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cherryfairytwist · 2 months ago

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Ch15 The Triangle. RickFic

(Tags: Stalking, action violence)

—- HELLO —-

—- INITIATING DOWNLOAD SEQUENCE MEMORY CLUSTER #15 —-

—-PULLING UP EARLIEST ASSISTED MEMORY RECORDS —-

—- NARRATION SIMULATING NOW

Astrid rolled over on Reagan’s bed drunkenly scrunching her face in loathing, “God he’s such a dick. He couldn’t just leave things alone. H-his kids like me!! I- I just thought we all had an understanding…!”

“Not to say I told you so… but I’ve told you he’s literally the worst.” Reagan answered trying not to sound like she was rubbing it in.

“Okay- first of all.. what happened between you and Rick back then was equal parts fucked up on both you guys’ ends..” Astrid quipped back not wanting to hear it.

“Well I mean- he’s still a dick!” Reagan groaned back while playfully pushing Astrid off the bed.

“Hey-!” Astrid yelled back with a goofy laugh from the floor.

Astrid adjusted herself and sat back on the bed next to Reagan letting out a sigh of frustration and leaned up against her shoulder.

“I just wish I could control my powers.. like- without my handler. I got so scared thinking I was going to hurt the kids when my activation protocol trigger on its own. something just wasn’t right inside me when I thought they were in danger...I think the only thing that stopped me was getting shot in the head. I- it hurt for a while.. I-I don’t heal like I used to like back before the incident.” Astrid babbled on sullenly.

Reagan sat silently mulling over what Astrid was saying and how she was feeling. Tapping her fingers on the edge of the bed she anxiously considered something she had been thinking about for a long time.

“What if.. what if we were able to hack your brain..? What if we could override your super soldier codes and just give you new ones?” She said out loud staring at the floor.

Astrid silently stared for a moment and then blurted, “Is that even safe…?”

“Well.. Astrid come on- clearly your reprogramming didn’t work very well if it’s glitching.. it honestly might be something to consider..but yeah- it would be risky.” Reagan answered honestly turning to look her in the eyes with concern.

“Fuck…! Why is this so- I wish fixing myself wasn’t so complicated.” Astrid said starting to now sadly whisper to herself as she looked away.

“Hey- We got this!! We’ll have you fixed up in no time. If you want me to try and figure out how to re program you- or atleast program some new commands in for you.. maybe you could come along on a work trip with me. You could lend me a hand and I’d be able to see you in action to better assess your status. Technically it would be off the record- you coming that is.” Reagan attempted to smooth over the topic by changing the subject.

“You want me to come on a work trip with you?? Doesn’t Cognito still have me on it’s no fly list or whatever? Where would we be going?” Astrid asked curiously falling for Reagan’s redirection.

“Well since I became head of cognito the Atlantians have been wanting to have a type of working alliance. They recently sent word they were having issues with one of their old districts and was hoping I might be willing to lend a hand.” Reagan said confidently feeling how far she had come in the company.

“Oh look at you~ big boss lady Hu?” Astrid playfully joked as she scrunched her eyebrows up and down.

“Quit it!” Reagan teased back poking Astrid on the cheek, “Yes I’m still keeping you secret from Cognito for now… only because I don’t want the Robes out right saying I can’t work with you.. it would look more appealing if you had helped me with a job and then it becomes an offer they can’t refuse! Also.. most of Cognito maybe wouldn’t be as afraid of you by then….” Reagan tried to explain without making it sound bad.

“The Robes…? And everyone is still scared of me that bad…?” Astrid asked forlorn again.

“Well not everyone…! I know the team misses you- also now that I think about it, the Robes probably already know we’ve been in contact this whole time.” Reagan started to mutter as she thought about the Robes.

“They know…?! How?” Astrid asked feeling a bit worried since they still might have access to contact her agency.

“Don’t worry.. they would have said something to me if this was a problem… maybe they just want to see how this goes? Maybe they have high hopes for this situation like how I do? I have a feeling they might want to snatch you from your Agency anyway- but they’d let you decide that in your own.” Reagan said assuredly after thinking it over.

“Okay I guess that’s ideal for now..” Astrid said a little hesitant but ultimately gave in knowing the Robes likely had personal motives that might benefit her later on.

If her agency had no use for her currently what would be the harm in doing some side missions for someone else…?

Hours had passed since the two of them had reunited when Astrid had drunkenly showed up at Reagan’s place that evening. They had discussed the plans of their impending trip to Atlantis and went over the need to know basics since they would be leaving in the morning for their departure. After that was settled they spent the rest of their time together that evening watching movies and drinking beers on the couch snuggled up under a blanket. It had been a long time since the two of them had been affectionate with each other so it was a little awkward at times but they both found the other’s company quite enjoyable. After a while they both drunkenly made out on Reagan’s bed until they both passed out once the alcohol took over. Both of them were left in a crumpled up pile twisted up in the sheets together sound asleep. That is until Reagan began to stir at an unfamiliar whispering sound snapping her out of a dream.

“Wh- Astrid…?” She whispered squinting open her eyes in the dark.

She saw Astrid sprawled out across her in bed, still hearing the faint whispering she looked up and froze in place. A dark figure stood in the corner of the room wearing what looked like a wide brimmed hat. She panicked and hit a button on the side of her head board triggering all the lights to come on and all the windows and doors to lock down. As soon as the lights were on the figure had vanished.

“Holy- fuck…. Was that just a dream?!” Reagan let out a sigh in relief feeling her heart still pounding in her chest.

She looked down at the snoozing Astrid in her lap and smiled, ruffling her fingers through her dark hair affectionately.

“I guess I really don’t need to worry about much if you’re here right?” She joked silently to herself thinking about how Astrid was likely the most dangerous thing she had encountered in comparison.

She scooted back into bed with her and hit the lights back off. Cozying up to Astrid, Reagan thought about how nice this trip was going to turn out now that she was with her.

Meanwhile back at the Smith residence things had started to get chaotic. The whole family was now in uproar over the antics Rick had pulled that previous evening. The kids had gone to school and noticed Astrid was absent that day. This lead them to assume the worst thinking Rick might have scared her off for real this time. Both Morty and Summer had been non-stop apologizing and checking in over text message all day, only to not receive any response from Astrid in return. They arrived home furious, refusing to help Rick with any adventures or chores in protest to his handling of the situation.

But no matter how much the siblings insisted, Rick refused apologizing to Astrid. The arguing between the siblings and Rick started to spread to the ears of the Beths late that evening at the dinner table. Both the Beths felt horrible that their father had run off their kids’ favorite teacher so they had shown up at her apartment to leave an apology basket, looking around to see if the apartment had been abandoned. To their relief it seemed her car and various other items such as her welcome mat still remained. They came home to let the kids know, hoping it would ease their minds. However this just angered Morty enough to try and pick another fight with Rick.

“R-Rick why c-can’t you just apologize?! You know y-you went too far!” He squealed out so heated his voice cracked.

Scoffing, Rick pointed out to Morty something on his monitor as he spun him around, “See Morty-! She hasn’t even left planet. So it’s obviously n-not that big of an issue.” Showing her location in a different state on his computer map.

“You’re still tracking her…?! W-what the hell Rick! She left town because of you!” Morty yelled.

“Ha! She’s probably off sucking face with a hack job government scientist right now.” He ignored Morty’s clear judgment only focusing on his not very well hidden bitterness.

“W-what-? R-Rick are you fucked in the head right now?! Y-you’ve been stalking her and her- ex…? Situationship-…? Whatever- you’re stalking them?!” Morty demanded feeling the pain of how many boundaries Rick was clearly breaking.

“Oh grow up M-Morty. I need to keep an eye out on this shadow government disaster of a company. They’re always stirring up trouble on Earth- for me-! I’ve had run ins with them before. It’s not stalking it’s preparing for any possibility.” He retorted back unbothered.

“If they were t-that much of a threat how come I haven’t heard y-you talk about them before t-then?” Morty insisted knowing Rick was just pulling bull shit out of his ass so he wouldn’t have to admit anything.

Rick rolled his eyes and shoved Morty out of the garage, “They have connections to the President Morty! What would you know?” He shouted before slamming the door behind him.

The next day Reagan had awoken early in an attempt to smuggle Astrid onto Cognito’s private jet before the rest of the team was scheduled to get there. The jet had previously been owned by J.R. which he had payed for with embezzled funds from the company. After having been sent to shadow prison the Robes had granted it to Reagan for her personal use.

“Will there be coffee on the plane atleast…?” Astrid asked in a grumpy tone from under the jacket.

“Yes, we’ll get you a cup and then I’ll set you up in the back room of the plane so no one-“ she abruptly paused after swinging the jet door open.

Much to Reagan’s dismay, it seemed the team members had arrived before schedule and were already making themselves at home on the plane. Before Reagan could signal Astrid to wait, she had already thrown off the jacket in annoyance not expecting the team to be waiting there for them.

“Fuck.” Reagan groaned out silently.

“Oh my goodness! Astrid..?! Is that you?” Gigi called out in surprise from one of the front seats as Reagan ushered Astrid in onto the plane.

“Holy moly- A-Astrid…?!” Bret said in excited fear having not seen her since the incident.

“Oh here we go- ITS ALWAYS SOMETHING!” Glenn complained from the pilot seat outraged.

“Oh shit-“ Myc gasped out.

“R-Reagan…? Are you serious..?! How’d you find her again?” Andre asked coughing out blunt smoke from shock.

“Uh.. hi guys.” Astrid said awkwardly not knowing what to do in that moment.

“I thought you guys weren’t supposed to be on the plane until eight- thirty!” Reagan growled out as she plopped down in a seat no longer trying to hide Astrid.

“So what? you were going to sneak her on the trip and we just weren’t going to find out?!” Gigi asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I mean.. I don’t know! I didn’t want to argue about it. I knew you’d all find out eventually.” Reagan retorted tiredly as she pored herself some coffee from the plane’s beverage counter nearby.

“Oh we’re going to argue alright- no offense Astrid-“ Glenn whipped his head around to then yell at Reagan, “but last time she was here she almost killed us!!”

“I mean we all missed you Astrid..” Andre attempted to smile at her but then turned to Reagan as well, “but he has a point Reagan…” he said with a little concern and popped a few pills into his mouth to calm his nerves.

“Oh come on y’all! Who hasn’t tried to kill us? We literally used to be enemies with the Atlantians and the Illuminati and now we are working with them! At least we know Astrid couldn’t help what happened last time.” Gigi spoke up in her defense.

“Yeah.. we know it’s not your fault Astrid..it’s just that situation was really scary- did you figure out a fix for what happened? Last time we heard-“ Bret attempted to catch back up but was interrupted by Reagan.

“Her agency tried to reprogram her but it didn’t work. They keep neglecting her- So now I’m going to reprogram her! If anyone has a problem with me wanting her to work with us then get off the plane now.” Reagan announced loudly causing the whole group to fall into silence.

“Yikes…” Myc finally said out-loud breaking the awkward silence.

So… she’s not fixed?” Gigi asked worriedly and biting her lip.

“I’m sorry about what happened back then guys.. but I don’t know anyone else I could turn to about this.. my Agency just.. isn’t really doing anything to help. They’ve left me out to dry.” Astrid said in an attempt to get them to hear her out.

Everyone looked guilty around the plane in silence knowing they all had a part in causing the issue for Astrid in the first place.

“Okay, okay- we missed you Astrid. We really have- but how are we supposed to help you if you might… snap again?” Gigi asked hoping there was some type of plan.

“I have a failsafe I came up with that could combat the issue if Astrid were to lose control. At least in the time being while I observe her before I try to program anything. I took the idea from that time her handler used that shock device on her last time. I made a- excuse my lack of a better name- a shock collar for her to wear.” Reagan explained to the group as she pointed to the small black little choker that sat on Astrid’s neck.

“That thing?” Bret asked curiously poking at Astrid’s choker before being playful swatted away by her.

“Yes. It might look small but I implanted 12 high powered shock chips to the inside of its lining. It most likely isn’t as powerful as the one her handler had but I’m pretty sure it will make do and at least disorient her if things were to go south. From what we have learned some injuries can snap her out of it. She told me about an instance that came up recently. Though I need to obviously study more to find out what best could work. I’d prefer not to cause pain in the future. I have a remote and the collar is also programmed to go off if it notices her mental awareness starting to slip. It’s reading her brain waves as we speak so it could pick up on any drastic changes.” She said plainly trying to get done with the explanation due to her own discomfort in having to make Astrid wear it.

“And you’re just okay with that..?” Myc asked Astrid as he picked up on Reagan’s clear discomfort.

“Yes I’m fine with it. We tested it out this morning and it definitely debilitated me for a bit. If it means we can all have comfort in knowing it can work if needed… I’m glad I have it on.” Astrid replied honestly.

“That thing better work if she decides to go kookoo!” Glenn yelled out from the cockpit in irritation.

“Yeah yeah.” Reagan snapped back equally as aggressive.

Everyone sat in silence for a moment before one of the plane’s screens turned on revealing the Prime minister of Atlantis. Everyone snapped to attention.

“Great! I see you all are ready bright and early today.” The lanky and blue prime minister spoke out enthusiastically to them. “We are expecting your arrival in a few hours so we are preparing to welcome you with our greeting committee!”

“Oh- Hello there Prime Minister! Y-yes we are all ready to go!” Reagan said startled almost choking on her coffee.

“I figured I could give you a quick run down of what to expect once here and touch on some of the mission details for you to think over.” He said with much enthusiasm through his Atlantean to English translator device on his desk.

“Uh- yeah! That sounds great… Glenn? Let’s go ahead and take off. The sooner we arrive at the Bermuda Triangle, the better.” Reagan called up to the cockpit with an in charge tone.

“Let’s get this show on the road!” Glenn hollered out from the front.

The group heard the engines kick on as the plane jolted forward. Quickly everyone buckled themselves in knowing how Glenn could be when operating large vehicles or machines.

“As I was saying… “ the Prime minister continued after it looked like everyone had settled down,” Once you get here the committee will escort you from the lighthouse entrance down to the main hub of the city. Make sure you go to the right one we instructed, on the map we gave you. There are multiple light houses in the triangle that lead down to the city… however some of them have been decommissioned.. wouldn’t want you getting stuck.” He said with a concerned tone causing his facial fins to quiver.

“Why were they decommissioned?” Brett asked curiously.

“Well that brings me right to the point of your mission.” The minister’s tone turned serious as he continued, “ you see, Atlantis is much like the surface world regarding the continued process of building and renovation into more territory here under the waves.. there is one particular district of ours that has fallen into disarray after a drug outbreak occurred.”

“Hold on a minute are we going to be dealing with junkies?” Gigi asked having a hunch.

“Ahem- yes… I guess you could say that. But they are no ordinary “junkies” you see the drug has had very strange effects on the population there. It got so bad we had to seal off the city from the rest of Atlantis’ grid. We had to barricade the tunnels and attempt to flood parts of it. Grisly I know. But they fully believed the drug was some kind of evolutionary savior serum given to them by their now beloved cult leader. I mean they were attacking innocent citizens and trying to inject them with it!” He said shaking his head in woe.

“Maybe I could get my hands on some of it and come up with an antidote…. That is after I try some~” Andre called out from the back of the plane, already smoking another joint.

“Andre under no circumstances should you consume it!” Reagan snapped back to him as he gave her a giddy little grin.

“I highly doubt you can counter act what it’s done long term to some of these people.. it’s definitely changed them beyond recognition! But… maybe you could use the antidote on anyone who might get infected in the ordeal as we try and take back the city.” The Minister replied as he adjusted his gold collar.

“What it can’t be that bad right? How long has it been going around? A few weeks? Months? I’m sure I could-“ Andre started his sales pitch but then was cut short.

“It’s been years. Practically decades..” the Minister explained as he stroked the large pink stone on his necklace.

“Oh.. well they’re fucked!” Myc blurted out.

“Myc-“ Reagan pinched her forehead in annoyance then turned back to the screen, “If this has been going on so long why have you just now reached out to try and do something about it? At this point wouldn’t it just be easier to leave it be or destroy the district all together?” She asked honestly.

“Because…the city belongs to someone unfortunately, who was banished from Atlantis.. he inherits it now that the current mayor of the district is dead. He succumbed to that horrible drug I mentioned earlier..but we can discuss that later. I hope you all have a good flight! Check back in before you enter the triangle so we don’t lose connection with you all. Safe travels!” He ended the conversation abruptly.

“Right- see you soon sir.” Reagan replied before turning off the screen.

“Well that was weird..” Astrid piped up feeling something had been left out,

Back at the Smith residence Rick’s ears perked up at the sound of Astrid’s tracker alerting him to her change in location. He swiveled in his chair and pulled up the monitor.

“N-not staying put this time? What the h-hell are you up to?” He muttered to himself while watching the path of her tracker.

He tapped his fingers aggressively on his work bench as he considered where she could be headed. He calculated the speed at which the tracker was going and figured she must have been in a private air craft of some kind. He pulled out his flask and started chugging.

“You’re up to something..” Rick said suspiciously as he squinted at the screen.

A few hours later the plane neared the triangle. Reagan yawned and attempted to contact the prime minister again as instructed.

“Ooo I’m excited to see what Atlantis is like! Since I was a little girl I’d pretend to be a mermaid that lived there! Oh- and I hear they are BOOJIE!” Gigi said giddily in her seat.

Just as the screen blinked on with the Prime Ministers sitting patiently, a large explosion came from the back of the plane causing the screen to short out and go black.

“Holy fuck!” Reagan screamed in surprise.

“W-what’s happening…?!” Brett called out trying to take a look at the back of the plane.

“We’ve been hit! The tale has been obliterated! I need someone up here now!” Glenn yelled back from the cockpit.

Brett rushed to the front to assist as everyone quickly re- buckled their seats and braced for the turbulence.

Was this some kind of set up?!” Myc yelled up to Reagan over the loud winds.

“No- it must be that cult-“ she attempted to answer before the plane violently began to shake.

Everyone screamed in fear as the plane started to go down. Andre then proceeded to vomit up all the champagne he had been drinking the past few hours. Everyone grimaced and looked away uncomfortably.

“Glenn aim for the lighthouse on the map!! Try to let us down easy- if we have to abandon the plane we can!” Reagan shouted once more.

“Alright but we’re ganna need someone to cover us! Looks like we got company!” He shouted back and everyone looked out their windows.

A cluster of old rickety metal submarines were down below shooting various clusters of flaming scrap metal towards the plane.

“I’m on it!” Astrid yelled as she rushed towards the front.

“Wait Astrid-“ Reagan tried to call out but wasn’t heard over the wind.

Astrid then opened the jet’s side door and flung herself out, plummeting fast towards the enemy.

“Holy fuck I forgot she really is crazy all the time.” Myc shouted over the wind.

“God I love me a dangerous woman.” Gigi joked from her seat.

Everyone watched, glued to their windows, wanting to see what was about to unfold. Astrid hit the water like a missile, sending massive ripples in all directions. This made the subs discombobulate for a few moments, no longer sending out shots. A few of them clanked together violently, sending some of them into springing leaks. Astrid resurfaced looking nothing like her usual self taking on the form of some horrifying alien sea creature. Snatching up the various subs in her jaws and sending them flying is various directions. Most of the subs began to sink due to the fact they were incredibly old and not very fast. After the threat was neutralized, she returned back to her usual form, doggy paddling in the waves.

“Oh my god… nightmare fuel.” Andre breathed out both horrified and impressed.

“Well that was actually pretty quick..” Reagan said in a little disbelief.

“Looks like we just need to worry about landing now..” Gigi said turning back to look at the cockpit where both Glenn and Brett were stress shouting while trying to keep the plane steady and gliding.

“We’re about to make impact! It might be smarter to just jump since the lighthouse is close!!” Glenn yelled back at everyone.

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Brett laughed nervously as he ran back to grab a parachute for the both of them.

Everyone rushed to grab one and put it on as they cluttered near the door.

“Wait a minute there are only five…!” Myc blurted after he was left out.

“Y’all need to jump now!!” Glenn barked from front.

Reagan let out a laugh and looked at Andre and Myc, “looks like something you two will need to figure out!” She yelled out humorously before jumping out of the plane.

Gigi and Brett quickly followed right after her leaving the three of them left on the plane.

Andre looked at Myc defeated and opened is arms wide preparing for the embrace.

“Well at least I got you buddy.” Myc said jokingly.

“Yeah yeah.” Andre replied tiredly before they both jumped out together.

Glenn then aimed the plane up as hard as he could to allow himself time to get to the door after abandoning the wheel. He then unbuckled and rushed out.

“Hoooo wheee! This reminds me of the war!” Glenn hollered down at the rest of them as they floated closer to the water after activating his shoot.

They all looked over to see the plane go down, barely missing the lighthouse. And in a huge splash, the plane had made contact with the ocean.

“Well that was certainly one way to start the mission.” Brett said now more cheerful knowing they weren’t in danger anymore.

“Man and I was exited about having that jet too..” Reagan mumbled to herself as they all drifted even closer to the lighthouse.

Astrid quickly swam up underneath them, waving with a big smile while waiting for them to join her in the water. One by one they all joined her in little splashes. The five parachutes deflating and causing a train behind them.

“I’m sorry about your plane.” Astrid said sympathetically to Reagan as she grabbed her in the water.

“Eh, it was J.R.’s.” Reagan said trying not to get too hung up on it.

They all then swam towards the lighthouse steps.

“Man I do not want to find out if there are more of those junkie terrorists waiting in the water for us!” Glenn pipped up and then quickly went underwater to check.

Everyone increased their speed not wanting to find out either.

Just as everyone reached the lighthouse Glenn resurfaced with a calmer expression letting everyone know that there probably was not another incoming threat for now. They all lugged themselves out onto to steps and rocks of the lighthouse.

“Uhhhg-!” Andre groaned out loudly as he threw Myc off him.

“Thanks champ you’re a real Olympian!” Myc joked sarcastically.

“F-fuck you.” Andre gasped out as he tried to catch his breath.

“Okay guys let’s try and get into the transportation chamber! I believe it’s up ahead.” Reagan stated as she got up and rushed to the large art deco looking doors at the base of the lighthouse.

One by one everyone slowly got up and joined her inside only to find her muttering and cursing under her breath.

“What..? What’s Wrong Reagan?” Astrid asked as she looked down to see the transporter pod had been sabotaged.

The older bronze pod looked perfectly decent other than the main switch’s wires in its panel were all cut and its circuit board smashed.

“Aw shit. So we’re stuck up here until they come get us?” Gigi groaned out in frustration.

“It’s getting dark.. maybe we should stay the night up in the lighthouse itself then..? It would be a good look out spot if they were to attack again. It looks mighty cozy up there!” Brett said being optimistic.

“Sleeping would be nice.” Andre said exhausted.

“I’m staying in the water tonight! I’ll call for sea creature back up if needed.” Glenn announced before jumping back into the water.

“More room for us then.” Myc said unbothered.

The rest of them climbed up the stairs inside the lighthouse heading to the very top. They passed one floor that seemed to be full of storage boxes, then came to the main room. It was set up with a few cots, a radio and a few desk lamps.

“Nice! Maybe we can contact the Atlantians with the radio.” Brett said enthusiastically.

“I’ll try it out give me a minute.” Gigi replied as she walked over to it.

The gang settled in picking spots they’d sleep that evening as the sun began to go down. Gigi had managed to contact the Atlantians through the radio letting them know they were stranded at the lighthouse with no working pod. They informed her that by morning they would send a repair and rescue crew. After making sure everything was in order she got up from the desk and shoved Myc off the nearest cot.

“Hey! Watch it- I was sleeping!” He complained.

“Nope, not anymore. You get first watch.” Gigi replied smugly as she cozied up on the cot.

Myc looked around to try and put off the responsibility to someone else but grumbled once he saw everyone else was fast asleep. Brett hung from a fishing net in the rafters like a hammock, Andre was sprawled out on another cot on the other side of the room, and Reagan laid across Astrid’s sleeping lap on a pile of tarps and sacks.

That morning they all stirred to the sound of metal clanging and Glenn shouting for them to,

“GET DOWN HERE THE RESCUE TEAM MADE IT!” He said with authority.

Once everyone was down at the pod entrance, introductions were made.

“Greetings Cognito Inc. we are terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Did you all get enough rest in the lighthouse? We have much better rooms waiting for you down in the capital!” The head of the rescue team spoke up through a voice translator.

A group of 5 tall blue fishlike persons stood seating them.

“It was awful-“ Myc began to complain before he was interrupted.

“Well good thing you are here now! Are we ready to depart?” Reagan piped up hoping to get the show on the road.

They were all swept up into the pod- it was pure white with gold accents in a sort of art deco style. It was sleek, modern yet intricate with designs hinting at an Egyptian influence. Everyone situated themselves on soft clean cushioned seating benches inside, looking out past the large glass panels that covered most of the top and sides of the dome.

“Ooh I knew it! They are fancy down here.” Gigi giggled to herself excitedly.

“Everyone ready?” The head of the greeting committee asked as he pulled a golden switch in the back of the pod causing it to slowly lower into the water and submerge.

The gang all murmured comments to each other and watched the sea consume them. The pod slowly started to descend deeper, the water getting darker with every passing second. Suddenly the water seemed to get lighter in color as they realized they were now getting closer to the capital. Distant lights twinkled from down below.

“Wow look! H-holy shit this is cool guys.” Andre said quickly sparking up a blunt wanting to enjoy the scenery.

“Ahem…! Please refrain from smoking in the pod-!” One of the committee members hassled him.

He cracked a guilty smile and attempted to put it out on the bottom of his shoe. The member rolled his eyes and relaxed back in his seat. As the pod neared the large glass bubble containing the capital, more of the sea life was visible. Everyone ogled at the schools of fish, the few sharks in the distance, the coral reefs, seaweed forests, clams, sea stars and one giant squid as it brushed past the pod.

“Atlantis is a lot like a reverse aquarium Hu?” Brett whispered over his shoulder as his eyes were glued to the window.

“Sure is buddy.” Reagan absentmindedly agreed as she too was distracted by all the beauty.

Astrid chuckled to herself remembering how funny the dynamic for the Cognito team was. She had missed days like these with them. She shifted in her seat as her mind wandered to the feeling of missing Summer and Morty for a moment. Had she disappointed them by running off after all that had happened? Did Rick really not feel bad about taking things too far? But really what was she to expect? She had dealt with more evil and insane individuals before, for crying out loud it is RICK SANCHEZ.. so why did this feel so stingy? It was like how the Cognito team had made her feel before. Was this a feeling of betrayal? But betrayal was the nature of her work and since when did she ever trust Rick? It’s not like they had ever been close. She took a breath of frustration and focused back into the pod again focusing on a strand of hair getting in Reagan’s face so she brushed it away.

“Look we’re so close!” Brett said giddily pointing to the dome only a yard away from them now.

The city had a futuristic art deco look to it, so much gold, white and glass everywhere. It was like a large scale terrarium. Large sky scraper buildings that looked a little older towered over the huge bubble but what looked like the newest and most beautiful buildings were inside the dome. The pod glided underneath the dome towards the center where a port was. The ship started to rise up to the top of a tunnel that then pointed upwards. A large panel opened up sucking the ship in and closing up behind it. Lights flashed and a siren whaled as the water was drained. The pod’s door popped and swung open revealing another group of smartly dressed Atlantans waiting on them. One of them, a familiar face, was the Prime minister. His large blue head hovering above all the others. Most of the ministers looked to be the same race as him but a few others had similarities but looked a bit different. More human like with different skin tones but with odd eyes and small face fins.

“Ah, greetings Cognito Inc. we are glad you are finally here!” The minister called out through a translator mic that one of his security men held up near his face much like a spoon.

“It’s great to be here! But let’s cut to the chase- Those submarines that attacked us- was that the cult you were telling us about?” Reagan asked.

“Well- yes. We had no idea they were planning something like that! It makes us realize how much this cult nonsense really has gotten out of hand!” He blubbered out embarrassed turning his blue face slightly purple.

“So you didn’t know they had submarines and weapons- and they could even come to the surface-as in escaping from their supposed blocked off district?” Gigi hounded smelling something was up.

“We never thought they’d leave! We knew they had a few submarines but they never tried to go to the surface before! They’ve never acted this organized or have bothered to actually leave their district. Part of their weird beliefs is that they stay in their district thinking it’s some kind of holy city.”

“Hmm which most likely means they never intended to surface other than to probably participate in protecting their holy land from foreign visitors that contradict their beliefs.” Reagan hypothesized.

“But how would they have even known we were coming-?” Brett asked confused.

“We have no idea, but our sources claim there have been whispering about the cult gearing up for some type of holy war- they must have believed your arrival was some type of omen..We are investigating this as we speak.” He replied more assuredly, clearly having faith in his team.

“In the meantime we thought it would be safest to put off sending you all into the district. Just for a day or two while we catch whoever on the inside leaked information…. It will give us a chance to share all we know about these people and get you prepared to face them.” Another one of the advisers said.

“Downtime? Sweet.” Myc replied lazily having no intention of getting serious the next two days.

“Training to outsmart the enemy- I like it!” Glenn shouted over the group to be heard.

“Dude~ sick.” Andre whispered with red eyes attempting to hide a pull of smoke he exhaled under his coat.

“Nice now we get to check out more of Atlantis!” Brett said with much enthusiasm.

“I mean if the situation allows-“ Astrid muttered also hoping for a bit of fun before having to get down to work.

“Some rest would be nice after that ordeal- also it has been my DREAM to visit here..” Gigi whispered into Reagan’s ear before winking triumphantly at Astrid confident they could all make Reagan crumble.

“Well- if you insist. It wouldn’t hurt to have an extra day or two to prepare..” Reagan said hesitantly attempting to nurse her pride in front of the advisors.

“Oh come now Ridley! We are all friends now- this alliance means a great deal to us… we insist to treat you for a few days before you do us this favor.” The Prime minister piped up noticing her reluctance.

“Alright- but we will be getting the full run down right? All the information you have on this cult? Also… I want to hear more about that person you said is supposed to inherit that district. Anything could be relevant-“ Reagan continued before being cut short by the guilty looks on the advisors around the Prime Minister.

“I’m sensing it’s something personal isn’t it?” Gigi chimed in having a hunch.

“Oh bother… yes. You could say it is very personal.” The Prime Minister’s eyes rolled after he let out an incredibly loud sigh.

“Uh oh drama alert! Spill it sister.” Andre said jokingly goading him.

“The man who inherits the district is the same man who slept with my wife…! And- he also happens to be my bastard distant cousin.. He was banished under multiple charges of breaking Atlantean law. The now deceased Mayor was his uncle who had no biological children of his own… however his second wife and her children are now the ones running the cult we are trying to eradicate. So now we can’t just let them take it! But the council and I have been debating oh how to handle the inheritance after we’ve cleaned out the city.” The Mayor spitting out each sentence as if it was painful.

“Eeeh. I know how it feels to know the person who slept with your wife.” Glenn mumbled annoyed while glaring daggers at Brett.

Brett rubbed the back of his neck nervously avoiding eye contact with him.

“So you’re considering nullifying his inheritance? Who is this guy? Could he have some type of connection to the cult at all?” Astrid asked.

“I’ve heard rumors he’s quite the menace to those of you on land. I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard of him. I know he currently has some type of nemesis- and ongoing tiff he keeps up with. But no I seriously doubt he has anything to do with the cult. He’s occupied with trivial matters… claiming he’s king of the Ocean.. what nonsense.” The minister said annoyed.

“Wait a minute..” Reagan started to ask having a feeling she knew the man the Prime Minister spoke of.

“You think you know this person?” Astrid asked looking over her shoulder at Reagan curiously.

“Oh god is it Mr.-“ Reagan started to blurt out just as the Prime Minister answered.

“He goes by Mr. Nimbus. Yes.” The Minister huffed.

Suddenly Rick jerked forward awakening from a blackout in his half hazardously parked ship ontop of the Smith’s roof.

“W-what just happened-?” He asked allowed to no one in particular.

He had a funny feeling creep down his spine. He squinted his eyes suspiciously at his surroundings.

“Something isn’t right…” he groaned as he wobbled and pulled himself out of the ship onto the roof.

The world spun rapidly for him as he adjusted to the weight of his own body in motion. He slid down and hopped off in front of the garage. He opened the door and stomped over to his computer. He saw that Astrid’s tracker now showed her in Atlantis.

“Y-you’re in Atlantis?! Y-you’re just vacationing..?!” He hollered out bitterly knowing her and Reagan were most likely there together.

“Oh no. No- you two are up to something! A-and I’m going to find out.” He said gritting his teeth as he slammed a button on his desk.

Back in Atlantis the gang had been shown their rooms at the fanciest hotel in the capital.

Reagan and Astrid had decided on sharing a room with each other after they had managed to ditch the rest of the gang while Gigi demanded the best room from the hotel staff. They sat on a large circular bed next to a huge open window showing the sea life and the distant lights from the giant buildings surrounding them underwater.

“It really is beautiful down here.” Astrid commented while staring out into the depths.

“I know! Isn’t it great?” Reagan replied as she pulled out various contraptions from her bags.

“So I guess now that we have down time are we going to run some tests on me?” Astrid asked.

“I figured it would be better than waiting.” Reagan answered still very focused on finding what she was looking for.

Astrid then looked over at Reagan noticing she was hesitating on bringing something up. Too busy studying her face to notice a small probe was hovering at a distance hidden behind some seaweed outside their window.

“So this Nimbus guy…? You seem pretty happy with the Prime minister’s idea of not informing him of his pending inheritance. Is he that bad?” Astrid asked shyly not quite understanding how Reagan knew him.

“He’s some ego maniac sex pervert. Just like Rick actually- they are “sworn enemies” -of course I didn’t find that out until after I had met Sanchez.” Reagan grumbled.

“Wait- so if Nimbus gets involved does that mean Rick might get involved at some point if they are enemies?” Astrid asked hiding her contempt for Rick at the moment.

“That’s exactly what could happen. And if you are trying to avoid Rick right now we need to make sure Nimbus isn’t involved in any way.” Reagan stated irritatedly feeling jealousy bubble up in her veins.

“Oh we’ll see about that.” Rick said nefariously to the live footage of Reagan and Astrid’s conversation. “Nimbus…!? NIMBUS?! OF COURSE! This is just great.” He sarcastically ranted to himself as he punched in different commands on his watch.

He stood up and took a long sip of his flask,

“M-Morty get down here! Nimbus is at it again!” he hollered out the garage door pretending to be annoyed.

“Aw- g-geez what did h-he start up this time?” Morty replied from the den.

—- PART FIFTEEN COMPLETED —-

—- SHUTTING DOWN —-

—- GOODBYE —-

#rick and morty #rick and morty fandom #rick and morty oc #rick sanchez fanfic #rick sanchez x reader #crossover #inside job fandom #inside job fanfic #inside job #rick and morty fanfiction #reagan ridley #rick sanchez #cognito inc

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oseytorvan · 2 years ago

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There is a lot of discussion in the fandom about Hiccup's life after httyd 2. There are a lot of fanfictions in the fandom about how difficult it is to survive the loss of a father while being a tribal chief. And that's fine! But why do we talk so little about what path Astrid went through after the second part?

Stoick and Valka's dream came true – they found a daughter in the person of their son's fiancee. But Astrid Hofferson was not born into a Chieftain's family and was not raised as the heir to the throne. Despite the status of the leader of the gang, which she shares with Hiccup, Astrid does not understand all the difficulties of managing the village.

Yes, Astrid was devoted to Stoick as a chief and admired him endlessly, but she did not see how Stoick collapsed into his armchair by the fireplace. She did not see how Stoick applied pieces of ice to his inflamed head and, hunched over, looked wearily into the fire. Astrid didn't see the tears in his eyes. Hiccup saw it. Stoic never gave up in front of his people, so Astrid, like other Vikings of Berk, saw only one (1), rather superficial side of the coin.

“TO MAKE YOU CHIEF! Oh, my gods! Hiccup, that's amazing!”

“Well, it's a lot of responsibility”

“I mean, chief. What an honor”

But Hiccup becomes the chief, and Astrid begins to realize that something is going wrong. She is still puffed up with pride when her fiance leads the tribe forward. She sees how Hiccup finds and applies innovative solutions that his father would never have thought of, and becomes increasingly convinced that Hiccup is ideal for this position. But…

The encouraging smile he gives the Vikings does not touch his eyes. His gaze is clouded by a tart tension. Hiccup never found himself. Hiccup misses his father. Hiccup does not have time to cope with all his duties. Hiccup tolerates the distrust of Vikings from other tribes. Hiccup gets tired of the moral pressure and daily work. Hiccup closes in on himself. And, as one of the closest, Astrid sees it.

She used to be unhappy when Hiccup and Toothless ran away together, preferring flights and research to duty to the tribe. Now Astrid watches Hiccup write scroll after scroll, and finds herself almost wishing he would run away. He needs rest.

Astrid no longer glows with pride when Hiccup gives her part of his duties - she herself asks him about it because she wants to lighten his burden. Astrid was one of the strongest Vikings of Berk and was very proud of it, but she is beginning to realize that the weight that Hiccup carries on his shoulders, only he can bear.

Astrid looks up at the monument of Stoick the Vast. He ran the tribe alone, coped with the loss of his wife alone, and raised his son alone. Astrid is amazed by Stoick's steadfastness, but she understands that she does not want the same fate for Hiccup.

(Astrid is trying to force Hiccup to rest. Another small point demonstrating the development of her character).

#httyd 2 #astrid hofferson #stoick the vast #hiccup haddock #chief hiccup #astrid httyd #astrid and stoick #hiccup and astrid

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manicpixiefelix · 4 months ago

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Oliver L/N comforting Astrid when she finds out about Michael cheating on her 🩷🩷🩷

I'm working on getting the next chapter of h,h,h out in the next day or so, but OH MY GOD HI I MISSED YOU AND I LOVE FHIS SO MUCH IVE MISSED THESE AUS !!!! This turned into a bit of a mini fic, but Astrid and Ollie my beloveds 🥹💖 I don't think we've talked much about the Oliver L/N AU in the present day so this was so much fun to think about 😊😊😊

Oliver can tell that something's off with Astrid. He hadn't noticed at the wedding, mostly because his attention, like everyone else's, had been on Colin and Araminta, but at the reception, he barely has to say hi to her before he can sense there's something going on beyond all the festivities.

Astrid is, as she always has been, the absolute picture of elegance and grace, and had been trying to put everything to do with her soon to be ex-husband out of her mind. She had thought she'd been doing a rather good job of it too. Except then there's Oliver, who doesn't ask if something's wrong, because he knows there is. If anyone would be able to tell, she supposed it would be him; he's uniquely able to intuit when a well put together individual is in need of support and care, even if they're trying to act like they're fine.

It's rare to see one of the L/N siblings at an event like this without the other by their side, but Oliver barely has to explain himself for you to understand. You happily accept the burden of social responsibility for the night with Felix by your side, while Oliver dedicates his time to Astrid. It's not that they talk about the fact that they both know something's wrong, no, by all means they keep up appearances, and wear bright smiles, and Oliver even speaks candidly to the people around him, though much like you, Astrid happily bears the brunt of most conversations with others that he too was involved in. They dance and they laugh and they both know Oliver would leave her alone if she asked, but she never does.

The next day she invites him over for lunch at her place, and he agrees without hesitation. You, Felix, and Farleigh are all preoccupied finding out about the shit that went down regarding Nick Young's mother and Rachel Chu the night before. If it were any other day, he would be right there with you, but you insist he should go to her; you knew something was happening with her just by the way Oliver had been acting.

Oliver's one of the first people she tells about leaving Michael, and why. She wants him to hear it from her, not through gossip, or online, or the news, because it will be some kind of news. Listening quietly, he lets silence lapse out between them when she's done, giving her time to breathe, and himself to process. Then, after a very long moment, he hugs her tightly and apologises. Astrid insists that he doesn't need to, and Oliver says that he knows, but still, he's sorry. Not on behalf of Michael, obviously, no, quietly they both know he's apologising for the scrutiny and speculation she's sure to endure in the wake of this, from friends, family, and strangers alike. Oliver isn't family, but he's situationally adjacent in a way that means he understands the position she's in due to her social and financial status, without judging her or expecting anything from her the way her family would. Growing up, he was the closest thing she had to a little brother outside of her cousins.

Oliver is the only one who sees Astrid cry over her divorce, the only one who hears her speak spitefully and with ire about Michael's insecurities and how draining it was having to tend to his ego, to have to hide the extravagant things that brought her joy. When he asks her about what she'd bought recently, Astrid beams, mood turning in an instant; her eyes are shining with a delightfully childish kind of excitement.

"Can I show you?" Said with the kind of quiet hope of someone who's been desperate to share her joy for so long. Oliver nods eagerly, and feels suddenly much younger, like he's stepping into a memory as she grabs his hand and leads him to her closet.

Both know how well the other values privacy, these things stay between them.

They cook together, even if neither is really used to preparing a full meal for themselves. Astrid needs to do something that feels normal or she's going to lose her mind. The smell of smoke when they burn dinner, having forgot to set a timer, is bitter, and ugly, and human. Instead, they get street food, and people watch while eating, and Astrid's voice is soft when she admits that she thinks she still loves Michael. At least, the version of him that she'd married. Oliver knows Astrid's too smart to not have already thought of every answer he could possibly give her in this moment. Well, almost every answer.

"I liked that guy," Oliver agrees, petting Astrid's knee fondly as she rested her head on his shoulder, "I miss him, I feel like I haven't seen him in ages."

There's a beat as Astrid processes this before she lets out a quiet, almost disbelieving laugh, taking Oliver's hand and giving it a grateful squeeze.

"Me too."

Back in Astrid's apartment, they watch movies from when they were children while wearing silk pyjamas, and lay side by side in the dark reminiscing about their various adventures together with you and Nick from over the years.

When the conversation turns to the situation between Nick, Rachel, and Mrs Young, Astrid's expression sours considerably. The family had tried that with her regarding Michael, but they hadn't been able to find dirt on him like they had with Rachel.

"Rachel is strong, she is smart," Astrid muses quietly, "Michael was too, against all odds and the inscrutable politics of my family," she sighs with exasperation, "but the standards he set for himself, and the insecurity he felt when not meeting them, stem from expectations I don't think she will have to face. I know they'll have challenges, different challenges to what Michael and I faced, but Nick is a good man, and I hope they get through this, I really do; they deserve a happy ending."

"So do you," Oliver insists, and Astrid gives a tired laugh.

"I will find it eventually, I'm sure," she yawns, though at least she doesn't sound as defeated as the prospect may have made her feel at the start of the day.

"If you want to get away, you know there'll always be a place for you with us," Oliver tells her with a grin, "or we could even bring you to Saltburn, to get away from the city and all the people; Fi's mum has been dying to meet you ever since we told her about you and Nick. She'd probably let you move in if you wanted."

There's so much Astrid knows she will have to deal with here in the coming weeks, months, probably years, but god, escape sounds so nice right now.

"And his family loves you both?"

"So much it's a little overwhelming sometimes," Oliver admits with a chuckle, "apart from Farleigh, of course," though he amends, "well, he likes Y/N well enough, me, however, he's never really -"

"Haven't you been sleeping with that man for years?" She laughs brightly, and Oliver groans before he answers.

"He barely even seems to tolerate me then!"

"I still can't wrap my head around how that's still going on while you're in love with his cousin, and that said cousin is somehow okay with this whole arrangement!"

"It's like how Y/N and Venetia have an ongoing arrangement, except Venetia doesn't pretend that she can't stand my sibling the rest of the time like Farleigh does with me."

"Oh god, Venetia," Astrid giggled, "that's Felix's sister, isn't it? I forgot about her and Y/N; I met her that time in Milan, didn't I?"

"You did," Oliver can't help but smile at the memory, "I believe we were all absolutely plastered when you first met her -"

"Oh, because I arrived late! That's right; oh she's such a darling, you know she actually told me that I was the most beautiful woman she'd ever met in her life," the smile in Astrid's words is audible, and Oliver can't help but grin too.

"That's because you are," he says like it's a fact, continuing on when she tries to protest with embarrassment, "we all think that about you, Astrid, you're so lovely; I think I remember we had a little meeting about it in the car on our way back to the hotel that night."

"You are all ridiculous, and far too sweet," Astrid tells him fondly.

"We all love you so very much, you know that, right?"

"I know," she tells him softly, sincerely, taking his hand in the dark, "I am glad for the people you have all grown into over the years. I'm glad that you and Y/N now have a family who loves you," and she gives his hand a squeeze, "I'm very glad you're here, Ollie."

"I'm glad to be here too, you know I always will be when you call."

In the days that come, her family and the world will praise her for her strength, her elegance, her composure. Tonight, Oliver welcomes and loves Astrid for her humanity.

#also vaguely related but i think it takes a few years into knowing each other but when Nick young gets his first serious girlfriend #after meeting Felix at Oxford #that's when Felix finally realises that Nick actually isn't a threat to his relationship with you #and from there Nick and Felix become shocking close like as close as you and Nick or Oliver and Astrid #he loves Rachel Chu so much he thinks she's so cool and he's so happy for her and Nick #cra au #oliver ln au #it shouts back #manic writer

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gone-series-orchid · 10 months ago

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which book do you think is the worst/could have been written better? I re-read Lies a little while ago and. Wow. Definitely could have used some work.

that's a good question! honestly, it's been so long since i last reread the books (blasphemy, i know) that i have trouble really remembering any big structural or story-related problems that occurred in any of them. they're all kind of shaggy except for the first book, which i think was the most focused and straightforward of the series.

if i had to pick one, i guess i'd pick fear? not because of anything in particular, but for its lack of memorability. i hardly remember anything of note that happened in fear despite it being the penultimate book of the series, the big build-up to light's endgame, but i hardly remember it aside from a few choice scenes/characters. i think the subplot with cigar happens in fear? and howard dies? i like cigar. and howard's death should have even a bigger deal! orc's whole thing with going to kill drake as revenge for his best friend's murder is so compelling, a great subplot, but i remember it kind of fizzling out. in fact, maybe my perception of fear's as being forgettable is directly due to astrid and orc receding in prominence during it. orc's arc is more or less finished, so that makes sense, but astrid's return to society after living out in the wild felt anticlimactic and manufactured. michael grant had to get back to the status quo, i guess, and have astrid be sam's helpmate and soundboard. which is fine, i guess, but astrid deserved better than being shuttled back into being basically sam's girlfriend (now with less jesus!) just felt like a disappointment. it doesn't help that i'm completely uninterested in sam and astrid as a couple. idk, maybe that has something to do with it? i'm hopelessly biased in this case, lol. so i don't think fear is necessarily a bad book, but it's just kinda meh. too little orc, too little astrid.

that's interesting that you thought lies was the worst! i think a lot of fans see it the same way. i remember, years ago now, rereading lies as an older teenager/young adult (god i don't even remember lol) after first reading it at the age of 13. i disliked it when i was younger, finding it boring, but as an older reader, i found it a lot more interesting. i think the ideas present in lies are really cool; zeroing in on the interpersonal conflicts and political strife of the fayz rather than focusing so heavily on the gaiaphage felt really refreshing. the human crew are cool villains--they're lame, they're bigoted, but they're pathetic in a very human way. i get the sense that mg doesn't particularly like zil, whereas he clearly loves caine and drake (based on their treatment in the books' narratives). that's a good thing! i just wish the human crew's bigotry had soaked into the fayz' social fabric a little more.

maybe i'm conflating the events of hunger and plague with lies, though. i probably am, oops. but i remember enjoying lies because it gives astrid her time to shine--and i love that, honestly i do. that might be my big achilles' heel in this case, lol.

feel free to critique lies more in my inbox, though! i love reading other people's criticisms, especially about gone's female characters and especially astrid. she was done so dirty in the last few books 😭

thank you for the ask! feel free to send more, if you'd like!

#gone series #michael grant #the gone series #fayz #the fayz #astrid ellison

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becomedecay · 2 years ago

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starter status: open

where: twisted sisters pub

who: torbjörn

setting: tor, feeling disheartened by his inability to write seeks comfort in alcohol. being the mouthpiece of mortis, it's rare for him to be able to go out and enjoy life. do you recognise him? if you do — how will you approach? if you don't recognise him, great, maybe you'll be able to make conversation with him. maybe you don't recognise him from mortis, but you've seen him around town with his daughter astrid—or you've taught her, taken care of her in the moon & sun daycare centre or babysat her when he's needed the help.

cap: 4/4 — capped!

He's been engrossed in his notebook, writing out poetic meanings and phrases that could stab the heart—none of it works, his pen scrawling and scratching the paper until it breaks through to the page beneath. Huffing & sighing, Tor accepts that writing songs under stressful conditions just wouldn't do. Closing his notebook, he slips it away into his tattered messenger bag and decides it's in his best interest to just approach the remainder of the day as if he didn't just try to write more gothic, hell—worshipping music laced with hints of a love song.

It's all part of the mourning. The yearning. She's still unseen, her presence a knife in his chest. God, he misses her.

Slinging the bag strap over his head and across his chest, Tor leaves the ugly mug diner, knowing that the only cure for the lack of creativity is a hard beer. Hands tucked in his leather jacket pockets, he braces himself for the mid-evening chill as he walks to the twisted sisters pub, the only place he's found so far that makes him feel at home.

The walk felt so long, minutes dragged like hours but he makes it eventually, pushing through the main doors into the warmth and cluttered sounds of the pub. Immediately he feels more at ease, softly grinning to himself as he takes it all in. If only she could see this place.

Approaching the bar, Tor gives a happy wave and greets the bartender with relief. "Hey! Can I get a beer whenever you're ready? Thanks." He asks, leaning onto the bar with both his elbows. Instinctively, Tor begins fiddling with the drink mat they put down, twirling it in his hands.

As soon as someone comes and stands beside him, he stops, aware that the presence of another person means all his actions will become observed. Looking up, he straightens his back and acknowledges the new arrival with a gentle smile. "You've come at the right time. Place isn't too busy so you won't be waiting long." He's never been good at small talk, and this shows it in all its raw glory. Stifling himself from saying anything else potentially useless, he turns his attentions back to the mat, placing it flat on the bar top just as the bartender brings over his drink. "Cheers." Tor mutters, taking a sip to shut himself up.

#anchoragestarters #starters—open.#threads—tor.#hi !! im incredibly rusty with regards to writing open starters but i wanna introduce torbs so badly.#anyway most of this is scene-setting so you dont need to match length or use icons/gifs!#im an iconless and gifless writer atm.#also this was written on mobile and on beta !

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stahl-herz · 3 months ago

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Trick or treat! 🎃

This is late, but: send an ask with "Trick or treat!" to the writer who reblogged this & you could receive: sneak-peek at a WIP, this case is another part of How much change does a Ripple make?'. A snippet from earlier in the story.

“Well, you’re the only one here that can see me, right?” She smiled at his nod of confirmation. “So, I’d like for everyone here to have an idea of what I look like. Please?”

Richard straightened his tie, turned around and practically lunged at the chalkboard. He proceeded to draw… a picture. To say it looked like an artistic representation of a goblin would be flattery. It barely looked like her! With a heavy sigh, she slid off the table and tried not to show how disappointed she felt.

“I guess a deal’s a deal. But shouldn’t everyone here introduce themselves?”

She glanced around the room, and the small table looked even more crowded than before. Some of the royalty looked like they were being squished between their neighbors. A red haired woman looked like she was trying very hard not to elbow the Asian woman beside her in the face. A few people were sitting with notepads behind the table, no doubt ready to take notes of the proceedings. Every person in the room (besides her) had that greyish tone to their skin! Was this just… something to do with their status? Was it genetic? She had so many questions about this!

“Right, Astrid is requesting that everyone introduce themselves. And I’d say that it’s a brilliant way to kill two birds with one stone.” Richard glanced around the room to see everyone nod.

The names of everyone blurred together for Astrid. She didn’t doubt that she would have to ask Richard to reintroduce her to most of them. She couldn’t help the grin that threatened to split her face when it was the blond woman’s turn.

“I am Eleanor Ségolène Clark the First. I am the Representative, Sword, Shield and First Queen of Canada. Yes, the moose in the stables is mine. His name is Bullwinkle-“

“Hmph, not as good as Lucy. I’d love to show you how she can breathe fire! Oh wait, I’m not allowed to bring her here.” The dust covered man beside her grumbled.

“At least my moose, James,’ She looked the man in the eye, and smiled. “isn’t a fire hazard. Which is why Lucy can’t come here, in case your tiny little brain forgot.”

I don’t know why, but I half expected people to either laugh or ‘cough’ in response to Eleanor’s response to James’ remark. But, instead, the creak of chairs shifting under people’s weight, a few sighs, and some muffled sounds of annoyance met my ears. Signe had also shifted in his chair, but in a way that suggested he was ready to get out it? A few people even glared in Eleanor and James’ direction, with the only Asian woman in the room giving a disapproving frown. She was tapping what looked like a folded fan in her hand. She would’ve looked indifferent to the events unfolding between these two, but her grip on the handle of the fan was so tight that her knuckles looked bone-white. Even Richard briefly looked upward, as if asking God for patience, before he cleared his throat.

“You’re mangy moose-“

“I do believe,’ Richard interrupted, “that it’s your turn, James?” He gestured toward the tanned man.

Said man straightened in his chair, rubbed his animal tooth arm band absently, gave an aggravated sigh and nodded.

“Hello, I am James Walker the First. I’m the Representative, and First King of Australia. I share my Sword and Shield with my sister Keri, who isn’t here today. Lucy is my pet crocodile. Yes, she can breathe fire. And it’s a tactical advantage, Eleanor.” He shoots Eleanor a glare and crossed his arms. “I’ve introduced myself, so you can mark the board, aye?”

Richard nods and makes a note on the board. The rest of the royalty introduced themselves. It turns out the black haired man beside Signe was Sasha Lebedev, the Czar of Russia! The last person to introduce themselves was Signe, who turned out to be the King of Sweden. At Richard’s mark of ‘present’ beside Signe’s name, the meeting began.

#writing #a ripple make #writing snippet #ask meme #answered ask #sorry this is late!#kinda excited to finally show some of this #i'm waiting until I write all of this before I post it #i've been burned before in getting excited about writing a story

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the-broken-truth · 2 years ago

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Heheheh. Hello! Now we are going to the fun part! What if Björn has a love interest? A strong warrior from a village where they worship the bear, she’s known as Astrid the Brave and when they hear that there’s a god for the bears, they started to worship him and beg him to help and protect their village from plagues, dangers, etc.

Björn answers Astrid’s prayers and he agrees to help her village if she completes three challenges for him. If she completes, he will help her village and she will turn into his champion.

Broken Truth: A Love Interest?! Awesome! This is going to be fun now, let the words weave together.

[A Village in Midgard - The Bear Shrine]

The snow slowly fell from the skies above as it blanketed the village below, the people of the village walked around doing tasks but things weren't as prosperous as they could have been; the hunting parties hadn't been successful in their hunt and pillagers have been raiding surrounding villages, it was only a matter of time before they reached them, and the people of the village were beginning to lose faith - faith in their patron god, Björn - The Great Bear. But one refused to lose faith and she was on her way to the Great Bear Shrine with a slab of deer meat in her hands as the wind blew her short grey hair around.

Her eyes laid upon the statue of the great bear before her and walked at the feet of the statue before placing the slab of meat between the bear's front paws, she closed her eyes and clapped her hands together before her face as she took her breath in an inhale and then exhaled before she began praying.

"Oh, Great God of the Bear. Hear my prayer. Please bless our village with your protective and prosperity." The girl spoke to the statue of the bear - all was silent before the girl suddenly felt a warm feeling behind her, she turned around and her eyes widened. Behind her was a teenage boy around her age if not older - his shoulder-length dark brown hair blew in the wind as he looked down at the girl with golden eyes. He was dressed in royal blue clothes with a cloak of fur dropped over his shoulders, he opened his mouth to speak and his voice came out in a powerful echo.

"I am here, Astrid the Brave." Björn spoke to Astrid, who bowed to him with a nervous smile on her face.

"Lord Björn, you have come!" Astrid said with excitement in her voice, but Björn placed a hand on her shoulder and made her stand straight to look into his eyes.

"It's been a while. Now, how may I help you? You have prayed to me for many moons now and I have come to answer your prayer. What is it?" Björn asked as he returned his hand back under his cloak

"The village crops are suffering and nothing has grown in a long while. The hunting parties are coming back with less and less prey every day and the village continues to grow. There have been rumors of pillagers on the outskirts of our village and I fear that they might come to attack us and we are not ready if they do decide to attack Please, Lord Björn, as the village that worships the Great Bear, we need to favor of the Great Bear." Astrid explained as she looked at Björn who looked down on the village and the people who walked around aimlessly. Björn nodded before he turned and looked at Astrid.

"I hear your plead and I shall aid you but I need you to prove yourself and your village worthy of my protected and aid," Björn said as he walked over to Astrid, who stood still in silence. "I have 3 tasks for you and if you complete them, I shall give your village my protection and aid, and I shall also make you my champion."

"Yes, Lord Björn. What can I do to earn your blessing and become your champion?" Astrid asked with excitement in her eyes.

"I want you to complete 3 Tasks: Collecting a Rare Crystal in Alfheim. Second, travel to the realm of Musphelheim and collect a special iron from the top of the tallest mountain in the realm. Lastly, travel to Svarftalfheim and collect wood from the oldest tree in the dark forest. Return here with those three items and I shall name you my champion and bless your village with my favor." Björn explained as he counted on his fingers to Astrid before returning his hands under his cloak.

"I understand, Lord Björn; I'll leave for Alfheim at once," Astrid said as she bowed to her patron god and old friend again but she was stopped and 2 projections appeared before her: A tall man with a dark brown beard, pale almost white skin covered in scars that bore a red marking on his left side and golden eyes that looked pitiful and full of sorrow and pain. He carried some kind of axe covered in ruins. The second projection was of a boy with clear blue eyes and reddish sandy hair and light tan skin with a bow in his hands.

"During your travels, if you run into these two individuals: Avoid them at all costs and do not tell them that you have met me or know anything about me. Understand?" Björn narrowed his eyes at Astrid who nodded her head over and over again until the glare on his face disappeared.

"I understand, Lord Björn; I shall avoid them and even if I see them, I won't tell them anything about you." Astrid said as she looked into Björn's golden eyes, he smiled at Astrid before gesturing in the direction of the stairs that led down to the village.

"Go now, Astrid the Brave, return to me safely and in one piece." Björn said before he turned and began fading away in a golden light before he was no longer there, or at least to Astrid's eyes. In reality, he activated his cloak's power to become unseen by the human eye. He watched as Astrid smiled to herself and began walking down the stairs, ready to complete her mission for the grace of the Great Bear.

[About 3 Months Later Leaving Alfheim With The Rare Crystal: At the Peaks of Musphelheim]

Astrid pulled herself over the edge of the mountainside and exhaled when she reached the top, before her was a cluster of the special iron that was on the Great Bear's List. Walking over to the cluster, Astrid pulled out her pickaxe and began chipping away at a long arm of iron from the cluster until it broke, falling to the ground before her. She took one last swing and broke the long piece into two pieces and gathered the pieces into her backpack when she heard someone walking behind her, she pulled her sword out of her sheath and turned on her heel and there he stood - The Marked Man.

"Who are you?" The Marked Man asked.

'This is the Marked Man Björn warned me about the one she said that I need to avoid. What is he doing at the peaks? How did he know that I was here?' Astrid thought to herself and the man narrowed his and spoke again.

"Answer me, girl; who are you?" He asked again.

"I am no one you need to concern yourself with, Marked Man. I am simply a traveler on a journey and now I have collected what I needed; now I am heading back home." Astrid said as she began walking but the Marked Man spoke again.

"Tell me something, Girl, have you ever heard of the Great Bear God that goes by the name of Björn?" He asked.

"No. I have never heard of that name." Astrid said as she began walking down the path she took to reach the mountain peak. She was going to need to be careful during her time in Svarftalfheim for if she ran to the Marked Man during her time here, she might run into the boy known as Loki there.

[The Dark Forest of Svarftalfheim]

There she stood, before the largest and oldest tree in the dark forest of Svarftalfheim, looking up at the tree limbs above. She pulled her sword from her death and threw it like a disk, hitting one of the thinner tree branches and severing it from the tree; sending it crashing to the ground with her sword. Astrid grabbed her sword and chopped the tree branch into 3 smaller pieces and picked them up before placing them in her backpack. Suddenly, the presence behind Astrid her turn around, and a boy was standing behind her but not just any boy.

'Loki.' Astrid thought.

"Oh, hi; I didn't notice that you were here. What brought you here to the Dark Forest?" The boy asked with a smile on his face but t disappeared when he saw the girl before him wasn't smiling, "Is something wrong?"

"No. I am leaving." Astrid said as she tried to walk away but Loki got in her path and asked her if she heard of someone named Björn but she said no before she pushed him aside and walked away leaving Loki alone.

[4 Months Later - Village In Midgard - The Bear Shrine]

She was home. After a year of traveling and collecting the items she was asked to retrieve, she was finally home and the first thing she did was the return to the Bear Shrine and placed the items on the Bear Shrine before the Bear's Paws. She placed her hands together and began to pray.

"Oh, Great God of the Bear. I have returned from my mission and retrieved the items you have asked for. Please come before me and judge me for my efforts." Astrid prayed and almost instantly, Björn appeared before her with a smile on his face.

"You have completed my tasks and returned to me unharmed. You are worthy to be my champion and your village has earned my favor, Astrid the Brave." Björn smiled before he pulled her into a hug and placed his chin on her head, feeling the warmth of his champion and friend for the first time in a long time.

#god of war ragnarok #male reader/björn #astrid the brave #björn x astrid

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utilitycaster · 4 years ago

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Wizard breakdown tracker

Welcome to a new and wholly unasked for feature, in which I procrastinate what I should be doing (currently: reading about MRIs, finishing up some Passover kitchen cleaning) in favor of providing a status update on our wizard NPCs, who are as a rule getting their lives flipped and turned upside down in part by the the Mighty Nein. I intend to keep up with this nonsense until such time as Trent Ikithon is dead or as good as.

Note: Caleb Widogast, as a PC and member of the Mighty Nein, is not included on this list. Vess DeRogna is assumed to be still dead unless otherwise indicated. Wizard NPCs who have not made an appearance nor been mentioned in some time will not be included but may be put on the list in future weeks if they turn up.

Ludinus Da’leth: haven’t heard from him in a while but Astrid mentioned him; last we heard he’d lost the Nein in Eiselcross. Probably hanging out and having a great time knowing that Vess DeRogna is missing, presumed dead and that Trent Ikithon is having a miserable time. I bet that smug bastard doesn’t realize his overture to Caleb just made him more complicit and a storm’s a-coming.

Conclusion: 0/10. Pretty sure this man won’t believe he can die until a sword is stuck through him and even then he’ll have some doubts.

Trent Ikithon: according to Astrid, he’s a little twitchy; Caleb’s shown that even when quite literally backed into a corner he’s uninterested in making bargains, and also can capably counterspell him. Plus his underlings let the Nein go and even if he doesn’t know this was intentional, seems like it would be a rough day.

Conclusion: 4/10. Not pulling out the big guns yet, probably, but starting to ramp things up.

Essek Thelyss: Oh, Essek. You poor, poor elf man. Yes, you laid the groundwork, but I have to say I think pacing via floating would be uniquely unsatisfactory in relieving stress. Jester’s messages have made it worse, you’ve been expecting to die every day for the last six weeks, and what exactly did Trent do to you?

Conclusion: 8/10. Please give him some whiskey-spiked tea and sympathy in the tower tonight.

Astrid Beck: Well she’s betrayed Trent like four times in the last week already and, initial reunion conversation with Caleb aside, the Mighty Nein have been fucking up her shit ever since that dinner, so.

Conclusion: 8/10 and rising. Help her Bob, she’s having a mental breakdown in the alley. (god I hope people know sea shanteys other than The Wellerman or this is going to be a joke only I enjoy).

E(a,o)dwulf “Then Perish” Grieve(?): Wulf is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, isn’t he. Here’s what we know: Big. Strong. Forearms. Cut his parents’ throats as a teenager. Sometimes does work at Vergesson. Keeps saying “you look good” to Caleb like he’s a romanceable video game character. Raven Queen, but not sure of whether he multiclassed or is just a religious wizard who lifts. Knows wristpocket and uses it to hide his flask. Joined Astrid in Nicodranas, so in on the plan, but she seems to be the one in charge.

Conclusion: 5/10. Fewer betrayals than Astrid, but he’s definitely at least guilty of aiding and abetting.

Pumat Sol: Missing the Spice Girls already. Some weird guy in a cloak keeps stopping by his shop. You know, the usual.

Conclusion: 2/10, probably a little nervous he’s going to get audited for illegal high level spells. On the other hand, the Assembly’s been leaving him alone - no Vess DeRogna threats for a while!

Allura Vyesoren: I mean, it’s not the first time that a rag-tag bunch of misfits has asked for her help regarding a world-ending power and so far it’s gone pretty good! Also this woman has watched Scanlan Shorthalt cast Wish and survived, she’s got a great marriage and a cool tower, she’s on the Tal’Dorei council; it’s going to take a lot to truly unsettle her.

Conclusion: 3/10. She doesn’t have her staff, and the city is indeed a concern, but she’s been through worse.

Yussa Errenis: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Conclusion: ∞ /10. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

#critical role #critical role spoilers #i'm not tagging with all the wizard npcs i can't #wizard breakdown tracker

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nanaminokanojo · 4 years ago

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Play the Game | Nanami Kento X You | Part 5/8

collection masterlist

one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight

"Play the Game" Masterlist

The autumn winds heralded more clement weather, carrying the tart scent of peaches and pine in the air. With the balmier weather, everyone in the estate had taken their opportunity to be outdoors. Nanami himself had been dragged out and was walking with everyone who cared to go to the private orchards when at breakfast, the groundskeeper announced that everyone can go peach picking.

He watched from across the table as the object of his attraction visibly lit up, your glorious blue eyes brightening exponentially. You loved peach picking and he loved seeing you all excited over small things. But it turned out to be something of a disappointment when your attention turned to Geto instead of him, inviting him to go with you.

“You’re coming, aren’t you?” you asked expectantly, giggling like a little girl when Geto nodded, placing an arm over your shoulder and hugging you to his side while he said, “Anything for my favorite girl.”

My favorite girl. He had to stop himself from being petty and scoffing at the very thought of it. His annoyance was further validated when you generalized your invitation, saying anyone who wished to could come, voiced out by Yuuji who pouted at you and said you should have been inviting him since he loved picking peaches as much as you did.

That was just how it was with you when it comes to Geto. You forget everyone around you the moment he makes an appearance, and it seemed Nanami wasn’t an exception. He could accept that in the past. Ever since, you had been vocal about your preference for the dark-haired man who spoiled you to no end, letting you have your way and without fail made you smile and laugh like you never do with anyone else. When their group would go out, travel or do something else recreational, you’d always be where Geto was, dangling by his arm. You mellowed out with him when you met Yuuji, but the truth is that Geto Suguru is your favorite among your older brother’s friends.

This time, however, he couldn’t rest easy with you interacting that way with said male. If he was being honest, he only agreed to go peach picking after Gojo made him tag along because he wanted to keep a close eye on you. He was also being obvious about it with the way he was trailing you with his eyes every other five seconds, the realization dawning into him when Shoko walked beside him, grinning as she took a long drag from her cigarette.

“If you want to be with her, just do it,” the woman told him, easily reading him as usual. “You look like you’re about to blow your top.”

Nanami just glanced at you, his eyes involuntarily flicking to your familiar figure now circling around Geto as you walked, your hands and arms animatedly making big gestures as you seemingly explained something to him. He felt his temper rise when the male grabbed your arm, pulling you towards him so he could wrap an arm around you, his dark eyes finding Nanami over his shoulder in a sly taunt.

Shoko clucked her tongue, shaking her head. “We all know, Kento.” She glanced behind her where Gojo and Utahime were walking. “Only that white-haired idiot seems to know nothing. Or he pretends not to know.” She sighed. “I can’t blame him though. She used to be this really cute bundle of joy, but look at her now. She’s a grown woman.”

He couldn’t disagree with that. He knew exactly just how much of a woman you have become physically and mentally. What he doesn’t understand was why you weren’t walking with him instead while you’d be sneaking around with him, stealing kisses and hugs from him since the previous day when the pair of you returned from the lake.

At the rehearsal the previous night, you had stuck to him like glue, not that he minded. You purposefully touched him even when everyone was watching, running your fingers over his arm, leaning against him while everyone waited for their turn to practice their part for the ceremony and holding his hand while he sat with you in the garden during breaks, all the while feigning innocence to your actions. You even went to the extent of wrapping an arm around his waist while Gojo was speaking to you. The man, obviously aggravated, narrowed his eyes at you before turning on his heels and leaving.

“God, he’s so frustratingly dumb,” you muttered under breath, watching him leave. Only you had the guts (and right if Nanami was being honest) to call your brother dumb. It somehow made Nanami think that you were really just doing things to get a rise out of Gojo for whatever reason or whatever complex you had with him, but what confused him was that you didn’t stop even if your male clone wasn’t looking.

It was no different at the dinner that followed at the restaurant the family had rented for the night. You purposefully said you forgot something, declaring that you will be riding with Nanami instead, tossing your car keys to Megumi who saluted him while snickering with Nobara. Yuuji, being the most annoying of your three friends, deliberately bumped against him and said, “Make the most of it, Nanamin.”

He would have smacked the boy at the back of his head if the conniving little sprite dragging him around didn’t pull him towards his car. “Wait for them to leave,” you told him as you boarded his car.

“I thought you forgot something.” His lips quirked upwards, already realizing what you were playing at, but before he could say anything more, you grabbed him by the collar, silencing him with your lips. That ended up with you two being half an hour late to dinner after that one kiss turned into a full-on make-out session in his car with you sitting astride his lap while he kissed you stupid.

When both of you finally got to the restaurant, he expected you to let go of him, but you boldly walked with him to your designated seats, holding onto his hand as you led the way. He did not miss the way your parents were looking at the two of you, but he pretended not to notice. Your father was rather approving which was a relief but your mom was just confused. He could just surmise that your friends were in on it when you ended up sitting on the same table, reserving two seats for him and you, further proven when you exchanged high-fives with Nobara who, in turn, winked at Nanami. Of course, he thought, they knew.

You engaged in conversations with your friends for most of the duration of the dinner, but you never failed to smile his way or wink at him when you think no one’s watching. You didn’t ride home with him since he had to drive stupid Gojo after he got too drunk to function and instead drove your car with your pals. You and your friends didn’t come back for another hour, but when you got home, you rifled through the house, loudly asking everyone where he was.

Nanami had to suppress laughter as he crossed the foyer on his way to the stairs and saw how you pushed past Suguru to make your way towards him, latching onto his arm and announcing to everyone that you will walk him to his room cause he might get lost. You had giddily stuck to what you said you’ll do when he noticed how your eyes were bloodshot and you had that odd smile on your face.

“Sweetheart, are you high?” he asked, gently holding you at arm’s length. He already knew the answer to his question when he caught a whiff of weed on your hair. Typically, he’d scold you, but the way you were tittering for no reason was just too adorable for him to handle.

“Don’t be mad,” you said to him, attempting to pout, but you couldn’t in your state. You then started poking his cheek that he eventually had to hold your hands away from him. When you finally stopped laughing, you blinked up at him and said, “I want you to kiss me.”

He didn’t have to be told twice as he pulled you to a side hallway, pushing you against the wall, giving you a peck. You whined loudly. “You call that a kiss?” you complained.

“Be specific, love. How do you want me to kiss you?” he teased, leaning his forehead against yours, trying hard not to laugh as he held you back, preventing you from touching him. He was already aware of how you could easily take the reins and dominate him.

You smirked at him. “Kiss me dumb. Pretty please with a cherry on top, Kento?” You seemed to have discovered that calling him by his given name has become his weakness, and you succeeded because in the next second, he was all over you, prying your mouth open with his tongue as he pressed you against the wall with his body. You submitted to his touches, pulling him closer, your sensuous lips and the sweet flavor of your tongue driving him insane. Before he lost control, he walked you back to your room, defeating the purpose of you walking him to his.

But now, he had to watch you being monopolized by Geto.

He sighed. He could trust Shoko to shed off pretenses for once.

“You okay?” she asked.

He nodded. “I know she’s really fond of Suguru, but I can’t help but –” What was it that he felt exactly?

“You’re jealous. It’s natural especially when she was all clingy with you yesterday.” She chuckled. Shoko couldn’t have been more right, but the scene playing out before him was the least of his problems. It ran deeper than just the moment at hand.

Nanami promised to keep it a secret as Geto’s friend although it killed him a thousand times when three years ago, just a week before the time he had to haul you out of a bathtub after your cocaine episode, the male came to him, confiding that he wanted to pursue you romantically.

“Good luck on that,” he remembered telling Geto, feeling that same pang of envy pervading his system, but then the latter said, “It’s just that she said she likes someone else.” He looked at Nanami sharply as if he was angry at him for some reason, but retracted to his easy-going mood. “Forget I said anything. I can’t have her.”

“Why is that?” Nanami asked then.

At that, Geto smiled, sadness crossing his features. “I don’t deserve her.”

At odd to his words three years ago, Geto was as close to you as ever. You’re obviously still very fond of him. Still, Nanami wasn’t sure what the intention was behind Geto’s calculated actions. The man was just as aggravating as you are with your mutual penchant for games and keeping people on their toes.

Shoko stole him back from his reverie. “Just put a label on it already. She likes you, too, you know.”

“How do you know that?” he asked.

“Seriously?” She burst out laughing then. “Men are such dense creatures.”

“That’s offensive.”

“So is your obliviousness.”

“What does that even mean?”

She shook her head, her laughter dissipating. “Talk to her and find out.”

“I saw what you were doing with Kento last night.”

You looked at Geto who was walking beside you, not really knowing how to respond to his observations and settling for twirling the wicker basket you were holding. He flashed you a knowing smile, already used to your behavior when you were puzzling something in your head, caught up in your own bubble.

“I’m not as frustrated about Nanamin as much as I am with Satoru.” You sighed, remembering how your brother just walked away when he saw you holding onto Nanami, annoyed as if he thinks you were just trying to rile him up. “He’s so dense with things like this.”

“You’re one to talk,” Geto stated frankly, snickering at your appalled reaction. “On a more serious note, why?”

Letting up on your scowl, you said, “Well, he’s being a bitch about how I never tell him anything anymore. He asked whether I liked Nanamin and what was going on when I was being very obvious. I kissed the man in front of him, for heaven’s sake.”

“Sweetie, that’s not straightforward at all. You know yourself better than anyone, and seriously, even I get all confused as to whether you’re just messing with everyone, not to mention that you’re so erratic that we just don’t know what to expect from you.” Geto eyed you placatingly, letting you know that he was being earnest.

You easily laugh and smile because of him, but he just as easily offends your by being so brutally straightforward. You’re realizing that now that he was acting more like your older brother, and you knew you couldn’t get offended when you wanted assurance. “I just want to include him all the time but his reactions are so fucking infuriating. He treats me like a kid crushing on his friend if anything.”

“So, why not talk to him about it?”

“I don’t want to sit down and talk to him about it as if I’m asking for permission or approval. I love Satoru to smithereens – don’t tell him that – but he doesn’t get a say about what I want in life especially not where the people I date are concerned especially since he seems to have an aversion to me being attracted to any of you guys ever since I turned twelve.”

Geto chortled. “So you’ve been crushing on Kento since you were a kid?”

You made a face at him, punching him on the arm. “No, idiot. I liked you first.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

You momentarily stopped walking. “Yes, but then I found out what a womanizer you are but I won’t even venture into that. I’m not really fond of martyrdom,” you deadpanned.

Not even hiding his affront, he walked back to your spot and flicked you on the forehead. “I’m very offended you’d say that to me!”

“It’s true though.” You laughed, reaching over to squish his face before walking around him in circles. “If you think I’ll cry over your pretty face, you couldn’t have been more mistaken. Besides, I don’t want to share.”

“Now you’re just being a jerk.” He placed a hand over his chest, feigning insult. “I’m hurt, baby.”

“You deserve it for kissing that cheap model wannabe in front of me on your first runway show.”

“My, my. Your tongue’s loose today. Tell me more.”

“I settled for thinking I’ll just steal you from Satoru to be my best friend. Well, that’s before I met Yuuji. I guess I was just really jealous of what you and Satoru had. I wanted everything he had anyway until I realized that’s now how it works and there were things about me he couldn’t have either. Makes it fair.” You chuckled, finally making it in front of him. “Like that personalized plush bear you gave me on my eighteenth birthday. Man, that was huge.”

Laughing with you, he held onto your arm, pulling you close to him, glancing behind him.

“What are you looking at?” you asked, still giggling.

“Your boy toy would have killed me with those looks he’d been throwing at my direction since breakfast,” Geto whispered to you, making you look over your shoulder, too. There, you found Nanami, looking so breathtakingly gorgeous with the rakish way his hair had been styled and his chiseled physique outlined by the long-sleeved running top he had on. He’s been dressing more casually recently much to your satisfaction.

“Don’t call him that, He’s not my boy toy.” You couldn’t help but smile like an idiot. “Sometimes, I have to stop myself from jumping his bones.”

It was Geto’s turn to make a face at you. “Sweetheart, I love you, but don’t say those things to me. Anyway, are you two together now?”

You tensed slightly and shook your head. “That’s up to him.”

“What?” He scoffed. “In case you’re not aware, you’re a prize. Don’t go doing all the work.”

“I know.”

“He should fight for it, too, if he wants you.”

“So Yuuji says.”

“He’s right.” Geto stopped walking, placing his hands on your shoulders. “You know I love you right?”

You nodded, poking fun at him. “More than your hoes, I hope.”

He clucked his tongue, rolling his eyes at you. “I’m being serious here. You may think I’m a hedonistic bastard who only thinks about getting laid all the time, but you’re a different story, sweetheart. I treasure you like Satoru does, and if I see something wrong, it’s my duty to tell you.”

Seeing the somber look on his face, your smile dropped. “What are you getting at?”

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he began. “Kento is a good man, better than Satoru and I combined to tell you the truth. But when it comes to things like this, he has the tendency to be indecisive.”

Your heart dropped, feeling nervous all of a sudden as your eyes widened in fear at the prospect. “Are you saying he doesn’t like me?”

“Honey, he loves you. I know so.” He snorted. “Bastard can’t even resist you anymore by the looks of it, but trust me when I say he’s going to over-analyze things because there are so many things to consider instead just going for it.”

“You mean Satoru?” you griped.

“One of them anyway.”

“O…kay.” You pouted in perplexity. “How would you advise me to proceed?”

Geto finally let up on the seriousness, bursting out laughing. “The gods are fair, aren’t they?”

Understanding why he was laughing, you punched him on the arm again. “I know I’m dumb at this, but at least try acting like the older, more mature one here. You should be flattered I’m coming to you for shit like this at all.”

Still laughing, he pulled you close and hugged you, planting a chaste kiss on the top of your head. When he was calm enough, he breathed out and squeezed you tighter. “Talk to him and be direct about it.”

You decided to approach Nanami when you spotted him alone under one of the trees, reading a book. The forgotten basket of peaches beside him, only half-filled, was indicative that he forgot about the activity at hand and is in his own world again. You adored his quiet side, the way he kept to himself, unafraid to be alone and always comfortable in his solitude, so much so that you hesitated to disturb him.

Quietly, you stalked towards him, making sure not to make any sudden sounds, but being him, he was immediately able to perceive your presence.

"You have a very dark taste in literature as a child," Nanami spoke when you’re within earshot, sensing your presence.

You frowned, sitting beside him, confused at first but upon seeing your battered copy of "Coraline" sitting on his lap, you understood what he meant. "Where did you find that?"

"In the library." He finally met your gaze, his expressions unfathomable. "I remembered you gushing about it when you first read it."

You nodded in understanding, but couldn't quite keep your mind in the conversation, plagued with thoughts of what Geto told you earlier. He was saying something about your fascination for the horror genre, but you cut him short, saying, "Can I ask you something?"

Nanami tilted his head slightly at the question, his quizzical gaze prompting you to proceed.

"What are we?" you blurted out, your blue eyes quite unable to meet his dark ones. You don't exactly know what was making you behave with such uncertainty. After all the times you had been confident where he was concerned, you were suddenly scared. You didn't fear being rejected by anyone. It has always been the case for you since you’re younger, but you were afraid of not knowing, of not being sure.

Nanami looked at you, deep in thought for a few moments until he finally told you, "That's up to you, isn't it?" His tone had a bite to it.

Unable to place where he was coming from at the moment, you hesitated. You rummaged through your head about what his response to you could imply, frowning when you came up with nothing. "What?" you said, thinking it better to ask.

"You heard me." He shrugged, opening the book to the page he was reading. By the looks of it, he was trying his best to ignore you.

You fought the urge to pose barb at him, too, wanting nothing but to get a straight response from him. "Why is it up to me?" You totally didn't understand, thinking it ought to be a decision the pair of you should make. Wasn’t that how it worked?

Silently cursing at the whole situation, you contemplated on your past relationships. All of them seemed less complicated. They liked you, you liked them. You decide to date, and when things don’t work out, the arrangement is broken off. High school and college boys were irritating to say the least, but you were expecting it to be a lot more straightforward with Nanami because he’s a mature adult. Now it seemed like you were in one of those previous relationships again.

“Elaborate on that,” you prompted him, seriously at a loss.

He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Is this another game of yours?"

To say you’re appalled by his odd line of questioning was an understatement. Unable to control your emotions anymore, you stood up. "What are you talking about?" You burst out laughing without mirth. For once, you’re being direct with what you wanted. For once, you weren't playing and yet all you get are questions being thrown at you.

"Go play with Suguru. He seems to enjoy your antics more than anyone," he told you coldly.

"What are you on about?" you demanded from him. “I’m asking you a simple question.”

Nanami flashed you a tired smile. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

He also stood up, obviously exasperated. "Look, I honestly don't know what we are. I'm not sure." He sighed when you eyed him in disappointment but that expression turned into icy indifference very quickly.

"You don't know," you repeated, nodding. "Okay. I see how it is."

For the first time in years, you felt stupid, so much so that you felt like tearing all the hair off your scalp. You didn't understand what was wrong with Nanami but so many thoughts ran through your head at the same time. You thought you might have asked too early. You thought maybe you read things between the two of you wrong. On top of all that, you felt so overwhelmed with anger over his response that you couldn't think straight, but you were also afraid of saying anything else in case your inner demon decides to jump out.

Turning away, you started walking away. You heard him call your name but you didn't look back, suppressing the urge to go back to him and instead storming out of the orchard. You didn't understand what the dull ache in your chest meant but you knew you couldn't handle it.

-end of part 5-

*I used “you” here, but since my character is Gojo’s little sister who is established to be his female clone for reasons essential to the plot, she possesses the same blue eyes and white hair. I did not exactly want to create an OC (although technically, I did by describing Y/N), but I opted for the best of both worlds in this fic, leaning more towards the literary aspect of it as opposed to it just being reader/you-oriented. I hope this isn’t iffy to anyone, and yeah, i’m not being exclusive or whatever.

Thank you so much for reading. Likes, comments and reblogs are deeply appreciated! Hope you enjoyed it.

PHOTO/IMAGE/GIF/FANART CREDITS TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

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e-one-seven · 4 years ago

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(I hate being a literature student. Just know that literature students have a bad habit of over-analyzing stuff, and apparently D&D games are not exceptions.)

Normally I don't talk about ships. I think that everybody is free to ship whoever character they want with who they want and I am no one to judge them. Especially if the characters in question are from a live role playing game and one of the ships in question involves a couple controlled by a couple who is married IRL. But this one. Oh boy. Laura Bailey is an absolute beast and she deserves all the respect in the world if even a fraction of what I think it's happening/going to happen will effectively happen in game.

Fjord kissed Jester. He asked for her permission and he got it. It was beautiful. And I am genuinely freaking out because I knew that was going to happen and it's even worse than I imagined it. Why am I talking about it like it is something bad? Because it's possible that Jester is not ready to be in a relationship right now, and that Jester herself is not aware of it. Let's talk about it from the beginning.

Jester likes Fjord from the beginning of the campaign, we all know that. When Jester met Fjord for the first time, she was a sheltered girl who, in her head, just met the perfect man: a proud and strong sailor who wants to live an adventurous life just like the heroes of her novels, and she easily identified herself as the heroine the hero will inevitably fall in love with. They meet the rest of the Nein, live on their adventures and Jester keeps on acting like she is the Guinevere of her personal love story inside her head, while Fjord is blissfully unaware of what is happening inside the skull of his new friend.

Then Fjord meets Avantika, a mature woman who seems to share many traits and interests with him. Jester is clearly jealous, especially after that they sleep together to seal their alliance. That is also the moment when Jester starts to see Fjord's flaws and she seems to be willing to accept them, which is actually a point in favor for a possible relationship between them. But Fjord is still unaware of what the special attention of the blue tiefling actually means.

Then she meets a real married couple, and she starts to realize that romance is not always like she imagined it was. Nott/Veth and Yeza are married and have a child, and they are not as dependent to each other like the heroes of her novels: Nott does her own things and she is a strong independent woman and Yeza is pretty much the same, they are not allowed to be as intimate as they used to be because of "Nott's condition", but they still love and support each other through and through. And at this point, Jester starts to notice that there is a member of the Mighty Nein that seems to show her that unconditional love and support that Nott and Yeza radiate with every action: Caleb Widogast.

Caleb used to be a stinky wizard, a brash individual who joined the group just because he was too squishy to survive on his own. But ever since they are in Xhorhas, he cleaned himself, he is kinder with everyone and he wants to help her organize the Traveler Con even if the event has nothing to do with him directly. Jester is visibly touched by his newfound beauty and kindness. But he still loves Astrid. He called Jester with her name when they danced together in Hupperdook. And he seems to be interested in Essek Thyless too, so she is probably imagining it. The Mighty Nein travel, grow more powerful, and Fjord manages to set himself free from Uk'utoa's influence and becomes a Paladin of the Wildmother. He finally becomes more similar to the hero Jester imagined he was when he met him for the first time, but she seems to be only minimally bothered by his change. She needs time to think because she feels that something is changing inside her. Fjord might not be the right one after all. Caleb is always there for here with all his support, and she starts to want to be there for him.

Eventually, they stop the war, they defeat a fire god and Caleb sets up wonderful magic and illusions so that the Traveler Con is a success. But then, during the last night of the gathering, something happens and Sehanine, the Moonweaver herself is angry. She is taking Artagan away, and Jester is willing to follow him in the Feywild and share his punishment... but Fjord grabs her and begs her not to go. She has still the Mighty Nein, she has still him. For the first time Fjord is being explicit about his feelings for her. Luckily everything goes well and the Mighty Nein are free to come back to Wildemount... Where she finds out about Caleb's past and his intent to save his friend Eadwulf and his former lover Astrid from Trent Ikithon. They go dance again, Caleb pushes her in Fjord's arms, and the half-orc gives her a present. There is definitely something. But there is Caleb too, but he is too busy trying to deal with his demons to pay attention to her.

Jester meets Astrid and she antagonizes her. She is jealous, she thinks that Astrid is Caleb's ideal woman and she realizes they are not alike at all. She is a talented and ambitious wizard, while she is just Jester, the cleric of an Archfey. Astrid is just like Essek, and Caleb is attracted by Essek. Jester understands if Caleb doesn't like her after all: why should he be interested into a childish cleric whose power is not even her own? They are just very good friends. That's all. He should be back with Astrid and she will support him if that will happen once that she will be free from Trent Ikithon's influence. But Caleb is still so kind, and loving, and supportive... she is really confused about it. But he is kind and loving with all of his friends, so in the end it might not be important.

And then, there is Eiselcross with its weird ancient magic. A magic as dangerous as the one they found in the Happy Fun Ball, which contained a Blue Dragon and a trap that managed to kill Nott without them being able to prevent it. Everything is dangerous and the Mighty Nein realize as the time passes by that not everyone of them could get out of there alive, especially given what and who they are trying to stop. And Jester herself falls into a trap: she is given a vision that confirms to the Mighty Nein that what they feared is true, that the Tomb Takers' objective is to bring an eldritch floating city scary enough to cause a Morkoth into voluntary exile back to Exandria, where it intends to absorb its inhabitants into its hive mind. The price to pay for the vision are 5 years of her life. "Growing old" is different than "growing up", and it happens to her in a matter of seconds. Jester is five years closer to death now, and it is possible that she is lucky they are just five. The minor changes in her appearance are a reminder of what it could have happened if she wasn't lucky, and she has no idea about what else changed about herself and what will change in her personal life and relationships because of that accident. All she knows right now is that these might be her last days alive and she is afraid she might be missing something before her untimely death.

(And she would not be silly to think about it. After all, who they are facing is reminding all of the Mighty Nein that even if they are becoming powerful they are still mortal beings.)

And when she is in the middle of a mild existential crisis and confusion reigns inside her head, Fjord declares. And Jester, still willing to believe that she is her old self, the young woman who left Nicodronas and miraculously met the man of her dreams that will lead her to live an exciting life full of love and adventures, accepts to kiss him. It is very likely that she was not thinking about anything in that moment, but one thing: "If I say yes to Fjord it means that I am still me, right? It is happening because it was supposed to happen from the beginning, because we were supposed to be together."

There is just one little problem: Jester is ignoring the fact that she has changed from the person she used to be back then, and it did not happen because a group of stone statues magically aged her up. There is still something for Fjord, she will never forget him as he is and he will always be her first love. But she has some feelings for Caleb too, and even if she is "a good liar" they might be too strong for her to simply ignoring them. After all, Caleb "I was trained to lie and kill for the Empire" Widogast did an excellent job when he was trying to hide them. There are some clues here and there that hint that Jester might love Caleb as much as he loves her and that she wants him to be happy, even with other people... just like he wants it for her. Add the trauma she is just starting to deal with, and there is almost no way that her current relationship with Fjord is going to evolve into something healthy and angst free right now. This if that kiss was the effective beginning of a serious relationship, and not the promise of a future relationship between them if she will be still available.

But these are the vibes that the beginning of a relationship between them is giving to me right now, and nothing will be confirmed until Laura Bailey will show up to Talks Machina to talk about it. I am also curious about how she will react when she will see Essek again: when the stakes were not high she used to tease him to be with Caleb... but now she has met Astrid, she might have feelings for him and being in a relationship with another person, and Caleb states that he doesn't trust him. I guess that if she still does, it will be mostly an attempt to show to everyone that nothing changed for her and that she is fine (and that would be a huge step back into her character development, but it was her defense mechanism until the Rumblecusp arc and she is dealing with a lot of serious stuff all together right now).

I'm not saying that the ship is going to die: I'm saying that because of the circumstances behind how it was made official and the relationship between all the character involved, I would say that it is very likely that it will lead to some cute moments, but that it eventually won't last. This is especially true if it will confirmed that Jester has feelings for Caleb too, as feelings for another person are not easy to get rid off, and I am fully expecting Jester to angst and talk to someone about them at some point. She needs to achieve true clarity and accept that she is going to break someone's heart in order to be in a healthy, happy relationship. Because, let's face it, we all imagined Jester would have been much happier if she'd ever entered into a relationship, shouting about it out loud so that everyone know. There is something weird here. So, or either the kiss is a promise, or Jester's heart is not fully into it and this means trouble.

But yes, Laura Bailey promised us that she would have romanced Travis's character and she is doing it. And whatever it will be the final result, she is still a legend for having achieved the impossible once more.

PS: Obviously this post in the end means nothing, as no one owns and knows the full truth behind the intent of these characters but the actors who control them. I just wanted to give my two cents about the question. It's more likely that this development will prevent Jester to suffer from a mental breakdown in Eiselcross instead of causing her to suffer from one, but I tend to over-analyze stuff. Please forgive me for this.

PS2: As a final note, it would have been the same even if Caleb would have been in Fjord's place, if not even worse: I wrote a post about Caleb in Eiselcross too, and between him and Jester I have no idea of who is the most messed up at the moment. Poor children...

#critical role #character analysis #jester lavorre #fjord #caleb widogast #fjorester #widojest #angst everywhere #why did i even write this #i just want them to be happy #cr meta

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