she’s changed his life and how thankful he is that they’re together and… yeah. If Marinette didn’t love him before, she’s basically legally obligated to at this point.

The dumbest part about it is that, based on how Jon himself is pulling at his hair, he didn’t even intend for tonight to be romantic. Hindsight is 20-20, Marinette supposes. And something she can see with perfect clarity is that whatever is going on between her and Jon, from this moment forward, is not simply friendship.

What exactly it is, though… is another story. Does she like him? Marinette does not struggle to say that yes, she probably does. But is she so bold as to admit such now? He says he loves her, but he’s still processing, too. She should let him figure himself out first before entering into this. She absolutely loves him, deeply and platonically, and it won’t do to misinterpret things before they get the chance to think it through for themselves, and then talk it out like the grown adults they are.

She needs to figure herself out, too. But she has to give him something. Something so that he’s not left hanging until they do have that talk, which will definitely be soon.

“Hey, Jon?” She says carefully.

“Mhmm?”

“I… I think I love you, too.”

Jon’s eyes snap to hers. There’s such a deep uncertainty in them, a hesitation that solidifies Marinette’s resolve that, though this conversation needs to happen, they’re both a bit caught off-guard by tonight. “But…” She says, “neither of us expected this, did we?”

Jon winces. “Uh… no.”

“I thought so. We’re going to need to talk about it.”

“I know!” Jon says quickly. “And I do! I want to talk about it! I just- I need to- I need to get my thoughts and- and- everything all in order first.” He sighs, and his pained expression turns away to face the grass. “I’m sorry. I know I need to-”

“Don’t apologize, Jon.” Jon shuts his mouth sharply at Marinette’s words. She touches his shoulder, and a relieved calm spreads through her when he leans into the touch. “We’re both caught off guard, and I don’t think either of us really know where our heads are at right now. So why don’t we take the rest of the break to figure things out? Just for a day or two, we’ll go on like we have been, as if we didn’t just… well almost kiss. Take the time to examine our feelings, make sure this isn’t just… this stupidly romantic night.” Jon chuckles sheepishly along with her as he glances to the starry night sky. “Then when we’re back in New York and in our apartment and we’ve had some time to process it all, we’ll talk about it. Okay?”

Jon bites his lip and nods. “If you think that’s best.”

Marinette lets out a weak chuckle. “No offense, but I also just don’t want to have this conversation while we still have a several-hour car ride back home ahead of us. That would be… just unbearable if this makes things awkward.”

“I don’t want it to be awkward.” Jon whimpers. “I don’t want this to mess everything up.”

“It won’t.” Marinette assures him. She speaks the words with such surety only because she also needs to convince herself. But this is Jon. He’s… one of the very few things she truly does trust absolutely. They can make it work, even in the worst-case scenario. He’s home. “We won’t let it. No matter what, right? We’ll always be best friends.”

Slowly, the smile returns to Jon’s face, and the night feels so much brighter. “Yeah. For sure. Thanks, Marinette. I… I can believe when you say it. That’s another reason why I love you, I guess.”

Wow, that still feels strange to hear. It does funny things to her heart, too.

Marinette sleeps on the issue. Last night, she’s caught up in the moment. She’s swept off her feet, figuratively and literally, by this place and by Jon, and she’s still only human. It’s easy to get caught up in those kinds of things.

Yet when she heads back out to the living room and spies Jon still slumbering on the couch, she feels a surge of warmth overcome her. It’s impossible to keep the fond smile from her face. Not that she tries.

Yeah, I definitely love him, don’t I? The reassurance is steadying, bracing, but it also gnaws away in her gut. I’m going to have to tell everyone.

Marinette retreats to Jon’s room once more and checks the time. Alya will kill me if I don’t keep her updated on this. And Adrien… Marinette sighs.

“Are you alright, Master?”

“Wayzz,” Marinette sighs once more. “I told you not to call me that.”

“Ah, my apologies. But are you…?”

“I’m fine.” Marinette turns her eyes to the glow-in-the-dark stars in the room. The sunlight streaming through the window renders them to simple little off-color shapes, but they still bring to mind the real stars from last night. “I’m just worried about Adrien. It’s been a long time since we broke up, but…”

“I see.” Wayzz nods slowly, almost a bow. “You are in love with Jonathan.”

Marinette sits down on the bed and stares at her phone. There are strange butterflies in her gut, but they aren’t about Jon. How odd, that the next time she falls in love she would feel none of that frantic energy from the first time. “I guess I always knew this would happen.” Marinette says. “With someone, anyway. Since I broke up with Adrien, I mean. I knew we weren’t going to get back together. I still can’t be with a hero, not like that, but…”

“But you have accepted your role as guardian.” Wayzz says. “You have made progress. Do you wonder if you might accept him being a hero if you had more time?”

Marinette shuts her eyes. “Hard not to wonder.” It’s not quite pain that settles over her. Not quite that stinging hurt. It’s more of a cold dread, but even then, that’s not quite it. It’s the chilling, yet strangely reassuring embrace of the inevitable. A terrible thing accompanied by the relief that she no longer needs to wait for it, and that it will soon be behind her now that she can face it head on. It is… an odd feeling. “I was happy with him, despite everything else.”

“Sometimes, Mas- Marinette…” Wayzz says, “our paths through life are thrust upon us. Sometimes we seek them out. However, your free will to choose the path you want to walk is something that can never be taken from you. A good turtle is steady and constant. Take your time, choose your path, but do not falter when you walk it.”

Marinette worries her lip. “I understand.” She sighs heavily. “I know my path. My life is with Jon. I’ll… I’ll call Alya. I was going to tell her about Thanksgiving, anyway. She can help me with Adrien.”

Wayzz bows respectfully and hides again as she finds Alya’s contact. As she gets into the conversation with Alya, Alya can clearly see that she’s a bit off. She doesn’t interrupt, though. “I actually had a lot of fun.” Marinette says, concluding the story about the day. “It’s really nice to have a day to just remember to be thankful for what we have.”

Alya smiles gently. “Sounds like it did you some good.”

“Aha, I guess so. Um… at the end of it, Jon took me out to look at the stars.” Marinette laughs. “Alya, you’ll never believe the stars out here! Pictures really can’t do it justice; it’s so beyond beautiful!” Marinette blushes and clears her throat and Alya raises her brow silently, letting Marinette spill the scoop all on her own. “And, um… we, sort of… almost kissed.”

Marinette jumps and has to cover the speaker on her phone for fear that Alya’s shriek will be heard throughout the house. “Alya!” Marinette chastises her friend. “Don’t blow out my eardrums!”

“You kissed Jon?!”

“Almost! We didn’t actually-”

“Way to go, girl!”

“Alya!”

“Oooh, I want to hear every detail! The whole story, Marinette! Come on, a night under the stars out in the country? What did he say? What did you say? Come on! Don’t leave me hanging!”

“Alya, calm down!” Marinette groans. “I’ll tell you everything, but first, I need your help.”

Alya sobers quickly, nodding to her through the camera. “Of course. What can I do?”

Marinette’s hands tremble as she holds her phone. She debates putting it down, because Alya can surely tell, but she decides against it. It’s nice to have something to clutch, even if she worries a bit that she’ll break the thing. “Add Adrien to the call?”

Alya sucks in a hissing breath. “Oh.” She shakes her head. “It’ll be okay, Marinette. He loves you, yeah, but he’s been ready for this. I promise.”

“I hope so. I don’t want to hurt him.”

“I know, girl. Give me just a minute and I’ll have him here.”

Alya’s camera is jumbled around as she contacts Adrien, and not two minutes later the screen splits and Adrien’s beautiful face appears in another window. “Hi, Marinette! How’s Thanksgiving?”

Marinette smiles painfully at him. “Great! It’s been wonderful.”

“That’s great!”

“Actually,” Alya says, “Marinette was just about to tell me about the night she had with Jon.”

Marinette glares, mostly playfully, at her, but sighs and launches into the story. She starts from when he invites her outside to look at the stars and modifies only their flying stint to protect Jon’s identity. As she tells Alya and Adrien, Jon just drags her out into the field and convinces her to dance.

Close enough.

She keeps the exact details of their proclamations to each other under wraps as well, but she gives them both enough so that they have proper context for the almost-kiss.

“You like him.” Adrien says softly, fondly, when Marinette wraps up her story. She’s torn between being unable to look away from him and being unable to look at him, but she can see how gentle the look on his face is. “I’m happy for you, Marinette.” His eyes move from the screen for a moment, down, to the floor, and then he takes a breath and smiles. “You’ve clearly got excellent taste in men, if I do say so myself.”

Alya snorts. “Shut up, furry.”

“Says you, furry! Furry rights!”

Alya makes a clearly forced serious face at the screen, probably to Marinette. “Adrien Agreste just said furry rights.” She deadpans. “Marinette, my love, my best friend in the whole world, serious question. Is this world blessed or cursed? Because I legit do not know anymore.”

Marinette shrugs, unable to fight her grin. “He has a point. You don’t have much of a leg to stand on calling him a furry, considering.”

“Hey, I never said I wasn’t! Have you seen some of that fanart of us?” When Adrien immediately clears his throat, blushing profusely, Alya adds, “The safe for work stuff! Get your mind out of the gutter, Agreste!”

“Anyway!” Adrien says loudly. “I’m proud of you, Marinette. You deserve this with Jon. He’s a good guy, and I wish you both the best.”

Marinette smiles, both at their antics and simply in relief. “Thank you, Adrien. That means a lot to me.”

“You heard the boy!” Alya says. “Go get your man!”

Marinette giggles. “That’s still not happening until we get back. And if he decides not to pursue it, it’s not happening at all. I just wanted to keep you updated, and… and ask Adrien if he’s okay with it.”

“We’re not together anymore.” Adrien says gently. “You don’t need my permission.”

“No,” Marinette agrees. “but you’re still important to me. There’s no way I could decide something like this without talking to you about it.”

“I’m honored.” Adrien says. “But seriously. Go get your man.”

There’s nothing Marinette can do in response but laugh. “If you insist.”

It is a lie to say that the last day of their Thanksgiving break isn’t awkward at all. All things considered, though, it goes smoothly. Kara, Marinette assumes she must be Supergirl, is intercepted by Jon the one time she looks like she’s going to approach Marinette about the strange atmosphere between her and Jon, and the next time Marinette sees the woman Kara has that knowing look that Lois and both of Jon’s grandparents seem to have from the moment they see each other in the morning after Marinette’s phone call.

If Marinette’s own mother weren’t so good at reading the room between her and her friends (and especially Adrien, even back when they weren’t together) she’d think one of them eavesdropped on her talking with Alya and Adrien. But no, this is just a family thing. They know from Jon’s behavior that he likes her, and they’re amused by this.

Marinette rolls her eyes at the whole display, but she does appreciate that they don’t try anything like her own mother might. They’re perfectly friendly, and wondrous hosts, but all their teasing glances and smirks are directed Jon’s way rather than hers, and, she thinks, mostly behind her back.

Poor boy.

Marinette assumes that her deal with Jon to talk about it when they get back to New York is spread throughout the family somehow. And she’s glad for it, even when Clark (Marinette still can’t quite believe that he’s Superman) gives the two of them a cheeky wink and a “Good luck” that implies a lot more than just luck on their exams when they’re dropped back off at their apartment.

Jon is nervous. Marinette notices even at the farm, but as they approach their door he only gets worse. He’s buzzing with energy while Marinette inserts her key in the lock. He taps his foot, wrings his hands, adjusts his glasses, fiddles with his hair.

Marinette barely manages to close the door before he exclaims, “Can we talk about it now?”

Marinette has to take a moment to form her response, just because the timing catches her off guard, but he’s looking at her with such earnest hope in his eyes that even if she had other plans, she’d ditch them. “Of course. Let’s go to the living room.”

They sit at their tiny dining table, a scene that calls Marinette’s mind to when he was waiting for her last year, after winter break when she had to fight Mayura. She winces at the thought. In the end, they made their deal with each other, and Marinette is glad they did. She’s glad for where they are now, and that promise is a strong tie binding them together, so she can’t entirely regret that whole incident.

Even so, she hates herself for allowing such weakness. To go back to Ladybug, to come so close to passing the guardianship on to Adrien… She’s very lucky, and very thankful, that Jon is here for her.

“You are just inscrutable sometimes.” Jon sighs heavily, sinking into his chair. “You know that? I spent all day yesterday and today trying to figure out if you really like me back, but I’ve got nothing.”

Marinette blinks for a moment at his pouting, then at the words, and then she laughs. “I’ve been called a lot of things, Jon, but inscrutable has to be a new one. Most people think I’m an open book.”

“Most people are wrong.” Jon crosses his arms with a playful huff. “All I saw was you laughing at my folks teasing me the whole time.”

“Aw, I’m sorry.” Marinette says honestly. “It just reminded me of my parents whenever I had Adrien over back when we were kids. That’s all. I wasn’t trying to be mean.”

Jon tries valiantly to maintain the pout of his lips for a few more tough seconds before he breaks into a smile. “I know. But… seriously, about that night in the tree…” His eyes find the table as he takes a deep breath. “I meant every word, and I still mean it now. You’re… one of the most important people in my life, and whether we’re- you know- dating or- or not, I know for sure I want you in my life. For the rest of my life.” He ducks his head, making a face. “And that’s coming on really strong.” He mutters. “Tone it back, Jon.”

Marinette covers her mouth as she giggles at him. “Don’t worry, Jon. I feel the same way. This life, this… post-heroism life… I want you in it, too. I did even before Thanksgiving.”

“Oh, thank God.” Jon breathes shakily. “But, uh, about Thanksgiving. I… I really do like you, Marinette. Like, I love you. Like… That was definitely not just a heat of the moment thing. I’ve been thinking a lot about it and… the more I do, the more I regret not kissing you then when I had the chance.

“I’m really sorry I pulled away. I was just overwhelmed, and I didn’t realize what I was doing until we were already like right there and I just… I kind of freaked out.” He groans and covers his face with his hands. “Oh, God, this is embarrassing.”

Marinette smiles at him, still nervous and jittery about this whole thing, and a strange calm overtakes her. Adrien approves, Alya does, too, Jon is someone she can see herself spending the rest of her life with. Hell, she fully intends to keep rooming with him after university. Maybe in New York, or maybe Metropolis, or maybe he’ll even like the idea of moving to Paris, Marinette isn’t sure about that, yet, but she knows that if he wants to be there, there is absolutely a place for him in her future.

In fact, if he doesn’t want to be there, she’s quite sure her future will feel very empty. It would be quite an endeavor to fill that void. So, she tells him the truth, in hopes of calming his nerves a little. “I love you, too, Jon.”

“You do? You do!” Jon beams, so openly giddy that Marinette can’t help but reflect his joy. “That’s great! I mean- uh… Oh, God, now what?”

He really is silly when he’s flustered, isn’t he? “Now, we prepare for finals.” Marinette says. “Just because we love each other doesn’t mean we can slack on our exams.”

Jon flushes red and nods. “Yeah. Right. Of course, but…”

“We’ll go on a date soon. If you’re okay with that?”

“Yes!” He squeaks, nodding eagerly. “Totally okay with that!”

Marinette giggles. “Good.” She stands. “Now we still have to get everything back in order before classes start again, so if that’s all, I’m going to go double check that I have all my assignments squared away. I know there was at least one thing I still need to do.”

Jon seems to regain control of himself and nods. “Yeah, I’ve got work to do, too. Then more studying.”

“There’s not much time between now and finals, is there?”

Jon cards a hand through his hair. “Yeah, that’s how it is. Thanksgiving and Christmas are just too close, I guess.”

Marinette shakes her head. The last two years, she’s used Thanksgiving break to study more, so she’ll have to catch up this year, even if it’s just a few days. “Well, I’m going to get started. Good luck, Jon.” She puts one hand on his cheek, smiling at how he immediately turns red, and kisses his other cheek. Barely a ghost of a kiss, but the moment her lips touch his cheek she can’t help but linger just a moment, and it’s so much more intimate than common bisous.

Not that she often gives bisous over here in the States, but it’s still nice to ensure Jon feels the distinction. Especially when he turns all red like that. The blush covers his ears adorably, so Marinette just laughs and ruffles his hair before she heads off to her room to get started on studying.

There’re only a couple weeks until finals. Honestly, Marinette will have to be clever if she wants to plan a date before winter break. Then again, she supposes Jon can come to Paris during break. It’s long enough that there won’t be too much issue if he takes a day away from home to spend time in Paris.

She’ll have to think it over.

She and Jon really have bad timing, Marinette thinks. Aside from their miraculous meeting in the first place, everything seems to happen at the worst moments. Like, why on Earth do they decide to fall in love two weeks before winter break?

Now, Marinette is juggling not only finals and Christmas gift plans, but also date plans. Thank the powers that be for Jon stressing over his own finals and agreeing that date night can wait. Not that that stops them from having quiet nights in watching movies on their sofa, of course, those just aren’t really “dates” so much as what they always do. With slightly more cuddling. (Nothing too far, not yet, but Jon slings his arm around her shoulders and she leans on him and it’s a lot different in their hearts, if not quite so much in practice.)

She’s using a rare time of peace, with finals later this very week, to get just a little work done on a present for Jon. It’s nothing that can’t be done in Paris, of course, and in fact Marinette intends to get a lot of progress done on the plane, but the repetitive stiches help her center herself and she’s hoping this meditative work will give her a bit of an edge on her studying tonight.

“Marinette! Hi! I wasn’t expecting to see you here! What’re you working on?”

So long as no one interrupts her, that is. Alas, there is Kasey, along with Sam and Louise, approaching her. It’s fine, Marinette decides. She has time to work on the present, and seeing friends is good, too, as a break from studying. “A Christmas present.” She says. “For Jon.”

“That’s so sweet!” Kasey sits next to her excitedly, examining the project in Marinette’s hands. “But you’re making a scarf? I would have thought you’d do something bigger considering you already fitted him.”

Marinette just chuckles. “He’s expecting it.” She says. “This is the first gift opportunity since then, so he’s obviously going to expect me to make something I fit him for. This is enough to throw him off, and then I’ll give him something bigger later. Not for his birthday, I think. Maybe just randomly.”

“Oh! Clever!”

“Yes,” Sam says, “that’s very clever. Speaking of Jon, I was having some trouble thinking of a Christmas gift for him myself. Do you think you could help me out? I really like, Jon, so I want it to be perfect.”

Marinette bites her lip. “I can help you, bu-”

“Thank you so much!” Sam grabs her arm like Alya does sometimes, all happy and excited. “With your help, I’m sure Jon will fall for me in no time.”

“But.” Marinette says, louder, just enough to put a stop to Sam’s eagerness. “I’m sorry, but he’s not interested in you. If you’re just trying to impress him, you should save yourself the time.” It hurts Marinette to do it, but she has to tell Sam sometime. She’d rather do it now, bluntly, than lead her on and let her waste time and money finding a present in hopes of winning him over with it.

Remembering her two years without holiday gift exchanges with Jon, Marinette is quite sure that gifts aren’t all that important to getting him to love someone, anyway.

Sam is understandably taken aback by Marinette’s words, so Marinette tries to soften the blow. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for, I only mean that I can’t help you… ah… what’s the word? Woo? Woo him?” Marinette looks to Kasey for help but finds only Kasey’s jaw on the floor.

Figures her vocabulary will fail her here and now when she needs to be careful with her words. Damn English. Louise hesitantly nods at her, as if to say, “Yes, that’s the right word.” Thank god for her.

“Why not?” Sam asks. “You know how much I like him.”

Marinette cringes. “Y-yeah, but… Jon and I are sort of-”

Sam stands abruptly, so sharply that it makes Marinette jumps. She clutches her knitting needles like weapons, and only forces herself to relax her grip when she feels Wayzz’s gentle press against her side and casts her mind to her promise of nonviolence.

Sam doesn’t seem to have any such restraint. “What good are you, then?!” She exclaims, loudly. Marinette feels a bit like a deer caught in headlights. What? “I’ve been parading around with you all semester and you’ve never even tried to help me out! Not once have I been invited to see Jagged Stone – you didn’t even think to introduce us when he came here a few weeks ago! No, you go with Jon. And now I find out that you won’t even help me out with him because you stole him?! How selfish can you get?!”

Selfish?

“God, I’ve wasted so much time with you! I should have figured out a long time ago that you only care about yourself!”

“Sam!” Kasey protests weakly. “Sam, I don’t think-”

“Shut up! We’re done with this girl. She’s not going to give us anything, so we’re done giving her the time of day.”

“Sam! But- oh, Marinette, I- I’m-”

Marinette takes a deep breath. Peace. Justice. She reminds herself. Two of the Girod, Jon’s virtues. Marinette reminds herself to live in accordance with them, and with her promise. She sets aside her knitting and stands to face Sam.

Burning anger boils within her. Righteous fury, for daring to call her selfish. For yelling at her because Sam isn’t getting all the perks she thinks she’s owed after playing at friendship. Marinette learned this lesson in collège. People want things out of other people. She expected someone to try after her fame with Jagged. She just… thought she was safe with Sam. Admittedly, she doubted Sam at the beginning, but they’ve been friends for months now. Marinette didn’t suspect she’d play-act friendship for so long.

Clearly, she’s wrong. And that pisses her off. But she will not fight. She refuses to be drawn into a battle again. Not physically, not verbally. She takes a breath, takes a step back, and examines the situation. Slowly, carefully, steady and constant. Anger ripples through her, but Marinette does not let it rule her. It’s there, and she acknowledges it, but she won’t let it lash out.

“I understand if you’re hurt.” Marinette says, honestly. Marinette does not doubt that at least some part of Sam legitimately likes Jon. There’s a lot to like about Jon, after all, and there’s no obvious gain for her career aside from eye candy by taking an interest in him, so Marinette believes the interest is genuine. “Jon and I… it took us off guard, too. I understand that you might be angry with me, since you’ve liked him for a while.”

White-hot rage seethes behind Sam’s cold eyes. Marinette dismisses it outright, as if it’s just a fly. Sam is no threat to her. Sam is unsteady, angry. Marinette is calm. “So, I’ll forgive what you say today. But if you really are only my friend for an introduction to Jagged, or anyone else that I know, then I’ll tell you right now that you’re not getting it. If that’s the only reason you’re here, go ahead and leave. If you really do want to be friends, though, I’d be happy to talk more when you’ve calmed down.”

“You self-righteous bitch!” Sam growls. “Now you’re talking down to me? To me? You’re lucky I even hung around you!”

Marinette sighs heavily. Yet you’re the one that wants something from me. So lucky. She’s no hero. It’s not her job to make the bad people good. If Sam is as rotten as she’s acting right now, then Marinette is within her rights to cut her out entirely. Even so, Marinette decides to leave that chance open to her. If Sam really does want to be friends, the door is open when she decides she wants it.

It’s disappointing, but Marinette is at a place close enough to peace to put it behind her. It’s upsetting that Sam isn’t who she thought she is, and Marinette certainly doesn’t appreciate being yelled at or taken advantage of, but in the end it doesn’t matter. Sam isn’t winning – she’s only hurting herself this way – so justice is satisfied. And stepping away is the most peaceful resolution to this that Marinette sees right now. So, she does.

“Let me know if you change your mind.” Marinette says calmly. She collects her knitting supplies and begins her walk home.

“Marinette! Wait!” Marinette stops for a moment for Kasey to run up to her. Louise is dragging Sam away. “I’m so sorry about her! I swear, Louise and I had no idea she’d do that! And- and I promise I really do love being your friend! I’m not just here for your connections, and I…” Kasey bites her lip and trembles a little, like it’s painful to say, and her next words are nearly venomous – certainly the most biting Marinette has ever heard Kasey be. “What Sam said is seriously messed up! I just- I want you to know that Louise and I have no part in that. I promise!”

Marinette smiles at her and puts a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay! That was… that was…”

“It’s okay, Kasey. It wasn’t your fault.” Marinette shrugs. “I’ve heard worse. Sam’s upset. That’s understandable. I don’t know if she was just trying to hurt me, or if she was being honest, but it’s not worth fighting over.”

“I- I just- I’m so sorry for her.”

Marinette sighs and pulls Kasey into a hug. “It’s okay. You’re not her. You don’t need to apologize for what she does. And we’re still friends, right?”

Kasey beams brilliantly. “Definitely! For sure! If… if that’s the kind of girl Sam is, then I’d rather be friends with you any day. Louise feels the same, I know, she’s just trying to… control Sam right now.”

Marinette smiles. “Cheer up. Give Sam time to calm down. And no matter what happens with her, that doesn’t affect us.”

Marinette is thrown back by Kasey hugging her. “Thank you thank you thank you! You’re the best, Marinette! I’m so glad you’re my friend!”

Marinette pats her back gently. “Me too. And we should both get back to studying, anyway, don’t you think?”

——-=——-

Tag List: @moonystars14 @pawsitivelymiraculous @magic-miraculous @vixen-uchiha @buticaaba @bigpicklebananatree @lozzybowe @moonlightstar64 @amayakans @theatreandcomicfreak @toodaloo-kangaroo @too0bsessedformyowngood @justcourttee​ <3

[moonlightsolo]

bête noire

summary: It’s time to get your own lightsaber. Rey thinks you’re ready but you’re not so sure. You’re still thinking about letting Kylo Ren secretly visit you on the new base but you don’t know if you should trust him. While searching for your kyber crystal, you run into some trouble...

pairing: kylo ren x female reader

warnings: LIES, ACTION, DRAMA!!!!

wc: 4k

note: hi i hope u like this. i pulled some of the lightsaber stuff out of my ass so if it isn't accurate don’t come for me thx. ps: doesn't he look FIIIIINE as hell in this gif? damn, i’d climb him like a tree.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Sweat drips down your forehead as your hands fumble over the metal pieces in front of you. One hand is holding a tool to connect them, the other is steadying the pieces so they don’t roll away.

“Rey, am I doing this right?” You sigh, the sun is beating down on your back. Rey peeks at your work then looks at the book with the instructions written on the pages.

“It looks right to me.” She shrugs and continues working on the droid sitting in front of her.

Constructing a Lightsaber seems much easier than it actually is.

Rey doesn’t want to make her own lightsaber yet since she doesn’t feel ready. Although she thinks you’re ready, which is a bit confusing since you’re not as skilled as her.

You connect all the pieces until you get to where the crystal goes. You leave some pieces unassembled so you can gently slip the kyber crystal inside the power cell. It will either successfully turn on or explode if you did the hardwiring incorrectly.

“So we’re going tonight to get a crystal right?” You ask as you gently put the piece away in your bag.

“Yeah, there used to be a Jedi on a planet called Ilum. There was a cave full of them before it was turned into the Death Star. We’ll have to search for one. Remember, the Force will guide you to your crystal. You’ll feel it.” She smiles and notices you packing up, “You done for the day?” She asks and lays her tools down.

The droid in front of her beeps manically, “Calm down. I’m almost done fixing you up anyways.”

You laugh at their conversation, “Yeah. I’m gonna get cleaned up and ready for tonight. Spend time with my munchkins and read.” You tap the cover of the large Jedi book.

“Sounds great. See ya.” She smiles and leans into a hug which you gladly return quickly. You grab ahold of the book and hold it close to your chest, the bag hangs off your shoulder. With every step back towards the base, metal clangs together.

Everything goes silent, you sigh when you realize who it is. “Are you still thinking about it?” His deep voices ask behind you.

You continue down the path, not turning your head. “Yes. I’m still thinking about it, Kylo. You know, it’s a big decision. I could give you my coordinates and you might just send troops here instead.” You grumble.

“Or you could trust that I wouldn’t and allow me to come to see you and meet our children.” His voice drops.

Those words made your heart drop and you felt a rush of sadness overcome you. “I know, I know. Just... give me till tomorrow. I’ll have an answer for you.” You stop in your tracks to turn around and he’s gone.

You sigh loudly, your head falls back to look into the sky but you can barely see it through the trees. “Why does he have to be so complicated.” You groan, taking a moment to breathe and calm yourself before continuing back towards the base.

When you emerge from the trees, some people passing by a glance at you then continue whatever they’re doing. You walk towards the cave then someone taps you on your back. You expect it to be Kylo, your shoulders drop and you turn around ready to scold him but it’s Poe.

“Don’t look so excited to see me.” He laughs and pulls you into a hug. You laugh and close your eyes as you let out a relieved sigh. “I’m actually really glad it was you. I thought it was gonna be someone else.” You mumble into his shirt.

You haven’t seen him in a few days because Leia sent him on a mission for supplies. “Someone else? Rey gettin’ on your nerves today?” He says jokingly and pulls away to look down at you.

“Nah, it’s not Rey today.” You giggle, keeping an arm around his waist as you start to walk towards the base again. “How long have you been back?” You ask, glancing up at him for a moment. “Just a few hours. I haven’t seen Rey either. Was she with you in your spot?” He asks.

“Yeah, she is there. She’s working on a droid.” You sigh as you get close to the command center. “Come to my room tonight. I missed you.” He lands a soft kiss on your forehead then walks over to Leia. He doesn’t know that you’re not going to be here tonight.

You walk away from them, going into the ship to your room. You drop the bag onto the bed, smiling at them in their little baskets. Soon, they’re gonna outgrow them, they can almost sit up by themselves too!

“Let’s take you guys outside today.” You glance at the droid for help. You pick up Ellie, balancing her small body on your hip as you put the book in your other arm so you can read. The droid grabs a blanket so they don’t lay directly on the itchy grass.

You waddle past the command center and out of the cave and towards the little trail that leads to the landing pad. There’s a small patch of grass shaded by the canopy of trees. The droid lays out the large blanket so you could sit on it with the kiddos.

You lay Ellie down on the fabric and the book too. The droid lays Anakin next to his sister and they coo at each other which makes you smile. Ellie rolls over onto her belly, holding her head up as she looks around.

You open the book to the marked page, looking over the words that talk about the crystals and how to handle lightsabers correctly. You keep your eyes on both the book and the kids. The droid keeps Ani entertained by dangling a homemade rattle above his head. He smiles and reaches out for it.

Sometimes you can’t believe that you had twins. It feels like it happened just yesterday but they’ve grown up so much already.

The wind blows your hair and you take a deep breath of fresh air through your nose. You take in the sounds around you; — the rumbling of ships engines and the sounds of leaves rustling above you. It’s so refreshing.

Ellie’s head plops face down against the blanket which makes you chuckle but, of course, you turn her back over so she wasn’t face down. “There ya go, girly.” You soothingly scratch her belly over her clothing.

You get fully immersed in your reading, still taking care of the twins at the same time. You pick your head up and notice the sky turning beautiful bright shades as it grows darker outside, how much time has gone by already?

You mark the page you made it to and close the book. You scoop up Ellie and the book, the droid does the same with Ani and the blanket.

You make your way back to your room, smiling at Poe then disappearing in the ship. You change both of the baby's diapers and put them into pajamas, making sure to feed them as well.

You’ve gotten a hang of feeding them at the same time. You cradle one of them in your arm while the other lays on your legs. They both slowly start to fall asleep on you so you put them both into their little cradles.

“You got them tonight right?” You whisper to the droid who’s folding clean baby clothes. “Yes, I’ll make sure to care for them.” She says in her robotic voice.

“Thank you.” You smile as you slip the book into the bag with your saber supplies. You begin to change into an outfit Rey gave you. It consists of tight black pants, a form-fitted dark gray tunic undershirt, a hooded cloak, and arm warmers. You slip yourself into the new outfit and your worn boots, securing the front pieces of your hair back so they’ll stop dangling in your face.

You have a pack full of things to take on the mission, like extra clothes and materials.

You sling the pack onto your back and your saber bag your shoulder while your staff hangs off your other shoulder. You look back at your sleeping babies, watching their little bellies rise and fall as they breathe. “Thanks again.” You say to the droid before leaving the room.

In the cave, you can see Rey’s little area is lit up and so is the command center. You walk towards Rey’s area but someone grabs your arm and pulls you into a dark spot in the cave. Your eyes go wide, ready to fight but you realize it’s Poe. You push yourself away from him, “What are you doing?!” You whisper-yell at him.

“I was just about to come to see you. I thought you were gonna come to me tonight.” He sounds a little disappointed. Your head drops, “I’m sorry. I forgot. Rey and I... we need to uh... practice... like a train... tonight.” You stutter over your words as you try to come up with a lie.

Leia told you to keep it between Rey and her that you were getting a lightsaber. She knows that Poe would be upset that you and she are going on a mission by yourselves. He would argue that Chewy at least has to go if he couldn’t tag along.

“Wow... You’re a terrible liar.” He laughs, shaking his head. “You’re in this fancy outfit and you’re carrying a lot of stuff. Where are you guys going?” He questions which makes you sweat.

You can see Rey making her way over to you two. Thank the stars.

“Ask her.” You blurt out when she gets closer, “Ask me what?” One of her eyebrows raises slightly.

“What are you guys doing? Why is she carrying all this... stuff?” Poe looks over the bags you’re holding.

“Well, honestly, we’re leaving.” Rey says nonchalantly, “But we’ll be back. It’s important we do this together and alone.” She enunciates the last word to make it clear to him.

“Leaving?! Alone?! Why didn’t Leia say anything to me about this?” He throws his hands up, “I’m coming with you guys. What if you get found by the First Order?”

“I’m pretty sure we can handle ourselves, Poe. Plus, it’s classified. That’s why Leia didn’t say anything.” Rey puts her hands on her hips. You can tell she’s already getting annoyed by him. He looks at you and back at her.

“What about Chewy? Can’t he go with you? He’s just a Wookiee.” His face is furrowed in frustration. You knew he’d ask that.

“Poe, we’ll be fine. I promise. It’s just a quick jump and then we’ll be back. We won’t run into any trouble.” You look at him reassuringly. You can feel the anxiety radiating off of his body, he’s nervous.

His shoulders drop when he realizes you nor Rey won’t budge. “Fine. Transmit to me whenever you get there and leave. I need to make sure you guys are okay.” He grabs your hand to pull you into an awkward hug since there’s too much stuff on your body. He gives Rey a quick hug too then she walks away to collect her things.

“Whenever you get back, we can just do what we had planned then.” He smiles at you and you return one back. “Sounds like a plan.” You mumble. He looks down at his blaster then pulls it out of his holster, “Take it. I want to make sure you’re safe. I know you both have your powers or whatever but just an extra layer of protection. And... It’ll keep me sane.” He leans forward, catching your lips with his.

Your hands instantly go to his face, running your fingers over his scruff as you kiss him gently. “I’ll be back. Don’t worry.” You breathe out into the kiss. It’s obvious you’ve gotten much closer to Poe in the last week or so. Your hand slips his blaster into the holster on your belt as you pull away. 

“Let’s go.” Rey almost laughs at you and Poe. You smile at Poe once more before turning around to follow Rey to the landing pad.

She opens the entrance of the Falcon, you both climb into the ship. She closes the ramp then puts all her supplies in a cabinet so it wouldn’t roll around while she flies. “You can put yours in here with mine.” She opens it back up for you so you can slip your staff and your two bags into the cabinet.

Excitement floods your veins when you realize you’ll have your own saber soon. It’s a big responsibility but you trained and worked so hard for this moment.

You lock up the cabinet then join Rey in the cockpit. You buckle in, flipping on some buttons she orders you to touch. “That one.” Your hands hover over the button you think she’s pointing at, “No, that one. The blue one. Yes. That’s the one.” You laugh and press the button.

Rey begins to lift the ship up into the air, moving above the large expanse of trees. It’s just forest for miles and miles. Her hand moves on the power lever, making the ship move forward quickly towards space.

“Ready?” She looks at you and smiles. You nod as you look out the window, she hits some buttons then the ship jolts and goes into hyperspace.

You can never get used to the view of the blue colors swirling together. It’s so fascinating.

“We’ll be on Tatooine soon. It’s not too far. Hopefully, we can find a crystal there.” The mention of Tatooine makes you feel hot and itchy. Ugh, the sand and the heat. So gross.

You take your cloak off your shoulders to hang on the back of the co-pilots seat you’re sitting in. “I hope so too. I don’t want to be there too long.”

-

Rey gathers her things after she lands the ship successfully, “So, we’re gonna go through the town which will hopefully keep us away from the Tusken Raiders.” She moves her hands quickly to swing her backpack over her shoulders.

You grab your staff, stuffing the bag with your saber materials inside into your own backpack. Only so you didn’t have to carry so much.

“Tusken Raiders?” Your eyes go wide at the sound of them. Hopefully, you don’t run into them before you get your saber.

“Yep. They’re indigenous to Tatooine and quite hostile to everyone else.” She clips Luke’s saber onto her belt. “Ready?” She asks with a confident smile.

“Ready than ever.”

Rey and you trek along the sandy hills, making your way to the town in the distance. Your eyes dart around, seeing a dome-like run-down hut that’s quite far from the town. There’s energy pulling you towards it. “That was Luke’s home when he was a child. The Lars family cared for him when he was separated from his mother at birth.” Rey cures your curiosity thankfully.

When you get closer, you start to grow nervous. The town seems like it’s abandoned. You notice that there are still some species and people are living here but they’re elderly or scavengers.

Rey motions with her hand to keep following her through the maze of the town. When you turn a corner, you instantly notice the small cut-de-sac of residential huts. It feels like you’ve been here before but you don’t understand how.

“Oh my god.” You gasp out loud, you stop in your tracks. Rey turns around, her face furrows in confusion. “What?” She looks around.

“My vision. When I saw Anakin, I was here.” Your brain begins to retrace your steps, your feet bring you to each memory. Where you appeared on the ground, he helped you up and brought you into his hut. You duck as you go inside, your face falls when you see the shape it’s in.

It seems like someone or something has gone through the place like a tornado. The furniture is broken, glass crunches under your boots as you move about the small space.

Rey follows your steps as you look around and pick things up from the ground. The Force is telling you to keep searching but you don’t know what for. Rey doesn’t say a word, she just follows you quietly like a mouse.

“Rey. There’s something here. I can feel it. It’s making me itch. I need to find it.” You groan loudly as you start to frantically go through everything. You walk back into the kitchen area, looking at the table you sat at with him. Your hands grip the wood as you lift the broken table up from the ground. There’s nothing. Just more rubble.

You grumble under your breath as you continue to search until the ground under your foot creaks. You pick your head up to look back at Rey. You drop to your knees to brush the mess off of the ground, seeing that there’s a wooden slab in the ground.

You lift it up slowly to see a hole and sitting inside is a small chest. Your fingers tingle as you make contact with it to pull it out. You set it to the side then you cover the hole up again with the wood.

The small chest has Sith and Jedi language inscribed into the wood.

“Open it. What are you waiting for?” Rey bends down next to you, her head peeking forward to look at the wooden box as you lift up the latch to open it.

There’s a tiny drawstring bag inside, some sand made its way into the box too. You gently pick it up, opening it to dump the contents into your hand. A crystal falls out into your hand, it makes you lose your breath.

Gentle whispers of Anakin's voice replay in your head, he came to you with good intent. To show you that you can begin to go down your own path. You had to start where he started.

You bring it closer to your face to admire the beauty of it. It’s opaque, not colored like you thought it would be. This is your stone. “Rey, this is it.”

Your eyes take in the look on her face, it’s not good. She seems angry but also scared. “I don’t know if it is. I know I said you’ll feel it but a stone from Darth Vader? There’s Sith writing on the outside of the box.” She stands to her feet quickly, “Why would the Force lead us to here?” She sighs out of frustration.

“There’s also Jedi writing too. I think it’s telling me to accept the dark side but also stay bonded with the light too. I need to be balanced, Rey...” You keep the crystal tight in your fist so you wouldn’t drop it when you stand up. The crystal warms up against your skin as it bonds with you through the Force.

She still doesn’t buy it, she’s worried. “You always knew that I couldn’t stay with one side. I need to be balanced between both. I mean, for crying out loud, I had children with Kylo Ren. And they’re going to be balanced too because they have me to guide them and him too.” Her face softens slightly at the mention of Ani and Ellie.

“It does make sense. I just don’t want you to go down the wrong path again.” She breathes out and before you can answer she continues, “Let’s put it in your saber to see if it works.”

You nod and begin clearing off a crate so you could lay your things on a flat surface. You open the book so you could follow the instructions. You take your tool to open up a few places.

It’s important not to accidentally invert the emitter matrix if you did the power grid would backfire and blow up. You connect the crystal to the activator that sits inside of the hilt. You gently screw on the last plate needed to finish the saber.

Your fingers run over the button that activates the hilt, thankfully only Force-sensitives are able to activate it. It will help out when the twins are old enough to grab things.

“You ready?” You ask Rey. She’s just as nervous as you but she nods and moves back a little bit.

Your arm extends far away from your body, just in case if it would blow up your arm would be the only thing missing.

Your eyes squeeze shut and you tense up as you click the saber on. The loud vibration sounds and buzzes in your ears. You can see a bright light from behind your eyelids.

Rey says your name, “Open your eyes...” Her voice is quiet and timid. You slowly peek, opening one eye first then both when you see the bright glow coming from the saber.

“What does that even mean?!” You exclaim loudly when you see the odd color shining in front of you.

It’s orange but it’s dark orange. It’s not like anything you’ve ever seen.

Kylo’s is red because of his dark personality but why would yours become orange? 

A loud explosion echoes from outside the hut. “I’ll go see what's going on.” She stands up from being next to you and walks outside.

Your eyes follow her movements, seeing her peek her head through the doorway then run back to you frantically. “We need to go now.” Her voice is stern as she grabs her belongings.

With a click of a button your lightsaber extinguishes, you scramble to your feet and put your things back into your bag. You hook your saber onto your belt on the opposite side of Poe’s blaster.

Rey and you walk out into the circle of huts, there’s a thick black smoke cloud coming from the center of the town. Then that’s when you hear the screech of a tie fighter fly above you. “Run!” You yelp and grab Rey’s hand to lunge forward as it shoots a blast. The hut behind you explodes, sand flies everywhere like a blanket that washes over your bodies.

All you can feel is sand. Your mouth is full of sand, your skin and clothes are covered in it too. Your ears are ringing from the blast being so close. You swear you’re going to lose hearing from this happening so much.

How are you and Rey going to get out of this mess? You refuse to be captured by the First Order again. It’ll be worse this time around. You know Kylo wouldn’t go easy on Rey either.

You feel Rey reach out blindly in the cloud of sand to grab your hand, you hold onto her tightly. You can still hear the fighters circling around in the air. Rey’s voice is muffled by the ringing in your ears, “We need to get out of here!” She screams.

Yes, she’s right. You really do.

tags: @officiallpeterparker @funnysadshit @ymariejp @attorneyl @fangirl570 @trinityrud20 @kylos-sassy-cousin @delicatelyherdreams @fizzywoohoo @savvy7392 @angelias134 @that-girl-named-alex @cas-backwards-tie @glimmering-darling-dolly @glitterypinkkitty @blxkstar @his-snow-white-queen @elsasshole @smiithys @nanocoool @deathbyarabbit @alex-skr @theholycakehole  @averillian  @crazynocturnalkiki @arcanebabe @tinydancer40 @superduckypower  @thomasscresswell @butterfly-writes @thatintrovertedbisexual @fangirlanotherjust @somekindofroger  @nicci442 @little-girl-who-dream-too-much​ @wildest-dream- @silverlambcaptain​ @cliffordmess​ @xkylorxn​ @lowkeyofsassguard @nickangel13​ @carol-twinklefists-danvers​ @oopsiedoopsie23​ @fandomshit6000​ @baba-eina @cosmichellfire​ @ravngers​

[gwasgy]

Okay. So. Here’s an elaborate multiple days of brainstorming ideas as they come PracticalMagicnatural AU nonsense. Thank you.

- Bobby and Rufus would be the Aunts and they'd be bffs not siblings and would have Vibes but it would be... hm. This is not a Bufus story is what I'm saying.

- the Curse would be on the men and for the women they love of course (classic fridging :/)

- this works for Bobby, (Rufus,) John, and Sam. (Supernatural is bad)

- so this is where it's kind of. Hm. Bc Sally and Gillian are not one to one for either boy. Where Sally and Gillian BOTH have identities separating family and magic (family business), these ideas are inseparable for the brothers.

- alsooo dean and sam to BE dean and sam they would've had to be "raised" by john until they were at least near-grown, even if they had a home base at Bobby's house.

- John still kills himself with grief MAYBE but it's like /later/ and more through self destruction and revenge and alcoholism, leaving the boys to live their later teenage/early twenties in the Bufus household

- Azazel is the one killing all the Wives in this curse. And if they use The Resurrection Spell to bring them back, he is possessing them

- hmmmmmmmmm they need to still be hunters I think buuut what if. They also did witchcraft.

- Dean would cast the love summoning spell, making it so that he uses angel descriptors unwittingly or on purpose because he doesnt think angels are real and therefore cannot exist for him to fall in love with and kill (bc the curse)

- it would be fun and very cringe fail embarrassing for Dean if sometimes he thought about His Angel and accidentally occasionally prayed to Cas

- Anna could show up and be Dean's red herring

- Dean could be in an About to Die situation and think, as a joke or whatever, "fuck. I never even got to meet that hot angel chick that's in love with me," and Cas shows up (with wings bc hot), saves him, *handprints*, then leaves

- OR. There's a blinding light and screeching noise and Dean blacks out and wakes up with a handprint safe and sound

- Cas and The Guy From Practical Magic That's A Cop both bend the rules of their superiors for their person easily and pliantly. except for the initial pushback. Hm.

----

- it's weird bc in practical magic there's this whole vibe of I'm Done With Magic And You're Dragging Me Back Into This And Ruining My Life but sammy had gone away and rejected The Life THEN found the woman he loves and THEN tried to resurrect her mayyybeeeee wait wait wait it wouldn’t be Jess bc she isn’t evilll...

- DEAN would be the one with a bad boyfriend that they accidentally kill and have to resurrect... hmmmmm

- maybe it's like a Boy Best Friend of dean's like maybe he is on a hunt with Benny and he accidentally chops his damn head off and tries to resurrect him to cover it up

- and that fucks up something in the afterlife and Cas is sent to Fix The Problem of whatever the fuck happened to this guy's soul when they did this

----

- it's wonderful to think of the PTA mom shenanigans Dean and Sam could get into but I don't think that Dean would have any sort of kid in this besides maybe jack?

- I mean, it could be that Ben is still around and he was with Lisa but never Loved Her on principal, and left in time so the curse didn't fuck her up, but they're still friends and he will still pick Ben up from school sometimes

- I don't see how the phone tree could work into it but I don't think that it's necessary bc sam and dean and cas's version of this story does not and can not revolve around them being outsiders in their own community but overcoming it and accepting who you are and integrating into the community through girl power and witch magic

- BUT. the potential of sammy being possessed is yeah. It’s extremely. Yeah.

- They could have a nice bonding moment of I'm never gonna leave you you can do this like from Swan Song. Like Sally joining Gilly in the broom circle to help her while she’s being exorcised

- their brotherly bond is NOTHING like Sally and Gillian's, though. Like YES. they would no doubt help bury the body, but they aren't giggling about their love life under the covers together. They simply are not that type of girl

- also I guess there wouldn't be the tension of You're Ruining My Life That I've Constructed Just By Being Here between them.

- WELL.

- Dean WOULD say something shitty about cleaning up Sam's messes though. He is just that type of guy

----

- Dean can definitely be the one chopping and hacking at the rose bush and cas would DEFINITELY get distracted and heal him in the middle of his conversation with him

- Dean oh dean he and his close Boy Best Friends could totally fuck with the curse. Like-

- Dean: Oh my good friend Benny he’s the first person ive really allowed myself to get attatched to in a while but that’s fine! he can't die because i don't love or like him like that because he's a guy! Haha, I'm not gay! We are just guys being dudes just two bros hanging out :)

Benny: *dies anyway*

Dean: FUCK

- Sammy would totally make that new age witchy herbal shop that Sally had! that would be so fun. Also ft. periphery what the fuck is up with those people type locals

- maybe Rowena shows up still and Crowley is also there hmmmmm and Rowena teaches Sam magic stuff and it gets him to make the supernatural a part of his life again without having to do any hunting hmmmmmmm or it's just another tool in his arsenal and he just always deserves to have magic powers

- the supernatural ladies could work in the shop :) like Meg and Rowena and Ruby anndddd Alya :) Ava? The psychic hunger games MVP girl

- or all the kids work at that shop!! I miss those dang kids. Max, the twins, death lesbian, Jake, electric guy, and all them :)

- Rowena is like a witchy shop owner up in town that buys Sam's wares to sell in the city #CareerWoman #GirlBoss

- Jody and Donna can also hang out I guess. Since we're at Bobby's place

----

- Dean casts the love summoning spell after either Regular Heartbreak with Cassie, his first love, when he was 15 or whatever, OR after the behated Boy Best Friend death. Hmmmmmm

- it makes more sense for the story for dean to have someone die on him and apply to the curse. But I don't wanna kill Benny ):

- well I don't think he was ever In Love with Crowley or Benny like he was with Cassie (or even Lisa)

- when he was 15 or 14 and John was still around but had left him at the Bufus household he got hold of that love summoning spell and made sure it was impossible so he would never experience heartache again. He does so while crying teenagishly and 11 year old sam is like. Why the fuck are you summoning this weird monster girl to fall in love with you

- and Dean is like no no this kind of monster doesn't exist. Anyway they'd have glowing blue eyes and they're as big as a building and and they hear me whenever I call no matter far away

- Sam: that...... sounds like an angel, dean.

Dean, having already done the spell: WHAT. NO. NO IT'S NOT IT IS SO NOT LIKE AN ANGEL. ANGELS AREN'T REAL

- Cas in Heaven, a bunch of flower petals swirling around him: what the fuck is that. That's weird

- Cas like 13 years later when he sees a cajun zombie vampire demon: okay I'm already getting weird prayers from some guy down there I'm just gonna check that out

- by the time Cas gets down there they've killed it again and buried it and hmm

- It's weird because it's the opposite of Practical Magic here bc Cas is the one that needs to be believed about something supernatural BY dean

----

- what if they accidentally kill JOHN instead of a hot bf. Dean kills John bc John tries to kill Sam, and they panickedly try to resurrect him immediately

- yeah yeah yeah yeah and John, possessed by Azazel, gets killed again while still being possessed and is buried underground. There can still be a rose bush and frogs and whatnot

- I doon't know why Bobby and Rufus would just leave the brothers in their house if John was alive until then?

- Alright John's been missing for like 5 years and the boys have just been living there and assumed he's dead. Then he comes for Sammy bc Sam is Turning Evil or whatever and John's a huge loser about it

- so Bufus is like "you guys are acting insane and you aren't telling us what's wrong so we’re just going to leave and you're going to sort it out yourself." Like the aunts

- then, when cas shows up to track down the weird resurrected demon-possessed serial killer abomination Dean and Cas are EMBARRASSING like completely totally absolutely embarrassing cringe fail love where they can't talk normal with eachother and Cas keeps getting too close and staring but Dean forgets to tell him to back off or anything and he just stammers uselessly through thin dumb lies

- there aren't any children there to comically thwart Sam's plans to get rid of Castiel as he is investigating Dean and Sam but it could end similarly

- where Cas finds Sam making a small angel banishing symbol and is like "okay. You guys aren't to be trusted and you're doing something evil (and i don't understand what’s happening to me when i’m around Dean). I'm just straight up going to leave then" and boom he's gone

- the fight Sally and Gillian have right before Gillian gets possessed can play out pretty damn similarly with Sam and Dean, but it's a LOT different too

- like it's their DAD not some random serial killer bf. You can't choose your dingdang dad! So the part of "I cant keep cleaning up your messes" WHOSE MESSES who even says that to who whose mess could this even be

----

- Sam has a girlfriend that dies from the curse and it’s bc of being caught in the crossfire when Hunter Bullshit Happens. The Women of the Winchesters’ way. So he moves back specifically to get back into hunting and witchcraft to BREAK the curse hmmmmm.

- Much like Sally with Michael’s death. “I don't care what he comes back as. As long he comes back. Please do this for me. Please? Please? Please? Please?” :(

- I think Dean is an Of Course I’m Not Going To Fall In Love kinda character, like younger Sally before Michael. very pessimistic very self depreciating. He only confides his deepest darkest desires (to be loved simply and openly without fear of the Curse taking anyone. To be held and to take care of someone who will appreciate it) in his fakey fake pretend prayers to his imaginary angel (this turns out to be very cringe fail embarrassing when Cas shows up)

- Cas holds onto these prayers like Hallet (the cop from movie) does with Sally’s letter to Gillian, not knowing or understanding why he’s so fixated on them and why he can’t stop reading them/playing them back/listening in

- John… maybe he was pulling a Gordon and was killing all the psychic kids and was eventually going to have to kill Sam, and Cas was for some reason Put On The Case as an angel or was Allowed to Interfere or whatever bc it was fudging up God’s Plan

- and that’s how Cas justified being so fixated and taking notes on Dean’s prayers, like Hallet did with the letter. It was a good lead. It was about their father, and Sam seemed to be having psychic tendencies or whatever that could turn dangerous

----

- Okay okayokayokay so Sally and Gillian’s story is them escaping the ostracization they feel from the people in their physical regional community. The Owen’s family has always been outsiders, even before the curse came into being. They are persecuted for being witches (and sleeping around and being sexy).

- the sisters try to escape this either by just LEAVING: going to a place they can be themself without shame, or assimilating and abandoning a part of themself so that they can stay.

- the Winchester brothers are, I guess, ostracized by the hunting community because they are kept away from it and moved around a lot in the show. Okay okay okay okay okaywaitwaitwait

- Okay so the Winchesters feel alienated from both civilians and the hunting community, and they both eventually choose to do similar things to Sally and Gilly..! Sam LEAVES and assimilates, while Dean stays and just accepts his role his father gave him.

- Gilly and Sam LEAVE, while Dean and Sally STAY. Gillian and Dean embrace what makes them Different, while Sally and Sam reject it in favor of Being Normal

- The witchcraft/hunting thing especially doesn’t mesh well here though because Hunting is KILLING it’s literally murdering sentient beings. It’s war propaganda it’s desensitizing you to Even Though The Enemy Is Capable Of Good Individually They Are, As A Group, Evil And Should Be Slaughtered.

- Witchcraft in Practical Magic is just… a way of life that’s considered outside the accepted norms of society. It’s being openly queer, it’s being from a different country of origin, it’s being non-christian religious in a small town. Accepting witchcraft doesn’t have any moral good or badness, it’s just with or without the consequences of being “out” in your area. While accepting Hunting as a lifestyle is to accept putting yourself in bodily danger doing morally ambiguous/BAD things to protect people you can’t relate to or find a community in. Hmmmmmmmmmm

----

- Sam and Sally both have natural talents/instincts but don't want to use it in favor of being "normal"

-

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Welp, 22/7 episode 12 aired. And it was exactly what I expected while also being not at all what I expected.

So the Wall speaks specifically so it can give us some exposition dump about the nature of the 22/7 plan. More specifically it tells the girls that it did everything it did just to observe some idols and how they’re perceived as objects of worship and shit, and that it has the results it needs so that’s why it made them disband, and now it can move on to the next phase. And then it tells them that it’s pure coincidence who ended up being picked and it was all random, etc. So it seems like the Wall was evil after all.

Right?

So Nicole begs to stay as a group, Wall says no, then Miu hits it with a fucking chair, recaps each girl’s episode again which is getting fucking tiring at this point, states how much they’ve grown as a group because of it, which is blatantly bullshit since you’ve just been showing us flashbacks the entire show, and then everyone gangs up on the Wall and they break it, bust through, see that it’s full of photos of them from their childhood so now they know they weren’t randomly picked, and they can walk up a set of stairs and give a performance because hey the Wall actually spit out orders to Gouda to have this final performance happen and the girls have to come but also don’t force them. So in essence the Wall played the role of the villain in this one specific scene for this one specific purpose, meaning that, as I and I know many others predicted, 22/7 were given the opportunity to overcome the Wall and continue as an idol group on their own accord.

If you’ve been keeping up with my thoughts on the show, you’re probably not surprised to here me say this, but I don’t think that worked one bit. Because at the end of the day, if everything’s illustrated by the Wall, and they even had the photos of the girls from their childhoods in the room to clue them in that the Wall was just playing a part, then the girls didn’t actually do anything to overcome the Wall - to earn this moment of victory.

Fuck the Wall.

I cannot think of any plot device in any anime, no, piece of fiction I hate this fucking much. 22/7 hasn’t been great anyway so even without the Wall it wouldn’t make the show necessarily good, but having the Wall drags the show down so fucking far that it’s unbelievable. If we get any follow-up that just doesn’t have the Wall anymore then thank god they can act independently but then they’ve still got the most contrived bullshit plot device garbage ass fucking shit ass backstory in the world. Fuck the Wall, once more.

And to rub it in real hard...

Yeah that’s right! The Wall, after being smashed to fucking bits, still has the fucking gall to demand that the remaining 3 members join.

And they’re here and they’re cute. But fuck the Wall for not even dying and letting me be happy with that.

Honestly I couldn’t even be satisfied with the girls beating it up just because of how contrived and bullshit the whole scheme was, plus much as I love Miu and it’s nice seeing her get to smash it with a chair the bullshit she spouts about how much 22/7 means to them as a team is so fake, talking big game about how everyone “always” acts in this way that’s so crucial to the group as whole, Jun is everyone’s little sister, Akane’s so happy after a live, fucking Ayaka loves 22/7 the most? God piss off you piece of shit script, you’ve earned none of this. Fucking none.

Anyway their live was also lame, they play Muzui, and playing the OP as the ED doesn’t really work if you played it as the OP in the same episode like normal. Plus it uses some footage from the OP and the lighting’s not nearly as stylish as Rikaisha was in the Akane episode so they didn’t even close with their best live.

Also, after their live, Miu gives us a cute smile, and we get

This shot, as if to say Miu remembers the backstory with Nicole now. Whatever.

And this shot, as if to convey that Nicole and Miu are the best of friends and the whole show’s about them and every other girl means nothing. Which isn’t even really false honestly but god do more, please?

But to at least end this post on a positive note, since despite its numerous hiccups I did enjoy 22/7, let’s go out the way we always have.

Shit tons of Miu photos.

She is adorable, and the saving grace of the show.

[artificialqueens]

Houroubing to Aruba, Chapter 1, (Branjie) - Blackhighheels

They are off to Aruba for their first vacation together

Belongs to the “For they know what they do now”- verse

Chapter 1 : Pepito

“You got everything? The presents, wallets, cellphone?” Brock asks and looks around the room, making sure they don’t forget anything important. They are in Orlando, their first quick stop on their way to Aruba, because Jose decided it would be a good idea to visit his grandmother and Alexis. Therefor instead of just changing planes, they stay for the night and then continue their flight tomorrow. Not that Brock minds, because he’s all for splitting up the close to 14 hour journey. It helps a lot with his nerves and anxiety.

“Yup, packed everything. You got the car key?"

Brock holds it up to show it to him. "Alright, then let’s go or we’ll be late.”

“Calm down, boo, it’s just a twenty minute drive from here and also it’s just my grandma. She knows I’m always late.” Jose tells him and closes the door of their hotel room behind him, follows him to the elevator.

“Really just twenty minutes? I thought it’d be farther.” Isn’t it also another town, he wonders.

“Nope, we gonna go south on Jeff Fuqua Blvd, which becomes Access Road and then stay on and we’re basically there.”

“It’s kind of weird that you suddenly know your way around and can even name the streets. Usually you need navigation to find the Starbucks around the corner from our house,” Brock teases him.

“Bitch, I grew up around here,” Jose turns around in the elevator, facing him and taking his eyes off the mirror for once. “And I find the Starbucks without navigation… now.” He admits with a chuckle. Brock makes use of the otherwise empty elevator and pulls Jose close by his suspenders for a quick kiss.

“You wanna drive?” he offers, which is unusual, because he hates being a passenger when Jose is driving in L.A, or anywhere for that matter. If Brock had the power, he would have already confiscated Jose’s driver’s license. It remains a mystery to him, how his boyfriend doesn’t get into car accidents on the regular, his driving erratic and sometimes even careless. The only reason he’s been without a driver’s license his several DUIs.

“Nah, you good. I’m just gonna pretend I’m Siri and tell you where to go. Maybe that could be a new business idea? Miss Vanjie navigations?”

Brock laughs. “Turn right… no the other right, bitches. Imma tell ya what to do now… and I look good doing it,” he tries to imitate Jose’s Vanjie voice and makes him laugh.

“You better not do Vanjie at Snatch game ever, boo. You suck! Oh, and it’s a toll street so we’ll need quarters. Dunno, if they accept credit cards now.” They get out of the elevator.

“I think I got some. Can you check?” Brock unlocks their rental car that they’ve reached by now. They both get in and buckle their seatbelts before Brock drives out of the garage while Jose digs through his backpack, looking for Brock’s wallet.

“Yup, should be fine.” He states when he has found it. “Your wallet weighs a ton. What have ya got in here?”

“Still got the tip money from the last gig,” Brock shrugs. “Left here, right?”

“Yeah, it’s a one way street, so you need to do a u-turn here,” Jose confirms after looking up for a second. Then he focusses back on Brock’s wallet and checks each compartment, takes the papers out and looks at the cards.

“What are you doing?”

“Snooping.” Jose admits it with a bratty smirk and isn’t ashamed at all. “Got something to hide? Better confess it now.”

“Not that I know of.” He knows that there’s nothing in there that he needs to hide. Not that hiding anything from his boyfriend is ever a good idea.

“You got a condom in there? No, wait, two? What’s next? Lube?"

"Of course, I got condoms in my wallet. Where else would I keep them?” It was kind of obvious. But then he remembered that his boyfriend stashed them wherever convenient, sometimes even his cellphone cover, under his hat or in his shoes- Brock wasn’t sure how save that really was. Yet, the easy access was the reason why Jose was in charge of these things.

“Where were they when we needed them that time in London, when everything was closed and we were desperate?”

“They were most likely already in there, but I was too drunk to think of it.” Brock tries to remember what happened back then, but the nights in London during their first tour together, are still kind of a blur.

“Child, I will remember from now on! Won’t happen again,” Jose huffs and puts his feet on the dashboard of the car, after he threw the wallet back in the backpack.

“Yeah, just one thing,” Brock grins and quickly looks at him before concentrating back on the traffic.

“What thing?”

“We stopped using condoms months ago?! You remember the testing and discussions?"

"Took us long enough to rid off these romance killers,” Jose rolls his eyes, but can’t hide the small smile.

“You think it took us long?” Brock asks curiously.

“Yeah, we’ve been back together eleven months and we stopped using them like what? Two months ago?”

“Bit more. I remember we discussed it right after your birthday and then got tested just to be sure. We didn’t bring any condoms on tour. November maybe? So more like four months.”

“Mmh.”

“How long did it usually take, until you stopped using protection with your ex boyfriends?”

“Never… like… No wait. With one I did, but then we broke up shortly afterwards. But the others were always cheating… or I thought they were cheating and then it turned out later I’d been right.”

“Oh, ok.”

“What? I won’t let any fuccboi gamble with my health. If I wanna fuck that up, I can do it on my own. Don’t need anyone tell me about love and trust and shit and then stick his dick somewhere without a cover.”

“You know I agree with you.” Brock points out. He’s never been one to skip protection the few times he actually had real sex with a random guy. And since he’d never had a boyfriend before Jo… and he still got tested regularly.

“I do. And I trust you, so no raincoat needed… well, other than for practical reasons.” The smirk is back on Jose’s face. “We can throw ‘em out?”

“We probably should anyway. I can’t remember when I put them in there. Better check the expiration date,” Brock laughs.

“Not like one of us can get pregnant, cause if we could… girl. We’d have grand-babies by now.”

“No, but if they rip, it kind of defeats the purpose, no matter which one we might have in mind.”

Jose wrinkles his forehead, then nods. “Turn right here on the 417 and the toll station should be right ahead.”

“Ok, papi,” Brock nods and does what he is told. “Can you hand me the quarters?”

***

They reach their destination fifteen minutes later, park the car and both get out. It’s a narrow street with small houses left and right and an apartment complex at the end of the cul-de-sac. Children’s toys seem to sit on nearly every free strip of lawn, along with grills, chairs and the odd dog on a chain. It’s obvious that it’s not a rich neighbourhood, but Brock doesn’t feel unsafe either.

“You grew up here?” Brock asks and looks around.

“Lived over there for a while,” Jose points in the general direction of a couple of houses. “But we moved a lot. Longest house we stayed in was on the other side of the lake. Five years, maybe?” He takes Brock’s hand in his and leads him down the street.

“Because of the divorce?”

“Divorce, break-ups, money or the wrong people around us. My mom didn’t want a repeat of what happened with her brother, so she tried to keep us out of trouble.”

“You know I’m glad my parents are finally divorced because they weren’t good for each other and everything, and are much happier now, but the whole moving thing is a reason why I’m glad they didn’t get divorced until we were all grown up.”

“Yeah, it sucked sometimes. Not always.”

“Any last warnings?” Brock asks then when they reach a small blue house. He is suddenly overcome by nervousness.

“Just do you, boo,” Jose smiles and they exchange a quick kiss before he knocks on the mesh screen door, because the main door is already open. “Abuela?” Jose yells.

“Come in, Pepito,” a female voice calls from the inside.

“Lita!” Jose exclaims when they walk inside and a tiny, dark haired women rushes towards them once they have crossed the small living-room and reach the kitchen.

“Pepito!  Cariño!” She squeezes him tightly and holds him, tears in her eyes. “It’s been so long”

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” he agrees, wipes his eyes and sniffs. “Grandma, this is Brock,” he introduces them. Before Brock can react he is pulled downwards and into a bear hug. The small elder woman has a lot more strength than he suspected.

“So nice to  finally meet you,” he tells her when she lets him go.

“Que hombre bonito,” she says to Jose, but Brock understands enough to blush.

“He not too bad,” Jose teases with a nonchalant shrug and winks at his man.

“Neither are you, Pepito,” Brock teases right back, because he hasn’t heard this nickname before, even though he spends a lot of time around Jose’s mother.

“Oh, stop. Only my abuela is allowed to call me that.” He turns back to his grandmother. “We brought you a little something something. The green one is from us and the pink one from mom.” He hands her the wrapped gifts that are still for Christmas.

“Thank you, mi corazon.” They both get kisses on the cheeks before she sets the gifts aside without opening them.  "You want something to drink before we leave?“ she asks the both of them.

"We leave? Where to?” Jose is as puzzled as Brock.

“The BBQ spot by the lake. The others will be here in a minute, food is done.”

“The others?” Jose doesn’t look too happy.

“Lita?” another male voice yells from the front door and then steps can be heard coming towards the kitchen where they are standing. Brock can feel Jose tense up even though they are not touching. He looks like he might run any second and shrinks into himself. “Oh, you already here,” the man says. He is about Jose’s height, maybe a bit taller with tan skin, dark short curls and Jose’s eyes. Tattoos cover his hands, arms and what can be seen of his chest and his neck. He is wearing Nike’s, grey baggy sweats and a white wife-beater. Two little girls are by his side.

“Yeah.” Jose just nods.

“Uncle Jose!” one of the girls storms towards Jo and jumps up to hug him. That’s when Brock finally understands that he’s just met Jose’s older brother.

“Vicky! You so tall now, girl! Look at that! You nearly as tall as Brock here,” Jose jokes as he holds his niece, her legs slung around his stomach. Her skin is a bit lighter than Jose’s, but the family resemblance is uncanny. Her dark curls are done in complicated braids on her head.

“Hi!” The girl smiles charmingly up at him, still in Jose’s arms and Brock smiles back. She’s really cute and Brock realises she has bright green eyes.

“Hi,” he replies and then turns to the man staring at him. “Hello, I’m Brock,” he holds out his hand. It takes a moment but then Jose’s brother shakes it.

“Hi, I’m D. Heard a lot about you, man. Mom sure can’t shut up about your house with the pool and all the other rich shit.”

“We just rent it.”

“Hey, Feli, do you remember me?” Jose puts his older niece back down on the ground and crouches down in front of the younger one, who seems to be about four or five. She looks a lot like her sister, but her eyes are as dark as Jose's  and her hair is simply pulled in a tight pony-tail. She shyly shakes her head and clings to her father’s hand more tightly, hides partially behind it.

“That’s uncle Jo, Feli. Miss Vanjie!” her sister informs her.

“How do you know about Miss Vanjie, little lady? How old are you?” Jose puts his hands on his hips and plays it up for her amusement.

“Everybody knows about Vanjie. You famous now, uncle J! And I’m ten!”

“Ten? When did you turn ten? Wasn’t it just yesterday that we played with your my little ponies and braided their hair?”

“You’re silly.” She giggles. “Look, I’m even wearing mascara and nails!”

“I can see that,” Jose smiles, but the look he gives his brother is disapproving. Then he holds up a hand towards Brock. “Help me up, boo?” he asks and Brock knows it’s only because his knee is still hurting after the six hour flight earlier in the morning. Brock pulls him up.

“Lita, you riding with us or Jose?”

“You can ride with us, if you want,” Jose offers.

“Ok, then we’ll meet you at the park.” Without another word Jose’s brother takes his daughters by the hands and leads them out of the house.

“Esper… we need to take the arroz con guandules,” grandma sighs.

“In the caldero?” Jose’s eyes widen and he looks over to the oven where a huge metal pot is standing.

“Can we even lift it?” Brock laughs when he sees the size of this thing.

“You a tall man, mi amor. You can do it,” Jose’s grandmother seems to have confidence in him and the term of endearment doesn’t miss its’ aim either. He walks over and tests it, manages to lift the heavy pot off the stove.

“Pepito, ven aqui,” she waves Jose behind her and when they come back they each hold two large  bowls with even more food. “Let’s go!” she smiles and follows them out to the car.

***

“That your ride?” Jose’s brother asks Brock when they reach the picnic area at a lake not too far away from the grandmother’s house. He doesn’t help with the heavy pots though.

“Rental. We’re only here for a day.”

“Only a day? Why’d you even come here then? Or you owning your own jet now and just don’t care?” he laughs, but Brock recognises a dig when he hears one.

“It made sense to stop here or in Miami, since we need to change planes here anyway on our way to our vacation.”

“Where you going, man?”

“Aruba.”

“Sweet.”

“Yeah, we think so.”

“Must have cost you a couple of coins.”

“A couple. The flights and part of the stay is paid for, however. I won it on the show.”

“The show?” he seems puzzled for a moment. “Ah, right. You’re one of those as well.”

“One of what?” Brock stands up to his full height after he’s finally managed to put the pot down on one of the tables. He tries not to be offended and give him the benefit of the doubt, but Jose’s stories about his brother combined with the way he just said it, rub Brock the wrong way.

“Hombre!” A loud scream interrupts them and they turn around. D smiles and walks over to the ten to twelve men coming his way. Behind them a couple of women follow, most of them with children in tow. Brock feels like he’s watching a documentation about hispanic gangs in the Bronx or something. For a second he wonders how many of them are armed, but then he pushes the thought away as quickly as he can. As a Canadian the thought of guns all around him always freaks him out.

“Fuck, he brought his whole posse,” Jose mutters and shows up beside Brock, but doesn’t touch him.

“They’re family, too?”

“Some of them are cousins, yeah. Rest friends. All of them as fucking dumb as my brother.” Jose seems angry. Or annoyed?

“You ok, papi?”

“I’m fine… just… ignore everything they say and remember we’re only here for today, k?” Jose looks up at him, a strange look in his eyes.

“Same goes for you,” Brock points out and wraps one arm around Jose’s shoulder and pulls him into his side. For a moment the tension leaves his body as he melts against Brock’s body.

“Oy, loca!” Another scream from one of the guys and the tension is back in Jose’s body, fists clenched.

Brock holds him tighter and massages his shoulder with the one hand resting there. “Breathe.”

***

A while later Jose and Brock have sat down to eat, Jose’s grandmother at their table, his nieces there as well. The other men have retreated to a table at the edge of the picnic area and Brock can’t say that he minds in the least. The longer he’s been around them, the less him likes them. The women left after a while, taking most of the kids with them after they’ve served their men with drinks and food.

“Oye, Jose!” a guy that was introduced as Tivo, a friend of D’s, yells over without getting up.

“What?”

“Bring me another beer.”

“Please,” Brock adds with quiet sarcasm, can’t help it. He waits for Jose’s sarcastic reply to the unfriendly request, but he just gives Brock’s leg a squeeze underneath the table, then gets up and brings him the requested drink. There is some laughter at the table when Jose gets there, but Brock can’t hear or understand what’s being said. When Jose comes back with an empty plate, he refills it and carries it back over. Brock can see that he’s still slightly limping, his knee still acting up.

“Sit down, babe, I’m gonna get you some ice,” Brock decides and gets up himself to fetch some ice from where the drinks are. He places the cubes on a towel and then hands it to Jose.

“Thank you, boo,” Jose replies and pecks Brock’s lips a couple of times. Wolf-whistles can be heard from the other table.

“Jose! No delante de mis hijas!” Jose jerks back from Brock at his brother’s angry command, the ice falling to the ground.

“What did he say?” Brock questions.

“Nothin’” Jose mumbles and tries to pick the ice back off the ground.

“I’m gonna get you some fresh ice,” Brock shakes his head, takes the dish towel, gets up and refills it.

“Jose! Bring the bread over.”

Brock isn’t even back at the table yet when the new command comes from the table of guys and the whole table erupts in laughter. Brock had the feeling before that they were doing it on purpose, making Jose serve them, since their wives and girlfriends were gone, but now he knows. And he is furious.

It also puzzles him why Jose is obliging them and doesn’t say a single thing. His usually so feisty and hot-tempered boyfriend is acting like a scared little kid, which adds even more fire to Brock’s anger.

He stops Jose from getting up by placing a hand on his shoulder. “Stay, I’ll do it. Put the ice on your knee.” He grabs the bread and marches over to where the guys are sitting. “Here,” he pushes the bread in the hands of a guy whose name he has already forgotten. “And now get the rest yourself."

"Ooooh,” the other three men howl and laugh.

“Mind your own business, sissy.” More boo-ing, more laughter. “We not talking to you, white boy.”

“Sissy? Fine by me, but maybe you should man up. You can’t even get your food or drinks yourself.”

“Jose! Your loca is running her mouth!” One guy calls.

“We can, we just don’t want to. That’s what you guys are for,” another one says. Brock looks at Jose’s brother, who hasn’t said anything and doesn’t holler and laugh as loudly as the others. But neither does he stand up for his brother and stop this.

“Mmh, and apparently we’re also here to pay your phone bill debts, right D?” Brock knows and addresses him directly. “How about you earn your own money first and stop relying on your little brother? How’s that for man-ing up?” More howls, boos, this time directed at D.

“Fuck off, maricon!” Brock knows that word. If there is one thing every gay man knows, it’s insults and slurs in all kinds of languages, the cruder the more familiar. And this time it came directly from D.

“What did you just say?” he asks unnecessarily, dares him to repeat it.

D gets off the bench and stands in front of him. D’s best friend Felix does the same, steps closer and puffs out his chest. “Chupa mi huevos, maricon!”

“I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Jose’s furious threat echoes  as he rushes over, already halfway there, even limping. He must have started his way over when they called him. Brock holds him back though, when he basically flies towards his brother and Felix, ready to tackle them. With both arms wrapped around his waist from behind, he is reminded how strong Jose really is. He has trouble holding him back, his boyfriend set on a physical fight with all ten of them, if he has to.

“J, you really wanna try me again?” his brother laughs, comes closer and steps in front of Felix. Brock knows that even though he doesn’t have any experience in fist fights, he will step in front of Jose and try to protect him, before he will stand idly by and watch them hurt Jose even more than they have in the past.

“Siétate! Ahora!” Suddenly Jose’s grandmother is by their side, glaring at his brother and his friends. They obey and no one dares to laugh this time. A fast rant, that Brock doesn’t understand a single word of, starts and at the same time she waves him and Jose away, signalises them to go back to their table. Brock isn’t sure if that’s a good idea though, grabs more ice as they pass the drinks and leads Jose away from the picnic area and towards a small park by the lake side.

“You ok, papi?” Brock asks when Jose is still silent once they reach a wooden bench underneath some trees, hidden away from sight.

“Did they hurt you?” Jose asks instead of answering the question.

“No, they didn’t even touch me.” Brock pulls him down onto the bench and into his lap, then places the ice on Jose’s knee for the third time. “Has it always been like this?”

“No, not when we were younger. I always wanted to be like him, all manly and cool and shit. But when he found out I was gay… at home it was ok and when we were alone, but when his friends found out…”

“Did they hurt you? Physically?”

“Sometimes.They thought they could beat the gay out of me or some shit. Until my mother found out. Then she beat the crap out of them.”

“I can imagine,” Brock chuckles, because he can imagine well how that went down.

“She took my side and he thinks she loves me more, like, I’m the favorite. When the Vanjie thing happened and they moved to L.A. for me… D really hates me now.” Jose slumps sideways against Brock’s chest. For a while they just sit there, Brock rubbing Jose’s arm and placing kisses on his forehead from time to time. Jose is deep in thought.

“You wanna go back?” Brock asks when Jose starts responding to his caresses and starts sucking on his neck.

“Mmmh, I wanna talk to my grandma some more.”

“But Jo? If they start bullying you again, we’re leaving. I will not sit idly by and watch it. We’ve come too far in our life to go back to who we were ten or fifteen years ago.”

“Thank you.” Jose kisses him gently before they both get up and walk back to Jose’s family, their fingers tightly linked. They haven’t reached their table yet when D walks towards them. Brock slightly steps in front of Jose. The fact that he is already injured makes him protective in a way he usually isn’t. Or maybe it’s just the company they are in?

“Mira… Jose, can I talk to you?” Jose looks to Brock.

“You want me to come with you?” he offers.

“Nah, we gonna be fine.” He decides and looks around.

“Stay where I can see you, please?” Brock requests quietly.

“Will do, boo.” Jose gives him a small smile and then points to a swing set not too far away. His nieces are playing there now and Brock thinks that hopefully they won’t get too intense in front of the kids. When he looks around he sees that the other men have left and only Jose’s grandmother is sitting at a table.

“They gonna be fine,” she tells him when he joins her and refills his cup.

“Thanks for stepping in. I’m not really good at fist fights,” he tries to joke.

“Tu sabes, D is here 'cause he wanted to talk to Jose. It wasn’t my idea. He’s changed a lot since they all left, his mother, his brothers… his girls. He only sees them once a month.”

“Mmh.” Brock makes, doesn’t really know what to say.

“You found a house yet?” She changes the topic.

“Not really. But we’re in no hurry. The lease isn’t up for another there years, so we’ve got time to wait and see what comes up. First we needed to hash out what we even want,” he explains and smiles, remembering their different ideas about what they wanted to buy.

“Send me some pictures when you found something. I’d like to see where he lives.”

“You could always come and see us. We have a guest room.”

“I know, my daughter told me. But the long flight… it’s expensive, you know?”

“We could book it for you. Both Jo and I have so many points saved up we barely know what to do with them. Would be first class, too.”

“Points? No entiendo.”

“Like, when you fly with certain airlines you get points for flying with them and rewards. After a certain amount of points you get better rewards, don’t have to pay certain fees, get free food and drinks. And because we’re always flying somewhere, we can basically never use up all our bonuses.”

“So you don’t pay money for my flight?”

“No, we wouldn’t.”

“Ok, I will think about it,” she finally accepts and Brock is impressed by this very proud and humble woman. “I could cook for you when I visit you. You’re both too thin.” She adds and Brock knows that he will have to tell Jose that his grandma is going to visit them soon. This is as close to accepting the offer as it gets.

They are interrupted when Jose, his brother and the girls come back. Neither is hurt, but Brock can see the storm of emotions in Jose’s eyes. He looks upset, but not angry, which he takes as a good sign.

“We should get going, boo. Have to get ready for our night out with Alexis,” Jose tells him quietly. “You got this here, D?” He motions to the pots and plates everywhere.

“Si, you go. I take care of it,” his brother confirms and his tone is much softer than before.

“K, bye Lita. Talk to you soon.”

“Bye, Pepito. You tare care.” They hug for a long moment. Brock is next, gets the same bear hug he was greeted with earlier that day.

D holds out his hand when they pull back. Reluctantly Brock takes it, not sure yet what to make of it. He is pulled in a manly hug, with a couple of pats on his back. “I’m sorry about before. And please take care of him, man. His knee really doesn’t look good.”

“I will,” he vows, surprised by the concern, the apology and the approval.

After saying goodbye to the girls, they make their way to the car in silence and Brock has to turn on the navigation, because Jose keeps staring out the window, deep in thought.

“Baby, you’re ok?” he asks him when he can’t take it anymore and touches one of Jose’s hand with one finger.

“Yeah. It was good, the talk and all. Just… a lot. He apologised for the shit he’s done to me and for not protecting me. I told him he needs to apologise to mom, too, for all his fuck ups. It was hard on her. But he doesn’t feel like he part of the family no more and … he done a lot of work, did some therapy, has his own Dr. Laurie. He’s always been a bit of an ass, but he my brother, you know? He’s family, even if he don’t get me or why I’m gay and why I’m so extra all the time.”

“Sounds like a good start,” Brock comments.

“Said he should come to L.A. and see us all. I wasn’t sure if you want him at the house though.”

“I’m not sure either. He’s kind of scary.”

“He wouldn’t do nothing. He still on probation.”

“What?” Brock squeaks and does a double take. Maybe he should have been given that info before he nearly got into a physical fight with the guy.

“Long story with a mug shot and all, y'all.” Jose chuckles.

“Talked to your grandma; she might want to visit us too. Maybe they can come together? We take your grandma and your mom can take your brother?”

“You talked my abuela into visiting us? I’ve been begging her to come see us since I moved to L.A. How’d you do that?”

“I can be charming, too, pepito.” Brock laughs.

“Haha! Baaabe!” Jose laughs loudly, his scream echoing through the car. “I think I’m gonna call Alexis and tell him we not coming tonight. I don’t feel like clubbing anymore. That ok with you?” Jose surprisingly asks when he has calmed down.

“Sure. We’ll see him in L.A. in a couple of weeks anyway.” Brock agrees and stops at the tolling station.

***

Jose remains unusually quiet when they get back their room. They each take a shower and dress more comfortably and chill on the bed before ordering room service later that night. Jose isn’t really hungry, but Brock makes him eat, since he didn’t eat much during lunch either.

Once they are done, they retreat back to the bed and start the next episode of whatever show they are watching in Netflix. Brock doesn’t pay attention.

He doesn’t really know how to deal with a quiet Jose. He’s asked him several times if he’s ok, but beside a short confirmation, he hasn’t added anything to what he said in the car. He calculates how late it is in L.A. and if they should maybe call Laurie, but then decides against it, because Jose moves closer to him and places his head on his chest.

“Today was the first day I felt like that fucking kid again, the one who fucks up at school and goes to therapy for his ADD and knows he’s gay and who is weird and loud and shit. My own brother didn’t want to be around me, 'cause I was so not cool. And now, we here and you… the hottest guy I’ve ever dated, saw all of that shit today.”

“You scared I don’t find you cool and hot anymore?"

"Dunno. Do you?” He looks up at him, a small smile on his face that is also a bit insecure. And Jose should never ever feel insecure about Brock’s love for him.

“How about I show you?” He smiles and presses his lips against Jose’s for a moment, pulls back with a loud smack.

“Starting the romancing early? We not even in Aruba yet, hot stuff.” Jose kisses him, a bit longer, but just as intensely.

“Got a problem with that?”

“No, you go ahead, boo. Show me.” The next kiss leaves them both breathless. When Brock teases him with the tip of his tongue, runs it over Jose’s lips, he lets out a soft laugh before he moves up a bit more, slips his tongue in his mouth and gives back ten fold.

Brock rolls them over, so that Jo is underneath him, lying on his back. Without breaking the kiss or looking, he slides one hand underneath his shirt and moves upward, the fabric bunching up on his wrists. Brock enjoys the feeling of his smooth, hot skin underneath his palms, muscles contracting where his light touch tickles.

He clutches the white shirt, breaks the kiss and pulls it over his head, Jose’s arms lifting on autopilot. While he’s at it, he loses his own shirt and dives back down to kiss him some more. Jose’s lips are always plump, delicious and the little noises he makes shoot straight to Brock’s groin, making him painfully hard.

They pant slightly and look at each other when they have to break the kiss again.

“I love how you always gasp when I do this,” he says and places a kiss in the middle of Jose’s chest; smiles when he hears the sound he just talked about. “So hot.”

A lick of his nipple follows, then the other, the same sounds filling the room as Jose’s hand tangles in Brock’s hair. Next he drags his scruffy cheeks down across his stomach and watches the slight red, that colours the tan skin. “I love it when you’re loud and shit,” he repeats his earlier words back at him. “Tell me what you want… talk to me."

Jose groans loudly. "Your tongue… your teeth,” he says and directs Brock’s head up. They’ve been doing this often enough that he knows exactly what his man is after. He has a go at his nipples, knows they are incredibly sensitive. Jose groans again, his voice high pitched and needy as he raises his torso off the bed, apparently stuck between wanting to pull away and pulling Brock more to him. He sucks, licks and even bites a little as Jose moans, swears and even half-laughs. Brock can feel him hard and hot through his sweats, against his leg.

He slips his hand in Jose’s pants, pulls them down with one tug as he raises his hips without prompting. The sweats join their shirts on the floor.

“How do you want me?” Brock asks him. “What do you want me to do? Suck you? Fuck you? Let you fuck me?” His right hand is wrapped around Jose’s hard shaft, teasing him further with slow and steady movements.

“You’d let me fuck you? Feeling like being a bottom today?” Jose teases and pulls Brock’s shorts down over his hips, pats his naked butt cheeks before he runs his hands over them, squeezes.

“Today I’ll do whatever you need me to do, to show you that you have the power now. No one can tell you what to do anymore, no one can talk down to you or bully you.” He rests his chin against Jose’s chest and waits for his verdict. Giving all the power away is kind of sexy too and Brock has troubles keeping his hips still.

“There’ll be enough time for me to fuck you. Maybe on the beach? Or against a palm tree?” Jose muses, clearly teasing Brock now. “I just want you to fuck me… been waiting all day… got ready while you were in the shower,” he confesses and makes Brock scramble up and get out of his pants in seconds. He grabs the lube from underneath the pillow, where one of them always puts it, and is pushed on his back. He grips the bottle hard when Jose’s wet, hot mouth suddenly surrounds his hard dick, his tongue teasing him. He sucks him, the sounds loud and obscene as he doesn’t hold back. He watches him bop up and down, cheeks hollow from time to time and sometimes his tongue peeks out, swipes over his head, tastes him, before he takes him deep again. Brock’s hips lift off the bed and he hopes he’ll hold out long enough and not come in his mouth. Saliva is covering his dick when Jose finally stops and takes the lube from him.

“You so fucking sexy.” The bottle hits the floor and Brock hopes he closed it properly, the stain disaster on a carpet not something he wishes to repeat. “Should I get the condoms or ride you like this…?” Jose asks, even though they both know it’s not really a question. The intimacy of going bare something they discussed in detail, after they had both been surprised by the effect it had on them once they’d done it the first time. For Brock it was the proof he didn’t know he’d needed, that Jose trusts him and knows he is being faithful.

Jose climbs on top of him and then slowly sinks down with a loud groan.

“God… fuck, papi.” Brick grips his hips tightly and digs his fingers into Jo’s skin. There are no more thoughts about the past, the family, nothing. Just this, his beautiful man on top of him, dominating and directing, trusting him with his body the same way he does trust him.

“I fucking love you fucking me… love you!” Jose leans down for a wet kiss, tongues battling. When he sits back up, taking him fully, he starts moving, eyes closed. “You feel so fucking good!” He gets louder. Brock starts pushing up, making the thrusts harder, deeper. “Yeah! Fuuuck!”

“Jo, yes.” There is no way he can form a full sentence. A couple more thrusts and he’s reduced to simple moans and rhythmic grunts that are drowned out by Jose’s enthusiastic and filthy commentary. That’s the confidence he knows from him, all sexy and not holding back. That’s how he wants him, no needs him, to feel every fucking second of every fucking day. Just when he’s about to come, Jo slows down, then stops and grins at him. He knows exactly what he’s doing, little shit.

“Not done with you yet. I want to come first. Show me you can get me there. Make me come! And maybe I’ll let you come, too. Might be in a giving mood.” Brock pushes up, as hard as he can and surprises him, makes him yelp. For a second he’s scared he’s hurt him.

“Yeees!” The scream is enough to make him repeat the movement, slam him down by his hips.

Their bodies glistens with sweat and he has no idea how long they’ve been at it. The muscles in his legs are shaking and burn, and he knows he can’t keep going for much longer or he has to change their position. Jose wouldn’t approve, though. He lets go of his hips with one hand and wraps it around Jose’s leaking cock, strokes him in the same rhythm as he’s riding him, as Brock’s slamming up into him.

Two, four, eight… “Fuck, yes, Brock!” Jose comes all over his stomach and chest and Brock follows him, still deep inside of him.

“Fuck,” Brock pants, giggles, his arms falling to his sides. Jose lifts his hips and lets him slide out, then moves up, lays down on top of him and kisses him, just once, because they are both still too out of breath for more.

“This was a worthy first fuck for our first vacation together.” Jose sighs into his shoulder and rests his head there. Brock just laughs and wraps his arms around him. They lay like this for a moment.

“You know what this reminds me of, us going away for a break after all of this goddamn mess today?”

“Mmh?”

“When I was still living with Alexis, Jeffrey used to watch these Arabic series sometimes. They like telenovelas but shorter. I got sucked in with one, 'cause the actress was so fucking gorgeous. It was about a woman in Lebanon, who had so much shit going on with her family that she didn’t know up from down. And then her handsome hero came in, swept her off her feet, but her family didn’t like it. And child, that guy was hot! Her brother was an asshole and all… and then they just ran off to Paris for three months and called it 'Houroub’. That was also the name of the show. Jeffrey said that means 'escape’”. I feel like that what we doing. Houroub-ing from drag and our families and fans and every day shit… I think we earned it.“

"Yeah, we do, papi,” Brock agrees and closes his eyes. “Houroub-ing to Aruba.”

Jose makes an attempt to sit up, but Brock tightens his hold around him and keeps him there. “Bitch, if you think we going to sleep with cum glueing our chests together, while I’m leaking all over the place, you better think again. You wanna be lazy like this afterwards, we better go back to the whole condoms discussion.” Jose untangles from him and cleans himself a bit with his shirt. They also had this talk before, more than once.

“I’m exhausted. You just fucked all energy out of me.” Brock sighs.

“You wanted me bossy, you get bossy: Get up! We taking a bath.” Jose decides and tugs on Brock’s arm until he reluctantly sits up.

“You gonna be bossy in the tub, too?” he asks as he follows him into the bathroom and swats his naked ass playfully.

“Maybe. But maybe I just want you to hold me,” Jose shrugs and starts the water.

“Whatever you want, papi. Whatever you want.” Brock tells him and pulls him into his chest as they watch the tub fill with water.

“When’s our flight leaving tomorrow?” Jose breaks the silence just before he turns the water off.

“Twenty past one. We should be at the airport around eleven.” They both climb in, Jose finding his spot, sitting between Brock’s outstretched legs.

“Thank god, mama. We can sleep in and get breakfast at the airport. I’ll need my beauty sleep to be ready and repeat our performance in paradise, as soon as we get there.”

Brock laughs. “You have this all planned out already? What happened to checking in, unpacking and then explore your surroundings a bit?”

“Oh, I’m gonna be all Dora-explorer on your dick, boo… all over our room and bed.” Jose’s boisterous laughter fills the room and Brock presses a kiss to his temple. What a great way to start their vacation.

TBC